Would be such a prime spot for a high-end wing transfer so they could bring Jett along off the bench.
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I want to like Frankie as the starter…but he seems a long way from being ready for that. I know Simpson went through that experience too where he seemed completely lost as a freshman…but Frankie seems further.
I think kturnup’s table is mostly right but in that scenario where Hunter is gone you absolutely have to get a transfer guard on the roster. In fact, I would probably take the best available guard you can find as long as he can handle the ball. PG seems like the preference obviously, but there are at least two of them on the roster compared to just one SG. (I don’t think Jett is a 2 at all as a freshman…but I would give him a few of Barnes minutes for sure.)
My thoughts…
- Transfer guard will be on here and take those 10 Howard minutes and then some of the young guard minutes depending on who it is.
- I think Barnes is going to be more of that 5-10 minute guy that plays a shift in the first half but maybe not much more - sort of like TWill as a freshman or Frankie this year. I probably would almost just have a “Tschetter/Barnest - 5-10” category at forward
- We might be underselling Reed as a freshman with just 10 minutes. Hunter played 27 and Diabate is about that too. I would bump Reed to 15 and then assume those 5 minutes are with Diabate at the 4.
So…
PG - Transfer (15), Dug/Frankie (25)
SG - Transfer (15), Kobe (25)
SF - Jett (20-25), Caleb (15-20), Barnes (0-5)
PF - Houstan (15-20), TWill (15-20), Diabate (5), Tschetter (0-5)
C - Diabate (25), Reed (15)
I really need the fullest analysis of NIL and Dickinson before I’m truly confident in saying so, but it does seem like if you follow the money, you conclude that he comes back. But I’m sure there’s more to it.
I imagine Dickinson is just done with college and wants to take a shot at the pros regardless, but if there was ever a guy that would make sense for boosters to swing at for a huge deal, it’d be him. Proven talent and actually has some reach too. Could likely present him an offer worth more than he’d make professionally next year.
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I agree with your first two thoughts, I just did it as I did for ease and just to show where things would stand without a transfer. Re: Reed, Dickinson and Diabate were on different levels than him as far as instant impact IMO. I think him playing 10 minutes is fine, in fact I’m a little nervous we don’t have a good small ball 5 option (like Johns is sometimes) on the roster. Jace maybe?
Tschetter if he’s ready
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Bardo is getting killed on twitter by his own fan base. Illinois must have the most toxic fans.
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Btw branham recruitment always was weird to me, he was highly rated yet um and msu never made serious runs and blue bloods didnt either.
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Doubt Michigan would have been able to get involved given what happened with his cousin in football.
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Who is his cousin?
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Kalil Branham. Former Michigan football commit who got processed.
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I hope not. We played them well in Champaign while depleted. I don’t doubt this team is super motivated to finally shut them up, particularly the holdovers from last year.
Though it would be slightly annoying if we beat them without Juwan and then continued to hear the squawking that Juwan cant beat Underwood.
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Not me. I think we badly need another transfer guard. Preferably a pure PG but at least a combo guard who can handle some PG duties.
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I agreed with your thoughts exactly when we signed Tarris. He seemed more like a typical freshman big that was going to need to ease into the rotation slowly. That may still be true and thus it is going to be scary if Diabate and Hunter both leave.
On the other hand, he had a good HS season and has climbed up the rankings as a recruit. He’s also going to be coached by arguably the best big-man coach around. Maybe the way I think about it is that he probably starts closer to the 10mpg at the beginning of the season but finishes more like 15mpg toward the end.
I agree that you always need an emergency #3 big man also and thinking that Jace or Tschetter are that guy is a little scary…but we have no roster spots left. Obviously if anyone else leaves I think they go after a big. Wouldn’t hurt to have another Faulds type of player either.
When people talk about roster management this is the one area that I do wonder about - using that last scholarship on Glenn as another PF project who doesn’t shoot. I like him as a future contributor, but we already have two deep bench projects in Barnes & Tschetter. Would it have been better strategy to save a spot for another transfer or late-rising prospect based on roster need? These things do have a tendency to work themselves out though. Long time until next season starts.
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Don’t rule out DJ coming back. He has another year eligibility 
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The curtain has officially made the Bryce Jordan Center an equivalent atmosphere to crisler. Possibly better.
Iowa up two @ Nebraska…
Extremely annoyed I bet Iowa. But this is the type of team they’ve beat by 20+ all season long and Nebraska is weirdly engaged (I guess nobody guarding you will do that)
I actually think they find a way to put Reed and Diabate together for a little. Imo Reed is going to demand more than ten minutes a game. At first glance that may look a death trap wth the two bigs, but Reed has a low key craftiness about his game and I think Diabate starts to be able to stretch out to 15 more. I think they could find a way to play together for a bit in a bully lineup.
edit: Just watched more Reed Highlights. I can totally see him playing some four in the style of Ej Lidell but Reed is bigger. He had decent handle and actually works pretty well off the perimeter. He can create post ups off the dribble, I think he develops into a solid shooter, decent passer… I really think Reed is an impact freshman. I could see him and a more skilled sophmore version of Diabate working together well and taking turns high post/lowpost.
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