May Roster Construction current take

[Jeremyp]

I am somewhat surprised that all of the roster spots have not been filled. I thought that he would want to fill the 13 spots, but with Cooper and Garcia having multiple years left, Coach Johnson wants to make sure that his base is freshmen recruits each year. I do believe that he wants 3 schollies to play with for the Class of 2023 and that he wants Carrington and Henley as well as Payne and maybe JOJ to feel valued on the team.

Thus, I think he will only sign a wing and a backup type PG good for 15 minutes a game. I still think the current construct of the roster is missing perimeter quickness both on offense and defense. They need a guy who can breakdown the defense and be a stopper against a quick opponent on the perimeter. They need 1 more ball handler and one more outside shooting threat. I can see them signing one of the two PG either Samuel or Watkins both who have only 1 year of eligibility left and are both not a serious threat to the freshmen getting time in the present and future.

i do believe the other spot is for the best wing/combo guard Coach Johnson can find. I think Strong would be a fallback option here. If they cannot find someone at a certain level, then Carrington will have a huge role.

True post— I believe it will be a near even split between Fox 22 minutes and Payne 18 minutes. It is hard to stay out of foul trouble when you are slightly undersized vs. a Dickerson or Edey. Even the Purdue duo averaged about 20 minutes a game.

Stretch 4– Garcia 30, Thompson 6, Ihnen 4. No concerns offensively. Certain small ball teams could create mismatches.
Wing —-Battle 32. Ihnen 8. I still think Henley is a year away strength and skill wise. He is not a great shooter or ball handler. A year or two of added strength and Henley will be a handful. He is amazing already in a full court game.

Combo Guard— New guy 25 and Carrington 15.

Point Guard —Cooper 28, Backup 12.

just my take

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Combo Guard— New guy 25 and Carrington 15.

It's pretty obvious at this point that there will be no new guy to play that many minutes. Carrington will be getting the majority of the minutes there.

 

[bga1]

It's pretty obvious at this point that there will be no new guy to play that many minutes. Carrington will be getting the majority of the minutes there.

Just curious, did Eric Hunter of Purdue wind up committing somewhere?

 

[ecoperson]

I am somewhat surprised that all of the roster spots have not been filled. I thought that he would want to fill the 13 spots, but with Cooper and Garcia having multiple years left, Coach Johnson wants to make sure that his base is freshmen recruits each year. I do believe that he wants 3 schollies to play with for the Class of 2023 and that he wants Carrington and Henley as well as Payne and maybe JOJ to feel valued on the team.

Thus, I think he will only sign a wing and a backup type PG good for 15 minutes a game. I still think the current construct of the roster is missing perimeter quickness both on offense and defense. They need a guy who can breakdown the defense and be a stopper against a quick opponent on the perimeter. They need 1 more ball handler and one more outside shooting threat. I can see them signing one of the two PG either Samuel or Watkins both who have only 1 year of eligibility left and are both not a serious threat to the freshmen getting time in the present and future.

i do believe the other spot is for the best wing/combo guard Coach Johnson can find. I think Strong would be a fallback option here. If they cannot find someone at a certain level, then Carrington will have a huge role.

True post— I believe it will be a near even split between Fox 22 minutes and Payne 18 minutes. It is hard to stay out of foul trouble when you are slightly undersized vs. a Dickerson or Edey. Even the Purdue duo averaged about 20 minutes a game.

Stretch 4– Garcia 30, Thompson 6, Ihnen 4. No concerns offensively. Certain small ball teams could create mismatches.
Wing —-Battle 32. Ihnen 8. I still think Henley is a year away strength and skill wise. He is not a great shooter or ball handler. A year or two of added strength and Henley will be a handful. He is amazing already in a full court game.

Combo Guard— New guy 25 and Carrington 15.

Point Guard —Cooper 28, Backup 12.

just my take

Thanks for the well-written and solid write-up. I think people are sleeping on Ihnen. The coaching staff was very impressed prior to his injury last year. IF he is able to return from injury, he might carve out more minutes than many believe. While not a primary guard, it appears that Henley has shown better handles than most care to admit.

 

[eker0016]

I posted this before, but if you are interested in playing with the numbers and keeping yourself honest I built a little tool on Google Sheets that will let you allocate the minutes by position or simply by individual. If you want to make your own, go to File and Make a Copy.

I had a heck of a time finding enough minutes for all of our forwards/posts. Particularly Thompson and Ihnen. Battle and Garcia are just going to see the court so much. It was interesting to divvy up the minutes for Carrington/Henley now that it appears we can't/won't attract a quality transfer guard.

 

[WriterGoph]

I posted this before, but if you are interested in playing with the numbers and keeping yourself honest I built a little tool on Google Sheets that will let you allocate the minutes by position or simply by individual. If you want to make your own, go to File and Make a Copy.

I had a heck of a time finding enough minutes for all of our forwards/posts. Particularly Thompson and Ihnen. Battle and Garcia are just going to see the court so much. It was interesting to divvy up the minutes for Carrington/Henley now that it appears we can't/won't attract a quality transfer guard.

Thanks for the chart. I'd be pretty shocked if Fox only plays 21 minutes and Ihnen only gets 8 minutes. But like you said, we have a lot of forwards

 

[UnFadeable21]

Carrington is going to start at the 2 guard. He was Ben’s prized in state recruit and he always says recruiting him was he first step to get other Minnesota freshman to buy in.

He’s Mr basketball and just won the state title.

Cooper
Carrington
Battle
Fox
Garcia

Is pretty damn good. They just need to use one of the three remaining scholarships for a back up point guard. The roster is pretty much set after that.

 

[Ragnor]

I posted this before, but if you are interested in playing with the numbers and keeping yourself honest I built a little tool on Google Sheets that will let you allocate the minutes by position or simply by individual. If you want to make your own, go to File and Make a Copy.

I had a heck of a time finding enough minutes for all of our forwards/posts. Particularly Thompson and Ihnen. Battle and Garcia are just going to see the court so much. It was interesting to divvy up the minutes for Carrington/Henley now that it appears we can't/won't attract a quality transfer guard.

Here is my attempt:

I think Ben will spread out the minutes more this year and try to keep players much more fresh.

I think it will be a development year for Ola-Joseph.

Ramberg will get minutes largely limited to blowouts.

Ben will leave open 1 or 2 roster spots, if only one is left open, one of the transfers will play few minutes.

If I was to allocate SF & PF differently I would take 5 from Fox at PF and give 5 to battle at PF and then give 5 more to Ihnen at SF. I hope Ihnen starts where he left off his freshman year and forgets about the sophomore slump year.

 

[eker0016]

Thanks for the chart. I'd be pretty shocked if Fox only plays 21 minutes and Ihnen only gets 8 minutes. But like you said, we have a lot of forwards

Yeah I think they should too, but I can't figure out where those minutes are coming from! How do you think they will be allocated?

Here is my attempt:
View attachment 18363
I think Ben will spread out the minutes more this year and try to keep players much more fresh.

I think it will be a development year for Ola-Joseph.

Ramberg will get minutes largely limited to blowouts.

Ben will leave open 1 or 2 roster spots, if only one is left open, one of the transfers will play few minutes.

If I was to allocate SF & PF differently I would take 5 from Fox at PF and give 5 to battle at PF and then give 5 more to Ihnen at SF. I hope Ihnen starts where he left off his freshman year and forgets about the sophomore slump year.

Agree on JOJ, I wouldn't be surprised to see him sit for most of the conference games actually.

I think Ben will spread out the minutes more, but Battle played 37 mpg and Dawson played 30 mpg his freshman year (20 last year in a logjam of a roster). I think 29 and 25 respectively for them is pretty low.

Obviously there are lots of semantics about positionless basketball/your "position" being who you can guard...I expect Fox/Payne to guard our opponents posts most of the time. Could be wrong on that for sure. Really curious to see how those guys + Garcia are used.

 

[bc2211]

I expect Battle will have more ball handling duties when Cooper catches his breath. I think he’ll be able to manage the token 3 quarter court pressure if applied, and can operate in iso mode late in the shot clock. He’s not a perfect PG, but we can run a change of pace offense with him for a few minutes a game.

I also would wager that Ihnen, Fox, and Payne will all split the same chunk of minutes based largely on matchups.

* IMO ihnen has enough length to cause some problems defensively in the post. And he can rebound at this level. I’m not as bullish on Payne and Fox stepping in on day 1 and performing, so I think Ihnen is someone who will get minutes against teams with bigger post players. He’s also the guy who will stretch the floor against defenses that pack it in and cause the opponent to pay attention to him on that end of the court (e.g. Wisconsin).

* I think Fox will probably get more minutes in matchups that require more rugged play (e.g. Rutgers/Illinois). I hope he ends up being a Murphy type, but I’m not big on athletic players who cannnot shoot… it’s like playing offense against an extra defender.

* Payne I’m honestly not sure about, but I suspect he’ll be the best option if we need a high/low game plan with Garcia. Complete assumption, but I surmise he’s probably the most capable back to the basket post player out of the three.

 

[Zeppelin Gopher]

We have 3 guards on scholarship, 2 of them being true freshman. I'm as high on Carrington as the next guy, but this is very alarming.

 

[bga1]

I expect Battle will have more ball handling duties when Cooper catches his breath. I think he’ll be able to manage the token 3 quarter court pressure if applied, and can operate in iso mode late in the shot clock. He’s not a perfect PG, but we can run a change of pace offense with him for a few minutes a game.

I also would wager that Ihnen, Fox, and Payne will all split the same chunk of minutes based largely on matchups.

* IMO ihnen has enough length to cause some problems defensively in the post. And he can rebound at this level. I’m not as bullish on Payne and Fox stepping in on day 1 and performing, so I think Ihnen is someone who will get minutes against teams with bigger post players. He’s also the guy who will stretch the floor against defenses that pack it in and cause the opponent to pay attention to him on that end of the court (e.g. Wisconsin).

* I think Fox will probably get more minutes in matchups that require more rugged play (e.g. Rutgers/Illinois). I hope he ends up being a Murphy type, but I’m not big on athletic players who cannnot shoot… it’s like playing offense against an extra defender.

* Payne I’m honestly not sure about, but I suspect he’ll be the best option if we need a high/low game plan with Garcia. Complete assumption, but I surmise he’s probably the most capable back to the basket post player out of the three.

From the sounds of it Fox is 210# - Payne is 230#- I think Payne might be your rugged play option. Watching Fox, he seems like more of a guy who you would set up in the high post and let him beat the opposing center off the dribble or use him in a pick and roll.

 

[MNVCGUY]

We have 3 guards on scholarship, 2 of them being true freshman. I'm as high on Carrington as the next guy, but this is very alarming.

Yep, which is why pursuing guys like Samuels and the other new guy we just heard about makes a ton of sense. We need some guards who will be willing to take a backup role. Those guys aren't going to excite the fanbase but right now the biggest need on this roster is guard depth.

 

[MNVCGUY]

From the sounds of it Fox is 210# - Payne is 230#- I think Payne might be your rugged play option. Watching Fox, he seems like more of a guy who you would set up in the high post and let him beat the opposing center off the dribble or use him in a pick and roll.

Fox looked bigger than 210 in that winter video that got posted a few months ago. Would bet he has been using this rehab time to add some mass and build up his strength to better compete down low in the Big Ten.

 

[cjbfbp]

It's pretty obvious at this point that there will be no new guy to play that many minutes. Carrington will be getting the majority of the minutes there.

Too early to just declare that the coaches won't be able to find a transfer veteran to play significant minutes as a two/combo guard. Yes, they've struck out so far but there are still some opportunities left. I guess it depends upon how close they are to giving up. I felt Johnson & Co gave up too early last summer when it came to recruiting big men. I hope they don't do the same thing this season when it comes to recruiting an off-guard.

 

[RockChalk]

We have 3 guards on scholarship, 2 of them being true freshman. I'm as high on Carrington as the next guy, but this is very alarming.

I would 100% agree with this statement. Bringing in another true point, a combo or both I believe would be beneficial.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Just curious, did Eric Hunter of Purdue wind up committing somewhere?

Not that I've seen

 

[Gophs24]

Yep, which is why pursuing guys like Samuels and the other new guy we just heard about makes a ton of sense. We need some guards who will be willing to take a backup role. Those guys aren't going to excite the fanbase but right now the biggest need on this roster is guard depth.

exactly....get Samuels or that Mikey guy to fill the back up PG spot and hopefully 1 other wing type guard....neither of which will be high end players....we just dont have the minutes to offer....so temper the expectations. Play 8 or 9 and trust 7 or 8.....

Trust
Battle
Garcia
Cooper
Fox
Braeden/Henley
Ihnen
Payne

Play
Braeden/Henley
back up PG

Bench/Spot Minutes
Thompson
JOJ
Ramberg
Transfer

the Carrington/Henley battle will be interesting to see how it plays out both in practice and in the non-con for who sees more minutes.

 

[ecoperson]

I expect Battle will have more ball handling duties when Cooper catches his breath. I think he’ll be able to manage the token 3 quarter court pressure if applied, and can operate in iso mode late in the shot clock. He’s not a perfect PG, but we can run a change of pace offense with him for a few minutes a game.

Did you mean Carrington will have more ball handling duties when Cooper is out?

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

exactly....get Samuels or that Mikey guy to fill the back up PG spot and hopefully 1 other wing type guard....neither of which will be high end players....we just dont have the minutes to offer....so temper the expectations. Play 8 or 9 and trust 7 or 8.....

Trust
Battle
Garcia
Cooper
Fox
Braeden/Henley
Ihnen
Payne

Play
Braeden/Henley
back up PG

Bench/Spot Minutes
Thompson
JOJ
Ramberg
Transfer

the Carrington/Henley battle will be interesting to see how it plays out both in practice and in the non-con for who sees more minutes.

Henley is a project in the same way that JOJ is. I'll be very surprised if he plays much next season. Carrington is significantly better. We'll have a 7-8 man rotation like most college basketball teams do.

 

[GopherPlaya]

Henley is a project in the same way that JOJ is. I'll be very surprised if he plays much next season. Carrington is significantly better. We'll have a 7-8 man rotation like most college basketball teams do.

Where have you seen Henley? He is less of a project than JOJ. JOJ is a Center in a wing body while Henley already has guard skills

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Where have you seen Henley? He is less of a project than JOJ. JOJ is a Center in a wing body while Henley already has guard skills

JOJ has some outside game, he's not a center. Just as much as he is an undersized forward, Henley is oversized at guard at 6'8" and still growing.

Watch his film, almost all of his points come from cutting to the hoop, or spot up shooting. He didn't handle the ball much. Lightly recruited players who are going through massive growth spurts are usually more of a project. Especially when you are jumping to this level.

 

[RockChalk]

Henley is a project in the same way that JOJ is. I'll be very surprised if he plays much next season. Carrington is significantly better. We'll have a 7-8 man rotation like most college basketball teams do.

I am looking forward to watching how Johnson allocates minutes in year two. I know last year was tough based on depth issues. It would be nice to see him go 8 or 9 deep especially during the first couple of months.

 

[BarnBurner]

exactly....get Samuels or that Mikey guy to fill the back up PG spot and hopefully 1 other wing type guard....neither of which will be high end players....we just dont have the minutes to offer....so temper the expectations. Play 8 or 9 and trust 7 or 8.....

Trust
Battle
Garcia
Cooper
Fox
Braeden/Henley
Ihnen
Payne

Play
Braeden/Henley
back up PG

Bench/Spot Minutes
Thompson
JOJ
Ramberg
Transfer

the Carrington/Henley battle will be interesting to see how it plays out both in practice and in the non-con for who sees more minutes.

So, to be clear, you are sure "we" trust true freshmen and a couple others that have not played one minute of Big 10 bb? In the conference season?

 

[Gophs24]

So, to be clear, you are sure "we" trust true freshmen and a couple others that have not played one minute of Big 10 bb? In the conference season?

yes....

what Ben has done, and hasnt done, in the transfer portal is pretty telling in itself...

 

[Gophs24]

Henley is a project in the same way that JOJ is. I'll be very surprised if he plays much next season. Carrington is significantly better. We'll have a 7-8 man rotation like most college basketball teams do.

we can just agree to disagree

 

[bc2211]

Did you mean Carrington will have more ball handling duties when Cooper is out?

I meant Battle, just my perspective. If Carrington can prove it, sure, but Carrington will be tested with heavy pressure as all freshman are. Most are not up to the task on day 1. I’m never ready to declare true freshman as capable ball handlers. Even Chucky Hepburn looked tentative for the first ten or so games. And he was an actual point guard.

I could be way wrong, but I think Battle is a matchup nightmare and that can be exploited for short periods of time. Maybe I’ll phrase it like this, I’d rather have Battle handling the ball on an island than Hoff or Mav.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

One factor to keep in mind, is no one knows who might take a quantum leap with their game this summer as well

 

[BarnBurner]

yes....

what Ben has done, and hasnt done, in the transfer portal is pretty telling in itself...

So you are saying Ben CAN indeed get players he really wants. Great.

You should tell a certain someone on this board.

When the going gets tough in the coming season, I guess we will see who is trusted and who isn't.

 

[Gophs24]

So you are saying Ben CAN indeed get players he really wants. Great.

You should tell a certain someone on this board.

When the going gets tough in the coming season, I guess we will see who is trusted and who isn't.

please dont put words in other peoples mouths....

and you are right....the season itself will tell us a bunch.....so no need for you to jump off the cliff yet again with your takes when its May 4th