Looking ahead to next year

Donate To GopherHole
MadtownGopher said:
He's a SG/SF. The OP said we'd have one of the worst front courts in the country and arguably the worst in the Big Ten. Wisconsin is losing just as much as us if not more and they had a worse front court than us this year.
Click to expand...

Dekker is not a SG. He's a wing/SF that could play a stretch four. It doesn't really matter in that offense anyways. They also have Vito Brown and Nigel Hayes coming in.
 

This team will go as far as Dre can take it next year. IF they get the leadership from their upperclassmen guards that they could have, I can see them having a similar type year like Tubby's first NCAA squad. Problem is, they don't have a VIP Johnson out there defensively to cover up mistakes (Buggs fits that mold physically, but as a redshirt freshman? Yeah....no). You also don't have the pure point to compliment the explosive guard in Dre like you had with Nolen and Westbrook, even if they were fighting. Unless Ellis shocks us all with his ability to handle the ball, that's gonna still be a problem next year.

The ceiling for next year doesn't touch the ceiling of this year. BUT, with a guy like Dre, and an all-around type of guy like Austin, those are two decent guards/wings to work around. Eliason is solid for center. But in between, somebody's gonna have to surprise if this team wants to go dancing again. Coleman's gonna have to keep improving that mid range game, and one of the four in Wally, Buggs, Ellis, or Foster will need to be more than we thought they would IMO. I can't lie, I'm really excited to see Buggs in true action, he just looks the part of someone who could really be a good player, and he's exciting to watch just cause of his vibrant personality, great athleticism and has shown us already he can shoot it well.
 

Why didn't Wally play more, he never saw a shot he didn't like, Dre goes out Wally comes in.
 

Dekker played the 3 and 4 for Wisconsin. Well on offense spots 2-5 are interchangeable but he guarded the opposing 3's mostly. When one talks front courts you include sf, pf, and center. You have Dekker at sf, Komminsky at center and almost anyone at pf and its still an average lineup. Dekker could be 2nd team all conference next year. Dekker is miles ahead of coleman, EE has shown more than Kommisky, and as for pf both teams have a huge? Wisconsin does have the #23 ranked incomming pf **** in Nigel Hayes, so on paper they are better.
 



College basketball is a guard's game so we're good with Dre & Austin as the starters. The problem is we need at least one more ball handler & Mav is the only option. He'll be slightly improved again as a Senior, but is still limited. He'll see way more minutes than the fans would like because of the lack of options. Welch is gone. Ellis is a true Freshman who's a 6'5" slasher & plays a 2/3 guard/wing position, not a ball handler who can bring the ball up the court or give Dre a rest. It's Dre & Mav at the point, that's it.

Austin is the SG, with Ellis spelling him some & maybe Wally. We also have Coleman & Buggs as well as wings. Plenty of athleticism in this group & scoring should improve as Ellis & Buggs both like to score.

Elliot is the center, Mo is the back-up center.

The million dollar question is who plays the PF position? Buggs will play forward & while people get too caught up in labels like "small forward" or "power forward", he is not a traditional power forward. He's very thin & he's a jump shooter. He drains 3's & mid range jumpers, that, along with some transition dunks/blocks is his game. He's sort of what we hoped Rodney would be when he came on board. At 6'9" 195lbs Buggs will not be under the basket banging for rebounds with Nix & Payne vs MSU. He's not that kind of player. Foster will be a true Freshman & is pretty mature for a Freshman but he's never going to be a superstar & to expect too much from him early is a mistake imo. I've said all year it'll be Oto who'll be the closest thing we have to a PF. Non one wants to hear it, but if Oto has experience, plays solid D, is aggressive, rebounds fairly well, is a great passer & if he can just get back to be a decent shooter (not even a good or great shooter) he should win this position easily. Against certain big line-ups Mo Walker should get minutes along side of EE.

It's going to be tough to replace Trevor at the 4 & we still have no decent option behind Dre at the 1. Gonna be a long year I think?
 

Wow, positive words for Oto. I am with you, Costa Rica. The best I have seen Oto play in his two years of court time (last year, by the way) was when he was playing mostly inside. He is a little thin, but he is not afraid to mix it up. Right now, he is our best option at power forward, and I think its unfair to assume it would be a disaster.
 

Oto has a pretty solid all around game (his shot has gotten worse though). I think him more than any other player struggled with Tubby's tough love that Trevor talked about with Amelia. He seems to have lost all confidence in his game. Hopefully a new coach can work with his psyche to get him back on track, if that happens then we are in much, much better shape going into next year.
 

I get a sense there will be turnover on the roster, just what happens when a new coach comes in.
 



It is too bad Schilling didn't come as we have 30 pf minutes up in the air.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom