Looking ahead to next year's squad

[RF2044]

While we wait for some recruiting news to drop, here's a thread to stimulate discussion about next year's team. Opinions on the team's potential seem quite varied, based upon threads from the past few days. I'm curious about what others think about some of the issues identified below.

LOTS of question marks heading into next year. The determinant of our success will largely depend on how many of these questions get answered positively.

• How good is Gillon, and what will he bring to the table as a playmaker / scorer / shooter?

• How much improvement will Howard show with the experience of a final four run where he played tons of important minutes under his belt?

• Is Battle a transcendent offensive talent, as some posters [Tomcat, Jake, Iommi] have suggested?

• Now that Coleman has proven he can stay healthy, will he improve this offseason now that his focus isn't on getting back to square one?

• Will The Beast finally put it all together during his senior year grand finale, maybe in the 13-14 ppg range?

• Will Roberson FINALLY start to knock down that mid-range jump shot?

• How much of a difference maker will Chukwu be on defense for this squad?

• Will we force more turnovers defensively with improved team quickness that lead to run outs / easy scoring opportunities?

• Will Gillon's quickness / penetration lead to easy scoring opportunities inside for Lydon / Chukwu / Roberson / Coleman we didn't get last year?

• Will this team generate more easy scoring opportunities defensively a la 2012, helping to overcome perceived offensive limitations?

• How much stronger will Lydon get over the offseason, and will this help him establish a low post game that he showed flashes of last year?

• Will Rico make the proverbial sophomore jump?

• What will Moyer bring to the table his first year?

• Is he a starting caliber player who gives the team a true 3?

• Will JB unleash the press more often, after how effective it was in last year's tourney, with a true shotblocker patrolling the back end?

• Does the mystery man emerge as an actual recruit candidate?

Tons of questions, but I wouldn't be surprised for a lot of the things if not the vast majority or even all of them getting answered favorably next year.

Will we contend for the ACC title? Hard to say. But if only a couple of things fall into place, this team could be a LOT better than what many are forecasting.

Would I have preferred for Malichi to come back? Abso-freaking-lutely. But I don't think the sky is falling for next year's squad. Our best teams often seem to coalesce when people don't seem to give them credit. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see this be a top 5 type of ACC team, with lots of upside for the postseason. We'll also have much better depth, much better size.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Who is the beast?

 

[Dave85]

While we wait for some recruiting news to drop, here's a thread to stimulate discussion about next year's team. Opinions on the team's potential seem quite varied

My opinion is next year's team is going to score baskets, get rebounds, and have baskets scored on them. That's as far as I can go with the information I have now. This is just an opinion so don't tell me I'm full of crap.

 

[Dave85]

Would I have preferred for Malichi to come back? Abso-freaking-lutely.

It's HIS decision to make. What is wrong with you?

 

[JOC44]

My opinion is next year's team is going to score baskets, get rebounds, and have baskets scored on them.

You don't think they'll have rebounds gotten against them too? What are you, an idiot?

 

[phil77]

Our defense will be good. Our dribble penetration will be good. Our rebounding should be good. Our outside shooting is what will hold us back with the way the roster is constructed right now...Might see more of a push in transition with our guard speed now...JB likes to play 8 so...

Howard/Gillon
Battle/Gillon
Lydon/Moyer
Roberson/Moyer
Coleman/Chukwu

Will be what we roll out with the roster as it is now. Should be a top 25 team and a tourney lock.

 

[tee1222]

Who is the beast?

4 out of 5 solid outings in the tourney, that's who.
Disclaimer: none of those impressive rebounding performances included tap out after tap out after tap out to the top of the key that gave us extra possessions. People often forget that part. Like hockey assists!

 

[tee1222]

Oh, and who could forget this one (aside from Syracuse fans )

 

[sutomcat]

I think it is going to be a top 20 team for sure, even if another player is not added to the mix. I would be really surprised if it is not a top 10 team by the end of the season.

Regarding Battle, I think he is a transcendent talent overall, not just on offense. His defense is also going to be extremely good, even as a true frosh.

Losing Malachi hurts our ability to score points but it also makes the team better on defense. He wasn't a good defender or rebounder in the zone on the blocks and he while he would have been better up top, he would not be as good as Battle, Gillon or Howard will be there.

This is going to be an extraordinary defensive team, a very good rebounding team and one that penetrates really well. Teams are going to have a hell of a time getting good shots off against it, in the paint or on the perimeter./ The great athleticism of the players will make it really hard to get points in transition and the size of the team will make it a lot harder to get easy baskets hitting the offensive boards. Chukwu is going to be very tough in combination with the big fast guards and the big fast forwards. I expect this will be the best defensive team SU has had since the Fab Melo soph year team. It might end up better than that team on defense by the end of the season.

Sure, this team might struggle to score some against big teams that pack the paint. Outside shooting isn't going to be great. But improved offensive rebounding, ability to penetrate and yes, the ability to score points in transition (Battle and Gillon are really fast) will largely offset any outside shooting problems.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Well we have a legit run protector. So that's nice

 

[tee1222]

Our defense will be good. Our dribble penetration will be good. Our rebounding should be good. Our outside shooting is what will hold us back with the way the roster is constructed right now...Might see more of a push in transition with our guard speed now...JB likes to play 8 so...

Howard/Gillon
Battle/Gillon
Lydon/Moyer
Roberson/Moyer
Coleman/Chukwu

Will be what we roll out with the roster as it is now. Should be a top 25 team and a tourney lock.

This lineup and depth chart is my exact thinking as well.

 

[Dave85]

You don't think they'll have rebounds gotten against them too? What are you, an idiot?

Good point. Yes, you are correct.

 

[jr4750]

While we wait for some recruiting news to drop, here's a thread to stimulate discussion about next year's team. Opinions on the team's potential seem quite varied, based upon threads from the past few days. I'm curious about what others think about some of the issues identified below.

LOTS of question marks heading into next year. The determinant of our success will largely depend on how many of these questions get answered positively.

• How good is Gillon, and what will he bring to the table as a playmaker / scorer / shooter?

• How much improvement will Howard show with the experience of a final four run where he played tons of important minutes under his belt?

• Is Battle a transcendent offensive talent, as some posters [Tomcat, Jake, Iommi] have suggested?

• Now that Coleman has proven he can stay healthy, will he improve this offseason now that his focus isn't on getting back to square one?

• Will The Beast finally put it all together during his senior year grand finale, maybe in the 13-14 ppg range?

• Will Roberson FINALLY start to knock down that mid-range jump shot?

• How much of a difference maker will Chukwu be on defense for this squad?

• Will we force more turnovers defensively with improved team quickness that lead to run outs / easy scoring opportunities?

• Will Gillon's quickness / penetration lead to easy scoring opportunities inside for Lydon / Chukwu / Roberson / Coleman we didn't get last year?

• Will this team generate more easy scoring opportunities defensively a la 2012, helping to overcome perceived offensive limitations?

• How much stronger will Lydon get over the offseason, and will this help him establish a low post game that he showed flashes of last year?

• Will Rico make the proverbial sophomore jump?

• What will Moyer bring to the table his first year?

• Is he a starting caliber player who gives the team a true 3?

• Will JB unleash the press more often, after how effective it was in last year's tourney, with a true shotblocker patrolling the back end?

• Does the mystery man emerge as an actual recruit candidate?

Tons of questions, but I wouldn't be surprised for a lot of the things if not the vast majority or even all of them getting answered favorably next year.

Will we contend for the ACC title? Hard to say. But if only a couple of things fall into place, this team could be a LOT better than what many are forecasting.

Would I have preferred for Malichi to come back? Abso-freaking-lutely. But I don't think the sky is falling for next year's squad. Our best teams often seem to coalesce when people don't seem to give them credit. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see this be a top 5 type of ACC team, with lots of upside for the postseason. We'll also have much better depth, much better size.

Good questions, and I agree with you and Tom completely in that we have great potential next year, despite the loss of Malachi. Him leaving moves TL to the 3 almost exclusively, or at least until TR exerts JB's wrath. Thats a big front line, who can rebound, especially with Chukwu in there. If Gillon can help us run a bit more than we've been used to in the last few years, I think scoring will be there. Outside shooting is still an issue, at least right now. We have many months to fix that problem. Mystery man would help here no doubt, as well as in other areas.

 

[Cusefan0307]

My thinking is looking at the rest of the teams in the ACC, and how we compare. That's how I'm making my judgement on next season.

Roster's I know we are better than: (At worst 7 wins, at best 10)

BC (2 )
Pitt (no Dixon) (2)
Wake (home)
Clemson (road)
Georgia Tech (2)
Notre Dame (road)
Florida St (home)

Jury's Out: (at worst 0 wins, at best 3)

Miami(home)
Virginia Tech (road)
NC State (road)

Roster's better than us: (at worst 0 wins, at best 3)

Duke (home)
Louisville(2)
UNC (road)
UVA (home)

The schedule works out in our favor that we play the weaker part of the conference more than usual. I think we definitely beat up on the bottom feeders. Going to Va Tech in Buzz third year is no picnic, they are going to be better. Not sure what to think of NC State, but we've struggled some against them even if Gottfried can't keep players.

I guess we are better than I thought, but I think the conference may be slightly weaker as a whole. I think we can be top 25, not sure about top 10. I see us anywhere from 9-9 to 12-6 in conference. I suppose we could compete with the top of the league if everything breaks our way, but I don't expect it. The non-league schedule is much weaker this year, so that helps. I don't see us losing to gtown or st. johns again, so I can see us winning about 21-25 games overall, which is probably good for anywhere from a 4-7 seed in next years tournament.

I've seen a lot of posts suggesting we will be a lot better on defense next year, and we could be, but we already we're really good there. We need more improvement on the offensive side of the ball than the defensive side of the ball, we've been outside the top 50 the past two years.

 

[AZOrange]

My thinking is looking at the rest of the teams in the ACC, and how we compare. That's how I'm making my judgement on next season. Roster's I know we are better than: (At worst 7 wins, at best 10) BC (2 ) Pitt (no Dixon) (2) Wake (home) V Clemson (road) Georgia Tech (2) Virginia (home) Notre Dame (road) Florida St (home) Jury's Out: (at worst 0 wins, at best 3) Miami(home) Virginia Tech (road) NC State (road) Roster's better than us: (at worst 0 wins, at best 3) Duke (home) Louisville(2) UNC (road) UVA (home) The schedule works out in our favor that we play the weaker part of the conference more than usual. I think we definately beat up on the bottom feeders. Going to Va Tech in Buzz third year is no picnic, they are going to be better. Not sure what to think of NC State, but we've struggled some against them even if Gottfried can't keep players. I guess we are better than I thought, but I think the conference may be slightly weaker as a whole. I think we can be top 25, not sure about top 10. I see us anywhere from 9-9 to 12-6 in conference. I suppose we could compete with the top of the league if everything breaks our way, but I don't expect it. The non-league schedule is much weaker this year, so that helps. I don't see us losing to gtown or st. johns again, so I can see us winning about 21-25 games overall, which is probably good for anywhere from a 4-7 seed in next years tournament. I've seen a lot of posts suggesting we will be a lot better on defense next year, and we could be, but we already we're really good there. We need more improvement on the offensive side of the ball than the defensive side of the ball, we've been outside the top 50 the past two years.

There's no chance we are not faster on offense next year.

 

[Cusefan0307]

There's no chance we are not faster on offense next year.

Faster doesn't necessarily mean improvement...I'm concerned about turnovers and shooting percentage.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I think Gillon is starting. He's not coming here to not play major minutes.

 

[pearl31]

My thinking is looking at the rest of the teams in the ACC, and how we compare. That's how I'm making my judgement on next season.
Roster's I know we are better than: (At worst 7 wins, at best 10)
BC (2 )
Pitt (no Dixon) (2)
Wake (home) V
Clemson (road)
Georgia Tech (2) Virginia (home)
Notre Dame (road)
Florida St (home)

Jury's Out: (at worst 0 wins, at best 3)
Miami(home)
Virginia Tech (road)
NC State (road)

Roster's better than us: (at worst 0 wins, at best 3)
Duke (home)
Louisville(2)
UNC (road)
UVA (home)
The schedule works out in our favor that we play the weaker part of the conference more than usual. I think we definately beat up on the bottom feeders. Going to Va Tech in Buzz third year is no picnic, they are going to be better. Not sure what to think of NC State, but we've struggled some against them even if Gottfried can't keep players.

I guess we are better than I thought, but I think the conference may be slightly weaker as a whole. I think we can be top 25, not sure about top 10. I see us anywhere from 9-9 to 12-6 in conference. I suppose we could compete with the top of the league if everything breaks our way, but I don't expect it. The non-league schedule is much weaker this year, so that helps. I don't see us losing to gtown or st. johns again, so I can see us winning about 21-25 games overall, which is probably good for anywhere from a 4-7 seed in next years tournament.

I've seen a lot of posts suggesting we will be a lot better on defense next year, and we could be, but we already we're really good there. We need more improvement on the offensive side of the ball than the defensive side of the ball, we've been outside the top 50 the past two years.

Good post.
Honestly though, the only ACC rosters (on paper) that look better than ours right now are UNC and Duke - I am going with the assumption that Onuaku will stay in the draft but if he does return to L'vlle then I'll concede their roster looks better as well. One could certainly also argue that UVA's roster looks better in terms of sheer depth but I'll take our quality over theirs after they lose Brogdon/Gill/Tobey.

 

[phil77]

I think Gillon is starting. He's not coming here to not play major minutes.

So you think Howard stays on the bench? Maybe. Battle starts at the off guard. So it is either Gillon or Howard starting.

 

[RF2044]

So you think Howard stays on the bench? Maybe. Battle starts at the off guard. So it is either Gillon or Howard starting.

I believe that Howard is going to play a ton. All three guards [I believe it will prove out this way] will be able to play effectively in a variety of combinations. I also think we might see lineups where all three play at the same time, even though that's playing with fire depth wise.

But I see Gillon starting, 100%.

 

[IthacaMatt]

While we wait for some recruiting news to drop, here's a thread to stimulate discussion about next year's team. Opinions on the team's potential seem quite varied, based upon threads from the past few days. I'm curious about what others think about some of the issues identified below.
.

To me, the loss of Mali is huge. Sorry, but it makes us a suspect offensive team again.

While the zone is kryptonite to teams in the tournament who haven't seen it before, next year's team will be better on the inside of the defense than last year's team.

Chukwu wasn't that great as a freshman at Providence, but he's had a year of practice to learn the zone. I think he is going to play more minutes at center than Coleman, and I think he will outperform him both statistically and "emotionally" on the floor. I see Chukwu as having an impact like Brimah at UConn. I think he is going to be a good rim protector, and I think if Frankie and Gillon can throw the alley oop, PC knows how to finish at the rim.

I like Coleman as a backup center, who gets the start out of respect, and I like his experience in the middle of the zone, just calling out where people should be on defense. I don't expect any more from him than we saw this year, to be honest. He just doesn't have any lift, so he's not a shot blocker. You can't press with him at the back and he's not going to score a lot in the low post, except against mid-majors.

I think Lydon makes a jump out of necessity. He will HAVE to shoot with less reluctance next year and will do well. I still think he will be one more year away from where he ultimately will get to as a player.
I think Roberson will play more consistently, but still not as consistently as we all hope. I think he will have a marginally better year than this year, and he is a big, big key to the team. I don't see him developing a mid-range shot next year. I'd be happy for him just to catch the pass better when he rolls to the hoop on the pick and roll. It would be nice if he could learn a simple drop-step, too. Just to have one inside move other than simply trying to get past a guy. He drives a bit too much into traffic, just like Jerami Grant in his last year. If Roberson is as good as Grant, that's fine.

Don't sleep on Matt Moyer. He has a GREAT motor and a fierce attitude on the floor. He reminds me of a cross between Ryan Blackwell and Terrence Roberts, before he hurt his knees.

In the backcourt, Gillon will probably be good running the break. We might run more out of the zone than we have since Jonny Flynn. I think he is more likely to shoot 35% from three than close to 40%, especially with the step up in opposition. Colorado State is a pretty good program - certainly better than Columbia - but it's not the ACC. His quickness is undeniable, though and he is a guard who has balance to his offensive game. I'm excited about seeing him on the floor. We haven't really run that well since MCW, and really since the 2010 team with Kris Jo getting out on the break.

As much as we liked Frankie this year, the best thing about his game was his poise and his vision. His shooting was horrific, to be honest. If he can just finish around the rim and shoot close to 40% from the floor and 30% or a little better from three (maybe just make one a game), that will be enough for me. I expect him to be the third guard, and as long as he can handle the press and get the ball to people in the right spots on the floor, that's enough. One thing he might surprise us with is his ability to throw the 'oop. I saw a few signs of it last year, and trust me, Chukwu can throw 'em down. I hope this becomes a surprise part of our offense. This is where unexpected upside can be found.

That leaves us with Battle. I don't think he will be an all ACC player this year, to be honest. He's going to score probably about 13-15 points a game, just based on how much the ball will be in his hands and how much we will need him to be a lead scorer. I think he will likely lead the team in shots, although probably not shooting percentage, and certainly not from three. He, to me, is kind of like a freshman Dion - cocky, take it to the hole, not a great shooter, but can get streaky. I just wish we had one more guy like that, and he wasn't the only one. That's the problem. He will be the only guy who can reliably break down an opponent at the end of the shot clock. That's going to make us a bit predictable offensively, although if everything breaks right for us, we may get enough out of the offense.

On the defensive end, I think having two new guards is going to mean that the top of the zone isn't as tight, we will probably allow more dribble penetration into the lane, and we will probably allow more open threes on ball reversals. It will probably be January before the guards begin to play good defense. We could use Thompson for one more big body. That would be good. Ideally, we would have still had Mali, and this would be a top 10 type of team that could be capable of a deep run.

Next year, I think our interior defense is potentially better, but only if the guards are good enough to cut off penetration into the lane. I believe Chukwu will be better than Baye Keita in terms of shot blocking, but I don't think anybody compares to Keita by the time he was a junior or senior in terms of calling out the cutters, shooters, where people needed to be, etc. He was a great teammate, and a hell of a quarterback in the middle of the zone.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I think Gillon is starting. He's not coming here to not play major minutes.

He wouldn't have been, but he sure is now.

 

[Mr. M]

Throwing this lineup out there - if we need more offense and Moyer brings a solid all around game we think he has- I can see Lydon getting big minutes at the 4 or 5

G: Gillon
G: Battle
: Moyer
: Roberson/Lydon
C: Lydon/Coleman

 

[IthacaMatt]

Throwing this lineup out there - if we need more offense and Moyer brings a solid all around game we think he has- I can see Lydon getting big minutes at the 4 or 5

G: Gillon
G: Battle
: Moyer
: Roberson/Lydon
C: Lydon/Coleman

Chukwu's not a stiff. He's a freaking giant. He will only be a sophomore, in terms of eligibility. He could turn out to be one of our all-time best shot blockers, and we've had some really good ones.

 

[Briancuse]

Chukwu's not a stiff. He's a freaking giant. He will only be a sophomore, in terms of eligibility. He could turn out to be one of our all-time best shot blockers, and we've had some really good ones.

I don't doubt that, how about his offensive game, is it a work in progress, can he give us something next year?