20-21 Line ups

[tower912]

Yeah, I know.    Everything is predicated on whether or not there IS a season.    But, if there is a season......
Starting line up of ....   Carton, Koby, Akanno, Garcia, Theo.       I vacillated between Cain and Akanno, but I am going to choose to buy in to the hype. 


This could be the fastest team, offensively.     My concerns are front court depth and inexperience.    I know I would like to see more up tempo offense and extended pressure on defense.   Or, conversely, a Syracuse-like zone.   

[IrwinFletcher]

I think Wojo will reward Cain and give him the starting nod, at least early in the season.  Dex may take it away from him as the season moves along, but Cain has worked hard to develop and find his place.

On top of that, he is far and away the best rebounder on the team and we may need help in that category with Garcia being a rookie and Theo having mixed results.

[GooooMarquette]

Carton, Garcia and Theo are virtually certain.

But with Jamal's rebounding and if the Dex hype is true, maybe we see Jamal and Dex, with Koby first off the bench.

[Nukem2]

I think Wojo will reward Cain and give him the starting nod, at least early in the season.  Dex may take it away from him as the season moves along, but Cain has worked hard to develop and find his place.

On top of that, he is far and away the best rebounder on the team and we may need help in that category with Garcia being a rookie and Theo having mixed results.

Yep, Cain's going to be in the starting lineup. 

[4everwarriors]

Carton, Garcia and Theo are virtually certain.

But with Jamal's rebounding and if the Dex hype is true, maybe we see Jamal and Dex, with Koby first off the bench.

Ya, virtual iz da kee word heer, aina?

[Galway Eagle]

We've seen hype like Dex's before and 9/10 times the senior or junior wins out. I expect Koby, Garcia, Cain, Theo, Carton.

Symir first for Carton, Dex for Koby, Greg plugs for Koby, Carton, or Cain. Lewis and Oso for Theo and Garcia.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I think Wojo will reward seniors with starting spots at the beginning of the season:

Carton
McEwen
Cain
Garcia
John

Symir will be there to sub Carton and occasionally McEwen with Carton moving to the 2.

Lewis to sub both John and Garcia

Dex/Greg can sub at any position. Come in for Carton and McEwen can run the point. Come in for McEwen/Cain at the 2/3. Come in for Garcia and Cain covers the 4. Come in for John and Cain covers the 4 and Garcia roams the paint.

Oso gets spot minutes. If we landed Turner or Mane I would have said Oso redshirts. I think his defense is already Big East ready but I think this team will need more help on offense.

Lineup offer a lot of versatility. Could see some ultra fast lineups with Lewis/Garcia at the 5. Could see some bulky lineups with Cain at the 3, Lewis at 4, and John at the 5. Lots of big guards available so zone is actually a viable option this season.

[MU82]

I think Wojo will reward seniors with starting spots at the beginning of the season:

Carton
McEwen
Cain
Garcia
John

Symir will be there to sub Carton and occasionally McEwen with Carton moving to the 2.

Lewis to sub both John and Garcia

Dex/Greg can sub at any position. Come in for Carton and McEwen can run the point. Come in for McEwen/Cain at the 2/3. Come in for Garcia and Cain covers the 4. Come in for John and Cain covers the 4 and Garcia roams the paint.

Oso gets spot minutes. If we landed Turner or Mane I would have said Oso redshirts. I think his defense is already Big East ready but I think this team will need more help on offense.

Lineup offer a lot of versatility. Could see some ultra fast lineups with Lewis/Garcia at the 5. Could see some bulky lineups with Cain at the 3, Lewis at 4, and John at the 5. Lots of big guards available so zone is actually a viable option this season.

Good stuff here. I hope we get to see it!

[GooooMarquette]

Ya, virtual iz da kee word heer, aina?

Good point doc.

Before speculating on the starters, maybe we should see how good they all are at video hoops....

[The Big East]

If we have a season, and assuming everyone is 100 percent healthy, I speculate that the initial starting lineup would be:

Carton
Elliott
McEwen
Cain
John

Symir sixth man equal minutes to the starters.

Dexter, Dawson , Garcia, Justin, Oso minutes will increase over the course of the season.

[We R Final Four]

Ya, virtual iz da kee word heer, aina?

Y deent u saie soo befor?
Soo yous tink wee ain't gonna hav a see son hey?
Yah wee git it.....yous sound likes cheeks or sultan repeetin same sheet over end over aina

[brewcity77]

Whatever starting lineup we see to start the season will probably be the one we see at the end of the season. Here are Wojo's starter consistency trends the past few years:

• 2019-20: 98.0% consistency 150 total starts, Howard/McEwen/Anim/Bailey/John accounted for 147 starts
  
• 2018-19: 95.3% consistency 170 total starts, Howard/Anim/Hauser/Hauser/John accounted for 162 starts
  
• 2017-18: 93.1% consistency 175 total starts, Rowsey/Howard/Anim/Hauser/Heldt accounted for 163 starts

Rotations may change, guys may earn more late game minutes, but Wojo's starter consistency has only gone up in recent years. If Mike Jakubowski calls your name opening night, he's probably calling your name when the season ends too.

[bilsu]

Cain will start, but only for four games. Wojo has consistently changed his opening day lineup.

[Tom Keegan]

Torrence, Carton, Garcia, Lewis, Cain.
John and McEwen defensive enforcers who come in to check whichever players get off to fast starts.
Cain as a Bob McAdoo-style center. Good shooter, good rebounder, and as long as opposing center not too powerful, good defender. How many college teams have an overpowering low-post threat? Not that many.

[Galway Eagle]

Torrence, Carton, Garcia, Lewis, Cain.
John and McEwen defensive enforcers who come in to check whichever players get off to fast starts.
Cain as a Bob McAdoo-style center. Good shooter, good rebounder, and as long as opposing center not too powerful, good defender. How many college teams have an overpowering low-post threat? Not that many.

So John who's been a starter for two years will not be starting. And we're gonna have a 6-6 at best center instead of one of the 4 people on the team who are taller?

We need second chance opportunities, Cain isn't going to get those for us from the 5.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

So John who's been a starter for two years will not be starting. And we're gonna have a 6-6 at best center instead of one of the 4 people on the team who are taller?

We need second chance opportunities, Cain isn't going to get those for us from the 5.

I don't agree with his lineup, but I think 6'11 235lb Garcia would play the 5 in that group

[Galway Eagle]

I don't agree with his lineup, but I think 6'11 235lb Garcia would play the 5 in that group

If that were the lineup I'd agree but he listed Cain as the center so I had to bring up that that wasn't going to happen as well

[bilsu]

I don't agree with his lineup, but I think 6'11 235lb Garcia would play the 5 in that group

I expect Garcia would not of come to MU, if Wojo told him he was playing center.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I expect Garcia would not of come to MU, if Wojo told him he was playing center.

I don't think playing center and playing the 5 are necessarily the same thing anymore.

[MU82]

I don't think playing center and playing the 5 are necessarily the same thing anymore.

100%

If he replaces Theo at 5 for a spell, Garcia will not be expected to play anything like Theo. Especially on offense.

[SaveOD238]

I don't think playing center and playing the 5 are necessarily the same thing anymore.

I think there are still plenty of "traditional" centers that are centers both ways.  Big, bruising guys who patrol the paint, shot block, and get rebounds on defense; set picks, work in the post, and offensive rebound on O.  Theo John is a great example.

But you're right that the majority of centers/5s today aren't playing the same role on offense and defense.  This is especially true in the NBA, with the rise of the stretch-5 (like Brook Lopez).

Dawson Garcia might play like a traditional center on the defensive side, but on offense his role will be more like a PF or a stretch-4/5.