Projected starting line up

[AuroranHusker]

3 hours ago, big red22 said:

Essentially or Essegianly?

 

Yes.

[AuroranHusker]

3 hours ago, big red22 said:

I just feel SF is meant for lean tall (6'6 to 6'8) dudes with guard like skills.  You know like Griffith, Gary and Williams.  And a PF is meant for dude like Morgan and Bolis.  Guys that are tall and built with less guard skills and more back to the basket skills.  SG is for dudes with a similar skill set as the SF, but could be 6'3 to 6'6 and a bit quicker.

 

Nothing is written in stone, but when thinking of how I'd like to fill the roster that is the ideal sizes and skill sets I'd look for at a D1 school.

 

Hoiberg's 5-out offensive flow doesn't require labels like that, it's basically who can defend their opponent effectively enough on the other end of the court...

 

[AuroranHusker]

22 hours ago, hhcmatt said:

Connor Essegian is the guy I'm looking at next year. Seems like he has the chance to make a James Palmer type jump 

 

I would not expect that, just my opinion. A J-Law impact, maybe.

 

 

[49r]

5 hours ago, big red22 said:

Mast was our main distributor IMO, and Morgan is not going to be that.

 

You know, I think this resembles what a lot of people were saying after last season about Mast replacing Walker.  A lot of folks were saying we wouldn't find a big man who could distribute the ball like Walker did...but Mast came in this season and did a fine job of playing that role.

 

I'm just kinda thinking that's more about Hoiberg and his system than it is about who is in it.  If that makes any sense.

Edited May 7 by 49r

[Vinny]

32 minutes ago, AuroranHusker said:

 

Hoiberg's 5-out offensive flow doesn't require labels like that, it's basically who can defend their opponent effectively enough on the other end of the court...

 

I agree that it doesn’t REQUIRE labels like that, but we all know the type of player we’re short on and would like one more of, right? So in that way we have a specific need to fill that we can label.

[millerhusker]

10 minutes ago, 49r said:

 

You know, I think this resembles what a lot of people were saying after last season about Mast replacing Walker.  A lot of folks were saying we wouldn't find a big man who could distribute the ball like Walker did...but Mast came in this season and did a fine job of playing that role.

 

I'm just kinda thinking that's more about Hoiberg and his system than it is about who is in it.  If that makes any sense.

I thought Mast's best attribute was his vision/passing ability when I saw his Bradley film. All the talk was about how fortunate we were to find a player who could do those things that Walker did. The concern was that he may not be able to handle the ball and bring it up the court like Walker did. I don't see that passing ability with Morgan, but that may just be because he wasn't given the opportunity to showcase it. 

[AuroranHusker]

1 minute ago, Vinny said:

I agree that it doesn’t REQUIRE labels like that, but we all know the type of player we’re short on and would like one more of, right? So in that way we have a specific need to fill that we can label.

 

That's not what we're discussing here, though. We are specifically referring to the 2 & 3.

 

[GhostOfJoeMcCray]

One thing that we need to remind ourselves is that part of coaching is just that, actually coaching basketball skills. We seem to get lost in thinking that Player A did this at his last school so that is exactly what he is and he can't be a different or better player for Nebraska and for Fred Hoiberg. 

 

Brice Williams was a 6th man. At Charlotte. He averaged 13.8 / 5.3 / 1.2 playing against AAC competition. He averaged 13.4 / 5.5 / 2.5 at Nebraska starting every game and playing in the Big Ten. Essentially you could say a guy whose role was Charlotte's 6th man in 2022-23 was arguably Nebraska's best and most important player in 2023-24 on the the best team we've had in a longggg time. He had more assists this season than he did in 3 years at Charlotte. No one last year would have been saying this guy would be doing all that. 

 

Rienk Mast shot 122 treys for us last year when his previous season totals were 92, 95, 68. Mast had 95 assists when his previous season totals were 37, 44, 70. He was more of an outside threat and distributor at Nebraska than he ever was at Bradley. 

 

Keisei Tominaga was not really a very good player for the first 1.5 years of his Nebraska career. Until Fred unlocked him and then he transformed his game into being a scorer both inside and out and getting to the free throw line. If you remember to 2021-22, he was not that whatsoever. 

 

Fred Hoiberg is our basketball coach. The Big Ten Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year. He is by all accounts an offensive genius. Our system and sets immediately put our players in a better situation than they have probably ever been in in their lives. The difference between last year and previous years is he stopped just taking the highest rated player they could get or biggest name they could get and instead actually found skillsets that would complement each other and make for a tough, good team. I will give him the benefit of the doubt that the players he is bringing in is because he sees something in them that he can bring out. 

Edited May 7 by GhostOfJoeMcCray

[hhcmatt]

3 hours ago, 49r said:

 

You know, I think this resembles what a lot of people were saying after last season about Mast replacing Walker.  A lot of folks were saying we wouldn't find a big man who could distribute the ball like Walker did...but Mast came in this season and did a fine job of playing that role.

 

I'm just kinda thinking that's more about Hoiberg and his system than it is about who is in it.  If that makes any sense.

 

Morgan and especially Meah don't have the assist numbers you could see from Rienk at Bradley.  I don't think we'll see nearly as much passing from our 5 given less aptitude from the position plus having actual PGs.

[aphilso1]

I’m envisioning adding Buyunktuncel to this list and getting downright giddy. 
Do y’all realize he was the #36 overall prospect in his class according to 24/7? For reference, Bryce McGowens was our top-rated recruit ever and he was #28. Let that sink in. We’re talking about adding a BMac level talent, at our position of greatest need, to a roster that already looked like it should Dance. 

[AuroranHusker]

16 hours ago, aphilso1 said:

I’m envisioning adding Buyunktuncel to this list and getting downright giddy. 
Do y’all realize he was the #36 overall prospect in his class according to 24/7? For reference, Bryce McGowens was our top-rated recruit ever and he was #28. Let that sink in. We’re talking about adding a BMac level talent, at our position of greatest need, to a roster that already looked like it should Dance. 

 

BERKE FROM TURKIYE! YES!

[basketballjones]

On 5/7/2024 at 2:47 PM, AuroranHusker said:

 

Hoiberg's 5-out offensive flow doesn't require labels like that, it's basically who can defend their opponent effectively enough on the other end of the court...

 

Yes and no. Pretty clear there's always one guy that is the blocker, sometimes two, who clearly are not getting the hand-offs or ball screens, but setting them. 

[AuroranHusker]

10 minutes ago, basketballjones said:

Yes and no. Pretty clear there's always one guy that is the blocker, sometimes two, who clearly are not getting the hand-offs or ball screens, but setting them. 

 

I barely recall the context of my quoted comment, I think that was in regard to the 2 & 3, IIRC...

 

[basketballjones]

15 minutes ago, AuroranHusker said:

 

I barely recall the context of my quoted comment, I think that was in regard to the 2 & 3, IIRC...

 

Nope. I will always assume the worst in people and never look at context. Can't change me. 

[AuroranHusker]

38 minutes ago, basketballjones said:

Nope. I will always assume the worst in people and never look at context. Can't change me. 

 

That was funny !

 

[GhostOfJoeMcCray]

Well, I think this thread can really get serious now. If I had to guess today...I think we'll start the season with a smaller lineup of playmakers/shooters but with Meah as a rim protector to offset our size at 4. 

 

Rollie Worster / Ahron Ulis / Sam Hoiberg

Connor Essegian / Sam Hoiberg / Nick Janowski 

Brice Williams / Gavin Griffiths

Juwan Gary / Berke Buyuktuncel 

Braxton Meah / Andrew Morgan

 

Out: 

Rienk Mast (injury)

Braden Frager (redshirt)

Justin Bolis (redshirt)

 

There is so much you can do with this roster. There are so many questions the coaches will have to (get to) sort through. Just a few off top of my head...

 

Is Sam Hoiberg really going to stay out of the rotation? I find that hard to believe. 

If Buyuktuncel excels this summer, is he your starter at the 4 and moving Essegian to the bench? 

Would they rather have Essegian's scoring off the bench anyway? 

Janowski will not be expected to get any minutes this season at this point. But I wouldn't forget about him...

Other than Williams and Gary being in the starting 5, I am not confident in anything I just typed. 

 

[Art Vandalay]

6 minutes ago, GhostOfJoeMcCray said:

Well, I think this thread can really get serious now. If I had to guess today...I think we'll start the season with a smaller lineup of playmakers/shooters but with Meah as a rim protector to offset our size at 4. 

 

Rollie Worster / Ahron Ulis / Sam Hoiberg

Connor Essegian / Sam Hoiberg / Nick Janowski 

Brice Williams / Gavin Griffiths

Juwan Gary / Berke Buyuktuncel 

Braxton Meah / Andrew Morgan

 

Out: 

Rienk Mast (injury)

Braden Frager (redshirt)

Justin Bolis (redshirt)

 

There is so much you can do with this roster. There are so many questions the coaches will have to (get to) sort through. Just a few off top of my head...

 

Is Sam Hoiberg really going to stay out of the rotation? I find that hard to believe. 

If Buyuktuncel excels this summer, is he your starter at the 4 and moving Essegian to the bench? 

Would they rather have Essegian's scoring off the bench anyway? 

Janowski will not be expected to get any minutes this season at this point. But I wouldn't forget about him...

Other than Williams and Gary being in the starting 5, I am not confident in anything I just typed. 

 

I think Griffiths starting over Essegian is likely if they go smaller lineup. That would still be a lot of size overall. Should be fun.

 

Griffiths / Berke have a ton of potential so hopefully at least one of the fulfills it next year

[Handy Johnson]

We can Trot Out a GIANT Lineup with Plenty of Athletes & Shooters to go around. All I know is B1G, Consider Yourself: WARNED…! 

[busticket]

We have 11 guys as of now you can make a reasonable argument for being in the rotation.  You almost never see 10 man rotations.  Usually it is 7-8 guys.  
 

If I had to guess, Sam and Uhlis are going to be battling it out for a spot.  Janowski is a guy I would expect to battle for minutes as the year progresses.  
 

Beyond that who the heck knows.  Actually i don’t even know the above.  It is exciting to have so many options.  If a couple guys don’t pan out immediately it isn’t a killer.  This has been one heck of an off-season.
 

 

[HuskerFever]

5 minutes ago, busticket said:

We have 11 guys as of now you can make a reasonable argument for being in the rotation.  You almost never see 10 man rotations.  Usually it is 7-8 guys.

 

Unfortunately you usually don't finish the season with as many active players as you start with. Injuries happen. So it's nice we actually have some depth to work with. That's crucial for teams late in March and April.

[75unlgrad]

2 hours ago, Art Vandalay said:

I think Griffiths starting over Essegian is likely if they go smaller lineup. That would still be a lot of size overall. Should be fun.

 

Griffiths / Berke have a ton of potential so hopefully at least one of the fulfills it next year

Connor Essegain also has a ton of potential -- BIG 10 All Freshmen Team two years ago.  If everyone is healthy and stays healthy this will be one of the deepest benches we have ever had.  We have multiple shooters, rebounders and defenders.  I can't wait to watch this team.

[No Place Like the Vault]

11 minutes ago, 75unlgrad said:

Connor Essegain also has a ton of potential -- BIG 10 All Freshmen Team two years ago.  If everyone is healthy and stays healthy this will be one of the deepest benches we have ever had.  We have multiple shooters, rebounders and defenders.  I can't wait to watch this team.

I'm excited for the team and it's potential but I don't see much of an improvement defensively other than Meah as a rim protector.  We did add some length on the perimeter with Essegian and Grffiths.  I hope I'm wrong

Edited June 4 by No Place Like the Vault

[busticket]

8 minutes ago, No Place Like the Vault said:

I'm excited for the team and it's potential but I don't see much of an improvement defensively other than Meah as a rim protector.  We did add some length on the perimeter with Essegian and Grffiths.  I hope I'm wrong

Great point.  Josiah was erratic on offense but he was the man on defense.  

[LincecumFan]

7 minutes ago, No Place Like the Vault said:

I'm excited for the team and it's potential but I don't see much of an improvement defensively other than Meah as a rim protector.  We did add some length on the perimeter with Essegian and Grffiths.  I hope I'm wrong

 

It seems now like about 6 months ago since Wooster committed. The word back then was that he is a very good defender at point guard. Quick, athletic and excellent technique.

[GhostOfJoeMcCray]

44 minutes ago, No Place Like the Vault said:

I'm excited for the team and it's potential but I don't see much of an improvement defensively other than Meah as a rim protector.  We did add some length on the perimeter with Essegian and Grffiths.  I hope I'm wrong

 

We were #29 in defensive efficiency last season. From Feb. 1 onward we were #6. That's with no rim protector, a hobbling Mast, and I don't think people realize just how bad CJ and Keisei were defensively. We didn't need to really do a whole lot of improving anyway. 

 

We added a rim protector who was a Pac-12 All-Defensive Player and a bunch of long dudes, and we lost our two worst defenders. And Nate Loenser is still here. We'll be just fine on defense. If anything, this should be really exciting that we hopefully don't have to trap the post every single possession and leave shooters unattended. Our defensive philosophy last year was great as long as the opponent wasn't hitting 3s. But then games like A&M happen...

Edited June 5 by GhostOfJoeMcCray