This will be fluid. There's still much we don't know. Spots are up for grabs. Lots of players with high ceilings could emerge. Tentatively:
Point Guard: Freshman Amaya Battle, has precise elite skills from Hopkins but inexperienced at the collegiate level.
I would be surprised if she started the season but not too surprised if she started at the end of the season. I expect Katie to start the season here at PG.
Shooting Guard: Freshman Mara Braun, has star potential with a complete game that includes 3's, a combo guard but inexperienced at collegiate level.
By all accounts she seems to be a potential star but I still suspect a transfer not on the roster will start game one until Mara shows she can adapt to the speed, size and offensive and defensive schemes of the coaching staff. This could even be Czinano, although I haven't seen anything yet to indicate she will be a great player. This could be mostly due to her injuries.
Power Forward: Freshman Mallory Heyer, elite shooting and rebounding in the paint and shoots 3's well, opening up lanes when she moves to shoot from the wings but inexperienced at the collegiate level.
I suspect a transfer will start here game 1 too, same as shooting guard.
Small Forward: Freshman Nia Holloway, actually a power forward but late in her senior year showed she can shoot and move from other positions, including 3's, and Varsity multi-sport athlete gives Gophers better size and defense than the historic undersized and 3 guard-emphasis past but Hollway lacks collegiate experience.
Center: Sophomore Alanna Micheaux, flashed big potential at center in her game against tough North Carolina and defensively probably more of a power forward than center.
This will be a battle if Micheaux and Oberg are the only two options. I would give the edge to Oberg because of her passing ability will help keep teams honest and spread them out. If Oberg isn't as capable as I suspect we are in trouble unless we add another capable post since I think Micheaux will take another year to be starter quality on a winning team. I hope I am wrong on this last point.
Fifth (wo)man: Katie Barowicz: Sophomore Katie Barowicz was a top-100 prospect at point guard who shoots like a shooting guard. Could project to significant time at both the point guard and shooting guard positions. Projects to a starter except Battle and Braun also are on the team.
I already think Katie will start, and she is the one I am most confident of starting game one. But this is where I think one of the freshman will show up to be truly ready from game one to start. I just don't know which one and I will give the more experienced player the edge at the individual positions but I suspect you are right that at least one of the freshman will rise to the top for game one.
I don't know enough about Czinano or Oberg except that Oberg looks like Mershon's replacement for minutes.
I would say Oberg is a replacement for both Helgren and Mershon. I agree on Czinano, I don't know how much her injuries accounted for her lack of playing time last year. They clearly were a significant issue according to the coaches but she certainly was healthy enough to play more given she did get minutes, although very limited, in some games.
This is fluid. The Gophers have talent that's inexperienced.
The team needs focused coaching at game speed with an intense singleness of purpose that is winning basketball.
I guess I am not aware of a problem here. If the male practice players aren't playing with enough intensity, I think that would be a problem but I have seen no indication of lack of focus on the part of the coaching staff and I don't know how we would know unless something comes out from the media or players.
The fad of goofing off in practice, even lounging, and entertaining distractions is not the kind of approach that lots of winning coaches use.
Is this a reference to their end of practice routine of shooting half court shots and celebrating a make? If so I don't see a problem with that I see that as another way to bond as a team while having some fun with a drill. If there is something else you know of please share.
Players want professional focused coaching right from the first minute and then full speed practice to win. As you practice is as you will perform at game time.
I think you are probably correct, this certainly seems to be Fleck's philosophy on the football side of things.
