There's been a lot of talk about the need for a low post player with bulk next year and I understand the need. But when I look at the roster it seems to me the biggest priority should be to add another wing. Right now we only have one true wing on next year's team in Bashir Ahmed. He looks good but you never know how he'll be at the next level. And if he gets injured our options are dicey at best. Darien Williams looks like he could be a wing, although i thinks he's more of a 4. And will he be available next year? Was his injury to the same shoulder that kept him out for an entire season at JUCO? Did he get back to practicing with the team this year or is he still in rehab? I'd love to hear what people know about his status but given that he has missed two consecutive years with shoulder injuries I'm not sure he can be counted on. Freudenberg can step out and shoot but he's really a 4 and, especially as a Freshman, he will get torched trying to guard 6'6" quick athletic BE wings. After that where do you go? Yakwe doesn't really have a floor game and has no outside shot. Ellison is not tall or physical enough and anyway, since we only have 4 guards we are going to need him there. The last thing I want to see next year is Ahmed gets injured and all of a sudden we are playing guys at the 3 who don't have the right skill set, like Mussini at the point this year. We have too many great assets coming in next year to take the chance of being left completely exposed at the 3 so in my view that should be our highest priority for a graduate transfer or another JUCO. Then, if CJ leaves we can use his spot for the replacement big. Am I missing something? Does Felipe or Lavor still have some eligibility?
Small Forward next year
- Thread starter REB
- Start date
I think RF and Malik are both much more small forwards than you say. I think those three + the ability to go small or big makes it not much of a concern. Just my opinion.
Don't agree about Malik. He'll get posted up and also killed on the boards. RF I haven't seen that much but just don't think he has the foot speed or agility to covers wings on the perimeter. Why go into the season without a backup at the 3 who is actually a SF? Let RF and Malik play their natural positions and make sure you have a backup at the three. Seems like that should be basic stuff.
Malik is 6'5 and built pretty well. He is not gonna be dwarfed by ncaa sf's. I agree that RF will struggle with quicker perimeter players but the same can be said about bigger interior players. I think in the end his natural position is small forward.
2017 recruits
Rafus 6'7 sf
Tucker 6'7 sf
Wilson 6'7 sf
Antetokounmpo 6'8(2016 rs?) sf
Mamukelashvili 6'9 sf and my personal favorite
The Gumbinator
Member
Having a shooting guard or power forward play out of position at SF is not nearly as significant as not having a point guard. Given, I have not seen more than video clips of RF playing, it seems like he can handle his own at the SF position if we need him there. Ellison and Amar can also do the job if needed. I'd rather have more talented players than settle for a lower talent because he fits a prototypical SF mold better. It should also be noted that the mismatches you point out with other SF's ignores the positive side. If RF is playing against a smaller and more athletic guy it should be easy for him to shoot over the top, which appears to be his best strength. Same goes for Amar, although I wouldn't call shooting a strength at this point, it could be after another off season. At the very least we wont be running three shooting guards out there at the 1,2, & 3 this year!
I agree that a PG out of position is more important. But why run the risk of having anyone out of position if you don't have to? And who is recommending getting an untalented SF? If there's a grad transfer SF who can play, we should try to get him to share time with Bashir so we wont be exposed there if Bashir has a big adjustment or if he gets injured. BTW it wasn't just Mussini out of position this year it was also Yakwe for most of the year because we didn't have a backup for Sima, except for forwards playing out of position. We can do that again this year with RF or Malik trying to play against Big East SF's or we can fill the hole. Why anyone would want to run the risk of repeating that next year at the SF position, I don't know.
MarkRedman
Well-known member
I would expect Ahmed to get the lion's share of minutes at SF next year
True, he's never played D-1 ball, but has JUCO experience and isn't an 18 year old kid
He should be able to step in and make a major contribution right away
True, he's never played D-1 ball, but has JUCO experience and isn't an 18 year old kid
He should be able to step in and make a major contribution right away
One, it would be tough to convince a fifth year player, a good one at that, to come and sit behind Bashir for his last year. Two, what do we do with RF and Malik if we get a fifth year grad transfer? Malik gets 10-12 minutes backing up the guards? RF gets the same splitting with Yakwe, Williams, Amar, Owens?
In college it seems there are very few teams running traditional lineups anyway. Every game they show the starting lineups and for many if not most teams it looks like this:
G-G-G-F-F
or
G-G-G-F-C
Would it be nice to have a couple real SFs, yeah, but hardly a killer. At least to take the next step up to mediocrity which is all the team is going to do next year.
G-G-G-F-F
or
G-G-G-F-C
Would it be nice to have a couple real SFs, yeah, but hardly a killer. At least to take the next step up to mediocrity which is all the team is going to do next year.
Split his time with Bashir not sit behind him. Good players always have faith that they will play. Mailk gets 15 or more depending on fouls, injuries.etc. RF, if he is as good as advertised get minutes ahead of Amar and Williams, and Owens isn't a factor as he backs up the center, not the 4.
I guess that's one way to look at it but if we replace CJ with a banger we still have an open ship. Why not use it for a Grad SF, if there's a decent one out there, to fill the hole in case Ahmed gets hurt like Sima did? Then we fill it with a stud in 17. Seems like a no brainer.
What am I missing here? Next year we are bringing in a Juco SF in Bashir and a freshman SF in Richard F. I believe that was the plan. Then we have another guy who can come off the bench and play some in Ellison. That's three candidates. Not to mention a potential fourth who can play a few minutes there if he gets his health back in Williams. We will also probably play some 3 guard lineups next year so I am not sure where this big need at SF is.
