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Annual "Which Roster is Better?" Thread


Norm Peterson

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Definitely 18-19. 4 returning starters that should improve in the off-season. 2 of which should be healthier than last year. I would also say that Thomas Allen at worst will be a wash with Gill from last year. I’m expecting nice improvement from TA. 

 

I would also say that our bench might be a slight downgrade. But depending on how good Harris is, it might be fairly even. I would also add Borchart to the bench list for this year. 

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22 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

2017-18:

 

PG Watson (jr.)

SG Gill (sr.)

SF  Palmer (jr.)

PF  Copeland (jr.)

PF  Roby (so.)

 

Bench:  Taylor, Jordy/Duby, Allen

 

2018-19:

 

PG Watson (sr.)

SG Allen (so.)

SF  Palmer (sr.)

PF  Copeland (sr.)

PF  Roby (sr.)

 

Bench:  Harris, Akenten, Chan/Heiman

Gosh this is harder than I thought it would be.  I still like last years depth better.  Just hard to guess how much improvement we will see from everyone.

Edited by ConkintheCorner
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I'll kinda throw out an answer to my own question:

 

Last year, Gill started out hot but finished cold from three. His final 3-pt % on the season was 37.8%, but in the last 12 games, he was 13/55 for 23.6%.

 

Thomas Allen, on the other hand, was only 35.4% on the season from three, but the last 12 games he was 33.3%, pretty much on par with how he started.  And the way Gill finished the year was much more consistent with his historical numbers than the way he started, so the Gill we saw in January to March was probably the real Gill.

 

I think TA is just getting started and came in as a very accurate three-point threat.  Who's the better defender?  That probably decides who wins at this position comparison.  Gill was certainly longer but not by a lot -- 6'3" compared to 6'1".  TA is now a sophomore, and an athletic kid.  We'll see.  Probably advantage Gill on defense.

 

Evan Taylor connected on 44.4% of his three-point attempts, but only took 36 on the season, making 16 of them.  His best attribute was his defense.  I'm guessing Harris won't be anywhere close to Evan Taylor on 3-pt %, but probably won't be taking (m)any either.  And, in the end, neither will have taken nor made many threes in their respective seasons for comparison.  The word we're hearing seems to indicate that Harris might be a guy who can fill in for what we lost on defense with Taylor's length, and also do the little things on offense that make other players more successful.   This one might actually be a push.  

 

Aside from that, the current roster has the advantage of age and experience over last year's roster at 4 spots.  The big advantage that last year's roster had over this year's is size.  And depth, particularly down low.  Jordy and Duby combined for about 21 min/game last season.  That's not nothin.  We have really nobody to fill the void they leave behind.

 

I think this roster is better, but I don't think it's better by a lot.  And the lack of a big man clogging the lane could hurt us in some of our games.  Overall, advantage to this season, but the advantage isn't huge.

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To take it another level... How does Miles' 7th year starting roster compare to the last coach's 7th year starting roster? (In this case, we have to go all the way back to Danny Nee.)

 

Miles' 7th Year Starting Roster (2018-19):

 

PG Watson (sr.)

SG Allen (so.)

SF  Palmer (sr.)

PF  Copeland (sr.)

PF  Roby (sr.)

 

Nee's 7th Year Starting Roster (1992-93):

 

G Eric Piatkowski (jr.)

G  Jamar Johnson (jr.)

G  Erick Strickland (fr.)

F  Bruce Chubick (jr.)

C Derrick Chandler (sr.)

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Don't underestimate the importance of those four returning starters having played together for at least a year, and in the case of Roby/Watson, two years.

 

At this time last year, we weren't sure of the starting lineup. Cope and Palmer had been with the team, but they weren't probably practicing much with the starters during their transfer year. Thus, last year's team was a new aggregate that needed some time to work together before they started playing at a higher level.

 

So this year's team not only has the feature of four returning starters, all of whom should individually provide more, but it also has the feature of four guys (five with Allen), who have extensive time playing together, and who have excelled together, finishing fourth in one of the nation's best conferences.

 

They improve individually, they gel as a team.

 

The only questions are:

1. How much have each of them improved individually?

2. How much have they, as an aggregate, improved as a team?

3. How can they replace Taylor's contributions off the bench?

 

It won't be difficult to replace Dube's, Jordy's or even Allen's contributions off the bench, assuming Allen's in the starting lineup.

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47 minutes ago, HuskerFever said:

To take it another level... How does Miles' 7th year starting roster compare to the last coach's 7th year starting roster? (In this case, we have to go all the way back to Danny Nee.)

 

Miles' 7th Year Starting Roster (2018-19):

 

PG Watson (sr.)

SG Allen (so.)

SF  Palmer (sr.)

PF  Copeland (sr.)

PF  Roby (sr.)

 

Nee's 7th Year Starting Roster (1992-93):

 

G Eric Piatkowski (jr.)

G  Jamar Johnson (jr.)

G  Erick Strickland (fr.)

F  Bruce Chubick (jr.)

C Derrick Chandler (sr.)

 

Jaron Boone, Andre Woolridge and Amos Gregory off the bench.  Frickin wow.

 

Derrick Chandler would start on this team.  So would Pike.  Possibly Jamar, but not a given.

 

Palmer starts for the '92-'93 team.  So does Copeland or Roby.

 

I'd say ...

 

PG Watson

SG Palmer

SF  Pike

PF Copeland or Roby

C DC SWAT Team

Edited by Norm Peterson
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6 hours ago, Norm Peterson said:

I think this roster is better, but I don't think it's better by a lot.  And the lack of a big man clogging the lane could hurt us in some of our games.  Overall, advantage to this season, but the advantage isn't huge.

 

Yep.

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16 hours ago, jayschool said:

Don't underestimate the importance of those four returning starters having played together for at least a year, and in the case of Roby/Watson, two years.

 

At this time last year, we weren't sure of the starting lineup. Cope and Palmer had been with the team, but they weren't probably practicing much with the starters during their transfer year. Thus, last year's team was a new aggregate that needed some time to work together before they started playing at a higher level.

 

So this year's team not only has the feature of four returning starters, all of whom should individually provide more, but it also has the feature of four guys (five with Allen), who have extensive time playing together, and who have excelled together, finishing fourth in one of the nation's best conferences.

 

They improve individually, they gel as a team.

 

The only questions are:

1. How much have each of them improved individually?

2. How much have they, as an aggregate, improved as a team?

3. How can they replace Taylor's contributions off the bench?

 

It won't be difficult to replace Dube's, Jordy's or even Allen's contributions off the bench, assuming Allen's in the starting lineup.

 

This is a good point. We're likely to fair a lot better early in the season than we did a year ago.  

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