Frontcourt recruiting is way more urgent than pg

[chasingwildcat]

In the worst scenario, we will have Jasper as PG1, but if he is OND player as expected (tyty, cason level), we should be fine

But if we do not have solid frontcourt pieces, we will 100% fail next year

Remember that we lose mainly because we can not grab any rebound

We need upgrade our frontcourt if we want any deep run. We need way more physical frontcourt players who can rebound and make defense

We should be ok even we fail at many pg target, but if we do not have huge update on frontcourt, we may lose in first or second round.... Frontcourt should be the main focus for portal...

 

[jeffky]

In the worst scenario, we will have Jasper as PG1, but if he is OND player as expected (tyty, cason level), we should be fine

But if we do not have solid frontcourt pieces, we will 100% fail next year

Remember that we loss mainly because we can not grab any rebound

We need upgrade our frontcourt if we want any deep run. We need way more physical frontcourt players who can rebound and make defense

We should be ok even we fail at every pg target, but if we do not have huge update on frontcourt, we may lose in first or second round.... Frontcourt should be the main focus for portal...

I nominate post of the day

 

[twwilliams9]

Garrison is not the answer either.

 

[I-Move-Like-The-Pope]

Agree 100% We have to get rebounders and at least 1 guy that's capable of guarding a post up. Amari killed me. Dude was built like a brick house but refused to rebound or contest anything at the rim. Same with BG.

 

[NociHTTP]

Garrison is not the answer either.

He could be, if the staff will spend the time working with him, or find someone who will.

 

[BlueSince92]

I agree. Not because it should be particularly hard to find serviceable size, muscle, hops, and experience in the portal after the year we just had. But because to really run our offense correctly we are going to need at least one big man with exemplary court vision, handling, and passing....who can also score and preferably also won't get pushed around on defense. And that's just not easy to find at all.

 

[chasingwildcat]

I agree. Not because it should be particularly hard to find serviceable size, muscle, hops, and experience in the portal after the year we just had. But because to really run our offense correctly we are going to need at least one big man with exemplary court vision, handling, and passing....who can also score and preferably also won't get pushed around on defense. And that's just not easy to find at all.

If a big guy can rebound, make defense, and pass at same time, he will be a NBA player... Why should he stay in college

 

[BlueSince92]

If a big guy can rebound, make defense, and pass at same time, he will be a NBA player... Why should he stay in college

I ain't arguin

Hopefully it'll be because he's out there somewhere getting overlooked.

EDIT: Although, after thinking about this more, even though I didn't put up any argument at first, I certainly should have. "will be an NBA player" is just way too strong a statement. Hunter Dickinson, Zach Edey, Donovan Clingan, Joni Broome, and many, many others could all rebound, play defense, and pass at a very high level prior to their final years in college and it didn't stop any of them from coming back.

Especially in this uncapped NIL era, we may be searching for a rare bird...but we're not searching for a unicorn.

 

[yoshukai]

He could be, if the staff will spend the time working with him, or find someone who will.

He’s got to “want it”. That is questionable from what I’m told .

 

[blue cincy]

We have to have a guy in the middle that does not back up when someone drives to the basket. We cannot have our bigs lost in the lane on defense (talking about Garrison). BG played decent defense on the perimeter. He was a lost ball in high weeds in the lane 90% of the time. Heck he picked our guards most of the season. Teams that were athletic would use him as an extra screener. We need a legit 4 (guy that can get 20pts and 10 boards any given night), we need a 5 that can rebound and putback shots and pass the ball, a true 5 that everyone fears when they go in the lane. We have several guards, none a point guard (true point guard). IF Kerr leaves we need 2 actual point guards. We probably do not need much on wing as we have Kam Trent and Collin at the 3, we need an extra combo guard and a verified point guard. JJ will be a back up and maybe Lewis a back up. We need a point guard like Butler with more consistent offense. Oweh, JJ, Lewis, Collin, Perry and Kam can all play the 2 and all but perry can play the 3. We need 2 or 3 bigs, 2 guards and (if random major players are out there) that fit the system, pick them up. Pope should have 13 scholarship players going into the summer with 2 spots left for international players or late pick ups.

 

[yoshukai]

Agree 100% We have to get rebounders and at least 1 guy that's capable of guarding a post up. Amari killed me. Dude was built like a brick house but refused to rebound or contest anything at the rim. Same with BG.

Amari was a pretty darn good rebounder. There is LIGHT YEARS between Amari and Garrison in terms of rebounding and post defense. And no , I don’t think Garrison will ever be good enough at those 2 things for us to be what we want to be .

 

[blue cincy]

Oweh, Chandler, Noah, Perry, Brandon (if all come back) (5) guys, 3 incoming freshman Johnson, Lewis, Moreno. (8 total now).

Portal: Williams (committed) 6'8" more of a wing: (9 total).

Room for up to 6 more guys with total scholarships now at 15. 7 of the 9 are guards or wings. Moreno (do not think he will be SEC ready). BG not sure about. We need at least 3 of those spots for bigs and 2 for Point guards. Leaves 1 spot for the best remaining player international or portal.

Starters right now would be only Oweh and probably Johnson (Probably Cam Williams). Rest would be how they develop.

 

[FitchandMurray29]

My assumption currently is one of Bailey or Folgueiras are starting at the 4 for us next year.

I currently have no clues or thoughts beyond that

 

[chasingwildcat]

Amari was a pretty darn good rebounder. There is LIGHT YEARS between Amari and Garrison in terms of rebounding and post defense. And no , I don’t think Garrison will ever be good enough at those 2 things for us to be what we want to be .

However, Amari and Garrison both suck at rebounding in S16... We need better rebounder than these two next year

 

[chasingwildcat]

I ain't arguin

Hopefully it'll be because he's out there somewhere getting overlooked.

EDIT: Although, after thinking about this more, even though I didn't put up any argument at first, I certainly should have. "will be an NBA player" is just way too strong a statement. Hunter Dickinson, Zach Edey, Donovan Clingan, Joni Broome, and many, many others could all rebound, play defense, and pass at a very high level prior to their final years in college and it didn't stop any of them from coming back.

Especially in this uncapped NIL era, we may be searching for a rare bird...but we're not searching for a unicorn.

Dickinson sucks, he "should" be good 5, but he underperformed in last 2 seasons

Clingan and Edey were never in portal, just started as HS recruits

Broome is rare example in portal

 

[yoshukai]

However, Amari and Garrison both suck at rebounding in S16... We need better rebounder than these two next year

Well if we go into next year with Garrison and Moreno as our 5’s …….there’s going to be a lot of people wishing we had Amari inside .

 

[AJG-15]

He could be, if the staff will spend the time working with him, or find someone who will.

Garrison IQ is what bothers me….the development can happen with work… his iq… not so sure..

 

[chasingwildcat]

We have to have a guy in the middle that does not back up when someone drives to the basket. We cannot have our bigs lost in the lane on defense (talking about Garrison). BG played decent defense on the perimeter. He was a lost ball in high weeds in the lane 90% of the time. Heck he picked our guards most of the season. Teams that were athletic would use him as an extra screener. We need a legit 4 (guy that can get 20pts and 10 boards any given night), we need a 5 that can rebound and putback shots and pass the ball, a true 5 that everyone fears when they go in the lane. We have several guards, none a point guard (true point guard). IF Kerr leaves we need 2 actual point guards. We probably do not need much on wing as we have Kam Trent and Collin at the 3, we need an extra combo guard and a verified point guard. JJ will be a back up and maybe Lewis a back up. We need a point guard like Butler with more consistent offense. Oweh, JJ, Lewis, Collin, Perry and Kam can all play the 2 and all but perry can play the 3. We need 2 or 3 bigs, 2 guards and (if random major players are out there) that fit the system, pick them up. Pope should have 13 scholarship players going into the summer with 2 spots left for international players or late pick ups.

Bigs recruitings are way more important...

Jasper as PG1 is way more acceptable than likes of Garrison/Moreno as C1

 

[true blue1]

Oweh, Chandler, Noah, Perry, Brandon (if all come back) (5) guys, 3 incoming freshman Johnson, Lewis, Moreno. (8 total now).

Portal: Williams (committed) 6'8" more of a wing: (9 total).

Room for up to 6 more guys with total scholarships now at 15. 7 of the 9 are guards or wings. Moreno (do not think he will be SEC ready). BG not sure about. We need at least 3 of those spots for bigs and 2 for Point guards. Leaves 1 spot for the best remaining player international or portal.

Starters right now would be only Oweh and probably Johnson (Probably Cam Williams). Rest would be how they develop.

I don’t think we will have 15 scholarship players.

 

[yoshukai]

Garrison IQ is what bothers me….the development can happen with work… his iq… not so sure..

His “IQ”and his “want to” are his biggest weaknesses.

 

[The_Catfather]

Garrison doesn't do anything particularly well. About the only thing going for him is that he's a sophomore and can physically mature a little. I think the rumors about his work ethic have some merit. 20 blocks in 32 games is pretty pathetic. You've got to have a rim-protector now.

If we signed a 6 ppg, 4 rpg big man who doesn't block shots, a lot of the posters here would lose their minds.

 

[blue cincy]

I don’t think we will have 15 scholarship players.

Pope is not like Cal. He wanted all 13 filled this last year and tried to get a couple of late guys to fill the spots. I would guess we end up with 13 and Pope will look the world over all summer to fill the other 2 with legit guys. He will not fill to just fill.

 

[Ripcord65]

In the worst scenario, we will have Jasper as PG1, but if he is OND player as expected (tyty, cason level), we should be fine

But if we do not have solid frontcourt pieces, we will 100% fail next year

Remember that we lose mainly because we can not grab any rebound

We need upgrade our frontcourt if we want any deep run. We need way more physical frontcourt players who can rebound and make defense

We should be ok even we fail at many pg target, but if we do not have huge update on frontcourt, we may lose in first or second round.... Frontcourt should be the main focus for portal...

I agree, 100 % ! GO 'CATS ! ! !

 

[Ripcord65]

Garrison is not the answer either.

IMHO, Garrison is CERTAINLY not the answer ! ! !

 

[BlueSince92]

Dickinson sucks, he "should" be good 5, but he underperformed in last 2 seasons

Clingan and Edey were never in portal, just started as HS recruits

Broome is rare example in portal

All true

 

[CincinnatiWildcat]

Pope is not like Cal. He wanted all 13 filled this last year and tried to get a couple of late guys to fill the spots. I would guess we end up with 13 and Pope will look the world over all summer to fill the other 2 with legit guys. He will not fill to just fill.

Pope is also coming off a season that he was rittled with injury and played every scholarship player during meaningful game time. I would expect he will fill the roster as deep as he can.

 

[Ripcord65]

He’s got to “want it”. That is questionable from what I’m told .

I think this post is about Garrison, and, if so ... it sure seems that way to me. I'd like to buy Garrison for how good a player he really is, and sell him for how good a player he thinks he is !

 

[J-Ryan]

Garrison is not the answer either.

This is correct. Garrison definitely isn’t the answer. we need a STUD big man desperately. Somebody that when he gets the ball down low you expect a bucket. Not the opposite

 

[wildcatglenn]

Pope's offense requires a big guy that can play outside and pass. More often than not, that kind of player won't be a force down low and be a menace on the glass.
I'd go for a rebounder and shot blocker at the 5 and run the offense through the 4 or 3.

 

[Cats192]

There is not an either or situation here. You guys are acting like Pope isn’t big men behind the scenes. Or that he should secure the big men before he even considers getting better guards.

I hope that Jasper and Luis are both top 10 draft picks. But I also would like to have more experience proven guards going into next season.

And we can have both.

 

[NociHTTP]

Garrison doesn't do anything particularly well. About the only thing going for him is that he's a sophomore and can physically mature a little. I think the rumors about his work ethic have some merit. 20 blocks in 32 games is pretty pathetic. You've got to have a rim-protector now.

If we signed a 6 ppg, 4 rpg big man who doesn't block shots, a lot of the posters here would lose their minds.

I had not heard/read anything regarding "rumors" about his work ethic. I mean, we saw what we saw, and it wasn't pretty.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Garrison is not the answer either.

Hes an inexplicably awful rebounder. Of course hes potentially undersized but that doesn't excuse it.

Part of it is chasing blocks he cant block, but its way more than that.

 

[chasingwildcat]

Hes an inexplicably awful rebounder. Of course hes potentially undersized but that doesn't excuse it.

Part of it is chasing blocks he cant block, but its way more than that.

He lacks both rebounding instincts and skills

 

[chevyman 50]

I think there better centers out there hard to see Garrison anymore than a backup.

 

[cats#1again]

Agree 100% We have to get rebounders and at least 1 guy that's capable of guarding a post up. Amari killed me. Dude was built like a brick house but refused to rebound or contest anything at the rim. Same with BG.

He wouldn't cut the ball off on a drive either. He would just stand and watch a guy beat his man and make a layup.
With his hands at his knees of course