Battle will only play the 2, Thompson will only play the 5

[CuseMan4]

In my opinion our best lineup is going to be:
Pg- Thorpe
Sg-Battle
Sf-Oshae
PF-Marek
C-Thompson

I think you can put Moyer in for Oshae or Marek and you won't be losing much. But in that lineup you have a ton of versatility, solid rebounding, decent shooting, lots of athleticism and is our best scoring lineup by far. I think with Thorpe, Battle and Thompson we have 3 guys that score over 20 on any given night and Oshae will have his share of 15+ point games as well. This team is being underrated in my opinion.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Correct.

 

[dan7800]

My bold prediction is that PC doesn't play more than 50% of his time at the point this season.

 

[RF2044]

In my opinion our best lineup is going to be:
Pg- Thorpe
Sg-Battle
Sf-Oshae
PF-Marek
C-Thompson

I think you can put Moyer in for Oshae or Marek and you won't be losing much. But in that lineup you have a ton of versatility, solid rebounding, decent shooting, lots of athleticism and is our best scoring lineup by far. I think with Thorpe, Battle and Thompson we have 3 guys that score over 20 on any given night and Oshae will have his share of 15+ point games as well. This team is being underrated in my opinion.

You've got Brissett and Marek reversed, IMO. Oshae might eventually round into form as a 3, but he's a 4 at this stage of his developmental curve.

 

[jordoo]

How about this for a bold prediction. This year Syracuse will have 5 guys on the team that at some point get chosen in the NBA draft.

 

[Brooky03]

Maybe if he can consistenly develop deep range like Lydon into a stretch-4. Otherwise he would get eaten alive at the next level by any starting caliber PF, IMO. Guys like Ibaka/Favors/Morris twins/Kanter/Millsap would kill him. Then there are the top guys who need no mention.

He would get destroyed at Center, though, because he doesn't have the size and his athleticism, though good, is not spectacular enough to make up for the size deficiency. I don't think he's as slow footed as we saw last year; I think that was a product of not really knowing where to be and when. So if he has the foot speed to stay in front of PF's (I think he does) then the rest of his game is that of a quintessential PF. Midrange scoring is his strongpoint, he can put the ball on the deck pretty well for a PF, he can score near the rim, and he's shown willingness to step behind the 3 point line (which at least means he probably hits those shots in practice). He's essentially CJ Fair, in my book, especially if he develops his 3 point shot like CJ eventually did. If he plays predominately Center, he won't get the opportunity to develop his deep ball. If he can't play PF in the NBA, then we're saying he can't play in the NBA.

Not all - or even most - NBA PF's are stretch 4's. PF's are still PF's for the most part. They're not just bigger SF's. 20 PF's shot passable percentages from behind the arc this year in the NBA. Of them, about half are backups.

 

[jordoo]

You've got Brissett and Marek reversed, IMO. Oshae might eventually round into form as a 3, but he's a 4 at this stage of his developmental curve.

Maybe its to get the opposing coach to guard Marek with a PF? It will be interesting to see things play out. I'm really high on both guys and think that skill set wise in the future they project as SF. How developed and ready are those skills for P5 hoops? We shall see.

 

[newmexicuse]

Wow, that is quite a statement with the roster not even finalized.

However, your prediction does not just hinge on the play of TT and TB. If PC or Sidibe can give us some solid minutes at the five, it will force some of TT's minutes to the four. Also, if we end up with Thorpe, and FH or HW comes on, then TB would probably swing to the three at times. If MD isn't a factor and/or has growing pains we will need more scoring and outside shooting at the three so TB may have to fill part of that void. All of that is not to mention Jimmy's just moving chess pieces around to see what he has against various cupcakes.

All in all - zero chance that both TT and TB see no minutes other than at the five and two respectively.

 

[Brooky03]

Wow, that is quite a statement with the roster not even finalized.

However, your prediction does not just hinge on the play of TT and TB. If PC or Sidibe can give us some solid minutes at the five, it will force some of TT's minutes to the four. Also, if we end up with Thorpe, and FH or HW comes on, then TB would probably swing to the three at times. If MD isn't a factor and/or has growing pains we will need more scoring and outside shooting at the three so TB may have to fill part of that void. All of that is not to mention Jimmy's just moving chess pieces around to see what he has against various cupcakes.

All in all - zero chance that both TT and TB see no minutes other than at the five and two respectively.

The play of Chukwu and Sidibe is key. I think a lot of guys are expecting Sidibe to be ready to contribute at the 5 pretty quickly. I am, at least. And Chukwu is a 7'2" guy with 2-3 years of college experience under his belt. These two should be good for a combined 30 mpg at Center, minimum. If TT's getting all of his minutes at Center, that doesn't mean one of these two can't ball. It means neither one is ready to play. If neither of our true Centers are ready to play, then ouch!

 

[Consigliere]

Next bold prediction: Every minute Howard Washington plays will be at PG and every minute Paschal Chukwu plays will be at C. Every other player is at least marginally capable of playing at least 2 positions. Going to be essential during October and November to sort this out so the newbies can settle into a role. I think at least part of TT's defensive struggles last year stemmed from him learning the zone from the wing and moving to C during the season as DeJuan and Paschal went down. This is a big plus to a roster with so many new pieces and a strength of our coaching staff.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Wow, that is quite a statement with the roster not even finalized.

However, your prediction does not just hinge on the play of TT and TB. If PC or Sidibe can give us some solid minutes at the five, it will force some of TT's minutes to the four. Also, if we end up with Thorpe, and FH or HW comes on, then TB would probably swing to the three at times. If MD isn't a factor and/or has growing pains we will need more scoring and outside shooting at the three so TB may have to fill part of that void. All of that is not to mention Jimmy's just moving chess pieces around to see what he has against various cupcakes.

All in all - zero chance that both TT and TB see no minutes other than at the five and two respectively.

Well, I mean, I said people can argue the point but they'd be wrong. So, you're wrong.

In don't mean to be the heavy here. It is what it is.

 

[jordoo]

I'm confused as to why people are so fixated and getting Chukwu into the line up after what we saw last season. The classic center is ebbing away at all levels these days. Thompson at the 5 will provide scoring and spacing. We will coach him up and he will be better in the middle. He will be surrounded by better defenders. Dolezj, Brissett and Moyer will all be good weakside help defenders. Thompson is going to play and those worried about his defense have to realize that the wing is much harder to learn the than the middle and you need to be able to cover ground much more quickly to play it.

 

[SoBeCuse]

He would get destroyed at Center, though, because he doesn't have the size and his athleticism, though good, is not spectacular enough to make up for the size deficiency. I don't think he's as slow footed as we saw last year; I think that was a product of not really knowing where to be and when. So if he has the foot speed to stay in front of PF's (I think he does) then the rest of his game is that of a quintessential PF. Midrange scoring is his strongpoint, he can put the ball on the deck pretty well for a PF, he can score near the rim, and he's shown willingness to step behind the 3 point line (which at least means he probably hits those shots in practice). He's essentially CJ Fair, in my book, especially if he develops his 3 point shot like CJ eventually did. If he plays predominately Center, he won't get the opportunity to develop his deep ball. If he can't play PF in the NBA, then we're saying he can't play in the NBA.

Not all - or even most - NBA PF's are stretch 4's. PF's are still PF's for the most part. They're not just bigger SF's. 20 PF's shot passable percentages from behind the arc this year in the NBA. Of them, about half are backups.

We'll just have to agree to disagree. I do like the obviously taller and less athletic version of CJ comparison. I just don't see the requisite footspeed, strength, and athleticism to be anything beyond a limited Stretch 4-type of PF at the next level and he has a long way to get there. I'm not saying that he can't become a very good, effective, and consistent offensive college player.

 

[reedny]

This cracks me up. There's zero chance if the topic was to define the skill set of a Syracuse University center that you'd throw out "must demonstrate a drop step/the ability to go up and under."

Just because we haven't had one recently doesn't mean we don't need a low-block scorer. We absolutely do -- we haven't had offensive balance since Arinze/Rick. I had hopes for DC but it didn't work out.

I'm not saying TT can't function at the 5. He can, and as he improves, I think he can help us there in some combination with Sidibe and Chukwu. And I like Brissett to help us at the 4.

I shouldn't pigeonhole too much, but honestly TT's skill set looks more like a stretch 4 to me than a 5, and I don't want to see another season with us playing guys out of position for too long. True, as Jordy points out, TT can function at center and, obviously, small ball is everywhere in basketball. I just think we need inside scoring badly and it isn't going to come from someone shooting 18 foot jumpers. We haven't been balanced for a long time, and lack of a true low-block scorer/rebounder is a prime culprit. Also, when T is shooting jumpers, we have one less big inside to rebound or score on a put-back. That's what happens when you play a stretch-4 at center.

 

[reedny]

We'll just have to agree to disagree. I do like the obviously taller and less athletic version of CJ comparison. I just don't see the requisite footspeed, strength, and athleticism to be anything beyond a limited Stretch 4-type of PF at the next level and he has a long way to get there. I'm not saying that he can't become a very good, effective, and consistent offensive college player.[/

I think stretch-4 is where I'd put him, as least from what I've seen so far. And I also agree that we need a player like that .. since TL's in the draft. I'm not saying TT CAN'T play the 5 ...obviously he can and has. I just don't think it's ideal for the team or for his skill set.

 

[reedny]

I'm confused as to why people are so fixated and getting Chukwu into the line up after what we saw last season. The classic center is ebbing away at all levels these days. Thompson at the 5 will provide scoring and spacing. We will coach him up and he will be better in the middle. He will be surrounded by better defenders. Dolezj, Brissett and Moyer will all be good weakside help defenders. Thompson is going to play and those worried about his defense have to realize that the wing is much harder to learn the than the middle and you need to be able to cover ground much more quickly to play it.

Interesting post. As usual, I agree with most of it. Small ball's everywhere. I tend to pigeonhole players based on skill-sets. And that doesn't always work, especially in the zone where we can move guys around. No doubt, TT's versatile enough to play the 5. But ALL his minutes? Wow. I hope not - since that would mean that Sidibe and Chukwu cannot anchor the zone (and we will suffer on the glass like last year).

You do make a good point about other weakside defenders (Moyer/Brissett/Dolzaj) helping on the glass. That's true, and it's a good thing because TT's scoring comes mostly from jumpers and he's often too far out to rebound his own misses.

On D, however, I have to pick at you. While the wing is certainly tricky (on D you have to dart back and forth from the side to the baseline), arguably center is the hardest position to play. There's the high low to defend, HUGE ACC bigs to fight for RB position against, coming out to stop penetrating guards and then ... having to fly all the way out to the sideline/baseline to contest jumpers when the wing has moved up. NOT EASY, and I think there's an argument that center is the captain of the 2/3 defense. So if wing's hard, center is even harder (and arguably more crucial) for TT to learn. He may be an important contributor there out of necessity, but (IMO) does not have the ideal skillset, bulk or athleticism for the role.

On offense, sure I like the spacing. He can hit a jump shot and, being fair, is crafty inside. I've seen him block shots (on ball) and no doubt he can function at the 5. I just like him at the 4, and my opinion for a number of years is that we've suffered balance problems on Offense because we haven't had consistent low block scoring and/or rebounding (we've been getting massacred on the glass against some upper level ACC teams). That's why I think TT should be a second or even a third option at center.

 

[sutomcat]

Did Battle play anywhere but SG his frosh season? I don't think so. With all the forwards on the team and the lack of guards, it doesn't make a lot of sense for him to be asked to play SF. And if we add another player who can play PG, we will have 3 scholarship players on the roster that can play there, which is more than the 2 we had last season. So yes, it is pretty obvious he isn't going to play PG either barring a couple of injuries or a crazy game with a lot of foul outs.

There are three scholarship players at center. I expect TT to be the worst of the three on defense by a large margin (and the best on offense, also by a large margin).

My expectation is that Chukwu is going to be groomed for a role as a pressing specialist. When we press, he will be back at the hoop, the last line of defense. I think that was going to be his role this past season until he got hurt. He might play a little when the top 2 centers get in foul trouble as well.

My expectation is that Sidibe (no BS) will get a lot of playing time. I expect he will be by far our best center defensively, and probably the best rebounder of the bunch too. I don't expect a lot offensively but I think he will get some points off of offensive rebounds, hustle plays in transition and maybe make a basket or two in the half court too.

I am thinking Chukwu gets 7 mpg. Sidibe gets 20 mpg (among other things, he will have foul trouble issues). JB is going to have to play him a lot because our defense is not going to be great to begin with and he is so much better than the other options we have here.

TT gets the other 13 minutes at center. I think TT is going to play around 25 mpg (foul trouble will continue to be a problem though not as bad as it was his frosh year). That leaves him with 12 minutes at PF. Some of that time will be spent playing with Sidibe. When that happens, TT will surely play PF, not Sidibe.

So I agree with you on Battle and disagree about Taurean.

 

[jordoo]

Interesting post. As usual, I agree with most of it. Small ball's everywhere. I tend to pigeonhole players based on skill-sets. And that doesn't always work, especially in the zone where we can move guys around. No doubt, TT's versatile enough to play the 5. But ALL his minutes? Wow. I hope not.

You do make a good point about other weakside defenders (Moyer/Brissett/Dolzaj) helping on the glass. That's true, and it's a good thing because TT's scoring comes mostly from jumpers.

On D, however, I have to pick at you. While the wing is certainly tricky (on D you have to dart back and forth from the wing to the baseline), arguably center is the hardest position to play. There's the high low to defend, HUGE ACC bigs to fight for RB position against, coming out to stop penetrating guards and then ... having to float all the way out to the sideline/baseline to contest jumpers when the wing has moved up. NOT EASY, and I think there's an argument that center is the captain of the 2/3 defense. So if wing's hard, center is even harder (and arguably more crucial) for TT to learn. He may be our best option, but (IMO) does not have the ideal skillset, bulk or athleticism for the role.

On offense, sure I like the spacing. He can hit a jump shot and, being fair, is crafty inside. I've seen him block shots (on ball) and no doubt he can function at the 5. I just like him at the 4, and my opinion for a number of years is that we've suffered balance problems on Offense because we haven't had consistent low block scoring and/or rebounding (we've been getting massacred on the glass against some upper level ACC teams).

I get that you have to be more aware at the 5 than the wing in our zone. I think that's one of the reasons TT looked so bad last year. Remember he started on the wing (was really bad there as well BTW) and then had to try and learn the 5 on the fly. Not to mention doing it on a bad zone defense team which usually meant he was screwed since you can't be two places at once.

I also get that you like TT's skill set as a 4 better than as a 5. That is completely understandable offensively. The thing is you want to play him on the wing in place of a better wing defender and put either Chukwu or Sidibe at the 5. Chukwu didn't show any indication that he can provide consistent low block scoring and rebounding which is what you are looking for. Sidibe is a freshman that needs to put on weight so no matter how skilled, he is likely at least a season away from doing those things consistently. In both cases it means that one of our other forwards is now on the bench, all three of which project to be more productive offensive player than our centers. Also you have Thompson defending on the wing.

We all want a big tall shot blocking center who plays good defense. In this day and age however that guy isn't playing huge minutes unless he is also somewhat proficient on offense. Fab was great and only played 25min a game. Even so he wasn't inept on offense and had to be accounted for. If he had played 35 minutes he would have average more like 11 points a game rather than 8. Chukwu is big and tall and can block some shots because of it. That is it from what we have seen. Sidibe is a talented freshman who I would have ahead of him on the depth chart at this point. I think there will be about 10min available for one of them. That's just how I see it though.

 

[RF2044]

Did Battle play anywhere but SG his frosh season? I don't think so. With all the forwards on the team and the lack of guards, it doesn't make a lot of sense for him to be asked to play SF. And if we add another player who can play PG, we will have 3 scholarship players on the roster that can play there, which is more than the 2 we had last season. So yes, it is pretty obvious he isn't going to play PG either barring a couple of injuries or a crazy game with a lot of foul outs.

There are three scholarship players at center. I expect TT to be the worst of the three on defense by a large margin (and the best on offense, also by a large margin).

My expectation is that Chukwu is going to be groomed for a role as a pressing specialist. When we press, he will be back at the hoop, the last line of defense. I think that was going to be his role this past season until he got hurt. He might play a little when the top 2 centers get in foul trouble as well.

My expectation is that Sidibe (no BS) will get a lot of playing time. I expect he will be by far our best center defensively, and probably the best rebounder of the bunch too. I don't expect a lot offensively but I think he will get some points off of offensive rebounds, hustle plays in transition and maybe make a basket or two in the half court too.

I am thinking Chukwu gets 7 mpg. Sidibe gets 20 mpg (among other things, he will have foul trouble issues). JB is going to have to play him a lot because our defense is not going to be great to begin with and he is so much better than the other options we have here.

TT gets the other 13 minutes at center. I think TT is going to play around 25 mpg (foul trouble will continue to be a problem though not as bad as it was his frosh year). That leaves him with 12 minutes at PF. Some of that time will be spent playing with Sidibe. When that happens, TT will surely play PF, not Sidibe.

So I agree with you on Battle and disagree about Taurean.

I'm not saying you are wrong in the main, but all WHAT forwards? By my count, we have three, all of whom are freshmen. So if one or more of them aren't ready to contribute as the starting 3, then Battle could [emphasis on "COULD"] see time at the SF position. You could certainly count TT as a forward instead of a center [which is where most people envision him playing the majority of his minutes], but he also isn't tilling the team's needs at SF.

Which is why from my point of view, the two biggest question marks heading into next season are:

• Are one of the freshman trio of forwards capable of giving us the outside shooting we need from the small forward position?
• Does Howard bounce back and provide consistent, quality play at lead guard, or does Thorpe supplant him and start at the 1?

It wouldn't be a surprise if Brissett or Dolezaj excelled this season and proved to be starting-caliber, but it also wouldn't be a shock if they have more pedestrian contributions in year 1. We'll see once they get here for summer, and how things progress through the preseason.

And if Howard bounces back and becomes indispensable to have on the floor, then Thorpe could see a lot of time at the 2. Which means that Battle could / might see time at 3, if the frosh aren't ready for prime time. Again, my opinion only, but those are the two biggest factors / questions that will determine lineups and PT distribution, IMO. A distant third is whether Chukwu / Sidibe are ready to contribute.

 

[sutomcat]

You are correct that freshmen are inconsistent and it is hard to predict how successful they will be in college, especially early in their careers.

But I like all three and think all will be able to play at the college level immediately and contribute.

I have more reservations about whether a couple of our guards will be ready to play and contribute immediately. Specifically Howard and Washington.

Let's assume the best case remaining scenario and say that Thorpe ends up here. He has to make the transition to the 2-3, a new system on offense and the higher caliber of play in the ACC but he should at least be serviceable. If Battle is going to play SF, who the hell is going to play the guard opposite Thorpe?

I have a lot more confidence in Brissett, Dolezaj and Moyer than I do in Washington or Howard. Note that I think Washington is probably going to be a productive player for us. I just don't see it happening immediately.

 

[RF2044]

Interesting post. As usual, I agree with most of it. Small ball's everywhere. I tend to pigeonhole players based on skill-sets. And that doesn't always work, especially in the zone where we can move guys around. No doubt, TT's versatile enough to play the 5. But ALL his minutes? Wow. I hope not - since that would mean that Sidibe and Chukwu cannot anchor the zone (and we will suffer on the glass like last year).

You do make a good point about other weakside defenders (Moyer/Brissett/Dolzaj) helping on the glass. That's true, and it's a good thing because TT's scoring comes mostly from jumpers and he's often too far out to rebound his own misses.

On D, however, I have to pick at you. While the wing is certainly tricky (on D you have to dart back and forth from the side to the baseline), arguably center is the hardest position to play. There's the high low to defend, HUGE ACC bigs to fight for RB position against, coming out to stop penetrating guards and then ... having to fly all the way out to the sideline/baseline to contest jumpers when the wing has moved up. NOT EASY, and I think there's an argument that center is the captain of the 2/3 defense. So if wing's hard, center is even harder (and arguably more crucial) for TT to learn. He may be an important contributor there out of necessity, but (IMO) does not have the ideal skillset, bulk or athleticism for the role.

On offense, sure I like the spacing. He can hit a jump shot and, being fair, is crafty inside. I've seen him block shots (on ball) and no doubt he can function at the 5. I just like him at the 4, and my opinion for a number of years is that we've suffered balance problems on Offense because we haven't had consistent low block scoring and/or rebounding (we've been getting massacred on the glass against some upper level ACC teams). That's why I think TT should be a second or even a third option at center.

I think it all comes down to whether a player like Chukwu or Sidibe are able to contribute without being defensive liabilities. If they can, then they'll see time. If not, then TT will play at center. A lot. And another factor is whether a player like Brissett [or Moyer] brings more to the table at the 4 then Chukwu / Sidibe bring to the 5. If so, then TT slides over and Brissett indirectly steals minutes from the true 5's.

At least, that's how I see it.

 

[KevMonstah]

One thing I hope that happens during this season is the JB leaves the players in to play thru their mistakes and
learn, instead of being yanked immediately when they do something wrong. You hear from the players that they
can get more comfortable and play instead of playing timid because they are aware of the short leash. I don't think
this particular team is going to benefit from in & out play, and/or doghousing. You've got one kid who's never
played in North America, but who might, if his skills translate, be a key player. You have three kids who need to
learn how to take and make outside shots as the SF in the college game. And you may end up with only two PGs
on the roster, neither of whom have played or demonstrated great ability in college. The potential talent looks
great, but if they aren't coached, then we're not looking at a good season.

Kev

 

[RF2044]

You are correct that freshmen are inconsistent and it is hard to predict how successful they will be in college, especially early in their careers.

But I like all three and think all will be able to play at the college level immediately and contribute.

I have more reservations about whether a couple of our guards will be ready to play and contribute immediately. Specifically Howard and Washington.

Let's assume the best case remaining scenario and say that Thorpe ends up here. He has to make the transition to the 2-3, a new system on offense and the higher caliber of play in the ACC but he should at least be serviceable. If Battle is going to play SF, who the hell is going to play the guard opposite Thorpe?

I have a lot more confidence in Brissett, Dolezaj and Moyer than I do in Washington or Howard. Note that I think Washington is probably going to be a productive player for us. I just don't see it happening immediately.

Tom, I already stated above that Battle sliding to 3 would only happen if Howard shows up in a big way. If he does, then we wouldn't NEED Thorpe at the 1 for heavy minutes. He's a double figure scorer, so where's he going to play if Howard is getting big minutes at the 1? And Battle isn't going to sit, so where would he play if Howard / Thorpe are both on the floor?

I agree that under your scenario, with Howard not being a player that can be counted upon, then the backcourt is assuredly Thorpe / Battle.

I like all three of the frosh, as well, but I'm tempering my expectations for what they'll produce this upcoming season until I have a chance to see them myself during the preseason. Here's hoping at least one of them emerges as a starting caliber SF. But what happens if one of them doesn't? Of if 2 of them or all 3 of them are better suited to play the 4 than the 3 offensively during their freshman campaign?

Again, the two bullets I list above in my original response to you seem like the keys to how the lineup will shake out.

 

[CuseLifer11]

Tom, I already stated above that Battle sliding to 3 would only happen if Howard shows up in a big way. If he does, then we wouldn't NEED Thorpe at the 1 for heavy minutes. He's a double figure scorer, so where's he going to play if Howard is getting big minutes at the 1? And Battle isn't going to sit, so where would he play if Howard / Thorpe are both on the floor?

I agree that under your scenario, with Howard not being a player that can be counted upon, then the backcourt is assuredly Thorpe / Battle.

I like all three of the frosh, as well, but I'm tempering my expectations for what they'll produce this upcoming season until I have a chance to see them myself during the preseason. Here's hoping at least one of them emerges as a starting caliber SF. But what happens if one of them doesn't? Of if 2 of them or all 3 of them are better suited to play the 4 than the 3 offensively during their freshman campaign?

Again, the two bullets I list above in my original response to you seem like the keys to how the lineup will shake out.

We didnt bring in Marek to sit. Trust me on this. Marek is the most tailor made SF we have had in a few years. Maybe since CJ. Kid is going to surprise u all just as he did the staff . Blew them away. OB and moyer are expected to conpete for the 4 spot. TT will play all his minutes at the 5. Period. Only desperation as in multiple foul outs by others in the same game would change this.

As for Battle.. duh. He's a 2. I guess if him and Thorpe are both in u really don't know who the 1 is. They would both be able to bring it up court.

 

[RF2044]

We didnt bring in Marek to sit. Trust me on this. Marek is the most tailor made SF we have had in a few years. Maybe since CJ. Kid is going to surprise u all just as he did the staff . Blew them away. OB and moyer are expected to conpete for the 4 spot. TT will play all his minutes at the 5. Period. Only desperation as in multiple foul outs by others in the same game would change this.

As for Battle.. duh. He's a 2. I guess if him and Thorpe are both in u really don't know who the 1 is. They would both be able to bring it up court.

Well, then if one of the frosh nails down the 3 spot [per my bulleted criteria above], then that question gets answered positively.

If it doesn't, things change. That's what some seems to have difficulty grasping--everything is always set in stone until circumstances change. We've got great depth and will go 9-10 deep... until a player or two get injured. So and so is a lock to start and play big minutes... until they fail to produce or prove not up to the challenge. JB wouldn't never sit a senior starter... until it happens.

If Marek [or Oshae] are capable of starting at SF, then that solves a huge area of need for the team [love the potential of BOTH of these guys, and think that they might be NBA caliber talents]. I don't discount that possibility. But I will take a wait and see approach before just accepting that it will happen and is a given.

Ditto Frank Howard. The board is really split on what the future holds for FH, with some writing him off and others expecting him to bounce back. We'll have to wait and see. Thorpe hasn't even committed yet, even though we expect him to, so penciling him into the lineup is premature. Howard will either shape up and show improvement--in which case he'll garner big minutes--or he won't and he'll be relegated to the bench again. However things unfold will determine if Thorpe starts, plays the 1, the 2, or comes off the bench.

Until a few things clarify, predicting things with certainty is difficult. Last year there were people who were 100% certain that Battle was going to start at PG due to comments JB had made, that White was going to play the majority of time at 2G since why else would he come here but to showcase his capabilities for the NBA, that lottery pick Lydon was going to light it up as a 3, Frank was a possible early entrant candidate, and that Coleman was going to play big minutes at the 5. In the minds of some people, those things were set in stone -- until things changed.