With all of the doom and gloom negativity that will transpire after a loss to a really good Gators squad, I still have a lot of optimism for next year.
-Obviously we will miss Trevor Mbakwe's rebounding and toughness inside, as well as his scoring.
-Rodney was just too inconsistent and he never really gives us the inside scoring that we needed.
-Neither of these guys are back to the basketball players and IMO are not great fits while playing together.
-With both of them gone I feel that it opens up the lane for our slashers and could honestly benefit us. The lane seems awfully clogged all year long and with them gone, the mantra of our team will change. Our guards will have more space to drive and will open up our "outside shooters."
I know I will be in the minority but I feel that losing Trev and Rod may actually not be as bad as people make it out to be. What did RW do this season for the gophers? I cant remember one game in the B10 season that he won for us, or even played a key role. He good in an up and down blow out game versus teams like American. Other than that, he really didnt really provide much to the team.
Dre Hollins could be in the running for 1st team all B10. It will now be 'his team' to lead and takeover. I like the thought of that, and with him and Austin in the backcourt together for another year, we could have one of the best in the conference.
The starting lineup could look something like
Dre
Austin
Joe
Buggs/Foster
EE
We will be able to go deeper next year and will be able to run an array of different guard lineups out there with Ellis, Wally, and Mav coming off the bench.
The Big Ten will lose a lot next year and will not be as hard on us as it was this year. IU, Mich, Wisc, Mich, and OSU are all losing a key player or two. However, Purdue, Iowa, and even Nebraska will be tougher next season.
The success of the team really hinges on the development of the new guys. If Buggs, Ellis, and Wally can step into roles right away and be productive, it will help us tremendously.
Thoughts?
