Projected Starting Line Up

[444JR]

To start of the season
1) Diarra 6’2
2) Mahaney 6’3
3) Stewart 6’7
4) Karaban 6’8 (pls come back)
5) Reed Jr 6’10

Bench Rotation:
6) Johnson 6’10
7) McNeeley 6’7
8) Solo 6’3
9) Nowell 6’0

Bench Depth:
10) Abraham 6’7
11) Ross 6’7
12) Singare 6’10

“Iron sharpens iron.”

Exciting to see how much top to bottom talent this roster has. The best coaching staff in the country is going to have this team absolutely locked in come March 2025.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

1) Diarra 6’2
2) Mahaney 6’3
3) McNeeley 6’7
4) Stewart 6’7
5) Samson 6’10

Ball
Reed
Nowell
Ross

 

[WhereistheDove?]

When you take everything into account.

We have a transfer from a top 25 team that is going to want big minutes. Stewart is looking for a larger role after biding his time for the upperclassman and same with Solo.

Diarra does next expect a starter role, neither will Nowell.

Obviously talent is going to play into the decision as well, but it makes the most sense for Solo to play PG and be the guy alongside Mahaney, Stewart, and whoever between AK or LM. If we want any shot at 7 he has to be the guy to take the leap.

We aren’t winning with a backcourt of Diarra and Mahaney trying to be the best guards in the country. No disrespect to those guys. Solo has the talent to be that. Diarra is an amazing 6th man.

Price (Solo), Austrie (Diarra), Kemba (Nowell), Dyson (Mahaney) is how those roles and minutes can be allocated.

I feel like you’ve taken everything into account except for the skill set. Maybe Ball develops the lead guard skill set but he hasn’t shown nearly enough ball handling/passing skills to make me think he can do that his Sophomore year. I think he’s got the talent to take a big leap as a scoring 2-guard this season but I think you’re asking an unrealistic amount from the guy.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I feel like you’ve taken everything into account except for the skill set. Maybe Ball develops the lead guard skill set but he hasn’t shown nearly enough ball handling/passing skills to make me think he can do that his Sophomore year. I think he’s got the talent to take a big leap as a scoring 2-guard this season but I think you’re asking an unrealistic amount from the guy.

That’s what happens when you have 3 PGs and another great ballhandler like Cam on the team. Don’t get to see much.

NBA doesn’t think they saw enough out of Castle either to consider him a PG. Despite him 100% being that. Any team that puts him at SG/SF is dumb.

 

[Sibeerian]

Remember how last year it was almost shocking when someone made an actual mistake? We'll have to be a little patient with the new team early on as they get their footing with four or five new starters.

 

[auror]

Then the freshman. I could see Abraham earning decent minutes because of his defense and physicality.
...
Ross and Singare need a HUGE off-season to play, frankly. Their rate of improvement will need to be astounding, and they better know it, and do something about it.

And for those easily offended: This is my opinion.

Hurley has talked about how close Ross was to making our rotation this past season. He wasn't far behind Ball/Stewart. I don't see Abraham beating out Ross for minutes with a year headstart.

 

[UofCT]

I feel like you’ve taken everything into account except for the skill set. Maybe Ball develops the lead guard skill set but he hasn’t shown nearly enough ball handling/passing skills to make me think he can do that his Sophomore year. I think he’s got the talent to take a big leap as a scoring 2-guard this season but I think you’re asking an unrealistic amount from the guy.

Ball played serious minutes against UNC and was fantastic. Once Castle came back he played only garbage time minutes which was shoot threes and waste the clock. Ball was better than Castle for games early on in the season.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Ball has a ton of potential and did show us quite a bit before Castle was at full strength. On issue (which I believe is clouding the judgement of a few here) is when he did receive limited time in important situations later in the season, as he had so few opportunities he often attempted to do too much. I don't know what will happen, other than PT will be given out at a level commensurate to what is earned. I do believe that those with more time in our system will have an early advantage.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Ball played serious minutes against UNC and was fantastic. Once Castle came back he played only garbage time minutes which was shoot threes and waste the clock. Ball was better than Castle for games early on in the season.

In the example you gave me to demonstrate his lead guard skills, he had a grand total of zero assists in 29 minutes.

Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s wildly talented and believe he’ll take a big jump this year into a very important scoring guard role, he’s just not a PG (currently).

 

[UofCT]

In the example you gave me to demonstrate his lead guard skills, he had a grand total of zero assists in 29 minutes.

Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s wildly talented and believe he’ll take a big jump this year into a very important scoring guard role, he’s just not a PG (currently).

Never pictured him as a point guard. He's a 2 and a top 50 recruit last year, one of the best players we have ever recruited. Mahaney was top 150 and just came from a mid major. Happy he joined but I don't see him stealing minutes from Ball, especially the way Hurley has talked about him since the season ended.

 

[superjohn]

Never pictured him as a point guard. He's a 2 and a top 50 recruit last year, one of the best players we have ever recruited. Mahaney was top 150 and just came from a mid major. Happy he joined but I don't see him stealing minutes from Ball, especially the way Hurley has talked about him since the season ended.

Mahaney is going to be way better than you think, he has first team all-Big East potential.

 

[444JR]

Remember how last year it was almost shocking when someone made an actual mistake? We'll have to be a little patient with the new team early on as they get their footing with four or five new starters.

Yes. It was like rooting for, and expecting, perfect execution all game long, the entire season.

Perfect execution was the game within the game because the team was blowing everybody out.

Even when the end of the bench subbed in during garbage time, Hurley was coaching for perfect level execution and had Husky Nation rooting for that perfection.

Stomping Purdue by 19 at one point in the second half of the National Championship says it all. I always rooted for the team to lead by 20 before relaxing, which they accomplished most games.

What a luxury to support a team where your expectation as a fan is seeing them up by 20 before you feel satisfied.

The only relevant losses to speak of @ Seton Hall and @ Creighton were so excruciatingly painful because the team got so far away from its identity and execution. The ‘24/25 team has its work cut out to get to that level, but I don’t see the coaching staff settling for anything less. The team will be ready by the time March rolls around.

 

[auror]

Mahaney is going to be way better than you think, he has first team all-Big East potential.

Especially in that role in our offense. The last 2 guys that played combo/off ball shooter/2 guard in our offense were both 1st team All Big East.

 

[david]

When you take everything into account.

We have a transfer from a top 25 team that is going to want big minutes. Stewart is looking for a larger role after biding his time for the upperclassman and same with Solo.

Diarra does next expect a starter role, neither will Nowell.

Obviously talent is going to play into the decision as well, but it makes the most sense for Solo to play PG and be the guy alongside Mahaney, Stewart, and whoever between AK or LM. If we want any shot at 7 he has to be the guy to take the leap.

We aren’t winning with a backcourt of Diarra and Mahaney trying to be the best guards in the country. No disrespect to those guys. Solo has the talent to be that. Diarra is an amazing 6th man.

Price (Solo), Austrie (Diarra), Kemba (Nowell), Dyson (Mahaney) is how those roles and minutes can be allocated.

FYI I fully support the vision. If Ball and staff want to eventually work him towards becoming a combo guard that can handle and initiate the offense or play off the ball, that sounds fantastic. If he developed those skills with his size and athleticism that would be an amazing combo. Having said that, he hasn’t shown any of those skills yet so it’s hard to take posts about him playing pg seriously.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Never pictured him as a point guard. He's a 2 and a top 50 recruit last year, one of the best players we have ever recruited. Mahaney was top 150 and just came from a mid major. Happy he joined but I don't see him stealing minutes from Ball, especially the way Hurley has talked about him since the season ended.

Ahh okay, the post you relied to was about him playing PG.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

FYI I fully support the vision. If Ball and staff want to eventually work him towards becoming a combo guard that can handle and initiate the offense or play off the ball, that sounds fantastic. If he developed those skills with his size and athleticism that would be an amazing combo. Having said that, he hasn’t shown any of those skills yet so it’s hard to take posts about him playing pg seriously.

If you guys say so

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

On issue (which I believe is clouding the judgement of a few here) is when he did receive limited time in important situations later in the season, as he had so few opportunities he often attempted to do too much.

Ding ding ding

 

[aboogieee]

Ding ding ding

Which game(s)?

 

[Huskyforlife]

As a general question, I wonder if McNeeley would've committed if he wasn't given any indication he'd start, given he lives up to expectations in practice? There wouldn't be a more talented 6th man in the country if this is the case.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Which game(s)?

Fwiw, I’m not saying he can play PG based on anything he did last year. Purely off what he’s shown before last season.

My theory is that his role dictated his lack of showcasing those skills. Hard to be a playmaker when you’re a catch and shoot guy or a guy who comes in for 3 possessions at the end of a game.

If you give him Tristan Newton’s role he can play make just fine.

 

[UofCT]

As a general question, I wonder if McNeeley would've committed if he wasn't given any indication he'd start, given he lives up to expectations in practice? There wouldn't be a more talented 6th man in the country if this is the case.

Kemba didn’t start as a freshman
Shabazz didn’t start as a freshman
Hawkins didn’t start as a freshman
Andre didn’t start as a freshman
Donovan didn’t start as a freshman

 

[Lambeau]

Tough management job keeping everybody on the reservation while recruiting.
I guess that's why DH was holding his head in relief when the portal closed and Stewart and Ball and Diarra and Johnson haddn't left.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Kemba didn’t start as a freshman
Shabazz didn’t start as a freshman
Hawkins didn’t start as a freshman
Andre didn’t start as a freshman
Donovan didn’t start as a freshman

Karaban didnt start as a freshman?

 

[3rdbass]

Kemba didn’t start as a freshman
Shabazz didn’t start as a freshman
Hawkins didn’t start as a freshman
Andre didn’t start as a freshman
Donovan didn’t start as a freshman

Karaban and Castle started as Freshmen. Castle would be a good comparison since he is a McDonald's All American too.

 

[husky429]

Never pictured him as a point guard. He's a 2 and a top 50 recruit last year, one of the best players we have ever recruited. Mahaney was top 150 and just came from a mid major. Happy he joined but I don't see him stealing minutes from Ball, especially the way Hurley has talked about him since the season ended.

You're taking potential over proven production. Never a good bet.