Prediction on starting 5 to open the season

[RhodyRams12]

[FDshoes]

I dont agree with Bill on where starting 5 ends up. I dont think Cox moves on from Harris he will remain loyal to him.

Unless there is vast improvements from last year Twan being in the starting 5 come year end is a bad sign for our newcomers. I mean Twan blew last year.

[Joe95]

I think Martin should start at the 3 tomorrow for Rhody, he matches up well with ASU 5 star freshman Josh Christopher.
Fatts
Sheppard
Martin
Mitchell
Harris

[Rhody83]

Hearing top 8 rotation players are - Fatts, Sheppard, Carey, Harris, Mekhi, Walker, Martin & Leggett.

[FDshoes]

Hearing top 8 rotation players are - Fatts, Sheppard, Carey, Harris, Mekhi, Walker, Martin & Leggett.

Sounds about right. Mekhel at 9?

[section(105)]

.......I will stick with my earlier posts here.......five players testing negative.......game in game out.....

[ace]

We’re going to struggle with Makhi and Makhel, aren’t we?
Remember the Makh and then you go either i or el.


That eight seems right and what I was thinking on the previous page. Berry, Makhel, and DJ seem to be on the outside looking in at 9-11. Across the sport, I think this is going to be a tough season for guys to break into the rotation if they’re not there at the start, especially if there’s any disruption to practices. I know Fatts and Sheppard are going to have to get their shots up to be happy, but I really wish Betrand was available.

[DevRam]

Well it looks like Jermaine may possibly have an injury as he was not dressed and sidelined, while the team is practicing at Mohegan.

[PeterRamTime]

We’re going to struggle with Makhi and Makhel, aren’t we?
Remember the Makh and then you go either i or el.


That eight seems right and what I was thinking on the previous page. Berry, Makhel, and DJ seem to be on the outside looking in at 9-11. Across the sport, I think this is going to be a tough season for guys to break into the rotation if they’re not there at the start, especially if there’s any disruption to practices. I know Fatts and Sheppard are going to have to get their shots up to be happy, but I really wish Betrand was available.

Still odd we didn't even consider pursuing a waiver.

Hes probably an all A-10 player right now.

[The Dude]

We’re going to struggle with Makhi and Makhel, aren’t we?
Remember the Makh and then you go either i or el.


That eight seems right and what I was thinking on the previous page. Berry, Makhel, and DJ seem to be on the outside looking in at 9-11. Across the sport, I think this is going to be a tough season for guys to break into the rotation if they’re not there at the start, especially if there’s any disruption to practices. I know Fatts and Sheppard are going to have to get their shots up to be happy, but I really wish Betrand was available.

Just say "Mitchell" & you'll always be right.

[The Dude]

Fatts Russell, Jeremy Shepard, Malik Martin, Jermaine Harris, & Makhi Mitchell is my starting five, unless someone is injured.

[Rhody83]

Fatts Russell, Jeremy Shepard, Malik Martin, Jermaine Harris, & Makhi Mitchell is my starting five, unless someone is injured.

A few post that Harris is injured

[Jersey77]

We could probably rename this thread because we are 7 games in, but possible lineups going forward
This may be premature and probably not for the Davidson game but going further out can you see this starting lineup down the road:
Fatts
Jeremy
AB
Walker
Makhel

Carey, DJ, Ish - Could provide an offensive spark off the bench
Malek, Harris - Can provide defense and muscle inside (JH)

[Rhody83]

We could probably rename this thread because we are 7 games in, but possible lineups going forward
This may be premature and probably not for the Davidson game but going further out can you see this starting lineup down the road:
Fatts
Jeremy
AB
Walker
Makhel

Carey, DJ - Could provide an offensive spark off the bench
Malek, Harris - Can provide defense and muscle inside (JH)

I think Martin will be pulled out of the starting lineup and moved to the back of the rotation.
I am surprised that you listed the participation/contribution of nine players and didn’t include Leggett.
I assume that was just an oversight on your part.

[DC_Rams]

Not sure if AB is injected immediately into the lineup. May need to find his sea legs first.

[Jersey77]

We could probably rename this thread because we are 7 games in, but possible lineups going forward
This may be premature and probably not for the Davidson game but going further out can you see this starting lineup down the road:
Fatts
Jeremy
AB
Walker
Makhel

Carey, DJ, Ish - Could provide an offensive spark off the bench
Malek, Harris - Can provide defense and muscle inside (JH)

I think Martin will be pulled out of the starting lineup and moved to the back of the rotation.
I am surprised that you listed the participation/contribution of nine players and didn’t include Leggett.
I assume that was just an oversight on your part.

Good catch 83 I missed him, will add. Thanks

[Jersey77]

Not sure if AB is injected immediately into the lineup. May need to find his sea legs first.

Yes, that's what I figured, but maybe he will start at sometime down the road.

[DC_Rams]

Not sure if AB is injected immediately into the lineup. May need to find his sea legs first.

Yes, that's what I figured, but maybe he will start at sometime down the road.

With certainty.

[Jersey77]

Now that our roster is pretty much set for 21-22, anyone care to guess who starts to open the season.

Shepp
Ish
Ish2/Martin
Walker
Makhel

I have a feeling Cox will have another deep rotation.
DJ should get plenty of minutes off the bench at the 3 and 4
They will probably work Makhi back slowly from his injury and spend time at the 4 and 5
Hope JH is fully recovered from his lingering foot issues and also see time at the 4 and 5.
Would like to see a big improvement from Carey and back up at the 1 and 2.
The freshman will see limited minutes.

[Rhody74]

I would think Martin would start over new Ish. Either way the nonstarter will probably be sixth man.

[ngriff]

Agreed I would say Ish at the 1 shep at the 2 martin at the 3 walker at the 4 mitchell at the 5. I would like to see David Cox utilize Shep more as a shooter and less as a ballhandler/distributer.

[PeterRamTime]

Now that our roster is pretty much set for 21-22, anyone care to guess who starts to open the season.

Shepp
Ish
Ish2/Martin
Walker
Makhel

I have a feeling Cox will have another deep rotation.
DJ should get plenty of minutes off the bench at the 3 and 4
They will probably work Makhi back slowly from his injury and spend time at the 4 and 5
Hope JH is fully recovered from his lingering foot issues and also see time at the 4 and 5.
Would like to see a big improvement from Carey and back up at the 1 and 2.
The freshman will see limited minutes.

Don't think we will need to work Makhi back slowly. He's been working out for a month now already. He will be ready to go.

[rhodylaw]

I would think Martin would start over new Ish. Either way the nonstarter will probably be sixth man.

I see Ish 2 as the sixth man to start the season (and maybe the entire season). Play the Jarvis Garrett role on this team which is extremely important. I think the last few years, the bench (to the extent we have had one) has been full of guys who are not ball handlers. I would rather start Martin, with Shep and Ish 1 (who should be trusted more as a ball handler next year) and have Ish 2 come off the bench to spell one of those guys. We have bench depth at the 3/4/5 spots with DJ, Makhi, Jermaine (don't hate me on this, he is a good depth player) and whatever Ileri and Samb bring to the table.

[Jersey77]

Now that our roster is pretty much set for 21-22, anyone care to guess who starts to open the season.

Shepp
Ish
Ish2/Martin
Walker
Makhel

I have a feeling Cox will have another deep rotation.
DJ should get plenty of minutes off the bench at the 3 and 4
They will probably work Makhi back slowly from his injury and spend time at the 4 and 5
Hope JH is fully recovered from his lingering foot issues and also see time at the 4 and 5.
Would like to see a big improvement from Carey and back up at the 1 and 2.
The freshman will see limited minutes.

Don't think we will need to work Makhi back slowly. He's been working out for a month now already. He will be ready to go.

I was curious about how Makhi was coming along, glad to hear he is doing well.

Martin because of his size and defense may get the nod at the wing, rather then having the 3 guards start. Regardless, Ish2 will get plenty of minutes, and hopefully he will get pushed by both Tres and Carey.

[PeterRamTime]

Now that our roster is pretty much set for 21-22, anyone care to guess who starts to open the season.

Shepp
Ish
Ish2/Martin
Walker
Makhel

I have a feeling Cox will have another deep rotation.
DJ should get plenty of minutes off the bench at the 3 and 4
They will probably work Makhi back slowly from his injury and spend time at the 4 and 5
Hope JH is fully recovered from his lingering foot issues and also see time at the 4 and 5.
Would like to see a big improvement from Carey and back up at the 1 and 2.
The freshman will see limited minutes.

Don't think we will need to work Makhi back slowly. He's been working out for a month now already. He will be ready to go.

I was curious about how Makhi was coming along, glad to hear he is doing well.

Martin because of his size and defense may get the nod at the wing, rather then having the 3 guards start. Regardless, Ish2 will get plenty of minutes, and hopefully he will get pushed by both Tres and Carey.

Following the players on Instagram can get you up to date on those things.

Yeah they said it was a 4 month recovery, so hopefully by the season he won't have those post injury jitters.

If Ish2 gets pushed out by Carey and Tres then either Ish 2 is struggling big time or we have ourselves a good basketball team.


Tres looks good physically. Looks like he's added some muscle. Got a great wingspan. He looks like he will be a good defender.

[reef]

Yeah I like that also Martin starting at the 3 wish Ish 2 off bench

[steveystuds06]

What I want to happen.
1. Shep
2. Ish
3. Martin
4. Walker
5. Makhel
6. Makhi
7. El-Amin
8. DJ
Minimal Minutes
10. Tres
11. Samb

What I think Cox will do
1. Shep
2. Ish
3. Martin
4. Walker
5. Makhel
6. El-Amin
7. Makhi
8. Harris
9. Carey
10. Dj
11. Tres

We will have a big rotation early on, but I hope Cox learned his lesson last year and shortens it once the best players stand out.

Unless Carey drastically improves, I don't know why he should see any minutes if we have a healthy roster. If Tres can provide some solid defense and, more importantly, fewer turnovers, he should play over Carey.

My prediction for most improved last year was Walker. This year it's DJ. He clearly struggled at times, but when things clicked, he was great on both ends of the floor. I expect him to make a big jump this year. I do worry Cox will favor Harris over him, though.

Obviously, the game tape can be very deceiving, but Samb looks like he already has a more polished offensive game than Harris. If he can also defend, then like Tres over Carey, I'd rather play the freshman. The chances of Cox playing Samb over Harris are slim to none.

I hope Cox's rotations are better than last year, but I will need to see it to believe it.

[Iggy1979]

Thought DJ was a defensive liability

[LIRAM]

D.J. really struggled on defense and was bad on the defensive boards. Just not strong enough to rebound and had a too many break downs on defense. I like DJ and love his effort. I think he cares and his struggles were not do to lack of effort. He just needs to be coached up. He got into the game late and has never really been coached at a high level. He has a beautiful stroke and is a plus athlete. Probably playing at a level to high. More of a American East or NEC talent. That being said I hope he works his tail off and gives us quality minutes and a shooter of the bench. He is a young man who I will be rooting for and I like his story.

[bigappleram]

Sheppard
Leggett
El-Amin
Walker
Mitchell

Mitchell
Martin

EVERYONE ELSE PLAYING FOR A SPOT/ROLE.

[PeterRamTime]

D.J. really struggled on defense and was bad on the defensive boards. Just not strong enough to rebound and had a too many break downs on defense. I like DJ and love his effort. I think he cares and his struggles were not do to lack of effort. He just needs to be coached up. He got into the game late and has never really been coached at a high level. He has a beautiful stroke and is a plus athlete. Probably playing at a level to high. More of a American East or NEC talent. That being said I hope he works his tail off and gives us quality minutes and a shooter of the bench. He is a young man who I will be rooting for and I like his story.

I think he really just needs some more muscle on him.

[Rhody72]

Sheppard
Leggett
El-Amin
Walker
Mitchell

Mitchell
Martin

EVERYONE ELSE PLAYING FOR A SPOT/ROLE.

I generally agree wit BAR, but I think Martin will start over El-Amin in game 1. I don't know what to expect from Mahki and AB next year. Who knows if our 2 four-stars will finally emerge from ignominy. If everyone was healthy and playing up to their potential, thid eould be a good, deep team.

[SGreenwell]

D.J. really struggled on defense and was bad on the defensive boards. Just not strong enough to rebound and had a too many break downs on defense. I like DJ and love his effort. I think he cares and his struggles were not do to lack of effort. He just needs to be coached up. He got into the game late and has never really been coached at a high level. He has a beautiful stroke and is a plus athlete. Probably playing at a level to high. More of a American East or NEC talent. That being said I hope he works his tail off and gives us quality minutes and a shooter of the bench. He is a young man who I will be rooting for and I like his story.

FWIW, his DRTG is pretty much middle of the pack for the team - 100.9. However, the guys ahead of him in the rotation were all better - Makhel (97.3), Walker (97.7) and Martin (100.1), so he probably wasn't as good as them when you did the direct comparison. Something that bears watching is that the three worst on the team were Leggett (104.6), Betrand (103.9) and Sheppard (103.1). Some of that is the fact that the best players in the A-10 are guards, and Leggett and Sheppard especially were probably in defensive match-ups against the best offensive options for opposing teams. However, Fatts' rate was 98.8, suggesting that both of them can improve on the defensive end.

[steveystuds06]

D.J. really struggled on defense and was bad on the defensive boards. Just not strong enough to rebound and had a too many break downs on defense. I like DJ and love his effort. I think he cares and his struggles were not do to lack of effort. He needs to be coached up. He got into the game late and has never really been coached at a high level. He has a beautiful stroke and is a plus athlete. Probably playing at a level to high. More of a American East or NEC talent. That being said I hope he works his tail off and gives us quality minutes and a shooter of the bench. He is a young man who I will be rooting for and I like his story.

I disagree. Devale is an A10 player. You have to factor in that he didn't start playing basketball until his senior year of high school. He's only going to get better ... He clearly had some trouble on defense dealing with the speed of D1, but that should have been expected. Now that he has a year under his belt, the game should slow down for him, and he can continue to work on his speed/strength this offseason. I expect him to make a jump this year..

[SmartyBarrett]

Sheppard
Leggett
El-Amin
Walker
Mitchell

Mitchell
Martin

EVERYONE ELSE PLAYING FOR A SPOT/ROLE.

I’m fine with mixing DJ in here and there but otherwise I agree.

[reef]

I like DJ as the 8th man and once AB is healthy he should fill out the 9 man rotation ??

[PeterRamTime]

Sheppard
Leggett
El-Amin
Walker
Mitchell

Mitchell
Martin

EVERYONE ELSE PLAYING FOR A SPOT/ROLE.

I’m fine with mixing DJ in here and there but otherwise I agree.

If there's a zone he is a must.

[DeanDome88]

D.J. really struggled on defense and was bad on the defensive boards. Just not strong enough to rebound and had a too many break downs on defense. I like DJ and love his effort. I think he cares and his struggles were not do to lack of effort. He just needs to be coached up. He got into the game late and has never really been coached at a high level. He has a beautiful stroke and is a plus athlete. Probably playing at a level to high. More of a American East or NEC talent. That being said I hope he works his tail off and gives us quality minutes and a shooter of the bench. He is a young man who I will be rooting for and I like his story.

I like DJ and if the coaching staff wants to compete for the A-10 they need to figure out how to get him more open looks when he is in the game.

[LIRAM]

Man we have fallen. I'm sorry but if you want to put banners in the rafters and participate in meaningful games in March we are reaching if we think DJ is a difference maker. He is a great shooter and you can never have enough shooters but he has way to many holes in his game. He is currently a stand in the corner or the arc and shoot the three player. A stretch three or small 4? Stretch 3 what the hell is that? A wing needs to break people down and get to the rim, a wing need to be able to create for others. He currently does not have that ability. He has very little feel for the game in a half court(no fault of his own just new to the game) and is to slight to play the 4 in the Atlantic 10. This is why I said a lower level player. He is a stretch 4 in the NEC/American East. The A-10 is to physical for him. He is a one trick pony.
I have absolutely nothing against the young man and like I stated I love how hard he works and he clearly cares. He is a hard worker who has made himself into a division one player. It truly is a great story. But.... we are trying to get back to the dance. We don't have the luxury of playing kids who are just cutting their teeth. Losing our best two wings (Tyrese/Toppin) in the same off season really hurt. Filling that void with Martin and Betrand has not worked out so far. DJ has an opportunity and I truly hope I am wrong. He seems to be a young who has proved many people wrong before and I hope he does the same to me. I am not hating on the kid but lets be honest would he see any time on a quality team?
Cox needs to recruit a swiss army knife wing who can do it all. A lunch pale kid who has a multiple skill set. Would love another Mike Brown, Andre Samuels, Will Daniels, Tavorris Bell, Lamont Ulmer type forward.

Mark Schmidt seems to find these types of players- most recently with Courtney Stockard and Jaren Holmes. Wings who are physically tough, who have a lot of tools in the toolbox. Schmidt builds a team very similar to how Al Skinner built his teams at Rhody and BC. Players with multiple skill sets.

[steveystuds06]

Man we have fallen. I'm sorry but if you want to put banners in the rafters and participate in meaningful games in March we are reaching if we think DJ is a difference maker. He is a great shooter and you can never have enough shooters but he has way to many holes in his game. He is currently a stand in the corner or the arc and shoot the three player. A stretch three or small 4? Stretch 3 what the hell is that? A wing needs to break people down and get to the rim, a wing need to be able to create for others. He currently does not have that ability. He has very little feel for the game in a half court(no fault of his own just new to the game) and is to slight to play the 4 in the Atlantic 10. This is why I said a lower level player. He is a stretch 4 in the NEC/American East. The A-10 is to physical for him. He is a one trick pony.
I have absolutely nothing against the young man and like I stated I love how hard he works and he clearly cares. He is a hard worker who has made himself into a division one player. It truly is a great story. But.... we are trying to get back to the dance. We don't have the luxury of playing kids who are just cutting their teeth. Losing our best two wings (Tyrese/Toppin) in the same off season really hurt. Filling that void with Martin and Betrand has not worked out so far. DJ has an opportunity and I truly hope I am wrong. He seems to be a young who has proved many people wrong before and I hope he does the same to me. I am not hating on the kid but lets be honest would he see any time on a quality team?
Cox needs to recruit a swiss army knife wing who can do it all. A lunch pale kid who has a multiple skill set. Would love another Mike Brown, Andre Samuels, Will Daniels, Tavorris Bell, Lamont Ulmer type forward.

Mark Schmidt seems to find these types of players- most recently with Courtney Stockard and Jaren Holmes. Wings who are physically tough, who have a lot of tools in the toolbox. Schmidt builds a team very similar to how Al Skinner built his teams at Rhody and BC. Players with multiple skill sets.

No one said DJ is a "difference-maker." People said he could be the 8-10th man off the bench on the current roster we have now. I'm not going to say he's not capable of being a piece on a good A10 team when he's new to basketball and played 1 year In D1... It's too early to say that... When someone is athletic and can shoot as he can, the hope is to improve his speed, strength, and feel for the game by the second year. Every team can benefit from having someone that can come in and get hot from 3. Especially a team like ours who always has trouble hitting shots.

I'm not sure if you're aware, but our roster is full.. Yes, we all would love players like WIll Daniels and Lamont Ulmer, but the chances of that happen this upcoming season are slim to none. The question is on this current roster who should play and who should sit. I think Devale could be someone that makes an impact if the game slows down for him.

[Jersey77]

Man we have fallen. I'm sorry but if you want to put banners in the rafters and participate in meaningful games in March we are reaching if we think DJ is a difference maker. He is a great shooter and you can never have enough shooters but he has way to many holes in his game. He is currently a stand in the corner or the arc and shoot the three player. A stretch three or small 4? Stretch 3 what the hell is that? A wing needs to break people down and get to the rim, a wing need to be able to create for others. He currently does not have that ability. He has very little feel for the game in a half court(no fault of his own just new to the game) and is to slight to play the 4 in the Atlantic 10. This is why I said a lower level player. He is a stretch 4 in the NEC/American East. The A-10 is to physical for him. He is a one trick pony.
I have absolutely nothing against the young man and like I stated I love how hard he works and he clearly cares. He is a hard worker who has made himself into a division one player. It truly is a great story. But.... we are trying to get back to the dance. We don't have the luxury of playing kids who are just cutting their teeth. Losing our best two wings (Tyrese/Toppin) in the same off season really hurt. Filling that void with Martin and Betrand has not worked out so far. DJ has an opportunity and I truly hope I am wrong. He seems to be a young who has proved many people wrong before and I hope he does the same to me. I am not hating on the kid but lets be honest would he see any time on a quality team?
Cox needs to recruit a swiss army knife wing who can do it all. A lunch pale kid who has a multiple skill set. Would love another Mike Brown, Andre Samuels, Will Daniels, Tavorris Bell, Lamont Ulmer type forward.

Mark Schmidt seems to find these types of players- most recently with Courtney Stockard and Jaren Holmes. Wings who are physically tough, who have a lot of tools in the toolbox. Schmidt builds a team very similar to how Al Skinner built his teams at Rhody and BC. Players with multiple skill sets.

No one said DJ is a "difference-maker." People said he could be the 8-10th man off the bench on the current roster we have now. I'm not going to say he's not capable of being a piece on a good A10 team when he's new to basketball and played 1 year In D1... It's too early to say that... When someone is athletic and can shoot as he can, the hope is to improve his speed, strength, and feel for the game by the second year. Every team can benefit from having someone that can come in and get hot from 3. Especially a team like ours who always has trouble hitting shots.

I'm not sure if you're aware, but our roster is full.. Yes, we all would love players like WIll Daniels and Lamont Ulmer, but the chances of that happen this upcoming season are slim to none. The question is on this current roster who should play and who should sit. I think Devale could be someone that makes an impact if the game slows down for him.

I think DJ is an A10 player and should be a nice contributor this season. Let's face it our team isn't loaded with star power and we didn't see that solid consistency from any of our players. I expect DJ to get stronger this year and the game to slow down a little for him at this level. He did show some flashes last season and we should see much more of that from him this year.

I also think that Martin will probably get the initial nod to start rather than Ish2. Hopefully he can provide a spark coming off the bench subbing for both Shepp and Ish and maybe at times all 3 guards will be on the floor at the same time. I expect a big improvement from Carey, he has the talent and ability just needs to prove it on the court.

[LIRAM]

Man we have fallen. I'm sorry but if you want to put banners in the rafters and participate in meaningful games in March we are reaching if we think DJ is a difference maker. He is a great shooter and you can never have enough shooters but he has way to many holes in his game. He is currently a stand in the corner or the arc and shoot the three player. A stretch three or small 4? Stretch 3 what the hell is that? A wing needs to break people down and get to the rim, a wing need to be able to create for others. He currently does not have that ability. He has very little feel for the game in a half court(no fault of his own just new to the game) and is to slight to play the 4 in the Atlantic 10. This is why I said a lower level player. He is a stretch 4 in the NEC/American East. The A-10 is to physical for him. He is a one trick pony.
I have absolutely nothing against the young man and like I stated I love how hard he works and he clearly cares. He is a hard worker who has made himself into a division one player. It truly is a great story. But.... we are trying to get back to the dance. We don't have the luxury of playing kids who are just cutting their teeth. Losing our best two wings (Tyrese/Toppin) in the same off season really hurt. Filling that void with Martin and Betrand has not worked out so far. DJ has an opportunity and I truly hope I am wrong. He seems to be a young who has proved many people wrong before and I hope he does the same to me. I am not hating on the kid but lets be honest would he see any time on a quality team?
Cox needs to recruit a swiss army knife wing who can do it all. A lunch pale kid who has a multiple skill set. Would love another Mike Brown, Andre Samuels, Will Daniels, Tavorris Bell, Lamont Ulmer type forward.

Mark Schmidt seems to find these types of players- most recently with Courtney Stockard and Jaren Holmes. Wings who are physically tough, who have a lot of tools in the toolbox. Schmidt builds a team very similar to how Al Skinner built his teams at Rhody and BC. Players with multiple skill sets.

No one said DJ is a "difference-maker." People said he could be the 8-10th man off the bench on the current roster we have now. I'm not going to say he's not capable of being a piece on a good A10 team when he's new to basketball and played 1 year In D1... It's too early to say that... When someone is athletic and can shoot as he can, the hope is to improve his speed, strength, and feel for the game by the second year. Every team can benefit from having someone that can come in and get hot from 3. Especially a team like ours who always has trouble hitting shots.

I'm not sure if you're aware, but our roster is full.. Yes, we all would love players like WIll Daniels and Lamont Ulmer, but the chances of that happen this upcoming season are slim to none. The question is on this current roster who should play and who should sit. I think Devale could be someone that makes an impact if the game slows down for him.

Hey Steve, not trying to come across as an asshole. I truly hope DJ has a great season. Correct no one said 'difference maker' that was me. Usually when you go the Juco route you are getting a player who makes an immediate impact. We redshirted DJ last year hoping that would catch him up? We red shirted a JUCO at the division one level? Who does that?

I am well aware of our roster status. The construction of this roster is poor in my opinion. I listed those players because having a wing or big guard who can do multiple things is essential. None of our current wings has a complete game or a multiple skill set. Betrand is the closest and he really struggled and now is coming off a serious injury. DJ is not a 4 in the A10. He is a 4 in the NEC. I will stick with that opinion. Hell I thought we were better when Cox played Martin at the 4. We need a wing? Playing three guards who are all 6'2 and under at the same time for an extended period of time is not good construction of a roster. If DJ is playing the 3- you than have 3 players on the court who can not create (combination of 2 bigs and DJ). That puts so much pressure on the two lead guards. This is why we play so much pick and roll and are unable to run any continuity. You can not run an effective team offense with this set up. This is why we average 12 assists a game. Not that Fatts ruined us. The construction of this team is poor. Not enough multiple skilled players.

You are all correct that DJ has a role on THIS team. This team is poorly constructed in my opinion. Can they win games- yes. Is there talent-yes. Will I watch every game and root for all to succeed- yes. Am I hoping Coach Cox and staff figure it out- YES.

[steveystuds06]

Man we have fallen. I'm sorry but if you want to put banners in the rafters and participate in meaningful games in March we are reaching if we think DJ is a difference maker. He is a great shooter and you can never have enough shooters but he has way to many holes in his game. He is currently a stand in the corner or the arc and shoot the three player. A stretch three or small 4? Stretch 3 what the hell is that? A wing needs to break people down and get to the rim, a wing need to be able to create for others. He currently does not have that ability. He has very little feel for the game in a half court(no fault of his own just new to the game) and is to slight to play the 4 in the Atlantic 10. This is why I said a lower level player. He is a stretch 4 in the NEC/American East. The A-10 is to physical for him. He is a one trick pony.
I have absolutely nothing against the young man and like I stated I love how hard he works and he clearly cares. He is a hard worker who has made himself into a division one player. It truly is a great story. But.... we are trying to get back to the dance. We don't have the luxury of playing kids who are just cutting their teeth. Losing our best two wings (Tyrese/Toppin) in the same off season really hurt. Filling that void with Martin and Betrand has not worked out so far. DJ has an opportunity and I truly hope I am wrong. He seems to be a young who has proved many people wrong before and I hope he does the same to me. I am not hating on the kid but lets be honest would he see any time on a quality team?
Cox needs to recruit a swiss army knife wing who can do it all. A lunch pale kid who has a multiple skill set. Would love another Mike Brown, Andre Samuels, Will Daniels, Tavorris Bell, Lamont Ulmer type forward.

Mark Schmidt seems to find these types of players- most recently with Courtney Stockard and Jaren Holmes. Wings who are physically tough, who have a lot of tools in the toolbox. Schmidt builds a team very similar to how Al Skinner built his teams at Rhody and BC. Players with multiple skill sets.

No one said DJ is a "difference-maker." People said he could be the 8-10th man off the bench on the current roster we have now. I'm not going to say he's not capable of being a piece on a good A10 team when he's new to basketball and played 1 year In D1... It's too early to say that... When someone is athletic and can shoot as he can, the hope is to improve his speed, strength, and feel for the game by the second year. Every team can benefit from having someone that can come in and get hot from 3. Especially a team like ours who always has trouble hitting shots.

I'm not sure if you're aware, but our roster is full.. Yes, we all would love players like WIll Daniels and Lamont Ulmer, but the chances of that happen this upcoming season are slim to none. The question is on this current roster who should play and who should sit. I think Devale could be someone that makes an impact if the game slows down for him.

Hey Steve, not trying to come across as an asshole. I truly hope DJ has a great season. Correct no one said 'difference maker' that was me. Usually when you go the Juco route you are getting a player who makes an immediate impact. We redshirted DJ last year hoping that would catch him up? We red shirted a JUCO at the division one level? Who does that?

I am well aware of our roster status. The construction of this roster is poor in my opinion. I listed those players because having a wing or big guard who can do multiple things is essential. None of our current wings has a complete game or a multiple skill set. Betrand is the closest and he really struggled and now is coming off a serious injury. DJ is not a 4 in the A10. He is a 4 in the NEC. I will stick with that opinion. Hell I thought we were better when Cox played Martin at the 4. We need a wing? Playing three guards who are all 6'2 and under at the same time for an extended period of time is not good construction of a roster. If DJ is playing the 3- you than have 3 players on the court who can not create (combination of 2 bigs and DJ). That puts so much pressure on the two lead guards. This is why we play so much pick and roll and are unable to run any continuity. You can not run an effective team offense with this set up. This is why we average 12 assists a game. Not that Fatts ruined us. The construction of this team is poor. Not enough multiple skilled players.

You are all correct that DJ has a role on THIS team. This team is poorly constructed in my opinion. Can they win games- yes. Is there talent-yes. Will I watch every game and root for all to succeed- yes. Am I hoping Coach Cox and staff figure it out- YES.

I don't think you're coming off as an asshole at all. We simply have a different opinion on DJ. It may be wishful thinking that DJ can figure it out, but I feel like under the right coaching, he can impact. The kid has a BEAUTIFUL shot and I think if he gets stronger and it slows down for him he could end up being a decent shot blocker and a stretch 4. He was always a step behind and had many goaltends last season but he had the right idea.

Something we do agree on is that this team is poorly constructed. Losing Toppin and Tyrese hurt drastically. As Blueman said, I'm not sure why we wasted a ship on another streaky guard that seems to take a lot of shots. I guess that's the best Cox can do. I'm sure it is, considering he hasn't received an extension which clearly means he's on the hot seat no matter how many times Cox can do no wrong people on here disagree.

We will have to see how it all plays out but I am not as optimistic as some on here...

[Billyboy78]

No one said DJ is a "difference-maker." People said he could be the 8-10th man off the bench on the current roster we have now. I'm not going to say he's not capable of being a piece on a good A10 team when he's new to basketball and played 1 year In D1... It's too early to say that... When someone is athletic and can shoot as he can, the hope is to improve his speed, strength, and feel for the game by the second year. Every team can benefit from having someone that can come in and get hot from 3. Especially a team like ours who always has trouble hitting shots.

I'm not sure if you're aware, but our roster is full.. Yes, we all would love players like WIll Daniels and Lamont Ulmer, but the chances of that happen this upcoming season are slim to none. The question is on this current roster who should play and who should sit. I think Devale could be someone that makes an impact if the game slows down for him.

Hey Steve, not trying to come across as an asshole. I truly hope DJ has a great season. Correct no one said 'difference maker' that was me. Usually when you go the Juco route you are getting a player who makes an immediate impact. We redshirted DJ last year hoping that would catch him up? We red shirted a JUCO at the division one level? Who does that?

I am well aware of our roster status. The construction of this roster is poor in my opinion. I listed those players because having a wing or big guard who can do multiple things is essential. None of our current wings has a complete game or a multiple skill set. Betrand is the closest and he really struggled and now is coming off a serious injury. DJ is not a 4 in the A10. He is a 4 in the NEC. I will stick with that opinion. Hell I thought we were better when Cox played Martin at the 4. We need a wing? Playing three guards who are all 6'2 and under at the same time for an extended period of time is not good construction of a roster. If DJ is playing the 3- you than have 3 players on the court who can not create (combination of 2 bigs and DJ). That puts so much pressure on the two lead guards. This is why we play so much pick and roll and are unable to run any continuity. You can not run an effective team offense with this set up. This is why we average 12 assists a game. Not that Fatts ruined us. The construction of this team is poor. Not enough multiple skilled players.

You are all correct that DJ has a role on THIS team. This team is poorly constructed in my opinion. Can they win games- yes. Is there talent-yes. Will I watch every game and root for all to succeed- yes. Am I hoping Coach Cox and staff figure it out- YES.

I don't think you're coming off as an asshole at all. We simply have a different opinion on DJ. It may be wishful thinking that DJ can figure it out, but I feel like under the right coaching, he can impact. The kid has a BEAUTIFUL shot and I think if he gets stronger and it slows down for him he could end up being a decent shot blocker and a stretch 4. He was always a step behind and had many goaltends last season but he had the right idea.

Something we do agree on is that this team is poorly constructed. Losing Toppin and Tyrese hurt drastically. As Blueman said, I'm not sure why we wasted a ship on another streaky guard that seems to take a lot of shots. I guess that's the best Cox can do. I'm sure it is, considering he hasn't received an extension which clearly means he's on the hot seat no matter how many times Cox can do no wrong people on here disagree.

We will have to see how it all plays out but I am not as optimistic as some on here...

The key phrase being "under the right coaching".

[PeterRamTime]

The one game I attended @WKU DJ was like our best player. He was sprinting off screens and nailing big shots.

After that he was never really used like that again.

He could still improve a lot. We don't know how much he improved from his redshirt year until last year, so he could have some surprises for us.

I know I want him out there shooting threes in every game.

[LIRAM]

The one game I attended @WKU DJ was like our best player. He was sprinting off screens and nailing big shots.

After that he was never really used like that again.

He could still improve a lot. We don't know how much he improved from his redshirt year until last year, so he could have some surprises for us.

I know I want him out there shooting threes in every game.

Out of conference game and he was super in that game. Really gave us a lift. He had 3 or 4 of those games. Once we were in A10 play and scouted correctly he really struggled making three's. His last 12 games he shot 7/26 for 27%. The A10 has some really good coaches and they ran him off the line and switched on baseline screens. He took 83 shots this year, 65 from three. He is a one trick pony. He had a total of 8 assists this year! So given his ability to shoot and his length he was unable to shot fake/dribble drive or shot fake create rotation/scramble and create for others. He has been in a college program for 4 years, two with us. He regressed as the year went on like many of our players. If he had progressed I would feel so much more confident about him. I think he was just really exposed. He is 22/23 years old. He is 185 pounds soaking wet and is green to the game. DJ does not move the needle. Sorry and I will stop. Cox get us a Delroy! Forgot to list that one Steve. LOL

[steveystuds06]

The one game I attended @WKU DJ was like our best player. He was sprinting off screens and nailing big shots.

After that he was never really used like that again.

He could still improve a lot. We don't know how much he improved from his redshirt year until last year, so he could have some surprises for us.

I know I want him out there shooting threes in every game.

Out of conference game and he was super in that game. Really gave us a lift. He had 3 or 4 of those games. Once we were in A10 play and scouted correctly he really struggled making three's. His last 12 games he shot 7/26 for 27%. The A10 has some really good coaches and they ran him off the line and switched on baseline screens. He took 83 shots this year, 65 from three. He is a one trick pony. He had a total of 8 assists this year! So given his ability to shoot and his length he was unable to shot fake/dribble drive or shot fake create rotation/scramble and create for others. He has been in a college program for 4 years, two with us. He regressed as the year went on like many of our players. If he had progressed I would feel so much more confident about him. I think he was just really exposed. He is 22/23 years old. He is 185 pounds soaking wet and is green to the game. DJ does not move the needle. Sorry and I will stop. Cox get us a Delroy! Forgot to list that one Steve. LOL

Delroy was the best.. I used to love when he would show up at Charlie O's. Except when he hit on my ex-girlfriend...

[LIRAM]

The one game I attended @WKU DJ was like our best player. He was sprinting off screens and nailing big shots.

After that he was never really used like that again.

He could still improve a lot. We don't know how much he improved from his redshirt year until last year, so he could have some surprises for us.

I know I want him out there shooting threes in every game.

Out of conference game and he was super in that game. Really gave us a lift. He had 3 or 4 of those games. Once we were in A10 play and scouted correctly he really struggled making three's. His last 12 games he shot 7/26 for 27%. The A10 has some really good coaches and they ran him off the line and switched on baseline screens. He took 83 shots this year, 65 from three. He is a one trick pony. He had a total of 8 assists this year! So given his ability to shoot and his length he was unable to shot fake/dribble drive or shot fake create rotation/scramble and create for others. He has been in a college program for 4 years, two with us. He regressed as the year went on like many of our players. If he had progressed I would feel so much more confident about him. I think he was just really exposed. He is 22/23 years old. He is 185 pounds soaking wet and is green to the game. DJ does not move the needle. Sorry and I will stop. Cox get us a Delroy! Forgot to list that one Steve. LOL

Delroy was the best.. I used to love when he would show up at Charlie O's. Except when he hit on my ex-girlfriend...

Delroy was a great talent and could do so much. How Baron could not get that group to dance is crazy. Back in the early ninety's Adbul Fox and Kyle Ivey Jones were always out together. The two Los's were a blast too. Carlos Easterling was loved by the student body and he put on a show everywhere. Carlos Cofield was just so chill and laid back. Back then many of the guys would have meal plans in the Fraternities because we had cooks and the food was much better than the cafeteria. It was a win/win we got the money and had an opportunity to hang with the players and they got hot meals and whatever else they needed. Many a night Kent, Moten, Keebler and Monty Collins would stroll into a late night. I think if Jason Alexander could of curbed his appetite for fun he would have been a great one. It was always that scene from Animal House. 'Do you mind if we dance with your dates?' Good fun and great guys.

They would all stick around and play pick up at Boone Street in the Summer. Later in the 1990"s Boone was sanctioned by the NCAA and had some incredible run and Summer League battles. Think Rucker Park in Narragansett. The players would all bounce and work at the Restaurants in Narragansett and Newport. Sorry for the trip down memory lane but those were great times and the players were truly part of campus life.

[Jersey77]

Just revisiting this as we get closer.

Most if us agree on Shep, Ish, Walker, and Makhel.

The question is who gets the nod for 5th starter to open: El-Amin or Martin.

I still have a feeling it's Martin but wouldn't be surprised if Cox goes with El-Amin, especially if he impresses in practice.

Remember last season of the returnees we started Makhi and Carey along with Walker and Shep.

[Rhody74]

Just revisiting this as we get closer.

Most if us agree on Shep, Ish, Walker, and Makhel.

The question is who gets the nod for 5th starter to open: El-Amin or Martin.

I still have a feeling it's Martin but wouldn't be surprised if Cox goes with El-Amin, especially if he impresses in practice.

Remember last season of the returnees we started Makhi and Carey along with Walker and Shep.

I think El Amin. Martin is a versatile 6th man.