The Covid year is as follows… All get an extra year. If you were a freshman, you a freshman again as it relates to basketball eligibility… If you were a senior, you a senior again as it relates to basketball eligibility… So on an so on. Also, in 2021, you get 2 extra scholarships from 13 to 15 if you have the funds and want to do that. In 2022, your scholarships go back to 13.
The only issue is, not all schools can afford the extra 2 scholarships.
I suspect in 2021, you will have more in-coming Freshmen red shirting because of upper classmen with more experience in front of them at certain positions.
So Djuricic has up to 2 years of eligibility left?
Unless we can somehow get a superstar transfer (like, first team all conference), I don’t see it making sense. We basically used one of those “freebie” transfers on Pipes. I hope the glut doesn’t lead some of the freshmen who have been committed a long time to be disillusioned. Some of them might still be good enough to play next year.
Been away from the board for a couple of weeks. Was too giddy over the Zags humble pie and am now coming off the high.
Curious…with all the shucking and jiving of the roster…who is “the man” on the floor now? Where are the points going to come from? Where is the KJ Feagin or Jared Brownridge?
We’ve been scoring by committee the last few years–nobody much over 15ppg. I don’t think that is going to take us to the top three (or even four) in the conference.
There’s not one guy. But we could have 5 or 6 guys or even more next year that could get 20 on a given night and a number of scoring contributors on average. The top 3 scorers in conference games are back, and g Williams. Add in pipes, djuricic and braun and even before considering freshmen that’s 7 guys that should all be scoring contributors.
I’m most concerned about defensive rebounding, though vrankic coming back should really help that.
I could buy into that, but I haven’t seen this offense or squad play “loose” and confident at a level that would give me the assurance that any of 5+ guys is going to go for 20 and keep other teams running in circles trying to guess who is going to be the hot hand.
I know the Zags are on another level, but the unselfish play, quick and decisive passing and confidence on the floor was something to admire. I don’t need to see the Broncos average 90 ppg. But if they are going to score by committee and make some strides in league, we’ll need to see some of those offensive traits on the floor
It’s gonna be a struggle next year (once again) unless one of the transfers comes in and can just light it up. I’d expect pretty the much same results as Sendek’s first 5 years with wins more dependent on weak scheduling than anything else.
Only partially in agreement w/ 'noob. Yes, there’s several guys capable of scoring 20 in game but only 4 IMO capable or likely of doing it on somewhat regular basis: J Williams, Justice, Vrankic, Pipes. The one-off, career game from someone else like maybe Djuricic or G Williams would be outliers if they happen at all so not really relevant to the question.
The problem and my concern is, I don’t see any of those 4 identified being in the same class as Jared, KJ or K Foster…guys who can truly take over on a regular and consistent basis. Emphasis on regular and consistent. Sure Vrankic and Justice have had a few big games…but not the level of consistency or frequency you really want or need if you want to see this program get to a legit NIT bid type squad. It’s fine to have a scoring by committee approach sometimes but really need a go-to guys who can get their shot and dominant at a high level with some frequency.
J Williams has a lot of potential and a high ceiling…he’s great defensively already but still has a ways to go offensively in order to put him in that same class as a Jared, KJ, Foster. Jalen needs to become a better and more consistent threat from 3 and continue to expand his offensive repertoire. I hope and expect to see continued improvement from him in 21/22 but might be 22/23 before you see him truly become a dominant player offensively on a consistent basis.
Beyond J Will, I think Stewart and maybe Besselink might have that potential to be dominant scorers someday but prob aren’t ready in year 1 the way Brownridge and Foster were.
Well, you may have misunderstood me. I don’t think any of them will do it regularly. That would mean like an 17-18 ppg average (unless they busted out for 30s, or frequently put up 0s or 2s, neither of which I think will happen particularly often). I don’t think 1 player is doing that, let alone 7.
Scoring averages will be dependent greatly on playing time, and there’s a lot to be figured out there yet. A lot to be earned, more accurately.
The only two I would bet on getting more than 30 mpg right now are J Williams and Justice.
BYU had 8 players average 5.5 or more per game in conference play and only Barcello averaged more than 11.8 (and was still under 15, 3rd on the team in pts/40 min). Worked ok for them.
I’d rather go into a game with several ways to win rather than just 1 or 2.
It’s late, and I just finished off a career Chard ( they grow 'em big in Napa), butI really think Jalen will blossom into a big scorer (even if not on the scale of Foster or Brownridge), enough to give the other two or three next up a little slack. Plus, BB, I think even with the standard SCU sched, they will be 3-5 wins better. If stasis remains, then maybe the trainride comes to the end for Coach Herb, but it’s spring and I think they will contest for the 3rd or 4th after GU and BYU. Next year seems to offer the best lineup the Broncs have fielded in quite awhile.
I agree that Jalen is most likely to breakout and be THE guy but I would not get too concerned about finding a player to average 18 pts per night. For example, we stunk KJ’s junior year when he averaged 17. And perhaps the best year of Bronco Basketball in the last 20 years was 2006-2007 where our leading scorer averaged 10.8 pts per game. It was Davey’s last season and the scoring was extremely balanced…,Denison (10.8), Bryant (10.4), Dougherty (9.9), Pariseau (9.7), Angley (8.3), Henke (6.9).
#1, absolutely a concern. Fortunately, the more teams focus on 3s, the less impact it has. But I think we have gone through the options, and one of them (Bediako 5) is better defensively and not as good offensively, and the other (Vrankic 5) could be the opposite, though rebounding is an important part of defense, and Vrankic is pretty good at that, because despite lacking vertical ability, he has good positioning and good hands.
#2, not sure it is so much a concern. Not very many teams press full court, and Jalen Williams was more than capable of handling the ball. Caruso and Carlyle were pretty high turnover percentage guys and Djuricic and Pipes were lower, but not so high in usage either in weaker conferences. I think valuing the ball in the halfcourt more will be more important than who brings the ball to the halfcourt, usually uncontested.
I’m assuming Pipes will assume Carlyle’s spot, starting in the backcourt alongside Jalen. Maybe a two-headed point guard approach, maybe leaning Pipes - 1A and Jalen - 1B. Knapper comes off the bench and plays the PG often depending on who he’s on the court with.
If Stewart is in this mix, does G. Williams get shoved back? I thought he was playing really well at the end of the year. I guess most saw that the NCAA study council has recommended one free get out of jail pass with immediare eligibility. Maybe this permanent tranfer portal becomes the new proxy for red-shirt years.
G Williams will definitely get a lot of playing time but primarily on the wing as a shooter/slasher. Perhaps Stewart can play some point eventually. He has a D-1 ready frame.
I expect Giordan to be in the mix but there’s going to be a lot of competition for limited available playing time. Giordan, Knapper Stewart and don’t forget Tomley all in the mix for back-up duty and regular rotation minutes. Jalen can slide over to the 3 to play some minutes there when Justice goes to bench and Giordan could as well in more of a 3 guard lineup but then you also have to add Besselink to the discussion for back-up minutes at the 3.
I’d look at it this way…I expect Jalen to play at least 30mins/game, Justice and Pipes at last 25…those are all on the lowish end and assume Justice may occasionally play the 4. That’s 80mins total minimum. Leaving only 40 mins remaining amongst the 1, though 3 positions. Giordan, Stewart, Knapper, Tomley. Besselink aren’t all going to get regular rotation…just not enough minutes to go around. My hope is that a couple of those guys take a clear step forward and are able to be consistent, regular contributors such that there’s effectively no drop off when they sub for the starters. And who knows, maybe even one them of challenges Justice or Pipes for a starting role (can’t envision a scenario where Jalen doesn’t start).
The only correct answer is to have no answer. No one knows. Sendek doesn’t know. Garson doesn’t know. No one does. Have to see how they look when they come in, and it might not be about pure talent as much as skills that fit the team need well. If there’s a guy that can rebound and post defend at an above average WCC level, and score efficiently, I bet that guy’s going to play.
Which I would rather have that and have spirited competition every day in practice than to go in knowing how things are going to be.
Let’s also keep in mind that there were several P5+ teams that successfully utilized 3G 2F lineups (ahem, Baylor), so we shouldn’t assume that there will be a traditional 1,2,3,4,5 lineup on the court.
To make a 3G 2F lineup work, however, we’d need at least 2 above average 3-pt shooters on the floor, and 2 forwards who can rebound above their height/weight class against big centers.