I am here to eat a little bit of crow. I felt that last year Gabe was clearly the better player vs. Woodbury, and while I have not been a detractor, my support for AW has been limited.
Here is a summary of what I see as mostly positive - the evolution of Woodbury the player.
1. I feel like he has improved greatly in his SELF AWARENESS. Meaning I feel he has a better grasp of his strengths and weaknesses. I see him playing more within himself and clearly delivering net positive results as a great team-oriented player. His overall toughness and moxie are major assets on this senior laden team.
2. His Interior defense continues to be solid. While he is a slim shot blocking threat, he is one of the few large bodies on this team that can truly bang with some of the more active centers we have faced. He held his own against a very athletic front-line from both Michigan and MSU. One of his biggest improvements has been the reduction in fouls, which was an issue last year. He is averaging about 2.1 fouls per game, similar to Peter Jok (they play about the exact same MPG). This has allowed him to play a more consistent role.
3. His rebounding continues to be a major plus and he is averaging a respectable 6.3 per game, edging Jarrod for tops on the team. He is tied for 9th in the B1G.
4. He is an opportunistic and efficient scorer. He is shooting over 54% from the field, at just under 9 points per game. While his game largely lives around the rim, he has polished a decent 8-10 foot shot. He also has excelled recently with some cuts to the basket turning into easy layups. He has improved on his "bunny" conversion which was a pain point in previous years.
5. His free throw shooting is excellent, especially for someone who is not a particularly great outside shooter. He is hitting at a very strong 79.1, which is good enough for 15th in the B1G and one of the best on the team.
6. His passing is above average for a center and an added plus. He is very savvy in this area. He averages about 1 assist per game, roughly the same as Uthoff on a per minute basis. I would like him to get his 1.2 turnovers per game down.
Here is a summary of what I see as mostly positive - the evolution of Woodbury the player.
1. I feel like he has improved greatly in his SELF AWARENESS. Meaning I feel he has a better grasp of his strengths and weaknesses. I see him playing more within himself and clearly delivering net positive results as a great team-oriented player. His overall toughness and moxie are major assets on this senior laden team.
2. His Interior defense continues to be solid. While he is a slim shot blocking threat, he is one of the few large bodies on this team that can truly bang with some of the more active centers we have faced. He held his own against a very athletic front-line from both Michigan and MSU. One of his biggest improvements has been the reduction in fouls, which was an issue last year. He is averaging about 2.1 fouls per game, similar to Peter Jok (they play about the exact same MPG). This has allowed him to play a more consistent role.
3. His rebounding continues to be a major plus and he is averaging a respectable 6.3 per game, edging Jarrod for tops on the team. He is tied for 9th in the B1G.
4. He is an opportunistic and efficient scorer. He is shooting over 54% from the field, at just under 9 points per game. While his game largely lives around the rim, he has polished a decent 8-10 foot shot. He also has excelled recently with some cuts to the basket turning into easy layups. He has improved on his "bunny" conversion which was a pain point in previous years.
5. His free throw shooting is excellent, especially for someone who is not a particularly great outside shooter. He is hitting at a very strong 79.1, which is good enough for 15th in the B1G and one of the best on the team.
6. His passing is above average for a center and an added plus. He is very savvy in this area. He averages about 1 assist per game, roughly the same as Uthoff on a per minute basis. I would like him to get his 1.2 turnovers per game down.
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