"Plenty of games" and "during a stretch" - I agree with you. There were also plenty of games and tons of stretches where our defense was absolutely indefensible. [/QUOTE]Our defense was indefensible all year. We were a bottom 10 team defending the three, and in this day and age there's no way to be a good team when that's the case.
Given the constant amount of injuries to key starters such that we never played with our expected healthy rotations all year, the roster wasn't big enough or strong enough. That's true.
You're hedging here way more than I need to. The roster, even fully healthy, wasn't big enough or strong enough. We felt Hadaway's absence a ton, but let's call a spade a spade: Hadaway was recruited as a 3 and is playing up a position, Clayton was recruited as a 4 and playing up a position, AJB was recruited as a 2 and playing up a position. That's a choice by Boals, and it didn't work.
I agree, but go look at the # of freshmen and new faces listed in my hypothetical rotation post above. I think pretty substantial overhaul is exactly what is happening to the roster.
I'll be more specific: Boals needs a strategic overhaul. His roster's far too weighted to guards and wings, and Boals isn't a good enough bigs recruiter to get away with such a short rotation in the frontcourt. The roster overhaul you outlined includes a single new big -- and it's a hypothetical one who isn't actually signed. Otherwise, the only addition is Kuany coming off a redshirt. There's also a freshman that may end up playing as a small 4.
Certainly no incoming freshman at a mid-major is a guarantee to do anything year one. That being said, you can't look at JJ Kelly specifically - but the entire trio of Kelly/Fisher/Mosley and not see at least 2 guys ready to contribute immediately in some fashion. I really think Kelly is going to push to be a day one starter. I could be wrong.
That's all well and good; it doesn't address the frontcourt issues.
I think Kuany could have helped this years team - so no reason to think he won't help next year.
There is absolutely a reason to think he won't help next year: Boals' track record recruiting young bigs. What's his hit rate bringing 4/5s into the program as freshman? I appreciate your polyannaism, but your optimism isn't well supported by the track record.
Add a year of Evans development. I know many aren't high on him. I still am.
Of course you are. You are hopelessly optimistic about what Boals is doing. But I hate to be the hearer of bad news, but based on his freshman year production, the odds that Evans becomes a starting caliber big are very low at this point. Can you find any comps for somebody with those rate stats developing into a true starting big in the MAC?
Also look at the heights I listed. I see a much BIGGER, more athletic, better rebounding team. The question I have is the defensive side. Don't know until they get in the gym and work next year to determine that.
But only if you ignore Evans' rebounding rate, ignore that Kuany is actually 6'6, and make a massive assumption about the unnamed portal big that slots into the starting lineup. It seems like we might be a little bigger on the wings, but you're also assuming a freshman breaks into the starting lineup to support that position. In other words, tons and tons of assumptions and very rosy glasses to make the case.
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Regardless I see an overhauled roster that addresses a lot of what illed us this year. Doesn't mean it WILL come together and work, but I see the plan. I expect to be playing on Saturday next year with that roster. If not, Boals job gets warm.