Losing some height next year but gaining some shooters

[PonyKris89]

The new guys next season had better be A LOT BETTER than the new guys this season were.

The new guys, plus the growth of the current players needs to be loads better
than it was this year. We really missed Shawn Williams and Nick Russell, and we will miss Manuel, CC, and YM.
IMO, the new guys have a lot of talent.

I Hope LB will trust his new talent and space the floor properly, but I honestly have my doubts on this point.

[Stallion]

I fully understand about the concerns about Nic, Markus and Frazier returning-but I'm kind of getting a kick about the concerns about SMU even if they do. We are LOADED if everybody returns

My! Expectations have certainly risen around here

This is probably the best group of RETURNING or available players in 50 years -no- in forever

[jerry2011]

Why would Nic transfer? Is this just bs talk to stir things up? He has nothing to gain by transferring. I highly doubt MK comes back given he can't cut in the classroom. I think he'll end up going overseas unless Larry convinces him otherwise. With that said, our potential lineup next year is by far superior to this year. Don't get me wrong I love ryan manual and cannen but they were products of Doherty. Ryan is a tremendous athlete but cant shoot if his life depended on it. Shake Milton and Sedrick Barefield will be quite the upgrades. Jordan Tolbert and Semi are beast and can do it all. Hopefully, we can get Thon Maker or some JC transfer to help us out at center.

[SMU 86]

Why would Nic transfer? Is this just bs talk to stir things up? He has nothing to gain by transferring. I highly doubt MK comes back given he can't cut in the classroom. I think he'll end up going overseas unless Larry convinces him otherwise. With that said, our potential lineup next year is by far superior to this year. Don't get me wrong I love ryan manual and cannen but they were products of Doherty. Ryan is a tremendous athlete but cant shoot if his life depended on it. Shake Milton and Sedrick Barefield will be quite the upgrades. Jordan Tolbert and Semi are beast and can do it all. Hopefully, we can get Thon Maker or some JC transfer to help us out at center.

If Kennedy leaves I like Semi and Tolbert as well be we need depth because those 2 will not play 40 minutes each night. Forget about Maker as we are not in his top 5 or 10 I don't believe. Also as Stallion has stated before that JC's are harder to get now due to the new NCAA requirements. Semi also will not be eligible until sometime in December.

[hoopmanx]

You also said that we would not miss Mudiay and that Emelgu was a really good player. If we go to two 6'7 players in the post we will truly be headed towards mid major status in the long run. Not very many Dayton's around. If Kennedy comes back next year we will be able to better get away with it but after that we would not be in the best of shape imo.

Anyone who saw Emelogu play for the Dallas Mustangs or Va Tech said he could play. We've yet to see what the kid has, he was w/o a real role this year and didn't perform. As for Mudiay, we didn't miss him cause we never had him. We also didn't need extra NCAA glare.

Two 6'7 players in the post equals mid major is a farce. It's all about motor, skill and efficiency, not a an inch here or there

[East Coast Mustang]

Mid-major Michigan State's starting five: 6'9" 6'6" 6'5" 6'0" 5'10"

[Rebel10]

You also said that we would not miss Mudiay and that Emelgu was a really good player. If we go to two 6'7 players in the post we will truly be headed towards mid major status in the long run. Not very many Dayton's around. If Kennedy comes back next year we will be able to better get away with it but after that we would not be in the best of shape imo.

Anyone who saw Emelogu play for the Dallas Mustangs or Va Tech said he could play. We've yet to see what the kid has, he was w/o a real role this year and didn't perform. As for Mudiay, we didn't miss him cause we never had him. We also didn't need extra NCAA glare.

Two 6'7 players in the post equals mid major is a farce. It's all about motor, skill and efficiency, not a an inch here or there

You said that we would be better without Mudiay, which was flat out wrong. Two 6'7 players post players screams mid major for the most part. All of the new coaches in the AAC are recruiter taller post players that had a good wing span. Isn't Ojeleye more a wing type player anyway even though he is 6'8? Maybe Maryland should start just only recruiting 6'7 post players.

[Rebel10]

Mid-major Michigan State's starting five: 6'9" 6'6" 6'5" 6'0" 5'10"

6'9 center with height coming of the bench. If you guys think two 6'7 guys can win fine but that is not my opinion. I think most teams in the sweet 16 have decent size post players. Wichita State would be the only one truly with a small line up. Plus the way Coach Brown coaches is an inside out game. I don't think we are going to a perimeter game anytime soon imo. SMU will have a 6'7 and 6'8 solidly built guys in the post next year which is fine, but they need some depth after that. I will say this if we start going to nothing but 6'7 and under posts I hope they are physical type players with some muscle on them like Dawson. I was reading where Simeon Carter is liking SMU.

[East Coast Mustang]

Mid-major Michigan State's starting five: 6'9" 6'6" 6'5" 6'0" 5'10"

6'9 center with height coming of the bench. If you guys think two 6'7 guys can win fine but that is not my opinion. I think most teams in the sweet 16 have decent size post players. Wichita State would be the only one truly with a small line up. Plus the way Coach Brown coaches is an inside out game. I don;t think we are going to a perimeter game anytime soon imo. SMU will have a 6'7 and 6'8 solidly built guys in the post next year which is fine, but they need some depth after that.

Ok, let's get you in touch with Larry ASAP since you obviously know what the program needs. I'm sure he'll appreciate your input

[Rebel10]

Mid-major Michigan State's starting five: 6'9" 6'6" 6'5" 6'0" 5'10"

6'9 center with height coming of the bench. If you guys think two 6'7 guys can win fine but that is not my opinion. I think most teams in the sweet 16 have decent size post players. Wichita State would be the only one truly with a small line up. Plus the way Coach Brown coaches is an inside out game. I don;t think we are going to a perimeter game anytime soon imo. SMU will have a 6'7 and 6'8 solidly built guys in the post next year which is fine, but they need some depth after that.

Ok, let's get you in touch with Larry ASAP since you obviously know what the program needs. I'm sure he'll appreciate your input

Looking at who we are recruiting I am just reflecting who we are recruiting. One of the coaches even said that we are looking for a post that is at least 6'8 in an interview. I think Carter would fit ours needs but he may need to put on some muscle on him when he gets here but we have time to develop him next year and then we would really need him after Tolbert and MK are gone. The good thing about MK coming back next year is we could make a serious run in the big dance and it would give us a year to recruit a couple of solid bigs. Hopefully we get Carter.

[JasonB]

Unless we can get an elite big or someone leaves, I think we are going to pocket the scholarship.

Also, remember that when we had a 10 man rotation earlier this season, it was hard to get players PT.

This year, when we were playing Moore and Cunningham at the 4 and YM.MK at the 5, I think it gave us a look at what we will see to a certain extent. The "4" or second post is going to spend a lot of time showing to the elbow, running the pick and roll, and popping out on the baseline. This year, CC and BM lined up for the 18 footer, I think next year with Semi coming in, he will step back a little further and open up more space.

Keep in mind that players who have come straight into the team have had a really difficult time finding a significant role. All the frosh last year, and Martin and Gu this season. Don't expect too much from the frosh other than to figure out a role off the bench. Expect Gu, Sterling and Ben to take large steps forward as they become leaders on the team.

[The PonyGrad]

Another thing about the transfers is that they, unlike JMart and Gu, have had a year of practice in the system, like MK and NM when they proved to be ready for prime time.

[Rebel10]

Another thing about the transfers is that they, unlike JMart and Gu, have had a year of practice in the system, like MK and NM when they proved to be ready for prime time.

Crandall Head did not do well but MK and Nic did. I think Semi and Tolbert will do a fine job.

[No Quarter]

It seems a certainty, almost, that Coach Malagi won't be back and of course speculation about the return of Coach Brown, Nic, MK, and Keith will all be gone before next season may continue right until school starts in the fall. Personally I think its most likely we see Nic and Coach Brown again, which I hope it is not wishful thinking on my part.

I do assume no academic casualties and see the base of the 2015 - 16 Mustangs as follows:

Guards: Nic Moore, Sedwick Barfiled, Shake Milton, Jonathon Wilfong

Swing players (?): Sterling Brown, Ben Emelogu,

Forwards: Ben Moore, Semi Ojeleye, Jordan Tolbert, Jarry Foster.

Probably eight would see playing time. If MK and Keith suit up again both will be plusses as might Simeon Carter. I hope we find a late recruit, graduated senior transfer, or JUCO who can help immediately.

[hoopmanx]

You also said that we would not miss Mudiay and that Emelgu was a really good player. If we go to two 6'7 players in the post we will truly be headed towards mid major status in the long run. Not very many Dayton's around. If Kennedy comes back next year we will be able to better get away with it but after that we would not be in the best of shape imo.

Anyone who saw Emelogu play for the Dallas Mustangs or Va Tech said he could play. We've yet to see what the kid has, he was w/o a real role this year and didn't perform. As for Mudiay, we didn't miss him cause we never had him. We also didn't need extra NCAA glare.

Two 6'7 players in the post equals mid major is a farce. It's all about motor, skill and efficiency, not a an inch here or there

You said that we would be better without Mudiay, which was flat out wrong. Two 6'7 players post players screams mid major for the most part. All of the new coaches in the AAC are recruiter taller post players that had a good wing span. Isn't Ojeleye more a wing type player anyway even though he is 6'8? Maybe Maryland should start just only recruiting 6'7 post players.

Be quiet, Maryland won the National Title w/a 6'5, 6'6 and 6'9 frontline.

As for Mudiay, I wasn't wrong cause he never played. If he had played, we'd likely be in worse NCAA trouble than we are. If he had shown and we had great chemistry, I would say so. As is, we had garbage chemistry until we effectively said see ya to Keith and Jmart. Those are two talented kids who made us worse b/c the minutes couldn't be dealt with. If Eman was here, Nic would have slid off the ball, which is fine when we need scoring, but Nic is a PG. He wouldn't have loved being second fiddle at point and that could have been an issue based on a few well-placed conversations I had.