We might be arguing semantics here. Carrington didn't show anything in his Freshman year to suggest he should be in competition for a starting job. Maybe he just was never healthy last season, but he was really bad shooting under 33% from the field and looking overwhelemed from both a quickness and a strength perspective on the defensive end. I am not ruling him out for his career, but there would have to be a massive year 2 leap for him to be an average Big Ten starter. I think Cam has a good shot to be a good player at some point, but I wouldn't bet on it as a Freshman as even his much more heralded brother wasn't great (made All Freshman team but wasn't efficient). I don't see the 3/4 as similar spots at all and am very skeptical of Inhen or JOJ being as skilled offensively as I'd want in a 3 or quick enough laterally to guard who the opponents put out at the 3 spot and I haven't seen enough of Betts to comment.
I completely agree that adding Brown and Pride would make the depth and potential starting position battles better, it's just that the ceiling on most of those position battles appears very low. Unless we add someone nobody is talking about right now, I don't see how we go in to the season with a player on paper at the 1, 2, or 3 positions that would be considered an above average (or even average?) starter in the Big Ten. I like that Brown was the defensive player of the year in his conference, but his list is Richmond, Minnesota, and Utah State. Pride is currently visiting St Bonaventure and previously visited Loyola Chicago. High majors aren't knocking down these guys doors down so while they may be good players, they are not being valued as such by our competition.