With the NEC season passing the midseason point, I thought it would be a good idea to break down the season in the way we usually do the individual games.So before we start the second half by looking at the big win at Monmouth, let's break down the first half by going man-to-man.
Adonis Burbage: He's worked to become less one-dimensional as the season has gone on, but he's still best known for his corner threes, something he has come to excel at at times. He's still too streaky, but when he's hot, he gives Central a huge weapon. His best game of the year was last week against SF-Brooklyn, when he became a rebounder in the absence of Brandon Peel. If he can mix the three, a little driving, the rebounding and the threes, he will be a huge piece. For now, he's a heck of a compliment.
Kyle Vinales: I don't know if you've heard, but the kid is a pretty good scorer. He has 967 points in 49 games. Mark down Thursday night in New Britain vs. LIU, as that should be the night he becomes the fastest to 1,000 points in school history. Most importantly, he has developed into more than just a shooter. He has learned to defer to others when either they are hot or he isn't, and is turning into a solid assist man. He's been everything you'd want from your star. And he has two years to further develop.
Andrew Hurd: He will get his shot up, we know that. But he has shown the capability to give Central a good 5-10 minutes of relief for their guards. I'd love to see him get those minutes a little more consistently.
De'Angelo Speech: His loss, probably for the season, thanks to a couple of different injuries, really hurt. Central could have used another ball-handler and perimeter defender, two things Speech could have provided.
Malcolm McMillan: He's been good all year, though his assist-to-turnover ratio was a little low early in the year, mostly because of the high expectations (and need) Central had for him as opposed to his actual play. In the last couple of weeks, however, he has added offense to his game, making him much more of a threat. It's one of the two transformations which has Central thinking about contending in the league again.
Khalen Cumberlander: Another guard Central could have really used who was lost to an injury. The backcourt will be deep next year.
Erik Raliegh: A wonderful story who hopefully can contribute before he graduates.
Joe Efese: He had his breakout game Thursday night at Monmouth. He saw his time greatly reduced with the emergence of Brandon Peel, but has seemed to use it as motivation, showing off a nice little jumper and a renewed intensity on defense since. I'd still like to see more of the "big" lineup Central used against Wagner more, if for no other reason than Peel and Efese both deserve to play. Efese will be heard from before this year is over, as he was last night.
Matt Hunter: The quiet superstar. He can score and gives Central needed energy. He makes its transition game go, and has greatly limited his turnovers as the season has gone along. If he can keep his shooting percentage up, he might be the unsung hero of the season.
Greg Andrade: He's another good athlete who could give Central a few minutes, especially at the end of games which have been decided. Hey, it doesn't matter where the five minutes come from.
Terrell Allen: Central's other backup big, he is another guy who developed his game as the year went along. He can shoot a little bit from the outside but just has to remember his bread andbutter is hustle and interior play.
Brandon Peel: The breakout star of the season. His rebounding and interior play has become critical to Central, which started turning the year around when he was inserted into the lineup. He only got a minute Thursday because of his bum ankle, and the Blue Devils have to hope he's close to returning to his normal time. If he is, this season might be getting interesting.
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