Roster

[Bluzrover]

I like the FVV, RB, EW, AG and BW starting lineup but that doesn't mean they're still in there five minutes into the game. 3G has arguably the deepest bench he's ever had this year and I can see there being a lot of minutes given to RK, SM and Z Brown in the rotation. I'm not all that troubled by the thought of losing the starting five to graduation because I think it's really about the minutes contributed overall that makes the difference. And I just don't see how you keep Evan off the court.

HCGM has really raved about Kelly but not sure that he has said as much about BWam or that what we've heard about BWam can be attributed to Marshall so there's the off chance that Rashard makes the starting five this season which pushes BWam to a substitute role with Grady starting at the 5.

I also think the starting five in November will not be the starting five in March. I think the three-headed monster 2.0 will make the starting 5 position decisional based on match ups through the year. 3G did that with 1.0 pretty effectively although I think much of that was based on necessity rather than the luxury of having three really good options at the 5. This group of potential 5s is far better than the three in the 1.0 version.

[Good News]

Anybody who would mildly suggest that Ron Baker and Evan Wessel are not great athletes is boldly mistaken. Perhaps not tall, slender, wiry prototype basketball player-types, but athletes. Wessel was all-state football and basketball...that qualifies in my book at athletic. I haven't seen Anton, yet, either. Perhaps Fred and Shaq do not bring the "athlete" label to mind as the first descriptor, but we all know about what those two can do on the playing surface.

Anybody who thinks Shaq isn't an athlete isn't paying attention or just doesn't understand what they're watching. And I'm talking about pre knee surgery and weight loss and another year of maturity Shaq.

Same body type as Dejuan Blair, Glenn Davis, and Robert Traylor and was more athletic last year than anything I ever saw from those guys in the NBA.

Zach Brown has a ton of upside but Shaq is the guy that I think puts this team over the top if he plays to his full ability.

[DJShocker10]

I'm excited to see the player Shaq becomes. We all had high hopes for him upon his arrival, but it's been awesome watching his growth ever since Fred started taking him under his wing.

[wufan]

Anybody who thinks Shaq isn't an athlete isn't paying attention or just doesn't understand what they're watching. And I'm talking about pre knee surgery and weight loss and another year of maturity Shaq.

Same body type as Dejuan Blair, Glenn Davis, and Robert Traylor and was more athletic last year than anything I ever saw from those guys in the NBA.

Zach Brown has a ton of upside but Shaq is the guy that I think puts this team over the top if he plays to his full ability.

This.

[wufan]

Maybe because Marshall indicates how crafty Grady is and the moves he has around the basket. Having Grady in the low post with Ron, Fred, Connor and Brown/Kelly on the circle really takes advantage of Grady's passing abilities. There should be some wide open threes OR a lot of easy post moves with that kind of a lineup on the floor.

I totally get your post and agree with it, but it has nothing to do with what you responded to. The original premise was Anton at the five AND Shaq at the four.

[shockmonster]

The reason that I think that Kelly will start the year at the 4 is because I think that (if reports are true that he's slimmed down and can move better according to Gregg) that he can guard a perimeter, and maybe smaller 4 on a M/M defense. That is also why as the year goes on, Brown play some 4 because he can guard smaller and larger 4's too. I haven't seen Anton yet (but I question whether he can guard a 4 that runs around screens on the perimeter), but I know that Shaq, Nurger, and Bush are built to guard 5's, and low posts who screen for their guards (which requires hedging) but are not made to chase quick players who run around screens. We've been lucky to have big 4's (like Gabe Blair, Cle Early, Carl Hall, and Aaron Ellis) and who have been quick enough to chase and guard perimeter 4's who can run and shoot. I think that Kelly may be this type of player too.

[Dave Stalwart]

Shaq is gonna break a basket in his career. I hope it is at home.

[im4wsu]

I totally get your post and agree with it, but it has nothing to do with what you responded to. The original premise was Anton at the five AND Shaq at the four.

I was addressing the Grady at the 5, specifically. Since the "AND" wasn't capped or otherwise emphasized in the original post, I did not realize that it was improper to address only one portion of the post. My apologies, sir.

Personally, I would not have Shaq at the 4 on a regular basis. IO would have either Kelly/Nurger at that position ahead of Shaq, and even Brown/Wessel. Shaq's body needs to be in the paint, IMHO.

[wufan]

I was addressing the Grady at the 5, specifically. Since the "AND" wasn't capped or otherwise emphasized in the original post, I did not realize that it was improper to address only one portion of the post. My apologies, sir.

Personally, I would not have Shaq at the 4 on a regular basis. IO would have either Kelly/Nurger at that position ahead of Shaq, and even Brown/Wessel. Shaq's body needs to be in the paint, IMHO.

I wouldn't have Shaq at the 4 on a regular basis either the original post was Shoxmvc's starting five with Shaq at the 4 and Anton at the 5. I asked why he would play those two that way, not why Anton would play the 5. I get that.

[ShockTalk]

Regarding who plays where and how many minutes, we should keep a few things in mind.

1) Last year, we had 13 scholarship players, none played fewer than 3 mpg using the full 35 games as the divisor. Here's a list where the first number is based on the games played by the player, the second number is based on the full 35 team games. Walk-ons --/2.8, Glass 5.6/3.0, Henderson 6.8/5.4, BWam 6.0/5.5, Nurger 8.8/6.0, Holland 8.5/6.5, Brown 10.5/8.1. All 6 of those scholarship players were in their 1st year of D-I ball. This year, we will have only 4 players in their 1st year of D-I ball, have more experienced D-I players than last year while having an additional experienced player as a walk-on.

2) Probably at the bottom of the mpg heep will be the newcomer freshmen. Shamet, McDuffie, Taylor, and Hamilton. Now, I have to ask myself, how do I feel Shamet and Taylor compare to Henderson and Holland. McDuffie to Glass or Hamilton to BWam. I think most of us might think most of these freshman might compare closer to Brown.

3) At the 4/5 we have Grady, Morris, BWam, Kelly, Nurger, and Hamilton. BWam is strictly a 5 and Kelly a 4. The rest could play either positions. I believe Grady will be every bit as good as Carter, if not better. From what we are hearing BWam and Kelly have improved, maybe a lot, and Morris and Nurger were both hindered by health situations last year and should be improved. Lastly, if Glass could get 3 mpg over 35 games, I feel Hamilton can do the same. If all this is true, or close to true, I'm not seeing very many minutes for Wessel or Brown at the 4. For example: Grady 24 mpg, Morris 18, Kelly 16, BWam 13, Nurger 6 (what he had last year), and Hamilton 3 (what Glass had last year). That fills 40 minutes at both the 4 and 5.

[WuDrWu]

Shamet is a completely different animal. He will command time, if not immediately, sooner than later.

[ShockdaWorld]

Shamet is a completely different animal. He will command time, if not immediately, sooner than later.

Will McDuff command the same kind of minutes, or is he a little further away from ready than Landry is?

[im4wsu]

I am finding it extremely difficult not being able to get my first glimpse of Landry, Markis, Tyrone, Anton, and Eric. Peyton, too, although he sits a year. Ten days is simply too long to wait!

[wufan]

I am finding it extremely difficult not being able to get my first glimpse of Landry, Markis, Tyrone, Anton, and Eric. Peyton, too, although he sits a year. Ten days is simply too long to wait!

These four freshman have a chance to be special!

[Jhook89]

I think the fact that to end the year 3G wasn't playing near as many players, yet Bushs usage went up tremendously is very telling. He went with Bush over all our other bigs when Carter got in foul trouble throughout the tourney. I predict we will see A LOT of bush this year.