(03-15-2013 07:27 AM)EMUAARON Wrote: [ -> ] (03-15-2013 06:14 AM)emu79 Wrote: [ -> ]Does Harper comes back and if he does do we consider redshirting Ross considering we have Talley with Harper and Sims who can backup at the point?
Do Strickland, Chandler and Lyles come back next year?
Does Martin actually sign this spring or do we go after another shooting guard?
Who replaced Matt as backup and sometimes starter to Riley?
The only recruit we've signed is Ward.
all good questions.
there's no way i would redshirt Ross to give Harper more minutes. Sims played the 1 this year, but i don't think that's his strength. I'd like to see Talley start (assuming he's as good as we hope he is) and Ross back him up.
I'll bet Strickland comes back. less sure about Chandler and Lyle. it's not often that a walk-on sticks around for 3 or 4 years, so i wouldn't be surprised to see Chandler or Lyle leave.
Haven't heard anything re: Martin in a long time. if he doesn't sign, i wouldn't bother with a SG. i'd go for some bigs, because right now we've got Riley and Bryant (huge stretch, but Riley can't play 40 minutes) to play center, and that's not good enough.
I think the way to view this is as follows:
There are walk-ons who don't cost a scholarship and don't contribute much. I don't see them as a key question. Kind of like how many PPG do they average? Nil or close to nil. They are essentially practice players, kind of like a scout team in football.
Strickland could come back if there is an available scholarship for him. He isn't a free lunch (like Chandler and Lyle) but gets a scholarship if the recruiting class isn't full.
RE: walk-ons. I don't know how the NCAA calculates graduation rates vis-a-vis walk-ons. Do they count?
As Toledo learned, a team does NOT want to screw up their graduation rates foolishly.
I have long felt that this would be Harper's last year. Graduate and have his two years at EMU.
I just don't see any PT for Harper or Chandler (and I like Chandler, I'm not knocking him. It is numbers).
Talley and Ross have PG and if need be both Sims and Lee can back them up. Isn't 4 PGs enough?
BTW, I believe Martin is signed but has not been announced. We saw that last year with two recruits.
The key question is: Does Riley come back and if so who backs him up? EMU is recruiting big men but we probably know the answers until mid-to-late April.
As far as Riley, I'm interested if he 'walks' (I mean graduates) next month.
If Riley does graduates, then he needs to decide to come back or do the 5th year eligible transfer to another school or simply give up college hoops.
I for one am VERY happy he had an excellent tourney. I doubt he would graduate and say, "hey, I don't like basketball... I'm done. "
Riley, more than any of us, knows what Talley can (or can not) do with the rock. If Riley feels that Talley can help take his game to the next level then Riley comes back ready for a big senior year.
This is MY pure speculation but if he graduates and wants to play hoops elsewhere we might be SHOCKED at the names of school who would be glad to have him.
Other coaches are professionals and don't get their bowels in an uproar (like fans here). To them, Riley is a high ceiling player. A player just scratching the surface of his potential.