Losing some height next year but gaining some shooters

[Stallion]

Right SMU will have a team that's essentially Cincy size next year-probably a tad larger. Cincy was one of the top defenses in the Country this year (and one of the worst offensive teams)

[Harry0569]

You don't need 7ft guys. Good luck beating Kentucky w/o upgrading every position on the roster. I'm not sure we have anyone, this past year or next, who would start for them. Maybe Nic next year?

OK, I was wondering about UK next season. Believe it or not, the first time I saw them play all season was against Cincy the other day. Cincy always struck me as a big, physical team, but I was stunned at how small and thin they looked against UK. Even though Cincy played tough. . .and I have to hand it to them for that. . .I never had any doubt that UK would win the game. Those UK guys are absolute monsters! I couldn't believe it, even after hearing about them ad naseum all season long. Their forwards are huge, athletic, and long, and their guards are amazing. Still shaking my head.

So how do they look for next season? I'm assuming a bunch of those guys are going into the NBA draft. Are they reloading again with another stable of absolute studs?

Yes and yes (although I'll be curious to know if Skal is eligible. His "Caretaker" is a pos).

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2015/

https://rivals.yahoo.com/smu/football/r ... ank-3252/0

[East Coast Mustang]

I'd be shocked if Skal ever plays a minute of college ball. Last I heard (a few months ago) he was enrolled in a high school that didn't exist.

[CalallenStang]

Skal is being screwed by his handler

[The PonyGrad]

Shawn Williams was very effective under the boards and he was not all that tall.

[Rebel10]

HoopManX may have some inside knowledge within the program, but that doesn't mean he's more knowledgable about basketball than others on this thread. For example, a few days ago he said you don't need 7-footers to compete against the top teams in the country. Good luck having a realistic chance at beating Kentucky without any 7-footers...

You don't need 7ft guys. Good luck beating Kentucky w/o upgrading every position on the roster. I'm not sure we have anyone, this past year or next, who would start for them. Maybe Nic next year?

Right, we disagree. I think we need bigs to win deep in the tourney, you think we can do it with guys that are 6'8.

I think we can be by with two very athletic 6'8 guys that are muscled up imo. But Hoopmanx did not start out saying 2 6'8 guys he said two 6'7 guys. To me if we had a muscular 6'7 and a solid 6'9 guy next to him with some depth on the bench that would do okay. I tend to agree with you though MFFL02.

[Rebel10]

Okay Hoopmanb, how many tough as nails (as you put it) forwards do we have next year if Kennedy does not return and how many do we need? Even with the incoming freshmen is our overall team lentgh really any better than anyone else in the top three quarters of our conference? Who in your opinion should we be going after with this last scholarship?

Don't be linear. We have a HOF coach that has played a number of different ways in his illustrious career. If we don't have post size or depth, we'll have to adapt. Match-ups go both ways as the great Gary Williams used to say. We need a better perimeter more than it matters if we get worse in the post, imo.

IF Kennedy leaves, we're absolutely thin in the post. I have no idea how seriously he's looking at playing somewhere other than the NBA. That said, we'll just have to adapt and plug a hole w/a grunt. Honestly, more than I care about bigs next year, I care about getting transfers this offseason w/the NCAA spectacle hanging over our heads. We live and die by reloading via transfer and we just became a more difficult sell, smack dab in the middle of their decision process. The year after next is the issue, and that rebuild starts now

I am not being linear. And as much as I have said that we need outside shooters you should know I think that we need more of them. I was just looking at the front court aspect of the team. As far as the backcourt is concerned. I am thinking that Sed and Shake with provide the outside punch that we have needed to compliment Nic's outside shooting so that can't just try to lock down Nic. I also think that Jarrey could be that slasher that can score. And I agree that the year after next will be this issue one way or the other.

[PonyFan32]

I don't think we should be too concerned with the difference between 6'7" and 6'8".

It seems to me that if we get Markus back and he plays 30 minutes a game, we really only need for somebody to fill that tough, "put a body on somebody" role for the 10 minutes while he sits. I think (and hope since I'm not really knowledgeable about him) that Tolbert can fill that role for 10 minutes (in addition to however many minutes he plays alongside MK).

I'm not convinced either Semi or Ben Moore has the mean streak or style to play that type of role under the basket on D. But I don't think we need more than 1 on the floor at a time, particular with today's game. We certainly didn't play with more than 1 of those guys on the floor this year since Yanick and Cannen were not those guys (although perhaps Cannen did fill that role sometimes).

Now if Markus isn't back or he or Tolbert gets injured...

[Rebel10]

I don't think we should be too concerned with the difference between 6'7" and 6'8".

It seems to me that if we get Markus back and he plays 30 minutes a game, we really only need for somebody to fill that tough, "put a body on somebody" role for the 10 minutes while he sits. I think (and hope since I'm not really knowledgeable about him) that Tolbert can fill that role for 10 minutes (in addition to however many minutes he plays alongside MK).

I'm not convinced either Semi or Ben Moore has the mean streak or style to play that type of role under the basket on D. But I don't think we need more than 1 on the floor at a time, particular with today's game. We certainly didn't play with more than 1 of those guys on the floor this year since Yanick and Cannen were not those guys (although perhaps Cannen did fill that role sometimes).

Now if Markus isn't back or he or Tolbert gets injured...

Don't know if Semi was a mean streak kind of player. He is more of a stretch 4 that can shoot the three pointers pretty good. Good point.

[MFFL02]

Hey Hoopmanx, how are those lack of 7-footers working for West Virginia?

[SMU Section F]

Hey Hoopmanx, how are those lack of 7-footers working for West Virginia?

They'd still be losing this game if they had a 10-footer.

[LA_Mustang]

It won't be remembered this way because they got 2 teams to the sweet 16 but there hasn't been a conference more overrated ever than the Big 12 this year.

[MFFL02]

Hey Hoopmanx, how are those lack of 7-footers working for West Virginia?

They'd still be losing this game if they had a 10-footer.

That's not the point. The point is that you need centers if you want to play competitively against elite teams.

[GiddyUp]

I will take a Stainbrook please

[JasonB]

Hey Hoopmanx, how are those lack of 7-footers working for West Virginia?

They'd still be losing this game if they had a 10-footer.

That's not the point. The point is that you need centers if you want to play competitively against elite teams.

No, you need elite players if you want to play competitively against elite teams. WV has shown all year long that they don't have elite players. Adding a 7 footer to the mix wouldn't change that at all.