Back to next years depth... I think all of our guys will come back highly motivated even after a championship because all of them have something to prove.
This is Ryan's last shot to prove he can be an NBA PG and he finally gets the chance to be a leader of this team. KO will be preparing him all summer mentally for this leadership role.
Rodney has sat by for a year and watched this team win a championship. His mix of talent along with the hunger and motivation he must have for having to sit out while watching this championship run has to be scary. He will be one of the better scoring guards in the country. I could see him averaging 16 and this really being one of the most athletic backcourts we ever had with him and Ryan. I really can't wait to see these experienced guards play with 2+ years of coaching from Ollie.
Terrence is expecting bigger minutes. I could see him hitting a sophomore slump though. Hopefully not though and he comes in improved with the same confidence from last year to be the steady change of pace PG off the bench who can push it when need be.
We all know Omar is hungry to come back and show everyone last season was a fluke. With Daniel Hamilton coming in he is going to be working his ass off all summer to make sure he is ready to make an impact this upcoming season.
Daniel is a great talent. If he starts it will be because he is that good. If he comes off the bench what a great weapon to have come off the bench. Coming off the bench would mean better chances of staying another year too.
Facey didn't play last year so everyone should know he's waiting for his chance to shine. For the first time we have a legit 4 length and size was who could really stretch the floor. I'm sure he will be ready after a summer of working on his game and getting bigger. Look at the development Phil had from his freshman to sophomore year in terms of feel for the game and size.
Amida could be defensive player of the year next year once he learns the small stuff like keeping his hands up on defense. This kid will be a lottery pick. The question is how soon? I know everyone is afraid of how much he will develop because of his shoulder surgery and what happened to Calhoun last year, but he isn't a guard and with bigs it's a lot less about skill and more about just knowing positioning. He will have plenty of time to work on his post game and get bigger. I'm really excited for his development because he has all the tools to be an All American C. Long with a great frame, good touch, great at running the floor, plays extremely hard all the time, and something that can't be understated especially by someone who is playing his 4th year of organized basketball is his ability to keep the ball high. Once this guy gains muscle, learns positioning, and get reps with his post game he will really be an elite C.
Phil has to work on his vertical jump. He should be more than good enough to play a backup center role. He played great positional defense last year and was great on defense against guys like Payne, a Young, and the Kentucky bigs. He is a guy that will benefit from another year in the S&C program and reps in the gym. His post game looked solid last year he just had problems finishing and at times he would get his footwork messed up. He will be a great option as a backup to spell Amida or Facey though. Him playing next to Amida will be similar to the Armstrong, Boone days.
Our other 2 freshman our huge unknowns to me. They can be in similar situations like Facey and Terrence last year where they would just have to sit, watch, develop, and wait their turn. Lubin may get minutes to spell Facey though if ready. I really feel like Facey will be ready to have a solid year for us and be a much more consistent presence than DD. Now when I say consistent I don't necessarily mean better. When DD played hard last year and was on he was a special player, but he did not play like that all season. I expect Facey to be a consistent threat on the glass and be a much better effort guy which could translate into a 8 and 7 type of year.
With all that said, I'm super excited for next season. This is really a top 10/5 team with it's eyes at a repeat and being the most athletic team we ever had. I'm sure that's what Ollie is going to be preaching all season like great coaches do. You're suppose to look at the regular season as practices and preparation for the Tournament and Ollie fully understands that.