Point guard or big

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I think the biggest ? is backup C. Maybe Parham, Amadou, or Hamilton are ready bu next season but no way (for scoopers) to know.

You can address this via the portal either by finding a mid major guy who will be happy as bens backup.  Or you can get a guy who can split time with Ben ala Oso/Kur.

I think we're too worried about having a designated PG. Most offenses these days feature multiple ball handlers and players that can initiate the offense.  I see a 5 out lineup next season with 5 guys who can drive, shot from deep, and playmake fot others.  I'm excited about it

[Lennys Tap]

You can address this via the portal either by finding a mid major guy who will be happy as bens backup.  Or you can get a guy who can split time with Ben ala Oso/Kur.

Ben can play some at the 4 too. Maybe Jop earns 30 minutes per game next year but based on this year…

[tower912]

...probably 35.   

[Lennys Tap]

...probably 35.

I’ll take the under.

[tower912]

Me, too.   Hopefully because the freshmen are good.   I doubt MU lands a 6'8 forward who did better than 10.8/3.9 and 35% from 3.   But, if the freshmen don't pan out, I can see Joplin playing Oso/Kolek/Kam minutes.

[Pakuni]

Honest question-Are you suggesting that a transfer "with size" would be happy coming off the bench?

Sure. Theo John did it at Duke. Jayce Johnson did it at Marquette.
I don't anyone is expecting Hunter Dickinson or Oscar Tshbiewe. Just a guy who can provide some post presence for 15Ish minutes a night.

[Lennys Tap]

Me, too.   Hopefully because the freshmen are good.   I doubt MU lands a 6'8 forward who did better than 10.8/3.9 and 35% from 3.   But, if the freshmen don't pan out, I can see Joplin playing Oso/Kolek/Kam minutes.

I don’t know if you’re suggesting Joplin is 6’8” - but he’s not. But he did play PF and averaged 20% fewer rebounds than our PG, almost never got an assist(.6 per game), had a high TO% and shot poorly (68%) from the line. He was improved defensively but still below average - by far the weakest link in the starting line up. I hope his game takes a big step up next year but if he’s basically the same guy he’s been for the last 2 years I hope his minutes go down from 28, not up.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I don’t know if you’re suggesting Joplin is 6’8” - but he’s not. But he did play PF and averaged 20% fewer rebounds than our PG, almost never got an assist(.6 per game), had a high TO% and shot poorly (68%) from the line. He was improved defensively but still below average - by far the weakest link in the starting line up. I hope his game takes a big step up next year but if he’s basically the same guy he’s been for the last 2 years I hope his minutes go down from 28, not up.

Agree with most of this but Jop didn't have a higher TO%. It was 12.8% which is very good. 4th best on the team behind Kam, Stevie, and Ben

[Lennys Tap]

Agree with most of this but Jop didn't have a higher TO%. It was 12.8% which is very good. 4th best on the team behind Kam, Stevie, and Ben

Fair enough, but when you average 1 assist every 2 games you should have a very low TO%. You’re not doing much with the ball when you touch it other than handing it back or shooting.

[MU82]

PG.

Sean may not be ready and Kam is not a PG any more than Vander was. He can play capably for short stretches, but he is a MUCH better off-ball guard than a PG.

Not sure how you define “short stretch,” but in his 6 games as the primary point when TK was out, K1 averaged 20.8 ppg on .505 shooting (.457 from 3), 4.5 assists, 2.2 turnovers, 4.7 rebs and 1.5 steals. We played Creighton even for 36 mins (without TK and Oso), were down 5 with the ball in the final minute vs UConn at home, and made it to the Big East title game by beating two desperate teams.

6 games was 1/6th of our season … and he was just thrown out there at PG with little time to prepare. So damn good performance IMHO.

Yes, in an ideal world we’d have a proven PG next to him, but I’m pretty confident K1 can be a good to very good score-first PG at this level.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Not sure how you define “short stretch,” but in his 6 games as the primary point when TK was out, K1 averaged 20.8 ppg on .505 shooting (.457 from 3), 4.5 assists, 2.2 turnovers, 4.7 rebs and 1.5 steals. We played Creighton even for 36 mins (without TK and Oso), were down 5 with the ball in the final minute vs UConn at home, and made it to the Big East title game by beating two desperate teams.

Right. No one is expecting TK Part II, but Kam proved to be more than capable of being the primary ball handler out there. I am much more concerned if Tre can develop into a capable back up than I am with Kam.

This is why I said "big" from the beginning. Right now we have Ben Gold, then....who exactly?

[Jockey]

Right. No one is expecting TK Part II, but Kam proved to be more than capable of being the primary ball handler out there. I am much more concerned if Tre can develop into a capable back up than I am with Kam.

This is why I said "big" from the beginning. Right now we have Ben Gold, then....who exactly?

I’m only mildly disagreeing. Kam is a baller. He can fill in quite capably for stretches, but he is a combo guard most of all.

As far as bigs, yes I ‘sorta’ agree with your point. But there are several options with the three young bigs. And I trust that if Shaka doesn’t have enough confidence in any of them, he will use the portal.

[brewcity77]

Right. No one is expecting TK Part II, but Kam proved to be more than capable of being the primary ball handler out there. I am much more concerned if Tre can develop into a capable back up than I am with Kam.

This is why I said "big" from the beginning. Right now we have Ben Gold, then....who exactly?

I'm also in the camp of adding a big, particularly as I think Gold can play alongside most other bigs, but the "then who" answer for now is Amadou and Hamilton. Which could be okay or could be a disaster. I think we probably need at least 15 minutes out of non-Gold players in the middle. Can Al go from minimal PT to a 10-15 mpg guy? If he adds 10-15 pounds, maybe he can be some approximation of sophomore year Oso. That along with Caedin being able to give spot minutes would potentially give us a serviceable front court, but it's definitely a lot of expectations from players who haven't done it yet.

[Jockey]

I'm also in the camp of adding a big, particularly as I think Gold can play alongside most other bigs, but the "then who" answer for now is Amadou and Hamilton. Which could be okay or could be a disaster. I think we probably need at least 15 minutes out of non-Gold players in the middle. Can Al go from minimal PT to a 10-15 mpg guy? If he adds 10-15 pounds, maybe he can be some approximation of sophomore year Oso. That along with Caedin being able to give spot minutes would potentially give us a serviceable front court, but it's definitely a lot of expectations from players who haven't done it yet.

Isn't that what non-bluebloods face on an almost annual basis at one position or another?

Shaka has staked his claim on player development. He's been right most of the time, but the possibility of failure with unproven players is always there.

[willie warrior]

I think the biggest ? is backup C. Maybe Parham, Amadou, or Hamilton are ready bu next season but no way (for scoopers) to know.

You can address this via the portal either by finding a mid major guy who will be happy as bens backup.  Or you can get a guy who can split time with Ben ala Oso/Kur.

I think we're too worried about having a designated PG. Most offenses these days feature multiple ball handlers and players that can initiate the offense.  I see a 5 out lineup next season with 5 guys who can drive, shot from deep, and playmake fot others.  I'm excited about it

We do not have 5 guys that can shoot from deep. (Accutately)

[tower912]

We do not have 5 guys that can shoot from deep. (Accutately)

How many players actually shoot accutately?

[Goose]

I think they need help at both PG and big man. To be honest, I hope they young boys are thrown into the fire early and often next year. Their growth is key to the future and hope they get ample playing time.

So, I’ll take a PG if I have to pick one or the other. Have to add, if Jop is playing 35 minutes a game next year, they need more than a PG and a big man.

[Hards Alumni]

I think they need help at both PG and big man. To be honest, I hope they young boys are thrown into the fire early and often next year. Their growth is key to the future and hope they get ample playing time.

So, I’ll take a PG if I have to pick one or the other. Have to add, if Jop is playing 35 minutes a game next year, they need more than a PG and a big man.

Agree with the first half, and feel the opposite about the 2nd half!