What do people think about next season's backcourt rotations?

[RUMassAlum]

I would like to obtain fans’ thoughts and perceptions about the backcourt personnel for next season.My concern is that we have a real traffic jam of people who can play the 1 and/or 2 positions, with a total of 7 guys who can claim “guard” as their position, and finding lineups and rotations that get them all decent minutes could be a real challenge.

We started this past season with almost no proven capability at the point. For the 2019-20 campaign, we have no less than four guys who can play at the point position—Baker (who was forced to play 1 last season), a deserving McConnell, the Texas transfer Young, and the hotshot rookie Mulcahy. I would assume that just two of these guys would get the majority of the 1 guard minutes, or we would risk losing chemistry and continuity, but maybe I am wrong on this assumption. In any event, Baker, Young, maybe even McConnell are really combo guards and certainly can rotate over to the 2 spot, but we are well stocked at shooting guard with Mathis, Kiss and a true swingman in Harper. If we move Baker to the 2, where many think he would be more effective offensively, there will be an almost untenable competition for minutes at this position. Certainly, I expect that we will change the nature of our offense a bit by using a lot of three guard sets and having a more mobile attack. Perhaps we use three guard lineups a lot, given the blurring together of traditional, fixed positions in today’s basketball. However, it’s not possible to used three guard sets all the time, with the towering frontcourts in the B1G. Another possibility is that at least of couple of guys just don’t see many minutes at all, such as Kiss and someone else who doesn’t emerge prominently. That could produce a transfer of one or more underclassmen.

Anyhow, I would like to hear how people think the coaches will sort out the “overstock” in the backcourt. Not saying that this is a negative at all, but in a perfect fantasy scenario, I would almost like to trade some of the guards for a couple of big guys at the 5 spot, where we need help.

 

[Goku]

Baker can play the 2 now and play like he did his freshman year when Corey handled the ball. Macconnell can play at the wing. Let mulcahy and young bring up the ball

 

[RUJMM78]

There clearly will be a battle for playing time with a surplus of guards and small forwards while right now there is a lack of quality depth at the power forward and center positions.Those positions need to be addressed with the two available scholarships for next season.

 

[dkostus]

Agreed... Harper is going to get some minutes as a "4," and McConnell will get minutes as a "3." Mulcahy can also play as a point forward. The concern is generally on defense and most of these guys can defend the 1-3, and Harper a little 4 depending on the matchup.

On offense, get them all out there. Dont be shocked when you get Geo, Mulcahy, McConnell, Harper and a big out there. Geo would be the only guy on the floor under 6'6" and he's not small.

 

[higgins3]

I think you will see a lot of combo guard situations next year. The play will resemble that.

If either McConnell, Baker, Mulcahy, or Young catch a rebound, they will force it up court.

If numbers weren't there, I would expect either of the first three above to slow tempo, and run a half court offensive set.

Competition is going to be very high this off season. Perhaps the most it has been in 5-7 years for practices.

I see McConnell and Mulcahy splitting time at the 1, with Mathis, Baker, and Young all pushing for time at the off guard position.

I could see Baker getting the most minutes out of the off guard spot because of his leadership, ability to shoot, and have good shot selection. Young minutes again will be determined by how his chemistry is with other four players offensively, and his shot selection.

As with others, I don't see Young as the primary ball handler. As mentioned, whoever grabs the rebounds out of the guards will dictate the offense and pace. Yada yada.

 

[RC1978]

Was out the other night watching the semi's and Coach Shoe was sitting with our group. Two comments he made really stuck out to me. He feels that Young is going to be our best player next year and people are not realizing how much the team will miss Shaq. Also, they will be looking for a grad transfer for next year's team.

 

[Tango Two]

Was out the other night watching the semi's and Coach Shoe was sitting with our group. Two comments he made really stuck out to me. He feels that Young is going to be our best player next year and people are not realizing how much the team will miss Shaq. Also, they will be looking for a grad transfer for next year's team.

Shaq was the key to last years defense

Will be missed

O'Connell will play the 1

 

[Knight Ed]

I think Mulcahy is the only true point guard on the roster and you have 3 other guys you can put in at point, I think we may see some three guard alignments with combinations of these guys.

 

[YoucancallmeRay]

This is how I see the depth chart now:
1- Young, McConnell, Mulcahy
2- Geo, McConnell, Mathis, Kiss
3- Harper, McConnell, Kiss
4- EO, Carter
5- Myles, Doucore
McConnell deserves as much playing time as the starters; Mulcahy needs to earn it, and Mathis and Kiss both under performed and need to show better shot making and consistency.

 

[CollegeAve]

This is how I see the depth chart now:
1- Young, McConnell, Mulcahy
2- Geo, McConnell, Mathis, Kiss
3- Harper, McConnell, Kiss
4- EO, Carter
5- Myles, Doucore
McConnell deserves as much playing time as the starters; Mulcahy needs to earn it, and Mathis and Kiss both under performed and need to show better shot making and consistency.

Mathis did not underperform last year. At times, he was the only aggressive offensive player on the floor and had several instances where he led the team in scoring. He had a nice freshman year.

 

[dkostus]

This is how I see the depth chart now:
1- Young, McConnell, Mulcahy
2- Geo, McConnell, Mathis, Kiss
3- Harper, McConnell, Kiss
4- EO, Carter
5- Myles, Doucore
McConnell deserves as much playing time as the starters; Mulcahy needs to earn it, and Mathis and Kiss both under performed and need to show better shot making and consistency.

Mathis is the best perimeter defender on the team, and an offensive threat other teams actually game planned for. Yet you have Young starting at the point and Mathis third on the depth chart? Young has at least as much to prove as any player on the roster.

 

[dpwhite]

Mathis didn't average 35 points per game last year and the guy he defended occasionally made a basket. UNDER PERFORMED

C'mon folks.

 

[CollegeAve]

Not to beat a dead horse but Mathis finished 3rd on the team in scoring with 263 points. He has set himself up to have a good college career and could be a 1000 point scorer for us.

He accomplished this while only shooting 56% from the line and 24% from 3. If he can improve those 2 stats and maintain his level of effort on the defensive end, he will be hard to keep off of the court.

 

[dkostus]

Mathis didn't average 35 points per game last year and the guy he defended occasionally made a basket. UNDER PERFORMED

C'mon folks.

Why do you always have to be the voice of reason?!?!? COME ON DAVE!!!!

 

[YoucancallmeRay]

Not to beat a dead horse but Mathis finished 3rd on the team in scoring with 263 points. He has set himself up to have a good college career and could be a 1000 point scorer for us.

He accomplished this while only shooting 56% from the line and 24% from 3. If he can improve those 2 stats and maintain his level of effort on the defensive end, he will be hard to keep off of the court.

That's my point. "If". His strengths, which I agree he has, are not enough to take minutes from the guys ahead of him. He has got to improve his shooting and decision making.

 

[Degaz-RU]

We have 7 guards/wings for this coming season: Baker, Mathis, McConnell, Harper, Kiss, Young, and Mulcahy. The only two things we can really be certain of with these guys are:

1. Baker is going to start somewhere, either PG or SG (more likely the latter)
2. Harper is going to start at WF

Other than these two things, I really have no clue how it's all going to play out.

We've got four guys who can play the point -- Baker, McConnell, Young, and Mulcahy

We've got probably six guys who can play off-guard in some capacity -- everybody except Mulcahy

We've got three guys who can play a traditional WF type role -- Harper, McConnell, Mulcahy -- but if we simply play a 3-guard offense, then pretty much any combination of three guys (out of the 7) could play at any one time.

Our offense will definitely not lack for versatility, I'll tell you that. I think Pike will be able to create matchup problems with the positionless game he can play at the 1, 2 and 3 spots (and even include the 4 spot too if you include Eugene and Harper being able to both play the 4).

 

[ColonelRutgers]

The one conclusion that I gather from that proposed depth chart is that Ray loves him some McConnell. Mulcahy third string point and Mathis third string SG? Nah.

 

[needmorecowbell]

How I see it... Mulcahy, is going to be the Pikiell’s ball handler. The kid is everything Pike wants. I think Carino said he’s the best passer he has seen at the high school level. Young will play the 1 and 2. I have a hard time putting Mathis in the starting lineup but he is going to get a ton of minutes. Had the 3rd most last year. They will play a ton of 3 guard offense. McConnell can play 1,2 or 3 and probably will. To me, Kiss is the odd man out.

1- Mulcahy, Young, McConnell,
2- Geo, Mathis, McConnell, Young, Kiss
3- Harper, McConnell, Mathis, Kiss
4- Eugene, Carter, Harper
5- Myles, Doucore

 

[jerzeyguy]

I think will ramp up the intensity on defense more - with some full court traps and presses. That'll tire out guys quicker and have rotating more. This how see the lineup going

Young, Baker, McConnell, Mulchay
Baker, Mathis, Kiss
Harper, Mconnell
Gene, Carter, Harper,
Myles, Carter, Doucore

 

[zebnatto]

I think all the possible guard rotations have been covered. What the proposed lineups point to for me is the importance of adding another big. Current roster, we’d want to get 30 mins+ from Myles esp v power teams and that I think is too much to ask.

 

[BillyC80]

We will miss Shaq for sure. That said, I’d love to replace his roster spot with a big that is mobile and can run. If we get a player like that, then along with the guys we already have in place, we’ll be a nightmare team to face on both ends of the floor, with more ability to press and get out on bigs who can shoot.

 

[dkostus]

I think all the possible guard rotations have been covered. What the proposed lineups point to for me is the importance of adding another big. Current roster, we’d want to get 30 mins+ from Myles esp v power teams and that I think is too much to ask.

Given that Harper will play a decent amount of "4" behind Eugene to free up the 3 for all our guards, both Carter and Doucoure will be backing up Myles Johnson. So I see no way he'd get 30+ minutes

 

[RUChoppin]

I think a lot will depend on development, too.

Juniors:
Baker will be a junior third year starter and will get his minutes - likely with some on ball, and some off.
Young will be a RS junior and is an enigma to me. Lots of talent, but we'll likely be asking him to perform a role much different than what he played at TX. Speedy, good defender - will definitely be in heavy competition for minutes.
Kiss will be a RS junior and is going to have to fight hard not to be the odd man out of this rotation.

Sophomores (as has been said several times in several places, the biggest jump in development often comes between freshman and sophomore years):
Harper had a really strong freshman campaign and should lock down the WF starting job - though he may also be called on to play the 4 at times this year.
Mathis had a strong freshman campaign where he grew over the course of the season then hit something of a wall - a summer of development and then starting next season strong could really be a boost.
McConnell had probably the strongest growth curve over his freshman season, and hopefully he can continue that as a sophomore.

Freshman:
Mulcahy will come in gunning for minutes and is probably the only "pass first" PG on the roster next year - but he will need to get up to the speed of the game, and will likely be getting his legs under him in the first half of the season and then growing in confidence on the back half.

Playing time will likely go to those who are developing the fastest, and who can stay ahead of the growth curve. I think every one of them is still in the thick of player development, and some will progress faster than others - the guys who can outpace their peers will see the floor, and it's tough to say who that will be right now.

Good problems to have, though, as there should truly be no "default minutes" at guard this year.

 

[dkostus]

I think a lot will depend on development, too.

Juniors:
Baker will be a junior third year starter and will get his minutes - likely with some on ball, and some off.
Young will be a RS junior and is an enigma to me. Lots of talent, but we'll likely be asking him to perform a role much different than what he played at TX. Speedy, good defender - will definitely be in heavy competition for minutes.
Kiss will be a RS junior and is going to have to fight hard not to be the odd man out of this rotation.

Sophomores (as has been said several times in several places, the biggest jump in development often comes between freshman and sophomore years):
Harper had a really strong freshman campaign and should lock down the WF starting job - though he may also be called on to play the 4 at times this year.
Mathis had a strong freshman campaign where he grew over the course of the season then hit something of a wall - a summer of development and then starting next season strong could really be a boost.
McConnell had probably the strongest growth curve over his freshman season, and hopefully he can continue that as a sophomore.

Freshman:
Mulcahy will come in gunning for minutes and is probably the only "pass first" PG on the roster next year - but he will need to get up to the speed of the game, and will likely be getting his legs under him in the first half of the season and then growing in confidence on the back half.

Playing time will likely go to those who are developing the fastest, and who can stay ahead of the growth curve. I think every one of them is still in the thick of player development, and some will progress faster than others - the guys who can outpace their peers will see the floor, and it's tough to say who that will be right now.

Good problems to have, though, as there should truly be no "default minutes" at guard this year.

I know you purposely left out the Seniors, but I am interested to see how strong Eugene comes in. He has been the most improved both of the last two years and seems to defy the normal growth curve through sheer work ethic.

 

[RUChoppin]

I know you purposely left out the Seniors, but I am interested to see how strong Eugene comes in. He has been the most improved both of the last two years and seems to defy the normal growth curve through sheer work ethic.

This was specifically a thread about the backcourt rotations, so I only focused on the 1-3 spots.

 

[zebnatto]

Given that Harper will play a decent amount of "4" behind Eugene to free up the 3 for all our guards, both Carter and Doucoure will be backing up Myles Johnson. So I see no way he'd get 30+ minutes

I meant “power team” strictly in a descriptive sense. not sure how well RH could handle the 4. Plus I’m concerned with both MD and SC at the five for more than ten per game. Could be I’m underestimating them.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Not sure you can address the rotation at the 1-3 without understanding that half of Harper minutes comes at the four spot ...(12-13 mpg as I see it..with Eugene of course getting the other 27-28 there) and Harper getting 10-12 minutes out of the 1-3 rotation

So you have 108 minutes for 5 players (Mathis, Baker, young, Macconnell, Mulchay)

 

[toby83]

This forum will be interesting after losses with all the playing time options

 

[anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy]

1) PLEASE stop saying jacob young is a pg guys, he is not.

2) jacob young will play the most minutes of any player simply because of how dominant he is on the defense end

3) with the length we have I anticipate us playing a lot of zone when we go with small lineups

4) Mulcahy will run the offense but guard the 3 on D

5) i dont really see peter kiss playing more than a few minutes a game

6) starting lineup should be Geo-Young-Harper-Gene-Myles

7) if we do in fact land Yeboah that will catapult this teams depth and make us legit top half of big ten type of team

8) we should use the last two ships for yeboah and a sit out big man.

 

[rufeelinit]

I think Geo continues to start at the point backed up by PM and McConnell. Mathis/Young/Geo/McConnell play the two or are part of three guard combinations. Harper is the 3 with McConnell and Kiss backing him up. EO is the 4 with Harper and Carter backing him up. Myles is the 5 with Carter/Duke battling for the extra minutes.

 

[RUChoppin]

Not sure you can address the rotation at the 1-3 without understanding that half of Harper minutes comes at the four spot ...(12-13 mpg as I see it..with Eugene of course getting the other 27-28 there) and Harper getting 10-12 minutes out of the 1-3 rotation

Carter will see minutes at PF alongside Johnson. Harper will not get all the PF minutes that Omoruyi doesn't use.

 

[RUChoppin]

1) PLEASE stop saying jacob young is a pg guys, he is not.

2) jacob young will play the most minutes of any player simply because of how dominant he is on the defense end

3) with the length we have I anticipate us playing a lot of zone when we go with small lineups

Young is a combo guard, and will spend some time on-ball in our offense.

2 and 3 are somewhat contradictory.... saying we will spend a lot of time playing zone because of our length runs counter to Young playing the most minutes because of his defense. Young may very well be our best on-ball defender, but he's also got the shortest wingspan on the team.

 

[Scarlet Shack]

Carter will see minutes at PF alongside Johnson. Harper will not get all the PF minutes that Omoruyi doesn't use.

Maybe ....or maybe not

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

After watching the 76'rs we need some size. I know I shouldn't compare to the pros but those boys are huge!!!! Can we win like the Nets shooting 3's? Yes if we find some shooters. Right now we are way too small.

 

[dkostus]

After watching the 76'rs we need some size. I know I shouldn't compare to the pros but those boys are huge!!!! Can we win like the Nets shooting 3's? Yes if we find some shooters. Right now we are way too small.

We were one of the tallest teams in the country last year and only lose Doorson and Thiam. We are bigger at the 1-3 than most teams we will ever see.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Player development is key. Quite frankly I have no idea if guards are our strength or weakness. The good news is we have quantity. We will find out about quality.

 

[kcg88]

Impossible to predict who will improve and who will stagnate. Go see the threads last year where people had Doucoure playing 15-20 minutes and then he averaged like three even before his injury.