[ToTheLeft]

Starters:

Sanders
Curry
Smitty
Baker
McMasters

PG probably the toughest competition with Stephene and Sanders.

I don't see any way a healthy Tyler Baker doesn't start.

I see a lot of even competition for PT off the bench. This team will not have any "garbage time" players like Armon, Oz and Soup were last year. All 11 scholarship players will be in the fight to be part of the rotation.

Oz never played.

[SuperJon]

It's looks like next year instead of the "he's a freshman" chant we'll have to change it to "they're all freshmen."

[ToTheLeft]

if TB gets hurt and Floyd comes in for Smitty, then yes, it will probably be all freshmen.

[SuperJon]

I'm sure there will be times on the floor when we'll be playing five freshmen at once.

[LUFlamer09]

I hate to rain on the party even more, but I really hope this team is not counting on Stephene to be a major contributor. The kid is obviously first off, not very reliable, and I shouldn't go on what I hear all the time but I've heard he's not much better than J-Holl if at all.

BJ Jenkins transferring will prove to be a huge loss next season. He's a great player. Anyone have any insight to where he might be looking? You don't decide to transfer without an idea of where you might want to play.

[olldflame]

Do you always use the term "great" so loosely 09?

BJ is talented, and yes, we will miss him.

Playing over 31 min/game due to our lack of depth last year, he averaged:

9.9 ppg
2.9 apg
4.4 rpg

.402 overall shooting % (next to last, just ahead of TeeJay
.311 3 point % (last among players with more than 10 attempts)
Almost as many turnovers as assists. (95/84)

He would have been our only experienced PG, and we will miss him. Personally, I will miss watching him, especially outrebounding the big guys at times.

He may end up being a "great player" wherever he ends up.
He was not "great" for us.

[Schfourteenteen]

The kid is obviously first off, not very reliable

Obviously, because we all know that?

[paradox]

We shouldn't get too caught up in the personal stuff. This is how life is in the competive world of college athletics.

Playing the new guys will prove to be what's best for the program in the long run. Jenkins was odd man out. And that's a tough place to be after you've been a starter. He had to move on, plain and simple. The numbers and talent coming in would have greatly reduced his role. Every player is familiar with this reality.

In the end, it's all about making the most of any opportunity that's given.




Next year's team is going to be young, deep, and talented. I'm looking forward to a fun ride.


..

[prototype]

I would have rather lost Anderson:)

[jcmanson]

The numbers and talent coming in would have greatly reduced his role.

I highly doubt that. Sure his minutes would have been down, but his role was going to increase next year from this year.

[paradox]

I thought that Anderson did pretty well last year given the circumstances involving a couple of lingering health setbacks. If Baker would have been available, then Anderson probally would have taken a shirt. JA's got his best days ahead of him as a 3pt specialist.

[paradox]

The numbers and talent coming in would have greatly reduced his role. [\quote]

I highly doubt that. Sure his minutes would have been down, but his role was going to increase next year from this year.

I tryed to tell ya that Anthony Smith will be the only returning starter, but you weren't buyin' any of it. Well, guess what? Anthony Smith will be our only returning starter




...

[jcmanson]

The numbers and talent coming in would have greatly reduced his role. [\quote]

I highly doubt that. Sure his minutes would have been down, but his role was going to increase next year from this year.

I tryed to tell ya that Anthony Smith will be the only returning starter, but you weren't buyin' any of it. Well, guess what? Anthony Smith will be our only returning starter






...

Yeah, but I'll never believe any of these freshman would come in and start ahead of BJ.

[paradox]

Well, it's pretty obvious that this is the case. Otherwise, he would have stayed.

[jcmanson]

Everyone's entitled to their own opinions.

[paradox]

True, but the fact remains: Anthony is the only returning starter.

[LUFlamer09]

If BJ Jenkins returned for his Junior season, he would be a starter. There no way two freshmen take over at the 1 and 2, especially over a talented, experience player like BJ.

[paradox]

On the contrary, there's no way that we land high-caliber recruits who come in here as freshman and sit the bench for no good reason. They come in and they play. Why is this so hard for some of you to comprehend?

[SuperJon]

On the contrary, there's no way that we land high-caliber recruits who come in here as freshman and sit the bench for no good reason. They come in and they play. Why is this so hard for some of you to comprehend?

They don't necessarily start over a veteran on Day 1. They may start by the end of the year, but not at the very beginning.

[LUFlamer09]

Paradox,

Just curious, how did you see the starting line-up with Jenkins in town? Not that it matters, but I'm just curious to whom besides Curry you expect to step up right away and take Jenkins job?

[paradox]

I guessed that he would have averaged about 20 minutes or less per game, prior to the arrival of Sanders. Once Sanders signed, BJ got completely crowded out, from what I understand.


And I'll add this, the notion that Jenkins was some kind of de facto starter that needed to be unseated in order for the new guys to play is utterly false. Again, it would be nearly impossible to recruit players that are this highly regarded without giving them the full opportunity to make an immediate impact while procuring significant playing time. Otherwise, they're gonna gravitate to a place where they can secure that kind of commitment.

[paradox]

The freshman aspect and the insecuruty that follows here is a little over-baked. We don't have to look too far into the past in order to find freshman standouts. Larry Blair's finest hour was leading his team through the tourney and into the NCAA's as a freshman gaurd. Even, BJ Jenkins was a real spark plug coming off the bench, and was underutilized after Brew became eligible. BJ was a big part of our early season winning that year, which was as good as any stretch that he's had, and yes, he was a freshman.

I agree that senior-laden teams have an advantage because they have a greater sense of urgency, knowing that they are engaged in their final opportunity.

However, unless you're a late bloomer like Mclean and you grow 5 inches after HS, the distance between freshman and junior is not that vast. There is an intial early adjustment phase for some freshman, but by mid-season, what you see is what you've got. Freshman or not, if these guys got game, we'll be good.

[RagingTireFire]

I agree that senior-laden teams have an advantage because they have a greater sense of urgency, knowing that they are engaged in their final opportunity.

Well, there's also experience and poise as well as superior conditioning and upper body strength.

[jcmanson]

Freshman or not, if these guys got game, we'll be good.

I agree with you dox, but that’s still a big IF. Given that the conference will be down quite a bit next year, we could get hot for 3 games and win the tourney. We should, at least, be getting better as the season progresses.

[paradox]

I agree that senior-laden teams have an advantage because they have a greater sense of urgency, knowing that they are engaged in their final opportunity.

Well, there's also experience and poise as well as superior conditioning and upper body strength.

All these things can certainly help. But you can't teach and develop talent. You've either got or you don't. Some know how to use their talents more effectively and they know how to take it to the limit.

If a freshman comes in here with real talent, a good head on his shoulders, and a healthy dose of confidence and determination, then he'll be fine. If your guy has all of these components, then you can completely throw the freshman-factor out the window, as far as I'm concerned.