Well, it sure will be different! Whereas before we had several returnees mixed in with a few newcomers, this year the roster has seen a significant shakeup. By my reckoning, eight players from last year are no longer on the roster, while at least eight new players join the team. That means more than half the roster has turned over. Which leads me to speculate:
--Have we found a gem in Jaxon Nap? Programs at the mid-major level depend on finding that overlooked high school player that blossoms at the next level, like a Steph Curry or a John Stockton, or even more recently the Groves brothers. Nap developed late and might be that steal we've been looking for.
--DII Players: Many players who excel at one level often excel just as well at a higher level, given the chance. Exhibit A right now is Derrick White, lighting it up right now both for the Celtics and his wallet, who started out at Division II Colorado Springs. Could Laolu Oke and Jonathan Brown both excel at a higher level?
--On the women's side, we just scored a major recruit in Macey Huard, who in part signed on because she wanted to play alongside her sister. Could the same dynamic work for the Dischon brothers? Could they be dynamite playing together?
--And any other surprises among the newcomers? I see both Isaiah Kerr and Rhett Reynolds more as projects than immediate contributors, but could we be surprised? DeCuire is not hesitant to play freshmen if he feels they have the talent to step in immediately.
--And finally, what about the returnees? Will Bannan thrive with help on the boards? Will Vazquez step up now that Beasley is gone?
I don't know when there have been so many questions about the next season. And yet it's also my feeling that this program had become stuck after a couple of particularly discouraging recruiting seasons, and that a major change needed to be made.
I can hardly wait.
--Have we found a gem in Jaxon Nap? Programs at the mid-major level depend on finding that overlooked high school player that blossoms at the next level, like a Steph Curry or a John Stockton, or even more recently the Groves brothers. Nap developed late and might be that steal we've been looking for.
--DII Players: Many players who excel at one level often excel just as well at a higher level, given the chance. Exhibit A right now is Derrick White, lighting it up right now both for the Celtics and his wallet, who started out at Division II Colorado Springs. Could Laolu Oke and Jonathan Brown both excel at a higher level?
--On the women's side, we just scored a major recruit in Macey Huard, who in part signed on because she wanted to play alongside her sister. Could the same dynamic work for the Dischon brothers? Could they be dynamite playing together?
--And any other surprises among the newcomers? I see both Isaiah Kerr and Rhett Reynolds more as projects than immediate contributors, but could we be surprised? DeCuire is not hesitant to play freshmen if he feels they have the talent to step in immediately.
--And finally, what about the returnees? Will Bannan thrive with help on the boards? Will Vazquez step up now that Beasley is gone?
I don't know when there have been so many questions about the next season. And yet it's also my feeling that this program had become stuck after a couple of particularly discouraging recruiting seasons, and that a major change needed to be made.
I can hardly wait.