On road in particular staff is likely going to need to lengthen rotation slightly. There will be games where you need the first five to play the minutes they have the last two games - and both games may have been ones where it was warranted - but it has to be selective as 4 guys getting 35+ minutes isn't likely to be sustainable over an 18 game conference slate. Particularly true away from home where you don't have the crowd energy and fatigue can creep in a little easier. Also especially true when you are a max defensive effort team like this one that is also playing way bigger than it is on backboards out of sheer athleticism and determination.
Nothing crazy but slightly more than 30 and 27 minutes from the bench combined which is what the first two games have been.
I think as Keita gets readjusted and with Williams showing genuine signs of development you could see them emerge as15-20 (Keita) and 10+ (Williams) MPG guys which would be massive. Trimble continues to provide quality minutes even if it doesn't show up in the box score and hopefully Dixon gets increasingly comfortable. That's pretty good depth and has the makings of a real rotation.
Again talking in the aggregate, not individual games. Thought staff worked rotation fantastically last night in a critical home game, and there will be games we need Ponds and maybe others for 40.
But against SHU I thought there might have been a few opportunities in the first half to try to save legs for late. Easy to say in hindsight knowing we ran out of steam, and even easier to say without Keita and with Williams/Dixon playing their first Big East game in a packed arena on road. All acknowledged, but now that we got critical split in first two hoping we see slightly broader minutes distribution late first / early second half not just for legs, but also for foul situation which is likely something to be managed all year.
