Bold Player Predictions

[waterhead]

Who's going to surprise us this year? I am not going to predict any under-achievers but looking for who you think will do more than expected and why.

As much as expected IMO.

Ado
Koval
MAW
Dejulius
Lakhin
Hensley
Davenport
Ody
Banks
Newman

More than expected.

Mikey. Just too much fire in his belly and work ethic to not exceed expectations sooner than later. He wants to be great as much as anyone.

Mason. Again same...fire in the belly. Chip on shoulder (with a more heralded twin and too low recruit ranking). Hard worker. Confidence.

McGinnis. Whether it's this year or next he's going to be a needed play maker. Someone who can score at all 3 levels. It could take one more year though but we will see it coming as the year wears on.

 

[skyblade]

Overperform: Mikey, I think he takes the starting job from DDJ by the end of the season. I expect improved 3-point shooting and more of a controlled speed.

Hensley, lots of people don't seem to expect much from him. But he was higher rated than Tari and Wes seems to think he has the ability. He's going to have to fight for minutes, but I expect him to make the most of them.

Newman, Think he will have something to prove based on his poor previous season. Will turn out that when he is fully healthy, he is a very good player.

Banks, him getting any minutes would be considered overperforming. I think he may sneak in 5-10 minutes in some games as a SF/G who will go inside and bang.

Underperform:

Koval, not a lot of minutes to go around for big men and he's going to get pushed around on the interior. Wouldn't be surprised to see him drop down to a 10-15 minutes per game player by the end of the season.

DDJ, lots of competition at guard on this team as well. Somebody isn't going to get a lot of minutes. If DDJ can't turn the shooting around, it's going to be hard to keep him on the court with guys like McGinnis and Mason on the bench.

Ody, again, somebody if going to miss minutes. If Ado grabs the starting role at center, a more offensively talented PF may take some minutes.

 

[Queens_NYC]

DDJ/Saunders: I think DDJ will be less impactful this season but more efficient, while Saunders will be more impactful but I don't see him making a big improvement in his outside shooting (still sub-30%).

Koval: I think he'll be our most critical big. Ody and Ado will be able to physically match-up with just about every big on our schedule (unlike Koval) but I'm not expecting either to offer much on offense other than put-backs and easy finishes close to the rim. Koval's ability to stretch the floor will hopefully be a game changer and allow us to put out a variety of dynamic offensive line-ups, especially those that include more players from our 2nd unit.

Newman: I also have a good feeling about him. I think his stats will more closely resemble his sophomore season at Clemson rather than his more disappointing junior season.

MAW: I think MAW creates some separation between himself and the younger guards while becoming a more assertive offensive player that shoots the deep ball at a 35% clip.

Mason/McGinnis: I'd be surprised if both of them made it to the end of the season satisfied with their role. It seems like one of them will get caught up in a minutes logjam and transfer out midseason if not at the end. I hope I am wrong.

 

[skyblade]

DDJ/Saunders:
Mason/McGinnis: I'd be surprised if both of them made it to the end of the season satisfied with their role. It seems like one of them will get caught up in a minutes logjam and transfer out midseason if not at the end. I hope I am wrong.

Yeah, it's hard to imagine all the guards are happy with their playing time this year. It's hard to imagine somebody doesn't transfer out by the end of the season, especially considering that DDJ could come back next year.

I consider Lahkin to be a transfer candidate as well. Knee injury seems to be lingering for a long time and he may prefer to transfer down a level to get on the floor.

 

[waterhead]

DDJ/Saunders: I think DDJ will be less impactful this season but more efficient, while Saunders will be more impactful but I don't see him making a big improvement in his outside shooting (still sub-30%).

Koval: I think he'll be our most critical big. Ody and Ado will be able to physically match-up with just about every big on our schedule (unlike Koval) but I'm not expecting either to offer much on offense other than put-backs and easy finishes close to the rim. Koval's ability to stretch the floor will hopefully be a game changer and allow us to put out a variety of dynamic offensive line-ups, especially those that include more players from our 2nd unit.

Newman: I also have a good feeling about him. I think his stats will more closely resemble his sophomore season at Clemson rather than his more disappointing junior season.

MAW: I think MAW creates some separation between himself and the younger guards while becoming a more assertive offensive player that shoots the deep ball at a 35% clip.

Mason/McGinnis: I'd be surprised if both of them made it to the end of the season satisfied with their role. It seems like one of them will get caught up in a minutes logjam and transfer out midseason if not at the end. I hope I am wrong.

I guess I should say I expect a lot out of Newman myself. So it will be hard for him to perform a lot better than his soph campaign which is my level to compare him to. I don't expect a junior year Newman type in any way since he probably has a chip on his shoulder and was an immediate target for Wes. Not to mention the injury.

 

[waterhead]

DDJ/Saunders: I think DDJ will be less impactful this season but more efficient, while Saunders will be more impactful but I don't see him making a big improvement in his outside shooting (still sub-30%).

Koval: I think he'll be our most critical big. Ody and Ado will be able to physically match-up with just about every big on our schedule (unlike Koval) but I'm not expecting either to offer much on offense other than put-backs and easy finishes close to the rim. Koval's ability to stretch the floor will hopefully be a game changer and allow us to put out a variety of dynamic offensive line-ups, especially those that include more players from our 2nd unit.

Newman: I also have a good feeling about him. I think his stats will more closely resemble his sophomore season at Clemson rather than his more disappointing junior season.

MAW: I think MAW creates some separation between himself and the younger guards while becoming a more assertive offensive player that shoots the deep ball at a 35% clip.

Mason/McGinnis: I'd be surprised if both of them made it to the end of the season satisfied with their role. It seems like one of them will get caught up in a minutes logjam and transfer out midseason if not at the end. I hope I am wrong.

I would think McGinnis could still be happy with a lower minute supporting role (this year) since he decided to transfer and I am sure Wes didn't promise the world to him. Mason has been working his ass off and if he gets outplayed I could see him being a transfer option. But I expect a lot from him for various reasons.

 

[waterhead]

Overperform: Mikey, I think he takes the starting job from DDJ by the end of the season. I expect improved 3-point shooting and more of a controlled speed.

Hensley, lots of people don't seem to expect much from him. But he was higher rated than Tari and Wes seems to think he has the ability. He's going to have to fight for minutes, but I expect him to make the most of them.

Newman, Think he will have something to prove based on his poor previous season. Will turn out that when he is fully healthy, he is a very good player.

Banks, him getting any minutes would be considered overperforming. I think he may sneak in 5-10 minutes in some games as a SF/G who will go inside and bang.

Underperform:

Koval, not a lot of minutes to go around for big men and he's going to get pushed around on the interior. Wouldn't be surprised to see him drop down to a 10-15 minutes per game player by the end of the season.

DDJ, lots of competition at guard on this team as well. Somebody isn't going to get a lot of minutes. If DDJ can't turn the shooting around, it's going to be hard to keep him on the court with guys like McGinnis and Mason on the bench.

Ody, again, somebody if going to miss minutes. If Ado grabs the starting role at center, a more offensively talented PF may take some minutes.

It's a fair question of DD to question whether he has the internal makeup to keep up with a dedicated and inspired Saunders. I hope DD responds with confidence and giving it everything he has. He has the tools.

 

[skyblade]

New Chad Podcast after watching open gym, with all current players except Lakhin and a lot of former players and local D1 guys from other schools (Gary Clark, Jacob Evans, DeBerry, Isaiah Miller, Devin Williams, Tre Scott, Troy Caupain and others). https://soundcloud.com/chad-brendel/bbp-ep-43-bubble-bubble-toil-and-trouble

Interesting notes: Now it sounds like the former players weren't going too hard. So take it with a grain of salt. But according to Chad DDJ was the best player in the gym, Chad has heard that DDJ is generally the best player in practice.

The best team on the court consisted of DDJ, Maw, Mason, Banks and Koval.

Hensley had the two best dunks in the gym, Chad thinks we will be better off with Hensley than we were with Eason. Hensley may be more athletic than Eason.

Newman was the one guy who was able to shut-down DDJ. Newman looks like the guy you put on the other teams best offensive player and tell him to shut him down.

DDJ has mostly been practicing off ball. Sounds like Saunders is probably going to start at PG. Not sure if DDJ backs him up or if someone else will.

Banks looked like he belonged on the court with the other guys.

 

[Queens_NYC]

New Chad Podcast after watching open gym, with all current players except Lakhin and a lot of former players and local D1 guys from other schools (Gary Clark, Jacob Evans, DeBerry, Isaiah Miller, Devin Williams, Tre Scott, Troy Caupain and others). https://soundcloud.com/chad-brendel/bbp-ep-43-bubble-bubble-toil-and-trouble

Interesting notes: Now it sounds like the former players weren't going too hard. So take it with a grain of salt. But according to Chad DDJ was the best player in the gym, Chad has heard that DDJ is generally the best player in practice.

The best team on the court consisted of DDJ, Maw, Mason, Banks and Koval.

Hensley had the two best dunks in the gym, Chad thinks we will be better off with Hensley than we were with Eason. Hensley may be more athletic than Eason.

Newman was the one guy who was able to shut-down DDJ. Newman looks like the guy you put on the other teams best offensive player and tell him to shut him down.

DDJ has mostly been practicing off ball. Sounds like Saunders is probably going to start at PG. Not sure if DDJ backs him up or if someone else will.

Banks looked like he belonged on the court with the other guys.

Thanks for the notes. That's pretty encouraging to hear.

DDJ was a top 100 player in HS and a huge playmaker. Hopefully now that he is completely settled into the program we can see the best of him on the court.

I saw a video of Hensley doing a vertical jump on Twitter and touching the 12' mark. It's starting to make more sense why Miller is so high on him.

Otherwise, I was pumped to see guys like Jacob Evans and Caupain back on campus. I hope the young guys and the new guys got to speak with these former players and learn more about Bearcat culture.

 

[waterhead]

New Chad Podcast after watching open gym, with all current players except Lakhin and a lot of former players and local D1 guys from other schools (Gary Clark, Jacob Evans, DeBerry, Isaiah Miller, Devin Williams, Tre Scott, Troy Caupain and others). https://soundcloud.com/chad-brendel/bbp-ep-43-bubble-bubble-toil-and-trouble

Interesting notes: Now it sounds like the former players weren't going too hard. So take it with a grain of salt. But according to Chad DDJ was the best player in the gym, Chad has heard that DDJ is generally the best player in practice.

The best team on the court consisted of DDJ, Maw, Mason, Banks and Koval.

Hensley had the two best dunks in the gym, Chad thinks we will be better off with Hensley than we were with Eason. Hensley may be more athletic than Eason.

Newman was the one guy who was able to shut-down DDJ. Newman looks like the guy you put on the other teams best offensive player and tell him to shut him down.

DDJ has mostly been practicing off ball. Sounds like Saunders is probably going to start at PG. Not sure if DDJ backs him up or if someone else will.

Banks looked like he belonged on the court with the other guys.

I was wondering about DDJ's attitude towards the change since he was one of the last we confirmed to be back. I have noticed him having the biggest grins on his face in some of the media pics coming out which was a welcome sign. He seems genuinely happy! We need his play making ability. Great to hear. I hope his shot starts falling this year.

 

[skyblade]

I'm wondering if Mason ends up as our backup PG this year. It sounds like DDJ's shot is looking better, but a lot of his success is off the drive. To open up driving lanes for DDJ, we may try to open the floor with shooters while he is in.

Another note I forgot to mention is that it seems that Davenport is still primarily practicing at the 4. Considering Hensley is also a shooter and seems to have good things being said about him, I wonder where Ody gets minutes. Is it possible that Ody is being groomed to play the 5 next year and is going to be mostly a bench guy this year?

Everyone seems to be happy with Wes so far and he definitely seems to be doing a great job building a family. But I just can't see how he keeps everyone happy with minutes this year. Somebody is going to be a bench warmer. My guess at this point is that McGinnis, Ody, Lahkin and Banks will not get many minutes.

Sort of unrelated note, there's a photo of Mason on twitter posted the other day (maybe yesterday) of him hitting 44" on a vertical jump.

 

[waterhead]

I'm wondering if Mason ends up as our backup PG this year. It sounds like DDJ's shot is looking better, but a lot of his success is off the drive. To open up driving lanes for DDJ, we may try to open the floor with shooters while he is in.

Another note I forgot to mention is that it seems that Davenport is still primarily practicing at the 4. Considering Hensley is also a shooter and seems to have good things being said about him, I wonder where Ody gets minutes. Is it possible that Ody is being groomed to play the 5 next year and is going to be mostly a bench guy this year?

Everyone seems to be happy with Wes so far and he definitely seems to be doing a great job building a family. But I just can't see how he keeps everyone happy with minutes this year. Somebody is going to be a bench warmer. My guess at this point is that McGinnis, Ody, Lahkin and Banks will not get many minutes.

Sort of unrelated note, there's a photo of Mason on twitter posted the other day (maybe yesterday) of him hitting 44" on a vertical jump.

It is very interesting that DDJ is playing off ball in practice a lot. I did not see that coming because of the difficulty in putting him on the floor with Mikey. And if Davenport is still practicing at the 4 with Hensely there seems to be a logjam developing everywhere. You still have Koval, Ado, Ody, Lakhin to throw in at the 4/5.

With DDJ playing some off ball you have 4 guys who could potentially run PG. Mikey, DDJ, Mason, and MAW. DDJ playing off ball means we have essentially another wing. DDJ, Mason, MAW, Newman, McGinnis, and I will assume at times Davenport and Hensley.

I am guessing we are just trying some stuff out in practice but right now we seem to be at least 3 deep everywhere and in some or most positions 4 deep. Something has to give.

Mason is a workaholic and seems to love every bit of it. He can be put in at 1, 2, or 3 and probably will

 

[Queens_NYC]

Everyone seems to be happy with Wes so far and he definitely seems to be doing a great job building a family. But I just can't see how he keeps everyone happy with minutes this year. Somebody is going to be a bench warmer. My guess at this point is that McGinnis, Ody, Lahkin and Banks will not get many minutes.

You think Ody will be the odd man out over Hensley?

I can't see that happening.

Hensley probably has a higher ceiling, but given Ody's experience and physical attributes I think he should at least be pegged for 15 minutes a game this season in lineups where he plays alongside Koval and Davenport.

 

[waterhead]

You think Ody will be the odd man out over Hensley?

I can't see that happening.

Hensley probably has a higher ceiling, but given Ody's experience and physical attributes I think he should at least be pegged for 15 minutes a game this season in lineups where he plays alongside Koval and Davenport.

Nah man. I think Ody is in a good spot. 15 minutes easy most nights and as many as 25 some nights. He can play the 4 and 5

 

[skyblade]

Hensley is a legit 3 point shooter, Ody is not. Chad said he expects Hensley to shoot in the low-to-mid 30's from three on low volume. Not exactly great, but enough that he must be respected. Chad had some pretty glowing praise for Hensley (expects him to be better than Tari).

It depends on how well Hensley can do it other departments, but he has the size and athleticism. Style wise, if he's backing up Davenport, there's less to adjust when he's in than if Ody comes in for Davenport. I'm sure both will get playing time at the 4, but I think Hensley will get more.

We are going to have some good players who spend most of their time on the bench. I guess we have to wait and see who that will be. But if it's an offense led by DDJ, I expect a lot of drive-and-kick and a three point shooter at the 4 will be valuable. Especially if some other guys (Saunders and Newman) don't shoot it well and Ado gets the majority of minutes at the 5.

 

[Queens_NYC]

Hensley is a legit 3 point shooter, Ody is not. Chad said he expects Hensley to shoot in the low-to-mid 30's from three on low volume. Not exactly great, but enough that he must be respected. Chad had some pretty glowing praise for Hensley (expects him to be better than Tari).

It depends on how well Hensley can do it other departments, but he has the size and athleticism. Style wise, if he's backing up Davenport, there's less to adjust when he's in than if Ody comes in for Davenport. I'm sure both will get playing time at the 4, but I think Hensley will get more.

We are going to have some good players who spend most of their time on the bench. I guess we have to wait and see who that will be. But if it's an offense led by DDJ, I expect a lot of drive-and-kick and a three point shooter at the 4 will be valuable. Especially if some other guys (Saunders and Newman) don't shoot it well and Ado gets the majority of minutes at the 5.

I believe in Hensley's physical tools but unless he makes a Davenport-like jump in his game (while simultaneously adjusting to a more physical conference), I struggle to see how he becomes a day 1 rotation player for us coming off the season he had where there was clearly a steep learning curve for him.

I don't think Miller brings in Ody, Koval, and Ado (along with keeping Lakhin) to have them all split 40 minutes/game at the 5 while Hensley is the only one backing up Davenport at the 4.

Maybe after listening to Chad's podcast I will see the vision better.

I do agree that there's going to be some talented players sitting the bench more than they'd prefer, at least at the start of the season.

 

[waterhead]

Hensley is a legit 3 point shooter, Ody is not. Chad said he expects Hensley to shoot in the low-to-mid 30's from three on low volume. Not exactly great, but enough that he must be respected. Chad had some pretty glowing praise for Hensley (expects him to be better than Tari).

It depends on how well Hensley can do it other departments, but he has the size and athleticism. Style wise, if he's backing up Davenport, there's less to adjust when he's in than if Ody comes in for Davenport. I'm sure both will get playing time at the 4, but I think Hensley will get more.

We are going to have some good players who spend most of their time on the bench. I guess we have to wait and see who that will be. But if it's an offense led by DDJ, I expect a lot of drive-and-kick and a three point shooter at the 4 will be valuable. Especially if some other guys (Saunders and Newman) don't shoot it well and Ado gets the majority of minutes at the 5.

This has all happened a lot of times before. Someone looks good (or best) in practice but hardly ever plays. Ody is good to go. He's a man! I surely hope Hensley can give us 10 minutes though. Hard to see if Davenport and Ody in front. I understand the shooting thing. In the long run I hope Hensley can play the 3 or 4 since we are going to need scoring but we can't forget defense...it's going to be a big freaking deal.

We can mix and match lineups but we can't have 2 or more liabilities on the court on D if that is our calling card. I don't know the defensive abilities of the new guys but I am guessing Ody and Ado aren't going to have troubles with physicality. Koval maybe. Davenport is not a "banger". We either put out some "bangers" or good perimeter defenders with only one defensive slouch on the floor at a time IMO.

 

[waterhead]

With DDJ playing off ball and Davenport playing mainly the 4 this is making my head hurt. I have to assume Lakhin's knee is not ready and that Banks (outside of early reports) will still not be a primary rotation guy.

Ado/Koval/Ody/Lakhin
Davenport/Ody/Hensley/Banks/Lakhin
Newman/Davenport/Hensley/Mason/McGinnis/MAW/Banks
DDJ/MAW/Mason/McGinnis/Newman
Mikey/DDJ/Mason/MAW

I would much rather see DDJ and Mikey at PG and Davenport playing some 3 than DDJ playing off ball and Davenport playing mainly at the 4. It really puts a log jam at a lot of spots.

 

[waterhead]

With DDJ playing off ball and Davenport playing mainly the 4 this is making my head hurt. I have to assume Lakhin's knee is not ready and that Banks (outside of early reports) will still not be a primary rotation guy.

Ado/Koval/Ody/Lakhin
Davenport/Ody/Hensley/Banks/Lakhin
Newman/Davenport/Hensley/Mason/McGinnis/MAW/Banks
DDJ/MAW/Mason/McGinnis/Newman
Mikey/DDJ/Mason/MAW

I would much rather see DDJ and Mikey at PG and Davenport playing some 3 than DDJ playing off ball and Davenport playing mainly at the 4. It really puts a log jam at a lot of spots.

It's so much easier to figure out a depth chart the other way around again assuming Lakhin and Banks are non factors.

Ado/Koval/Ody
Davenport/Ody/Hensley
Newman/Davenport/Mason/McGinnis/Hensley
MAW/Mason/McGinnis/Newman
DDJ/Mikey

 

[TheRealMick]

I'm wondering if Mason ends up as our backup PG this year. It sounds like DDJ's shot is looking better, but a lot of his success is off the drive. To open up driving lanes for DDJ, we may try to open the floor with shooters while he is in.

Another note I forgot to mention is that it seems that Davenport is still primarily practicing at the 4. Considering Hensley is also a shooter and seems to have good things being said about him, I wonder where Ody gets minutes. Is it possible that Ody is being groomed to play the 5 next year and is going to be mostly a bench guy this year?

Everyone seems to be happy with Wes so far and he definitely seems to be doing a great job building a family. But I just can't see how he keeps everyone happy with minutes this year. Somebody is going to be a bench warmer. My guess at this point is that McGinnis, Ody, Lahkin and Banks will not get many minutes.

Sort of unrelated note, there's a photo of Mason on twitter posted the other day (maybe yesterday) of him hitting 44" on a vertical jump.

Wes seriously plays 10-12 deep if he has the players! Might sound elementary and take time to settle into roles. I believe every player go play at least 10min