13/14 Commitment Summary

[CBB_Fan]

My starting rotation is bit different than most opinions so far. Let's put this summer-time speculation in perspective. Most of the posters here a year ago had Wessel ane Baker as the last two guys off the bench.

I'm going to put the starters as FVV, Baker, Wessel, Early, and Coleby. I've got Cotton first off the bench. I've also got Cotton playing almost exclusively in the back court, not the wing.

SF is the situational position. Against 3-guard or 4-guard teams, Cotton gets minutes at SF. Against NCAA-type or BCS-type teams, Early gets minutes there, because those teams tend to go tall all across the front court.

The progress off Wiggins, Carter, and Morris could affect the lineup all the way to SG, depending on the lineup we're facing.

The lineup I want to see in April has Coleby, Carter, Early, Baker, and VanVleet tipping it off. With Cotton, Wessel, Bowles, Morris, and Wiggins ready to come in to keep plenty of fresh legs all the way in the tourney.

The Fr can be brought along slowly. Give them enough minutes to get them some game time and get their game legs under them, but I doubt they'll be needed in pressure situations like FVV and Baker saw in the tourney. Morris could be the exception to that. I get a feeling he's going to be really hard to keep off the court by the end of the season. Green gets another year of development, but this one counts against his eligibility. Green might end up being a "tweener" - not quite a PF and not quite a SF.

That actually makes a lot of sense. Despite Cotton starting at SF and playing exceptionally well at the end of the season, I could see him being more useful on this court at PG/SG simply because Wessel provides the same sort of defensive intensity and has more size and shooting touch.

The really interesting position to me is SF. From what I see, we have a total of 5 players that could get minutes there: Wessel, Cotton, Early, Wiggins, and Green. If Wessel and Cotton win most of the minutes, we are very similar to last year, with a lot of 3-guard lineups. That means that SG and PG have more room. If Early, Wiggins, and Green dominate the SF minutes we become more of a traditional 2 guard, wing, forward, center team with more height and athleticism, and that opens up more room for Carter, Morris, and Lufile at the PF spot.

The X-Factors to me are Team Canada and Carter. If Wiggins and Lufile have made huge strides and Carter gives us starting caliber play it will be hard to keep a small SF spot. If Wiggins and Lufile are still where they were last season, then Marshall probably sticks what what worked last season and we see Cotton, Wessel, and maybe even stretches of Baker at SF.

I think the starting SF will give a hint towards the team's progress, though it is entirely possible that Marshall just rotates players situationally. I do agree that the freshmen may not get a lot of minutes this year (including Green), because we seem to have solid older players at every position. It is entirely possible that FVV, Baker, Cotton, and Wessel crowd out all the guard minutes, Early/Wiggins the wing minutes, and Carter/Coleby/Lufile the minutes in the post. Of all the freshmen Morris does look the most likely to get more than 10 minutes a game though.

[im4wsu]

It was said that his lateral quickness was suspect against MVC SFs and his slight build was a disadvantage against all forwards.

Right, I've read this board. The question was

Is this statement based onsomething the coaches said regarding Derail, or just supposition?

Needing to add additional weight to be competitive is different, in my mind, than being a defensive liability. The first is a matter of time and nutrition; the second is a matter of current ability. Lateral quickness is more of a question of ability, but slight build can be overcome.

[shockmonster]

Is this statement based onsomething the coaches said regarding Derail, or just supposition? I don'tknow whether he plays defense or not, haven't seen much of him in a structured setting.

The only statement that I've heard Marshall make last year regarding Derail's defense was on his coaches show when a caller asked what position he would play "whether he would play a 3 or a 4 depended on who he could guard". Marshall obviously questioned his quickness to guard a 3. This is a feeling that I have but from Marshall's past decisions on this area of play that Marshall will begin the year playing him at a stretch 4 and utilize his outside shooting ability in that way off the bench (he did this with Wiggans some last year as a 5th 4/5 off the bench) with limited minutes. This may be wrong and Green has the ability to guard the 3 position on the perimeter and he throws him in at that position immediately. But Marshall will not give up defense to get Green into the game at the 3 in my opinion. He' more likely to give up a little girth at the 4 in my opinion.

[MadaboutWu]

The lineup I want to see in April has Coleby, Carter, Early, Baker, and VanVleet tipping it off. With Cotton, Wessel, Bowles, Morris, and Wiggins ready to come in to keep plenty of fresh legs all the way in the tourney.

Seeing any line-up in April would work for me.

[MadaboutWu]

That actually makes a lot of sense. Despite Cotton starting at SF and playing exceptionally well at the end of the season, I could see him being more useful on this court at PG/SG simply because Wessel provides the same sort of defensive intensity and has more size and shooting touch.

I think people are really underestimating Cotton's defensive contributions. Wessel might bring his intensity but Cotton has defense in his dna (or at least got it with his mama's milk). If there was such a thing, he would be on the national all-tourney defensive team. He**, he might even have been captain. Wessel and Baker are solid and will develop defensively, but Cotton is in his own league. IIRC, for example, Louisville saw a mis-match and fed Baker's man--no slight to Baker; he had played half a season, can't recall who he was against but surely someone with more experience.

Back to Cotton, I could see him getting minutes at the 1-3 but I'm sure he will get starter minutes.

[vancedave56]

What would be an all-defensive lineup? Cotton, Baker, Wessel, Early, Coleby?

[pogo]

What would be an all-defensive lineup? Cotton, Baker, Wessel, Early, Coleby?

I think that would make a pretty good football defensive lineup myself.

[shockmonster]

I just don't see Cotton playing the point. He does a lot of things but he isn't a point guard. He never played the position last year. Baker and Bowles will be the second and third options.

[wu_shizzle]

I just don't see Cotton playing the point. He does a lot of things but he isn't a point guard. He never played the position last year. Baker and Bowles will be the second and third options.

He's playing point in pick up games this summer.

[vancedave56]

He wouldn't be the "only" option as point with Baker/Wessel in the game, but I was speaking mainly defensive.

[wufan]

I just don't see Cotton playing the point. He does a lot of things but he isn't a point guard. He never played the position last year. Baker and Bowles will be the second and third options.

I agree with this. There has been a lot of talk about Cotton playing point, but it would be a new position for him. Murry played some point as a junior, but I'm not seeing it.

[ShockTalk]

I just don't see Cotton playing the point. He does a lot of things but he isn't a point guard. He never played the position last year. Baker and Bowles will be the second and third options.

I agree with this. There has been a lot of talk about Cotton playing point, but it would be a new position for him. Murry played some point as a junior, but I'm not seeing it.

It's not like he's never played PG before. Cotton was listed as a PG/SG in HS (only main player listed PG first) and lead his team in assists (5+ per game) and steals (4+ per game). Sounds a little "studly" to me. :wink-new:

[pie n eye]

Didn't Wessell play some PG in high school?

[vancedave56]

Baker, Wessel, and Cotton will definitely see time together when FVV is resting, and it will be great defense. Somebody will run the point, or all 3 may run the point.

[wufan]

Come on guys! Playing PG in high school does not make you a PG in college. Cotton, Wessel, Baker, Bowles, Holland and VanVleet all played PG in high school.