next season's core
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Webster has a year, too I think.
But based on what he said next to CKK in the post game vs bsu (do you plan to come back next season? "I'll have to talk with my family and see what's best for me" type of thing)... I dont see him back.
Yeah, his problem is size and consistency... he's a prolific shooter when he's on, but he gets destroyed by bigger guards. I also agree that at min. Gilbert is probably gone. Hall tweeting today might indicate he rededicated himself to the program based on advice from Seniors. I'm not depending on Cotrell to be a big contributor given he's not played in a long time. Can he be sure, but I'm skeptical, especially if he's concerned about future injury.
Kevin should be on the phone with Lampkin Jr and have him to Vegas as soon as he enters portal though. Gut could be a massive game changer in MW
We lost a total of three. McCabe, Parquet and Harkless.
The rest can come back or transfer as they wish.
The rest can come back or transfer as they wish.
Isaiah Cottrell will be the starter rather than K Hall. Hicks and Nowell will light it up with Isaiah in the game.
My guess is 2 bigs Cottrell and Muoka start.
Nowell at the 3
Gilbert at the 2
and a new PG as the starters.
JJ3 and Hall as primary rotational players if both return. Obviously Webster if he decides to return, and of course Iwuakor if he returns.
Nowell at the 3
Gilbert at the 2
and a new PG as the starters.
JJ3 and Hall as primary rotational players if both return. Obviously Webster if he decides to return, and of course Iwuakor if he returns.
So the same results as this past season except theres not as talented scorer as Harkless on the roster?
IMO, if we start more than two of our returning players KK will have a short - three-year stay.
We need a large jump in talent and our existing players won't give it.
Let's see how KK does in the portal before we get to a starting 5.
We need a large jump in talent and our existing players won't give it.
Let's see how KK does in the portal before we get to a starting 5.
KK better be in that portal for at least 3 guys who resemble Harkless-Hamilton-Williams in the sense that they can put the ball in the freaking basket at will! He also needs to send Muoka and Cottrell to The late Pete Newell big man’s camp if there still is one or get a better big and let the weaker remaining big man walk. If Kevin stands pat with most of these guys then it may be a mid season firing like you know who!
A sophmore Hall has potential on improving quite a bit. Typically the biggest jump is from the 1st and second years. If he tightens up his game he could be a beast.
Running 2 bigs will help rebounding quite a bit, should also reduce help down low.
Having 2 scoring bigs in Cottrell and Hall could also be huge. Both can also hit the 3 which can open up more offensive opportunities.
A true PG that can penetrate and dish will open things up offensively. Gilbert not having to worry about being the primary ball handler will allow him to attack with more space and get more open jump shots.
Nowell is a very good glue guy that can hit the 3, and attack.
JJ3 showed a nice jump by the end of the year once he played more under control.
So I think our young guys will get better. And players will have hopefully a better role that fits their skillsets a little better.
We need some consistency and I do think we have some talent. We just need a solid primary ball handler and more purpose on offense to put guys in position to be successful.
I'd rather not try to find the next Hamilton or Harkless, if we try to run the same clearout 1 man centric type of offense we are looking at a similar year next year .
I do realize that is assuming that most come back. The reality is that will likely not happen in this day and age. So a lot will depend on who else leaves and who else they can bring in.
So no “go to” at the end of the clock or end of games? I think you not only need one of those types but you actually need two!
Hall realistically has two choices. Stay and buy into whatever system Kruger wants to implement or transfer to low mid major, like a Chicago St. or something. If he doesn’t like UNLV he should stay one more year and improve and then we Kruger gets fired this off-season he gets a free transfer.
That's where a new PG comes in. Gilbert is the second option there. Obviously he needs to clean up the ball security.
But don't want to run shot clock offense every time down the floor like me mostly have been.
Man that sucks. Wasn’t the best defender but played really hard and was the only one who could shoot.
Hall is my favorite player even though he sucks on defense.
The guy posts up and can play inside and out. I like exactly what he was trying to do when he is in the game.
The guy posts up and can play inside and out. I like exactly what he was trying to do when he is in the game.
I like the idea of Lampkin coming here. Would he? I'm not sure, but that pickup would be fire!
Just out of curiosity, do you really think that Hall's tweets means hes staying? I took it as more of he's grateful for the seniors. However, I do think that the longer he takes to announce if hes going into the portal, the more likely he is to stay and if he does stay, he needs to start. Cottrell won't be a huge contributor imo but will give us some good minutes. I was really hoping to see him more this season to get a better understanding of where his game stands.
Im not sure he would either and Im sure hes going to get a lot of interest from programs everywhere as well...
As for Hall, Im reading alot into it, but one would hope Seniors may have provided him with the guidance mid-year when he may or may not have been taking steps away from the program and encouraged him to listen, learn and stick it out. Seems interesting that he's the only one I've seen a tweet like that from. Who knows
As some have noted, I like Brooklyn Hicks to start from day one. 32 points a game and Washington Coaches Player of the Year. I like Whaley to start. He has hands and can put it in the hoop. I want two 6'7 or better SF's/shooting guards to match up with BSU, SDSU,USU and even SJSU. All the guys that started this year except for LRod can sit in the pre season and let's get Isaiah Cottrell healthy. Lots of point guards on the transfer portal including Wyoming's. Shane Nowell and Brooklyn will be a match up headache for everyone they play next year. Isaiah will get a lot of easy shots as they can't double the post. Even if we don't get a solid transfer which is unlikely, we will be a lot better.
Just so I understand clearly; you want Hicks starting at the 1 and Whaley to start at Center? Whaley is 6'6.
No Hicks is a shooting guard/combo point. I'd try him in the pre season. Whaley is a SF/PF, Isaiah is the center.Then I want some bench SF's that are 6'7 or better to come and play significant minutes so we match up with the rest of the NCAA in terms of height. We'll get a true point guard with Dedon or someone else but they have to learn the offense as does Hicks. Whaley and Cottrell will be fine. Shane should be a SG with more movement than just setting screens at the key extended or posting to the corner. so in conclusion, Point guard, Hicks, Nowell, Whaley, Cottrell and then some really good second unit including LRod to come in for foul trouble, defense, etc. With this type of personnel, we can see some Zag type movement from the guards.
Keshon Gilbert has a place too. I thought he was not in great shape for whatever reason as the season ran down. Physical or mental, coaches probably know but he needs some guys who can put it in the hoop so he can concentrate on passing and movement.
I don't think Isaiah is a Center. If he's healthy, he'll play for sure. But his defense isn't stellar and he likes to shoot from outside - he's not a banger.
That's true. But he has hands and an ability to rebound at 6'11", Whaley and other guards will help out. All he has to do is box out his man. Something we had trouble with this year was d rebounds. Compared to Ike and Muoka a huge upgrade on offense. ?Defense will always be a problem with MWC refs.
Cottrell is not a Center and if he is starting at at that position, CKK will not have a job. Whaley needs to come off the bench and with how the season ended, I wouldn't mind LuRod starting again. He seemed to get back to his old hustling ways in the last couple of games. But it'll be either Nowell or LuRod starting at the 3. A transfer PG, a SG, LuRod/Nowell, Hall, and a transfer C.
I don't have a problem with LuRod starting, but who else can play D in the post but Isaiah at this point. Why would Whaley come off the bench. We got no points from 4 and 5's in the past season. Ike showed signs so with a healthy Isaiah he could start in front of Whaley. I'd go with Whaley in the pre season and see how it goes in game situations. Every position should be won by real game play not practice especially when the bench sucked so bad for UNLV last year.
Cottrell is a stretch five or a pure four as you have stated. But Muoka's defense was back up first and then duck too many times.
The MW does not have a lot of intimidating bigs. Ike is really the only one and is a 4.
Cottrell has good length and will be fine guarding most bigs in this league. He also has not been playing 100% healthy basketball since his first 10 games of his freshmen year. Coming off a Achilles repair takes an extra year to get right typically.
That being said he has another injury that kept him out to recover from. So that will be interesting to see.
I keep forgetting about LuRod too. If fully healthy he is a great option as a possible 3.
Cottrell has good length and will be fine guarding most bigs in this league. He also has not been playing 100% healthy basketball since his first 10 games of his freshmen year. Coming off a Achilles repair takes an extra year to get right typically.
That being said he has another injury that kept him out to recover from. So that will be interesting to see.
I keep forgetting about LuRod too. If fully healthy he is a great option as a possible 3.
Let's look at the teams in the NCAA's. How many have a real center? Arizona, Duke, Kentucky, Gonzaga, Nevada,UCLA, USU, if my memory is ok, Big East has no one playing the 5 but maybe U Conn. I know they have a banger who is a NBA prospect. Duke might have best freshman in the country playing the 5 as UCLA and Arizona also are dominating in the Pac12. Timme sets the standard for foot work and Purdue's center at 7'4" wrap it up. WKU also has a 7' plus center. There may be more but the days of a post up center are almost behind us.
Because Whaley is an unproven undersized 4 who while playing well at Juco is not the Juco it used to be. I think his impact may be more the freshman level than mid-classman rotation. Hicks as well might put up crazy good HS numbers, but I don't want to put eggs in basket of depending on a freshman to impact the league the way we need players to.
Also Cotrell hasn't played outside the 1 game this year in a long time. Coming off season ending injuries and being expected to be dominant where he hasn't been since HS is a lot to ask.
That's where getting real depth and talent needs to happen.
"..., but who else can play D in the post but Isaiah at this point."
We don't have him yet - just like we didn't have him for this year and that was one of KK's two mistakes. Not getting a good big and not getting a decent point. I can't prove it but I think he's letting his affection for his players get in the way of his decision-making. At the end of last year it was obvious that Gilbert was almost certainly not a point guard and Muoka/Iwuakor was not a post duo, but he went with them - a mistake that cost the program a season.
