I’m skeptical that Rocket Watts will ever be a legitimate big ten point guard. Sorta feels like if Michigan just didn’t recruit a game-ready PG and forced Jordan Poole to play the spot. Wouldn’t work.
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If Tillman comes back I could see MSU being very good. I could also see it not working at all. I’m just done with calling MSU not that good cause I said it in December of 2018 then Kenny Goins and Matt McQuaid never missed another 3 pointer and they beat freaking Zion so now I will forever give them the BOTD.
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I think Brown/Henry/Hauser is a very good 2/3/4 starting lineup in the Big Ten. Do you disagree?
Is Rocket a Cassius Winston PG? No but as a sophomore he’s talented enough to be a starting PG.
Like I said, that teams feels one transfer combo guard away from being very good. Don’t know a ton about Hoggard, maybe he’s that guy.
Transfer rules go into place - David Dejulius transfers to MSU. Michigan fanbase implodes.
Foster Loyer got PTSD just reading that
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This is it. Otherwise, I’d fully assume that XT would leave if he were playing at almost any other school. Especially when the prospect has two children to take care of.
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There’s a lot of swing with Watts, Brown and Henry, particularly on Watts. Watts gonna be able to be an effecient primary ball-handler next year? I’m skeptical after his showing this year, although he’s got a lot of upside.
Definitely a good situation for a transfer guard…although I think we’ve seen the pitfalls of Grad Transfer point guards in the B10 recently.
Could be a standard transfer if the rules change, right?
I think it is tough to project a sophomore guard, especially when they clearly have talent. Darius Morris, Zavier Simpson are great examples of guards who looked like they’d never really be capable of playing Big Ten point guard as freshmen and ended up very good.
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no, I agree. I think my proposed rotation in the OP is a B1G-contending starting five. Not necessarily the way I would build a roster but it would work fine, especially on defense. If Tillman and Henry were both somehow to leave then they would be in trouble.
I saw MSU fans saying he won’t leave because of the “support system” his family has at MSU is apparently more valuable than several hundred thousand dollars.
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I guess my skepticism also goes along with Izzo’s handling of on-ball guards. Cassius came in fully formed as the perfect offensive basketball player with middle-school athleticism. Before that, he has not really been able to consistently get those on-ball point guards to improve early in their careers, particularly a gunner like Watts.
Either way, they’ll be an elite defensive team like usual, but I think there’s serious trainwreck potential with that offense. If people complain about MSU turnovers every year, wait until Rocket Watts is the guy making every pass.
Also, if the transfer rule changes, then all projection for every team goes out the window, lol.
They had a better coach
my dream scenario is MSU takes a transfer guard, offending Watts. Watts leaves the program and the transfer guard busts. 20-21 starting backcourt is Loyer and Jaaron Simmons adjacent.
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Agree with this. If we’re over here getting excited about a Brooks-Christopher combo backcourt, would be hypocritical to not afford Rocket + Hoggard/Transfer X the same benefit of the doubt
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Supposedly his parents are wealthy
Keith Appling was pretty average as a freshman next to Kalin Lucas and then played PG for a top 5 team as a sophomore. Similar situation IMO.
Lucas was better as a freshman but still had a huge breakout after he didn’t play next to Neitzel as a sophomore.
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Is Hoggard a guy that can come in right away? I don’t really know anything about him other than that his ranking is not high or low enough to presume either way
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As a fellow power forward in an overweight 6-1 body, I love Hoggard’s game… lol
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Honestly, Appling was never that good - perhaps evidence that Izzo has dragged otherwise good teams with mediocre PG play across the line.
The point wasn’t really that Keith Appling was some amazing player, but a team with Watts at the 1 and Tillman as a frontcourt playmaker would be very similar to that 2012 MSU team that shared the Big Ten.
That team had a 1 seed with Brandon Wood and Austin Thornton playing starters minutes. 