I can't wait for basketball season to start. Just wanted to throw out what may be the depth chart for the team!
Starters= Michael Orris, Anthony Johnson, Aaric Armstead, Darrell Bowie, and Jordan Threloff.
Bench= Dontell Highsmith, Travon Baker, Aaron Armstead, Keith Gray, and Pete Rankocevic.

Only reason I have orris over highsmith is because of injury and the wild cards on the team are Marian maric and chuck inoegbu. This team will have depth and I hope dontel is healthy and can start!!!
I'm thinking 20+ wins. What do you think.

(10-14-2014 10:55 PM)huskie2379 Wrote:  I can't wait for basketball season to start. Just wanted to throw out what may be the depth chart for the team!
Starters= Michael Orris, Anthony Johnson, Aaric Armstead, Darrell Bowie, and Jordan Threloff.
Bench= Dontell Highsmith, Travon Baker, Aaron Armstead, Keith Gray, and Pete Rankocevic.

Only reason I have orris over highsmith is because of injury and the wild cards on the team are Marian maric and chuck inoegbu. This team will have depth and I hope dontel is healthy and can start!!!
I'm thinking 20+ wins. What do you think.

I really love the non-conf schedule this year, it poses some very tough games but also is nicely balanced with a large group of winnable games. No reason this team can't win around 20. Not that the first conference game can really be a big game, but for a first one, I think NIU's game in Athens is a pretty important one this year to set the tone. It is a winnable game given Ohio could be not quite typical Ohio this year, but obviously Convo East is always a tough place to play. If NIU wins that game, that would be HUGE and I think sets up the Huskies very well.

PG - Orris / Baker / DeHann or Thomas
SG - Highsmith / Older Armstead
SF - Younger Armstead / Johnson / Chuks / Bowie in some situations
PF - Bowie / Threloff when Pete or Maric is at Center / Gray's
C - Threloff / Maric / Pete Rock

This team has great depth, and I think that not knowing the minutes is a good problem to have (But still a problem!)

PG
I think that the PG will be split between Baker and Orris at the start of the year, and the guy who comes to play will start with the other seeing their time drop off. The new kids, maybe they will be RS'ed, will probably not get a lot of time unless they have a breakout game.

SG
I hope to see Highsmith healthy enough to take a crack at the starting job otherwise Aaric (Younger) Armstead will probably start. Hopefully they both can at SG and SF for Armstead. Aaron Armstead will probably see his minutes stay the same this year, and he will be a good backup. Chuks or Anthony Johnson can play the two as well but I see them in the 3 more, we will find out.

SF
Aaric Armstead will hopefully be able to start at the 3 this year, I think he has the right size and he is built for the position instead of SG. I see Johnson taking the reigns as the backup for this position (Unless they want Bowie to play the wing) with Chuks coming in as a reserve/minutes guy, but time will tell. Aaron Armstead can also play here, but to me he is more natural at the SG position. Bowie can also play the 3, but I see him more in the position for the PF, but I am not the coach obviously.

PF
Speaking of Bowie, he should get the start at the Power Forward. Nobody else really is tall enough, or coordinated enough to play the kind of stretch forward that Monty is looking for (at least from last year). The centers can play the position but I don't see them taking the starting job, unless Monty wants to change his offensive philosophy. The Gray twins(?) are going to play sparse minutes just as breath catchers for the other guys. They are not D1 material.

C
Threloff will start at the Center, and the main battle at the position will be for his backup. Based off last year it will be Pete Rock, but I see more potential and higher enthusiasm/team spirit in Marin Maric. He is only getting better, and will be the starter next year. We can hopefully use this guy a lot to make him the dominant center for the future that Monty needs. Threloff is a beast right now, but only for this year. Playing Maric more will make him better for the future and only help the greater good.

If, Highsmith cant start Anthony Johnson will take his place. For sure starters are Threloff, Bowie and Aaric Armstead.

I know very little about the new guys so I can't predict anything.

Orris and Johnson will both be starting. No reason to believe they won't be either.

It is a great predicament to be in. This is the deepest team NIU has had maybe in decades. Now they just have to prove it on the court.

[quote='Michael James' pid='11250210' dateline='1413346951']
PG - Orris / Baker / DeHann or Thomas
SG - Highsmith / Older Armstead
SF - Younger Armstead / Johnson / Chuks / Bowie in some situations
PF - Bowie / Threloff when Pete or Maric is at Center / Gray's
C - Threloff / Maric / Pete Rock

This team has great depth, and I think that not knowing the minutes is a good problem to have (But still a problem!)

PG
I think that the PG will be split between Baker and Orris at the start of the year, and the guy who comes to play will start with the other seeing their time drop off. The new kids, maybe they will be RS'ed, will probably not get a lot of time unless they have a breakout game.

They are "walk ons". You don't red shirt walk ons. And Monty will NOT red shirt Chuks.

I cant find a starting spot for Johnson if Highsmith is healthy. Orris yes over Baker. But I don't see Johnson starting over a healthy Highsmith or Aaric Armstead and those are the only two spots Johnson would be at. That being said, I think Johnson will be every bit as good as Highsmith and Aaric Armstead!

Johnson can be the 6th man, a la Manu

(10-15-2014 01:50 AM)The Frisky Biscuit Wrote:  I know very little about the new guys so I can't predict anything.

Ive never seen anyone so afraid of a team having success as you are with Huskie basketball lol

Johnson and Aaron Armstead will be 6th men and Chuks will also get double digit minutes. Finding the right rotation for these 3-guys and Highsmith and Aaric Armstead will be a challenge. Baker and Orris are basically going to split the PG position. Bowie and Threloff will get Max minutes. Between Maric and Pete whoever is producing early in each game will get those minutes.

The thing I like about this team is you feel like no one is going to get a bruised ego about playing time. This team definitely seems to have that togetherness factor you see on many successful teams

I wouldn't go that far Madddawg. Guys want minutes but I think they will be fine. This is NIU basketball, anyone who comes here believes they will be a starter. Two transfer like Orris and Johnson thought 100% that they would start at NIU. You are right, they have great team chemistry, so far and are very coachable. These guys are so hungry for success that I think minutes wont be the problem that it could be.

(10-15-2014 05:26 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  The thing I like about this team is you feel like no one is going to get a bruised ego about playing time. This team definitely seems to have that togetherness factor you see on many successful teams

You know this how?

NIU Men's Basketball ‏@GoHuskiesMBB · 50m50 minutes ago
Meet @NIUCOACHMONTY and the NIU basketball staffs at Eduardo’s in DeKalb on Oct. 29 at the Huskie Basketball Tip-Off http://www.niuhuskies.com/sports/m-baskb...14aaa.html …

au contraire, there will, no doubt, be bruised egos. Highsmith expects to and should start. AJ expects to start and will not be happy if he doesn't (initially). Orris expects to start but, so does 2 year starter Baker who has shown he can start and be quite effective in the MAC. Young Armstead was quite good in a starting role after Dontell got hurt so he will probably think a starting spot is his. Big Pete started last year as a starter and possibly still has thoughts of beating Jordan out--but, hopefully, with the success Jordan has had, PR will be realistic. Older Armstead accepted his role quite well last year and has the maturity to do the same this year. Marin, coming off the injury, and knowing he has two seniors in front of him, will probably be accepting of his role knowing he will be the man in the middle for the next three years after this one. Chuks, having just transferred in, is still learning MM's system so probably will deal with his minutes the way AC did the last two years--be ready but handle limited minutes well. Once again, DB will get all the minutes he can handle and will continue to need to work on staying out of foul trouble while still being the aggressive player that made him successful for two years. The Grays have never had a problem being ready when called and certainly should have no expectations for starting or even minutes.

The key will be getting the loser of the PG starting battle, and the wing guys who don't start to check their egos at the door. This is where coaches really earn their money--Patton struggled here but Monty is very good at communicating and meshing lineups that are successful where multiple guys feel important and needed. Monty's up tempo offense and pressure defense will help cuz in order to play as hard as he demands, a lot of guys will see double digit minutes again....also, what is great about this group is NIU will almost be immune from foul trouble cuz many guys can step up and play multiple positions.

Should be a fun year.

Cagey, you couldn't be more correct!

Maybe I didn't state that clearly. I think the makeup if this team is such that things won't fall apart due to playing time issues. I think this team is above that kind of thing to keep the thing moving in the right direction. There really seems to be a focus on th ultimate goal and I don't believe that will let petty issues stand in the way of that. Would basketball season start already!

Next week the mid major top 25 poll is released by College Insiders, anyone think Huskies get a vote or two? I say UT comes up as #7 Maybe they will if Coach Monty is on the panel this year