Stats aside, this team isn't as good as 09-10, no matter what we end up doing.
Well, let's take a look:
C: Arinze / Rick Jackson vs. Christmas, Coleman and Keita
Positional defense favors Arinze and Rick. They were both better rebounders than any of the 3 current centers. But Christmas and Keita are both more mobile than the 2010 guys, and the 2010 team did get wiped out on the boards a few times. We also sometimes lacked interior mobility and reaction to teams like Pitt and UConn who knew how to pass inside the zone. This year's team hasn't been carved up like that 2010 team yet. But Rick or Arinze could get you a 10 point game on a semi-regular basis. The current guys offer nothing near their offensive productivity in the low post.
F: Wes Johnson, Kris Joseph vs. CJ Fair and Jerami Grant
2010 team was better here, but not by as much as you might think. Wes was an incredible teammate and a borderline all-american that year and shot 40% from three with a good number of attempts. Kris Joseph was the reckless runner on the break (pre-skull fall at Providence the following year). Fair gives us more midrange game than the other guys and is around the rim more. Wes Johnson was a great help defender and shot blocker and a pretty good rebounder. Although CJ's numbers are not as high as they could be, I think CJ is a bit tougher than Wes. Grant is a pogo stick and may prove to be more of a threat in the halfcourt than Kris ever was.
2G: Andy vs. Trevor
As hard to believe as it may be, this one is about a wash, if Trevor can keep it up. Andy created more for his teammates, with something like 4.7 assists a game, but also used to throw it away a couple times a game, too. Trevor is running off screens like Andy, and is a bit more physically durable, so far (knock on wood).
PG: Scoop / Triche vs. Ennis
I don't think this is close, especially early in Scoop and Brandon's career. Ennis was better than both of them at this point. They did all play unselfishly, though. Andy and Arinze and Wes instilled that cultural change after the selfish play of the Jonny / Paul / Devo team the year before.
Put it altogether, and I think it's fair to say that this team is pretty close to the 2010 team. The guard play is a bit better. The defense up front rebounds better and is more mobile, but much weaker on offense. We had a legitimate low post offense in 2010 (although neither center could make a foul shot ...). I think both teams had a couple explosive athletic forwards, and a dead eye shooting guard. This year's team has the poise of an elite PG. Andy sort of filled that role for us, but Andy was always getting beat up by opposing teams. I don't really see that with this year's team.
