Roster Management 2.0

[GSII]

What does this roster need to be competive in the A10.

PG - Next year the PG position is below average. Moore, without a jumper guards himself. With Hewitts offense being guard heavy and even more heavily dependent on a stud PG, can Jackson provide relief? At 6'6 he sure has the size but does he have the motor? Corey Edwards will be a back up, if he's still here. So once again, our most important position is hardly filled.

SG - I feel good about PH, Locket. Still might need a 6,4ish 5th year transfer sharp shooter.

SF - Replacing Wright...Hmmmm. I guess Marko and Mayimba is all we got? Maybe Jenkins?? VG if he stays??

PF - Julian Royal. Skilled big but I personally think needs work on the defensive end. Could be a beast.

C - Copes. Barring getting suspended for the 3 straight year, he only has Porter to compete with, who should redshirt. Royal should provide relief when Jenkins is at the PF.

Returning Players Newcomers #3 Ranked Class in A10
Moore Mayimba, Lockett, Porter, Jackson
Jenkins
Marko
Royal
Patrick
Copes
Players Probably Gonna Return
VG
CE
AO
Tate
Rudy

Having to incorporate 5 new players and possibly more, next year will yet again be a major challenge early on. However, we could see some improvement by league play. Maybe 4-7 wins, up from 3-5 wins this year. Key for fans next year, low expectations and hope for a surprise. This year the A10 punched us hard. Next year our true youth will be frustrating at times, but hopefully we start to see signs of progress.

 

[expendable smurf]

The roster needs to learn to win close games. We're already competitive otherwise.

 

[GMUgemini]

The roster needs to learn to win close games. We're already competitive otherwise.

Improved defense and rebounding. Most every team has lulls on offense, if they can prevent the other team from going on massive runs while struggling, it'll go a long way.

Also with a young team, generating more steals for easy baskets will help.

 

[GSII]

The roster needs to learn to win close games. We're already competitive otherwise.

And that depends on the players you have in place and what position they are put in. Do you think the new recruits will be able to handle this system and close out games? Or was this an isolated thing with us moving up to the A10 w/ caa talent?

 

[expendable smurf]

We weren't terribly successful holding leads in the CAA so I'm not sure the league itself matters a great deal, other than better talent having a better ability to take advantage of our lapses. Some of our errors are just players that aren't capable of operating under those pressures, some of it is scheme.

But I think Gemini has one thing correct: improve defense to avoid sustained runs by the other team. Better defense will also help us avoid allowing the other team to press late in games since it's difficult to press if you can't make shots. So I guess if you want to think about the roster, better on-ball defenders would be nice and defenders that understand spacing. But spacing is really just coaching so that's not changing much under Hewitt.

We just need to be able to shut down a run. We more or less did that to Richmond, but we had to build a 21 pt lead in order to do it, which really isn't a sustainable solution.

 

[Five Two]

What does this roster need to be competive in the A10.

PG - Next year the PG position is below average. Moore, without a jumper guards himself. With Hewitts offense being guard heavy and even more heavily dependent on a stud PG, can Jackson provide relief? At 6'6 he sure has the size but does he have the motor? Corey Edwards will be a back up, if he's still here. So once again, our most important position is hardly filled.

I don't think Jackson is a point guard, is he? Motor isn't my first concern (if it is a concern at all). My fear is that we'll have to force a player not equipped to run the point into that position, like we've had to do with Allen up until the 2nd half of this year. PH didn't address the point guard situation after his first season. Which is why this team wasn't competitive in the CAA last year and we've had to live with Moore learning on the job this year.

It boggles my mind that in this system, which GSII points out, is so dependent on a quality point guard, PH has brought in just one in three years of recruiting and he (Moore) was a late addition as it was.

Maybe Jackson truly is a point guard and I'm proven wrong. But given what we've seen the past 3 years, I need to see it to believe it.

 

[gmujim92]

Jackson isn't a PG and Lockett isn't a SG.

They're both SFs, along with Mayimba and Gray.

If everyone with eligibility stays next season, we'll have the following positional breakdown:

PG -- 2
SG -- 1
SF -- 4
PF -- 4
C -- 2

9 of 13 players on the roster -- Moore, Edwards, Holloway and Porter -- would be between 6-5 and 6-8.

Hewitt's dream team. A bunch of long 6-6ish athletes. But can he turn them into a team?

 

[gmutom]

Is it possible that our leading scorer next year isn't on the current roster or amongst our current commitments? As Jim pointed out, we are in desperate need of a SG to replace Sherrod and Allen, so maybe there is a JUCO transfer or a 5th-year graduate student looking to major in Turkish Affairs.

Edit: I know this is wishful thinking, but it is a scenario we haven't discussed or taken advantage of in the past.

 

[gmujim92]

Is it possible that our leading scorer next year isn't on the current roster or amongst our current commitments? As Jim pointed out, we are in desperate need of a SG to replace Sherrod and Allen, so maybe there is a JUCO transfer or a 5th-year graduate student looking to major in Turkish Affairs.

Edit: I know this is wishful thinking, but it is a scenario we haven't discussed or taken advantage of in the past.

Finally, our leaders' far-flung dynastic ambitions would come back to help the basketball program.

 

[gmutom]

Finally, our leaders' far-flung dynastic ambitions would come back to help the basketball program.

According to this article in yesterday's Post, we might be able to recruit a lot more foreign players.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...9d34aa-9f14-11e3-a050-dc3322a94fa7_story.html

 

[GSII]

Theres a video of jackson playing pg.

 

[The Great PATSby]

We should just ride on this whole gender neutral housing thing when recruiting and tell future recruits that if they come to Mason, they can room with prostitutes, errr I mean attractive classmates.

 

[gmujim92]

Theres a video of jackson playing pg

Pretty sure there's video out there somewhere of me skiing, but that doesn't make me Bode Miller ... particularly because my wife took the video of me falling on my a** about a thousand times at Massanutten.

 

[GSII]

Here's the AAU game first posted by DrG in the IJ thread....in which Jackson is playing PG. I guess he could be a point forward for us and an interchangeable piece at other spots. #44 in white.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

Here's the AAU game first posted by DrG in the IJ thread....in which Jackson is playing PG. I guess he could be a point forward for us and an interchangeable piece at other spots.

I'm not an expert, but that video looks like he would have no problem at all playing PG. 6'6 and has decent handles and jumper? Yes please.

 

[gmujim92]

Weird that he's playing the point on offense, but guarding the post on defense.

I suppose that fits perfectly with Hewitt's goal of having guys who can guard 2-3 positions.

No offense to Isaiah, I just don't see him having enough quickness to guard PGs in college.

 

[Pablo]

Weird that he's playing the point on offense, but guarding the post on defense.

I suppose that fits perfectly with Hewitt's goal of having guys who can guard 2-3 positions.

No offense to Isaiah, I just don't see him having enough quickness to guard PGs in college.

So, who will guard the PG when Marquise is on the bench?

 

[GMUgemini]

So, who will guard the PG when Marquise is on the bench?

Holloway?

 

[Pablo]

Holloway?

If so, then I expect Mason to play a lot of zone next season.

 

[GMUgemini]

If so, then I expect Mason to play a lot of zone next season.

I would hope so. Maybe once Moore, Mayimba, Lockett and Porter mature we can go back to a more high pressure man, but I've got to think next season has to be to prevent layup drills.