2024/2025 Lineup

[BiggDick]

ummm

Hunter
Dajuan
KJ
Zach
Elmarko
Jamari

we ARE returning 6 contributors...well, 6 scholarship players!

I don't mean that in a "shit on the team" way to suggest they were or are not contributors, but more as Zach wasn't eligible last year and now Elmarko (maybe more) aren't eligible this year.

But, here's to all eligible guys contributing good minutes toward a winning season...and all redshirt players contributing in practice and the locker room and such too.

[BiggDick]

I just want to sum this up before I get back to work.

Ous thinks a guy who is an All American and could be a 1st team All American and B12POY this season, who has a been on a defensive 1st team ( in a power 5 conference ), and is an excellent defensive rebounder, wouldn't be as good on a college basketball roster as a dude ( a very lovable dude mind you ) who didn't start his senior year and eventually, after playing for years overseas, got into 25 games in the NBA.

He also thinks being 7 foot 2 with a long wingspan discounts you from being able to easily score because, well, I guess it's not physical enough, despite the huge advantage of being 7 foot 2 with a long wingspan being physical.

There's other stuff there but that's the gist.
Have at it everyone.

(When you have pdub defending a NIL superhero...)

I know, right?!

He sounds like gutter at the altar next to Joakim Noah!



and at that, defending the NIL superhero over a 4-year program dood from the quaint bygone pre-NIL era who presumably did it all for things like the love of the game, and of the program and school; and nothing but.

[DeletedUser]

Wow. Still going. LOL


And you wonder why people were happier with you gone.

Took a break. Came back exactly the same annoying guy. The only improvement is ignoring the Poli board and that isn't a fair trade off now that the season is here.


Please, stop trying to dominate the hoops discussion. You're not capable of it. You don't watch the games. You don't understand basketball.

[pdub]

I just want to sum this up before I get back to work.

Ous thinks a guy who is an All American and could be a 1st team All American and B12POY this season, who has a been on a defensive 1st team ( in a power 5 conference ), and is an excellent defensive rebounder, wouldn't be as good on a college basketball roster as a dude ( a very lovable dude mind you ) who didn't start his senior year and eventually, after playing for years overseas, got into 25 games in the NBA.

He also thinks being 7 foot 2 with a long wingspan discounts you from being able to easily score because, well, I guess it's not physical enough, despite the huge advantage of being 7 foot 2 with a long wingspan being physical.

There's other stuff there but that's the gist.
Have at it everyone.

(When you have pdub defending a NIL superhero...)

In that dream team scenario where I have to pick Hunter or Kaun and i'm making a roster that I want to watch, of COURSE i'm taking Kaun over Hunter as my 8th man.

But let's be objective now and instead say 'if your team doesn't make a Final Four your car explodes' well, i'm being smart, making my team the best it can be and picking the MUCH better college player in Hunter.

I hate the Yankees.
But if you were gonna ask me who I thought was better, the Yankees or the Royals this season, i'd say the Yankees.

[twocoach]

ummm

Hunter
Dajuan
KJ
Zach
Elmarko
Jamari

we ARE returning 6 contributors...well, 6 scholarship players!

I don't mean that in a "shit on the team" way to suggest they were or are not contributors, but more as Zach wasn't eligible last year and now Elmarko (maybe more) aren't eligible this year.

But, here's to all eligible guys contributing good minutes toward a winning season...and all redshirt players contributing in practice and the locker room and such too.

Clemence didn't play last year and Elmarko isn't playing this year. I forgot about McDowell so he is technically 4.

I'll get worried about the team once I a tally see them play at keast 4 real games. Until then, I am excited to see how the new parts look. Hopefully these shooters can shoot, so far it looks like at the very least that they shoot better than last year's squad. Hopefully that helps Harris, KJ and Dickinson be better as they all have their strengths and weaknesses that are aided by having better shooters around them.

[randylahey]

But Sasha very well might be a better piece to build a contender with, I suppose. Dude was tougher and defensively better.

LOL

Hunter is about to become a 3x consensus All American.

You sound stupid. Again.

Hunter is a better player individually, but that doesn't mean he's better to build a contender with. IMO, the number 1 job of a center is to anchor a defense and provide toughness and physicality inside.

We saw how that went last season. Hunter was (probably) the worst defensive center self has ever had, and we had a bad season. That 20/10 did not equate to wins.

[jfish26]

But Sasha very well might be a better piece to build a contender with, I suppose. Dude was tougher and defensively better.

LOL

Hunter is about to become a 3x consensus All American.

You sound stupid. Again.

Hunter is a better player individually, but that doesn't mean he's better to build a contender with. IMO, the number 1 job of a center is to anchor a defense and provide toughness and physicality inside.

We saw how that went last season. Hunter was (probably) the worst defensive center self has ever had, and we had a bad season. That 20/10 did not equate to wins.

Correlation/causation issue.

[twocoach]

But Sasha very well might be a better piece to build a contender with, I suppose. Dude was tougher and defensively better.

LOL

Hunter is about to become a 3x consensus All American.

You sound stupid. Again.

Hunter is a better player individually, but that doesn't mean he's better to build a contender with. IMO, the number 1 job of a center is to anchor a defense and provide toughness and physicality inside.

We saw how that went last season. Hunter was (probably) the worst defensive center self has ever had, and we had a bad season. That 20/10 did not equate to wins.

Eh, the season results probably had a bit more to do with McCullar and HD being injured and no one being able to shoot. HD's defense was probably outside the top 5 of the list of reasons the season ended how it did.

[jfish26]

LOL

Hunter is about to become a 3x consensus All American.

You sound stupid. Again.

Hunter is a better player individually, but that doesn't mean he's better to build a contender with. IMO, the number 1 job of a center is to anchor a defense and provide toughness and physicality inside.

We saw how that went last season. Hunter was (probably) the worst defensive center self has ever had, and we had a bad season. That 20/10 did not equate to wins.

Eh, the season results probably had a bit more to do with McCullar and HD being injured and no one being able to shoot. HD's defense was probably outside the top 5 of the list of reasons the season ended how it did.

You can go 40-0 getting exactly what we got out of Hunter. You cannot go 40-0 getting exactly what we got out of Hunter, and from the rest of the roster.

Hunter has problems, but he was not a problem.

[pdub]

Sorry, I don't think Landen Lucas was a better defender than Hunter.
He knew how to position himself but he wasn't a good shot blocker - he didn't really intimidate more than he did just stand in the way.

DMac was also up and down. I think at DMac's best he might have been better than Hunter was last season but DMac sure had his lapses.

Hunter definitely had flaws and yes, absolutely, I agree generally that maybe he isn't the best guy to build around as a contender -- but when you're comparing him to Sasha Kaun -- come the fuck on.

[jfish26]

Sorry, I don't think Landen Lucas was a better defender than Hunter.
He knew how to position himself but he wasn't a good shot blocker - he didn't really intimidate more than he did just stand in the way.

DMac was also up and down. I think at DMac's best he might have been better than Hunter was last season but DMac sure had his lapses.

Hunter definitely had flaws and yes, absolutely, I agree generally that maybe he isn't the best guy to build around as a contender -- but when you're comparing him to Sasha Kaun -- come the fuck on.

Certainly. Our five best 5s under Bill are probably (in no intentional order) frosh Embiid, junior Cole, senior Withey, senior Doke and senior (v1) Hunter? You can ABSOLUTELY make a context-based case among those guys. What you cannot do is say that there is any competitive context in which you’d rather have Sasha/Landen/etc over Hunter (or any of those guys).

[randylahey]

Maybe I am misremembering this, but KJ sucks as a 5 imo. Not sure why we'd want KJ at the 5 against good teams. It's a net negative for our team.

You are not.
Why do we think KJ's natural position is the 5 when it's not.
He has trouble guarding taller players once they get to the post. And he doesn't play back to the basket like Self loves to have for his bigs.

I guess vs a team like Washburn, playing KJ at the 5 is just fine.

KJs offensive skillset best fits at the 5. So people try to put him there. When really he has the body of a 3, albeit a strong athletic one

[pdub]

A body of 3 or a 4.
He would be completely totally fine as a 4 physically ( and defensively ).
He just can't shoot or attack the basket off the dribble very well.

[twocoach]

We win a national title in 22 with Mitch Freaking Lightfoot leading the team in blocks per game off the bench followed by one of our guards just 0.1 blocks a game behind him. Dok in '20 was the last guy we had average more blocks a game than the meager stats HD put up last year.

HD will be better this season thanks to not having to play so many minutes and Bidunga might average 2 blocks a game off the bench. It is not something I am worried about at all.

[randylahey]

LOL

Hunter is about to become a 3x consensus All American.

You sound stupid. Again.

Hunter is a better player individually, but that doesn't mean he's better to build a contender with. IMO, the number 1 job of a center is to anchor a defense and provide toughness and physicality inside.

We saw how that went last season. Hunter was (probably) the worst defensive center self has ever had, and we had a bad season. That 20/10 did not equate to wins.

Correlation/causation issue.

So you think it's just a big coincidence that our defense was so bad last year when we added the worst defensive center of the self era?

Hunter does fine in the block, he just can't rotate for shit. Slowwwww asssss feet. And it really hurt our team defense.

The funny thing is hunter played a lot with dajuan, KJ, and mccullar, 3 high level versatile defenders. All league caliber defenders, and his lack of mobility still significantly hurt our defense

[pdub]

Our issue last year wasn't our defense as much as it was our offense.
We finished top 20 in kenpom and top 15 in bartorvik in defense.

Hunter is not an excellent defender, no, and the things you mention he does have issues with - but i'm sorry, he's a better defender than Landen Lucas.

[jfish26]

Hunter is a better player individually, but that doesn't mean he's better to build a contender with. IMO, the number 1 job of a center is to anchor a defense and provide toughness and physicality inside.

We saw how that went last season. Hunter was (probably) the worst defensive center self has ever had, and we had a bad season. That 20/10 did not equate to wins.

Correlation/causation issue.

So you think it's just a big coincidence that our defense was so bad last year when we added the worst defensive center of the self era?

Hunter does fine in the block, he just can't rotate for shit. Slowwwww asssss feet. And it really hurt our team defense.

The funny thing is hunter played a lot with dajuan, KJ, and mccullar, 3 high level versatile defenders. All league caliber defenders, and his lack of mobility still significantly hurt our defense

I don’t think it’s “a big coincidence,” no. But if you were to make a list of the reasons we had a disappointing season - the causes - Hunter’s defense would not be at or super close to the top.

Maybe a more balanced guy in the Bill’s-best-5s cohort would have made us marginally better? But on the other hand, what he bought on offense, directly and indirectly through spacing, was vital to us even being as good as we were. I don’t think, for example, that we would have been better with Cole at his best.

I could be talked out of it, but I think only Joel would have been clearly a net upgrade, and even then there’s some hindsight help there based on what Joel became.

[pdub]

I'm not on bored with that ( only Joel would have made us better ) as I personally think Dok was a game breaker on both ends of the court and Cole is underrated here ( not by you )...but do agree, when it was all said and done, we probably would have been 8 seed level bad if Hunter had gotten hurt in addition to McCullar.

We needed scoring and he brought that.

[jfish26]

My worry with Doke is that we didn’t have enough shooting or shot creation (especially once McCullar went down) to make an anchor 5 work on offense.

[randylahey]

Yes we desperately needed hunters offense.

But his horrible mobility absolutely had a big impact on how bad our defense was. Not having a center that could rotate over and protect the rim is a pretty major hole on defense