Hatch is Mr. Determination

[Capitol Shock]

This kid is fearless and seems to be every where out there. Any time there's a pile up you can usually find Hatch buried at the bottom of the pile with the ball.

This kid inspires and is playing with a ton of heart. Keep it up Hatch...your shot will start to fall for you...just keep playing hard!

[ShoxCO94]

Amen I second that remark!

[Snapshot9]

His play has the fighting spirit of a winner.

[rjl]

I believe it was Marshall in the post-post game radio show last night who answered a call in question about Hatch. Even though his shot hasn't been falling, opposing players are still defending him like a shooter, which has allowed him to drive to the basket a lot more.

[Shocker85]

You gotta think Turgeon wasn't full of crap when he recruited and signed Hatch as a shooter. With his level of effort, if Hatch DOES find his shot, he'll be a viable weapon.

I was calling for him to be in the game last night because Hannah could not handle ISU's size on defense. When coach started situational substitutions at the end of the game, Hatch's lock-down defense helped keep the 'birds from making any comeback.

Added bonus at the end of the game - he seems to be one of the better free-throw shooters, although he hasn't gotten many FTs.

--'85.

[fuball7]

it shows alot when a guy with a struggling shot is in the 8 man rotation over reggie in the second half last night

[ShockerInKC]

His effort vs. skill ratio kinda reminds me of Karl Papke. Although I think Karl played inside more and Hatch has wicked left/right drive the lane ability. I hope Hatch's outside shot comes back, at the beginning of the the season he had the best stand-still 3pt shot on the team.

(yes I know if effort is 1 and skill is zero, the ratio is infinite. This is a sports chat analogy, not statistics)

[SubGod22]

His shot has been tweaked a little from last year and I think that plays a big part in his accuracy. But once he becomes more comfortable with it it'll pay off big.

[kcshocker11]

Shows a bit of Matt B in him!

[Aargh]

Shows a bit of Matt B in him!

I was going to say the same thing.

Matt got known as "Sparky" for what he brought when he came into games early in his career.

Maybe we should leave "Sparky" as Matt's nickname - or maybe we could award a "Sparky" when a player shows he has the heart and soul of Braeuer.

That should be a fairly tough award to achieve. I believe we have some players now who could get it. I believe Matt would agree to letting his nickname be shared among players who deserved it.

[pie n eye]

KC, Aargh, you both beat me to the punch. After reading Lutz's article today I finally made the connection between Matt and Hatch. While Hatch doesn't seem to possess the same ball handling skills or speed as Brauer I think he has more physical potential than MB because he has a much bigger body.

The similarities are there: they can both shoot, they're left handed, they scrap on every possession without fear for their bodies, both play above the level casual observers might expect, and I get the impression Hatch is moving into more of a leadership role for this team.