You never really appreciate something until it’s gone. In the case of Idaho guards, that’s not entirely true, because I think most of us appreciated the production the Vandals got out of Landon Tatum and Deremy Geiger last season.
Now that they’re gone, I miss them even more.
That’s not a shot at the kids in the current backcourt, it’s just a lamentation of the inexperience at the guard positions the Vandals are dealing with right now.
Mike McChristian at point guard and Connor Hill at shooting guard have been asked to fill huge shoes, and any shortcomings they’ve had early certainly isn’t because of a lack of effort.
McChristian, a converted forward, had another tough game at Washington State, only slotting in five points and dishing out just two assists. McChristian, to his credit, has settled in the role enough that he’s not been prone to turning the ball over or forcing the offense into hasty low-percentage shots. Behind McChristian there isn’t a ton of depth, meaning the Vandals are going to require more than just a game manager out of the point guard position.
What I did like out of McChristian was his aggressiveness when Idaho made its late 13-2 run that cut the lead to two. McChristian was grabbing rebounds and pushing the tempo, feeling the momentum Idaho was creating for itself. Down five, McChristian caught a pass beyond the arc and wasted no time hoisting up an open 3-point look, draining the shot that drew Idaho to within two. This was compared to the first half when McChristian was playing tentative and passing up good enough looks in a game where Washington State was good at quickly closing down shot windows.
Next to McChristian is the sophomore 3-point specialist from Post Falls. Connor Hill is going to develop into a fine, well-rounded shooting guard — but not yet. Hill had made a conscious effort to expand his offensive game, play better off the dribble and distribute the ball better. Four assists against Washington State show that, though the entire package isn’t there yet. Teams are adept at meeting him off the ball screens and the confidence isn’t quite there in his shot for him to launch shots consistently in the face of pressure.
What there is to like about Hill is the hustle and energy, Hill is constantly moving and trying to get open even if the defense isn’t letting him, and even if his shooting hand is cold he’ll keep shooting — that’s what you want out of a shooter.
Still, the ultimate production from the two starting guards in Idaho’s loss in the Battle of the Palouse is far from what Idaho needs in order to climb out of its 1-4 slump.
In 62 combined minutes, the Hill-McChristian backcourt combined for 15 points on 6-16 shooting (3-8 3-point), six assists and two turnovers.
That’s a day at the park for Deremy Geiger in 25 minutes of action.
Kyle Barone had a relatively good game, if you account for him having to face a likely All-Pac-12 selection in Brock Motum. Barone overcame a slow start to the game to finish with 11 points and eight rebounds. Barone was often matched up one-on-one with Motum with Wendell Faines and Marcus Bell both in foul trouble.
Stephen Madison wasn’t quite the SM34 we’re used to, but it wasn’t a bad showing. 13 points and three rebounds are solid, but two assists and three turnovers are uncharacteristic. Washington State made a concerted effort to not let Madison move around with the ball in his hands, and quickly closed him down on the baseline when trying to work toward the basket. When Idaho starts getting more consistent production out of its backcourt, it’s going to open up a lot more for Madison offensively, who is Idaho’s most well-rounded offensive player.
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]