Analytics best “5” per L. Vaught via E. Miyakawa(CBS)

[JST390-2]

Evan Miyakawa has had his college basketball analytics used on ESPN, CBS and other outlets and offers intriguing team and individual statistical analysts on his website (EvanMiya.com).

Here is what Miyakawa noted for a “wild card” idea on Twitter: “Employ the lineup of Wallace, Reeves, Fredrick, Toppin, and Tshiebwe, which has only played 20 possessions together but has put up absurd numbers. Keep in mind that 5-man lineup data can be pretty unreliable in small doses. Still, very intriguing.”

“First, Big Oscar is by far Kentucky’s most effective player. He ranks 6th in the country in Bayesian Performance Rating, which uses box score stats, on-court impact on team performance, and historical info to evaluate each player’s value on the offensive and defensive end.”

“CJ Fredrick is known as a shooter, but the team is also playing well defensively when he’s on the floor. His On-Off splits show that the team is playing 8.6 points per 100 possessions better when he’s playing vs on the bench. By contrast, Daimion Collins’ On-Off Margin is -12.0.

“CJ Fredrick is featured in all of Kentucky’s top 5 most effective teammate pairs, ranked by Adjusted Team Efficiency Margin. This measures how many points per 100 possessions UK is outscoring opponents while he is on the floor, adjusted for the strength of opponent players faced.”

“As a team, Kentucky needs to prioritize getting to the free throw line. This season, when UK attempts at least as many free throws as their opponent, they are 9-1 and win by an average of 19 points. However, when they have less FTAs, they are only 1-5 and are losing by 12 on average.”

Analytics suggest Calipari should try one combination together a lot more

Analytics indicate CJ Frederick is one of Kentucky's better players. (Vicky Graff Photo)Analytics are way over my head but if you want to take emotion out of evaluations, analytics are the way to go. Evan Miyakawa has

www.yoursportsedge.com

Not one mention of Wheeler though I’m not as down on him as others

 

[UK90]

So play our three best outside shooters together at the same time?

Perish the thought!

 

[bigc45157]

Wild that the most modern lineup configuration is the most efficiency, yet underutilized…

I wonder if that same lineup with Livingston at the 4 generates positive outcomes?

 

[rick64]

 

[kyjeff1]

View embedded media

Yup

So the question here is…

Why has Cal only played this lineup for a total of 20 possessions all season? Wallace Reeves CJ Toppin Oscar

kentucky.forums.rivals.com

 

[YardCat]

So play our three best outside shooters together at the same time?

Perish the thought!

That goes against Cal’s principles of clog the lane and have 3 non shooters and wonder why we continue to miss shots.

 

[Popquiz81]

me: No shit genius. We’ve been saying this all god damn season.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Cal will be looking at getting CJ less time and Damion much more.

 

[qwesley]

Evan Miyakawa has had his college basketball analytics used on ESPN, CBS and other outlets and offers intriguing team and individual statistical analysts on his website (EvanMiya.com).

Here is what Miyakawa noted for a “wild card” idea on Twitter: “Employ the lineup of Wallace, Reeves, Fredrick, Toppin, and Tshiebwe, which has only played 20 possessions together but has put up absurd numbers. Keep in mind that 5-man lineup data can be pretty unreliable in small doses. Still, very intriguing.”

“First, Big Oscar is by far Kentucky’s most effective player. He ranks 6th in the country in Bayesian Performance Rating, which uses box score stats, on-court impact on team performance, and historical info to evaluate each player’s value on the offensive and defensive end.”

“CJ Fredrick is known as a shooter, but the team is also playing well defensively when he’s on the floor. His On-Off splits show that the team is playing 8.6 points per 100 possessions better when he’s playing vs on the bench. By contrast, Daimion Collins’ On-Off Margin is -12.0.

“CJ Fredrick is featured in all of Kentucky’s top 5 most effective teammate pairs, ranked by Adjusted Team Efficiency Margin. This measures how many points per 100 possessions UK is outscoring opponents while he is on the floor, adjusted for the strength of opponent players faced.”

“As a team, Kentucky needs to prioritize getting to the free throw line. This season, when UK attempts at least as many free throws as their opponent, they are 9-1 and win by an average of 19 points. However, when they have less FTAs, they are only 1-5 and are losing by 12 on average.”

Analytics suggest Calipari should try one combination together a lot more

Analytics indicate CJ Frederick is one of Kentucky's better players. (Vicky Graff Photo)Analytics are way over my head but if you want to take emotion out of evaluations, analytics are the way to go. Evan Miyakawa has

www.yoursportsedge.com

Not one mention of Wheeler though I’m not as down on him as others

Cal: "Folks this stuff is hard, we are trying some things, be patient"
Fans: "How about your best 3 shooters together around Oscar?"
Cal: "Shut up Bennie"

 

[mcwildcats04]

Cal will be looking at getting CJ less time and Damion much more.

Ha, don't you know it? All out of position and looking lost at the 4 spot. As frustrated as I get watching Collins, I try and not blame him because it's really Cal's fault playing him out of position.

 

[KyLegacy]

Literally most fans have been screaming this. Nothing new but won’t happen.

 

[MegaBlue05]

So play our three best outside shooters together at the same time?

Perish the thought!

That’s too modern of an idea for Cal. Why not play 1 out 4 in. Wheeler, Toppin, Oscar, Collins and Ware.

Cal would love that lineup.

 

[qwesley]

His devotion to Wheeler is both odd and will be his final demise. How he thought he was the answer coming off 9-16 when his system is so PG focused is just bizarre. Once Oscar decided to come back (and after the STP fiasco) his whole focus in the portal should have been getting 4 shooters around him but I guess he did not want to take any hearts (except the fans).

 

[true blue1]

Evan Miyakawa has had his college basketball analytics used on ESPN, CBS and other outlets and offers intriguing team and individual statistical analysts on his website (EvanMiya.com).

Here is what Miyakawa noted for a “wild card” idea on Twitter: “Employ the lineup of Wallace, Reeves, Fredrick, Toppin, and Tshiebwe, which has only played 20 possessions together but has put up absurd numbers. Keep in mind that 5-man lineup data can be pretty unreliable in small doses. Still, very intriguing.”

“First, Big Oscar is by far Kentucky’s most effective player. He ranks 6th in the country in Bayesian Performance Rating, which uses box score stats, on-court impact on team performance, and historical info to evaluate each player’s value on the offensive and defensive end.”

“CJ Fredrick is known as a shooter, but the team is also playing well defensively when he’s on the floor. His On-Off splits show that the team is playing 8.6 points per 100 possessions better when he’s playing vs on the bench. By contrast, Daimion Collins’ On-Off Margin is -12.0.

“CJ Fredrick is featured in all of Kentucky’s top 5 most effective teammate pairs, ranked by Adjusted Team Efficiency Margin. This measures how many points per 100 possessions UK is outscoring opponents while he is on the floor, adjusted for the strength of opponent players faced.”

“As a team, Kentucky needs to prioritize getting to the free throw line. This season, when UK attempts at least as many free throws as their opponent, they are 9-1 and win by an average of 19 points. However, when they have less FTAs, they are only 1-5 and are losing by 12 on average.”

Analytics suggest Calipari should try one combination together a lot more

Analytics indicate CJ Frederick is one of Kentucky's better players. (Vicky Graff Photo)Analytics are way over my head but if you want to take emotion out of evaluations, analytics are the way to go. Evan Miyakawa has

www.yoursportsedge.com

Not one mention of Wheeler though I’m not as down on him as others

He should've tried this lineup earlier, but he won't.

 

[mcwildcats04]

His devotion to Wheeler is both odd and will be his final demise. How he thought he was the answer coming off 9-16 when his system is so PG focused is just bizarre. Once Oscar decided to come back (and after the STP fiasco) his whole focus in the portal should have been getting 4 shooters around him but I guess he did not want to take any hearts (except the fans).

Sad thing is we could still do this with our existing personnel but Cal won't do it. Either play that suggested lineup of Wallace/Fredrick/Reeves/Toppin/Oscar or go Wallace/Fredrick/Reeves/Livingston/Oscar. Tons of outside shooting in that lineup.

 

[TankedCat]

You know what I heard?

Texas fans love big non shooters clogging up the lane in grind it out scoring games.

Its what they live for

 

[JonathanW]

I said in a post last week that Cal should (like many pro teams in most sports) embrace analytics which is an off-shoot of statistical analysis. And he has a Statistics Dept at UK at his disposal!!! TAs (PhD and Masters level Grad-student Statisticians) some of whom would like that assignment. I know when I was there (in that Dept) 30 years ago I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven if Pitino had asked for a Stats TA and I had been assigned. Hell I would have probably been so obsessed by that, would have struggled finding time to do my own homework.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

That lineup is solid but the issue is keeping them healthy and out of foul trouble.

We suck at defense overall anyways so it stands to reason plaubtye best offensive players the most minutes.

 

[qwesley]

I said in a post last week that Cal should (like many pro teams in most sports) embrace analytics which is an off-shoot of statistical analysis. And he has a Statistics Dept at UK at his disposal!!! TAs (PhD and Masters level Grad-student Statisticians) some of whom would like that assignment. I know when I was there (in that Dept) 30 years ago I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven if Pitino had asked for a Stats TA and I had been assigned. Hell I would have probably been so obsessed by that, would have struggled finding time to do my own homework.

If you remember that is what position Justus was hired as. Cal talked about it but obviously has no interest in that trend or area. He then just promoted Justus to a spot he was unqualified for. on the bench and actually put him out recruiting.

 

[IL Wildcat]

Evan Miyakawa has had his college basketball analytics used on ESPN, CBS and other outlets and offers intriguing team and individual statistical analysts on his website (EvanMiya.com).

Here is what Miyakawa noted for a “wild card” idea on Twitter: “Employ the lineup of Wallace, Reeves, Fredrick, Toppin, and Tshiebwe, which has only played 20 possessions together but has put up absurd numbers. Keep in mind that 5-man lineup data can be pretty unreliable in small doses. Still, very intriguing.”

“First, Big Oscar is by far Kentucky’s most effective player. He ranks 6th in the country in Bayesian Performance Rating, which uses box score stats, on-court impact on team performance, and historical info to evaluate each player’s value on the offensive and defensive end.”

“CJ Fredrick is known as a shooter, but the team is also playing well defensively when he’s on the floor. His On-Off splits show that the team is playing 8.6 points per 100 possessions better when he’s playing vs on the bench. By contrast, Daimion Collins’ On-Off Margin is -12.0.

“CJ Fredrick is featured in all of Kentucky’s top 5 most effective teammate pairs, ranked by Adjusted Team Efficiency Margin. This measures how many points per 100 possessions UK is outscoring opponents while he is on the floor, adjusted for the strength of opponent players faced.”

“As a team, Kentucky needs to prioritize getting to the free throw line. This season, when UK attempts at least as many free throws as their opponent, they are 9-1 and win by an average of 19 points. However, when they have less FTAs, they are only 1-5 and are losing by 12 on average.”

Analytics suggest Calipari should try one combination together a lot more

Analytics indicate CJ Frederick is one of Kentucky's better players. (Vicky Graff Photo)Analytics are way over my head but if you want to take emotion out of evaluations, analytics are the way to go. Evan Miyakawa has

www.yoursportsedge.com

Not one mention of Wheeler though I’m not as down on him as others

Well, Fredrick actually showed signs of life against South Carolina. Actually, overshadowed in what is likely the worst home loss since Evansville was the performance of Fredrick. He actually looked like he wanted the ball. He was aggressively coming off screens and was hunting shots. Now, honestly, have we seen that from him? I do want to see Fredrick and Reeves on the floor together, though, whether that's with Wheeler or Wallace. And I'd like to see Livingston at the 4, also. I know he's undersized, but he plays bigger than his height. He also shoots the ball from 3 better than Toppin.

Having said all of this, I don't know if there is a lineup from this bunch that can beat a truly good team. When you pressure Reeves, he wilts. When Fredrick has to guard a great athlete, he struggles. Wallace struggles with ball pressure. Wheeler can't consistently make shots. So, you put a new guy in, you gain in some ways but lose in others. This team is just flawed. But Fredrick, playing like he did in the 2nd half against SC, could be an answer.

 

[Wonky]

If that is really true that the Wallace/Reeves/Fredrick/Toppin/Tshiebwe lineup has only played 20 total possessions together in 16 games…. That is absolutely mind boggling and Cal is a complete idiot.

Wheeler is awful. Ware is awful. Collins is struggling emotionally and is being played out of position, and as a result of both of those things is also awful (though not his fault).

Cal has absolutely sabotaged this team because he doesn’t want to hurt people’s feelings. What the hell happened to “this isn’t communism” and “I can’t hide you” ??? Sit Wheeler’s ass on the BENCH and keep it there. We ain’t winning shit with him “leading” us.

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

Wonder if Cal even knows this? So worried about taking care of 'his boys' I doubt it. Probably wouldn't matter even if he did know it.

 

[megablue]

Well, Fredrick actually showed signs of life against South Carolina. Actually, overshadowed in what is likely the worst home loss since Evansville was the performance of Fredrick. He actually looked like he wanted the ball. He was aggressively coming off screens and was hunting shots. Now, honestly, have we seen that from him? I do want to see Fredrick and Reeves on the floor together, though, whether that's with Wheeler or Wallace. And I'd like to see Livingston at the 4, also. I know he's undersized, but he plays bigger than his height. He also shoots the ball from 3 better than Toppin.

Having said all of this, I don't know if there is a lineup from this bunch that can beat a truly good team. When you pressure Reeves, he wilts. When Fredrick has to guard a great athlete, he struggles. Wallace struggles with ball pressure. Wheeler can't consistently make shots. So, you put a new guy in, you gain in some ways but lose in others. This team is just flawed. But Fredrick, playing like he did in the 2nd half against SC, could be an answer.

This is a damn good post on all counts, but especially on Fredrick. I saw the exact same thing out of him ... it was very encouraging and I hope it continues.

 

[TheDude73]

Yup

So the question here is…

Why has Cal only played this lineup for a total of 20 possessions all season? Wallace Reeves CJ Toppin Oscar

kentucky.forums.rivals.com

Because only one of those kids is truly an NBA first rounder - Wallace.

This does nothing more than expose Cal's already explicitly stated goal - showcase the talent for the NBA. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that CAl gets a lot of messages from scouts asking him to play Collins, Livingston, etc., because they want to see more, even if it means they aren't the best option to win the game. Cal's "plan" isn't to "develop" these kids - it's to get them on the stage so scouts can see little "potential" spikes in an effort to sell the NBA on taking the kids and padding his billion dollar NBA contracts claim (and in all fairness, he most likely does care about the kids and their success, albeit at the expense of UK wins).

Granted, his playing Wheeler all the time negates a piece of this theory, unless he has one scout from the Knicks in his ear about him.

 

[JonathanW]

If that is really true that the Wallace/Reeves/Fredrick/Toppin/Tshiebwe lineup has only played 20 total possessions together in 16 games…. That is absolutely mind boggling and Cal is a complete idiot.

Wheeler is awful. Ware is awful. Collins is struggling emotionally and is being played out of position, and as a result of both of those things is also awful (though not his fault).

Cal has absolutely sabotaged this team because he doesn’t want to hurt people’s feelings. What the hell happened to “this isn’t communism” and “I can’t hide you” ??? Sit Wheeler’s ass on the BENCH and keep it there. We ain’t winning shit with him “leading” us.

I don't think there are many who think Wheeler is a great PG, certainly not the level BBN expects and is used to. But he is not "awful". And so when people like myself try to defend him against that "all-or-nothing" mindset label, others take it as we think Wheeler is great and leading our team. No, we (most of us) don't. Wheeler is good or ok in some areas, but obviously has limitations/weaknesses in others. But he's a mile better than Askew was. He better than Harrow was. I'd put him with Andrew H for most of his FR year (he got better in the tournament). But yeah, I'd rather have Wallace at the PG for much of the game, because even if he isn't quite the distributor Wheeler is, he is not the same liability in other areas.
Ware is what he is. He is not a starter or even a 15mpg guy. But he's not terrible. He can contribute in ways. I think he is better than the AD backup (Vargas) was in 11 & 12. But yeah, I get the frustration when Cal goes with him for longer stretches due to injury or fouls, rather than giving Onyenso the chance; I'm there with you on that frustration.
And yeah, I think most of us have decided to give Collins a pass on this season. And just hope we see the potential become real next season with him.

As for the "hurt feelings" comment. That is way TOO OVER-PLAYED. If that is even a factor (I think Cal mistakenly believes our best chance is with Wheeler on the floor), I think it is more that he doesn't want to cause dissent (Team Turmoil) than "hurting someone's feelings". And I'm not saying that is an acceptable reason, but it's different than being afraid to hurt feelings.

 

[K_TIME]

1. I can't count how many fans have asked for Wallace PG along with Frederick and Reeves at the guard/forward.
2. Almost as many have blared Livingston at the PF spot....but the lone time Cal does somethign different it's Theiro at the PF for like 10 minutes of one game.
3. In no universe can you plan Collins....he was the main reason we lost to USC...he's so not ready...yet Cal runs him a ton of minutes vs. USC....just mind boggling

 

[JonathanW]

This is a damn good post on all counts, but especially on Fredrick. I saw the exact same thing out of him ... it was very encouraging and I hope it continues.

I mostly agree. The one thing though, I wonder how much of that is resistance by Cal or by Livingston or BOTH, at him playing the 4. We certainly needed that vs USC w/ Toppin out. Livingston needs to realize he ain't a 2G. AND he needs to realize that the best way to showcase his skills, to get better in live game action is to be willing to play some 4. On offense he can still be outside quite a bit. The main difference is he would be guarding taller guys. Guess what, the NBA is full of tall guys, PGs & 2Gs as big as he is. Playing the 4 > on the bench.

 

[westerncat]

Collins is just an overrated player. I can see him transfers after this season.

 

[TFCats11]

That lineup (swap Toppin for Livingston) is the one any other coach in the game would be utilizing the most minutes.

Our current coach doesn’t care about winning, it’s about Draft Status only. And if UK just happens to win doing it his way, then gravy.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Anyone think Cal might be tanking to try to get a buyout and get out? I know he isn't great but this bad almost takes trying to be this bad.

 

[GoToTexas]

Here’s a list of “bigs” we’ve had each year who played at least 15 minutes per game (most 20+ and a LOT with three of each together). I left the years we actually played a more guard friendly offense off. Point being Cal loves bigs WAY too much, hell we even started THREE centers on the 2015 team 😂

Nerlens/wiltjer/tjones/wcs

Randle/wcs/Alex/dakari

Lyles/wcs/towns/Alex/dakari/lee

Skal/lee/Willis/Alex/hump

Bam/Willis/Wenyen/hump

Pj/Wenyen/vando/Richards/skj

Pj/keldon/Reid/Richards/EJ

Richards/EJ/Nate/keion/Khalil

Sarr/brooks/Jackson/Toppin/ware

Oscar/brooks/Toppin

Oscar/Toppin/livingston/ware/Collins

 

[yabbadabbadoo]

More bs numbers
You mean to tell me that by simply putting in Reeves instead of Livingston with the same other 4, we go from -46 to 107 ???
Sorry, not buying.

I do think generally some lineups are better than others, but every situation is different depending on many things. We have problems all over the court, offensively and DEFENSIVELY.

 

[2Dope15]

Cal won't bench Wheeler

 

[JHannibalSmith]

Several of us have been saying this since the summer. But, most of us also saw this coming & knew it wasn’t gonna happen. It’s obvious to anyone with the slightest understanding of modern basketball. You HAVE to have multiple shooters on the floor, together, to create spacing. Especially, if you insist on playing a PG who can’t shoot. It’s like a bad Twilight Zone episode watching Cal, continuously, throw out lineups with Wheeler, Toppin, Oscar, Ware, sometimes Collins, while refusing to play Wallace, CJ & Reeves, together. It’s like he goes out of his way to NOT play them together. Is it intentional, or, incompetence?

 

[GoToTexas]

More bs numbers
You mean to tell me that by simply putting in Reeves instead of Livingston with the same other 4, we go from -46 to 107 ???
Sorry, not buying.

I do think generally some lineups are better than others, but every situation is different depending on many things. We have problems all over the court, offensively and DEFENSIVELY.

U missed the part about the 5 foot nothing point guard having a seat. And I’ll ask you like I’ve been asking others, u think playing 3 big men and wheeler is a good strategy?

 

[JonathanW]

Here’s a list of “bigs” we’ve had each year who played at least 15 minutes per game (most 20+ and a LOT with three of each together). I left the years we actually played a more guard friendly offense off. Point being Cal loves bigs WAY too much, hell we even started THREE centers on the 2015 team 😂

Nerlens/wiltjer/tjones/wcs

Randle/wcs/Alex/dakari

Lyles/wcs/towns/Alex/dakari/lee

Skal/lee/Willis/Alex/hump

Bam/Willis/Wenyen/hump

Pj/Wenyen/vando/Richards/skj

Pj/keldon/Reid/Richards/EJ

Richards/EJ/Nate/keion/Khalil

Sarr/brooks/Jackson/Toppin/ware

Oscar/brooks/Toppin

Oscar/Toppin/livingston/ware/Collins

WTF you talkin about Willis!
Half the names above are simply not true.

I guess when you say "bigs" you mean both a C and PF. But NO, we did not START 3 Centers in 2015!!! We did start 2, but one was an AA (because of his defense) and the other was the #1 pick in the draft. So which one are you putting on the bench? Poythress was not a C, plus he only played 20% of the season (8 games) due to injury. DJ only played 16mpg, and Lee only played 11mpg.

- T.Jones was not on the same team as Noel. And Wiltjer was a stretch 4 like you guys love so much, not a "big", more of a tall slow 3
- DJ only played 14mpg (13.8) in 2014
- Willis was also a stretch 4 like you guys like, not a "big", more of a tall slow 3
- in 2016 Humphries played just 6mpg
- in 2017 Humphries played just 8mpg
- Vanderbilt played less than 40% of the season (only 14 games)
- Richards (FR yr) was (barely) under the 15mpg you list, but you incuded him; and SKJ was also under it (13mpg)
- Richards played less, 12mpg as a Soph
- KJ as a "big" he's a SF dude!
- Brooks was a 6'7 "tweener" halfway between a PF and SF
- Whitney was, IDK what the hell he was, but he wasn't a "big", I guess he was a wing with no offensive skills. And he only played 1/2 the season, AND he played <13mpg in those games.
- Ware only played 10mpg as a FR
- and this year Livingston is a SF/PF tweener who doesn't want to play PF; AND Collins has played <10mpg; and Ware is at only 13mpg (wish it were less)

 

[yabbadabbadoo]

U missed the part about the 5 foot nothing point guard having a seat. And I’ll ask you like I’ve been asking others, u think playing 3 big men and wheeler is a good strategy?

No. I was accurate.
Wheeler was in neither.
You need to take another look at the chart.
On a side note, nothing CCC does is a good strategy.

 

[kyjeff1]

Because only one of those kids is truly an NBA first rounder - Wallace.

This does nothing more than expose Cal's already explicitly stated goal - showcase the talent for the NBA. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that CAl gets a lot of messages from scouts asking him to play Collins, Livingston, etc., because they want to see more, even if it means they aren't the best option to win the game. Cal's "plan" isn't to "develop" these kids - it's to get them on the stage so scouts can see little "potential" spikes in an effort to sell the NBA on taking the kids and padding his billion dollar NBA contracts claim (and in all fairness, he most likely does care about the kids and their success, albeit at the expense of UK wins).

Granted, his playing Wheeler all the time negates a piece of this theory, unless he has one scout from the Knicks in his ear about him.

I think you're 100% correct and I would bet a lot of money that all those things are true.

The NBA has way too much access to this program and the effect that has on the mindset of these players and the decisions Cal makes, is ridiculous.

If this is what he has to do to recruit these entitled players, then stop doing it, or go do it at Texas.

I stil can't believe this guy is allowed to use this program as his own personal NBA agency.

 

[JonathanW]

Now here is the REAL list (before GoToTexas puts up more lies), in descending order of minutes (15+mpg C or PF types regardless where they played):
10- Patterson, Cousins
11- Jones, Harrellson
12- Davis, Jones
13- Noel, Poythress, WCS
14- Randle, WCS, Poythress
15- WCS, Lyles, Towns, Poythress*, Johnson (* only played 8 games)
16- Poythress, Lee, Labissiere
17- Bam, Gabriel (although he did put up 63 3's, so you could try to argue he a stretch 4)
18- PJ, Gabriel, Vanderbilt* (* only 14 games)
19- PJ, Travis, Montgomery
20- Richards, Montgomery, Sestina, Brooks
21- Sarr, Brooks, Jackson, Toppin
22- Oscar, Brooks, Toppin
23- Oscar, Toppin

Willis and Wiltjer, as stretch 4's are not included. Brooks and Toppin are questionable, but I did include them.
You would expect at least 2, but maybe 3 per year. A starter at the 4 & the 5, and then the 3rd if he backs up both starters.

 

[cal=8]

Well, Fredrick actually showed signs of life against South Carolina. Actually, overshadowed in what is likely the worst home loss since Evansville was the performance of Fredrick. He actually looked like he wanted the ball. He was aggressively coming off screens and was hunting shots. Now, honestly, have we seen that from him? I do want to see Fredrick and Reeves on the floor together, though, whether that's with Wheeler or Wallace. And I'd like to see Livingston at the 4, also. I know he's undersized, but he plays bigger than his height. He also shoots the ball from 3 better than Toppin.

Having said all of this, I don't know if there is a lineup from this bunch that can beat a truly good team. When you pressure Reeves, he wilts. When Fredrick has to guard a great athlete, he struggles. Wallace struggles with ball pressure. Wheeler can't consistently make shots. So, you put a new guy in, you gain in some ways but lose in others. This team is just flawed. But Fredrick, playing like he did in the 2nd half against SC, could be an answer.

I thought Cj looked really good against SC on both ends of the floor. As much pt as he got the other night I couldn't believe they didn't run one single set to try to get him open for a three. He looked invisible in the offense most of the time.