Three versatile guards will give other teams a problem. RJ is going to have a big senior season.
Davis,Ryan and Cadeau will be a tough backcourt
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On the flip side, RJ is not a great defender. How will he do guarding guys that are 6’3 and taller?
I doubt any roster that has this much turnover will ever be perfect. But a solid group of players with a variety of skills. Now it's up to the players and coaches to figure it out.
Very exciting and a deep backcourt as well if you look at what we have on the bench.
Elliot will make RJ do what he does best - get buckets! Elliot will draw attention with the ball in his hands and have the ball moving. Since he has such a good feel for everyone around him defenses won’t be able to play off any guys on the floor as Elliot will find them in the corners (looking at you Cormac and Harrison) thus giving RJ more 1-1 opps and more catch and shoot opps in higher percentage scenarios. We saw RJ having to create and craft for himself a year ago which wears you down when you need to work so hard for a bucket over and over.
RJ averaged 12.4 field goal attempts last season. Will he take that many this year?
Whereas last season he had the ball in his hands a lot, so that put him in the position of shooting when he wanted to, this year he won't be playing point (we assume). So the question becomes how much will Cadeau get RJ the ball?
On the one hand I could see RJ being able to take better shots because he isn't having to do all the PG stuff. But he has to have the ball in good spots to be able to capitalize on that.
No one will complain if he takes slightly fewer shots, but makes a higher percentage.
Thinking back to our last great passer, Kendall was much more focused on getting the ball to Zeller and Henson than to Barnes or Bullock. Sure, he would pass the ball to them, and because they were good, they contributed to his assist numbers. But he wasn't "setting them up" nearly as much as he was the bigs.
So, on the one hand, RJ may be able to take better shots; on the other, he may take noticeably fewer shots.
Then again, if you are Cadeau and the clock is winding down, who do you look for? RJ is one obvious target.
Just a minor concern. We'll find out. I just hope RJ gets the ball enough in good situations and doesn't become an afterthought.
Whereas last season he had the ball in his hands a lot, so that put him in the position of shooting when he wanted to, this year he won't be playing point (we assume). So the question becomes how much will Cadeau get RJ the ball?
On the one hand I could see RJ being able to take better shots because he isn't having to do all the PG stuff. But he has to have the ball in good spots to be able to capitalize on that.
No one will complain if he takes slightly fewer shots, but makes a higher percentage.
Thinking back to our last great passer, Kendall was much more focused on getting the ball to Zeller and Henson than to Barnes or Bullock. Sure, he would pass the ball to them, and because they were good, they contributed to his assist numbers. But he wasn't "setting them up" nearly as much as he was the bigs.
So, on the one hand, RJ may be able to take better shots; on the other, he may take noticeably fewer shots.
Then again, if you are Cadeau and the clock is winding down, who do you look for? RJ is one obvious target.
Just a minor concern. We'll find out. I just hope RJ gets the ball enough in good situations and doesn't become an afterthought.
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Thinking about PT, I suspect Ryan will be playing a lot of his at SF. I think he'd be better playing most at SG, but with RJ and Wilcher on the team, it's hard to see that happening. Especially if Trimble is the primary backup at point.
If RJ is the primary backup at point, then when Cadeau is on the bench and RJ is PG, that frees up PT for Ryan and Wilcher at SG. But unless you also keep Wilcher's minutes low, that still means Ryan playing a good bit at SF.
Don't get me wrong. Ryan at SF might be great. Especially against smaller teams. But I do worry that we have become a smaller team.
If RJ is the primary backup at point, then when Cadeau is on the bench and RJ is PG, that frees up PT for Ryan and Wilcher at SG. But unless you also keep Wilcher's minutes low, that still means Ryan playing a good bit at SF.
Don't get me wrong. Ryan at SF might be great. Especially against smaller teams. But I do worry that we have become a smaller team.
If everybody is healthy and the newcomers live up to their billing, it's hard to see where Wojcik gets minutes.
Is he considered to be especially good on defense?
He's an outside shooter, so if one or another of our other outside shooters is having an off game or is in foul trouble, he could be the guy we want. But is that enough?
His choice, obviously, but it's hard to imagine a guy wanting to spend his last college year riding the bench as much as he might be riding the bench now that Cadeau is on board.
Is he considered to be especially good on defense?
He's an outside shooter, so if one or another of our other outside shooters is having an off game or is in foul trouble, he could be the guy we want. But is that enough?
His choice, obviously, but it's hard to imagine a guy wanting to spend his last college year riding the bench as much as he might be riding the bench now that Cadeau is on board.
I'm really interested in what Wilcher will bring as well as a frosh.
I think Wojcik just wanted to finish up as a Tarheel. Was around the program as a kid, will be great practice kid, but about 9/10 on the depth chart probably.
Are you asking how RJ will do vs guys that are not PGs, guys that typically are not the best ball handlers, considering that usually the quicker and better ball handlers are PGs, so how will RJ do vs slower guards that don't handle the ball like a PG? Well the first thing I would have him do is get tighter up in to the 2 guard, force him to put the ball on the floor, advantage RJ. RJ would be considered quick for a 2, he wasn't slow as a PG but he was not quick for the PG position either, not the case at the 2.
Last fall I was expecting Wilcher to start at SG if Caleb moved on.
Then he slipped a bit in the rankings - I don't know why.
Then we recruited over him with Ryan. And maybe gave away some more of his minutes by getting Wojcik.
Then Cadeau joined up - pushing RJ to the SG spot.
Result: My head is spinning that a guy as awesome as Wilcher looked back then has slipped from starting SG to coming off the bench - maybe 2nd off the bench, at that - for maybe 10-15 minutes.
Of course he could prove that gloomy assessment wrong. But if he's really as good as I thought he would be, whose minutes does he take?
Don't worry, Wilcher is still Wilcher, the kid will get minutes, I think he would have got minutes over Dunn had Dunn not left. I think what in time we are going to love about the kid is that he just plays hard and he plays hard all the time, no matter what end of the court they are on. I see him in a similar light as I see Trimble and suspect we may as well see some of the same "limitations" that we saw with Trimble last season. Specifically, I don't think he is a great jump shooter, I think he can become a solid jump shooter in time just as I do Trimble but that may be hard to see as a freshman. Now not as much will be put on him, he can have the time to grow in to his game at this level and that is not a bad thing. IF, major IF, we do go back to more of a running game and go in to a spread offense only when the finish to the breaks are not there, that would play in to this kid's strength, especially with a guy like Cadeau looking to push it ahead with the pass.
Interesting aspect of next seasons team is that we will have some players that are really intense on the defensive end, guys that will be looking to turn defense in to offense, guys like Wilcher, Seth, Ingram, to an extent Cadeau, and one day the length of Washington will show up in a lot of shot blocks. Last couple seasons it has been basically Leaky as the shut down defender and 4 guys that were more offense minded than defensively aggressive.
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Lineup:
Cadeau-RJ, Trimble, Wilcher
RJ- Wilcher, Ryan,T rimble, Wojick
Ingram-Ryan, Withers
Withers-Ingram, Washington, High
Bacot-Withers, High, Washington
Cadeau-RJ, Trimble, Wilcher
RJ- Wilcher, Ryan,T rimble, Wojick
Ingram-Ryan, Withers
Withers-Ingram, Washington, High
Bacot-Withers, High, Washington
I am down with your starters, would ask you to consider putting Ryan ahead of Wilcher at the 2, move Wojick to 3rd spot at the 3 and off the 2 line (I am gonna go to Ryan as 3rd in line at the 3 in a small bal look and Wojick primary back up at the 3 but if we are small ball then yeah, Ryan), and Washington as the first back up to Withers at the 4? Maybe Jalen ahead of High to back up Bacot. But yeah, totally agree with your starters! I see High as more an emergency back up guy, guy you bring in if Bacot gets early foul trouble and sits out a big chunk of the first half, splitting time with Jalen, or God forbid injury strikes.
I like @KPFKAPFS's starters too. But @andrew jones has Ryan at SF and Ingram at PF. Which I know is a lineup some others here also favor.
To me the question isn't so much who starts as who moves in when the starters go to the bench.
When RJ goes to the bench, I want Ryan moving to SG. That way Cadeau still has an experienced guy in the backcourt with him. Nothing against Seth, but I think having the experience of either RJ or Ryan next to him will be important for Cadeau - especially early in his career.
When Cadeau goes to the bench, I want RJ moving to point and Wilcher moving to SG. That gives Wilcher a chance to shine while we still have experience at point.
When Withers goes to the bench, most of the time I want Ingram to move to PF, with Ryan stepping in to cover SF.
When Ingram goes to the bench, I want Ryan or Wojcik stepping in at SF.
As you can probably see, this arrangement gives Ryan starter minutes without actually having him start. He's a savvy guy so we want him on the floor, but he doesn't need to start to have a major impact.
RJ's guarding assignments will be no different --- he'll mostly get the smallest opponent -- and yes, still get isoed.
Cadeau plays "bigger" than his 6'1 stature and can handle a 2-Guard, BUT...
this backcourt SCREAMS scrambles and multiplicity on D.
pressure and move the ball on offense. It has been impossible for me to watch the.
past 2 years. Hopefully this new group will change that and they will resemble the Heels I have loved for decades
Let’s hope Hubert can hear those screams. I’m still unsure as to whether Hubert will use his bench more, try to run more, or play more aggressively on defense. I’m hoping the answers to all three are in the affirmative. I know that if Hubert doesn’t look to run more with a generational talent at point, he just doesn’t want to run. Period. And I will give up on ever seeing Carolina style basketball played at UNC again.
Well, as you can tell, I disagree with AJ on who starts at the 4, I see a lot of folks that some how have settled in on it being best for us to start a undersized 4 in Ingram so we can start a under sized wing in Ryan, meaning they want our primary look to be small ball. I just do not agree that is the best plan, do acknowledge that a lot of teams do now run small ball as their primary look, see Miami last season as 1 example.
I, on the other hand, looking at a 6'6-7" wing in Ingram that weights in around 235lbs and a power forward in Withers that comes in at 6'8-9" and 235lbs, 2 grown up bodies to help Bacot. Consider what those 2 grown up bodies represent, what they replace from last season. One (Nance) was just not a physical presence in the way he played or the way he was used, another one of those guys that played out of position. There was Leaky at the 2, just offensively a glaring weak spot in my view primarily due to how he was used. I still get no answer when i ask why we didn't use Leaky to post up wings he had a clear length advantage on but we split him deep in the corner and expected him to hit jump shots? To me that was like setting Bacot up 40" from the basket and expecting him to do something good for us, kind of silly to me? In Ingram and Withers we have 2 guys that hit at a really nice clip the very type of shots Leaky struggled with, that Nance struggled with as well, open clean look jumpers. But I as well have 2 guys that are very good at off ball movement and Cadeau is the type of guard that will look for that. But the real payoff is those grown man bodies of those 2, along with Bacot, and to use bacot's word, don't think opponents will consider us "sweet" moving forward, ya want to play us physically now? The proper name for the 3 spot is after all SMALL FORWARD, it isn't big guard, Ingram is a small forward.
I am all about running a good bit of small ball next season but I don't want it to be our primary look unless it becomes clear that INgram or Withers can not handle the position at our level and I do not believe that will be the case. I agree that Ryan is starter level and at times I want him at the 3 in a small ball package but I want us to go to that IN GAME as a change up the defense will have to react to, rather than our primary attack that defenses will prep for. I would rather we played big ball with great physicality at the tip, to set the tone, and then throw them some curve balls, like small ball, like a defensively attacking group, keep the defense off balance by throwing vastly different looks, force the opponents to have to dig hard in to their bench to match up. Our back court is already going to be small for position, why go smaller when you don't have to? I put Ryan as the primary back up at the 2 and the guy we put at the 3 when we do use a small ball package, that is going to be solid PT.
I couldn't have said it better. Except maybe a few more paragraph breaks.
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If Cormac Ryan is the best shooter on the team then he should start. Withers is still an unknown as a shooter. His 40%+ last year came from a pretty small sample, pretty similar to Pete Nance's final year at Northwestern. I would rather start your best shooters because Cadeau, Ingram might project to be low 30's 3PT shooters and Bacot is obviously a non-factor from 3. If you start Withers and he turns out to be like a 33% shooter, then this offense is going to have some difficulties.
And I know everyone thinks Cadeau is the next version of Magic Johnson as a passer, but it's still going to be really hard to pass the ball if there are 3 defenders sinking into the paint during every defensive possession. Then we're going to have to rely on a lot of mid-range and long 2's and that's death for most offenses.
Cadeau - RJ to stagger minutes - Trimble/Wilcher
RJ - Ryan to stagger minutes - Wojcik - Wilcher
Ryan - Ingram to stagger minutes - Wojcik - Wilcher
Ingram - Withers - Washington
Bacot - Washington - Withers
Then stagger the bench rotation so you always have some shooting on the floor. It will be really easy if Withers is a big time shooter. If he is, we should easily be able to have 2 good shooters on the floor at the same time at minimum. If Withers and Wojcik really shoot the ball well, we could have an elite offense. If Withers and Wojcik struggle shooting the ball, then there's going to be pressure on RJ and Ryan this season.
The discussion to me is more Ingram vs Withers at the 4. Ingram needs the ball in his hands, so he may honestly be a poor fit with Cadeau and RJ. Ingram being a guy who the second unit flows their offense through, facing opponent's backup 3/4 might be really good for the team. Not sure if we'll do it and not sure Ingram would like coming off the bench. But I'm putting that out there.
To me, shooting is too important to leave on the bench. Hubert's substitution patterns will be really interesting this year. On paper, there's a lot of flexibility here and he can get really good matchups if he wants to.
*Blow all of this up if Cadeau happens to be a good 3PT shooter. The changes a ton. I'm just assuming he isn't.
And I know everyone thinks Cadeau is the next version of Magic Johnson as a passer, but it's still going to be really hard to pass the ball if there are 3 defenders sinking into the paint during every defensive possession. Then we're going to have to rely on a lot of mid-range and long 2's and that's death for most offenses.
Cadeau - RJ to stagger minutes - Trimble/Wilcher
RJ - Ryan to stagger minutes - Wojcik - Wilcher
Ryan - Ingram to stagger minutes - Wojcik - Wilcher
Ingram - Withers - Washington
Bacot - Washington - Withers
Then stagger the bench rotation so you always have some shooting on the floor. It will be really easy if Withers is a big time shooter. If he is, we should easily be able to have 2 good shooters on the floor at the same time at minimum. If Withers and Wojcik really shoot the ball well, we could have an elite offense. If Withers and Wojcik struggle shooting the ball, then there's going to be pressure on RJ and Ryan this season.
The discussion to me is more Ingram vs Withers at the 4. Ingram needs the ball in his hands, so he may honestly be a poor fit with Cadeau and RJ. Ingram being a guy who the second unit flows their offense through, facing opponent's backup 3/4 might be really good for the team. Not sure if we'll do it and not sure Ingram would like coming off the bench. But I'm putting that out there.
To me, shooting is too important to leave on the bench. Hubert's substitution patterns will be really interesting this year. On paper, there's a lot of flexibility here and he can get really good matchups if he wants to.
*Blow all of this up if Cadeau happens to be a good 3PT shooter. The changes a ton. I'm just assuming he isn't.
His career may well depend on those answers being affirmative.
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