Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Northern Colorado Point Guard Options

Over the last couple of seasons, point guard play has been one of the biggest things holding Northern Colorado back. They have struggled with consistency from that spot. Holdover starter Tevin Svihovec has been up and down, Paul Garnica could never get the trust of the coaching staff before he transferred, and James Davis was a little too raw offensively to provide much impact last season.

This year, they have some more options, and that should make their PG play a bit stronger. Let's take a look at some of their options for the PG spot.

Tevin Svihovec
He is not a natural ballhandler, and this is why he will likely see a lot more time off the ball this season. He is a good shooter and solid scorer, but never appeared to be all that comfortable setting teammates up. While his Assist Rate jumped to 21.1% from 16.4% as a freshman, his TO Rate jumped a bit as well. He is good at getting to the line, and gives good effort defensively, but I'm not sure he's quick enough to guard the top PGs out there. A move off the ball makes a lot of sense, as the coaches know. Still, I would expect him to get some minutes at the one, especially if Wilson redshirts.

Corey Spence
Spence is a junior college PG out of Casper College, and his former coach Joel Davidson, is now an assistant with the Bears, which could give him a leg up. Last season, he averaged 11 ppg and 6.3 assists per contest, but his biggest contribution might come on the defensive end, where he should be a big improvement. He got over two steals per game last season, and he is the tenacious defender in the backcourt that the Bears have been missing. He might be the most important piece in determining how UNC does this season.

Jordan Wilson
I think Wilson is going to be a fine player for Northern Colorado, though I would be surprised if he beat out Spence for the starting job. He is a 5'7'' freshman that is very quick, and is said to have a killer crossover with a very good midrange shot. He excels in transition, which could be a big boost that looks like they will be able to run more than they have in the past. He will have a very good future for the Bears.

From what I hear (and confirmed in the thoughts of Spencer Tilus), Spence has the inside track at the starting PG spot. It will be an interesting thing to watch throughout the year.

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