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Alberto Strasse: Thank you for starting this string. You were reading my mind. A line-up without any newcomers of Miller, Cunningham, Williams, Davis and Crosby will be challenged this year. I believe that, at least two of the newcomers need to punch their ticket into the starting line-up for Dayton to get into the NCAA this year. Two of: Kostas, Pierce, Svoboda or Crutcher. Who will punch their ticket?
Kostas: If he is as good as we hope, he will be impossible to keep on the bench. He is long, athletic and talented. But, he is skinny. Rebounds and loose balls that two years from now, he will snatch; will go to his opponent this year. He will be pushed around and out muscled. He will make freshman mistakes. He will miss the open man on passes. He will get his pocket picked by more mature experienced players.
Pierce: If he could just play big this year, he could start every game like Huelsman did for four years. He is tall, big and aggressive (in high school at least). If he could play solid defense and get solid rebounds and not get into foul trouble, he could start. He doesn't have to score (he did not in high school), just hit the open shot. In other words, just make the open layup.
Svoboda: We know so little about him. If he is the scorer that he was in Europe, then he'll be too good to leave on the bench. He'll need to learn to play defense. He'll be a defensive liability. His opponent will make the big play and score the big shot. If he could be a leader (he is older than any other player), he could start.
Crutcher: Starting a freshman point guard is a tough sell. In video, he has good size and athletic ability. He'll make freshman mistakes. He'll pass the ball to the wrong person. Older, more experienced opponents will pick his pocket. Point guards are not born, they are developed SLOWLY. If we push him to hard, you'll ruin his confidence. He needs to play with courage and no conscience. He can't be thinking about his mistakes, which will be many. If he starts, then either he is much better than expected or we have a BIG problem with our current point guard (like an injury or some such).
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