Nebraska Basketball: 10-man rotation next season (maybe even 11-man rotation?)

[Dicemanhusker]

Shields adding another inch and getting additional weight is very good. This last season, I felt Shields showed glimpses of a PF game but lacked the height and weight to really run with it. If he can keep his speed and coordination, Shields could be a good match up against some of the slower big guys out there. Picture a lineup of:

G: Gallegos

G: Fuller

G: Petteway

F: Shields

F: Smith

That group could probably run up and down the court with anyone. Maybe even take out Fuller; insert Crawford. Leave Shields and Smith in the post. Let Crawford play out along the perimeter.

Maybe I am just thinking too much.

There is no possible way that Pitchford doesn't start next season. In fact, he is probably 1 of only 3 players that is a lock to start. Pitchford, Petteway, and Shields...

I agree that those 3 will probably be our foundation group that the rest of the rotation builds off of. Sky's the limit from here on boys. It's gonna be hard to stay patient!

[Huskerpapa]

I am still not convinced that Petteway will start.  His versatility lends me to believe that he would be an ideal 6th man.  That doesn't mean he won't have starter type minutes, but one of his values will be that he can enter the game in any of four positions.  Just a humble observation.  It is very, very speculative, but I still think that three games into the season, our starting five will look sort of like this:

Guard:  Gallegos

Guard:  Biggs

Guard:  Webster

Big: Pitchford

Big: Shavon

 

We then have a tremendous bench with multiple players being available depending on match up needs and so forth.  And oh by the way...a forgotten man tends to be David Rivers.  If he improves as much from his sophomore to junior year as he did from freshman to sophomore year, the dude is going to be an extremely important part of our team.

[hhcmatt]

I'd put the over/under of number of players who start every game next year to be 1.5

[Dicemanhusker]

I'd put the over/under of number of players who start every game next year to be 1.5

That might be right. It might be Shavon & that's it.

[hskr4life]

What I like most, and will be watching for the most is the fact that we can differ our starters to match what the other team has.  Do we need a quicker, scrapier team?  A big team with some size?  More shooters and defenders?  More size?  We can play around and mix and match with just about everyone.

[Dicemanhusker]

What I like most, and will be watching for the most is the fact that we can differ our starters to match what the other team has. Do we need a quicker, scrapier team? A big team with some size? More shooters and defenders? More size? We can play around and mix and match with just about everyone.

Long athletic depth gives you tremendous flexibility. Guys that fit those two qualities, and can knock down jumpers, will wear out the floor.

[Nebrasketballer]

https://twitter.com/HuskerExtraBR/status/355094488332509187

[Nebrasketballer]

In watching my first Nebraska basketball team workout this summer, I came away impressed with the athleticism and agility of Leslee Smith, a 6-foot-8, 250-pound junior college transfer.

 

He’s more nimble than I expected, and he carries his weight well. Look for him to challenge for a starting position at forward, where Tim Miles says Smith can play in screen-able situations and play out of the high post.

 

“He’s got a good enough shot, where right now I feel really good about his 15-foot, 17-foot shot, and I would expect he’s going to need to stretch that in time,” Miles said.

 

This is the third collegiate program for Smith, a native of the British Virgin Islands who began his career at SMU and played last season at Seward County (Kan.) Community College. Not surprisingly, he’s still getting acclimated to yet another new system; he’s going a tad too fast sometimes and making mistakes.

 

But Miles loves Smith’s poise and maturity.

 

“He’s a really poised guy. He’s got a savvy-ness about him,” Miles said. “You like being around him. He’s a real magnetic personality.”

 

Miles also likes Smith’s strength.

 

“He did a full workout the other day, and then he put 225 on the bar and did it nine times, and probably could’ve kept going,” Miles said. “He’s just got a real powerful presence about him. That usually translates well into basketball.”

 

http://m.journalstar.com/sports/huskers/mens-basketball/smith-brings-poise-maturity-to-nu-hoops/article_eadb8900-e9af-11e2-a891-001a4bcf887a.html?mobile_touch=true

[Donkey]

Shields adding another inch and getting additional weight is very good.  This last season, I felt Shields showed glimpses of a PF game but lacked the height and weight to really run with it.  If he can keep his speed and coordination, Shields could be a good match up against some of the slower big guys out there.  Picture a lineup of:

 

G: Gallegos

G: Fuller

G: Petteway

F: Shields

F: Smith

 

That group could probably run up and down the court with anyone.  Maybe even take out Fuller; insert Crawford.  Leave Shields and Smith in the post.  Let Crawford play out along the perimeter.

 

Maybe I am just thinking too much.

 

when did we get Jamal Crawford? LOL

 

Assuming you meant Pitchford.

DOH!

[Norm Peterson]

 

It will be a very interesting season. Coach Miles can roll out a variety of line-ups. We have a players that can play a number of positions. It will be fun.

Agreed - we will be long & versatile. It should be an exciting season to watch us compete & maybe take another step forward.

 

My concern right now is blending in all the new guys and figuring out an identity so that we're rolling out a cohesive unit for the home opener against FGuC U.

[Norm Peterson]

I like what they're saying right now about Smith.  What they've been saying about Petteway.  The kinds of things they've also been saying about Pitchford.  The things we've heard about Fuller coming out of practices.  And what we know of Shields.

 

So, clearly, the starting lineup next year will be Smith, Petteway, Pitchford, Fuller and Shields.

 

That's the front court.

 

And then we'll start Gallegos, Webster and probably Biggs in the backcourt.

 

And then bring returning starters Rivers and Parker off the bench.  And Hawkins.

 

And then, when the timing is right, we'll bring in The Vooch.  Just to put the fear of God in them.

[Dicemanhusker]

It will be a very interesting season. Coach Miles can roll out a variety of line-ups. We have a players that can play a number of positions. It will be fun.

Agreed - we will be long & versatile. It should be an exciting season to watch us compete & maybe take another step forward.

My concern right now is blending in all the new guys and figuring out an identity so that we're rolling out a cohesive unit for the home opener against FGuC U.

It will definitely be a process Norm, particularly with a motion offense (which requires so much "read & react" type action). I think we've got enough veterans & program returners in the rotation that we should be ok. If we see a brand new guy seeing heavy minutes that early, that's a very good sign for their development & potential. I'd fully expect the rotation to be heavy with guys that have been around for awhile early on.

[hhcmatt]

 

 

 

It will be a very interesting season. Coach Miles can roll out a variety of line-ups. We have a players that can play a number of positions. It will be fun.

Agreed - we will be long & versatile. It should be an exciting season to watch us compete & maybe take another step forward.

My concern right now is blending in all the new guys and figuring out an identity so that we're rolling out a cohesive unit for the home opener against FGuC U.

It will definitely be a process Norm, particularly with a motion offense (which requires so much "read & react" type action). I think we've got enough veterans & program returners in the rotation that we should be ok. If we see a brand new guy seeing heavy minutes that early, that's a very good sign for their development & potential. I'd fully expect the rotation to be heavy with guys that have been around for awhile early on.

 

 

It should be a huge concern early on...we could barely put away Midland or UNO to start the  year.

[ajb5856]

@coachbarnes1: Talk about smooth ... @nfuller23 can score the rock! Looked good working out w @BrandonUbel today!

[Dicemanhusker]

It will be a very interesting season. Coach Miles can roll out a variety of line-ups. We have a players that can play a number of positions. It will be fun.

Agreed - we will be long & versatile. It should be an exciting season to watch us compete & maybe take another step forward.

My concern right now is blending in all the new guys and figuring out an identity so that we're rolling out a cohesive unit for the home opener against FGuC U.

It will definitely be a process Norm, particularly with a motion offense (which requires so much "read & react" type action). I think we've got enough veterans & program returners in the rotation that we should be ok. If we see a brand new guy seeing heavy minutes that early, that's a very good sign for their development & potential. I'd fully expect the rotation to be heavy with guys that have been around for awhile early on.

It should be a huge concern early on...we could barely put away Midland or UNO to start the year.

Agreed that it will take a bit to gel offensively. I think our saving grace early on will be that these guys will really defend (particularly with all of that athletic length).

[Norm Peterson]

Fortunately, Petteway and Pitchford have been around a year.  They aren't just wet-behind-the-ears new guys and I would expect them to be able to hit the ground running this fall.  Including Shields and Rivers in that mix gives us four front-line players with a year under Miles who should make us as competitive up front as we were last year. 

 

Biggs has also been around a year and so, similarly, the backcourt has at least some guys who aren't going to be rolling out for their first practices with Miles trying to learn a whole new system.

 

I'm thinking Fuller could have the same kind of impact in his first season as Shields did last year and there's certainly potential that Webster could as well. 

 

If those freshmen and Smith pan out, this team could be pretty good.  THIS year.  And I think we'll be reasonably competent with the guys coming back (including the transfers) that we should be able to hold down the fort until the new guys catch up to speed.

 

Still, we'll need to find an identity and we are mixing a bunch of new guys into the mix who haven't had experience with each other until now.  Building that chemistry might take some games to occur.

[ajb5856]

It's a little early to be talking about all these lineups, but its fun anyway. Norm just mentioned him as coming off the bench, which I agree with, but he's one guy that isn't mentioned as much in all the lineup talk. Rivers! I think he will be an important piece. A guy who knows what's going on to come in off the bench. Remember how much improvement we saw out of Rivers from year 1 to year 2? I think we will see a much improved Rivers again.

[Dicemanhusker]

It's a little early to be talking about all these lineups, but its fun anyway. Norm just mentioned him as coming off the bench, which I agree with, but he's one guy that isn't mentioned as much in all the lineup talk. Rivers! I think he will be an important piece. A guy who knows what's going on to come in off the bench. Remember how much improvement we saw out of Rivers from year 1 to year 2? I think we will see a much improved Rivers again.

I think you're absolutely right about Rivers. I would expect him to see heavy minutes, particularly early on. He's a good player for our system.

[Donkey]

I like Rivers too, but has he put on any size?  Huskers.com has him listed at 6'7" 191 lbs.  Has he, or better question can he, put on more weight?  

[hhcmatt]

I like Rivers too, but has he put on any size?  Huskers.com has him listed at 6'7" 191 lbs.  Has he, or better question can he, put on more weight?  

 

Those weights/heights aren't updated yet.

An even better question is "what weight do they want him to play at?"

 

He'll probably clock in around just under 200 again or about the same weight he was at last year...which is still a big improvement over his freshman year.

 

Leslie Smith should be the heaviest Husker this year with Pitch/Surge vying for second.  I'm not sure we'd want Shields there just yet.

[Huskerpapa]

I note that BR made note of Shavon appearing bigger, and Smith appearing more nimble...PLEASE provide insight on the others!!!!!!!!!

[hhcmatt]

I note that BR made note of Shavon appearing bigger, and Smith appearing more nimble...PLEASE provide insight on the others!!!!!!!!!

 

Sources indicate that Petteway has packed on about 10 more pounds of muscle so he should remain the larger Petteway-Rivers twin.

[hhcmatt]

Facebook picture from Husker Hoops blog of LS airborne

 

[uneblinstu]

Interesting that they don't use the same ball that they use in games...

[ajb5856]

Interesting that they don't use the same ball that they use in games...

Are they perhaps going away from the Adidas ball? They always had a billion of those balls for practice ever since they had started using them.