Next year is exciting. My one caveat that I think could hold the team back is the coaching staff not being able to figure out lineups. It's been a consistent issue all of Bart's tenure here, he really struggles at figuring out the optimal combination of guys to play. Last year there were a few posters literally saying in November/early December the lineup that we needed to play and it took Bart probably another 10+ games to really figure that out. Obviously was an issue year one too with all the initial roster turnover they had.
I would like to point out that as fans we are limited in the information we know. We can see the skillsets of players, we can see if they're obviously tired, we can see how they mesh with teammates on the floor, but there are a litany of things to which we're not aware.
We could tell there were possibly some behavioral issues in the fall this past season but we didn't necessarily know who was at the center of those. When Duffy got hurt later he told me and some other fans after the game he was OK and then he ended up missing extended time.
This coming year there are a ton of new additions...and admittedly while the talent increase is phenomenal...the lineup doesn't exactly jump out on paper aside from the 3 main returners. The other spots are up for grabs and there's no clear cut roles/pecking order or even guys you'd want to choose to play more than others based on Bart's style. There's a lot of guys who are sort of "samsies" stylistically except that all are equally unproven. Because of this I think there could be a learning curve and gelling period initially.
The Panthers are returning over half their scoring, which is considerably more than most of the Horizon League. I think you're also misreading a glut of talent as a lack of it. You say no one jumps out on paper...I dunno, let's check the tape on the new guys:
- We've got a guy in
Themus Fulks who averaged 6 assists a season ago and had 11 in his NCAA Tournament game coming to play point guard, and he owns the second-highest scoring season in North Carolina HS history, so if called upon to score we know he can do it.
- Our new guard transfer from Queens played for our head coach for two years (three with a redshirt),
AJ McKee is a strong perimeter defender and scored 19 ppg in Division I this season on a usage level that's about halfway between BJ and Erik Pratt. His versatility makes him playable with virtually anyone currently on our team.
- Our JuCo forward transferring in was ninth in the country in rebounding and has a number of post moves with his back to the basket or face up and
Jamichael Stillwell is not afraid of contact. He complements both Darius Duffy and Faizon Fields in different ways.
- We took a long, punishing defensive forward from one of our conference rivals - specifically someone who hurt
us in multiple games - and brought him home.
Johnny Lovelace Jr. has shown flashes of being a major player. I don't know anyone who watched our overtime game with YSU who wouldn't be excited to have him play here. Well, maybe BJ Freeman.
- An incoming freshman point guard with high upside,
TJ Robinson can play either guard spot and while he's fairly raw, he's also not going to be asked to do a whole lot as a freshman.
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Danilo Jovanovich was runner-up for Wisconsin Mr. Basketball, he's a local kid, he was at Miami for their Final Four run and then Louisville for their bottom falling out, so what he lacks in college basketball playing time (165 minutes this season, two the year before) he has in perspective. He sees how a successful team worked and he saw how an unsuccessful team worked. During the Jeter era, the LaVall Jordan year or the PBS era, getting the runner-up for Wisconsin Mr. Basketball transferring in from two years at ACC schools would have gotten all of our socks rolling up and down. Instead, he's coming in with zero pressure to produce and he's what...our sixth-most heralded recruit? If Green Bay got him to commit they'd be popping corks and celebrating how he's going to "own our city" or whatever.
On top of that, the assumption is that KP and Pratt get the bulk of the offensive touches at the guard spots due to how they played last year without BJ. However if either of them come out and really struggle (especially if KP comes out and again can't remotely shoot the ball) that really could mess things up.
Also AJ McKee, who scored
19 points per game at the Division I level last year. Am I the only one that feels like Matt is forgetting we got a guy who produced on nearly BJ's offensive level yet is also a major positive on the defensive end? That one guy, along with a minor increase in Erik Pratt's usage, looks as though on paper that it wipes out the vacuum created by BJ's departure.
You may say "well on paper" but what else do we have in mid-May?
How we choose to address the PG position does interest me greatly though. I know a lot of posters here love Themus Fulks...but count me as his biggest skeptic. He's legitimately absolutely atrocious at every single aspect of offense except for passing. Curious to see how we utilize him as I feel like he sort of creates a minutes crunch at guard and isn't a fit as a starter unless KP/Pratt/whoever at the 4 are all shooting the ball well.
Themus Fulks is your starting point guard. He replaces Elijah Jamison, who was the starting point guard based on his defensive assignment rather than passing. Passing is Themus' primary job, as it is with any starting point guard. We forget that as long as he or TJ is able to play this season, we'll be playing with a true point guard for the first time in Coach Lundy's tenure.
Think about that. We've had a high-powered offense that was 32nd and 44th in Lundy's first two years at Milwaukee, and we did it
without a true point guard.
At the end of the day, how much are these real concerns and how much is it just trying to make sure those of us who are excited stay grounded?
Guess AJ McKee who averaged 19 a game last year in D1 basketball doesn’t jump off the paper to you. Your assumption of KP and Pratt being the top offensive weapon next year is wrong as well. Crazy to see you write this much and just ignore the clear best player on the roster in McKee.
I could see Pratt being that guy on increased usage. More importantly, there's a bunch of guys here who can be primary scorers on any given night or for long stretches of the season.