2023-24 Portal Options

[IthacaMatt]

I’m worried about our shooting. Do we have any outside shooters on our current roster?

Theoretically, Bell, Benny and Justin Taylor should be 35%+ shooters. Of course, Girard was around so they weren't as covered / not the primary options.

If we had Judah back, I would feel pretty OK about our outside shooting. There are enough guys on the roster who are adequate threats that you can't game plan for them all.

If he's not back, though, I would think the guard scholarship has to go to a pure PG who can score from 3, as well as attack the rim. Since those kinds of guys don't grow on trees in the P5, look for a guy who was a star for a mid-level team among the G5, like we did with Gillon or Hughes.

 

[Grbac]

Theoretically, Bell, Benny and Justin Taylor should be 35%+ shooters. Of course, Girard was around so they weren't as covered / not the primary options.

If we had Judah back, I would feel pretty OK about our outside shooting. There are enough guys on the roster who are adequate threats that you can't game plan for them all.

If he's not back, though, I would think the guard scholarship has to go to a pure PG who can score from 3, as well as attack the rim. Since those kinds of guys don't grow on trees in the P5, look for a guy who was a star for a mid-level team among the G5, like we did with Gillon or Hughes.

Yeah I would feel way more comfortable with another shooter. Bell and Taylor were really inconsistent last season. They will have to improve. Benny had a small sample size but started to knock them down.
We were very low in 3pt attempts/makes last season and that was with Girard.

Even if the guy is only a shooter he could come in and draw some attention.

I think our defense should be much better so scoring a ton may not be as much of a priority. Contending lives and dies with Judahs decision in my opinion. Without him nothing else matters next season.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Orangezoo]

Hmmmm

 

[Fly Rodder]

I don't know where he thinks he's going. He's had a pretty great run at Cincy as an OK, not great guard and starting 86% of the games since a freshman.

 

[Orangezoo]

I don't know where he thinks he's going. He's had a pretty great run at Cincy as an OK, not great guard and starting 86% of the games since a freshman.

5th year guy , local, shot it at 37 pct from 3 this past year. 2 to 1 Assist to TO ratio. Wouldn't be an awful addition at guard.

Late addition to portal and we are hunting for another guard. Also he doesn't get in the way of any recruits for 24 and beyond.

 

[JLine]

5th year guy , local, shot it at 37 pct from 3 this past year. 2 to 1 Assist to TO ratio. Wouldn't be an awful addition at guard.

Late addition to portal and we are hunting for another guard. Also he doesn't get in the way of any recruits for 24 and beyond.

Sounds like the perfect addition for one year, if Judah isn’t coming back. Especially like the 37% from deep. Would add much needed shooting. The depth we would have at guard would be legit, even without Judah.

 

[Orangezoo]

Sounds like the perfect addition for one year, if Judah isn’t coming back. Especially like the 37% from deep. Would add much needed shooting. The depth we would have at guard would be legit, even without Judah.

Yeah the 3pt shooting was with decent volume too. Hit 52 on the year.

 

[PauliePeppas]

Yes please

 

[hoopsupstate]

He didn’t finish a lot of the games that I saw Cincy play. He’s not an ACC caliber player. There are/were better guards in the portal. Why settle for just ok? I would rather Copeland get the minotes.

 

[Orangezoo]

He didn’t finish a lot of the games that I saw Cincy play. He’s not an ACC caliber player. There are/were better guards in the portal. Why settle for just ok? I would rather Copeland get the minotes.

I watched him play about 8 games. He played over 30 minutes many games. The games he didn't was foul trouble. He had good games vs good teams. This is not a mid major player at all.

He put up 20 pts in the first game vs Houston. He put up 10 vs VT in the NIT, had 11 vs AZ...

We want guard depth and some experience. Plus the allure of it being a local kid who also isn't chasing away Copeland or Taylor but can be an immediate plug and play and work with a 3 guard starting lineup like we would most likely have if Judah returned.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Hmmmm

Symir upgrade at the very least.

(I'm sorry, Sy)

 

[Orangezoo]

Symir upgrade at the very least.

(I'm sorry, Sy)

Mika is a good bit better, especially with decision making and his shooting.

 

[Sbucketball]

He didn’t finish a lot of the games that I saw Cincy play. He’s not an ACC caliber player. There are/were better guards in the portal. Why settle for just ok? I would rather Copeland get the minotes.

I don’t know much about Mika, but I’m in the camp either get an elite guard or just let Copeland get the minutes. Or at least elite shooter to plug in certain situations.

 

[Orangezoo]

I don’t know much about Mika, but I’m in the camp either get an elite guard or just let Copeland get the minutes. Or at least elite shooter to plug in certain situations.

Don't discount experience. You have a rs frosh who played half the year and 2 sophomores at guard. A 5th year guy who brings a lot of positives is the kind of addition you want with such a young roster who is a bridge to the next group. If Judah returned he is that guy albeit a more dynamic sophomore.

 

[Sbucketball]

Don't discount experience. You have a rs frosh who played half the year and 2 sophomores at guard. A 5th year guy who brings a lot of positives is the kind of addition you want with such a young roster who is a bridge to the next group. If Judah returned he is that guy albeit a more dynamic sophomore.

That’s true. We could use experience on this team.

 

[Orangezoo]

Just to tack on. Mika previously stated he was going to return less than a month ago and now that has changed...

 

[UpstateSM]

Just to tack on. Mika previously stated he was going to return less than a month ago and now that has changed...

That’s the main reason I think it is us.

If he just wanted to explore his options he would have entered a long time ago and if Bonaventure was a thing it is hard to believe that there wouldn’t have been any smoke since Pride committed there. ‘Cuse makes too much sense with everything being said about Judah.

 

[hoopsupstate]

Why would he want to play limited minutes at SU? Doesn’t make sense. He wants to play major minutes. SU doesn’t have major minutes available to him.

 

[SanDiegoCuse]

Why would he want to play limited minutes at SU? Doesn’t make sense. He wants to play major minutes. SU doesn’t have major minutes available to him.

If we go to a three guard lineup there are minutes available.

 

[Cuse1055]

Why would he want to play limited minutes at SU? Doesn’t make sense. He wants to play major minutes. SU doesn’t have major minutes available to him.

If we go smaller and play Chance as a third guard/small forward, then there will be minutes for Mika.

 

[Orangezoo]

If we go smaller and play Chance as a third guard/small forward, then there will be minutes for Mika.

You could start those 3 then go Benny and Mccleod so you are running 6-3, 6-4, 6-6, 6-10, 7-4.

 

[Niastri]

You could start those 3 then go Benny and Mccleod so you are running 6-3, 6-4, 6-6, 6-10, 7-4.

Westry would need to get a lot better at rebounding, or Williams and McLeod would need to be dominant. Westry averaged 3 rebounds per 40 minutes last year, against the cupcakes. Starling was better at 3.4 per 40 in conference play. Maybe Westry had some guys who got every rebound on his team?

 

[Orangezoo]

Westry would need to get a lot better at rebounding, or Williams and McLeod would need to be dominant. Westry averaged 3 rebounds per 40 minutes last year, against the cupcakes. Starling was better at 3.4 per 40 in conference play. Maybe Westry had some guys who got every rebound on his team?

Westry wasn't healthy/ fully recovered.. he is a physical guard. If healthy he is a much different player than the games he did play.

Bell and Taylor don't have numbers rebounding either. If you go Benny at the 3 and Brown 4 you get more rebounding but poor ball handling...

 

[Admiral33]

Westry would need to get a lot better at rebounding, or Williams and McLeod would need to be dominant. Westry averaged 3 rebounds per 40 minutes last year, against the cupcakes. Starling was better at 3.4 per 40 in conference play. Maybe Westry had some guys who got every rebound on his team?

And Benny would have to grow 2-3 inches