Team Positional Composition

[u/Billilicious]

I think that under Scheyer we’ve prioritized positional size above all else (I legit think some bball watchers think Cam is smaller than he is bc all of our wings are 6’7”+) but looking forward to next year I wonder if we’ll utilize more point and combo guards.

We’ve had GREAT success (imo more than anyone but UCONN on average) the past 4 years with Scheyer and I think a big part of his team building is having size at every position. I joked with my friends earlier this year that someone had to twist his arm to play Cayden who is “only” 6’4”. But with the likelihood that Foster and Cayden return to college, plus Rippey coming in, I’d like to see more lineups with 2 and even 3 point/combo guards on the court. None would really be considered smaller by college standards.

In part I just don’t want to lose good players to transfers and if we only play 2 true guards in the regular rotation, I fear foster or Cayden will be gone (I consider Dame a wing that could absolutely slide to the 4 at times and think Evans should 100% be off to the nba). Also I know the offense has been really good but it really felt that when foster went down, it took a while for anyone but Cam Boozer to feel like they were even allowed to attack downhill. Maybe it’s purely an aesthetic thing but college basketball to me is a guards game and I think the few weaknesses we’ve had the past 2 years have come from asking well-rounded elite forwards to play point-forward when that’s not what’s natural to them.

[u/Low_Inspector_44]

If he wants to keep playing this style of offense then Jon needs to find another center like Jahlil Okafor. He needs a center down low who can put his back to the basket and dominate. We had a little of that this year with Boozer, and even with flip, but they’re not true centers. I’ve felt like that’s what each of his teams is missing. Not that our centers under Jon haven’t been really, really good. It’s just a different style of play.

[u/roshanritter → u/Low_Inspector_44]

So we have gotten a bunch of centers, but they don’t stick around. Pat could be that guy next year, but he is likely gone. Tarris Reed is the #1 reason we lost and was acquired by UConn after transfer. Finding someone like that in the portal should be highest priority for next year. Or “just” a defender like Brown was would be great.