2022-2023 Season outlook

[VT4700]

I don't get not being interested in feedback on suggested lineups. If some of us throw some lineups out there, wouldn't it be good if we had replies saying whether or not people like them?

Anyway, as of now, my definite starters would be Nelson, Goose, Burton, and Quinn, and I could see all of them getting at least 25+ minutes a game (Burton close to 40), not just average, but pretty much every game. Depending on match ups, put Grace, Bigelow, Roche, and a healthy Crabtree in with them accordingly. So, as far as giving you lineups I like, give me those 4 starters with any of these other 4 guys and I like the lineup. It's hard for me to have a favorite lineup because of matchups and need, and the good thing about our roster is it looks very versatile with different pieces being able to fill in at different spots. So, I look for us to use a lot of different lineups out there.

Whether he starts or not, I think Grace likely gets 20+ minutes most games because he will be in there when Quinn is out, and can also play with Quinn. Along with Grace, Roche and Bigelow will likely also have several games with big minutes, and I expect their minutes to vary game by game based on match ups, and need. Just as I want Grace in there when Quinn is out, but also playing with him, I want Roche in there when Goose is out, but also playing with him. I could see Bigelow being on the floor with Roche a lot because we would have a nice mix of shooting with Roche and defensive versatility along with possible scoring with Bigelow. So, if neither starts, I could see both coming in at the same time. I am only counting on 8-15 minute games from Crabtree because of past history, both injury and playing. I would only want Dji backing up Nelson and not playing with him because I think we have better options at non PG. Of course, this could all change, but just going with what I have seen and think is best right now.

Randolph, Noyes, Dread, and Walz all look like they have solid potential, but it is hard to guess any playing time for them right now. After we see them a little bit, it will be much easier to put them in some lineups we like.

 

[gcarter52]

How about a lineup of Bailey, Burton, Walz, Grace and Quinn to just bully the other team for a few minutes?

OOC schedule is the reason to try different lineups. Not bad at all!

 

[spiderman]

OOC schedule is the reason to try different lineups. Not bad at all!

to me you can play around with lineups in practice and in scrimmages, but as soon as the ball is tossed up for real you play to win.

 

[Long Island Spiders]

Excluding injuries, here’s the starting lineup day 1. It will be different a month from season start but I’ll let VT argue those points.

Bailey
Goose
Burton
Grace
Quinn

Nelson may earn starting role in offseason, but the rest is a lock. No need to debate anything further.

 

[SpiderDad75]

to me you can play around with lineups in practice and in scrimmages, but as soon as the ball is tossed up for real you play to win.

As a former coach…I’ve always believed you can try something early game to see if kid can help and it wouldn’t hurt bad enough you couldn’t recover but I also get this as well.

 

[VT4700]

to me you can play around with lineups in practice and in scrimmages, but as soon as the ball is tossed up for real you play to win.

No doubt about it. Could you imagine going 14-4 in the A-10, but only 7-6 OOC because you pissed away 3 games by playing too many guys.

 

[GKiller]

Still think the Goose will get a little more time than many expect at PG.

 

[SpiderDad75]

Still think the Goose will get a little more time than many expect at PG.

Very well could

 

[gcarter52]

ENo doubt about it. Could you imagine going 14-4 in the A-10, but only 7-6 OOC because you pissed away 3 games by

Game times are awarded in practice.

 

[SpiderTrap]

I got a feeling Nelson, Goose, and Burton will all be over 30 minutes a game. I see Grace getting 25+ and then Quinn and Bigelow right there as well.

That is 6 guys - and I think you then add Crabtree - he makes 7. That will be our main rotation. There will be an 8th guy - but they will see limited minutes likely. Might see some Roche at times, maybe some Bailey.

 

[urmite]

Why do I think this applies to this thread...
"Here is the truth. Anyone who tells you they know the answer is lying..."

 

[gcarter52]

Why do I think this applies to this thread...
"Here is the truth. Anyone who tells you they know the answer is lying..."

As someone said, they are entitled to their own opinions, only time will tell.

 

[spiderman]

Why do I think this applies to this thread...
"Here is the truth. Anyone who tells you they know the answer is lying..."

we all might think we know. but we don't know. and if one or more of us turn out right, it still doesn't mean we knew.

 

[Long Island Spiders]

Why do I think this applies to this thread...
"Here is the truth. Anyone who tells you they know the answer is lying..."

You can lock down what I said.

 

[brooklyn brownstone]

This is one of the most exhausting threads I've read in 20+ years of posting here and the previous iterations of this board. Not exhaustive, exhausting.

 

[SpiderGuy]

I got a feeling Nelson, Goose, and Burton will all be over 30 minutes a game. I see Grace getting 25+ and then Quinn and Bigelow right there as well.

That is 6 guys - and I think you then add Crabtree - he makes 7. That will be our main rotation. There will be an 8th guy - but they will see limited minutes likely. Might see some Roche at times, maybe some Bailey.

I buy into everything you posted. However, time will tell.

 

[spider23]

This is one of the most exhausting threads I've read in 20+ years of posting here and the previous iterations of this board. Not exhaustive, exhausting.

True that. And I have not even jumped in the deep end on this one yet 😀😃

 

[SpiderTrap]

What will be very different this year than other years is that our best player - Burton, will be playing on the wing and will need help - both from the coaches to design plays for him, and from our PG to create drive and kicks for him. Mooney has been successful with having good PG who are usually our best player or top 2. But now our best player is on the wing, and is not really a guy (based on last season - maybe it will change) that you just give the ball to and get out of his way or set a ball screen. You were able to do that with Kevin Anderson, Kendall Anthony, Gilyard, etc. But Burton - ballhandling is his weak point. So how do coaches adjust to put him in position where he can be successful and score.

 

[urmite]

Not sure what it means but when was the last year that our best player was not a point guard or center?

 

[CarolinaSpider]

Game times are awarded in practice.

That is the way it should work, but I can tell you from experience it don't work that way. You can have a couple weeks of the best practices you have ever had, doing everything right and never sniff the floor. Plus have a so so week of practice and play. Go figure, I never could and just realized that fickle seemed to be part of the coaching personna at times.

 

[SFspidur]

Not sure what it means but when was the last year that our best player was not a point guard or center?

Would you consider Brothers the best player for a couple of years there? Otherwise you might have to go back to the early Mooney days when Bucknor was probably ahead of Steenberge in their senior year. But certainly the Skrocki days before that.

Obviously it's debatable in any given year who the "best" player is. There have certainly been years when our leading scorer wasn't a PG or C (last year even!), but you have to judge the whole package.

 

[gcarter52]

That is the way it should work, but I can tell you from experience it don't work that way. You can have a couple weeks of the best practices you have ever had, doing everything right and never sniff the floor. Plus have a so so week of practice and play. Go figure, I never could and just realized that fickle seemed to be part of the coaching personna at times.

I agree generally on that but I think this is a different year. I’m hoping that this will not be the norm.

 

[VT4700]

Would you consider Brothers the best player for a couple of years there? Otherwise you might have to go back to the early Mooney days when Bucknor was probably ahead of Steenberge in their senior year. But certainly the Skrocki days before that.

Obviously it's debatable in any given year who the "best" player is. There have certainly been years when our leading scorer wasn't a PG or C (last year even!), but you have to judge the whole package.

Blake certainly has to be in the conversation his 2 years here. Same for Terry Allen the year before TJ was POY.

 

[VT4700]

That is the way it should work, but I can tell you from experience it don't work that way. You can have a couple weeks of the best practices you have ever had, doing everything right and never sniff the floor. Plus have a so so week of practice and play. Go figure, I never could and just realized that fickle seemed to be part of the coaching personna at times.

The best guys play. If you have a great week of practice and someone else is better than you, the better option, and gives your team the best chance to win, they should get the minutes, regardless of what you did in practice. Maybe reward good practices in younger years, but I would hope our coach wouldn't do that at our level.

 

[VT4700]

What will be very different this year than other years is that our best player - Burton, will be playing on the wing and will need help - both from the coaches to design plays for him, and from our PG to create drive and kicks for him. Mooney has been successful with having good PG who are usually our best player or top 2. But now our best player is on the wing, and is not really a guy (based on last season - maybe it will change) that you just give the ball to and get out of his way or set a ball screen. You were able to do that with Kevin Anderson, Kendall Anthony, Gilyard, etc. But Burton - ballhandling is his weak point. So how do coaches adjust to put him in position where he can be successful and score.

I look for Tyler to do a lot more with the ball this year. He can handle the ball more than well enough to get the job done. He did this plenty last year, especially with his and ones in the A-10 tourney. Also, he showed he can get into the lane and hit the 12-15 footer. He will be more than fine this year.

 

[VT4700]

Game times are awarded in practice.

Yes and no in my opinion. If guys are close to even, and do a lot of the same things, sure, practice would be key in deciding who is the better option. But, many times there is an obvious talent separation, or just a comfort level of "we are better with that guy on the floor" and I wouldn't let a couple of good practices by someone change that. We could have had young PGs look real good during practice the past few years, but I would still want Jacob out there nearly 40 minutes every game. That's just me though. Not saying there is a right way or wrong way and we could probably ask numerous coaches and get different answers.

 

[CarolinaSpider]

I look for Tyler to do a lot more with the ball this year. He can handle the ball more than well enough to get the job done. He did this plenty last year, especially with his and ones in the A-10 tourney. Also, he showed he can get into the lane and hit the 12-15 footer. He will be more than fine this year.

The best guys play. If you have a great week of practice and someone else is better than you, the better option, and gives your team the best chance to win, they should get the minutes, regardless of what you did in practice. Maybe reward good practices in younger years, but I would hope our coach wouldn't do that at our level.

By the way this is a reference to another D1 team sport and a former all conference player. Yes best should play but a non starter who is standing out against starters in practice should be given opportunities when appropriate to have them game tested. You never know when the injury bug or foul trouble will bite you in the butt.

 

[VT4700]

I hear you, and agree with this in certain situations. If someone is looking good in practice, if the talent level is there, and I think they can help us, I could definitely see giving them some minutes.

 

[plydogg]

No doubt about it. Could you imagine going 14-4 in the A-10, but only 7-6 OOC because you pissed away 3 games by playing too many guys.

Mooney is the coach. Of course I can imagine this lol

 

[97spiderfan]

Mooney is the coach. Of course I can imagine this lol

The 7-6 part, yeah I can imagine that. It has happened. The 14-4 part though, I might dream about that, but that is not something I see happening. We had a great tourney run but Mooney is still Mooney, a slightly better than .500 coach.

 

[urmite]

Mooney is the coach. Of course I can imagine ”playing too many guys”

Are you both really saying this?

 

[SpiderTrap]

Are you both really saying this?

I don't ever worry about this. Every year we think we have such a deep team but at the end of the day - we end up playing 7 guys and maybe an 8th. But really - we stick to a core of 7 main guys and then guys 8 and 9 usually end up being guys when we lose a game or two - we go on this board and rant those guys should get more minutes.

I don't see Mooney playing a system like VCU where 10 guys are playing night in and night out. At most - he will play 8 guys 10+ minutes a night and if we win - that is fine with me.

 

[SFspidur]

 

[SpiderDad75]

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Isaiah is a tremendous athlete and is going to help us from the jump.

 

[VT4700]

I don't ever worry about this. Every year we think we have such a deep team but at the end of the day - we end up playing 7 guys and maybe an 8th. But really - we stick to a core of 7 main guys and then guys 8 and 9 usually end up being guys when we lose a game or two - we go on this board and rant those guys should get more minutes.

I don't see Mooney playing a system like VCU where 10 guys are playing night in and night out. At most - he will play 8 guys 10+ minutes a night and if we win - that is fine with me.

Very very few teams play more than 8 right now. Many play 6 or 7. Just look at how successful all of the final four teams were with short benches. I like this. Play your best guys big minutes. Let the 7 or 8 guys get comfortable with each other. Many times, more is not better. Unless most of the guys are even, if you are the 9th best option out there, how much time should you really get?

 

[Eight Legger]

Isaiah is a tremendous athlete and is going to help us from the jump.

Saw him yesterday and he's an impressive looking guy. Very athletic, seems like a good glue guy and leader on a team, too. If he can shoot it from deep like he did before, he really becomes a Swiss Army knife for us.

 

[gcarter52]

I don't ever worry about this. Every year we think we have such a deep team but at the end of the day - we end up playing 7 guys and maybe an 8th. But really - we stick to a core of 7 main guys and then guys 8 and 9 usually end up being guys when we lose a game or two - we go on this board and rant those guys should get more minutes.

I don't see Mooney playing a system like VCU where 10 guys are playing night in and night out. At most - he will play 8 guys 10+ minutes a night and if we win - that is fine with me.

The team we had last year were mostly freshman. Don’t count coach out this year, we have the resources and they are a year older to afford us the opportunity to play more guys if they are ready. I’m trusting the process!🕷🕷🕷🕸🕸

 

[SpiderGuy]

The team we had last year were mostly freshman. Don’t count coach out this year, we have the resources and they are a year older to afford us the opportunity to play more guys if they are ready. I’m trusting the process!🕷🕷🕷🕸🕸

I'm a believer in patterns. For the most part, CM sticks to his patterns and playbook. It would be nice to see us go deeper, but until the pattern is broken or Mooney goes outside of his SOP, as others have said, expect 7 or 8 to get most minutes.

 

[gcarter52]

I'm a believer in patterns. For the most part, CM sticks to his patterns and playbook. It would be nice to see us go deeper, but until the pattern is broken or Mooney goes outside of his SOP, as others have said, expect 7 or 8 to get most minutes.

I’m expecting change this year.

 

[spider23]

Bigelow / Burton killer B's on the wing can be a very good combination. Really looking forward to that combo.