next year's starting Backcourt

[Brooky03]

Frank

 

[Toronto Cuse]

Geno and Battle. A guy like Geno doesn't play a 5th year and commit to a school to be the 6th man a year after being the star. Even if it was on a bad team. He came here to get more help and prove that with the right talent around him he can be an alpha on a winning team. Gotta believe he also wants to improve his stock as a professional. He is going to get handed the keys and Frank will transition into a role he is more suited for. Combo off the bench. Will be easier to manage his inconsistent tendencies in that role. Maybe he doesn't get many minutes as primary ball handler vs teams that pressure the lead guard but does against teams that play off a bit more. Our guard versatility and depth is really solid now so we can pick and choose lineup combinations based on matchups a bit more than last year. Our team this year as a whole should be a lot more versatile. Outside of Lydon and Battle (for 7 games) we had guys who were relatively one dimensional last year on both sides of the ball. This team should give our Hall of Fame coach more flexibility to be stubborn and play the way he wants to play.

 

[realorange]

If Frank starts he will have the tightest leash ever seen IMO. Honestly after last season I think it would be better for him to cone off the bench trying to prove he belongs. He started last year and was looking over his shoulder from the get go. Once he lost his mojo he was as done.

Agree about the looking over the shoulder part.
I'm just not sure whether he's better off starting or coming off the bench because of that. All other things being equal.
'Just afraid he'd become even more nervous feeling he had to prove himself coming off the bench.

 

[iommi]

If 72 and Frank starts that's two guys who could get the famous first deadball hook. With a freshman starting in one of the three other spots it could be 3 getting an early hook until the trust is built with JB.

What I can predict is whatever the starting 5 is for the first game there could be 3 different guys in the starting lineup by the time ACC play starts.

If those two start, our offense will be horrific at the beginning of games and we will start off games in a big hole.

 

[two3zone]

If those two start, our offense will be horrific at the beginning of games and we will start off games in a big hole.

If 72 starts I'm assuming TT would be at the 4 and Battle would still be out there.

You're not wrong, but offense could be a big issue the entire year.

In 13-14 we couldn't score at all and that was with 4 guys on the roster who've seen NBA minutes and CJ Fair.

Thorpe may be a better scorer than Frank but if he has TO issues like he did at USF then Franks going to get some time.

Thompson probably starts at the 5 though.

 

[iommi]

If 72 starts I'm assuming TT would be at the 4 and Battle would still be out there.

You're not wrong, but offense could be a big issue the entire year.

In 13-14 we couldn't score at all and that was with 4 guys on the roster who've seen NBA minutes and CJ Fair.

Thorpe may be a better scorer than Frank but if he has TO issues like he did at USF then Franks going to get some time.

Thompson probably starts at the 5 though.

Another question is why haven't we tweaked our offense and out-of-bounds plays in a long time?

UGH.

 

[newmexicuse]

I see Geno and Battle as the starters for many of the same reasons that TCuse cited above.

However, we have big questions at the three spot. If we don't get the right answers at that position, and IF Howard can really raise his game, then it would not be inconceivable that Geno and Howard start with Battle moving over to the three. Though I do think there will be times when we see that lineup, I am very doubtful that will be the out of the gate lineup unless we have a real train wreck at the three spot.

 

[kcsu]

Thorpe would have been our second leading scorer last year. He is our best pg by a mile.

 

[cuseinseattle]

Battle 37 mpg, Thorpe 23, Howard 18, Washington 2.

I'm going Battle 37 and Thorpe 30. Howard 11.

 

[iommi]

I'm going Battle 37 and Thorpe 30. Howard 11.

As long as Battle is healthy, he will play huge minutes. It'll be very similar to Lydon and AW3. He will rarely leave the game.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

If 72 starts I'm assuming TT would be at the 4 and Battle would still be out there.

You're not wrong, but offense could be a big issue the entire year.

In 13-14 we couldn't score at all and that was with 4 guys on the roster who've seen NBA minutes and CJ Fair.

Thorpe may be a better scorer than Frank but if he has TO issues like he did at USF then Franks going to get some time.

Thompson probably starts at the 5 though.

Frank has scoring issues, TO issues, and 'What was that, Frank" issues. If Thorpe only has TO issues, he is already a better choice.

 

[IthacaMatt]

obviously Battle get the nod at 2

when its all said and done, who ends up running the point?

Frankie, Washington or Thorpe?

I think it will be like last year. Frank starts out as the starter with Thorpe coming off the bench, but then Frank gets weird when he starts getting pulled for mistakes, Thorpe takes over and Frank becomes a problem.

 

[Jake]

Thorpe at the point and Battle at the Shooting guard.
What is flying under the radar a bit is how good this starting backcourt is going to be defensively. Battle really picked it up as the season went on and one of Thorpe's strengths is defense. If Thompson can figure out how to play the center spot on D we should have a really solid defense with athletic wings that can block out and rebound. This could be the difference for this team being a really really good team rather than an average team.

I have very serious concerns about interior defense and rebounding. Both could be the weakest in forever.

I'm not all that concerned about the backcourt.

 

[CuseMan4]

I have very serious concerns about interior defense and rebounding. Both could be the weakest in forever.

I'm not all that concerned about the backcourt.

Interior defense is a concern but has potential. I think we will be fine rebounding, I think Moyer will be a solid rebounder as will Oshae and I expect improvement from Thompson. Marek is a wildcard in the rebounding category.

 

[Sherman20]

I have very serious concerns about interior defense and rebounding. Both could be the weakest in forever.

I'm not all that concerned about the backcourt.

Because of inexperience? The one positive is that the frontline will be filled with great size and length and skilled players.

 

[tbonezone]

keep in mind that your grad transfers have played 4 years already without NBA prospects.
good college players . sure. lotta practice there. future superstars ? no.

 

[reedny]

Backcourt has some experience (2 returning players), some shooting (TB, GT) and some depth (H, W).

Front court, as I've been posting, is a CF. With TT starting in the middle (no defense, poor rebounding, no low post game to speak of), and BRAND NEW guys at both PF and SF, we're courting disaster. Like last year (and the year before), teams are going to play out on/stick to our shooters and kill us on the glass. On offense, they'll have their way inside against TT and 2 inexperienced guys.

Don't get me wrong, I like OB and MM .. plenty of potential there. But asking BOTH of them to step into starting roles on either side of a defensive disaster like TT - wow.

I don't know if the answer is to play TT (a proven scorer with some experience) at PF and bring in Sidibe/Chukwu in the middle to rebound and see which of the young guys comes through at SF (they'll be the only ones open because our guards will be face-guarded). But I'm loading up on acid pills for league play if TT's playing more than 20 minutes in the middle.

 

[Jake]

Because of inexperience? The one positive is that the frontline will be filled with great size and length and skilled players.

Yes. Experience and strength. Look at the weight on those athletes. We are skinny. Very skinny.

 

[SoBristol]

Yes. Experience and strength. Look at the weight on those athletes. We are skinny. Very skinny.

True, and (apart from Coleman), we have been skinny at C and PF for the past two seasons. Lydon was playing C at 200 lbs or so in 2015-16, and maybe at 215 in 2015-16. Roberson was skinny as a senior, and that was after adding muscle year over year.

Moyer is more solidly built than Roberson. Thompson likely will have added some good weight, compared to his playing weight last season. With those two getting a good share of the minutes at PF & C, JB ought to be able to work in the skinny true frosh.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I have very serious concerns about interior defense and rebounding. Both could be the weakest in forever.

I'm not all that concerned about the backcourt.

A couple years ago it was pretty terrible. Last year there were small improvements, but still pretty bad, although I think the guard play was worse last year than it was the year before. This year, I think Sidibe is going to be pretty good. He, Moyer and Brissett may be our best defensive front court. Chukwu, gosh, I don't think he's going to help us at all. He looked like Sean Williams out there in his early cameo last year. Not at all inspiring. And if TT plays the bulk of time at center, yes, we are in trouble defensively unless a lightbulb goes on.

 

[PhatOrange]

If Thorpe is here all summer than Frank is in trouble. They'd be wise to start grooming Washington.

 

[SWC75]

Battle, in my opinion, will be sliding to the 3 at various times because our forward spots are so weak. With that in mind we could see a good amount of Howard, Thorpe, Battle, Thompson and Moyer. OR have Thompson slide to the 4 and have Chukwu in the middle.

It's safe to say that there will be a lot of sliding next year.

Your depth is the number of players who convince the coach that they could be an asset in a competitive game X the number of positions those players can play.

 

[Orangello]

Frank gets the hook the first time he dribbles off of his foot or throws a wild pass out of bounds, hangs his head and looks befuddled. I predict this will occur in the first 5 minutes of game uno.

 

[kmart128]

Easy. Thorpe and Battle

 

[Sherman20]

Yes. Experience and strength. Look at the weight on those athletes. We are skinny. Very skinny.

Thanks. I agree with the overall observation. hopefully Thompson (unless the rumors are true) and Moyer will both be in pretty good shape by next fall. Moyer already seems to have filled out with his weight training and conditioning program last year. Sidibe and Brissett look like they're decent sized guys and both are attending SU all summer and hopefully bulking up. Marek is obviously rail thin and not even on campus yet, and Chukwu just a huge ? overall. BMK and freshman year Jerami Grant were very thin frontcourt players but key contributors during our 2013 Final Four run.