2021-2022 Roster balance concerns

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Otis

Otis

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Seems like some years we have too many guards. Last year.
Some years we have too many bigs. Next year will definitely be one of them without some transfer out action.

Returning Bigs:
Liam Robbins 7' - Almost certain to return with no chance of going pro.
Martice Mitchell 6'11" - Will be a 4* Sophomore. Who has gotten almost no play through ten games.
Sam Freeman 6'10" - Junior with limited skills and a big body. To say he has gotten limited minutes is all too easy.
Eric Curry 6' 9" - Super Senior still has another year of eligibility. Will he stay or will he go?
Isiah Ihnen 6'9" - Junior to be is in and out of the starting lineup. He could be something special!
Brandon Johnson 6'9" - Technically, the Graduate Transfer could return. But I feel he will be highly encouraged to move on by the time I show you the whole list.
Jarvis Omersa 6'6" - Not really a big. Already has two feet out the door. Included because what do we know?

Incoming Freshmen:
Treyton Thompson 6'11" - Plays for La Lumiere (Be our Guest..) One of the highest ranked pay for play HS teams out there. Alexandria kid who looks like Chet Holmgren lite. (image of Chet Holmgren lite is SCARY!)
Kenny Pohto 6'11" - Plays for another great Pay for Play HS Super Team. 3* player who looks built for the perimeter.

OK, that's 9 scholarship player possibilities which can only play 2 positions. Some of these guys can only play one.

Returning guards and small forwards are only:
Both Gach: Unless he blows up
Jamal Mashburn Jr.: Future looks bright.
Gabe Kalesheur: God, let him find his shot somewhere out there in the wasteland!
Tre' Williams: Will he ever get a chance to really play into what he could be?
Mutaf: Turkish Superman will someday shoot his way into Gopher legend!

That's 5 guys for 3 spots. Unless you think Ihnen and Mitchell can play SF, which I haven't seen much of as of yet.

Is this a problem? Or is Pitino crazy like a fox and setting up an opportunity for a Grad Transfer or regular transfer this spring?

Or is Minnesota going back to the Dutcher days of running out Thompson, Winey and McHale?
 


short ornery norwegian said:
I could see Ihnen getting some time at SF, depending on the lineup.

My question would be PG. Is Mashburn the PG, or is that a spot where a transfer could come into play?
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That's the thinnest spot unless you believe Gach could play the point. Which I think he could. He has pretty good handles in a Coffey kind of way.
 


I think they have to look transfer at PG or combo guard. Mash has looked good but I don't know if he's ready to be thrust into Carr type minutes.
 


Seems like it would be a really good thing if Johnson comes back. Maybe Curry calls it quits to protect his knees? Maybe Mitchell and/or Freeman see the writing on the wall a bit and move on? Does seem like we would be a good landing spot though for an accomplished transfer guard who wants to get a lot of pt and play on a good team as well.
 

golf said:
Seems like it would be a really good thing if Johnson comes back. Maybe Curry calls it quits to protect his knees? Maybe Mitchell and/or Freeman see the writing on the wall a bit and move on? Does seem like we would be a good landing spot though for an accomplished transfer guard who wants to get a lot of pt and play on a good team as well.
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Perhaps a young man from Colorado would like to come home?
 

There is so much unknown between now and next year. 2-3 of the guys you’re talking about may not be here. I’m just guessing that Pitino is aware and has a plan.
 

This is why I was (and still am) so puzzled by the Pohto signing.
 




I think Ihnen is more than equipped to play the wing especially if he continues to get better defensively on the perimeter. I also believe Mitchell wants to play some wing too. He seems twitchy enough, weill be interesting to see him get strong and see how much faster he can become. I'm also guessing that 2 of the the Omersa, Curry, Freeman, and Mitchell are not coming back.

At the wing, I would expect a grad transfer. I think they want to keep 2022 open for Holloman to come in and take over from day one. Gach can spell Mashburn in his ball handling duties. I like the idea of playing 4-5 wings 15-30 minutes a game and not being so ball dominant.
 

This is why taking Pohto made no sense with the log jam.

Omersa is likely out though. I hope Johnson comes back and I would think Pitino would want him back. Curry, Freeman and Mitchell are all possible transfer candidates as well or in Curry’s case, a candidate to hang it up.

I think we take a grad transfer PG to either start or backup Mashburn and I hope none of the other key contributors leave.
 

They could be grouped like this:

Bigs: 4/5 position only

Robbins 5
Mitchell 4
Freeman 5
Pohto 5
Thompson 4/5

Combo Big
Ihnen 3/4

Wings and Guards
Williams 2/3
Gabe 2/3
Mutaf 2
Gach 1/2/3 Coffey style back up point?
Mashburn 1

If the other guys that are likely to leave (Curry, Johnson) do leave, then we have two open. One should go to a PG for sure and the other to a wing who can shoot it. That would be good balance. If I had to bet on a transfer - it would be Williams. Not hoping at all- just guessing based on roster construction.

Right now it looks like:
Robbins Freeman
Ihnen Mitchell
Gach Williams
Gabe Mutaf
Mash Gach/ newcomer

We have been in a lot worse position in the past!
 



manderson1984 said:
I think Ihnen is more than equipped to play the wing especially if he continues to get better defensively on the perimeter. I also believe Mitchell wants to play some wing too. He seems twitchy enough, weill be interesting to see him get strong and see how much faster he can become. I'm also guessing that 2 of the the Omersa, Curry, Freeman, and Mitchell are not coming back.

At the wing, I would expect a grad transfer. I think they want to keep 2022 open for Holloman to come in and take over from day one. Gach can spell Mashburn in his ball handling duties. I like the idea of playing 4-5 wings 15-30 minutes a game and not being so ball dominant.
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He struggled to stick with 3’s on UW-GB so I have hard time seeing him be able to stick with Big Ten 3’s. He is much better suited for the 4 and even small ball 5 than the 3.
 

die hard gopher said:
This is why taking Pohto made no sense with the log jam.

Omersa is likely out though. I hope Johnson comes back and I would think Pitino would want him back. Curry, Freeman and Mitchell are all possible transfer candidates as well or in Curry’s case, a candidate to hang it up.

I think we take a grad transfer PG to either start or backup Mashburn and I hope none of the other key contributors leave.
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Pohto makes sense to me. Robbins has only one more year and then there is only Freeman as a true 5 banger. Pohto has a real chance to play good minutes as a soph.
 

die hard gopher said:
He struggled to stick with 3’s on UW-GB so I have hard time seeing him be able to stick with Big Ten 3’s. He is much better suited for the 4 and even small ball 5 than the 3.
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I used to think of Ihnen as a potential 3 but now I really like what he does near the basket - especially on D and also on the offensive boards.
 

There should be good depth in the transfer market. We could pick up some quality at PG and the wing.

going to be a big drop off from Carr even if you could get Mckinley Wright. Would need to improve at SG to make up for the lack of production.
 

(1) I believe Curry will be gone and Johnson likely stays.

(2) Omersa is a wildcard. I've heard that rumors of him playing football are real. Take it for what it's worth.

(3) Ihnen needs to stay at PF. Pitino has done a great job this year of not playing people out of position (it's been a gripe of mine in the past). Ihnen is a good shooter, defender and rebounder for a PF. He is an average shooter, OK defender, and terrible ball handler for a SF. Keep him rebounding, defending, and pulling the opponents PF out of the paint.

(4) This post is going to be full of hot takes, I realize that, but I also think Mutaf has a chance to be a really good offensive player. I'd like to see him be a bit more in shape next year so he can defend and get up and down the court a bit better. But I really believe he could be a special offensive player.

(5) There will be tons of player movement next year - - essentially twice as many transfers as usual - - I expect that we will bring on a veteran 1/2 to play with Mash. I have no idea who it will be.
 

I
bga1 said:
I used to think of Ihnen as a potential 3 but now I really like what he does near the basket - especially on D and also on the offensive boards.
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He also played well at the 5 against SLU the last few minutes.

I wouldn’t mind seeing that lineup some more with Gach at the 4 for limited stretches. Best against a team like Iowa when Garza is out or when Cockburn is out because they both play 4 guards mostly.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
(1) I believe Curry will be gone and Johnson likely stays.

(2) Omersa is a wildcard. I've heard that rumors of him playing football are real. Take it for what it's worth.

(3) Ihnen needs to stay at PF. Pitino has done a great job this year of not playing people out of position (it's been a gripe of mine in the past). Ihnen is a good shooter, defender and rebounder for a PF. He is an average shooter, OK defender, and terrible ball handler for a SF. Keep him rebounding, defending, and pulling the opponents PF out of the paint.

(4) This post is going to be full of hot takes, I realize that, but I also think Mutaf has a chance to be a really good offensive player. I'd like to see him be a bit more in shape next year so he can defend and get up and down the court a bit better. But I really believe he could be a special offensive player.

(5) There will be tons of player movement next year - - essentially twice as many transfers as usual - - I expect that we will bring on a veteran 1/2 to play with Mash. I have no idea who it will be.
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Basically how I feel. I don’t think Pitino would run off Johnson who has been mostly solid starter for us and had flashes of dominance but we should be able to replace Curry with Thompson, Pohto, Freeman or Mitchell.
 

Ihnen is not a SF at all. He has no handle and his jumper is valuable because, in theory, it pulls a bigger defender away from the hoop. If opposing teams can guard him with a guard - which I believe teams can because he has no interest in going to the rim - the advantage of having on the floor is diminished. You also want him as a help defender and rebounder because his length is valuable as a help guy rahter than a guy fighting around a bunch of screens all the time. I've never understood the belief that he is a three man.

Gopher SG/SFs under Pitino: Austin Hollins, Malik Smith, Dupree, Amir Coffey, Kalscheur, Willis...Ihnen's skillset is nothing like those players.

To the original question, yes. I think the roster balance is in an odd place right now and would be shocked if there aren't departures from the frontcourt.

In today's basketball world, the maximum amount of big men you can play at any one time is TWO. Many teams play one. More and more teams are playing size less and less. Allocating seven scholarships to a position group that, ideally, has three players regularly seeing the floor is shoddy management to me.

You can play four or five perimeter guys at a time, which means if you have six that demand minutes, you can make it work. If you have five big guys that need minutes, you can't put more than two on the floor at a time.
 

Where do you all think Curry is going? I don't understand where someone who has worked that hard and endured so much to remain a part of the team wants to just up and walk away, or gets driven off by the coach. The later sounds like a minor PR nightmare.
 

WhoFellDownTheGopherHole? said:
Where do you all think Curry is going? I don't understand where someone who has worked that hard and endured so much to remain a part of the team wants to just up and walk away, or gets driven off by the coach. The later sounds like a minor PR nightmare.
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He is in his 5th year of college. I have absolutely no idea what Curry wants to do, but it would not be surprising if someone in that position did not want to spend a 6th year in college and was ready to move on to the next chapter in life, whether that is in coaching, overseas basketball, or putting their degree to work.

I agree that running Curry off would be a nightmare, and I would be surprised if that happens. I assume Pitino and Curry have at least a decent relationship and probably a good one given they have spent 5-6 years together now. If they had a poor relationship, Curry had the perfect opportunity to transfer the last two years while recovering from injuries.
 

Otis said:
There should be good depth in the transfer market. We could pick up some quality at PG and the wing.

going to be a big drop off from Carr even if you could get Mckinley Wright. Would need to improve at SG to make up for the lack of production.
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Wright will go pro after this year I suspect
 

matt said:
He is in his 5th year of college. I have absolutely no idea what Curry wants to do, but it would not be surprising if someone in that position did not want to spend a 6th year in college and was ready to move on to the next chapter in life, whether that is in coaching, overseas basketball, or putting their degree to work.

I agree that running Curry off would be a nightmare, and I would be surprised if that happens. I assume Pitino and Curry have at least a decent relationship and probably a good one given they have spent 5-6 years together now. If they had a poor relationship, Curry had the perfect opportunity to transfer the last two years while recovering from injuries.
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Whatever year he plays with the Gophers is likely the end of basketball for him, so it would also make sense that he might want to get everything out of it that's left from the experience.
 

1. This is Eric Curry's fifth year of college. If Pitino elects to move on from his scholarship after this season, it's hardly like he's being driven off. The school has fulfilled its obligation plus an extra year.

2. I think Jarvis Omersa has played his final game in a Gopher uniform.

3. I think Freeman sticks around and is rewarded with more playing time next year. I kind of like him, although he's gotten next to no playing time the past two seasons.

4. I also think Brandon Johnson moves on. I'm sure Pitino would love to keep him, but a nice solid multi-year career in Italy or Lithuania or Israel awaits, which is a pretty sweet deal when you're in your 20s.

5. Where has Isaiah Ihnen's jump shot gone? Regardless, I think he's our starting power forward next year.
 

die hard gopher said:
He struggled to stick with 3’s on UW-GB so I have hard time seeing him be able to stick with Big Ten 3’s. He is much better suited for the 4 and even small ball 5 than the 3.
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Ihnen wants to be a wing and position versatility is necessary to create his best shot at being a pro. I don’t disagree with your current assessment, but I’m talking about next year. A regular offseason in the TC with full access to S & C coaches will be interesting for him. Maybe he just bulks up and goes to only a 4, but I don’t think that’s the only plan for him.
 

Urbandale said:
4. I also think Brandon Johnson moves on. I'm sure Pitino would love to keep him, but a nice solid multi-year career in Italy or Lithuania or Israel awaits, which is a pretty sweet deal when you're in your 20s.
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If Johnson had spent all 5 years here it'd be different but he is only in his first year playing high major basketball and he hasn't experienced a real year with fans so I think coming back would be attractive to him. I don't think the charm of playing high major basketball would have worn off after this year. An overseas career is likely always going to be there for him and he could probably get into a better league if he stays and has a better year.
 

bga1 said:
Pohto makes sense to me. Robbins has only one more year and then there is only Freeman as a true 5 banger. Pohto has a real chance to play good minutes as a soph.
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Robbins has two more years if he wants them. Freeman may be the only other "true 5" but Thompson is 6-11 and Martice is 6-10, both capable of playing the 5. So even if Curry and Omersa leave, you still have 4 other guys that can play the 5. And Curry or Omersa could come back in which case you could have up to 6 other guys although I don't think either will.

I'd rathe have just saved the scholarship for a spring transfer, a guard or a wing.
 

Both Curry and Johnson (he redshirted at WMU) would be going into their 6th year of college so I'm not sure I see much chance of those guys coming back. I think I remember Pitino saying Eric wants to become a coach so he may ease into a grad assistant role. If there's football chatter with Omersa, it wouldn't surprise me otherwise I wouldn't mind him coming back actually, I'm not really sure what else you could do with his scholarship. Can't see you convincing a grad transfer wing to come here so maybe you bring in a freshman wing but we also didn't offer many wing types in this cycle so who knows. I do know we'll want as many 2022 scholarships as we can come up with when you look at how strong that class is locally. In the end, you have Thompson and Pohto replacing Curry and Johnson while Carr's scholarship will be taken by a transfer PG. So the roster in my head would look like:

PG: Grad transfer PG/Mashburn
SG: Kalscheur/Mutaf/Williams
SF: Gach/Williams/Ihnen
PF: Ihnen/Mitchell/Thompson
C: Robbins/Freeman/Omersa
 

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