So you are OK with starting JWill with 4 freshman next year?
This is a recipe for disaster Hawk. Stop. We need experience. We also could 100% use Mag's defense next season. There will be plenty of scoring options. He doesn't have to be this offensive playmaker that you're trying to pretend he needs to be. He would be the perfect glue guy next season
You are not being realistic.....he is not the player you imagine him to be. He is injury prone OR someone who now has an ACL a year ago and now is not able to play, because of the other leg/knee.
It is about watching games across the conference and he is not a player that no one else has on their roster elsewhere. The item of his value was overblown last year and is being exaggerated yet again this year.
If we are being fair, when he returned, he had some effective games and games where his play or impact was very minor on both ends of the court. There wasn't any major change in how RU performed when he returned on offense, defense or rebounding.
The type of impact that fans are programmed to think of Mag, is what we got with Jeremiah Williams hitting the lineup. There is a clear and distinct impact that is very clear or easy to see. We didn't get that level of impact when Mag returned.
What is your plan, if Mag doesn't start games next year or starts asking out of workouts and training this spring and summer?? What contingency plan do you have??
My contingency plans involve Lathan Sommerville, Bryce Dortch, Dylan Grant and Ace Bailey all playing minutes at the forward positions or Lathan being the 5 as well. They all don't have to start, but I would imagine a scenario where Sommerville Dortch and Grant, battle in practice for minutes and playing time.
The other major item that we don't get from Mag IF he doesn't play lights out defense....he's not a 3 point threat. I have 12 for 46 from 3 this year....9 for 30 last year.....4 for 17 as a sophomore. And 1 of 3 as a frosh, which kinda was a redshirt season in theory.
26 for 96 career is not anything that helps the offense....if he's not as mobile or active defensively this year AND we get no consistent threat of offense from 3 or off the dribble, we can get a better player to play those minutes.
As much as you want to go against me and others on Hyatt and Simpson, they at least are threats to score.....and you harp on Simpson and his shooting.....if Simpson plays as good an amount of defense and pressure on the ball as Mag does as a sophomore, why don't we see the same praise for Simpson on his defense (which if you are watching the games, is miles better than Mag)???
Simpson is a better shooter than Mag from 3....what am I missing?? If you are in such a hurry to bury Simpson, at least explain why Mag gets a free pass??
What does Mag do better than Simpson does?? He's not a better defender in February 2024, Simpson is a better shooter and playmaker.....AND I am 100% advocating for Simpson to be the 3rd or 4th guard next year, yet, you and others blinded by the Mag narrative, want him to continue to start???