Potential starting 5 for next year, does Juwan GoPro?

[Stromboli 6,055]

Assumptions:  Everyone is back but Clifton.  No grad transfers.  This is based entirely on a brief shot to the bench during the Minnesota game (see below) where everyone was happy for a Justin Smith play except Clifton, who looked less than thrilled.  Even De'Ron looked happy about it.  Devonte may have questions, and may love the East Coast, but he hasn't played his way into a better opportunity, I think he likes the prospect of playing big games, and I think probably has a connection with Coach Miller and IU.  Total guesses.  

Making guesses at the roster starts with a giant hole where there should be a competent shooting/scoring guard.  Someone that plays on the perimeter, is a threat to score in a number of ways (except post play), and will never be expected to guard the opposing team's post player.  In our case, a perimeter guy that can provide some offense.  We just lost Curtis, who was our best bet to fill this role.  RoJo leaving will be a huge loss that we are not equipped to handle.  If Romeo comes, then this is an easy fix.  He'll slide into this spot and succeed.  If not, then who will?  I know there is discussion that Jerome will play shooting guard.  Maybe someday he will.  If you've watched his game, he does not play like a shooting guard.  He plays like a 3/4.  Sometimes facing the basket, sometimes pure post play.  A little bit of 3 pt shooting.  In my view, he's not a guard yet.  Damezi, on the other hand, very much plays like a long SG.  Better shooter than anyone we have.  He helps on defense, but won't be a "big."  And you watch him time his sprints to an open spot, or squirting out behind the 3pt line in transition or after an offensive rebound for a dagger 3, and he plays like a good SG.  And at 6'6" he's got the length Coach is looking for defense, and some quick slashes to the basket.  If he earns CAM's trust, I can see Damezi filling in some minutes at the SG spot.  Otherwise, I think it will be a mix of players with undefined skill sets like Al and Zach, who still bring hard defense and dependability to the floor.

For point guard, we have to use Phinisee.  Expectation for me is that he averages about 5-5-5.  That may seem low on points, but for a contributing non-star freshman PG, that's fine.  I got to see Rob play.  On videos he looks small and maybe not built for the next level.  In person, he is much more robust.  I think Coach called him sturdy in an interview.  He's wider/stronger/taller that the other kids on the floor.  On his way down the floor he is absolutely trying to set something up for his team.  I think he'll be fine, and frankly I think Archie will be ride-or-die with him because we need it.  Then Green and Al can spell him when needed.  If he proves to be reliable, you know he's going to be a fan favorite.  Slightly undersized PG from Indiana?  That's the stuff.

The "3" spot (we'll call it a wing) is wide open.  Zach is proving that he needs to be on the floor.  Justin may continue to do the same.  For Justin, I said last year I think he's going to be finishing his IU career with some great numbers that stack up well on the leader boards.  His temperament is just rock solid.  And he wants to dunk on every body.  Jerome will fit here nicely as more of a gadget wing.  Get him out there to make some plays and find a mismatch.  Too big for a guard to guard, too shifty for a big.  I haven't gotten the sense that Jerome will be a day-1 contributor.  

We will have one "5;" De'Ron.  There's been a lot of negative talk towards De'Ron recently, but I'm a big fan.  "Duuuuhhh, but he don't hustle hard enough."  Right.  Few 6'10" guys can go full bore.  Frankly there are just very, very few athletes in existence that can play this position, and that we have one is important.  Coach Flint likes to quote Calipari, in that if you don't have a post presence, then your team is a fraud.  Juwan is an excellent inside player and doesn't back down from anyone, but he's not a 5 and shouldn't be expected to play that.  In my view, even if De'Ron returns and averages 20 minutes and 7.5 points a game, having him is a very important piece.  Not to mention we don't have anyone else that can play a 5 on the team or coming in.  I reeeeeally hope we get TJD in '19, who seems ready to lead a team playing as a very mobile 5.  

Lastly, the 4 (no, I'm not very good at going in order).  Lord willing, Juwan will return.  This is his team this year, and it will be his team next year.  I've heard him say that he talks with OG all the time, and OG urges him non-stop to "get to the league."  OG is having a blast.  Juwan has had more valleys than peaks in the first 2.5 years.  But man, I hope Archie can sell him on staying to have a full 4 year career, enjoy the full experience, the senior speech, make a last run, all of it.  If he comes back, then he's our 4.  Race, Justin, and maaaaaybe Forrester can get some time here.  

Tl;dr  Starting 5:

 

1.  Rob Phinisee

2.  Damezi Anderson (or Romeo)

3.  Justin Smith

4.  Juwan Morgan

5.  De'Ron Davis

First man off the bench is always McBob, who will get starter's minutes.  Al gets 10 min/game.  Devonte gets 7.  We'll usually have 4 guys on the floor at 6'6" or taller.  Juwan gets his dog points.  Justin averages 11 pts a game of mostly dunks and free throws.  The team has De'Ron on the floor 50% of the time, the rest of it a faster line-up.  And we all watch with bated breath to see if a couple of freshmen can provide an upgrade to our backcourt.  

[incrediboy 919]

Considering where Swanigan (as the best college upperclassman) and Melo Trimble fit into the last draft, I feel sure JuMo (who isn't close to Swanigan's numbers or, frankly, anywhere near Trimble's leadership ability) will come back for his senior year. Like others on here, I think putting his name in the draft and perhaps going through the combine would be a smart move, but I don't think he's one of the Top 60 pro prospects in the country, and unless you're sure you're going to get drafted, it's not smart to gamble. If he was 6-10 that would be one thing, but he isn't. And there are a ton of incredible freshmen (which the NBA seems to prefer...maybe they'd take Justin Smith over Juwan) again in this year's class.

2 or 3 MSU guys (Bridges and Jackson for sure if they declare), Bates-Diop from OSU, maybe Vince Edwards or Matt Haarms from Purdue, Wagner from Michigan might get drafted, but I don't see a lot of B1G talent coveted by the NBA. Even Isaac Haas, two decades ago a shoo-in when back-to-the-basket centers were still in vogue, probably won't get more than a Blackmon-type free-agent offer after the draft.  

[Brass Cannon 24,068]

People need to quit acting like not getting drafted is the worst thing ever and unless you are sure you are going to get picked you should go back to school. Even If you aren't drafted you can still make extremely good money playing basketball. 

Whether or not you should go into the draft has less to do with will you get drafted than it has to do with can you improve your stock by coming back. 

[Bigred3588 1,532]

I’d say Hunter beats out Anderson for the starting role so I’m gonna go with Greene (if he stays) and Phinisee if not. But I can see Phinisee taking the job if Greene doesn’t clean it up in a hurry. Hunter at the 2 if we don’t get Romeo, Smith at the 3, Morgan at the 4 (I think he stays), and Davis at the 5.

[WayneFleekHoosier 46,831]

I’d say Hunter beats out Anderson for the starting role so I’m gonna go with Greene (if he stays) and Phinisee if not. But I can see Phinisee taking the job if Greene doesn’t clean it up in a hurry. Hunter at the 2 if we don’t get Romeo, Smith at the 3, Morgan at the 4 (I think he stays), and Davis at the 5.

Phinisee, Hunter, Smith, Morgan, DD sounds intriguing at least. Not sure how good they'd be together but it could be solid at some point.

I'd worry about shooting with that group. Should be a good rebounding group.


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[Bigred3588 1,532]

2 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

Phinisee, Hunter, Smith, Morgan, DD sounds intriguing at least. Not sure how good they'd be together but it could be solid at some point.

I'd worry about shooting with that group. Should be a good rebounding group.


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Well, Phinisee is averaging 30 a game this season so he can put up some points. He may be a better shooter than what we think. Hunter is kind of a wild card as I haven’t seen much footage of him but I just think Anderson is going to need some time to adjust to the speed of the college game. Smith has shown some ability to shoot and he’ll have another summer of practice in. I’m sure Morgan will put in the reps as he’ll be expected to score from the outside at the next level if he wants to get there. Davis is the only one that I don’t think we’ll see much improvement from in terms of shooting but I’m just hoping he puts on some muscle and starts takes care of business under the basket.

[HoosierSadaseci 2,258]

I understand the want to look forward to next season, but we still have a lot of this season to play, and just had a great road win.

[mdn82 25,464]

I understand the want to look forward to next season, but we still have a lot of this season to play, and just had a great road win.

Agreed. I want to see us playing our best ball down the stretch. Something we haven’t done in years.


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[HoosierAloha 29,898]

I understand the want to look forward to next season, but we still have a lot of this season to play, and just had a great road win.

It's always fun to look forward.

I want to see how Durham and Green develop over the summer. I want to see what Anderson and Hunter bring to the team.

Point - Phinisee
Big - Davis
Big wing - Morgan
Small wing - Smith
Small wing - Durham/Anderson/Hunter

I think Smith can shoot when given time. Can he defend well enough on the perimeter?


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[A.j. Nigh 1,000]

Replace Green with Hunter and your in business.
Wouldnt suprise me if Greens gone.He just doesn't seem to fit Millers style.Plus I think the length and scoring ability Hunter brings will be hard to keep on the bench.


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With as little as we’ve seen this year of Smith with his length and scoring ability, just curious why you think Hunter would be slotted into starting at shooting guard? I want him to come in and be a huge impact, but I just didn’t see it when I saw him.


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[Stuhoo 75,778]

1 minute ago, A.j. Nigh said:

 

With as little as we’ve seen this year of Smith with his length and scoring ability, just curious why you think Hunter would be slotted into starting at shooting guard? I want him to come in and be a huge impact, but I just didn’t see it when I saw him.


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I try to answer for Woodson (I know that's kinda rude, lol)

1. Jerome is a top 50 recruit -a kid ranked that high typically starts as a freshman on really good teams, never mind ones that desperately need length and athleticism.
2. Given his talent level and the other options we have at the wing/sg spot(s), he's coming into a situation that currently begs him to be "good enough."

[Bigred3588 1,532]

2 hours ago, A.j. Nigh said:

 

With as little as we’ve seen this year of Smith with his length and scoring ability, just curious why you think Hunter would be slotted into starting at shooting guard? I want him to come in and be a huge impact, but I just didn’t see it when I saw him.


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I think we’ll see both in the starting lineup, but the big things that stick out to me when I watch footage of Hunter are his mechanics and overall comfort level. His form is consistent and you can tell he has a lot of confidence in his shooting ability. He doesn’t seem to hesitate regardless of his position on the floor or the shot he’s taking. Spot up three, turn around jumper from mid-range, catch and shoot... they all look the same. 

I also like what I’ve seen with regards to his body control. I’ve yet to see a clip of him doing something reckless, which is rare on highlight tapes. I almost always see a clip of a player doing something reckless and simply getting lucky on the finish. Hunter seems to know and play to his abilities. 

That being said, the sample size has been small and I’m sure there are some areas he’ll need to clean up. I just think he’ll aclimate faster than Anderson. Hopefully he’ll be able to hone his defense guarding Langford in practice...

Edited January 10, 2018 by Bigred3588

[GloryDays 5,895]

 

I try to answer for Woodson (I know that's kinda rude, lol)

1. Jerome is a top 50 recruit -a kid ranked that high typically starts as a freshman on really good teams, never mind ones that desperately need length and athleticism.
2. Given his talent level and the other options we have at the wing/sg spot(s), he's coming into a situation that currently begs him to be "good enough."

As much as I like Smith,Hunter brings a whole different skill set.

This team desperately needs a guy on the perimeter who can get his own and bring length on defense.Smith can't create and seems like an undersized 4 at this point.

 

 

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[GloryDays 5,895]

 
I try to answer for Woodson (I know that's kinda rude, lol)

1. Jerome is a top 50 recruit -a kid ranked that high typically starts as a freshman on really good teams, never mind ones that desperately need length and athleticism.
2. Given his talent level and the other options we have at the wing/sg spot(s), he's coming into a situation that currently begs him to be "good enough."

You said it better than I could have!

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[A.j. Nigh 1,000]

You said it better than I could have!

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That’s fair and great analysis. I agree with some of it, and to be fair I’ve only seen the one game at Southport. For our sake next year, I hope you’re all correct.


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[tortex28 379]

As the season has developed and the more I think about it, I may have a new potential starting 5 for next year. If we get Langford of course that would change everything so assuming we get Langford here would be my starting five. I would probably have to go with Phinisee, Green and Langford kind of a 3 guard backcourt although Langford could be considered a small forward type. We don't even know for sure if Davis will ever make it back. We also don't know if Morgan will Go Pro although I personally doubt it. So with those assumptions I would probably put Morgan at Center and then you're left with a question of do you play Justin Smith or Jerome
Hunter at power forward also we know nothing about race Thompsons progression.
So I'm basically now just kind of thinking maybe Robert phinisee, Devonte green, Romeo Langford, Juwan Morgan at Center and then the real question mark is the 4 spot in my opinion. Hopefully Davis will be back but he's missed so much time he's becoming like another Collin Hartman. Injuries really slow the development.

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[MIUGA 70]

What really excites me about next year, is not so much who starts. It's the options that Archie will have to finish the last five minutes of games.

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[HoosierAloha 29,898]

As the season has developed and the more I think about it, I may have a new potential starting 5 for next year. If we get Langford of course that would change everything so assuming we get Langford here would be my starting five. I would probably have to go with Phinisee, Green and Langford kind of a 3 guard backcourt although Langford could be considered a small forward type. We don't even know for sure if Davis will ever make it back. We also don't know if Morgan will Go Pro although I personally doubt it. So with those assumptions I would probably put Morgan at Center and then you're left with a question of do you play Justin Smith or Jerome
Hunter at power forward also we know nothing about race Thompsons progression.
So I'm basically now just kind of thinking maybe Robert phinisee, Devonte green, Romeo Langford, Juwan Morgan at Center and then the real question mark is the 4 spot in my opinion. Hopefully Davis will be back but he's missed so much time he's becoming like another Collin Hartman. Injuries really slow the development.

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Phinisee, Green, and Langford all starting? That leaves Durham and Anderson coming off the bench at the guard spots. If we land Romeo, he will starting at the SG spot. Phinisee or Green at the 1. Morgan will start. It'll depend on if Davis is back and healthy. I could see David at the 5 and then either Smith or Hunter at the 3.


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[MemphisHoosier 1,918]

2 minutes ago, HoosierAloha said:

Phinisee, Green, and Langford all starting? That leaves Durham and Anderson coming off the bench at the guard spots. If we land Romeo, he will starting at the SG spot. Phinisee or Green at the 1. Morgan will start. It'll depend on if Davis is back and healthy. I could see David at the 5 and then either Smith or Hunter at the 3.


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2018 All B1G Defensive First Team, Zach McRoberts would like to say 'hello'

[yogisballin 2,288]

For me.. I'd like to see.

Phinisee
Langford
Smith
Morgan
Davis if healthy ( otherwise hopefully we can find a grad transfer center)

Others I'd like to see get minutes
McBob
Hunter
Anderson
Moore/Forrester (whoever is better)

Durham is a fallback guy to me if the others don't outperform him.




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You are forgetting Thompson


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