UTSA guard Japhet Medor, seen here on the drive to set up a floater, sparked an up-tempo workout Thursday afternoon at the Convocation Center. https://t.co/hyCDEtrt3Q pic.twitter.com/NUrJK9OhWX
— Jerry Briggs (@JerryBriggs) October 14, 2022
For the first time this fall, the UTSA Roadrunners took the court with referees blowing whistles on infractions against the rules.
The Roadrunners, led by senior guard Japhet Medor, seemed to adapt well during a spirited Thursday afternoon workout. Coach Steve Henson said he thought it was a positive experience.
“I thought we’d be fouling a lot more, because we’ve been very aggressive in practice,” Henson said. “I was glad to see they didn’t call a ton of hand-checks on us. They called a couple of moving screens, which was not surprising.
“There (were) a few fouls we need to clean up. But I think players knew we were going to have officials here toda, so they were a little excited. Felt more like a scrimmage day than a practice day.”
Henson said the team overall had good energy.
“I thought the ball really moved,” he said. “We made some good plays, some really good plays, for each other. Got some wide open looks. Three-point shooters knocked down shots today. That was really good to see.”
Noting that the Roadrunners “weren’t always the most athletic” team in Conference USA last year, the coach was pleasantly surprised at some of the aesthetics.
“We had two or three possessions where we had two or three guys above the rim, tapping,” he said. “(We had) some big-time offensive rebounda from different guys. I was pretty encouraged.”
The duel between speedy point guards was entertaining, with Medor and sophomore Christian Tucker taking turns either setting up teammates or making shots.
“We’re obviously talking a lot about Japhet,” Henson said. “We know (Erik) Czumbel can slide over there and help us, as well. But Christian’s had a good stretch of practices. He’s done a heck of a job.
“He did fine this summer, but I think he’s gotten a lot better the last two or three weeks. Now today, I though Japhet just had a different explosiveness about him, early on in practice. I thought he had an extra gear today.”
Medor, a 6-footer, alternately would use his speed either to burst into the paint or to jump a passing lane for a defelection. Tipping one errant pass, Medor took it three quarters of the length of the court, with Jacob Germany following along.
Germany ended up dunking it.
UTSA practice highlights: Japhet Medor spins down the baseline and passes to John Buggs III in the corner for a wide-open three. https://t.co/hyCDEtJChY pic.twitter.com/rlWAbLaaVj
— Jerry Briggs (@JerryBriggs) October 13, 2022
UTSA practice at a glance
Roadrunners forward Lamin Sabally loses the handle on a possession, secures the ball with second effort and then takes it strong to the glass. https://t.co/hyCDEtrt3Q pic.twitter.com/YBkaGg5PPD
— Jerry Briggs (@JerryBriggs) October 14, 2022
Slicing and dicing
UTSA's Japhet Medor, a senior transfer from Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Fla., slices into the lane and finds Erik Czumbel in the corner. Swish. https://t.co/hyCDEtJChY pic.twitter.com/eU7FMwqnQz
— Jerry Briggs (@JerryBriggs) October 14, 2022