rhodyrudder wrote: ↑3 months ago
What's the over/under on new faces next year?
9 again?
New faces isn't the issue, it's the norm. UConn won a national title with 7 new faces last year. They've got 6 this year.
It's your core. Question is, who is that core on this team? Who's got the attitude issue(s)?
From a priority perspective I look at it like this
Tier 1 (must keep) - Estevez, Fuchs, Green
Those guys I look at having tremendous upside and A10 level talent, just need more time to mature. Cam, despite his wall, was easily the only offensive player who seemed to give you a spark. Fuchs, despite some dumb, young, stupid plays and periods of inadequate effort, is a large human who can dominate if he wants to. He's young so I'm holding onto the hope that he's going to grow and get better while working on his touch around the basket. He's a poor man's Cyril and if he follows that trajectory we'll be alright. Green and Fuchs may have some issues based on the on court stuff, and he has defensive lapses, but he's one of our top 3 best players, easily our best offensive player, and is a guy that could benefit from a PG and a better defense around him so he's not caught on an island.
Tier 2 (should keep) - Weston, Kortright
Both have shown that at times they can be either unbeatable defensively, clutch, or dominant. Both had periods where they've disappeared, but they've also been playing out of position trying to cover up for a thin roster overall. Kortright off the ball would probably improve the offense tremendously when Hammond is ready to take over. Hopefully with another year of being together, 4 out of these 5 guys, can get you to where you want to go. If we want to go anywhere next year, someone from this group needs to step up and become a leader.
Tier 3 (talent, but like...wtf is wrong) - House, Montgomery, Foumena
Like yeah, all 3 of these guys have tremendous upside. We've seen games where all 3 of them are dominant and you say "wow, we're a good team" and then you see games where they pout, ignore coaching, do ridiculously dumb things, force things they shouldn't, or flat out stop caring. They clearly have issues between the ears. Whether it's their attitude, or just the adjustment period to playing at this level - I looked at these 3 as leaders and cornerstones 4 months ago, and now I find myself questioning if they make the team better or worse overall.
Tier 4 (could stay, understand if you go) - Dubsky, Brown
One's a good shooter, one's a good defender, but just not enough athleticism to play both ends of the floor at this level. It's never a bad thing to have a shooter or a defensive big on your bench, but these are the break glass in case of a specific situation type guys, not serious rotation pieces on a really good team. Maybe they could develop into that, but I don't expect either of them to want to wait for that to happen.
Tier 5 (thank you for your service) - Always, Rory
Good dudes, but really lack consistency to become regular or dependable rotation guys. Ways, despite it being his first year at this level clearly isn't cut out for it. Can't have your backup PG not able to run the offense, and Rory is going to be one of those guys who flourishes at a lower level like Bassy - but won't crack a rotation up at the A10 level.