I still think you’re looking at it from '90s era basketball. FAU just got to the final 4 with four starters 6’4" or under. It’s not about height, it’s about ability to rebound and defend while creating mismatches on offense. We play a 4 out offense, which means a single part player. So 20% of the roster should be post players. That’s 2.6 scholarships. Mirambeaux, Morris, Potter, and Kotecki make 4, with Kotecki also able to play and defend the wing of we want to go particularly big. Dean and Bultman both rebound well from their positions. This is a lineup that can press and run, which is what the staff has wanted to do.
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This is true, but there is also another factor in place. There never has been and maybe never will be anywhere as many quality big men available as there are 6-5 and under quality players. At our level, you usually have to recruit young guys with potential and develop them, plus now once you do that you also have to be able to keep them. They tried to get a couple of good 6-8 guys but those guys are really in demand and we could not land them. So we took guys who are already developed and good quality players instead and we will work to develop the 3 young bigs that we have recruited.
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My impression is Bradley Dean will be our starting PG. If so, I see this as our rotation:
Point: Dean, Isparo, Cooper
Starting Wings: Mabrey, Safford, Bultman
Backup Wings: Hunter, Lewis, Elmer, Kotecki
Center: Mirambeau, Morris, Potter
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Can’t disagree with your prognostication Max!
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Maybe a quibble. I can see Hunter starting in place of Bultman.
Me too. I actually think Mabrey is the guy who’s really going to have to fight for a starting spot this season. I could see Ipsaro, Dean, Safford, Hunter or Bultman and Mirambeaux being the starting five.
That would work too, but my guess is he starts Mabrey over Hunter. At least to start the year.
It’s a young roster, but when is the last time Miami had a roster of 13 scholarship players, all of whom were legitimate D1 players? Even good Miami teams from 15-40 years ago often struggled with lack of depth.
What this roster doesn’t have is a true star player or two that the teams in the 80s and 90s had. At least not yet.
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Depth is so important for development. This team had to have coaches step in as scout team participants at times last season (and honestly, Summers and Smith were probably an upgrade). Was having Lairy go against Tatum in practice really pushing him on the defensive side? In a 5 on 5 practice, look who some of these guys were having to go up against last season, especially when Lewis, Safford, and Smith were dealing with injuries. Not to mention when Mirambeaux was hurt, Morris was either going up against Rylee or Kenyon. Two guys that seemed to work really hard, but Morris was far above both by the end of the season.
As for starters? No idea. I think everyone is going to have to fight for a position. Most of the team play multiple positions, so that adds to the question marks. But I like that there’s going to be a lot of good battles every day for the first time in a while.
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Blockquote They tried to get a couple of good 6-8 guys but those guys are really in demand and we could not land them
Who were they?
I am starting a 3 day drive home fromNevada today so I don’t have time to go back through the recruiting threads till next week, but they are in there somewhere.
On a related note, I am making what I think is the first HawkTalk post from the Orkney Islands.
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Pix or it didn’t happen!
I’m heading that way in the not too distant future as well. Looks fantastic!
Policelli was the only one I was really aware of at 6’7". I had mostly seen them going after guards and wings, with a couple transfers saying they were contacted (including a forward from UC). I tend to take those with a grain of salt though, since contact doesn’t mean an offer and some transfers use that as a way to gain additional interest.
Who did Policelli sign with?
Assuming you are talking about Frankie Policelli, formerly of Stony Brook, he signed with College of Charleston.
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I think the other guy either took a trip to or signed with Drake?
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