Starters and minutes next year?
- Thread starter Pitt2006
- Start date
Assuming that the 13th player isn’t an instant impact type, here’s how I think the minute share shakes out by conference play.
Dior 30, Lowe 10
Leggett 30, Carrington 10
Austin 25, Jeffress 15
Hinson 30, Jorge 10
Fede 15, Guillermo 15, Kante 10 (think the rotation is mostly Fede/Guillermo, but one or both of those guys will find themselves in foul trouble enough that Kante will play about 8-10 per game)
Dior 30, Lowe 10
Leggett 30, Carrington 10
Austin 25, Jeffress 15
Hinson 30, Jorge 10
Fede 15, Guillermo 15, Kante 10 (think the rotation is mostly Fede/Guillermo, but one or both of those guys will find themselves in foul trouble enough that Kante will play about 8-10 per game)
This is likely a fair way to look at it to start, although I’m guessing we are playing nine guys by conference play.
Yeah, I think that’ll be a situation where Jorge and Jeffress are battling it out to be the “first guy off the bench” behind both Austin and Blake because they can both play either the 3 or the 4, and I think on a game to game basis you’re probably only playing two of the centers in any one game. So that gets you down to 9 regular contributors.
The biggest question to me is Carrington. Given the roster constriction right now, we’re going to need him to play the 2. If we add another backcourt piece who stands to be a contributor, then I think you see Carrington enter that battle with Jeffress and Jorge as the guy behind Austin, as well as being in the mix at the 2.
I'm not sure that Kante has to be exclusively at the 5. I've never seen him play, but his coach referred to him as a forward.
Is there anybody in the know who has an opinion regarding him playing power forward? Naturally, he wouldn't be getting the most minutes there, but is he capable of backing up both the center and the 4?
Is there anybody in the know who has an opinion regarding him playing power forward? Naturally, he wouldn't be getting the most minutes there, but is he capable of backing up both the center and the 4?
Maybe, but I think you’ve already got Jorge and Jeffress who have experience at that spot at the college level at Pitt, plus Blake.
So top 8 on paper in no order would be Dior, Leggett, Hinson, Austin, JDG, GDG, Lowe, Fede. Barnes is likely clear 12th. So battle for 9-11 goes to Jeffress, Carrington, and Kante. Not a bad problem compared to last year depth wise.
Good assumptions.
Dior and Austin look a bit high. Jeffress and Jorge look a bit low.
At this point, he's a 5. Very limited offensively but could be a plus defender and rebounder.
I agree, I just rounded it to the nearest 5. I think Dior is probably a few minutes less than 30, Austin a few less than 25, Jeffress and Jorge a few more than 15 and 10, etc.
I think Austin’s gonna be pretty good, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s at more than 25 and they figure out what to do behind him as it comes.
So is that assuming injuries? I have low expectations for Barnes. I can see Carrington getting less time now, but 8 would assume basically nothing for Jeffress or Kante as well.
Hinson, Dior, Fede, Austin, Leggett, Guillermo are locks to be in the rotation and major minutes.
After that, one of the freshman guards is going to get major minutes, maybe more likely Carrington for shooting.
That’s 7.
After that, I do think Jeffers gets into the rotation. That’s 8. Defense, rebounding, can play the 3 or 4, experience. I think he’s going to play. If he can shoot the ball at all, everything else is there.
That’s 3 guards, 2 wings, 3 bigs (including Hinson).
If we go 9 deep, I think the next guy is going to be Jorge. 10, probably Lowe. Kante and Barnes, I think they get the spot minutes to start, but I might be selling Kante short, but the twins and Fede are really good, and we have a borderline AA in Hinson at the 4.
Deeper, more talented team that last year. Younger, definitely a lower floor that last year if things go bad, but a higher ceiling to me for sure.
2 big unknowns
1. Dior- can he be a better Judah Mintz/1st team all-rookie guy?
2. Austin - he played at such a low level of D1, I could see him either being like a 12-14 PPG/how was he in the Big South type of dude or a Dan Oladapo, never get off the bench guy. Total unknown.
Austin is extremely athletic - Oladapo was extremely not - That isthe difference, not level of play.
I think Jeffers/Austin is going to be a battle to watch at the 3.
I would add Lowe/Carrington to the list of unknowns. At least one of them is going to probably get close to 20 mpg.
Really, other than the 4/5, where I would put our roster up against almost anyone, the rest of the team is filled with unknowns.
Dior is the biggest wildcard though.
Lowe/Carrington is a known to me. They are going to be solid but not spectacular freshmen. Play some minutes. Do some things. Make some mistakes. I dont expect either to be great or terrible.
I like Jeffress as a glue guy who can give some tough D in brief minutes. But I just can't put him ahead of Jorge at the #4. He is just too big of an offensive liability. To have him subbing for Hinson would be a massive drop-off. Jorge can still be a 3-ball threat there and a matchup problem given his size.
I see the 3 spot as a bit of a wild card. We don't know what we have in Austin yet. We pretty much know what Jeffress is and will be. But neither of them should be guaranteed anything. For all we know, Carrington comes in and outplays them both. Then you're looking at a Dior/Leggett/Carrington backcourt with Austin taking on more of the Sibande 6th man role.
JC is going to have some good but tough choices at the 4/5. Hinson gets his 30 leaving 50 for 4 guys. And one of those (Kante) is a kid you probably need to keep happy enough that he doesn't bolt for the portal the second the season's over.
