I found this to be fun though the roster is not yet complete


I think we definitely sign a JC post player unless Alex Kellogg returns or something.


I also think we are going with a truly 3 guard starting grouping in Offutt, Cooper and Kellogg ---Mitchell and Taylor would provide the makings of a fun bench duo if Mitchell has a knack for scoring as I have read about..

The wildcard is Johnson. He was among the best in Kentucky his senior year if not the best so he has to be considered a relatively strong possibility to have the cats provide a traditional starting 5 if he can assume the small forward position as a starter.

In the front court it simply has to be Baltic and Keeley at this point pending the assumed arrival of a post player
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Smith is very athletic but is even skinnier than he is athletic --- the kid does have talent however though how it plays out against physical opponents like Kent State remain to be seen.


The wild card here has to be Jacobs merely because there isn't anyone else (Hall isn't a PF in my opinion though perhaps he would play at that spot in a small lineup)  How Jacobs progresses has to be the most important question out off all the known Bobcats to be.

Two things have me about as excited as I have been in a long time regarding sports.

Notre Dame football (regardless of Michael AKA "Otis the town drunk" Floyd)

The arrival and performance of Stevie Taylor --- I just have to see what he can do against college competition both offensively and defensively.

I'm almost counting down the days but not quite.

We got guards !!!!! 
Cooper and Taylor at the point
Kellogg  and Mitchell at the 2

We got wings !!!!!
Offutt, Johnson and Goard at the 3 

We got bigs !!!!
Hall and  Smith at the 4
Baltic, Keely and Jacobs at the 5

I see us going small and running up and down the floor a lot.  I see a 10 rotation with Goard and Jacobs being used in the right matchup or foul trouble.  I see Groce subs 5 at a time and rotates the lineup every 4-5 minutes and we wear down teams with our quickness. Think VCU with us going full throttle for 40 minutes.  With fresh ballhanders and bigs that can run the floor we tire out teams.  With second unit we become more of a slashing team with Mitchell that looks to Keely inside for the finish around the rim. 

  

From  a distance, one of Groce's liabilities is his management of subs.  Seems every time a player gets hot, he subs out -- trying to get playing time, spread minutes, whatever - but it appears predetermined.  I too feel we should play up tempo, but would like to get and keep a 7 - 8 man rotation that plays to the feel of the game.

           Next year's starters, Flip a coin,  Groce will have Multiple startng line ups next year and will go deep into his bench,   Teams we play  better be in shape,  cuz it's gonna be a track meet every game. I look for alot of pressing and traps from next years team,  plus, with alot of pushing the ball up the floor.  Gonna be fun to watch !

-------------------------------------------------------

Dennis "Gman"  "DON'T  FLINCH" 

PG-Cooper
SG-Kellogg
SF-Offutt
PF-Baltic
C-Smith

Offutt will be our leading scorer and will be the go to scorer that we have been missing.  Cooper will lead the MAC, if not nation in assists and steals. Kellogg will be draining the threes, while Baltic continues to improve down low. Jon Smith will be a Washington clone.  I see us just running everyone out of the gym with a very fast starting five. 

After some of the issues we've had with transfers I'm a little leary counting on them.  Remember when Johnnie Jackson was the best player on the court in practice during his transfer year?   The nice thing is even if he is a complete bust we have a number of guys who are going to be vying for playing time at the 2 and 3.  I fully expect one if not both of T.J. Hall or Ricardo Johnson to step their game up next year.  Both have shown flashes and I think more playing time they see the more we get from them.

I expect Goard to be starting by mid season. Just a hunch.

Who's gonna be tough for us?  Who's gonna bring the physical?  Seems like we have a lot of guys who are good athletes but who are not much for bulk.  Athletic skill is not enough.

Jut looking at the ETSU stats and the years stats on the web. 

Two things are for sure.  if OHIO is going to be successful, DJ must shoot better than 38% and 29% on threes and TJ needs to shoot it better than 35% and 27%.  Not sure if it is shot selection or what but those per centages won't get it done!

Actually, I thought DJ was shooting much better until about midway thru the season but he seems to have hit the wall toward the end.  May need to get bigger and stronger to make it thru the long season...just a thought.

I think Smith will be key. I think he can be a physical presence we didn't have, but as has been noted, it's hard to say just from what people see in practices. Goard will be nice as a backup 4. Then hopefully Baltic and Keely keep developing. Obviously Baltic was a nice offensive precense at the end of the year and Keely seemed to show some promise in the last few games. I hope Jacobs can contribute some next year as well. We'll still be thin in the middle, but I think we'll be better off. I still think that one scholarship we have left has to go to a big guy, and I still am not sure it will be given out this year.

I think the reason you don't see teams pressing and playing that attack style is that coaches don't want to lose control of the players. When you play that style your offense is almost free lance 100% of the time. Then, when you get into tight games, especially in March, you need to run sets at the end of games. In the days before the shot clock you could ease up your press and stall the ball whenever you wanted.

Remind me again about Nick Goff.  When we list the guys we add to the squad next year, we never mention him.
Couple questions:

1.  Is he still going to be on the team next year?
2.  Is he a scholarship player, or a transfer walk-on?
3.  Will he play, or is he projected as end of the bench guy?  I assume this is the case as I never hear a word about him being on the team.

Count me among those that don't expect him to play.  He is virtually invisible in practice.