The starting lineup

[gr82b4au 5,568]

If you were coach, what would be your starting lineup? 

I would start Harper Brown Okeke Mac and Samir. Basically the starting lineup game 1. 

[mustache eagle 2,397]

Harper, Samir, Dunbar, Okeke & mac/Wiley (pending scheme)

this with caveat that Okeke must play 25 min like the dunk last game and drive previous plus hit the boards harder.  With Dunbar/Mac flanking him i’d Hope his intensity elevates.

also I give DP a couple set plays to get to basket w attitude 

[bigbird 60,499]

1. Harper         McCormick

2. Doughty      Brown

3. Dunbar        Purifoy

4. Okeke          Mac

5. Wiley           Spencer

[Gene Loblaw 636]

I’d start Dunbar over Samir right now. And if Mac is truly back to his bouncy, confident self from last season, then I’d put him back in the starting rotation. Those guys give the team the best chance to explode right from the tip-off and that’s when Bruce’s teams play the best

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

Keep it the same except Mac goes in at the 5 to start:

Harper

Brown

Doughty

Chuma

Mac

We Need to play smaller like last season and throw Wiley in just to give a different look. Dunbar has played really well coming off bench

[gravejd 3,270]

My starting lineup:

McCormick

Harper 

Doughty

Okeke 

Mac/Wiley depending on matchups and who played well the game before. 

 

I was on the Wiley train this year up until the uga game. Then Mac reminded me why i fell in love with him last season. If we get that Mac for the rest of the year then opposing teams better strap in. But that was just one game and Wiley had some good ones prior to struggling the last few. I tend to think Wiley is going to struggle a bit against quality big men. We'll see how that goes but that is what i'm seeing so far. Mac just does such an awesome job on the offensive glass. When he flies in to corral a miss a jam it home it just electrifies the team. 

I also see that my starting lineup leaves us with no backup point guard. I don't think this is a huge problem as i expect Brown would play as much if not more than Javon throughout the game. I just dont think that Doughty can guard too many 2s in the SEC. I don't know if he has the quicks and i also don't know if he has the handle we need at the 2. 

But one thing i noticed when i thought about the lineup is how close all our players are in skill level. I almost subbed Dunbar in the starting lineup for either Okeke or Doughty. I almost did the same with Spencer as well cause he has played good minutes the last few games. I hope Pearl keeps doing like he did with Mac and Wiley against uga and plays the hot hand. If Brown is having an off night or anyone else just sit them and let the backups get in there for long stretches. Harper is the only one on the team that i think has to play 30+ minutes per game for us to be succesfull. 

 

[abw0004 10,110]

3 hours ago, bigbird said:

1. Harper         McCormick

2. Doughty      Brown

3. Dunbar        Purifoy

4. Okeke          Mac

5. Wiley           Spencer

Bold move not starting Brown...

[Tiger 8,819]

I 100% understand the idea of bringing Bryce off the bench. I don't think Pearl will do it to his senior though who has been through the worst of times and the best of times during Pearl's tenure. Also, I personally would be worried about bringing Bryce off the bench and if he misses his first 2 shots if Sulk City Bryce shows up and we lose him for the rest of the game. However, in an ideal world, with the way the team is constructed now he could be a killer 6th man as instant O off the bench.

But

I also think this plan goes to complete waste if Chuma does not freaking assert himself. In this scenario there will be a bunch of shots to replace in the starting 5 and if Chuma doesn't make up for the majority of those I don't think this would work to our advantage.

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

Love Bryce Brown but he is frustrating to watch at times. Think Samir could do well at his spot. 

[bigbird 60,499]

47 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

Bold move not starting Brown...

Not IMO. To me, it give a true shooter coming of the bench to add to the 2nd line.  That would balance the lines leading to less drop off when substitutions begin. It would also unclog the scoring and limit the stagnation that occurs on offense when BB has the ball out front.  With BB coming off the bench, the primary scoring from the starters would come from Harper, Chuma, and Wiley which also allows BB to be the primary scorer with the 2s. BB's spot up shooting would be a perfect match with McCormick's ability to get to the rim.

Also, with BBs propensity to allow guards to cross his face, he would have both Mac and Spencer as shot blockers behind him. That would mitigate the lack of on ball quickness he tends to get expolited on.

[Tiger 8,819]

12 minutes ago, ClaytonAU said:

Love Bryce Brown but he is frustrating to watch at times. Think Samir could do well at his spot. 

The dribble through the legs size-up he does kills me man. It leads to a shot attempt with a hand in his face every. single. time.

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

2 minutes ago, Tiger said:

The dribble through the legs size-up he does kills me man. It leads to a shot attempt with a hand in his face every. single. time.

When he makes it, he looks like a BA (that one against UGA). When he’s cold as ice (NC State) he looks like he should’ve went to Kennesaw State. I’m not sure what broke him or if he’s just been off, but I hope it shakes off soon. 

[gravejd 3,270]

4 minutes ago, Tiger said:

The dribble through the legs size-up he does kills me man. It leads to a shot attempt with a hand in his face every. single. time.

And its amazing that he makes some of them.....

[Tiger 8,819]

1 minute ago, ClaytonAU said:

When he makes it, he looks like a BA (that one against UGA). When he’s cold as ice (NC State) he looks like he should’ve went to Kennesaw State. I’m not sure what broke him or if he’s just been off, but I hope it shakes off soon. 

 

1 minute ago, gravejd said:

And its amazing that he makes some of them.....

You guys are right he does hit some of them. I have to give him credit it's not like he's like he bricks all of them. And it's part of what makes him dangerous as Bruce says. But it's such an inefficient shot that I take more issue of when and how often he decides to do that.

If we need a good look or a bucket to get back on track I feel like we can get better looks within our system, even if our system is about pulling from anywhere.

[cole256 17,043]

If Okeke was more aggressive I'd start him at 4 but if he's not going to CONSTANTLY put pressure and exploit that match up I'm going big 

Harper

Dunbar

Chumma

Mac

Wiley

[gr82b4au 5,568]

4 hours ago, bigbird said:

1. Harper         McCormick

2. Doughty      Brown

3. Dunbar        Purifoy

4. Okeke          Mac

5. Wiley           Spencer

I thought about taking Brown out since he has been struggling this season but since I would start mac over wiley, we need a scorer on the court. Wiley looks so uncoordinated at times but then there are times where he can score.. and we need points. I just think Mac is a better all around player right now. 

[cole256 17,043]

You want to know what has Brown playing different? One is he doesn't have the same help defensively to make many think he was a top defender in the country. He's always had tremendous help. He's been having to do more on defense and is looked to do more this year on offense. 

Two. It's easy for people to crown you but getting better every year isn't guaranteed, plus just because you shine as a number 2 doesn't necessarily mean you'll shine as number 1. He's been scouted, doesn't seem like he came with anything new and now he probably have the best defenders guarding him and to be honest it's not hard guarding pure shooters which plays back into the first point he's not putting pressure on the defense they are well rested to give it to him on offense......

And if you really read this, think about it, and understand this post you'll see what I've been saying and that it's nothing against him some things really aren't his fault. Unreal expectations will get you every time. Look at these purifoy threads....

[cole256 17,043]

Oh and wait when we play Arkansas and lsu, I imagine you're going to see that a Mac isn't a 5

[gr82b4au 5,568]

7 minutes ago, cole256 said:

If Okeke was more aggressive I'd start him at 4 but if he's not going to CONSTANTLY put pressure and exploit that match up I'm going big 

Harper

Dunbar

Chumma

Mac

Wiley

I like this a lot. If Okeke would play up to his potential he would be so good. Bruce needs to tell Okeke to be more selfish and tell Brown to be less selfish. 

[noso113 4]

Yeah but looking at Bryce last three games. He shooting about 46% 15/33 from 3 and most of those are off the dribble. Samir and Dunbar are playing well and we make up for mustapha points and a better 3point percent when you combine those 2. . I like the sports reference site because it gives advanced stats,  Conference stats plus more. And before you get on me about Herron and how much we need him St. John’s is 2-3 in conf while Xavier is in front of them.  I would say Herron needs this team a little bit more than we need him  but would love to have him. But that means no minutes for other players such as Samir and Dunbar 

 

[Gene Loblaw 636]

Is there any way to look up dribbling stats? My guess is that Mac has the least amount of anyone on the team. He can’t handle the ball. And if you can’t do that, you can’t be a 4 for Bruce

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

1 hour ago, cole256 said:

If Okeke was more aggressive I'd start him at 4 but if he's not going to CONSTANTLY put pressure and exploit that match up I'm going big 

Harper

Dunbar

Chumma

Mac

Wiley

I hadn't thought of that rotation but it has potential.

[bigbird 60,499]

2 hours ago, cole256 said:

If Okeke was more aggressive I'd start him at 4 but if he's not going to CONSTANTLY put pressure and exploit that match up I'm going big 

Harper

Dunbar

Chumma

Mac

Wiley

To me Chuma seems to play with an unhealthy respect towards his senior teammates. He needs to demand they play through him not him playing through them. I think taking BB out of the starting group would "free" up Chuma to score more.  It would force Harper to look inside first instead of passing it up to BB. It would force Chuma to start thinking/playing as the first option.

[lutzcammed 469]

10 minutes ago, bigbird said:

To me Chuma seems to play with an unhealthy respect towards his senior teammates. He needs to demand they play through him not him playing through them. I think taking BB out of the starting group would "free" up Chuma to score more.  It would force Harper to look inside first instead of passing it up to BB. It would force Chuma to start thinking/playing as the first option.

 Something tells me that is much sense as that makes it will never happen.

[cole256 17,043]

3 hours ago, Gene Loblaw said:

Is there any way to look up dribbling stats? My guess is that Mac has the least amount of anyone on the team. He can’t handle the ball. And if you can’t do that, you can’t be a 4 for Bruce

There have been 4's in his system that aren't exceptional ball handlers. It's not about you have to do specific stuff at the 4 it's wherever there's a mismatch you attack it from any position. The 4 position wasn't anything special to us against Duke, it wouldn't be against gonzaga or a school like that. Every team doesn't play the same way so it can't be said the 4 is this or that. You could have a size advantage at 4 so you work the post.