Minute Distribution

[jetsqb101]

Hey everyone! A development that I think is really interesting with this year's team is that the minutes seem to be more spread out than in years past. For your consideration here is what our highest 'minutes per game' players were after 3 games last year (MPG over the full 2015-2016 season are in parentheses).

Trevor Cooney - 38.3 (36.4)
Michael Gbinije - 33.7 (37.9)
Malachi Richardson - 32.3 (34.4)

Tyler Lydon - 31.3 (30.3)​

Tyler Roberson - 29 (30.8)
Dajuan Coleman - 12.3 (17.5)
Kaleb Joseph - 8.7 (6.7)
Frank Howard - 7.3 (10.5)
Chinoso Obokoh - 7.0 (6.1)

And here is how the minutes have been distributed so far this year through 3 games

Andrew White III - 30.0
Tyler Lydon - 27.3
Tyler Roberson - 25.0
Tyus Battle - 22.3
Frank Howard - 21.6
John Gillon - 20.0
Pascal Chukwu - 16.3
Taurean Thompson - 16.3
Dajuan Coleman - 14.0

Dajuan Coleman has the 9th most MPG on this team, and his total MPG is up from last year at this point when he had the 6th most MPG on the team. Additionally, Andrew White is the only player on this year's team who is averaging 30 MPG so far, and last year that would've made him the 5th most played player after 3 games.

It should be noted that one reason for why the minute allotment this year would be lower is due to walkons, who didn't appear in any of the first 3 games last year.

The discussion that I'd like to see is whether these numbers are representative of us blowing teams out in every game so far, or if this year's team is going to spread out the minute more than we're accustomed to because our depth is better.

 

[Brooky03]

More good players = deeper rotation. Joseph and Obokoh were bad. We don't have any bad players in our top 9 this season.

 

[Trueblue25]

The iggy shall be mine

 

[tbouks02]

Almost forgot Kaleb Joseph was on the team last year. Time flies.

 

[creatorsgam]

Almost forgot Kaleb Joseph was on the team last year. Time flies.

I know it. Seems like longer, but that's what happens when spending a season stapled to the bench.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Almost forgot Kaleb Joseph was on the team last year. Time flies.

Speaking of Kaleb, Creighton is a great landing for him- they have a good team. They are undefeated including wins already over Wisconsin, Washington St and then NC St today. He'll have some competition at the guard spot next year. Seemed like a good kid, hoping it works out for him.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Speaking of Kaleb, Creighton is a great landing for him- they have a good team. They are undefeated including wins already over Wisconsin, Washington St and then NC St today. He'll have some competition at the guard spot next year. Seemed like a good kid, hoping it works out for him.

Will be interesting to see if he has an 'epiphany' there beacuse clearly his mind and his game was never ready for the ACC. Huge disaster for the staff but I hope he makes it at Creighton. These days you can't strikeout on so many players in one class...Patterson, Chino, Kaleb, BJ...really bad. BJ might put up some numbers at LaSalle or Drexel...wherever he is but he would not have received any minutes here, regardless. The staff got Mali last year and the dire straits transfers this year (thank god) in Gillon/White but lately they are struggling.

 

[cuseattle]

The iggy shall be mine

Dammit! I had Lydon @ 35.

 

[two3zone]

Will be interesting to see if he has an 'epiphany' there beacuse clearly his mind and his game was never ready for the ACC. Huge disaster for the staff but I hope he makes it at Creighton. These days you can't strikeout on so many players in one class...Patterson, Chino, Kaleb, BJ...really bad. BJ might put up some numbers at LaSalle or Drexel...wherever he is but he would not have received any minutes here, regardless. The staff got Mali last year and the dire straits transfers this year (thank god) in Gillon/White but lately they are struggling.

Ennis panned out, Roberson while having this year to cement his legacy has been a disappointment thus far considering the expectations of him coming in and BJ probably could have stuck around and played 15-20 quality minutes (I think the best move was for him to go where he would play) is a solid class.

But you really have to ask what and who the hell saw anything in Buss and Chinoso. Buss I can kinda see, but Chin I don't think ever looked like he belonged on any basketball court. He wasn't any good in high school, never understood the recruitment of him and was even more confused by the defense by fans of his recruitment.

I don't expect 4 top 25 guys, but we've missed on just as many talent evaluations as we've been right on. 50% isn't that good when it comes to this.

 

[orangefan13]

lydon sf-23 center-8-12
battle 27 sg/sf - I feel battles rebounding blocking and lateral quickness in the backline. Protect the paint first and foremost.
white 29 sg
gillon howard split 20/20 (some days 12 and 28, No 32 and 8's)
chuckwu dajuan split 30-32
Thompson 6 (sometimes 12) plays both halfs
Roberson 33

Ideally I like the idea of battle white and lydon playing 6th man lineup after 10 minute mark. Whoever is playing the best at center/pf and pg earns the other two spots.

 

[jordoo]

I think White and Lydon being at the top of that list is no fluke. Those two will lead the team in minutes played.

I think PG is pretty set with a platoon so Frank and John at right around 20 min each is going to be pretty normal this year. Some games may call for one more than the other and at the end of games they may both be out there but this looks like two good players splitting the position to me.

The interesting thing is how many minutes Battle plays himself into at the 2G spot. The better he plays the more minutes he will demand and that means more of White's minutes being at the forward spot. This probably slides Lydon to the 5 more which in turn limits Coleman and Chukwu's minutes.

Then there is the Tyler/TT fight for the remaining minutes at the forward spot. Can TT solidify his minutes by tightening up his defense and rebounding aggressively? If he does will it even be enough against a senior who is better on defense, the best rebounder on the team and has been performing very efficiently on offense thus far. It almost seems like no matter how much TT improves that he is likely to drop to around 10min per.

I think by the seasons end Battle, White and Lydon will be eating 94 out of 200 minutes. You can scratch another 40 off with Howard and Gillon. Roberson is going to get at least 26 so you have 40 minutes left and I'd say at most 30 of them are at the 5.

In the end I think it looks like this:
White: 32
Lydon: 32
Battle: 30
Roberson: 28
Howard: 21
Gillon: 21
Chukwu: 18
Coleman: 9
Thompson: 9

The big thing is that those guys at the end of the rotation are going to give you a productive minutes every night. Coleman rebounding per minute is ridiculous so far. He has 20 in 42 minutes this year. Likewise Thompson has 25 points in 49 minutes. Chukwu is just learning and is already getting about 2 blocks in his 16 minutes. That doesn't take into consideration the shots he alters or simply aren't taken because he is in there.

 

[SoBristol]

The Monmouth game is the better tell -- the only game that was competitive. PC was shaky and his minutes fell to 10; DC played well on the boards, and earned a few more minutes.

Our three 19 yr olds (Howard 22 mins, Thompson 13, and Battle 20) are in flux. They might earn their way into larger roles & more minutes. It will be based on how they play in the more competitive games.

 

[br801]

The Monmouth game is the better tell -- the only game that was competitive. PC was shaky and his minutes fell to 10; DC played well on the boards, and earned a few more minutes.

Our three 19 yr olds (Howard 22 mins, Thompson 13, and Battle 20) are in flux. They might earn their way into larger roles & more minutes. It will be based on how they play in the more competitive games.

Yes, it's too early to draw conclusions based on just those three games. JB likes to experiment a bit in these games and give plenty of run to all of the new faces. He knows what Lydon and Coleman bring to the table, and I would suspect they will be seeing more time as the competition picks up. Coleman, always a good rebounder, has been particularly effective on the boards so far on a per minute basis.

 

[SoBristol]

Yes, it's too early to draw conclusions based on just those three games. JB likes to experiment a bit in these games and give plenty of run to all of the new faces. He knows what Lydon and Coleman bring to the table, and I would suspect they will be seeing more time as the competition picks up. Coleman, always a good rebounder, has been particularly effective on the boards so far on a per minute basis.

Yes, could tell that JB viewed Monmouth as legitimate and he was more on edge than in the previous games, even when SU had a decent lead. We haven't seen how he will tighten the rotation when we are trailing, but he always will.

We have 3 young players, and a project in Chukwu. All 4 have the opportunity to get better and show JB more in practices and games. And, a final point -- JB is experimenting with Gillon & Howard playing together. He did that against Monmouth because their undersized PG was pressuring our lead guard and JB wanted a second ball-handler to counter that. We might see more of that against the better guards.