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(06-02-2019 08:41 AM)skyblade Wrote:  

(06-02-2019 08:02 AM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  Basically you have Jarron, Kieth, and Tre as the leaders of the team with the rest filling a role. Not that much different than last year other than the names.

Still need one more impact player to take this roster over the top. Right now I see solid tournament team and a conference title contender. One more impact player give UC a chance to be in the running for something more.

To be honest I think the depth has improved in the backcourt over what this roster could have been if everyone stayed.

I'm not seeing it. This years starters vs next years starters (this years backups vs last years backs).

Center: Diarra << Brooks (Sorolla << Diarra/Nsoseme)
PF: Scott (SR) > Scott (JR) (Hardnett/Prince =< Fredericks/Moore)
SF: Williams (JR) > Williams (SO) (Hardnett/Davenport =< Moore/Fredericks)
SG: Moore << Cumberland (JR) (MAW < Broome)
PG: Cumberland (SR) >> JJ/Broome (McNeal << Broome/JJ)

So at this point, I'd say we've improved at 3 out of the 5 starting positions. But we've had a major drop-off at center. Overall I'd say the starters are slightly worse than last year, but could end up better by the end of the year (Diarra improving rapidly is the huge key piece).

The backups have noticeable drops at 3/5 positions and are probably going to be no better at the other two. But the backups are almost all unknowns at this point, we have to hope somebody steps up big. With the number of freshman I expect our backups to be pretty bad early in the year, but they could improve rapidly and be better then last years backups by the end of the year. I'm less optimistic about the transfers, Sorolla and McNeal both put up ugly stat lines at lower levels. Hopefully at least one of the two plays better then I expect (McNeal being the more likely to do so).

Overall, I see us as a borderline (and probably outside looking it) NCAA tournament team. Somewhere in the 3-6 range for conference play. I expect us to be a much better team late in the year then we are early in the year, we need to the veterans to carry us to wins early in the year. But last year we eeked out a lot of wins and that made us look better then we really were. I think that will be harder this year with the number of new to the team and freshman players we will be using.

Hopefully we can add an impact guy with our last scholarship (Jaevin or Tevin Mack). Do that and I think we look a bit better than we did last year and should be competing for a conference title. Our center position still looks weak, but Diarra has tons of potential and is going to be given every opportunity to use it and hopefully will improve quickly.

Just stop it. The top three players return from a good team. The lost role players and replaced them role players and future potential. The guys that are gone we’re Mick system guys and new guys will likely fill roles in the new system.

68 teams make the tournament, unless they get really unlucky this team right now is 5 through 9 seed. One more players puts them in the conversation for a protected seed.

You essentially have three all conference level guys including a potential all american, every one else is a complimentary player. Last year you basically had the same thing but the only one guy was a proven star.