Hi guys,

So I know this type of speculation is obnoxiously premature. We are still seven months (at best) away from the start of next basketball season. We still have pieces to add to our current roster, and...who knows? We may have another transfer or two of our own depart.

That said I love basketball, and I am bored and have been thinking about this exercise anyway. Why not have a thread to continuously update our starting lineup and depth projections, even as they are constantly evolving?

Here’s my first shot. I’m sure we’ll be chuckling about this a few months from now. BTW — I’m not including walk-ons, and I’m only placing each player in one position. In reality we operate in the “positionless basketball” era, and many players play several positions. However, for this projection it is far simpler to assign players to only one position. It is my hope that this may give us a sense of where our roster needs may be.

PG: McBride - Spottsville - James
SG: Montero - Morgan - Dillard
SF: Groce - Gibson
PF: Binelli - Juco/Transfer - Pacheco
C: Love III - Juco/Transfer

So, a few things stand out. With the addition of McBride our PG position has pretty good depth. SG is extremely deep, as James can play there as well. Montero, Morgan, and Dillard can play the 3 with no problem, so the wing is deep too.

Our frontcourt is problematic. Binelli is fine as a “modern” 4, but we really don’t have anyone behind him. I’d like to see them get a rebounding-minded 4, since that would compliment Binelli well. We have no idea what we have in Pacheco. Love III will be a great contributor if healthy, but we can’t make that presumption. Someone else is needed, hopefully a more experienced player who can serve as a backup, and who can also help Love III manage his minutes.

Any thoughts or predictions of your own? Am I missing anything?

(04-09-2020 02:28 AM)holybovine Wrote:  Hi guys,

So I know this type of speculation is obnoxiously premature. We are still seven months (at best) away from the start of next basketball season. We still have pieces to add to our current roster, and...who knows? We may have another transfer or two of our own depart.

That said I love basketball, and I am bored and have been thinking about this exercise anyway. Why not have a thread to continuously update our starting lineup and depth projections, even as they are constantly evolving?

Here’s my first shot. I’m sure we’ll be chuckling about this a few months from now. BTW — I’m not including walk-ons, and I’m only placing each player in one position. In reality we operate in the “positionless basketball” era, and many players play several positions. However, for this projection it is far simpler to assign players to only one position. It is my hope that this may give us a sense of where our roster needs may be.

PG: McBride - Spottsville - James
SG: Montero - Morgan - Dillard
SF: Groce - Gibson
PF: Binelli - Juco/Transfer - Pacheco
C: Love III - Juco/Transfer

So, a few things stand out. With the addition of McBride our PG position has pretty good depth. SG is extremely deep, as James can play there as well. Montero, Morgan, and Dillard can play the 3 with no problem, so the wing is deep too.

Our frontcourt is problematic. Binelli is fine as a “modern” 4, but we really don’t have anyone behind him. I’d like to see them get a rebounding-minded 4, since that would compliment Binelli well. We have no idea what we have in Pacheco. Love III will be a great contributor if healthy, but we can’t make that presumption. Someone else is needed, hopefully a more experienced player who can serve as a backup, and who can also help Love III manage his minutes.

Any thoughts or predictions of your own? Am I missing anything?

Good thread but the next two scholies could have a huge impact on this team or at least I am hoping so. Gibson if healthy could be a solid addition to the front court.

(04-09-2020 02:28 AM)holybovine Wrote:  Hi guys,

So I know this type of speculation is obnoxiously premature. We are still seven months (at best) away from the start of next basketball season. We still have pieces to add to our current roster, and...who knows? We may have another transfer or two of our own depart.

That said I love basketball, and I am bored and have been thinking about this exercise anyway. Why not have a thread to continuously update our starting lineup and depth projections, even as they are constantly evolving?

Here’s my first shot. I’m sure we’ll be chuckling about this a few months from now. BTW — I’m not including walk-ons, and I’m only placing each player in one position. In reality we operate in the “positionless basketball” era, and many players play several positions. However, for this projection it is far simpler to assign players to only one position. It is my hope that this may give us a sense of where our roster needs may be.

PG: McBride - Spottsville - James
SG: Montero - Morgan - Dillard
SF: Groce - Gibson
PF: Binelli - Juco/Transfer - Pacheco
C: Love III - Juco/Transfer

So, a few things stand out. With the addition of McBride our PG position has pretty good depth. SG is extremely deep, as James can play there as well. Montero, Morgan, and Dillard can play the 3 with no problem, so the wing is deep too.

Our frontcourt is problematic. Binelli is fine as a “modern” 4, but we really don’t have anyone behind him. I’d like to see them get a rebounding-minded 4, since that would compliment Binelli well. We have no idea what we have in Pacheco. Love III will be a great contributor if healthy, but we can’t make that presumption. Someone else is needed, hopefully a more experienced player who can serve as a backup, and who can also help Love III manage his minutes.

Any thoughts or predictions of your own? Am I missing anything?

Good stuff. We are pretty deep, despite the donut-sized hole in the middle. Need another center desperately.

I’d put Dillard at the backup 4 spot...he’s perfect on the wing of the zone. No clue if Pacheco is any good, but I like his size. Wondering if he could play some minutes at center, a la Mo Hughley.

I’m terrified of James and Dillard getting frozen out of minutes again. Desperate coaches don’t play young guys enough, and as you’ve noted, we are heavy at the positions they play. Spottsville is a tremendous defender, but James really developed there by the end of the season. Hoping that Darion goes to a 5 minutes a game role, with James getting the most backup PG minutes, but I can’t help but think this ends with James (and Dillard) transferring and my heart breaking.

(04-09-2020 07:17 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(04-09-2020 02:28 AM)holybovine Wrote:  Hi guys,

So I know this type of speculation is obnoxiously premature. We are still seven months (at best) away from the start of next basketball season. We still have pieces to add to our current roster, and...who knows? We may have another transfer or two of our own depart.

That said I love basketball, and I am bored and have been thinking about this exercise anyway. Why not have a thread to continuously update our starting lineup and depth projections, even as they are constantly evolving?

Here’s my first shot. I’m sure we’ll be chuckling about this a few months from now. BTW — I’m not including walk-ons, and I’m only placing each player in one position. In reality we operate in the “positionless basketball” era, and many players play several positions. However, for this projection it is far simpler to assign players to only one position. It is my hope that this may give us a sense of where our roster needs may be.

PG: McBride - Spottsville - James
SG: Montero - Morgan - Dillard
SF: Groce - Gibson
PF: Binelli - Juco/Transfer - Pacheco
C: Love III - Juco/Transfer

So, a few things stand out. With the addition of McBride our PG position has pretty good depth. SG is extremely deep, as James can play there as well. Montero, Morgan, and Dillard can play the 3 with no problem, so the wing is deep too.

Our frontcourt is problematic. Binelli is fine as a “modern” 4, but we really don’t have anyone behind him. I’d like to see them get a rebounding-minded 4, since that would compliment Binelli well. We have no idea what we have in Pacheco. Love III will be a great contributor if healthy, but we can’t make that presumption. Someone else is needed, hopefully a more experienced player who can serve as a backup, and who can also help Love III manage his minutes.

Any thoughts or predictions of your own? Am I missing anything?

Good stuff. We are pretty deep, despite the donut-sized hole in the middle. Need another center desperately.

I’d put Dillard at the backup 4 spot...he’s perfect on the wing of the zone. No clue if Pacheco is any good, but I like his size. Wondering if he could play some minutes at center, a la Mo Hughley.

I’m terrified of James and Dillard getting frozen out of minutes again. Desperate coaches don’t play young guys enough, and as you’ve noted, we are heavy at the positions they play. Spottsville is a tremendous defender, but James really developed there by the end of the season. Hoping that Darion goes to a 5 minutes a game role, with James getting the most backup PG minutes, but I can’t help but think this ends with James (and Dillard) transferring and my heart breaking.

You absolutely nailed it! James is the most talented true freshman guard Murphy has ever recruited in my opinion! Lee was a much better scorer, but not all around!

(04-09-2020 11:28 AM)EMUGLORYDAYSthe90s Wrote:  

(04-09-2020 07:17 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(04-09-2020 02:28 AM)holybovine Wrote:  Hi guys,

So I know this type of speculation is obnoxiously premature. We are still seven months (at best) away from the start of next basketball season. We still have pieces to add to our current roster, and...who knows? We may have another transfer or two of our own depart.

That said I love basketball, and I am bored and have been thinking about this exercise anyway. Why not have a thread to continuously update our starting lineup and depth projections, even as they are constantly evolving?

Here’s my first shot. I’m sure we’ll be chuckling about this a few months from now. BTW — I’m not including walk-ons, and I’m only placing each player in one position. In reality we operate in the “positionless basketball” era, and many players play several positions. However, for this projection it is far simpler to assign players to only one position. It is my hope that this may give us a sense of where our roster needs may be.

PG: McBride - Spottsville - James
SG: Montero - Morgan - Dillard
SF: Groce - Gibson
PF: Binelli - Juco/Transfer - Pacheco
C: Love III - Juco/Transfer

So, a few things stand out. With the addition of McBride our PG position has pretty good depth. SG is extremely deep, as James can play there as well. Montero, Morgan, and Dillard can play the 3 with no problem, so the wing is deep too.

Our frontcourt is problematic. Binelli is fine as a “modern” 4, but we really don’t have anyone behind him. I’d like to see them get a rebounding-minded 4, since that would compliment Binelli well. We have no idea what we have in Pacheco. Love III will be a great contributor if healthy, but we can’t make that presumption. Someone else is needed, hopefully a more experienced player who can serve as a backup, and who can also help Love III manage his minutes.

Any thoughts or predictions of your own? Am I missing anything?

Good stuff. We are pretty deep, despite the donut-sized hole in the middle. Need another center desperately.

I’d put Dillard at the backup 4 spot...he’s perfect on the wing of the zone. No clue if Pacheco is any good, but I like his size. Wondering if he could play some minutes at center, a la Mo Hughley.

I’m terrified of James and Dillard getting frozen out of minutes again. Desperate coaches don’t play young guys enough, and as you’ve noted, we are heavy at the positions they play. Spottsville is a tremendous defender, but James really developed there by the end of the season. Hoping that Darion goes to a 5 minutes a game role, with James getting the most backup PG minutes, but I can’t help but think this ends with James (and Dillard) transferring and my heart breaking.

You absolutely nailed it! James is the most talented true freshman guard Murphy has ever recruited in my opinion! Lee was a much better scorer, but not all around!

James Thompson shouldn’t have been anywhere near the MAC. He might be the most talented player the conference has had in quite a while.

Chris James has a great combination of talent and feel for the game. A good coach would turn him into an All-MAC guard. But I’m president of the Shamar Dillard fan club, and think he has potential to be a great one with his length and athleticism. He was so impressive at the beginning of the season, especially in Jamaica. Once Binelli got healthy, it’s like Murphy forgot that Dillard existed, and then every time he got in the game he was a little too erratic. I’ll never forgive Murphy for giving Binelli all of those minutes, especially at the expense of a better all-around player in Dillard.

(04-09-2020 05:40 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(04-09-2020 02:28 AM)holybovine Wrote:  Hi guys,

So I know this type of speculation is obnoxiously premature. We are still seven months (at best) away from the start of next basketball season. We still have pieces to add to our current roster, and...who knows? We may have another transfer or two of our own depart.

That said I love basketball, and I am bored and have been thinking about this exercise anyway. Why not have a thread to continuously update our starting lineup and depth projections, even as they are constantly evolving?

Here’s my first shot. I’m sure we’ll be chuckling about this a few months from now. BTW — I’m not including walk-ons, and I’m only placing each player in one position. In reality we operate in the “positionless basketball” era, and many players play several positions. However, for this projection it is far simpler to assign players to only one position. It is my hope that this may give us a sense of where our roster needs may be.

PG: McBride - Spottsville - James
SG: Montero - Morgan - Dillard
SF: Groce - Gibson
PF: Binelli - Juco/Transfer - Pacheco
C: Love III - Juco/Transfer

So, a few things stand out. With the addition of McBride our PG position has pretty good depth. SG is extremely deep, as James can play there as well. Montero, Morgan, and Dillard can play the 3 with no problem, so the wing is deep too.

Our frontcourt is problematic. Binelli is fine as a “modern” 4, but we really don’t have anyone behind him. I’d like to see them get a rebounding-minded 4, since that would compliment Binelli well. We have no idea what we have in Pacheco. Love III will be a great contributor if healthy, but we can’t make that presumption. Someone else is needed, hopefully a more experienced player who can serve as a backup, and who can also help Love III manage his minutes.

Any thoughts or predictions of your own? Am I missing anything?

Good thread but the next two scholies could have a huge impact on this team or at least I am hoping so. Gibson if healthy could be a solid addition to the front court.

Agreed. We need a rim protector. Love III might be that, but I'm not willing to bet on that after all his injuries. He was considering retiring from basketball after his latest injury, so how much of his athleticism is left?

We need another center capable of playing 20 mins a night and protecting the rim. Scoring doesn't really matter. Our scoring opportunities will come primarily from our guards and wings.

We can handle the 4 with the talent on hand, particularly if we give Gibson time there, and if Pacheco turns out to be legit. That said, I'd like another rebounder, since we have a glaring weakness there IMO.

(04-09-2020 07:17 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(04-09-2020 02:28 AM)holybovine Wrote:  Hi guys,

So I know this type of speculation is obnoxiously premature. We are still seven months (at best) away from the start of next basketball season. We still have pieces to add to our current roster, and...who knows? We may have another transfer or two of our own depart.

That said I love basketball, and I am bored and have been thinking about this exercise anyway. Why not have a thread to continuously update our starting lineup and depth projections, even as they are constantly evolving?

Here’s my first shot. I’m sure we’ll be chuckling about this a few months from now. BTW — I’m not including walk-ons, and I’m only placing each player in one position. In reality we operate in the “positionless basketball” era, and many players play several positions. However, for this projection it is far simpler to assign players to only one position. It is my hope that this may give us a sense of where our roster needs may be.

PG: McBride - Spottsville - James
SG: Montero - Morgan - Dillard
SF: Groce - Gibson
PF: Binelli - Juco/Transfer - Pacheco
C: Love III - Juco/Transfer

So, a few things stand out. With the addition of McBride our PG position has pretty good depth. SG is extremely deep, as James can play there as well. Montero, Morgan, and Dillard can play the 3 with no problem, so the wing is deep too.

Our frontcourt is problematic. Binelli is fine as a “modern” 4, but we really don’t have anyone behind him. I’d like to see them get a rebounding-minded 4, since that would compliment Binelli well. We have no idea what we have in Pacheco. Love III will be a great contributor if healthy, but we can’t make that presumption. Someone else is needed, hopefully a more experienced player who can serve as a backup, and who can also help Love III manage his minutes.

Any thoughts or predictions of your own? Am I missing anything?

Good stuff. We are pretty deep, despite the donut-sized hole in the middle. Need another center desperately.

I’d put Dillard at the backup 4 spot...he’s perfect on the wing of the zone. No clue if Pacheco is any good, but I like his size. Wondering if he could play some minutes at center, a la Mo Hughley.

I’m terrified of James and Dillard getting frozen out of minutes again. Desperate coaches don’t play young guys enough, and as you’ve noted, we are heavy at the positions they play. Spottsville is a tremendous defender, but James really developed there by the end of the season. Hoping that Darion goes to a 5 minutes a game role, with James getting the most backup PG minutes, but I can’t help but think this ends with James (and Dillard) transferring and my heart breaking.

Good post Sam. Honestly I never considered Dillard at the 4, but sometimes it may simply be a matter of getting our best players on the court.

Pacheco is HUGE, and was good enough to have earned a scholarship. So hopefully he is ready to go. An interesting note is that when he signed with EMU last year, Murphy listed him as a center, so maybe that is what he has in mind?

Spottsville is really problematic. He can't shoot and defenses sag off of him. It's difficult to run offense that way. He's good at getting to the line, but then he can't make the free throws. He seems like a guy who is a good fill-in while newcomers are finding their way. But now that James has experience, James needs to play. I'd like to see Spottsville transfer (nothing personal), just so James can get the minutes he deserves.

James and Dillard represent the MAC recruiting conundrum: Let them rot on the bench and see them transfer, or put them in positions to succeed and develop and see them transfer?

I love James and Dillard too, but it is difficult seeing a path for them to succeed at EMU given Murphy's lineup tendencies in combination with the realities of modern college basketball.

(04-09-2020 12:23 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(04-09-2020 11:28 AM)EMUGLORYDAYSthe90s Wrote:  

(04-09-2020 07:17 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(04-09-2020 02:28 AM)holybovine Wrote:  Hi guys,

So I know this type of speculation is obnoxiously premature. We are still seven months (at best) away from the start of next basketball season. We still have pieces to add to our current roster, and...who knows? We may have another transfer or two of our own depart.

That said I love basketball, and I am bored and have been thinking about this exercise anyway. Why not have a thread to continuously update our starting lineup and depth projections, even as they are constantly evolving?

Here’s my first shot. I’m sure we’ll be chuckling about this a few months from now. BTW — I’m not including walk-ons, and I’m only placing each player in one position. In reality we operate in the “positionless basketball” era, and many players play several positions. However, for this projection it is far simpler to assign players to only one position. It is my hope that this may give us a sense of where our roster needs may be.

PG: McBride - Spottsville - James
SG: Montero - Morgan - Dillard
SF: Groce - Gibson
PF: Binelli - Juco/Transfer - Pacheco
C: Love III - Juco/Transfer

So, a few things stand out. With the addition of McBride our PG position has pretty good depth. SG is extremely deep, as James can play there as well. Montero, Morgan, and Dillard can play the 3 with no problem, so the wing is deep too.

Our frontcourt is problematic. Binelli is fine as a “modern” 4, but we really don’t have anyone behind him. I’d like to see them get a rebounding-minded 4, since that would compliment Binelli well. We have no idea what we have in Pacheco. Love III will be a great contributor if healthy, but we can’t make that presumption. Someone else is needed, hopefully a more experienced player who can serve as a backup, and who can also help Love III manage his minutes.

Any thoughts or predictions of your own? Am I missing anything?

Good stuff. We are pretty deep, despite the donut-sized hole in the middle. Need another center desperately.

I’d put Dillard at the backup 4 spot...he’s perfect on the wing of the zone. No clue if Pacheco is any good, but I like his size. Wondering if he could play some minutes at center, a la Mo Hughley.

I’m terrified of James and Dillard getting frozen out of minutes again. Desperate coaches don’t play young guys enough, and as you’ve noted, we are heavy at the positions they play. Spottsville is a tremendous defender, but James really developed there by the end of the season. Hoping that Darion goes to a 5 minutes a game role, with James getting the most backup PG minutes, but I can’t help but think this ends with James (and Dillard) transferring and my heart breaking.

You absolutely nailed it! James is the most talented true freshman guard Murphy has ever recruited in my opinion! Lee was a much better scorer, but not all around!

James Thompson shouldn’t have been anywhere near the MAC. He might be the most talented player the conference has had in quite a while.

Chris James has a great combination of talent and feel for the game. A good coach would turn him into an All-MAC guard. But I’m president of the Shamar Dillard fan club, and think he has potential to be a great one with his length and athleticism. He was so impressive at the beginning of the season, especially in Jamaica. Once Binelli got healthy, it’s like Murphy forgot that Dillard existed, and then every time he got in the game he was a little too erratic. I’ll never forgive Murphy for giving Binelli all of those minutes, especially at the expense of a better all-around player in Dillard.

James Thompson is the best true freshman big man to play in the MAC since Gary Trent! If Murphy coached him properly, and helped him develop a 15 foot jump shot, he's making millions in the NBA! E Mich will NEVER see another big man like him again, especially a true freshman, and they never every ran plays for him in 4 years! He let Lee, Magnum, and Jackson shoot 15-18 shots a game, and all 3 shot under 40 percent from the field! JTIV scored 1800 points, and had 1450 rebounds on simple God given ability! And, people on this board knocked him down constantly! He shot 60 percent from the field over 130 plus games!

Cow, while I agree this is ridiculously premature, I absolutely love reading this thread and all the great comments/analysis. And yes, I too have my speculative depth chart, and appreciate to share it. But may I include walk-one since Ballard is the only one on the team that has actually seen productive time at Center?

PG 6-1 McBride/ 6-2 James / 6-3 Spottsville
SG 6-5 Montero/ 6-6 Dillard
SF 6-5 Morgan/ 6-6 Gibson
PF 6-8 Groce/ 6-10 Binelli/ 6-8 Pacheo
C 6-11 Love/ 6-8 Ballard

What I would really like to see is Murphy utilize the one clear strength of the team- DEPTH. It was the same scenario last year, and felt like Murphy started out playing a 10 man rotation with everyone getting about 20 minutes plus or minus. I don’t think anyone is that much better than the other. To the contrary, I think everyone is kind of streaky. Great one game and disappear the next. If someone in the deep rotation is having a particularly good game, keep him in a little longer for that game.

(04-09-2020 08:29 PM)RamyEMU Wrote:  Cow, while I agree this is ridiculously premature, I absolutely love reading this thread and all the great comments/analysis. And yes, I too have my speculative depth chart, and appreciate to share it. But may I include walk-one since Ballard is the only one on the team that has actually seen productive time at Center?

PG 6-1 McBride/ 6-2 James / 6-3 Spottsville
SG 6-5 Montero/ 6-6 Dillard
SF 6-5 Morgan/ 6-6 Gibson
PF 6-8 Groce/ 6-10 Binelli/ 6-8 Pacheo
C 6-11 Love/ 6-8 Ballard

What I would really like to see is Murphy utilize the one clear strength of the team- DEPTH. It was the same scenario last year, and felt like Murphy started out playing a 10 man rotation with everyone getting about 20 minutes plus or minus. I don’t think anyone is that much better than the other. To the contrary, I think everyone is kind of streaky. Great one game and disappear the next. If someone in the deep rotation is having a particularly good game, keep him in a little longer for that game.

Very well said, and definitely agree!

(04-09-2020 08:29 PM)RamyEMU Wrote:  Cow, while I agree this is ridiculously premature, I absolutely love reading this thread and all the great comments/analysis. And yes, I too have my speculative depth chart, and appreciate to share it. But may I include walk-one since Ballard is the only one on the team that has actually seen productive time at Center?

PG 6-1 McBride/ 6-2 James / 6-3 Spottsville
SG 6-5 Montero/ 6-6 Dillard
SF 6-5 Morgan/ 6-6 Gibson
PF 6-8 Groce/ 6-10 Binelli/ 6-8 Pacheo
C 6-11 Love/ 6-8 Ballard

What I would really like to see is Murphy utilize the one clear strength of the team- DEPTH. It was the same scenario last year, and felt like Murphy started out playing a 10 man rotation with everyone getting about 20 minutes plus or minus. I don’t think anyone is that much better than the other. To the contrary, I think everyone is kind of streaky. Great one game and disappear the next. If someone in the deep rotation is having a particularly good game, keep him in a little longer for that game.

Ramy, nice depth chart! Some things I like:

-I like that you have Spottsville 3rd on the depth chart.
-I like that you have Montero and Morgan starting at the same time. This frees up the logjam at SG, and gives Dillard and Gibson more direct routes to minutes.
-I like that you have Groce at the 4 -- I thought long and hard about that myself. Perhaps the best part of Groce at the 4 is that Binelli is relegated to the bench. In a perfect EMU world, I would like to see Binelli as the sixth-man; the instant offense guy who comes in firing 3s. If he's feeling it, leave him in. If not, quick hook. It would be ideal if we didn't HAVE to play him major minutes...because if he's not hitting shots he has no value.
-Ballard is a nice "break glass in emergency" guy; the game vs. Buffalo showed that he can be serviceable if absolutely necessary.

Miles Gibson is the wildcard in all of this. His JUCO numbers were pretty impressive, especially how much he got to the line and how well he converted them. He shot 86% from there, and had 5 different games where he shot at least 10 free throws. That is such a weapon. Drawing fouls is a skill, but making them consistently separates great players from good ones.

Murphy spoke very highly of Gibson, so hopefully his knee will be good to go next season.

https://www.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2018-1...log&pos=sh

(04-09-2020 08:29 PM)RamyEMU Wrote:  Cow, while I agree this is ridiculously premature, I absolutely love reading this thread and all the great comments/analysis. And yes, I too have my speculative depth chart, and appreciate to share it. But may I include walk-one since Ballard is the only one on the team that has actually seen productive time at Center?

PG 6-1 McBride/ 6-2 James / 6-3 Spottsville
SG 6-5 Montero/ 6-6 Dillard
SF 6-5 Morgan/ 6-6 Gibson
PF 6-8 Groce/ 6-10 Binelli/ 6-8 Pacheo
C 6-11 Love/ 6-8 Ballard

What I would really like to see is Murphy utilize the one clear strength of the team- DEPTH. It was the same scenario last year, and felt like Murphy started out playing a 10 man rotation with everyone getting about 20 minutes plus or minus. I don’t think anyone is that much better than the other. To the contrary, I think everyone is kind of streaky. Great one game and disappear the next. If someone in the deep rotation is having a particularly good game, keep him in a little longer for that game.

A few thoughts:

1). We still have what two more scholarships to give and those are important, esp. if we can hit on a center.

2). I'm close on this post, with a few differences. I wonder if Groce plays 4 and Gibson starts at 3? I like Binelli off the bench.

3). If we fill the hole in the middle (think of a Krispy Kreme donut ) we'll be good. We have a lot of capable veteran talent.

I watched a few videos of Pacheco. He's definitely a guy that will play around the basket. He does have some offensive ability though. He's a 4 or 5.

Love was listed as a forward with KSU.

I'm thinking it might be good if EMU is a bit of a donut team. It's not like Murphy has gotten anywhere with a strong C and a mediocre perimeter. Change the dynamics of the team and force them to be better at the perimeter. If it works the great. If not then turn the page.

(04-10-2020 08:20 AM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote:  I watched a few videos of Pacheco. He's definitely a guy that will play around the basket. He does have some offensive ability though. He's a 4 or 5.

Love was listed as a forward with KSU.

I'm thinking it might be good if EMU is a bit of a donut team. It's not like Murphy has gotten anywhere with a strong C and a mediocre perimeter. Change the dynamics of the team and force them to be better at the perimeter. If it works the great. If not then turn the page.

I do think we need to play WAY faster this coming season. Murphy’s best offensive season was the 17/18 squad that ran other teams off of the floor. Now that Toure is gone, maybe this is our chance run in transition. McBride looks like he likes to push the pace, and all of our guards and wings can run, so let’s see some more tempo.

Our half court offense has always been a disaster, and we are great at turning opponents over. It makes too much sense.

(04-10-2020 08:43 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(04-10-2020 08:20 AM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote:  I watched a few videos of Pacheco. He's definitely a guy that will play around the basket. He does have some offensive ability though. He's a 4 or 5.

Love was listed as a forward with KSU.

I'm thinking it might be good if EMU is a bit of a donut team. It's not like Murphy has gotten anywhere with a strong C and a mediocre perimeter. Change the dynamics of the team and force them to be better at the perimeter. If it works the great. If not then turn the page.

I do think we need to play WAY faster this coming season. Murphy’s best offensive season was the 17/18 squad that ran other teams off of the floor. Now that Toure is gone, maybe this is our chance run in transition. McBride looks like he likes to push the pace, and all of our guards and wings can run, so let’s see some more tempo.

Our half court offense has always been a disaster, and we are great at turning opponents over. It makes too much sense.

I miss Tim Bond.

Maybe we'll get a wing similar to Tim in this class. We certainly offered some.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMDyE6pv7Nw

(04-09-2020 02:28 AM)holybovine Wrote:  Hi guys,

So I know this type of speculation is obnoxiously premature. We are still seven months (at best) away from the start of next basketball season. We still have pieces to add to our current roster, and...who knows? We may have another transfer or two of our own depart.

That said I love basketball, and I am bored and have been thinking about this exercise anyway. Why not have a thread to continuously update our starting lineup and depth projections, even as they are constantly evolving?

Here’s my first shot. I’m sure we’ll be chuckling about this a few months from now. BTW — I’m not including walk-ons, and I’m only placing each player in one position. In reality we operate in the “positionless basketball” era, and many players play several positions. However, for this projection it is far simpler to assign players to only one position. It is my hope that this may give us a sense of where our roster needs may be.

PG: McBride - Spottsville - James
SG: Montero - Morgan - Dillard
SF: Groce - Gibson
PF: Binelli - Juco/Transfer - Pacheco
C: Love III - Juco/Transfer

So, a few things stand out. With the addition of McBride our PG position has pretty good depth. SG is extremely deep, as James can play there as well. Montero, Morgan, and Dillard can play the 3 with no problem, so the wing is deep too.

Our frontcourt is problematic. Binelli is fine as a “modern” 4, but we really don’t have anyone behind him. I’d like to see them get a rebounding-minded 4, since that would compliment Binelli well. We have no idea what we have in Pacheco. Love III will be a great contributor if healthy, but we can’t make that presumption. Someone else is needed, hopefully a more experienced player who can serve as a backup, and who can also help Love III manage his minutes.

Any thoughts or predictions of your own? Am I missing anything?

Cow, I am curious to where you and others have Lowder in this lineup? Does he usurp McBride’s standing?

(05-27-2020 09:35 PM)RamyEMU Wrote:  

(04-09-2020 02:28 AM)holybovine Wrote:  Hi guys,

So I know this type of speculation is obnoxiously premature. We are still seven months (at best) away from the start of next basketball season. We still have pieces to add to our current roster, and...who knows? We may have another transfer or two of our own depart.

That said I love basketball, and I am bored and have been thinking about this exercise anyway. Why not have a thread to continuously update our starting lineup and depth projections, even as they are constantly evolving?

Here’s my first shot. I’m sure we’ll be chuckling about this a few months from now. BTW — I’m not including walk-ons, and I’m only placing each player in one position. In reality we operate in the “positionless basketball” era, and many players play several positions. However, for this projection it is far simpler to assign players to only one position. It is my hope that this may give us a sense of where our roster needs may be.

PG: McBride - Spottsville - James
SG: Montero - Morgan - Dillard
SF: Groce - Gibson
PF: Binelli - Juco/Transfer - Pacheco
C: Love III - Juco/Transfer

So, a few things stand out. With the addition of McBride our PG position has pretty good depth. SG is extremely deep, as James can play there as well. Montero, Morgan, and Dillard can play the 3 with no problem, so the wing is deep too.

Our frontcourt is problematic. Binelli is fine as a “modern” 4, but we really don’t have anyone behind him. I’d like to see them get a rebounding-minded 4, since that would compliment Binelli well. We have no idea what we have in Pacheco. Love III will be a great contributor if healthy, but we can’t make that presumption. Someone else is needed, hopefully a more experienced player who can serve as a backup, and who can also help Love III manage his minutes.

Any thoughts or predictions of your own? Am I missing anything?

Cow, I am curious to where you and others have Lowder in this lineup? Does he usurp McBride’s standing?

Thanks for bumping this Ramy! I was thinking about reviewing my list to see how Lowder’s transfer could impact the rotation. I do think his acquisition clears up a few things...

Here’s my stab at it:
PG - McBride - Lowder - Spottsville
SG - Montero - James - Dillard
SF - Morgan- Gibson
PF - Groce - Binelli
C - Love III - Pacheco
Open Slot(s): One

First off I LOVE(!) Lowder, and think he’s our PG of the future. However, he only played 12 games for Holy Cross his freshman year, and we all know that Murphy values experience. Even if Lowder gets a waiver (I think he will, but not a certainty), Murphy will start him off slowly. McBride is more mature physically and will be ready to go from day 1. That said, I could see a scenario where by mid-season Lowder is starting at PG and McBride is at SG, particularly if Morgan continue to struggle shooting the ball. In that case, Montero could just start at the 3 and McBride could be the full-time 2.

I think another thing that the Lowder acquisition does is kick Chris James to SG for the long-term. This will be particularly important in 21-22 when Montero and Morgan are gone.

Also, it seems like Murphy is going to use a small lineup this year. I see Montero and Morgan as interchangeable at the 2 and 3 slots, which would bump Groce to the 4. I know he is undersized for this role, but he really has more of a 4’s game anyway. This would allow Binelli to come off the bench in an offensive gunner role, to which I think he is more suited.

I’m still scared about the 5. Love III is promising but hasn’t played extended basketball in a long time. We don’t know anything about Pacheco, other than the fact that he has a banger’s body. I would think that Murphy will get additional depth in the post with the last scholarship. I’m also half-expecting one of Spottsville, Dillard, or Gibson to leave...Just a gut feeling, no inside info. It will be an interesting summer.

What do you all think?

(05-28-2020 01:35 AM)holybovine Wrote:  

(05-27-2020 09:35 PM)RamyEMU Wrote:  

(04-09-2020 02:28 AM)holybovine Wrote:  Hi guys,

So I know this type of speculation is obnoxiously premature. We are still seven months (at best) away from the start of next basketball season. We still have pieces to add to our current roster, and...who knows? We may have another transfer or two of our own depart.

That said I love basketball, and I am bored and have been thinking about this exercise anyway. Why not have a thread to continuously update our starting lineup and depth projections, even as they are constantly evolving?

Here’s my first shot. I’m sure we’ll be chuckling about this a few months from now. BTW — I’m not including walk-ons, and I’m only placing each player in one position. In reality we operate in the “positionless basketball” era, and many players play several positions. However, for this projection it is far simpler to assign players to only one position. It is my hope that this may give us a sense of where our roster needs may be.

PG: McBride - Spottsville - James
SG: Montero - Morgan - Dillard
SF: Groce - Gibson
PF: Binelli - Juco/Transfer - Pacheco
C: Love III - Juco/Transfer

So, a few things stand out. With the addition of McBride our PG position has pretty good depth. SG is extremely deep, as James can play there as well. Montero, Morgan, and Dillard can play the 3 with no problem, so the wing is deep too.

Our frontcourt is problematic. Binelli is fine as a “modern” 4, but we really don’t have anyone behind him. I’d like to see them get a rebounding-minded 4, since that would compliment Binelli well. We have no idea what we have in Pacheco. Love III will be a great contributor if healthy, but we can’t make that presumption. Someone else is needed, hopefully a more experienced player who can serve as a backup, and who can also help Love III manage his minutes.

Any thoughts or predictions of your own? Am I missing anything?

Cow, I am curious to where you and others have Lowder in this lineup? Does he usurp McBride’s standing?

Thanks for bumping this Ramy! I was thinking about reviewing my list to see how Lowder’s transfer could impact the rotation. I do think his acquisition clears up a few things...

Here’s my stab at it:
PG - McBride - Lowder - Spottsville
SG - Montero - James - Dillard
SF - Morgan- Gibson
PF - Groce - Binelli
C - Love III - Pacheco
Open Slot(s): One

First off I LOVE(!) Lowder, and think he’s our PG of the future. However, he only played 12 games for Holy Cross his freshman year, and we all know that Murphy values experience. Even if Lowder gets a waiver (I think he will, but not a certainty), Murphy will start him off slowly. McBride is more mature physically and will be ready to go from day 1. That said, I could see a scenario where by mid-season Lowder is starting at PG and McBride is at SG, particularly if Morgan continue to struggle shooting the ball. In that case, Montero could just start at the 3 and McBride could be the full-time 2.

I think another thing that the Lowder acquisition does is kick Chris James to SG for the long-term. This will be particularly important in 21-22 when Montero and Morgan are gone.

Also, it seems like Murphy is going to use a small lineup this year. I see Montero and Morgan as interchangeable at the 2 and 3 slots, which would bump Groce to the 4. I know he is undersized for this role, but he really has more of a 4’s game anyway. This would allow Binelli to come off the bench in an offensive gunner role, to which I think he is more suited.

I’m still scared about the 5. Love III is promising but hasn’t played extended basketball in a long time. We don’t know anything about Pacheco, other than the fact that he has a banger’s body. I would think that Murphy will get additional depth in the post with the last scholarship. I’m also half-expecting one of Spottsville, Dillard, or Gibson to leave...Just a gut feeling, no inside info. It will be an interesting summer.

What do you all think?

Isn't McBride short for a SG, esp. in a Murphy zone?