Bigger lineup maximize space and shooting
Martini
Lathan
Ace
Harper
Hayes
Smaller teams. More outside shooting, play faster pace on Offense, and consider zone D to allow Ace and Dylan to rest and crash the boards.
Martini
Ace
Dylan
Hayes
Acuff when healthy
Second unit players
Jwill
Dercack
Lathan*
Acuff *
*when not starting
** have not seen enough from Acuff but based on his experience and track record but may need to adjust if he’s not up to the task like Noah wasn’t
Situation dependent based on matchup only. Not regular minutes
Ogbole
JMike
Yeah .,.. not going to happen. I would expect it to be extremely rare, like maybe never, that Harper will be the only guard on the court (your "big" line-up). Not going to happen.
Also, you really do not understand the difference in ability and talent between Acuff and Williams. I have looked at this closely, and have looked at both players, both highlights and stats. Williams has always been, and is, the far better prospect and player than Acuff. Do not let last season's 21.7 ppg scoring average by Acuff deceive you. Let's be serious and look at this:
1) Williams was a
STARTING PG for a mid-level team in a high level mid-major conference (Temple) as both a freshman and a sophomore. And he played well ... averaged about 9-9.5 ppg and 4+ assists/game in each season, 2.0 ass/TO ratio those 2 years, 1.3 stl/game, 48% 2-pt FG% ... and though not a great 3-point shooter (in fact poor his sophomore year and for RU last year), he was respectable as a frosh at 32+%, plus 3+ reb/game. He then was recruited as a
transfer UP A LEVEL OR TWO to an top team in an elite conference, in Iowa State - where he never played because of an injury ... then
transferred to Rutgers, another P6 team in a top conference. At RU between his injury recovery, followed by the suspension, eventually over-turned, limited him to just 12 games - during which he was the best player on the team (albeit a limited team), averaging 12+ ppg, 50% 2-point FG%, 1.2 stl/game, 3.4 rpg and 2.8 ass/g - with players who could not make a basket around him. And is an excellent defensive player.
2) Acuff is nowhere near the prospect or as good, generally, last season notwithstanding. He
played for a weaker team (Duquesne) in a weaker conference to start his career - and played just 14 mpg
as a frosh as a bench player, (3.7 ppg) and
23 mpg as a part-time starter as a soph (5.7 ppg). He was a better shooter (better 3-point FG% and better 2-point FG %) in those 2 years, with many fewer minutes and shots. Less than 1 ass/g, maybe a 1.2 ass/TO rate - a okay rebounder ... not known as a good defender. He then
transferred DOWN a level, from a poor team in the A-10 to a worse team in the weaker MAC. He did start (34 mpg) at Eastern Michigan as a junior, shooting 34% from 3 and 55% from 2, averaging 14 ppg as their 2nd or 3rd leading scorer as a Junior. And as a Senior averaged 37 mpg for an awful Eastern Michigan team, but did average 21.7 ppg - his 3-point FG% and his 2-point FG% both dropped significantly (to 34% and 50%), for an eFG% of 48% vs 54% the year before ... went from 11 FG att per game to 19 FG att per game. Then transferred UP to RU.
Quite simply, though Acuff has the potential to be an offensive spark, he has NEVER played at even a high mid-major level, and has played for 4 awful teams. Williams has started since he was a freshman, and has played for an above average team in a mid-to higher level mid-major conference, and part of a season starting for RU - a team in a high major top conference. Williams is a much better defender, a better play-maker for his teammates, and a reasonably efficient 2-poin FG shooter, though true, not a strong 3-point shooter.
Also ... no way Davis only gets minutes based on match-ups only, and is NOT in the regular rotation: Pikiell has basically stated Davis is the primary back-up PG ... and his elite defensive skills will earn him regular minutes ... whether that is 8 mpg, 10 mpg or 12-15 or more mpg probably depends on whether his FT and 3-point shooting improve ... but he WILL be in the regular rotation somehow.