2024-2025 Rosterbation Thread

Patriotsince81

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Thanks to one of our most informed and knowledgeable contributors @Patriot8 for the idea.

2024-2025 Roster.
Haynes
Ball - NOT HALL
Okojie
Maddox
Either Newton or Billups, can't have both because we need scorers.
Begg
Cokley
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
 
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GMUgemini

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Newton and Billups can be our energy guys next year, I don’t necessarily want either one starting unless they can score more consistently (Newton started the season 14-22 from 3 and ended it 10-60; and Billups averaging less than 5 ppg in 25+ minutes a game…)

Need 3 bigs and more shooters. If Polite and Dinkins are both gone, an experienced PG who is willing to split time with Okojie is also a must.
 

jruby

Specialist
Newton and Billups can be our energy guys next year, I don’t necessarily want either one starting unless they can score more consistently (Newton started the season 14-22 from 3 and ended it 10-60; and Billups averaging less than 5 ppg in 25+ minutes a game…)

Need 3 bigs and more shooters. If Polite and Dinkins are both gone, an experienced PG who is willing to split time with Okojie is also a must.
3 more bigs plus Haynes is too many and don't have room for that. 2 more bigs maybe is what you meant, but 1 is an absolute must.
 

gmujim92

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Newton and Billups can be our energy guys next year, I don’t necessarily want either one starting unless they can score more consistently (Newton started the season 14-22 from 3 and ended it 10-60; and Billups averaging less than 5 ppg in 25+ minutes a game…)

Need 3 bigs and more shooters. If Polite and Dinkins are both gone, an experienced PG who is willing to split time with Okojie is also a must.
You keep wanting to put Billups on the bench, but it’s not gonna happen lol.
 

illayin

Sixth Man
billups absolutely should not come off the bench...he's an elite shutdown defender. if he's having to come off the bench then we're a terrible team because there's no way we have to put a guy like that on the bench to improve scoring on a good team. he should be able to be the 5th option in a starting lineup with no issue on a good team.
 

GMUgemini

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I think Newton has some real offensive skill based on what we saw very late in the season. He just needs to get more consistent. He had a couple of really nice moves in the paint today.

Depends on how you want to play, but yes I meant 3 bigs overall, but we are probably going to need one other person who can play the 4 too in case the Haynes at rhe 4 experiment doesn’t work out (having a hard time seeing a 6’8 260 forward playing a lot out on the perimeter.
 

jruby

Specialist
Haynes is a post player! Everyone seems to have mixed feelings here. They want to play run and gun and jack up 40 3’s every night. You want to play with 2 forwards every play it seems like. Who knows what they will do but one thing is for sure they need to play with at least 1 so need a backup bare min for Haynes.
 

GMUgemini

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Haynes is a post player! Everyone seems to have mixed feelings here. They want to play run and gun and jack up 40 3’s every night. You want to play with 2 forwards every play it seems like. Who knows what they will do but one thing is for sure they need to play with at least 1 so need a backup bare min for Haynes.

Skinn once said Haynes could play the 4, but who knows if he means “in a pinch” or that’s his primary position. I personally think he’s going to do most of his damage in the low post (he only took 21 3s at ETSU and made under 20% of those), but he apparently has the ability to take players off the dribble too.

But about having two forwards on the floor at the same time, if you think of our two most successful teams (06 and 11) we had two bigs, one who was exclusively a post player (Thomas; Morrison) a second who could step out and shoot (Jai Lewis; Pearson) and Skinn was on that ‘06 team.

I’m not sure exactly how Skinn wants to build his roster long-term, but I don’t think he recruited Newton to necessarily play the 4.
 

jruby

Specialist
Skinn once said Haynes could play the 4, but who knows if he means “in a pinch” or that’s his primary position. I personally think he’s going to do most of his damage in the low post (he only took 21 3s at ETSU and made under 20% of those), but he apparently has the ability to take players off the dribble too.

But about having two forwards on the floor at the same time, if you think of our two most successful teams (06 and 11) we had two bigs, one who was exclusively a post player (Thomas; Morrison) a second who could step out and shoot (Jai Lewis; Pearson) and Skinn was on that ‘06 team.

I’m not sure exactly how Skinn wants to build his roster long-term, but I don’t think he recruited Newton to necessarily play the 4.
I think having the ability to play 2 bigs or 4 guards in today’s world is what is needed. All will depend on matchups. Recruit 3 bigs who can all play and they will be of use. We can call Hall a big but he wasn’t really a big. It killed them at times having no backup for Kelly. I think people are getting a little too carried away about the need ‘shooters’ because they had a bad game shooting today. I think having a roster that’s capable of doing multiple things is the way to go. One thing remains clear though, have to get tougher. Get all the shooters in the world but if they don’t play d and they don’t rebound it’s not going to make a world of difference.
 

tblack33

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I think having the ability to play 2 bigs or 4 guards in today’s world is what is needed. All will depend on matchups. Recruit 3 bigs who can all play and they will be of use. We can call Hall a big but he wasn’t really a big. It killed them at times having no backup for Kelly. I think people are getting a little too carried away about the need ‘shooters’ because they had a bad game shooting today. I think having a roster that’s capable of doing multiple things is the way to go. One thing remains clear though, have to get tougher. Get all the shooters in the world but if they don’t play d and they don’t rebound it’s not going to make a world of difference.
It’s far more than one game today, not having consistent shooters beyond Maddox killed us most of conference play.
 

Dawgs99

Starter
If you don't think we desperately need shooters I'm not sure what team you watched this year. We have one proven shooter on the team in DM. Our other 2 returning guards/wings (Woody/Billups) are non shooters and it really hurts the ability to stretch the defense. I think we need a serviceable big, back up PG unless CTS thinks Begg can be the back up, and at least 2 proven college level scorers/shooters. We have a good core coming back and I have complete faith that CTS and staff will bring in some serious talent this spring/summer. Having bigs that can play to me is a luxury, you absolutely must have guards who can flat out play...ala St. Joes.
 

dr. gunnie

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Staff member
I can see us adding a few big men to go along with Haynes - some pure 5’s and maybe another 4/5 like Haynes. Just looking at last year’s roster, we went into the season with 4 bigs in Kelly, Pav, Henry, Haynes (although I'm not sure if the staff thought Haynes would be eligible) plus Hall… now we are assuming just 1 of those coming back.

We definitely need an immediate starter at the 3 who can shoot.

Losing both Wood and Polite, I wouldn't be surprised to bring in a older experienced ball handler/combo guard for depth as our two PG's are both young.

Should be another fun and active offseason.
 

mkaufman1

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GIVING DAY 2023
Yep - need a consistent shooter to compliment Maddox. Need a guy that can go off and score a ton like him so that the opponent can't deny Maddox and shut the whole game plan down.

I do think that Baraka is going to improve his ability to shoot from deep which will change things but you still need that consistent shooter like Maddox. Newton is a nice piece and can show glimpses but was very inconsistent this year. He is a piece to the puzzle and I love his energy, ability to get to the rim and how he plays defense.

Bring me a shooter, bring me an experienced guard who can play some point behind Okojie and Begg, bring me a big to backup Haynes, bring me a stretch 4/big guard/3 guy.

I have no doubt that the staff is going to bring in another group of excellent talent to supplement our expected retained core (Okojie, Maddox, Newton, Haynes, Ball, Begg, Billups), plus we'll see if we need to replace or we will keep Polite and Henry.
 
My wishlist for the offseason
1: Two true 5s. One to start one to be the backup. IMO, with Tony's words and the fact he continues to practice the three ball AND the fact it seems Haynes has notably slimmed down since he got here, the staff seem to be preparing him to be a 4. I have no insight on that, but that's what my eyes are telling me.
2: Shooting. This can come in the form of a true scoring two, more consistency from Ball, Baraka getting a three point shot. Either way, consistent second and third shooters not named Maddox are crucial this offseason.
3: Another Slashing foward. Hall is gone, don't fully trust Woody, would like one of these.
4: Third PG. Seems like a good thing to have in case of injury and if Begg is too raw for crucial minutes next season.
 
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