RE: 2017/18 mens basketball
Here's my take on looking ahead to next year - with no insider or expert knowledge - and hoping that no one unexpected leaves the program -
I think at guard, we can look at the roster, and figure the next guy off the bench will replace Deon Edwin. Avery and J-Wal developed during the season and should also be a notch better next season. Zabo also was a better player in March than he was in November. Mitch Peterson also played a lot in Edwin's roles. Desmond Ridenour and Taishaun Johnson would be the next men off the bench with Deon Edwin gone. Ridenour showed he could take Edwin's place when Edwin was in foul trouble during the MAC tournament, and Johnson's 12 ppg as a freshmen at South Alabama makes me hopeful he can help replace the scoring
The big loss is Jimmy Hall - you don't easily replace 1st team All-MACs. I'm hoping we see improvement from all the current forwards, Danny Pippen, Adonis De La Rosa, Leo Edwards, and Alonzo Walker. BJ Duling sounds like he'd come in and be productive too. The issue isn't just replacing Hall, but we played a lot this year with just one real forward on the floor, so we also need a 2nd forward to step up.
Guards Edwin and Peterson spent a lot of time defending the other teams' forwards, and while they did a good job, that's not ideal. De La Rosa needs work - too many fouls, Pippen and Alonzo need experience. They all need to work on shooting - I expect inside players to shoot at least 48% and De La Rosa shot 41%, Edwards 43%, and Pippen shot 39%. Alonzo was over 50%.
So - looking at a guard rotation of Jalen and Jaylin, with Zabo, Peterson, Ridenour, and Johnson. The forward rotation looks like De La Rosa, Pippen, Alonzo, and Duling. I had expected Edwards in the forward rotation this year, and he hardly played, so I wouldn't expect him in there next year.
By my count, we have 12 scholarships out (Zabo, Pippen, Peterson, Ridenour, Edwards, A-Walker, J-Walker, Hurley, De La Rosa, Johnson, Avery, Duling) (assuming Castora is a walk-on). We should have one to offer. With our successes with Avery, Walker, Pippen, Peterson, etc, I'd like to pick up a new freshman, but don't know if there's a quality recruit available.
The biggest need a transfer could fill would be at forward or center. Next year we lose Zabo, Edwards, and Ridenour, so there isn't a big need to fill for 2018-2019 with a recruit.
One thing we definitely have to improve - our .428 shooting percentage was nearly the bottom of the MAC - only BGSU's .425 and CMU's .424 was worse - .450 is about median for the MAC. Hall and Edwin were our best shooters. The remaining players averaged .387. This needs to be improved.
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