I enjoyed this article as well.

This team really has the ability to go 12 deep if this is what CC wants.  While I am guessing it will not be quite 12, there is just so much flexibility with respect to lineup construction.  They can go big, small, defense, outside shooting, etc based on what is called for.  Am hoping that if Trey and Christian do not see the minutes they are hoping for, they will be patient as JB's minutes will become available after this season.

My hope is that we can take advantage of this newfound depth.  There will be a tendency to want to play JB and Max 35+ minutes apiece.  This very well might be warranted on some nights but it would also be nice to see others get meaningful experience even if this comes at their expense.  It will stand to reason that the team may be worse off with one or both sitting more than they are used to, but how much worse off is the question?  Might be better to sacrifice a bit when we can get away with doing so in order to provide a deep bench with important game experience.

There is no denying that we are in a day and age where not everyone plays as much as they would like or feel that they deserve.  Transferring out is practically an inevitability on the part of some.  This will be a delicate balancing act that CC and staff will be cognizant of throughout the season. 

My point is that if depth is considered a strong asset on this year's team, I hope we will take advantage by utilizing this depth.  My sense is that unlike last year and many other years, the drop-off in playing "the second team" will not be so precipitous.. 
 

Several things:

1. CC is not going 12 deep ... basically said so on the call.
2. In light of #1, somebody (or a few somebodies) is (are) not going to be happy. That's the nature of college basketball today. The good news is due to prior transfers, really the only ones to be concerned about are the freshmen. But in this day and age we will likely lose somebody at the end of the year. It just is what it is these days. Hard to predict who at this point with so many unknowns. It would be nearly impossible for CC to retain all of his freshmen unless all play a major role (unlikely). And if someone does really well there is a good chance one of the P5's will come calling with NIL money. As the season progresses we will have a better understanding of where the risks lie.
3. In light of #1 and #2, roster continuity will not be what us old heads are used to. The days of watching freshmen develop for 4 years as a class are largely over. It will be plug and play from now on as we adapt to the landscape which changes each year based on player performance and PT. CC understands this and will adjust accordingly. As I always say, each year everyone is full of sunshine and good team vibes until the games begin and then the clouds start forming for some. When CC says he's playing 8 or 9, I promise everyone in that room thinks that he's talking about someone else who won't play much. Remember, all of these freshmen played a lot of minutes on every team they were on so they have no ability to predict when that is going to change. It is shocking when it does. 
4. As a result of #'s 1-3, it is really premature to project rotations, playing style and playing time outside of proven players JB and Max (assuming health). By early December, we will start to understand how CC sees it. And that's really all that is going to matter.  

Last edited by GWRising (8/16/2023 9:29 am)