While the subject line may be a bit of hyperbole, Boals does have a chance to right the ship pretty quickly, if everything breaks right over the next month and a half or so. While we are largely lacking impact talent on the current roster, there are a lot of good complementary parts for a potential championship contender.
First, Boals needs to, at a minimum, keep Carter, Preston, Murrell, Cowart, and Vander Plas (in no particular order) from the current roster. That's a pretty good base to work from.
Second, he needs to preserve McDay's commitment.
Third, he needs to secure two impact wings, as well as a big who can step in from day one to be a rebounder and rim protector (likely from the JuCo ranks for the latter). Ben Roderick as one of the wings would be ideal. For the second, either a fully healthy Dartis or Akwasi Yeboah as a grad transfer from Stony Brook would fit the bill nicely.
Finally, if we still have a scholarship left, I'd target an impact transfer at the 2 or 3 to step in for Dartis/Yeboah after 2019-20. Someone who would complement Roderick nicely for the next few years.
That would leave us with a rotation next year of Preston & McDay at the 1, Dartis/Yeboah, Roderick, Cowart, and Murrell at the 2 and 3, and then Carter, Vander Plas, and the JuCo at the 4 and 5 (with Murrell potentially slotting in a bit at the 4 if Boals wants to go smaller).
That lineup could certainly compete for a bye in Cleveland, and maybe even more if it meshes quickly. And aside from Dartis/Yeboah and Cowart, the whole team would return in 2020-21, with an impact transfer waiting in the wings to replace Dartis/Yeboah.
That may not be doable for Boals to pull off in the next six weeks, but if he could, it would get this program back on track in no time.
Last Edited: 3/19/2019 7:43:45 PM by Flomo-genized