JJ Starling Transferring to Syracuse

[SUFan44]

JJ is going to be given first shot to drive the Orange bus surrounded by shooters.

If he struggles, we’ll turn to Carlos.

Yep. People laughed at me when I suggested him as a point guard option.

Personally, I thought he was fine distributing the ball. His assist numbers aren't great because he wasn't ball dominant but he isn't a ball stopper like Judah was.

That allows us to put the best 5 players on the floor:

JJ
Westry
Bell
Freeman
Lampkin

If you want to sub Taylor for shooting, fine. Not sure how he'll translate but hoping he can be a knock down guy.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Yep. People laughed at me when I suggested him as a point guard option.

Personally, I thought he was fine distributing the ball. His assist numbers aren't great because he wasn't ball dominant but he isn't a ball stopper like Judah was.

That allows us to put the best 5 players on the floor:

JJ
Westry
Bell
Freeman
Lampkin

If you want to sub Taylor for shooting, fine. Not sure how he'll translate but hoping he can be a knock down guy.

Westry is worse at shooting than JJ and done nothing at the college level. Quite frankly that lineup is a nightmare. And JJ had the worst assist numbers at the 2 in at least 20 years. Call me concerned.

 

[SUFan44]

Westry is worse at shooting than JJ and done nothing at the college level. Quite frankly that lineup is a nightmare. And JJ had the worst assist numbers at the 2 in at least 20 years. Call me concerned.

That's our team. Needed better players and we didn't get them. Not sure how switching out Carlos for Westry changes things. Westry has a much higher upside. And the length/size of this 5 is legitimate.

 

[Cusefan0307]

That's our team. Needed better players and we didn't get them. Not sure how switching out Carlos for Westry changes things. Westry has a much higher upside. And the length/size of this 5 is legitimate.

I’d rather put Moore there. He’s the one guy rarely spoken of here.

 

[SUFan44]

I’d rather put Moore there. He’s the one guy rarely spoken of here.

He's a freshman. I think he's talented, but rarely are freshmen shooters starting quality right away.

 

[Niastri]

Yep. People laughed at me when I suggested him as a point guard option.

Personally, I thought he was fine distributing the ball. His assist numbers aren't great because he wasn't ball dominant but he isn't a ball stopper like Judah was.

That allows us to put the best 5 players on the floor:

JJ
Westry
Bell
Freeman
Lampkin

If you want to sub Taylor for shooting, fine. Not sure how he'll translate but hoping he can be a knock down guy.

That lineup has the highest upside and the highest variance.

Does JJ demonstrate he actually has quality point guard skills?

Does Westry come back healthy and the guy that had the Wow factor before his injury at Auburn?

Does Bell become a more complete player?

Is Freeman a top freshman who goes on to become a lottery pick?

Is Lampkin the player that dominated in the NCAA tournament?

If the answer is yes to all those questions, we are a likely Final Four team.

If the answer is no, well, we aren't going to very good.

In all likelihood, some of the things will be partially true, some will reach our highest expectation, and some will be complete busts.

Fortunately, we took in a bunch of Senior transfers to reduce the teams variance. If we wind up putting in Lucas Taylor, Carlos and Davis early and often, our upside is much lower, but our chances of being truly terrible are also pretty low. Red definitely hedged his bets with the transfers.

I think the roster construction this off-season was way better than last year.

And there is still room for two more kids, probably as deep depth, but possibly guys that could increase our ceiling.

 

[Cusefan0307]

He's a freshman. I think he's talented, but rarely are freshmen shooters starting quality right away.

I just have a hard time comprehending Jake’s statement that we are putting shooting around JJ if Westry is the two. That’s not anything Westry is strong at. Moore and Taylor(maybe) make more sense to me. My hope for Westry is Quadir Copeland under control.

 

[SUFan44]

I just have a hard time comprehending Jake’s statement that we are putting shooting around JJ if Westry is the two. That’s not anything Westry is strong at. Moore and Taylor(maybe) make more sense to me. My hope for Westry is Quadir Copeland under control.

I think Bell & Freeman are both above average shooters. Who else do we have that’s a shooter? Taylor which is why I made the qualifying statement in my original post.

I think Jake said that because that’s what the staff thinks. In reality I don’t think we are nearly A) good enough and B) have enough shooters in general to be a 25 win team. Could maybe get to 20-22 but that’s probably going to put us on the bubble again. Which to me, isn’t good enough.

 

[Newhouser]

Smh. I love JJ and I think he’s going to have a really big year, but he’s not a PG. He’s actually going to benefit the most from Carlos being a real PG dishing to him and Bell and Lampkin. I think Westry is the player with the best passing skills and instincts who if healthy can play backup PG.

He was a horrible passer last year in every situation. If he's our facilitator we are in trouble. It's what JB did force a two in a "point" role.

 

[Trueblue25]

Oh my

Im holding out until first tip…

…but may need you to dm that venmo handle

 

[Sherman20]

He's a freshman. I think he's talented, but rarely are freshmen shooters starting quality right away.

Sometimes. But look at Braedon Shrewsberry for Notre Dame last season. I think Moore will get some backup playing time and will produce in the shooting dept for us, especially in the second half of the season after he gets adjusted to college basketball.

 

[Trueblue25]

If we can be optimistic about Freeman, who’s never played a college game, then in my opinion it’s not heresy to be optimistic about a healthy Westry. He was a very exciting prospect that this board would have coveted had he not made a terrible decision to go to tie dye U

 

[Cappy3]

He's a freshman. I think he's talented, but rarely are freshmen shooters starting quality right away.

Ummm, GMac?

 

[Cusefan0307]

If we can be optimistic about Freeman, who’s never played a college game, then in my opinion it’s not heresy to be optimistic about a healthy Westry. He was a very exciting prospect that this board would have coveted had he not made a terrible decision to go to tie dye U

He hasn’t played in a competitive game in two years and in the same time suffered the same amount of knee injuries.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Ummm, GMac?

+ Malachi more recently.

 

[billsin01]

Ummm, GMac?

I’m pretty sure GMac is the exception that proves the point. You’re going back 21 years for that example. Triche wasn’t bad but played a very limited role with a ton of talent around him.

I would say there’s a chance Moore brings something but anyone banking on consistent production from him either knows something I don’t (very possible) or is falling victim to the perennial rampant off-season optimism of this board, which will likely be followed by the immediate ‘we’re the worst team in college basketball’ view of the season itself (this is a pattern here).

The simple reality is that barring some unforeseen development, this team would do well to get to the 20 wins we had last season. Now, those things can happen. Maybe the hi-low game of lampkin/freeman unlocks something. Maybe Englestad/Red come into the season with a more structured offense that provides some benefit along with a bit more ball movement. Maybe Bell turns into an ok defender and dangerous scorer. Whatever, there are certainly possibilities. But if we’re going off what we know about this team right now, I really don’t think we’re better than last season.

 

[Jake]

I just have a hard time comprehending Jake’s statement that we are putting shooting around JJ if Westry is the two. That’s not anything Westry is strong at. Moore and Taylor(maybe) make more sense to me. My hope for Westry is Quadir Copeland under control.

I think Westry is a wild card. I expect JJ and Taylor to be the starting backcourt.

However, I would not be surprised if Carlos and JJ spent more time in the backcourt.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Beyond petty. He's awful with his left, he's defended the way he is for a reason.

People shouldn’t speak in absolutes the statement isn’t true.

 

[Orangezoo]

I think Westry is a wild card. I expect JJ and Taylor to be the starting backcourt.

However, I would not be surprised if Carlos and JJ spent more time in the backcourt.

That’s really interesting. Very curious to see what JJs game has evolved to.

 

[OmahaCuse]

Westry is worse at shooting than JJ and done nothing at the college level. Quite frankly that lineup is a nightmare. And JJ had the worst assist numbers at the 2 in at least 20 years. Call me concerned.

You guys are forgetting, Taylor, Carlos, Davis and Cuffe all are upper class guys that can score. we will mix/ match play 10 guys.

 

[two3zone]

You guys are forgetting, Taylor, Carlos, Davis and Cuffe all are upper class guys that can score. we will mix/ match play 10 guys.

Not one of them have scored at this level.

 

[althea]

Not one of them have scored at this level.

I could’ve sworn that I saw Cuffe play for Syracuse last year.

 

[two3zone]

I could’ve sworn that I saw Cuffe play for Syracuse last year.

And showed he could score so well that he was getting DNPs on that trash roster. He proved he could score at this level? What the hell were you watching?

 

[althea]

And showed he could score so well that he was getting DNPs on that trash roster. He proved he could score at this level? What the hell were you watching?

First of all, when you call it a “trash roster”, you don’t merely sound like a dope, you clearly demonstrate that you are a dope and not a fan. The guy in front of Cuffe was a McDonald all-American. Probably not as good of a player as you, but still respectable.
You should go root for UCONN.

 

[Niastri]

And showed he could score so well that he was getting DNPs on that trash roster. He proved he could score at this level? What the hell were you watching?

If he was 10 inches taller, he would have been starting.

He was playing behind Mintz, Starling and Copeland.