I thought I would take a look af the roster and a possible rotation for next season. The Cuse.com roster still has all the players we lost and none of the players we added from the portal.
So let’s start with an updated roster:
Izabel Varajao 6’4 C
Kyra Wood 6’3 PF/C
Journey Thompson 6’3 PF/C
Sophie Burrows 6’2 SF/SG
Saniaa Wilson PF/C 6’0
Shy Hawkins 6’2 SF.PG
Keira Scott 6’1 SF
Georgia Woolley 6’0 SG
Madeline Potts 6’0 SG
Dominique Camp 5’8 CG
Lexi McNabb 5’7 CG
Angelica Velez 5’7 PG
Olivia Schmitt 5’5 PG
At center, Izzy is going to get most of the minutes. Hopefully she stays healthy all season. That will be one of the keys for the success of the team. Wood, Thompson and even Wilson will fill in when Izzy is not out there.
There is no clear starter at PF. Could be Wood. I suspect she will start. Thompson is surely going to get some minutes and might start. Wilson will get minutes here, especially if we are getting hurt in the boards. And I think Shy Hawkins, who is rated at almost the same level as Latham coming out of HS, is going to play a lot. And might end up our best player here by the end of the season.
At SF, Burrows is probably our best outside shooter and can also rebound, pass and play passsble defense. She is going to play a lot, especially against zone teams.
Shy might get some minutes here as well. I have a feeling she will be good right away and become a coaches favorite quickly. Keira Scott is a really nice athlete rated almost the same as Shy. She is going to get a lot of playing time. Probably our best athlete at SF. Might be our best SF against man (person) defenses.
At SG, Georgia is going to play a ton and be a big part of the team. Really hope her bad leg heals up and she is 100% this year. It was hard watching her play largely on one leg this past season. Burrows will probably be the top sub. I know some don’t like Potts much but I am a fan and think she might work her way into the rotation, especially if there is an injury. Though it is more likely she will be a depth piece next season.
I think Camp might play here some too, especially if we need more ball handling (against pressure and press defenses).
Velez is going to start at PG and have the keys to the kingdom. I think Camp is the backup PG and Schmitt probably spends the year making the transition to college ball. She will be the backup PG next season. Camp should be very capable and be an important part of the team.
I see Woolley and Burrows as experienced and reliable scorers. Velez is going to score points and get the ball to others in good scoring positions. I think of she can stay healthy, Izzy will be a double digit scorer and lead the team in rebounds and blocks. Big drop off if she gets hurt.
Power forward is a big key for this team. We need someone to step up. Can Wood or Thompson emerge as a reliable scorer, rebounder and defender? Can Shy or Scott step up quickly and be good as true frosh? Someone is going to have to really perform well here for us to be good.
My guess is that if Izzy stays healthy, we find a forward or two who steps up and end up with 29 plus wins and an NCAA bid. Of she gets hurt, it is going to be a long season.