Roster:
PGs -
Hill
Demary
SGs -
Thomasson
Cain
SFs -
Abdur-Rahim
Melendez
Holt
Jordan
PFs -
Moncrieffe
Deloach
James
C -
Tchewa
Anselem
As we saw last year, Hill is a more solid PG than Roberts, though Roberts was more athletic and explosive. I will settle for steady at this position. Demary looks really athletic and can score the ball as well. I think we have upgraded here by virtue of fewer TOs and taking better shots.
At SG, Thomasson has been a better and more efficient scorer than Oquendo. While he was sometimes spectacularly athletic, you just never knew from game to game what you would be getting from KO. And he was lazy on defense and was not a team leader. I was really impressed with Noah's commitment interview. He seems like a sharp kid and willing to work. We can't be sure how his game will translate to the SEC, but I think he will be more consistent than Oquendo. Cain looks like a great shooter on video. He has a great release and good rotation on his shot. He seems to handle the ball well and can get to the basket a bit. The question will be whether he can defend at this level. That will be up to the staff and to Cain's effort. Overall, I think we've improved this position, too. But we are really thin in the backcourt.
SF has some unknowns. I know JAR has been working hard in the off-season; I want to see improvement on his footwork - particularly on defense. He is capable of really going off on a given night. But he will have a hard time staving off Melendez for the starting spot. Melendez, while not the shooter that Jabri is, has a better all-around game. We know Holt is not a shooter but does play hard and helps, particularly with full-court defense, which White says he wants to utilize more this season. As for Mari Jordan, I've watched some film on him, and it's difficult to predict what we will get from him. He has a college body, but his contribution will depend on how he can adjust to the college game. Since we are thin at guard, some of the minutes in the backcourt may have to be taken up by our SFs, and I think we have several capable of doing that.
PF is an interesting position. I think Deloach will help us immensely on the boards and on defense; he's athletic and can score around the basket, but he has no real range. Speaking of no range, there's Moncrieffe - athletic but no real feel for the game. Moncrieffe has been working on short jumpers all off-season; he needs a go to move that is not that ridiculous spin move that everyone saw coming a mile away. James is a wild card - supposedly a great shooter, but super thin, James needs some strength added by a college strength and conditioning staff. James might give us a different dimension at the PF by hitting perimeter shots. I think we have made significant strides at the PF position. We don't have to rely solely on Moncrieffe now. I think Deloach is an upgrade, and James could be the surprise of the team.
We might have made the biggest (and I do mean BIGGEST) upgrade at center. Tchewa is all of 7'0", 280 lbs. He's a mountain; he rebounds and never seems to stray out of the paint unless he's setting screens. He knows where his bread is buttered. Last year, Bridges started out terribly but gradually improved to give us decent numbers in the post offensively, though he was not much of a rebounder. Centers have to rebound, particularly on team that may play with 4 perimeter players. Tchewa will do that, I believe, with Anselem giving us spot time during a game to rest the big guy or come in for foul trouble. You can't run without the ball, and Tchewa will be the key to triggering any kind of up-tempo game White wants to implement.
Overall, I think this team has the potential to be significantly better than last season, but you never know how injuries and breaks can occur. Should be a fun season.
PGs -
Hill
Demary
SGs -
Thomasson
Cain
SFs -
Abdur-Rahim
Melendez
Holt
Jordan
PFs -
Moncrieffe
Deloach
James
C -
Tchewa
Anselem
As we saw last year, Hill is a more solid PG than Roberts, though Roberts was more athletic and explosive. I will settle for steady at this position. Demary looks really athletic and can score the ball as well. I think we have upgraded here by virtue of fewer TOs and taking better shots.
At SG, Thomasson has been a better and more efficient scorer than Oquendo. While he was sometimes spectacularly athletic, you just never knew from game to game what you would be getting from KO. And he was lazy on defense and was not a team leader. I was really impressed with Noah's commitment interview. He seems like a sharp kid and willing to work. We can't be sure how his game will translate to the SEC, but I think he will be more consistent than Oquendo. Cain looks like a great shooter on video. He has a great release and good rotation on his shot. He seems to handle the ball well and can get to the basket a bit. The question will be whether he can defend at this level. That will be up to the staff and to Cain's effort. Overall, I think we've improved this position, too. But we are really thin in the backcourt.
SF has some unknowns. I know JAR has been working hard in the off-season; I want to see improvement on his footwork - particularly on defense. He is capable of really going off on a given night. But he will have a hard time staving off Melendez for the starting spot. Melendez, while not the shooter that Jabri is, has a better all-around game. We know Holt is not a shooter but does play hard and helps, particularly with full-court defense, which White says he wants to utilize more this season. As for Mari Jordan, I've watched some film on him, and it's difficult to predict what we will get from him. He has a college body, but his contribution will depend on how he can adjust to the college game. Since we are thin at guard, some of the minutes in the backcourt may have to be taken up by our SFs, and I think we have several capable of doing that.
PF is an interesting position. I think Deloach will help us immensely on the boards and on defense; he's athletic and can score around the basket, but he has no real range. Speaking of no range, there's Moncrieffe - athletic but no real feel for the game. Moncrieffe has been working on short jumpers all off-season; he needs a go to move that is not that ridiculous spin move that everyone saw coming a mile away. James is a wild card - supposedly a great shooter, but super thin, James needs some strength added by a college strength and conditioning staff. James might give us a different dimension at the PF by hitting perimeter shots. I think we have made significant strides at the PF position. We don't have to rely solely on Moncrieffe now. I think Deloach is an upgrade, and James could be the surprise of the team.
We might have made the biggest (and I do mean BIGGEST) upgrade at center. Tchewa is all of 7'0", 280 lbs. He's a mountain; he rebounds and never seems to stray out of the paint unless he's setting screens. He knows where his bread is buttered. Last year, Bridges started out terribly but gradually improved to give us decent numbers in the post offensively, though he was not much of a rebounder. Centers have to rebound, particularly on team that may play with 4 perimeter players. Tchewa will do that, I believe, with Anselem giving us spot time during a game to rest the big guy or come in for foul trouble. You can't run without the ball, and Tchewa will be the key to triggering any kind of up-tempo game White wants to implement.
Overall, I think this team has the potential to be significantly better than last season, but you never know how injuries and breaks can occur. Should be a fun season.
