borninthebarn
True Believer
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I see this year's squad as filled with "good" players without any "great" players. For example, I find it hard to say Damian and Trevor will play a lot without Royce and Carter getting playing time. Add in Rodney, Devoe, Westbrook, Hoffarber, Nolen, Bostick, Cobbs, Sampson III, and Iverson and you get a lot of capable guys without any All-Big Ten locks.
My early take:
Forwards: If we go three Forwards, how much playing time can you take away from Colton and Ralph when both have shown flashes of great potential? Where does Rodney fit in? He is a little more raw than others, so does he see much of the floor? Lots of talent, lots of athletes, lots of depth. Too many guys, not enough minutes.
Guards: At the guard positions Westbrook seems to be the leader, but there are questions whether he can make the next step and lead through production. Devoe looks to have the talent to be a great 2, but can he differentiate himself from Westbrook enough to be the guy? If he does, will there be chemistry problems for guys like Westbrook who have played a lot the last few years? The most defined position on the team seems to be at the point, though we all hope Nolen can be the guy we saw vs. Louisville rather than the guy we saw during most of the Big Ten season.
One of the good things about having so many capable players is that we can pressure a whole lot. The 3 forward lineup of Royce, Trevor, and Damian is scary athletic. Swap in Rodney, Carter, and Sampson III without much of a loss. Throw in Devoe, Westbrook, Nolen, and Cobbs at 1/2 and you have two full athletic units that can cause defensive havoc. If we could press teams like Wisconsin like we did at the end last year in Madison for 30 minutes a game I would be a happy dude.
With so many comparable players, my biggest concern is developing a consistent offensive threat, which we didn't do last year. We need a reliable 17-20 point guy and another two consistent 12-15 point guys. That to me is the biggest problem with playing 10-12 guys. When the other team goes on a run (e.g. AJ Abrams) we need someone we can rely on to answer. I have no idea on this squad who that is or if we have him. Westbrook? Joseph? White? Mbawke? Bostick? Carter? We need to find someone to go deep in the tourney.
I hope a few guys step up and become "the guys". If a perfect world became reality, this is what I see as our best squad:
1 - Best case Nolen in Louisville form, with Cobbs providing backup.
2 - Joseph becomes "the guy" here - his ceiling is higher. Westbrook still sees significant minutes because of his leadership and tenacity. Tough to cut Westbrook's minutes, but I just think Devoe is more talented. Westbrook likely starts early season but I think we are better if Joseph emerges. Dark horse pick - Bostick blows up and goes Bobby Jackson on us.
3 - Damian finally gets to expand his defensive range because he doesn't have to play 4. Hopefully he develops a mid-range jumper and is the "glue guy". Paul Carter plays significant minutes at the 3/4.
4 - Best case is that Mbawke didn't assault the girl, was mis-identified, and exonerated. He dominates underneath and is the rebounding force we've missed for so long. Royce gets significant minutes at the 3 and 4, especially against teams without a true center.
5 - Sampson gets bigger and more aggressive. Colton backs him up and plays a lot of minutes, especially when we play physical opponents. With the talent jam at 3/4 we could see neither pretty easily in a 3-forward set. I can see Colton being better in 2 years, but right now Sampson seems to have the edge. Too many forwards to play much "twin towers".
Other guys:
Hoffarber - I don't know what to think about Blake. If he shoots the lights out how do you not play him? His basketball IQ is through the roof and he doesn't turn the ball over. I could see him getting minutes at the 1 - he handled it at Madison last year for 10+ minutes. Does he take time from Devoe and Westbrook at the 2? I struggle a bit to see where he fits in, especially if he doesn't rediscover his touch or improve at getting open.
Rodney - probably too raw to see 20 minutes a game, but too talented to see less than 8-10. He is a guy that is tough to read because his dominant athleticism covers up lack of polish in Howard Pulley and High School games. Sees time at the 2 and 3.
Devron Bostick - He has shown flashes of the type of offensive spark we missed last year. If he learns to play D, a dark horse pick for "the guy" at the 2. He is one of the few guys who I think have the potential to be the reliable 17-20 pt scorer. I would not be surprised if he blew up and had a huge year. Bobby Jackson struggled as a junior - it could happen. Otherwise he probably struggles to see the floor behind Westbrook, Joseph, Hoffarber, and maybe Rodney.
Bryant Allen - How will the two sport thing go? Assuming we go to a bowl game, his services would not be fully available until Big Ten season. Can you get much time on the floor coming in like that? If he is as talented as reported, perhaps he could see some minutes at the point.
Dawson - Saw him play very tentatively at a Howard Pulley game. Physically impressive but raw. Playing against talent every day should help, but as someone noted - if our walk-ons see significant minutes we are not the team we want to be.
My early take:
Forwards: If we go three Forwards, how much playing time can you take away from Colton and Ralph when both have shown flashes of great potential? Where does Rodney fit in? He is a little more raw than others, so does he see much of the floor? Lots of talent, lots of athletes, lots of depth. Too many guys, not enough minutes.
Guards: At the guard positions Westbrook seems to be the leader, but there are questions whether he can make the next step and lead through production. Devoe looks to have the talent to be a great 2, but can he differentiate himself from Westbrook enough to be the guy? If he does, will there be chemistry problems for guys like Westbrook who have played a lot the last few years? The most defined position on the team seems to be at the point, though we all hope Nolen can be the guy we saw vs. Louisville rather than the guy we saw during most of the Big Ten season.
One of the good things about having so many capable players is that we can pressure a whole lot. The 3 forward lineup of Royce, Trevor, and Damian is scary athletic. Swap in Rodney, Carter, and Sampson III without much of a loss. Throw in Devoe, Westbrook, Nolen, and Cobbs at 1/2 and you have two full athletic units that can cause defensive havoc. If we could press teams like Wisconsin like we did at the end last year in Madison for 30 minutes a game I would be a happy dude.
With so many comparable players, my biggest concern is developing a consistent offensive threat, which we didn't do last year. We need a reliable 17-20 point guy and another two consistent 12-15 point guys. That to me is the biggest problem with playing 10-12 guys. When the other team goes on a run (e.g. AJ Abrams) we need someone we can rely on to answer. I have no idea on this squad who that is or if we have him. Westbrook? Joseph? White? Mbawke? Bostick? Carter? We need to find someone to go deep in the tourney.
I hope a few guys step up and become "the guys". If a perfect world became reality, this is what I see as our best squad:
1 - Best case Nolen in Louisville form, with Cobbs providing backup.
2 - Joseph becomes "the guy" here - his ceiling is higher. Westbrook still sees significant minutes because of his leadership and tenacity. Tough to cut Westbrook's minutes, but I just think Devoe is more talented. Westbrook likely starts early season but I think we are better if Joseph emerges. Dark horse pick - Bostick blows up and goes Bobby Jackson on us.
3 - Damian finally gets to expand his defensive range because he doesn't have to play 4. Hopefully he develops a mid-range jumper and is the "glue guy". Paul Carter plays significant minutes at the 3/4.
4 - Best case is that Mbawke didn't assault the girl, was mis-identified, and exonerated. He dominates underneath and is the rebounding force we've missed for so long. Royce gets significant minutes at the 3 and 4, especially against teams without a true center.
5 - Sampson gets bigger and more aggressive. Colton backs him up and plays a lot of minutes, especially when we play physical opponents. With the talent jam at 3/4 we could see neither pretty easily in a 3-forward set. I can see Colton being better in 2 years, but right now Sampson seems to have the edge. Too many forwards to play much "twin towers".
Other guys:
Hoffarber - I don't know what to think about Blake. If he shoots the lights out how do you not play him? His basketball IQ is through the roof and he doesn't turn the ball over. I could see him getting minutes at the 1 - he handled it at Madison last year for 10+ minutes. Does he take time from Devoe and Westbrook at the 2? I struggle a bit to see where he fits in, especially if he doesn't rediscover his touch or improve at getting open.
Rodney - probably too raw to see 20 minutes a game, but too talented to see less than 8-10. He is a guy that is tough to read because his dominant athleticism covers up lack of polish in Howard Pulley and High School games. Sees time at the 2 and 3.
Devron Bostick - He has shown flashes of the type of offensive spark we missed last year. If he learns to play D, a dark horse pick for "the guy" at the 2. He is one of the few guys who I think have the potential to be the reliable 17-20 pt scorer. I would not be surprised if he blew up and had a huge year. Bobby Jackson struggled as a junior - it could happen. Otherwise he probably struggles to see the floor behind Westbrook, Joseph, Hoffarber, and maybe Rodney.
Bryant Allen - How will the two sport thing go? Assuming we go to a bowl game, his services would not be fully available until Big Ten season. Can you get much time on the floor coming in like that? If he is as talented as reported, perhaps he could see some minutes at the point.
Dawson - Saw him play very tentatively at a Howard Pulley game. Physically impressive but raw. Playing against talent every day should help, but as someone noted - if our walk-ons see significant minutes we are not the team we want to be.
