On the flip side, there has been teams that made final 4 and title runs with less.
Our 2011 team didn't have much behind Jorts. Maybe Vargas?
Our 2012 team had AD and Vargas.
2019 UVA had Jack Salt, his only backup was Huff, who was Eloy Vargas level.
2011 UConn had Okwanda and Orlander as their only options above 6'9". They combined for a total of 4.4ppg.
2014 UConn had 3 guys over 6'9", combined, they scored 9ppg.
2015 Duke and 2015 Wisconsin both had 1 good big each and Okafor couldn't play a lick of defense.
2016 Villanova had 1 big guy (Ochefu) and no back up.
2017 uNC had Tony Bradley as their only guy over 6'9" and he only scored 7ppg. They had mostly guards and forwards
2018 Villanova had Spellman (6'8") and Paschall (6'9"). That’s it.
2021 Baylor had a guy at 6'5" as their main 5 man (Vital). They had 6'10" Thamba, but he was an athletic forward, like Bradshaw, he wasn't a center. This team was extremely guard heavy.
2022 KU had McCormack… that's it. He only played 22 mpg.
The moral of the story, you win with guards in todays game. It’s been that way for quite some time now.
We already have more front court depth than all the teams I listed above and I didn’t even bother to go through each final 4 team. Heck, Florida Atlantic didn’t have a beast down low either.
Look what happened to Purdue, they were too focused on Edey that their guards couldn’t beat a 16 seed once Edey was neutralized.
It's a guards game, has been for a while. Put Mitchell and/or Bradshaw out there with 3 or 4 guards and spread the floor.