There is absolutely nothing in this post that is accurate, IMO.
We have depth in the frontcourt--at the power positions, not at the 3. AW3 wouldn't play "some 3," he'll get the bulk of his minutes there--precisely because we don't have any other player on the current 9 man roster who is suited to play small forward.
Respectfully, I-Matt, not trying to call you out. But I don't know what people are seeing here to suggest he'll play guard.
OK, Ryan, who does White take the minutes from - Lydon, the pre-season all-conference guy, or Roberson, our best rebounder since Rick Jackson? If we get White, he has to play at least 25-30 minutes a game, because he will be our best 3 point shooter other than maybe Lydon.
So if he's going to play most of those minutes at , who sits, our best rebounder, or our next first round pick? I mean, you have got to be kidding me. Neither Tyler is going to play fewer than 30 minutes a game, and that's what would their limit would be with your suggested rotation. If he's going to primarily play forward, then he probably isn't coming here. That's not what he wants. At least that might explain his delay in committing.
He wants the chance to play significant minutes at the 2, and to work on those skills. If he doesn't get that opportunity - where we have a clear need, by the way - then he won't come here. Do you think that Malachi Richardson would have continued to play the 3 this year? White is looking for that role - being the third guard more than being the third forward. Michigan State told him that wanted him primarily at forward and he said "no thanks".
It's just like Tyus Battle's recruitment - if we didn't offer him time to be the lead guard, like Dion did, then he wasn't coming here. He could play on the wing at Duke, but that's not what he wanted, he wanted the ball in his hands, and that's why we got him and Duke didn't.
Who is it easier to take minutes from on this team next year - a senior forward, Tyler Roberson, who could average a double double this year after averaging 9 and 8 last year and us thinking he underachieved, or Frank Howard, who shot 28% from the floor last year and averaged less than 2 points a game? And you're calling me out as delusional?
P.S. - While we're at it, just look at JB's past personnel moves in terms of moving big guys to the 2 guard position. You may think of White as another James Southerland, but even Southerland got a try-out as a 2 guard his senior year. It didn't work out, but JB has done this so many times in the past.
Kueth Duany played the 2G on our championship team. Jason Cipolla played the 2G on the '96 team that made the Finals. Raf Addison was converted to 2G his senior year. Marius Janulis is yet another. Todd Burgan got some run at the 2G his senior year on the team when Jason Hart was a freshman. I could go on and on (and already have …).
Suffice it to say that if we get Andrew White this year, he will probably play the same amount of time at 2G as Tyus Battle plays at the point. That's a natural pairing. If Gillon or Frank Howard are in the game, they are not the off-guard. Battle would be. Battle is going to have the ball in his hands, probably 15 minutes a game. Who is going to play 2 guard with him? Maybe Gillon, who has a pretty decent shot from 3, but Gillon is more of a driver, and when the 2 of them are in the game together, that's more of a running team than a half court offense team. White is the answer.
When Gillon and Battle are in the game, if you are the opponent, you make them play half-court basketball and you zone them. If you play White with those 2 guards, then you are either sacrificing more outside shooting by leaving Lydon - maybe your best player - on the bench. Or you leave out Roberson, who is by far our best rounder, but who can't play the 5.
Lydon at the 5 last year did not work against good teams. That's why we were a .500 team in the ACC last year and we on the bubble. Because we had Tyler Freaking Lydon as our best center!