Smitty10, I see your points, and your position is very well-thought. But having said that, I have a few counterpoints of my own:
1) Anthony may be < Archie at UD (time will tell), but I contend that he may have already proven that he’s > BG based on the success he had at VCU before going to Alabama. If you compare AG’s results at VCU to BG’s results here, I see cause for optimism. Again, time will tell.
2) I don’t believe it’ll take 2 seasons to work the kinks out of the transfers, but I agree there’s going to be an adjustment period. I just believe that will take probably about half of next season, into about the first 1/3 of conference play. I say that for 2 reasons: (a) all the transfers except Johnson have been practicing with our active roster all season, and (b) Sibert and Sanford (albeit, in successive seasons) were making positive contributions within the first 10 games of their first seasons on the court.
Finally, I understand the concern about people like myself putting so much emphasis on next year, but I believe that emphasis needs to be there, because other than potential chemistry issues resulting from battles over playing time, all the pieces will be in place. In no particular order, our weaknesses this year have included (but not been limited to):
- No option other than Crutcher at PG. Next year, Chatman is eligible, and he has 2 years of significant D-I experience under his belt.
- A lack of size/muscle in the middle. Granted, Josh’s loss will be felt, but Jordy and Moulaye each bring a lot more beef to the table, to jockey for rebounds and eat space down low. And Johnson, when he becomes eligible, will give us another Obi-sized body in the mix.
- No one who can consistently get to the rim off the dribble. From what I’ve heard about Watson, he’s a Grade A rim-runner.
- Depth. We have all 13 scholarships currently committed for next year, and 11 of those players are proven D-I commodities.
Yes, we still need better outside shooting. Yes, we still need better defense. Yes, we still need to beat the better teams, instead of just having moral victories. But there’s a very good chance that many of our shortcomings of this season will be solved with the influx of 4 brand-new transfers, 1 transfer who should be healthy once again, and a freshman big who’s already built like a junior. This year, we saw how well Anthony and his staff could recruit. Next year, we’ll see how well they can coach. I think I speak for the vast majority on this board when I say, I hope we’re not disappointed.
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Last edited by T-Bone 84; 03-18-2019 at 10:19 AM..
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