Guard Play Next Year

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We lose 24 minutes per game from Akeem Springs next year. In the big run during the latter half of the B10 schedule, he was giving us more like 30 minutes per game.

I'm worried about our total lack of depth at G, and how it made us more susceptible to injury and exhaustion in the last few games.

Options:

- Ahmad Gilbert steps up or Pitino decides to play him again (he actually shot the 3 well this year, and his recruiting profile made it sound like his strength was attacking the rim...what gives?)
- Isaiah Washington comes in ready to play (provides a sorely needed backup ball handler)
- Michael Hurt becomes serviceable as a 3, and Amir Coffey is able to be part of a 3 guard rotation with Mason/McBrayer
- Jamir Harris comes in ready to play (provides a sorely needed 3 point threat)
- A walkon like Stephon Sharp or Brady Rudrud becomes a serviceable guy at 5-10 minutes per game (unlikely but possible)
- Ahmad Gilbert or Gaston Diedhiou leaves, and we get a graduate transfer (unlikely IMO but possible)

What do you guys think the most likely possibility is? What options have I not considered? Which ones are wrong or extremely unlikely? My money is on the new guys or a resurgence from Ahmad Gilbert.
 

We lose 24 minutes per game from Akeem Springs next year. In the big run during the latter half of the B10 schedule, he was giving us more like 30 minutes per game.

I'm worried about our total lack of depth at G, and how it made us more susceptible to injury and exhaustion in the last few games.

Options:

- Ahmad Gilbert steps up or Pitino decides to play him again (he actually shot the 3 well this year, and his recruiting profile made it sound like his strength was attacking the rim...what gives?)
- Isaiah Washington comes in ready to play (provides a sorely needed backup ball handler)
- Michael Hurt becomes serviceable as a 3, and Amir Coffey is able to be part of a 3 guard rotation with Mason/McBrayer
- Jamir Harris comes in ready to play (provides a sorely needed 3 point threat)
- A walkon like Stephon Sharp or Brady Rudrud becomes a serviceable guy at 5-10 minutes per game (unlikely but possible)
- Ahmad Gilbert or Gaston Diedhiou leaves, and we get a graduate transfer (unlikely IMO but possible)

What do you guys think the most likely possibility is? What options have I not considered? Which ones are wrong or extremely unlikely? My money is on the new guys or a resurgence from Ahmad Gilbert.

You forgot about Fitzgerald. Play him at the 3, which would allow Coffey to play at the 2.
 


I think by far the most likely is the new guys contributing... Washington, Harris, Fitzgerald and/or if there was an additional incoming guard. That's 3 or 4 candidates to replace Springs minutes. We will be fine. Defensive shortcomings makes it tough for the other guys you mentioned to play.
 

A lot can change between now and opening day, but I am hoping Fitzgerald turns into the Springs-like senior glue guy in our starting lineup. That would slide Coffey to the SG position. Fitzgerald could take the best opposing wing player and allow Coffey to dominate on the offensive end. Then McBrayer could continue to be our spark plug off the bench in the "Jamal Crawford" role. Hurt takes the back up SF spot. And Washington takes back up PG. If Harris proves to be a good shooter and decent defender then he can push for minutes of the bench as well. I really don't think our guard situation is THAT bad going into next year, assuming Washington can contribute right away (a la Coffey and Curry).
 


You forgot about Fitzgerald. Play him at the 3, which would allow Coffey to play at the 2.

Good point. I'm curious to see where his athleticism is...but that gives us another option.

Word on the street is that Gilbert probably transfers.
I think by far the most likely is the new guys contributing... Washington, Harris, Fitzgerald and/or if there was an additional incoming guard. That's 3 or 4 candidates to replace Springs minutes. We will be fine. Defensive shortcomings makes it tough for the other guys you mentioned to play.

If Gilbert does transfer, I would rather take an experienced guard than a post (it seems like everyone on here wants a post). In terms of supply/demand competent guards are easier to find than posts. I also worry more about the freshmen not being ready to contribute/an injury to our top 3 guards, than I do about Konate as our 4th big man. I like our Lynch/Murphy/Curry rotation with the occasional Konate.
 

A lot can change between now and opening day, but I am hoping Fitzgerald turns into the Springs-like senior glue guy in our starting lineup. That would slide Coffey to the SG position. Fitzgerald could take the best opposing wing player and allow Coffey to dominate on the offensive end. Then McBrayer could continue to be our spark plug off the bench in the "Jamal Crawford" role. Hurt takes the back up SF spot. And Washington takes back up PG. If Harris proves to be a good shooter and decent defender then he can push for minutes of the bench as well. I really don't think our guard situation is THAT bad going into next year, assuming Washington can contribute right away (a la Coffey and Curry).

Our guard play is going to be stellar. I fully expect Washington to be a Coffey level recruit- yet not be able to start right away because of the talent at guard. Mason, McBrayer, Washington and Harris, with Coffey able to slide to the 2...that's being loaded in college basketball.
 

Our guard play is going to be stellar. I fully expect Washington to be a Coffey level recruit- yet not be able to start right away because of the talent at guard. Mason, McBrayer, Washington and Harris, with Coffey able to slide to the 2...that's being loaded in college basketball.

Yeah at the very least, Washington will be a Curry-level freshman for us. I think Harris will be somewhere between Curry and Hurt in terms of production. We are totally screwed if Murphy or Lynch go down with an injury. Konate should not get more than 5-10 minutes. Gaston should never take off his warm ups.
 

Yeah at the very least, Washington will be a Curry-level freshman for us. I think Harris will be somewhere between Curry and Hurt in terms of production. We are totally screwed if Murphy or Lynch go down with an injury. Konate should not get more than 5-10 minutes. Gaston should never take off his warm ups.

The scenario above is why I want a JUCO big or grad transfer big if possible.
 



Sounds like pretty much a sure thing that Gilbert transfers there was a reason he didn't even get on the floor in a blow out like the Nebraska game. It would be great to get another grad transfer but I don't think it is real likely. Most grad transfers are looking for 2 things plenty of playing time and a team that can get to the NCAA Tournament. We have a team that can get to the NCAA Tournament but we don't exactly have a ton of readily available minutes. Only possible kind of grad transfer I could see would be a Minnesota native looking to just be on a good team and doesn't really care what role he plays. When the scholarship opens up I think it will be used on a regular transfer center or maybe a freshman center that had been committed to a school that had a coaching change and opts to get out of his NLI.
 

Sounds like pretty much a sure thing that Gilbert transfers there was a reason he didn't even get on the floor in a blow out like the Nebraska game. It would be great to get another grad transfer but I don't think it is real likely. Most grad transfers are looking for 2 things plenty of playing time and a team that can get to the NCAA Tournament. We have a team that can get to the NCAA Tournament but we don't exactly have a ton of readily available minutes. Only possible kind of grad transfer I could see would be a Minnesota native looking to just be on a good team and doesn't really care what role he plays. When the scholarship opens up I think it will be used on a regular transfer center or maybe a freshman center that had been committed to a school that had a coaching change and opts to get out of his NLI.

Michael Porter Jr come on down! On a serious note, I would guess it's used on a freshman center as you pointed out. We really are just going to need the bodies in the front court in 2018.
 

Good point. I'm curious to see where his athleticism is...but that gives us another option.




If Gilbert does transfer, I would rather take an experienced guard than a post (it seems like everyone on here wants a post). In terms of supply/demand competent guards are easier to find than posts. I also worry more about the freshmen not being ready to contribute/an injury to our top 3 guards, than I do about Konate as our 4th big man. I like our Lynch/Murphy/Curry rotation with the occasional Konate.

We need another post. Love our guys but I see a repeat of dumb foul play potentially taking us out of games again. I don't see why they suddenly play more intelligently in that area next year when they did it this year in the last game.
 

Word on the street is that Gilbert probably transfers.

Is that street in the neighborhood of the Gopherhole? Would not surprise me, but we have only speculation based on playing time with little data to back up the speculation.
 




Going to have to get contributions from freshmen, period. Harris is going to have to be able to defend, period.
 

I think we're in good shape with Washington. Hopefully hurt can contribute allowing Coffey at 2 from time to time. I wouldn't hate anther grad transfer

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I except Washington, Harris, Fitzgerald to give the same amount of production as we got from Coffey,Curry, Springs.

I want a grad transfer post to backup Lynch. If he gets hurt we are screwed.

Micheal Hurt I expect to take a Mcbrayer step and improve from year one 2.

Great things ahead for gophers hoops! With a good recruiting class for 2018.
 

I could see Washington averaging 9ppg, 2rpg, 3.5 ass, 1.5 stls.
Harris is hard to project, will he be lights out from 3 as a freshmen, and at 6-2 he has to be pretty open to shoot it.
Fitzgerald, will he be healthy? What kind of min will he play.

I would love if those 3 can produce like the 3 you mentioned but as a betting man I'd say just based on available minutes, not very likely.
 

I except Washington, Harris, Fitzgerald to give the same amount of production as we got from Coffey,Curry, Springs.

I want a grad transfer post to backup Lynch. If he gets hurt we are screwed.

Micheal Hurt I expect to take a Mcbrayer step and improve from year one 2.

Great things ahead for gophers hoops! With a good recruiting class for 2018.

IDK not that I don't see the freshman and Fitz contributing, I just don't see someone contributing like Coffey and Lynch had to this year. We have more depth so we can bring these guys along more
 

Good point. I'm curious to see where his athleticism is...but that gives us another option.




If Gilbert does transfer, I would rather take an experienced guard than a post (it seems like everyone on here wants a post). In terms of supply/demand competent guards are easier to find than posts. I also worry more about the freshmen not being ready to contribute/an injury to our top 3 guards, than I do about Konate as our 4th big man. I like our Lynch/Murphy/Curry rotation with the occasional Konate.

I disagree with the idea of needing a guard more than a post. I think you will see after one game how much better Washington is than BK (not to mention Harris) and Fitzgerald was a legitimate player at TA&M as a sophomore. We can't go through another season cringing every time someone makes contact with Lynch because we only have BK behind him. I'm not sure where to find the numbers as college doesn't publish it as much as NBA, but BK's +/- had to have been historically bad per minute in the last 10 games.
 

I disagree with the idea of needing a guard more than a post. I think you will see after one game how much better Washington is than BK (not to mention Harris) and Fitzgerald was a legitimate player at TA&M as a sophomore. We can't go through another season cringing every time someone makes contact with Lynch because we only have BK behind him. I'm not sure where to find the numbers as college doesn't publish it as much as NBA, but BK's +/- had to have been historically bad per minute in the last 10 games.

Konate definitely did not finish the season well, but (for him) he was productive earlier in the season. So, it is not impossible for him to contribute rebounds and defense. Another big would be nice though.
I agree and expect Washington to make big contributions as a freshman. He didn't grow up in sheltered environment. He has a legion of people following him he inspired. He grew up in NYC. He is going to come in believing he can contribute now. It's not something the coaching staff will need to convince him he can do. Pitino is always telling Mason he is one of the best guards in the Big Ten. It took 3 years for Mason to believe him. Yhat will not be the same conversion with Washington imo
I was suspect on Fitzgerald contributing but Pitino, Reggie and others and then the writer saying he was starting next year...that all comes from people who saw him play...so gotta believe he's gonna contribute.
 

Duane Wilson, Marquette is a potential grad transfer. He is a guard, but a dynamite defender. May fit that type of role here. He was a Buzz Williams holdover that never fit into Wo Jos plans.


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Bakary Konate can not play in big games so for us next year he should only get garbage time minutes.. we absolutely need a back up center to spell Reggie..it's critical to advancing in the league and the tournament
 

Bakary Konate can not play in big games so for us next year he should only get garbage time minutes.. we absolutely need a back up center to spell Reggie..it's critical to advancing in the league and the tournament

Yeah, I think backup center is more important than getting another wing. If we got MacIntosh I certainly wouldn't be against it all all, I guess it just depends on who is available.
 

Most grad transfers are going to want to go somewhere where they think they will get a bunch of playing time. Will be next to impossible to find a grad transfer at center who both wants to come here and thinks they're good enough to play 25+ minutes with Reggie on the team. If we can find someone happy playing about 15 minutes a game their senior year, great, I just think it's unlikely to happen. If McIntosh wants to come here, absolutely take him.
 




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