Next year's starters

[OPButtrey]

I know we haven't even started conference play this year but I always like to look ahead. My picks:

1 Maurice Jones - his experience wins out at least to start the season
2 Matt Thomas - will be our best 3 pt threat
3 Ejm - I think the 3 is his natural position and he'll thrive
4 Niang
5 Gibson

thoughts?

[Dryburn]

Don't disagree......except on the point. It will be either Naz or Monte to start the season there....Jones is not available until January.

[ISUCubswin]

I agree with your starters. I think Monte will be backing up the 1 and the 2, while Ejim backs up 4 and 5 at times. I see us playing maybe 8 guys a game. I don't think we go to deep next year. Those 8 guys being Morris, Jones, Thomas, Ejim, Niang, Gibson, Amardi, and SDW. 9 if Bubu is found innocent. 10-11 if Hogue and/or Edozie are better than I think they are.

[brokenloginagain]

three guard line-up:
jones
morris
thomas
ejim
niang/gibson

ejim continues to be the best player in school history who's started almost his entire career....to continually be expected to come off the bench in future starting line-up threads.

[VeloClone]

3 Ejm - I think the 3 is his natural position and he'll thrive

I'd like to buy a vowel, Pat.

[ISUCubswin]

three guard line-up:
jones
morris
thomas
ejim
niang/gibson

ejim continues to be the best player in school history who's started almost his entire career....to continually be expected to come off the bench in future starting line-up threads.

I like this more. 3 guards is the way to go. Ejim needs to start, he rebounds better then anyone on the team. Gibson and Niang will be hard for teams to stop offensively, but we need Ejim in otherwise we will get outrebounded all year.

[NATEizKING]

I think it would be better to start off with Ejim, Niang, and Gibson. Ejim will start for sure and the Niang/Gibson combo has been working well this season. They all seem to be plenty capable of putting points up. Wait for one of them to need a break then slide Ejim to the 4 and bring in a third guard rather than start freshmen that we haven't seen play outside of highlights.

[Doc]

Niang and Ejim are going to have to start IMO, and unless Niang grows another couple of inches that means Gibson is going to have to start too.

I think you're looking at Morris/Long, Thomas, Ejim, Niang, and Gibson to start the year. A lot of the playmaking is going to fall on Niang and the young guards with Ejim at the 3. Jones may be a godsend midseason.

[gocubs2118]

I wouldn't be surprised to see us bring in a wing type player that's a 5th year transfer. That's what we're missing for next years team. I guess Ejim could play the 3 but he's not someone who's going to beat his defender off the dribble or drive to the basket. To start the season, I see it as something like this:

Monte
Thomas
Transfer
Ejim
Niang/Gibson/Amardi

[State43]

Yeah, I agree with OP on starters in Jan.
PG: Jones/Long/Morris
SG: Thomas/Walker/Morris
SF: Ejim/Hogue/ Okoro if he doesn't transfer due to playing time
PF: Niang/Hogue•Ejim
C: Percy/Armadi•Edozie

[CyCy]

Is it correct that Jones would be eligible as soon as the first semester ends - mid to late Dec.

[NATEizKING]

I wouldn't be surprised to see us bring in a wing type player that's a 5th year transfer. That's what we're missing for next years team. I guess Ejim could play the 3 but he's not someone who's going to beat his defender off the dribble or drive to the basket. To start the season, I see it as something like this:

Monte
Thomas
Transfer
Ejim
Niang/Gibson/Amardi

I'd rather have a 5th year big with Jones, Monte, Thomas, Ejim, Niang, SDW, Okoro, Hogue. Hard to tell how good a few of them will be since we haven't seen them yet but the same can be said for Amardi. Gibson is our only lock down low of any height, Niang and Ejim are solid but 6'7" and 6'6" isn't the most pleasing.

[State43]

I wouldn't be surprised to see us bring in a wing type player that's a 5th year transfer. That's what we're missing for next years team. I guess Ejim could play the 3 but he's not someone who's going to beat his defender off the dribble or drive to the basket. To start the season, I see it as something like this:

Monte
Thomas
Transfer
Ejim
Niang/Gibson/Amardi

That is exactly the type of player Hogue is thogh.

[NATEizKING]

Is it correct that Jones would be eligible as soon as the first semester ends - mid to late Dec.

Si

[WallenIzBallin]

Picking up a center from the transfer market that could play immediately would be a dream come true.