Just like that, another season over. Hard to believe. If I had to use just one word to describe it, I would use encouraging. It was obviously a tough year but when you consider what they were coming out of, it was a good year in my mind. Three wins plus the tournament win, a few other close ones. I know that there are no moral victories at this level, but this staff and team was literally coming out of hell. A winless season. No recruiting momentum. In fact, it was all negative. I think we all underestimated just how bad it has been around here. So with the 3 + 1 wins, along with two really good freshmen and another solid one, I would be encouraged. This team never quit despite the long losing streak. They actually showed up strong this last week of the season at the tournament.
There is a lot to work with in the back court. Xavier can be REALLY good. I know for a fact that he is on the NBA radar. At least on the minds of some people in the league. There is a long way to go because the shot is a mess, but the natural ability is off the charts. Now, the key is that he has to get better and can't be content. Every year you have a few stud point guard prospects that are 6'5 or Ja Morant like. There aren't many point guards taken in the first round, so it is an uphill battle for anyone. The shot needs a lot of work and the turnovers will probably decrease as more talent is brought in around him. Regardless, kid is a stud and is special.
Trey is another foundation piece. He also really needs to work on that shot, but mostly everything else is there. His case is a little different because he would need to become a point guard in order to leave early at that size. He is stuck between the one and two spots right now. It was really a challenge for him at times, but he is young and should get exponentially better.
Au'Diese showed some flashes but really struggled overall. I am still optimistic that he will become a good player. His problem is that he is a combo-forward that competes on the glass. However, he cannot make shots with any regularity yet in order to stretch the floor. He is a keeper, and another young kid that should get better. I would imagine the hope is that he can be the sixth man with an improved shot that can take advantage of matchups at the four spot.
After that, there was not much returning. Malik really struggled but his options are limited. Same goes for Kene. Terrell Brown has potential but things seemed to go south for him this year. It seemed like there was a lot of mutual frustration with him and the staff. I would not be shocked if he decided to leave. The effort, mentality, and consistency has just not been there and he needs to commit to the program completely to stay. Khameron loves it here and is a great teammate, but he should move down a level. Same can be said for Samson, who is the most likely to leave at this point.
Gerald will need to be the guy to replace Wilson-Frame. He is capable. Still, it is asking a lot and this staff needs to add at least one more shooter to take the pressure off. If this staff can't add one or two more shooters, they are going to be handicapped by facing zones all year again. That reduces the effectiveness of Johnson and McGowens. This roster needs a few shooters around them to protect them.
Karim Coulibaly will be a nice addition. He will be behind athletically, but he has the length and instincts to be a factor. He is a power forward all the way. He will have his hands on a lot of balls and be very active. It probably won't be efficient, but he will provide some production and much needed length.
Justin is another solid piece. He will give them versatility and more length on the wing. He is a very welcome addition because the roster needs upgraded in the middle and bottom as well. The entire roster needs a makeover outside of the back court. And even there you need additions.
So, now is the important time. The staff has done a nice job adding three solid pieces. The three kids are an upgrade to the roster and will all fill a role. The challenge for Capel now is to add at least one difference maker. Whether that is another kid moving up a class or an eventual decommitment from another program due to a change or sanctions, etc. There will be some very talented kids available. They need to identify that opportunity and get it done. The pieces that are being added are nice, but they need at least one to be big time. They will be a better team just from the maturation and development of the freshmen However, to take a big step - they need to add at least one difference maker. The middle and bottom of the roster is improving. The big gap is that area between there and the top with Xavier and Trey. I am sure that there will be plenty of activity once the tournament ends and coaches/schools start receiving punishments.
This could be the most critical offseason for Capel and his staff. He did enough to show promise and at least get things to a respectable level in order to be able to recruit. You hope this is the bottom and it only gets better from here. If he can finish strong and add an elite talent or two to this class, they could be off and running.
There is a lot to work with in the back court. Xavier can be REALLY good. I know for a fact that he is on the NBA radar. At least on the minds of some people in the league. There is a long way to go because the shot is a mess, but the natural ability is off the charts. Now, the key is that he has to get better and can't be content. Every year you have a few stud point guard prospects that are 6'5 or Ja Morant like. There aren't many point guards taken in the first round, so it is an uphill battle for anyone. The shot needs a lot of work and the turnovers will probably decrease as more talent is brought in around him. Regardless, kid is a stud and is special.
Trey is another foundation piece. He also really needs to work on that shot, but mostly everything else is there. His case is a little different because he would need to become a point guard in order to leave early at that size. He is stuck between the one and two spots right now. It was really a challenge for him at times, but he is young and should get exponentially better.
Au'Diese showed some flashes but really struggled overall. I am still optimistic that he will become a good player. His problem is that he is a combo-forward that competes on the glass. However, he cannot make shots with any regularity yet in order to stretch the floor. He is a keeper, and another young kid that should get better. I would imagine the hope is that he can be the sixth man with an improved shot that can take advantage of matchups at the four spot.
After that, there was not much returning. Malik really struggled but his options are limited. Same goes for Kene. Terrell Brown has potential but things seemed to go south for him this year. It seemed like there was a lot of mutual frustration with him and the staff. I would not be shocked if he decided to leave. The effort, mentality, and consistency has just not been there and he needs to commit to the program completely to stay. Khameron loves it here and is a great teammate, but he should move down a level. Same can be said for Samson, who is the most likely to leave at this point.
Gerald will need to be the guy to replace Wilson-Frame. He is capable. Still, it is asking a lot and this staff needs to add at least one more shooter to take the pressure off. If this staff can't add one or two more shooters, they are going to be handicapped by facing zones all year again. That reduces the effectiveness of Johnson and McGowens. This roster needs a few shooters around them to protect them.
Karim Coulibaly will be a nice addition. He will be behind athletically, but he has the length and instincts to be a factor. He is a power forward all the way. He will have his hands on a lot of balls and be very active. It probably won't be efficient, but he will provide some production and much needed length.
Justin is another solid piece. He will give them versatility and more length on the wing. He is a very welcome addition because the roster needs upgraded in the middle and bottom as well. The entire roster needs a makeover outside of the back court. And even there you need additions.
So, now is the important time. The staff has done a nice job adding three solid pieces. The three kids are an upgrade to the roster and will all fill a role. The challenge for Capel now is to add at least one difference maker. Whether that is another kid moving up a class or an eventual decommitment from another program due to a change or sanctions, etc. There will be some very talented kids available. They need to identify that opportunity and get it done. The pieces that are being added are nice, but they need at least one to be big time. They will be a better team just from the maturation and development of the freshmen However, to take a big step - they need to add at least one difference maker. The middle and bottom of the roster is improving. The big gap is that area between there and the top with Xavier and Trey. I am sure that there will be plenty of activity once the tournament ends and coaches/schools start receiving punishments.
This could be the most critical offseason for Capel and his staff. He did enough to show promise and at least get things to a respectable level in order to be able to recruit. You hope this is the bottom and it only gets better from here. If he can finish strong and add an elite talent or two to this class, they could be off and running.
