1st Team vs 2nd Team

[david]

Michigan was 8-23 (3-17 in conference). That’s DePaul level bad. I think people need to chill on the Reed starting talk. He was the 5th scoring option on Michigan. Even if he has all the tools / raw talent it’s going to take time to eliminate the bad habits. Meanwhile Samson has been in Hurleys system for 3 seasons, has 2 rings, won the starting job over Karaban in 2022 and was one of the best back up bigs in the country last year. Knows all the plays and is ready to start.

I love Samson and I hope he's good enough to start for us next year. His issue is the fouling and lack of rebounding though. For all his positives, he committed 7.4 fouls per 40 minutes last year and had a defensive rebounding % of 11.6. You can't be successful outside of a limited role as a center in the big east unless those numbers vastly improve.

Just to give you an idea of how bad that foul rate is, for all players that played at least 16 minutes per game, Samson was the 2nd worst in the country. For all of Tarris's shortcomings in the turnover department, his foul rate per 40 was 3.9 and his defensive rebounding rate was 19.9%.

 

[ucp990411]

Guess I am the only one who thinks Solo starts.

 

[UofCT]

I love Samson and I hope he's good enough to start for us next year. His issue is the fouling and lack of rebounding though. For all his positives, he committed 7.4 fouls per 40 minutes last year and had a defensive rebounding % of 11.6. You can't be successful outside of a limited role as a center in the big east unless those numbers vastly improve.

Just to give you an idea of how bad that foul rate is, for all players that played at least 16 minutes per game, Samson was the 2nd worst in the country. For all of Tarris's shortcomings in the turnover department, his foul rate per 40 was 3.9 and his defensive rebounding rate was 19.9%.

Tarris will get plenty of minutes for those reasons. I think we will also see Karaban play the 5 for stretches. However, Samson is starting games. Might not finish them but he’s earned the starting spot.

 

[mauconnfan]

Michigan was 8-23 (3-17 in conference). That’s DePaul level bad. I think people need to chill on the Reed starting talk. He was the 5th scoring option on Michigan. Even if he has all the tools / raw talent it’s going to take time to eliminate the bad habits. Meanwhile Samson has been in Hurleys system for 3 seasons, has 2 rings, won the starting job over Karaban in 2022 and was one of the best back up bigs in the country last year. Knows all the plays and is ready to start.

Reed will eventually start if not right away. He was the 5th scoring option on a horribly coached Michigan team.

He was only starting over Karaban for a game or 2 at best due to seniority and for the same reason may do so early on again. Even with his vast improvement there’s weaknesses that keep him as an very adequate bench player.

 

[TheChamps990411]

But, but, but Johnson added 15 pounds of summer muscle!

I find that pretty crazy. 15lbs of muscle in under 3 months on that frame? Thats wild. I just hope added weight doesnt bring up foot issues like hes already had and DC ended up with after last summers weight gain.

 

[Tyler2Rings]

Guess I am the only one who thinks Solo starts.

That's why AK is the only lock for next season. You could make a starting argument for any of the top 9.

I happen to agree with Hass/Mahaney/Stew/Karaban/Samson

 

[RuffRuff]

Michigan was 8-23 (3-17 in conference). That’s DePaul level bad. I think people need to chill on the Reed starting talk. He was the 5th scoring option on Michigan. Even if he has all the tools / raw talent it’s going to take time to eliminate the bad habits. Meanwhile Samson has been in Hurleys system for 3 seasons, has 2 rings, won the starting job over Karaban in 2022 and was one of the best back up bigs in the country last year. Knows all the plays and is ready to start.

Don’t agree with this take at all. Reed was a top 30 prospect coming out of HS, is built like a dude and has more hand/eye than Samson. Last two you can’t teach.

Reed walked into a shitshow at UM. They had one of the most talented teams in the country two years ago, two top 15 draft picks, and Dickinson and couldn’t make the tourney. That is coaching calamity.

Early reports out of practice are that he’s a “specimen”. Samson has been in the system for a few years now. He is what he is, a change of pace athlete with limited basketball skills and IQ. He has room to improve, but it won’t be a leap.

 

[The Frog]

Diarra is starting. You don't win 6th man. Come back for the extra year. And coach doesn't start you. Minutes are another thing as the season matures. But the man (not kid) is starting.

 

[dennismenace]

No it's not.

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=8021ae8973d03660JmltdHM9MTcxODkyODAwMCZpZ3VpZD0zZDVmNWRiYS0wYTNiLTY5NDItMjRlYi00OTI3MGI3ODY4MjQmaW5zaWQ9NTU5MA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=3d5f5dba-0a3b-6942-24eb-49270b786824&psq=phantasm+clip+%22its+only+a+dream%3b+no+its+not%22&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_dj1tMVBLS2R6MFMzNA&ntb=1

 

[pj]

Tarris will get plenty of minutes for those reasons. I think we will also see Karaban play the 5 for stretches. However, Samson is starting games. Might not finish them but he’s earned the starting spot.

How can he have earned the starting spot already when his competition with Reed has only just begun? You earn a starting spot by outperforming your competitors in practice.

 

[Drame]

Given the complexity of our system, with the players have so many options, I think the Hurley will use his veterans to start the early season games as the new guys work in.

So, Samson, AK, Stewart, Diarra and Mahaney is my guess for the early game starters.

The first TO brings in McNeeley and Ball for Steward and Diarra.

Reed, Ross and Nowell are the next three. And there will opportunities for Abraham and Singare to move into top ten.

Agree with the premise here. My percent chance starting at the beginning of the year:
1 - Diarra 80% / Nowell 20%
2 - Ball% 60% / Mahaney 40%
3 - Liam 70% / Stewart 20% / Ross 10% / Abraham 0%
4 - AK 100% / Stewart 0%
5 - Samson 75% / Reed 25%

 

[boog204]

I think you only have 3 of the 5 starters on your Team 1. I expect Stewart will start over McNeeley and Reed will possibly start over Samson although the center position may be more of a coin toss.

I’d be shocked if McNeeley is not our starting 3. Stewart will be improved but McNeeley talent wise is already superior, imo.

 

[aburks41]

This team is hilariously loaded if we are bringing the best shooter in High School, Liam McNeeley, and a sophomore leap Solo Ball as the first 2 guys off the bench. Those 2 guys alone would be the featured 1-2 punch on basically 99% of other teams in the country...Insane

Hell even if its Stewart or Mahaney off the bench. Or 6th MOY Diarra with another season of improved shooting under his belt. This team is just unfair

 

[Palatine]

Guess I am the only one who thinks Solo starts.

That probably would mean that Maheney is picking up the offense slowly. If Solo spent last last year running the offense instead of hunting for shots, he would be the favorite to start. Hurley knows, but we haven't seen, how comfortable Solo is in the offense.

 

[husky429]

That probably would mean that Maheney is picking up the offense slowly. If Solo spent last last year running the offense instead of hunting for shots, he would be the favorite to start. Hurley knows, but we haven't seen, how comfortable Solo is in the offense.

It's going to be a huge leap for Solo to become a guy who can lead an offense this season. His passing was rather horrendous in 23-24. 0.9 assists per-40 might be the worst passing season from a guard we've had in years, especially considering the system we run is built to hunt assists.

He needs to get in the film room and on the court to start building his passing reads in our set plays. He isn't going to be that natural, make-something-out-of-nothing passing guard like Tristen, Cam, or Castle, but he can be a cog in the machine. It is going to take A LOT of work though.

 

[RuffRuff]

Part of the fun of this year will to see which of this vast assortment of talented players rises to the top, embarrassment of riches.

Practices this year may be better competition than the majority of the schedule, which is a nice problem to have. Team will be ready.

Formula will be who is most ready to execute the system x scheme fit x overall talent.

 

[UofCT]

How can he have earned the starting spot already when his competition with Reed has only just begun? You earn a starting spot by outperforming your competitors in practice.

That's not true. Some players will walk into the season as starters like Karaban and Samson.

 

[Hurleyman216]

I’d be shocked if McNeeley is not our starting 3. Stewart will be improved but McNeeley talent wise is already superior, imo.

I think most people under estimate what a year in the program does for someone like Stewart. He will be the starter over McNeeley on day 1. We’ll see where it goes from there as the season moves on.

 

[pj]

That's not true. Some players will walk into the season as starters like Karaban and Samson.

I don't see how you can consider Samson the equivalent of Karaban. Karaban will be a starter because he is a superior player, has been superior at his position for two years, and no player was brought on who might be better at his position. Samson hasn't yet demonstrated superiority, and an arguably superior center was brought in.

 

[awy]

It really depends on how practice goes and what they decide the overall style of the team to be. With the versatile players on roster they could go a number of ways. A 5 out, offense oriented small lineup would even have AK as the "big". bring in reed/samson in to counter any adjustments. If they want to play bigger Reed can exploit slower opposing bigs with the face up game.

 

[Horatio]

I don't see how you can consider Samson the equivalent of Karaban. Karaban will be a starter because he is a superior player, has been superior at his position for two years, and no player was brought on who might be better at his position. Samson hasn't yet demonstrated superiority, and an arguably superior center was brought in.

Ok, but to be fair, last season was the first season Samson was healthy and played an entire season. I think people are factoring in the natural development that comes year to year, especially when healthy, and projecting that he’ll be even better.

 

[Son of Robert]

With 4 starters gone Jaylin Stewart will have a tremendous impact on this team. Perhaps the biggest jump of the returning players including Karaban, Ball, Diarra, and Ross. McNeeley, Stewart, and Karaban sharing the floor for some minutes, sure why not.

 

[pj]

Ok, but to be fair, last season was the first season Samson was healthy and played an entire season. I think people are factoring in the natural development that comes year to year, especially when healthy, and projecting that he’ll be even better.

Fine, but we can also project that Reed will become better through his natural development, especially since he will benefit from a big leap in the quality of his coaching, while Samson has already had the benefit of UConn coaching for two years.

 

[pj]

With 4 starters gone Jaylin Stewart will have a tremendous impact on this team. Perhaps the biggest jump of the returning players including Karaban, Ball, Diarra, and Ross. McNeeley, Stewart, and Karaban sharing the floor for some minutes, sure why not.

Agree with this. Steward looks like a star in the making, and the other two are also elite. We'll have a three-player rotation at the forward spots that will be the envy of college basketball.

 

[UofCT]

I don't see how you can consider Samson the equivalent of Karaban. Karaban will be a starter because he is a superior player, has been superior at his position for two years, and no player was brought on who might be better at his position. Samson hasn't yet demonstrated superiority, and an arguably superior center was brought in.

Samson is a senior and made an impact on the best college team in the last 15 seasons. Reed started on the worst team in the B10 and was their 5th option.