Maybe we won’t be that great. I don’t know. I was just putting forth, what in my opinion, is the most plausible lineups based on what I think JB values and based upon the roster makeup. I don’t know if you don’t like MAAR’s play or what…You can say we are in trouble if MAAR plays a lot if you want. It seems kind of irrelevant because JB is going to just put the pieces together, from a limited pool of players (our roster), in a way that, in his opinion, gives us the best chances of winning. A pretty big clue that MAAR will play a lot is based upon the fact that he already plays a lot. Maybe IBI will cut into his minutes…I don’t predict he will but maybe he will?
Here’s Dylan’s interview with Zack Fleer about Watson. Potential at wing, much improved, at least through December of this year. Pickerington seems to have bowed out of the HS playoffs in early March:
Well written SB Nation piece on him from last year:
Wish I could find something more recent, but this is from Jan 28:
It’s not that I don’t like MAAR’s play, it’s just that I’ve seen the level of performance that we need in terms of shooting and ball handling at SG in order to compete at a Big Ten championship level, and MAAR isn’t at that level. He is what he is, and that’s more at the level of the first guard off the bench, maybe playing 10-15 minutes a game. He’s not at the level of a Stauskas, Hardaway or LeVert. I like him fine for what he is, but in a guard-dependent, 3-pointer dependant offense like Beilein runs, we’re not going to turn this year’s losses into wins next year if he is still our best option at the off guard. Just saying.
The one mistake we continually make is in assuming that guys will always play like they did the last few games.
Hopefully those very optimistic articles have substance behind them. I have a hard time taking them serious. But let’s assume Ibi is the next Caris Levert, which is quite a coincidence that they went to the same high school. Even then, does anybody think, if we could use time travel, putting Freshman Caris on next year’s team, that Caris’s play would warrant cutting into MAAR’s minutes in a significant way? If your answer is “yes”, then I think you are underestimating MAAR or are guilty of being overly optimistic expectations of one of our new recruits.
I’d rather assume that Watson will be the next Nick Stauskas or Tim Hardaway, in which case it’s not so crazy. That may be overly optimistic, but more lightly regarded recruits can and have stepped quickly into starting roles
I am not trying to put Ibi down in anyway. I actually think he has real potential and I think he is underrated. However, let me put some stats out there for those people who like to be optimistic. The only thing is I request that we focus our optimism on MAAR for a second:
MAAR’s sophomore season:
FG% 46
3FG% 36
FT% 71
Assists 61
Turnovers 27
THJR sophomore season:
FG% 42
3FG% 28
FT% 72
Assists 73
Turnovers 66
Let’s get super crazy and realize that Sophomore MAAR outshot Freshman Burke from the field and from the 3 point line. Just trying to add some perspective…
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A perfect example of stats not telling the whole story.
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Getting crazy is right, MAAR is 3 years older than freshman Burke. MAAR is good. He is an ideal 6th man as he brings aggression and attacking. Whether he will be used that way isn’t likely due to lack of sg options, but I think it’d help this team a ton if he could be used that way. Irvin and Walton need the ball to be great, when they’re all 3 out there it’s tough to get all of them touches. I have faith beilein will get it figured out. MAAR must figure out decision making and not driving into the lane with nothing to do and traveling or forcing us to restart the offense. Him being older doesn’t help in his improvement other than the fact he can be more consistent. He kind of is what he is at this point.
I wasn’t trying to tell the whole story at all! I was merely trying to question where a reasonable person would/ would not feel compelled to place their optimism. MAAR is underrated by quite a few people around here, in my opinion. The argument that older players will not improve at a fast rate has merit in general except it might not apply to MAAR because he just made a significant jump from Freshman to Sophomore year.
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I can agree with that. I’m mainly speaking to the people who don’t see Walton and Irvin getting better. Age has more to do with improvement than year in college I think. Not in EVERY case but I’d bet that most of the time, age is a bigger factor. I want them all to improve and think they can. I see a more all around game from Walton and Irvin which is how I see more potential in their improvement. I think it’s a bad idea to play all three at the same time, but there may not be another option on this current team.
What do you see them improving on?
It’s not changing Chatman for Irvin though. It’s exchanging Chatman for Robinson on the floor.
Chatman is a better interior defender and we already have enough offense on the floor with Irvin-Walton-MAAR. If Robinson doesn’t improve defensively, I don’t think he should be playing 30+ minutes.
Chatman, as of now, doesn’t warrant anymore playing time than he has gotten. I’m really failing to see how anyone can think he is going to steal
Minutes from anyone
The trend for Chatman was for him to get 6-8 minutes per game toward the end of the season. With some expected improvement (he is still very young) I expect I would much rather have him out there next year than a completely exhausted Irvin or Robinson.
Did he even play against ND??
That’s fine - you’re entitled to your opinion.
I’m not saying he’s “better” than Robinson but I don’t see the value add of having so many offensive players on the floor when there’s only 1 ball. What’s your perfect lineup pratt?
A new coach will be his answer.
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Oh goodness I get a headache trying to come up with a lineup. The bench just doesn’t offer very much. So we sit here and discuss improvement because of age and hope beyond hope that the improvement happens or that the Frosh give something.
Besides Wagner playing over Doyle and hopefully Simpson can play. I think the rotation will pretty much stay the same.
Nice try though. That wasn’t my answer. I’m well aware he isn’t going anywhere
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