2024/2025 Lineup

[jfish26]

Our biggest issues are the same as last year. It's just better scouted and everyone we play is going to exploit it at this point. We are somewhat playing 4 on 5 on both sides of the basketball.

We play 4 on 5 on offense because KJ has zero shooting ability and everybody knows it. Whoever is guarding him can sag ridiculously far off him and play help defense. And since he's a PF, it's usually a big athletic body that's assigned to him and is inside clogging the lanes

And on defense we somewhat play at a disadvantage because hunter is too slow to defend pick and rolls and rotate and everyone knows it. Once they initiate that, our whole team ends up slightly put of position while helping him recover, which leads to dunks layups free throws and open shots with a little ball movement

I agree with those things.

The roster construction is again a mess.

And in my opinion we're paying a price, both on the floor and in the roster, for essentially promising 30% of our minutes to guys who are both better suited to at least one role "down" from what they play.

I think Bill has also got to pick a lane on transfers - either rely on them (and make the system work for guys who didn't get old here), or don't (and invest minutes in young players who will get old here).

[DeletedUser]

Is it possible for one picture to describe our issues?

When they do that he's got to dump it to HD and cut hard to the basket for the give and go.

We adjusted and did that one game, but we haven't done it much since.

[pdub]

Storr isn’t playing well enough to take KJs spot though…at least you get defense with KJ.

And if Storr is out there with Rylen your defense takes a big hit. I guess you could try to play Coit.

Its not a great situation.

[BiggDick]

I dunno if KJ is playing well enough to take KJ's spot either, tho.

[DeletedUser]

Storr isn’t playing well enough to take KJs spot though…at least you get defense with KJ.

And if Storr is out there with Rylen your defense takes a big hit. I guess you could try to play Coit.

Its not a great situation.

Agreed.

I 100% believe Self's plan coming into the year was for KJ to lose minutes to Storr.

Unfortunately Storr can't beat him out in practice or games. He's just not as good as we had hoped. He's inefficient and he does almost nothing other than shoot.

[BiggDick]

and shit, our defense already takes a big hit. WV just got a ton of easy buckets against us.

but as bad as our defense is, I'm afraid our offense is worse. We shoulda been able to put up more than 62 at home against a undermanned WV team.

it may be time to just roll with the guys who have more offensive upside and hope they can get up to speed, than keep on with the guys who keep getting their asses kicked...even if it means just getting them reps for the future.

We're precariously close to another "just start thinking about next year" moment anyway, uttered by none other than Self himself, ironically before he doubled down on the same limited-talent coach's pets who were prompted the comment anyway.

[DeletedUser]

Coit has more offensive upside than Storr and Griffen.

You do realize Storr and Griffen aren't young players, right? These aren't freshman.

Storr is already fielding offers for his next stop to maximize his earning potential for his senior year.

Griffen is a junior.

Flory is our only raw player with significant untapped potential. If Storr had a bunch of potential he'd have gotten interest from the NBA, which he didn't.

[DeletedUser]

These offensive "upside" (LOL) guys you think are so good combined for 3 points and 2 rebounds in 27min against WVU.

That's awful.

That doesn't scream "get these guys more minutes".

It's not like they're playing 5min a game. They're combining for over 40min per game and largely aren't doing shit.

[BiggDick]

if you wanna use WVU as the example...know what's even worse than 3 points and 2 rebounds in 27 minutes?

2 points and 1 rebound in 28 minutes.

But nitpicking box scores from one game isn't gonna do much good here.

I do realize Storr and Griffen aren't young players. But they both have eligibility remaining. And they both have the potential to turn some corner if they get more comfortable in this system.

and it's just...another option. We're already struggling with one lineup, so let's try other lineups.

Also, do you have any information for Storr already fielding offers for his next stop?

[DeletedUser]

You know who should get more minutes...the guy averaging 20pts and 17rebs per 40.

Bidunga needs to play. Doesn't matter how awkward the fit is.

Maybe not starting because coming off the bench allows him to sub for HD or KJ, and if he starts we've got no backup big, but he should play until he fouls out.

[DeletedUser]

if you wanna use WVU as the example...know what's even worse than 3 points and 2 rebounds in 27 minutes?

2 points and 1 rebound in 28 minutes.

But nitpicking box scores from one game isn't gonna do much good here.

I do realize Storr and Griffen aren't young players. But they both have eligibility remaining. And they both have the potential to turn some corner if they get more comfortable in this system.

and it's just...another option. We're already struggling with one lineup, so let's try other lineups.

Also, do you have any information for Storr already fielding offers for his next stop?

Yup. Kj was bad offensively too. But he plays good defense. That's why KJ plays over Storr. It's not because Self has a crush on him. In fact, if you remember, KJ considered transferring in the offseason. Likely because Self told him he might have a reduced role due to his offensive limitations...but alas, they guys we brought in aren't as good as we hoped.

Idk if you're watching many games, it seems like you only appear after losses, but we are trying MULTIPLE different lineups every game. Different starting combos. Different rotational combos. Tons of lineups. Passmore is even getting a chance most games.


Not sure if you realize this, but Storr went to like 4 different high schools and is on his 3rd college in 3 years. So, until he actually sticks it out somewhere, I'll assume he'll go to the highest bidder again this offseason, which won't be us.

[pdub]

We had breakdowns v WVU for sure, especially the first half, but our defense was not the issue.

[pdub]

Bidunga needs to be out there for sure.

[BiggDick]

I do realize Storr has been to a bunch of different schools, yea. And though that's worth considering as it affects the future, I also dunno how reliable that in itself is toward assuming he'll be gone next year.

That's not to say I think he WILL be here next year, either, or that I don't think he's likely to move on once again. The dood doesn't exactly let the grass grow under his feet.

I was just curious if you had some info beyond that.

Cuz for all we know, and for how much can change, maybe some light clicks with him and/or Self, and we end up with another year of Storr yet. Heck, maybe we even end up wanting another year of Storr yet! But I know that sounds like a very long shot at the moment.

I think both of these things can be true, that KJ "plays good defense," and KJ is also still overrated at defense. Dajuan too. Maybe those guys would look better yet defensively if the rest of the lineup did too, but I just dunno how we can credit anyone on this team as defensively good when this team's defense keeps giving away so many easy buckets to opponents.

I don't remember KJ considered transferring in the offseason. I do remember some fan and media pressure to though, perhaps. I just googled it though, and see that some journalist asked him if he planned to return and he replied, "I don't know yet," so that kinda counts. Then he posted "never was leaving" on social media.

I do wonder whether, or how often, Self tells a guy they might have a reduced role. Oh to be a fly on the wall.

[BiggDick]

We had breakdowns v WVU for sure, especially the first half, but our defense was not the issue.

well if that's the case, and we're loosing at home to undermanned conference bottom feeders tho defense is not the issue, then maybe we need to give more of a chance to lineups with more offensive potential. But, yea, I realize the "more offensive potential" guys I refer to aren't exactly lighting it up.

but this is just gross.

[DeletedUser]

I don't mean this in an overly negative way, but do we think Storr is better than Jamari McDowell?

I'm not so sure at this point.

I'd rather move on from him if we don't see significant improvement the next 3 months.

I'd rather roll with Elmarko McDowell and Passmore than Storr for a final year where he'll want to be "the guy" for his last NBA tryout.

[BiggDick]

Bidunga needs to be out there for sure.

At this point, I'm all for starting Bidunga and letting KJ come off the bench, even if it's just to see what happens...but also cuz I think that might be the better lineup regardless.

I'd also be down to try having pretty much every other otherwise-established starter come off the bench, just to mix it it up and see what happens, even though our depth at certain key spots is not great, in large part cuz everybody assumed we were gonna give huge minutes to the otherwise-established starters at those positions.

[BiggDick]

I don't mean this in an overly negative way, but do we think Storr is better than Jamari McDowell?

I'm not so sure at this point.

I'd rather move on from him if we don't see significant improvement the next 3 months.

I'd rather roll with Elmarko McDowell and Passmore than Storr for a final year where he'll want to be "the guy" for his last NBA tryout.

I mean, there's a chance Storr's light comes on more than the other guys.

How would the transfer situation work for Storr, anyway? If he does bolt I'm pretty sure he might have to sit out a year or something at this point. Or, the NCAA gives him some hardship waiver or something.

[DeletedUser]

It's hard to take someone seriously who wants DH coming off the bench "just because".

He's having a really good year in my opinion. Averaging 10pts 6ast 2reb.

He's not the problem. And he's certainly not worse than Coit or Shak Moore.

[DeletedUser]

I don't mean this in an overly negative way, but do we think Storr is better than Jamari McDowell?

I'm not so sure at this point.

I'd rather move on from him if we don't see significant improvement the next 3 months.

I'd rather roll with Elmarko McDowell and Passmore than Storr for a final year where he'll want to be "the guy" for his last NBA tryout.

I mean, there's a chance Storr's light comes on more than the other guys.

How would the transfer situation work for Storr, anyway? If he does bolt I'm pretty sure he might have to sit out a year or something at this point. Or, the NCAA gives him some hardship waiver or something.

I'm lost on the transfer rules so maybe he's run out of free transfers? Or maybe he's got enough college credits to be a graduate transfer?

I think Passmore has more upside than Storr. Storr wasn't even a top 100 recruit. He's literally gotten all this hype based on 1 year of volume shooting on a shitty Wisconsin team.