I have watched each game, and even though we don't have a lot of data to go on, here are my observations.

1. Tyler Haws - I love how Tyler seems to have better athleticism this year. Love his hops, his hustle and his improved defense. Don't know if the rest of you have noticed, but his off the ball defense has improved. He is getting into passing lanes and leading fast breaks. I still worry about his ability to handle physical play. He seems to want the refs to bail him out, and if he can't get to the line it affects his play. The ward basketball team was roughing him up pretty well, and it got to him. I will be interested to see how he handles San Diego State's pressure. The main difference between Jimmer and Tyler is that Jimmer could handle the bumps, the hand checks and the hip checking. Tyler seems to have improved his 3-point shooting from last year which will open more space in the paint.

2. Kyle Collinsworth - Still not enough to go on but I am hopeful for a quick return. Right now he is rusty. But even with his rust, he still fills a stat sheet. Personally, I would like to see KC at the 3 position or maybe even the 4. He is an exceptional rebounder, and he is very good on the baseline. Not sold on him as the PG though. I would go with a starting lineup of Winder at the point, Fischer at the 2, Haws at the 3, KC at the 4 and Austin at the 5. KC struggles dribbling against quick defenders. He makes up for that though in so many other ways -- his defense, his passing, his rebounding and his post moves. When KC posts up against a bigger player, he has the athleticism to go around him. When he posts up against a smaller player, he can go over him.

3. Chase Fischer -- I am very excited about Fischer. What I love about him is his basketball IQ and decision making. He will pass up a good shot to give to a player with a better shot. Didn't see that too much with Carlino. He also shows consistency so far, but I need to see him against better competition. Great range and nice looking shot. Not a liability on the free throw line. I think he's our number two scoring option throughout the season.

4. Anson Winder -- Winder is steady, plays within his ability and is our best defender. He seems to have good chemistry with Fischer. He knows Rose's system well and will make enough points and shoot enough threes to keep defenses honest. Not a star player, but an important contributor.

5. Nate Austin -- Nate is a great rim protector, has great heart and hustle, and also plays within his ability. He has really matured since he was a freshman. I used to get bothered by him, especially when he tries to do head fakes instead of using his height to just go up and dunk the ball. But he is what he is. He makes up for his liabilities on offense with his other strengths. He will get 6-8 points a game and average around 8-9 rebounds. I think Nate can be a little more aggressive this year because we have so much depth on defense.

Bench players -- We should see a rotation of around 10 players getting significant minutes. I expect we will see 10 players because we will need the depth in the frontcourt. Worthington, Neilson, Halford, Kaufusi, and Nixon will see significant minutes. Less for Nixon. And we will see some Toolson and Bartley. Maybe more Toolson if he can hit threes against better competition. Need to see that. I am impressed with Worthington's progress. But I need to see what he can do against better competition. That baby hook may not work against good post defenders. I like Neilson, but one thing that has me puzzled is his lack of athleticism. Haven't seen it yet. That was supposed to be one of his strengths. I like Kaufusi and expect continual progress. Has a high ceiling, but he's definitely a project. Halford seems to be in better control and has settled into a role, which is a good thing for him. Nixon and Toolson are young but they also seem to have high ceilings. Nixon may be a bit of a tweener. He can be effective against the SVU's of the world, but can he be effective against a team like SDSU? Love Toolson's game. He's going to be a good one. Bartley is a good defender but don't expect much offense from him. He struggles at the point. Don't expect to see Sharp, Andrus or Ellis get much time. Mop-up duty in blowouts.

Overall -- Dave has a good shooting team, a fair defense, but one thing he has for sure is depth. They may break away from opponents in the second half due to their depth. We do not have a great inside scoring threat, so I wonder how well we will shoot when athletic teams can press us. I predict a record of around 25-8 with another trip to the Dance -- 10 or 11 seed.