We Have Problems, Good Problems (2024)

jibsey said:

The news is fantastic that Alex is returning and I hope that adequate PT is available especially for Stew because it seems like the kid is ready to break out big time. We can just guess how this will shake out right now and it’s good to have depth because injuries do happen. Then all of a sudden PT is not a problem anymore.
Hope that Stew can get 25 minutes. This team just seems to be loaded with talent.

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The minutes always end up working out. Stewart/Abraham/McNeeley/Ross/Karaban will fight for those minutes at the 3 and 4. Best men will win.

In all likelihood 3/5 will get the bulk of the minutes (25 or so) and 1 other will get spot minutes like Stewart did this year. It's a good recipe for success.

Nah, there’s plenty of minutes to go around.

1-2-3-4-5 is not the game anymore - as long as he can handle the ball, he’s going to play.

I see him and Ball developing into true monsters over the next two seasons.

This staff is trailblazing the landscape. I wouldn't be shocked if other teams in the NIL era started to build 10 man rosters full of legit talent, with nobody getting more than 30 minutes a game, with most guys getting 25 or under like @husky429 said.

Let me bring more sand to this giant beach:
We're living the salad days

Bboy Lace said:

We'll have a 9 man rotation this year. Singare, Abraham and Ross will sit. Hurley and company will spread the minutes among AK, Nowell, McNeeley, Diarra, Johnson, Stewart, Ball, Reed, and Mahaney.

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I generally agree with this take. We have been largely fortunate in avoiding the serious injury bug over the past two seasons, and I hope that continues. I think Abraham and Ross could be able to provide a lift even in the event that there is a short to medium term injury similar to what Castle and Clingan experienced last season. The depth is excellent on this team.

Plenty of guys rode pine last year knew exactly what they are getting into next year. May the best man win. Minutes are earned in practice, not given based on projections or rankings.

Karaban was always expected to come back, at least was more than likely.

when everyone has bought into Hurley’s system and can play it at a high level we can have 8-10 guys that have been able to wear other teams out.
We will know early if this will be another magic year.

Also, most important, the coaching staff is all back. They have two rings each (except for Tom Moore with 4).

Bboy Lace said:

We'll have a 9 man rotation this year. Singare, Abraham and Ross will sit. Hurley and company will spread the minutes among AK, Nowell, McNeeley, Diarra, Johnson, Stewart, Ball, Reed, and Mahaney.

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I dont think Abraham will sit. That kid is an explosive athlete and built solidly. He will get minutes.

tjhusky said:

when everyone has bought into Hurley’s system and can play it at a high level we can have 8-10 guys that have been able to wear other teams out.
We will know early if this will be another magic year.

Also, most important, the coaching staff is all back. They have two rings each (except for Tom Moore with 4).

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That Tom Moore is a real show off lol!

August_West said:

We have ZERO problems

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That’s a problem.

Bboy Lace said:

We'll have a 9 man rotation this year. Singare, Abraham and Ross will sit. Hurley and company will spread the minutes among AK, Nowell, McNeeley, Diarra, Johnson, Stewart, Ball, Reed, and Mahaney.

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It may initially be a 9 man, it will be 7 guys come march. There’s been a strong trend of the better teams going with shorter benches at the end of the year.

Hockey shifts. Full court defense, fast break offense.

Five min/shift. Rinse, repeat.

This is great news for all of us. Our team will be very good and certainly challenge for a BE regular and tourney title. And take a run at a three peat. But I really would be careful to dismiss the thought about who gets cut out of the playing time.

Abraham I can see having to accept that he will not see much time. Even without the AK return he was probably last man off bench for the front court. But I am concerned about Ross. I really think he has the skills to be a very good wing or two guard.

But he will really struggle to find PT and I just wonder about chemistry. For a guy like Ross who probably busted it in practice to think about two years doing the same thing without seeing significant minutes has to be a grind.

Honestly if we did not have the staff we do, the chemistry issue would be a larger concern for me. But to think every year we are just going to get buy in from players who feel they deserve to play I think is a bit risky.

I also understand given the way rosters are constructed in the new ncaa that this will become more the norm but as good as Hurley as his staff is human nature at times is a tough thing to control.

None of this is written to diminish the great news we got today with AK but also to acknowledge we have ten players that are all starters or significant contributors on 95% of ncaa bb teams. And one maybe two of those players will be lucky to average 4-5 minutes a game. Not play 4 minutes a game but average that because they will see more time during the blow outs when the game is decided.

I'm thinking our starting 5 will be

5. Samson Johnson (He knows our system. He'll win out the starting position over Reed. This could change by end of season.)

4. Alex Karaban (McNeeley will sub in for AK and Stewart)

3. Jaylin Stewart

2. Aidan Mahaney (Ball could start over Mahaney. This will be close in practices. I might be wrong here.)

1. Hassan Diarra (Nowell off the bench)