Multi-position flexibility

[RF2044]

Looking at the roster we should have next year as things stand today, a couple of things stand out:

• Roster imbalance at guard [after having zero guard depth this season]

• Zero "natural" depth at forward behind likely starters Brissett / Dolezaj [although we will slide Hughes to 3 and could slide Sidibe to 4 in an absolute pinch]

• 9 scholarship players in the fold for next year [again, as things stand today]

• An injury to the wrong player would be disastrous / devastating, especially at forward

• Depth issues become even more salient the following season, after we lose principals like Howard / Chukwu / likely Brissett

So, with all of that in mind, I wanted to break down the roster components we HAVE, because there is some multi-position flexibility with certain players that will help to mask the lack of depth, especially up front.

And please note that despite numerous reports to the contrary, I'd expect the coaching staff to do some investigative research to see if there might be players out there that could improve depth and wouldn't be a "compromise" add. Adding such a player [even as a transfer] would help build depth toward the 2019-2020 season, and take pressure off of having to rely upon another enormous class of incoming freshman just to field a rotation.

Focusing back on next season, here's a breakdown of the positions that our guys can play in our system on both sides of the ball. Some of the fits might not be "perfect," but this is how it will likely work. Summary observations included below:

Guards: [1] Frank Howard - 1 or 2, [2] Jalen Carey - 1 or 2, [3] Howard Washington - 1 only, [4] Elijah Hughes - 2 only, [5] Buddy Boeheim - 2 only
Forward: [1] Oshae Brissett, [2] Marek Dolezaj, [3] Elijah Hughes, [4] Bourma Sidibe*
Center: [1] Paschal Chukwu, [2] Bourama Sidibe, [3] Marek Dolezaj*


* Emergency depth, not ideal

Observations:

• We could field a rotation where several players have to be iron men again, especially up front

• If Sidibe bounces back from his knee surgery, he will probably get a boatload of additional minutes this year, helping to alleviate Chukwu's work load and providing emergency depth at 4

• Looks like a 7 player rotation again, with Buddy Boeheim being the 8th guy [not predicting that he isn't good enough to play / contribute next year, just how it looks on paper]

• Team shooting ought to be much-improved, and next year we should be able to field units with 3 - 4 shooters out on the floor at the same time

• An injury to Brissett, Dolezaj, Chukwu, or Sidibe would be very difficult to overcome, because we have no player on the roster behind them. If one of those guys gets injured, the remaining three will be forced to play a ton of minutes out of necessity

• It remains to be seen when / how well Washington will bounce back from his ACL surgery

• It remains to be seen how well Sidibe will bounce back from his off-season knee surgery for tendinitis

• It remains to be seen whether Hughes will be able to rebound effectively from the back line of the zone

• Looks to me like a 7 player rotation, with Howard, Carey, or Hughes playing in any combination in the backcourt, and Brissett / Dolezaj at forward [with Hughes spelling them] and 2 player rotation at center

• Team is overloaded at guard, weak depth at forward behind the starters

• Due to the above bullet, expect a lot of three-guard lineups [here's hoping Hughes rebounds a la Kris Joseph]

 

[rrlbees]

Carey at SG?

 

[RF2044]

Carey at SG?

I should probably just have called them "guards." I don't view either Howard / Carey as pure points. Doesn't matter what you call them -- I expect to see them play in tandem, a LOT.

I broke it down that way to show that Washington is strictly a 1, whereas Hughes is probably strictly a 2.


EDITED to make that change.

 

[Trueblue25]

Suppose howard washing and elijah hughes are absolute revelations next year at guard...


Is there anyway at all Frank could play the three, off the ball, with Brissett at the 4 and Carey or Hughes at the 2?

 

[Dave]

Please take the kama sutra talk to the other board.

 

[rrlbees]

Suppose howard washing and elijah hughes are absolute revelations next year at guard...


Is there anyway at all Frank could play the three, off the ball, with Brissett at the 4 and Carey or Hughes at the 2?

Nah. In that scenario why wouldn’t Hughes just play the 3.

 

[Trueblue25]

Nah. In that scenario why wouldn’t Hughes just play the 3.

Havent seen him dribble. For all I know we could have multiple guards more effective at facilitating the offense, next year, than Frank. This is not a knock on Frank. He has a good shot and offensive approach all over the half court. Always was interested in how much better he may play off the ball.

 

[two3zone]

Carey at SG?

ESPN has him listed at sg for whatever that's worth.

 

[rrlbees]

To tag onto RF’s excellent breakdown on flexibility, here’s the way I look at it right now. Players listed are in no particular order.

PG - Howard, Carey, Washington

SG - Howard, Carey, Hughes, Boeheim

SF - Brissett, Hughes, Dolezaj

PF - Brissett, Dolezaj

C - Chewy, Sidibe

Doesn’t include any emergency situations such as Dolezaj at C or Sid at PF.

If anything we need a PF/C for balance, practice and depth.

 

[Jasoncuse]

What do you mean roster imbalance at guard? We finally have some decent depth there, with hopefully enough shooting, though it'll be highly unproven outside of Frank. That may be a concern, but it's better than having just 2 guards, that's for dang sure. And it's not like we only have guards, since we should have two quality forwards. It's just frontcourt depth and possibly the center position where we really have the issue.

My concerns with the current roster construction with those 9 on the roster:
1. Front court depth, obviously. An injury to Oshae or Marek, or in the latter's case foul trouble, and we're relying on Hughes playing a lot as an undersized forward. If Oshae does leave, YIKES.
2. Interior strength/bulk/athleticism. This won't be improved, so hopefully we'll have a healthy Sidibe. We're still likely to get pushed around by the UNC type front lines, but hopefully we'll have some improve offense with a healthy Sid.
3. Outside shooting. Yes, I understand we'll have multiple threats with Frank, Carey, Hughes, Buddy, HW (if healthy), Oshae and maybe Marek, but I'm not sure any will be great shooters. Buddy could be, but right away? And if we continue running an iso based Offense, how will these guys get good, open looks consistently? I'm happy that it'll be more than just 3 guys capable of knocking them down, but I'm concerned we'll be an inefficient shooting squad that needs to hit tough shots late in the clock, yet again.
4. Health of Sidibe and Washington. Chukwu always looks broken, too, so that's a concern.
5. Rebounding. With the string bean front court, it'll always be a concern how we rebound against ACC teams.
6. Ability to run and get easy buckets. Will that even be an option? Do we have the horses?
7. We are looking at 3 or 4 open scholarships, depending on Tyus and Buddy's classification. Use them on traditional transfers, at the very least. We'll have a ton of holes going into '19-20, so let's get a player or two that'll fit into that roster after a year with the team. James Banks makes sense, if the staff still thinks he can play. Not using at least 2 of these would be an absolute waste and borderline negligence considering all we saw happen this past season.

 

[Brooky03]

We need two bigs

 

[NineOneSeven]

Great breakdown. I fully expect another player to be on this roster come the start of next season. At minimum, we will be in the running for one because if not, the staff has failed and I have confidence they are more competent than that.

 

[Jasoncuse]

Havent seen him dribble. For all I know we could have multiple guards more effective at facilitating the offense, next year, than Frank. This is not a knock on Frank. He has a good shot and offensive approach all over the half court. Always was interested in how much better he may play off the ball.

Frank is better as an off-guard, IMO. Or at least with the ball in his hands less often. But that won't happen if we don't have someone else capable of handling, facilitating and creating for themselves. Hopefully, Carey can take a lot off Frank's plate and allow him to get some open 3's off of passes.

 

[newmexicuse]

Nice analysis by many above. The only thing that I would like to add is that I would love to see a high scoring small ball situational lineup featuring marek at the five and not just view him as an emergency backup at that position.

The small ball lineup might include Marek, Oshae, Hughes, Howard, and Carey. And we would still have Buddy coming off the bench for hopefully some instant O if that lineup didn't give us enough pop.

 

[Jasoncuse]

Nice analysis by many above. The only thing that I would like to add is that I would love to see a high scoring small ball situational lineup featuring marek at the five and not just view him as an emergency backup at that position.

The small ball lineup might include Marek, Oshae, Hughes, Howard, and Carey. And we would still have Buddy coming off the bench for hopefully some instant O if that lineup didn't give us enough pop.

I'd guess that'd be a good option when we're trying to come back. Maybe play some offense/defense subs with Carey/Chukwu and press...

 

[br801]

Looking at the roster we should have next year as things stand today, a couple of things stand out:

• Roster imbalance at guard [after having zero guard depth this season]

• Zero "natural" depth at forward behind likely starters Brissett / Dolezaj [although we will slide Hughes to 3 and could slide Sidibe to 4 in an absolute pinch]

• 9 scholarship players in the fold for next year [again, as things stand today]

• An injury to the wrong player would be disastrous / devastating, especially at forward

• Depth issues become even more salient the following season, after we lose principals like Howard / Chukwu / likely Brissett

So, with all of that in mind, I wanted to break down the roster components we HAVE, because there is some multi-position flexibility with certain players that will help to mask the lack of depth, especially up front.

And please note that despite numerous reports to the contrary, I'd expect the coaching staff to do some investigative research to see if there might be players out there that could improve depth and wouldn't be a "compromise" add. Adding such a player [even as a transfer] would help build depth toward the 2019-2020 season, and take pressure off of having to rely upon another enormous class of incoming freshman just to field a rotation.

Focusing back on next season, here's a breakdown of the positions that our guys can play in our system on both sides of the ball. Some of the fits might not be "perfect," but this is how it will likely work. Summary observations included below:

Guards: [1] Frank Howard - 1 or 2, [2] Jalen Carey - 1 or 2, [3] Howard Washington - 1 only, [4] Elijah Hughes - 2 only, [5] Buddy Boeheim - 2 only
Forward: [1] Oshae Brissett, [2] Marek Dolezaj, [3] Elijah Hughes, [4] Bourma Sidibe*
Center: [1] Paschal Chukwu, [2] Bourama Sidibe, [3] Marek Dolezaj*


* Emergency depth, not ideal

Observations:

• We could field a rotation where several players have to be iron men again, especially up front

• If Sidibe bounces back from his knee surgery, he will probably get a boatload of additional minutes this year, helping to alleviate Chukwu's work load and providing emergency depth at 4

• Looks like a 7 player rotation again, with Buddy Boeheim being the 8th guy [not predicting that he isn't good enough to play / contribute next year, just how it looks on paper]

• Team shooting ought to be much-improved, and next year we should be able to field units with 3 - 4 shooters out on the floor at the same time

• An injury to Brissett, Dolezaj, Chukwu, or Sidibe would be very difficult to overcome, because we have no player on the roster behind them. If one of those guys gets injured, the remaining three will be forced to play a ton of minutes out of necessity

• It remains to be seen when / how well Washington will bounce back from his ACL surgery

• It remains to be seen how well Sidibe will bounce back from his off-season knee surgery for tendinitis

• It remains to be seen whether Hughes will be able to rebound effectively from the back line of the zone

• Looks to me like a 7 player rotation, with Howard, Carey, or Hughes playing in any combination in the backcourt, and Brissett / Dolezaj at forward [with Hughes spelling them] and 2 player rotation at center

• Team is overloaded at guard, weak depth at forward behind the starters

• Due to the above bullet, expect a lot of three-guard lineups [here's hoping Hughes rebounds a la Kris Joseph]

Good stuff as usual, RF2044. I think the pieces are there for a strong (and more versatile) offense and another elite defense. I fully expect JB will address the current lack of front court depth by adding another forward during the off season, but still envision Brissett and Dolezaj getting the bulk of the minutes at forward even if he does.

 

[RF2044]

Good stuff as usual, RF2044. I think the pieces are there for a strong (and more versatile) offense and another elite defense. I fully expect JB will address the current lack of the front court depth by adding another forward during the off season, but still envision Brissett and Dolezaj getting the bulk of the minutes at forward even if he does.

Agree 100% -- I view any add as more for adding depth more in 2019 than next year -- Brissett / Dolezaj will get the lion's share of minutes. Fingers crossed on injuries.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I think another big key will be how Carey and Hughes do filling in for Tyus on DEFENSE. Considering Hughes has a year under his belt, I think that bodes well. Our defense was very solid (for the most part) all season, and we have 4 main guys back from that defense.

 

[rrlbees]

Nice analysis by many above. The only thing that I would like to add is that I would love to see a high scoring small ball situational lineup featuring marek at the five and not just view him as an emergency backup at that position.

The small ball lineup might include Marek, Oshae, Hughes, Howard, and Carey. And we would still have Buddy coming off the bench for hopefully some instant O if that lineup didn't give us enough pop.

That was my hope with Baz.

 

[newmexicuse]

That was my hope with Baz.

Not wishing Baz good or bad beyond what I would wish for any other non-Cuse player, but......he is dead to me now.

 

[br801]

I think another big key will be how Carey and Hughes do filling in for Tyus on DEFENSE. Considering Hughes has a year under his belt, I think that bodes well. Our defense was very solid (for the most part) all season, and we have 4 main guys back from that defense.

They may not reach Battle's level, but they should be fine by conference play. And I'm really excited about what a healthy Chukwu and Sidibe will bring to the table defensively and on the glass next season.

 

[007]

Looking at the roster we should have next year as things stand today, a couple of things stand out:

• Roster imbalance at guard [after having zero guard depth this season]

• Zero "natural" depth at forward behind likely starters Brissett / Dolezaj [although we will slide Hughes to 3 and could slide Sidibe to 4 in an absolute pinch]

• 9 scholarship players in the fold for next year [again, as things stand today]

• An injury to the wrong player would be disastrous / devastating, especially at forward

• Depth issues become even more salient the following season, after we lose principals like Howard / Chukwu / likely Brissett

So, with all of that in mind, I wanted to break down the roster components we HAVE, because there is some multi-position flexibility with certain players that will help to mask the lack of depth, especially up front.

And please note that despite numerous reports to the contrary, I'd expect the coaching staff to do some investigative research to see if there might be players out there that could improve depth and wouldn't be a "compromise" add. Adding such a player [even as a transfer] would help build depth toward the 2019-2020 season, and take pressure off of having to rely upon another enormous class of incoming freshman just to field a rotation.

Focusing back on next season, here's a breakdown of the positions that our guys can play in our system on both sides of the ball. Some of the fits might not be "perfect," but this is how it will likely work. Summary observations included below:

Guards: [1] Frank Howard - 1 or 2, [2] Jalen Carey - 1 or 2, [3] Howard Washington - 1 only, [4] Elijah Hughes - 2 only, [5] Buddy Boeheim - 2 only
Forward: [1] Oshae Brissett, [2] Marek Dolezaj, [3] Elijah Hughes, [4] Bourma Sidibe*
Center: [1] Paschal Chukwu, [2] Bourama Sidibe, [3] Marek Dolezaj*


* Emergency depth, not ideal

Observations:

• We could field a rotation where several players have to be iron men again, especially up front

• If Sidibe bounces back from his knee surgery, he will probably get a boatload of additional minutes this year, helping to alleviate Chukwu's work load and providing emergency depth at 4

• Looks like a 7 player rotation again, with Buddy Boeheim being the 8th guy [not predicting that he isn't good enough to play / contribute next year, just how it looks on paper]

• Team shooting ought to be much-improved, and next year we should be able to field units with 3 - 4 shooters out on the floor at the same time

• An injury to Brissett, Dolezaj, Chukwu, or Sidibe would be very difficult to overcome, because we have no player on the roster behind them. If one of those guys gets injured, the remaining three will be forced to play a ton of minutes out of necessity

• It remains to be seen when / how well Washington will bounce back from his ACL surgery

• It remains to be seen how well Sidibe will bounce back from his off-season knee surgery for tendinitis

• It remains to be seen whether Hughes will be able to rebound effectively from the back line of the zone

• Looks to me like a 7 player rotation, with Howard, Carey, or Hughes playing in any combination in the backcourt, and Brissett / Dolezaj at forward [with Hughes spelling them] and 2 player rotation at center

• Team is overloaded at guard, weak depth at forward behind the starters

• Due to the above bullet, expect a lot of three-guard lineups [here's hoping Hughes rebounds a la Kris Joseph]

Great post RF2044 (as usual)

I like the flexibility of this roster. In an unexpected way, losing Baz might "force" JB to cross train more than he otherwise would have. That's a good thing.

I think Buddy will get some run in the rotation, especially when teams try to zone us or sink weak side help to the lane to take away dribble penetration. JB's son or not, he is an elite shooter and is more skilled otherwise than people think. The only obvious impact to PT will be holding his own in the zone.

 

[moqui]

Great post RF2044 (as usual)

I like the flexibility of this roster. In an unexpected way, losing Baz might "force" JB to cross train more than he otherwise would have. That's a good thing.

I think Buddy will get some run in the rotation, especially when teams try to zone us or sink weak side help to the lane to take away dribble penetration. JB's son or not, he is an elite shooter and is more skilled otherwise than people think. The only obvious impact to PT will be holding his own in the zone.

we've had less than ideal options manning the back line of the zone in the past - josh pace, andy rautins, etc. if buddy can shoot the ball at the next level like he did the last, he'll get that opportunity.

 

[reedny]

Great post RF2044 (as usual)

I like the flexibility of this roster. In an unexpected way, losing Baz might "force" JB to cross train more than he otherwise would have. That's a good thing.

I think Buddy will get some run in the rotation, especially when teams try to zone us or sink weak side help to the lane to take away dribble penetration. JB's son or not, he is an elite shooter and is more skilled otherwise than people think. The only obvious impact to PT will be holding his own in the zone.

Don't get me wrong ... I HATE playing SG's at the 3 because of the hit we take on the glass -- a problem that is especially acute when your offense sinks or swims with jump shots. HOWEVER> we have survived before with smaller 3's and the versatility argument Ryan makes is a good one. I mean, after seeing Nova and all these teams play extremely well with 4 athletic g/forwd's and a big, playing Hughes at the 3 certainly is an option. Having him in there opens the spot for Carey or Buddy to play the 2 and could help us in transition. I'm cautiously hopeful that we'll add at least one front line player (G-T or transfer) in the coming months. That would take a lot of pressure off our lineup, especially at forward, and give JB even more flexibility.

 

[007]

Don't get me wrong ... I HATE playing SG's at the 3 because of the hit we take on the glass -- a problem that is especially acute when your offense sinks or swims with jump shots. HOWEVER> we have survived before with smaller 3's and the versatility argument Ryan makes is a good one. I mean, after seeing Nova and all these teams play extremely well with 4 athletic g/forwd's and a big, playing Hughes at the 3 certainly is an option. Having him in there opens the spot for Carey or Buddy to play the 2 and could help us in transition. I'm cautiously hopeful that we'll add at least one front line player (G-T or transfer) in the coming months. That would take a lot of pressure off our lineup, especially at forward, and give JB even more flexibility.

The difference between us and all those teams that can play small is the zone. It's not just an issue on the boards. JB has to have that length and wingspan to to take away passing lanes, cover all that ground on rotations, and to close out on shooters. Not saying it can't be done in the 2-3, because it has been done. The gains on offense would need to outweigh the loss of efficiency on D for JB. Personally, I am all in favor of shifting to more offense.