“remotely contend” you have to win multiple games in a row vs elite teams to contend for a national title, one of them is bound to have a great big
also harris got minutes his 1st year here and it was exclusively based on height as he lacked his multiple of those attributes you listed …harris was a bench juco player the year before his 1st season here
id agree with you if we had “options”
if we run into UNC who will have TWO 5star 6’11+ bigs …or duke who’s projected lineup will have 3 6’8+ playeer (1 is 7’0) all top 30…
Powell’s not far off. I think we can definitely make a Final four run with the roster as is. But for me to say we should be one of the favorites to win the whole thing, we need a grad transfer or Gorham to step up. Someone like Chevez Goodwin would have been perfect.
2011-12 Mizzou played small ball with a couple of 6’8 centers providing size and they went 30-5. 2008-09 Villanova the same so it can be done. It’s definitely not easy and you have to play fast.
I’m surprised they haven’t gone after another Chris Harris, project big in the last few years.
harris was doing 12 minutes a game last year and had 6’8 250 breon on the squad…it not so much about height but defensive capability…if we got a 6’8 super buff center, i think we’d be fine
In 2018 in the tourney against Michigan (national runner up) Harris didn’t play and Brady played 3 minutes. Against SDSU Brady played 11 minutes and Harris played 3. We lost the Michigan game in an extremely flukey manner. Had we won I think we would have had a very good shot at getting to the national championship.
I think Powell has a shot to contribute and he’s for sure got the clearest path postion-wise of the freshman for meaningful minutes, but I think we can be a top 10 team even if he doesn’t.
my point wasnt so much that we need them every game, but there will be a game and there will be situations where it will be a factor…college basketball is winner take all, you lose one and you are done …
will there be a legitimate time that putting out a 6’5 guard at the 4 (hinton) and a 6’8 not that athletic forward at the 5 (fabian) will hurt us? yes. will it hurt us all the time? no
we lose by 10+ if harris isnt in the smu game this year
that sdsu game you mention is perfect example of that despite rob hitting a game winner, we started the game just blowing them out…half time they just flipped the switch stopped trying to shoot and told their 6’11 big to just attack the post, we couldnt really defend him based on the height difference so we just kept fouling him and he single handedly got them back…if we didnt have a huge lead to start and hit a game winner, we might have lost to a not so good SDSU team
I appreciate that you always try pesik
I don’t think we differ too much in our thinking.
No questioning the more we have the better chance we have. I have no idea how much we will be able to count on Powell but he is a little lean at this time. Fingers crossed he will be able to provide a presence next season.
If not, we have a lot talent at other positions including a handful of undersized 4s who will battle their tails off when needed
We are going to be tough to matchup for other teams when we do not go to a center and we will be doing that plenty…
Will that be enough? There is still aot of work to be done from now and the including the biggest test our culture has had with Sampson
I think we mostly agree. I don’t see the combination of White and Gresham playing 40 minutes at the 5 pretty much every game.
If Roberts really made a lot of his redshirt year I could conceivably see some minutes at the 5 for him, especially if Roberts grew a little and Powell isn’t really ready.
Both teams pressed and played some man too. Mizzou lost in the 1st Rd like teams tend to do. (Virginia lost to a 16 seed the yr before a title) I get your general point though. Playing that style isn’t easy and Powell could be key playing against teams with size. Also how much of an improvement can we expect from Gresham if they don’t get a full offseason? He was in bad foul trouble most games and he doesn’t have 1/2 the offense Brady had.
Gresham gives us a ton of depth on the defensive end at center. He can switch everything which makes him extremely valuable… I want to see him be one a more consistent force on the boards.
A version of William Stringfellow would be really nice.
I see us using White and Gorham quite a bit at the 5. Against some maybe most teams Alley, who can also switch everything, can drop down to the 5.
We have options, a lot of fouls and a lot of versitility. I hope everyone plays this season and can handle not playing heavy minutes.
