With the Roster Shaping up

[cuseincincy]

Good players are still entering the portal every day. Cincinnati has had Dan Skillings {swing) Rayvon Griffin (Swing) Tyler Betsey (SF) and Dillon Mitchell (PF) enter in the past couple of days. That's 3 4 stars and a McD 5 star. I don't think any are a fit for SU but I'm sure there are kids from other schools of this quality that are. UC has another 4 star in the portal that I would take in a heartbeat...Arrinten Page, 6-11 240 C that shot .444 from 3. He was UC's backup after portaling from USC the year prior. He may not be the answer but I'd like a guy like that in the rotation or at least as a 10-15 mpg player.

 

[kingtidge]

Yeah, you can cherry pick if you want. Most players get better with age as long as health stays constant or maybe you just want to be snarky. If you worked for me and didn't improve year over year you would not have lasted very long.

Just stating a fact and not being snarky at all.

So as not to cherrypick... How about JJ?

He played all last year with the same shot hitch he had the prior year after coming back from injury. Why?? We can't get him work with a shooting coach to get his form sorted and improved??

Or McLeod... played less last year and only started getting regular minutes towards end of season and looked the halfway decent 7-4 rim protector we thought we had at the end of last year... all while Eddie was NEVER a 35+ mins player and injured for half the year and offered no rim protection on defense. One of the numerous bizarre rotational issues seen under Red...

Players get better when you use and coach them properly.

 

[RedtheGOB]

Good players are still entering the portal every day. Cincinnati has had Dan Skillings {swing) Rayvon Griffin (Swing) Tyler Betsey (SF) and Dillon Mitchell (PF) enter in the past couple of days. That's 3 4 stars and a McD 5 star. I don't think any are a fit for SU but I'm sure there are kids from other schools of this quality that are. UC has another 4 star in the portal that I would take in a heartbeat...Arrinten Page, 6-11 240 C that shot .444 from 3. He was UC's backup after portaling from USC the year prior. He may not be the answer but I'd like a guy like that in the rotation or at least as a 10-15 mpg player.

Good call, gotta save some rainy day money.

That's why I don't like paying for Ballard. Would he have been our 2nd highest paid player behind Donnie just because there's not that many really tall dudes? That's just a little whacky.

 

[Niastri]

Good call, gotta save some rainy day money.

That's why I don't like paying for Ballard. Would he have been our 2nd highest paid player behind Donnie just because there's not that many really tall dudes? That's just a little whacky.

Well, yes…!

Being tall is a big advantage in basketball. There are only so many tall players around at any given time. Complete stiffs who are 6’2 tall become frat boys, complete stiffs who are 7’ tall get paid NIL to hang around basketball rosters, because being tall is one skill you can’t teach.

Ballard is tall, and not a stiff… His price is rightfully high. Perhaps too high, or he’d be on somebody’s roster already.

But, every very tall player that enters the portal is both competition for Ballard for those NIL dollars, and a coach with a vacancy he needs to fill. Ballard will get paid.

If he’s asking too much, he’ll have to come down, somebody will get desperate, or, he might have to settle. Right now, he’s thinking he’s only going to accept being a top of the market starter. In three months, he could be desperate for any paying gig on a P4 roster. We’ll see.

This post isn’t just about Ballard, it’s true for every player in the portal.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Well, yes…! ...

Ballard is tall, and not a stiff… His price is rightfully high. Perhaps too high, or he’d be on somebody’s roster already.

But, every very tall player that enters the portal is both competition for Ballard for those NIL dollars, and a coach with a vacancy he needs to fill. Ballard will get paid.

If he’s asking too much, he’ll have to come down, somebody will get desperate, or, he might have to settle. Right now, he’s thinking he’s only going to accept being a top of the market starter. In three months, he could be desperate for any paying gig on a P4 roster. We’ll see.

This post isn’t just about Ballard, it’s true for every player in the portal.

None of our five guys have a new home yet, right?

 

[longtimefan]

Just stating a fact and not being snarky at all.

So as not to cherrypick... How about JJ?

He played all last year with the same shot hitch he had the prior year after coming back from injury. Why?? We can't get him work with a shooting coach to get his form sorted and improved??

Or McLeod... played less last year and only started getting regular minutes towards end of season and looked the halfway decent 7-4 rim protector we thought we had at the end of last year... all while Eddie was NEVER a 35+ mins player and injured for half the year and offered no rim protection on defense. One of the numerous bizarre rotational issues seen under Red...

Players get better when you use and coach them properly.

They get better up to a point. Everyone has a ceiling.

 

[kingtidge]

They get better up to a point. Everyone has a ceiling.

Agreed.

I have read on here numerous times in the last few weeks that some are expecting JJ will be a much better defender next year. I am not expecting much of a jump in defensive improvement TBH, as most improvements occur with players before the junior-to-senior year...

I am concerned we haven't got his shot hitch sorted tho. That's something that we should have hired a shooting coach for to work with him on specifically to correct.

 

[Niastri]

Agreed.

I have read on here numerous times in the last few weeks that some are expecting JJ will be a much better defender next year. I am not expecting much of a jump in defensive improvement TBH, as most improvements occur with players before the junior-to-senior year...

I am concerned we haven't got his shot hitch sorted tho. That's something that we should have hired a shooting coach for to work with him on specifically to correct.

Two things:

Starling got better on defense according to DBPM each season. He was substantially worse with Notre Dame as a freshman than he has been with us. He had a very small incremental improvement from sophomore to junior. He’s not great, but he could be a neutral defender next year. Even without Starling and Freeman getting better, the personal changes seem to make us a better defensive team.

Starling has clearly worked hard on his shot, it changes all the time. Posters were certain he had cleaned everything up, then suddenly the hitch was back. He’ll probably never be “right” with his shot completely, he’s tinkered too much and can’t seem to keep the muscle memory. He also definitely gets in his own head. He’s a 70% foul shooter in the season, but he’s on pins and needles when the games on the line. I think some of that mental game is affecting his long range shooting as well. He’s pretty money from inside the line, even on crappy fall away shots just inside the line… Yet he gets a whole lot worse one step farther back? The difference is between his ears. A few good games could fix him right up.

The thing about Starling’s shot is, even if he never gets a reliable three point shot again, we can still be very good with Starling only driving and taking wide open three point shots. He doesn’t need to do everything well to score in bunches.

 

[hoopsupstate]

Next year’s team has length everywhere. Adopting a 1-3-1 defense to change things up could be really effective. I think it could be a lot more effective than playing 2-3. Be active and trap out of the 1-3-1.

 

[Cstate]

Agreed.

I have read on here numerous times in the last few weeks that some are expecting JJ will be a much better defender next year. I am not expecting much of a jump in defensive improvement TBH, as most improvements occur with players before the junior-to-senior year...

I am concerned we haven't got his shot hitch sorted tho. That's something that we should have hired a shooting coach for to work with him on specifically to correct.

I cannot believe his form from the free throw line has not been corrected yet. I’ve never seen another teams shooting guard look like he does that the line, it’s legit like a chest push/shot put form.

 

[Niastri]

Since we missed on Deng and Valencia, I’m hoping they go taller and stronger with the last roster spot.

We desperately need another tall, preferably heavier player for the middle.

Right now, we have one PF/C on the roster! And three power forwards. Another athletic 6’9 guy would have helped with the inevitable depth issues.

Going into the ACC with only 4 slender guys 6’9 or taller really would take the shine off what otherwise has been a really good offseason.

I was gradually coming around to five power forwards being our big man rotation. But now that our preferred players have gone elsewhere, I hope they dig deeper and go with a more physical player, even if they aren’t as athletic.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Since we missed on Deng and Valencia, I’m hoping they go taller and stronger with the last roster spot.

We desperately need another tall, preferably heavier player for the middle.

Right now, we have one PF/C on the roster! And three power forwards. Another athletic 6’9 guy would have helped with the inevitable depth issues.

Going into the ACC with only 4 slender guys 6’9 or taller really would take the shine off what otherwise has been a really good offseason.

I was gradually coming around to five power forwards being our big man rotation. But now that our preferred players have gone elsewhere, I hope they dig deeper and go with a more physical player, even if they aren’t as athletic.

I'd love a guy like this. No idea if he's in the portal, but had a break out JR year. 6-8, 245, 10 pts, 7.5 reb

Cole Hargrove - Providence Friars Forward - ESPN

View the profile of Providence Friars Forward Cole Hargrove on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.

www.espn.com

 

[satsuma]

I'd love a guy like this. No idea if he's in the portal, but had a break out JR year. 6-8, 245, 10 pts, 7.5 reb

Cole Hargrove - Providence Friars Forward - ESPN

View the profile of Providence Friars Forward Cole Hargrove on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.

www.espn.com

Drexel's Cole Hargrove was in the portal, but has already transferred to Providence for his final year of eligibility.

Friar Basketball Adds Cole Hargrove To The 2025-26 Roster - Providence College Athletics

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Providence College men's basketball has announced today (April 3) that junior Cole Hargrove (Norristown, Pa.) has signed an athletic aid a...

friars.com

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Niastri]

More thoughts about our upcoming roster now that Betsey has committed. I’m looking through the lens of the amazing talent infusion for this upcoming season compared to last season.

Last year, the rotation was mostly fifth year seniors. Especially considering the transfers, they weren’t going to jump up a level and suddenly become world beaters. Carlos, Davis, Lucas Taylor, McLeod, Lampkin, even Starling and Bell… none of those guys were likely to take leaps in production, and their proven level of production wasn’t going to produce many wins in a typical ACC. As it was, they had a losing record in the worst ACC anybody remembers.

This year, we have a lot of starting lineup experience, in George, Kyle and Starling. But unlike last year, much of our roster is young players with tremendous upside. Freeman, Souare, Betsey, Kingz all have major conference experience, but are basically coming into their second season of high major competition! Each has massive upside in their own way.

Then consider the high upside freshmen class coming in. White, Anthony, and Fennell all have very high upside and could come in and give good minutes immediately. I think Womack has a high upside as well, but is unlikely to play much this season.

The future is bright. We need to kind of forgive the terrible coaching, program and roster management decisions from last season… Red seems to have proven capable of learning from his mistakes. I appreciate that, and I’m excited for what he’s accomplished this off season.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The future is bright. We need to kind of forgive the terrible coaching, program and roster management decisions from last season… Red seems to have proven capable of learning from his mistakes. I appreciate that, and I’m excited for what he’s accomplished this off season.

We won't know that for sure until we see his player substitutions in games.
And we have to see much better effort on defense or else players get the hook.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Last year, the rotation was mostly fifth year seniors. Especially considering the transfers, they weren’t going to jump up a level and suddenly become world beaters. Carlos, Davis, Lucas Taylor, McLeod, Lampkin, even Starling and Bell… none of those guys were likely to take leaps in production, and their proven level of production wasn’t going to produce many wins in a typical ACC. As it was, they had a losing record in the worst ACC anybody remembers.

This year, we have a lot of starting lineup experience, in George, Kyle and Starling. But unlike last year, much of our roster is young players with tremendous upside. Freeman, Souare, Betsey, Kingz all have major conference experience, but are basically coming into their second season of high major competition! Each has massive upside in their own way.

Then consider the high upside freshmen class coming in. White, Anthony, and Fennell all have very high upside and could come in and give good minutes immediately. I think Womack has a high upside as well, but is unlikely to play much this season.

On this point, 5th year seniors (and experience, in general) is a big plus in the NCAA tournament. Although these guys had all played at lower level schools, other teams did that and had much better results.

So, maybe it's picking a couple of the wrong guys, or guys being injured, but a player's upside is not that important unless this is the year they make that leap. And that's what you're saying is possible with several of these guys. I agree that Donnie, Kyle and a couple of these guys might make a jump, but experience wins more games than young unproven talent.

 

[Niastri]

We won't know that for sure until we see his player substitutions in games.
And we have to see much better effort on defense or else players get the hook.

I was referencing his roster and NIL management more than actual in game coaching. But your point Is a good one!

Having better players is going to make him look a lot better in games. Hopefully, his willingness to learn from his mistakes extends to in game coaching as well. I’m a little concerned, because having time to make reasoned, planned changes like improving NIL, hiring Kline and his team, and selecting players are all time consuming activities that allow for consideration.

Making in game coaching decisions require instant decision making, without time for reasoned thought. Red might go back to his gut instincts in the heart of the game, which last year led to some questionable decision making. It’s harder to change heat of the moment decision making… We’ll see.