D+/C-
Couldn't decide between the two.
Guards
With very little returning known production, we needed some big hits here. Mooney started off with a big one in a smaller package in Jordan King. Looks like a home run, and should give us more scoring than we had at this position, as well as ability to create shots, etc. Great start to portal season. We also added Trevor Smith, who was a pretty highly touted guard out of h.s. I also like the Tyne pick up, another smaller guard, but looks to be able to hit shots. Two solid high school pick ups. We were in the running for Darius Brown, who I think would have formed a super A10 back court with King. That was a big miss. I would have liked to seen one more really productive guard like Brown. I do think between Dji, Roche, transfer add Hunt, and the two promising freshman we should be able to find some production. I think best case scenario is for Dji to be the guy here, cut down TO's and play 25 minutes a game. Hunt and the freshman alongside King makes a very smallish back court. That has worked OK for us in the past, but with no Burton and Quinn not a guy that rebounds outside of his radius, think we need a big athletic guard like Dji to play along with King. As much as we added and have coming back, we really still have a lot of question marks.
Forwards
We had all year to find a replacement for Reed. Did not happen. Mooney seemed to put all his eggs in the Burton returning basket. Big whiff. Tanner coming in is a good pick up, but again in this era of 5 year players it is hard to predict a freshman having a big impact. I love his production at a high level h.s. league. but we could have used another athletic forward to at the very least play defense and rebound. Hopefully Tyler Harris embraces this type of role, though he has been listed as a guard, seems more perimeter oriented. I get that the game has changed and is more perimeter oriented, but when you can't stop people and get out worked and out rebounded badly, it does impact your ability to win. You kind of need to at least be competent in all areas. Noyes fulfilling his promise this year, and being able to guard big forwards and rebound would really cover up this miss. Otherwise this is going to be the area that causes us to be a sub .500 team.
Overall, we brought in King from the portal. And missed or not involved with a lot of other guys we could have used. Likely NIL played a part, but that is part of the the $1.3 Million job description now. Need really big years from Dji, Noyes, and one more player not named King to have a top of the A10 team. I am hoping for it, but a lot of production required from unproven guys up to this point.
Couldn't decide between the two.
Guards
With very little returning known production, we needed some big hits here. Mooney started off with a big one in a smaller package in Jordan King. Looks like a home run, and should give us more scoring than we had at this position, as well as ability to create shots, etc. Great start to portal season. We also added Trevor Smith, who was a pretty highly touted guard out of h.s. I also like the Tyne pick up, another smaller guard, but looks to be able to hit shots. Two solid high school pick ups. We were in the running for Darius Brown, who I think would have formed a super A10 back court with King. That was a big miss. I would have liked to seen one more really productive guard like Brown. I do think between Dji, Roche, transfer add Hunt, and the two promising freshman we should be able to find some production. I think best case scenario is for Dji to be the guy here, cut down TO's and play 25 minutes a game. Hunt and the freshman alongside King makes a very smallish back court. That has worked OK for us in the past, but with no Burton and Quinn not a guy that rebounds outside of his radius, think we need a big athletic guard like Dji to play along with King. As much as we added and have coming back, we really still have a lot of question marks.
Forwards
We had all year to find a replacement for Reed. Did not happen. Mooney seemed to put all his eggs in the Burton returning basket. Big whiff. Tanner coming in is a good pick up, but again in this era of 5 year players it is hard to predict a freshman having a big impact. I love his production at a high level h.s. league. but we could have used another athletic forward to at the very least play defense and rebound. Hopefully Tyler Harris embraces this type of role, though he has been listed as a guard, seems more perimeter oriented. I get that the game has changed and is more perimeter oriented, but when you can't stop people and get out worked and out rebounded badly, it does impact your ability to win. You kind of need to at least be competent in all areas. Noyes fulfilling his promise this year, and being able to guard big forwards and rebound would really cover up this miss. Otherwise this is going to be the area that causes us to be a sub .500 team.
Overall, we brought in King from the portal. And missed or not involved with a lot of other guys we could have used. Likely NIL played a part, but that is part of the the $1.3 Million job description now. Need really big years from Dji, Noyes, and one more player not named King to have a top of the A10 team. I am hoping for it, but a lot of production required from unproven guys up to this point.