A look ahead...

[MtownRebel]

Yeah, I know we still have the NIT but no one cares about that.

Even though, once again, we are losing 4 important seniors I am not worried about next year's team. I compare next year's team to a version of TN the past two seasons.

PG:
We will still have Chris Warren who will be a year older and wiser. Warren needs to gain some more strength over the offseason and realize he cannot take the ball into the lane like he used to in high school. While he can beat people to the basket, he can't prevent people from being taller than him and easily swatting away his shots.

Another exciting thing is we will have a back up who is not offensively inept. I liked Brian just as much as the next person, but when he came in the offense stalled. He was scared to dribble inside the the three point arc and the hesitant to pull the trigger on a three pointer. Now we have Will Bogan coming in, who granted is a freshman and unproven, but judging by his videos he has more skills than B. Smith already and will be a servicable backup PG for us. Gaskins can also help out at PG, it's what he played in high school, although I expect to see his role greatly reduced.

SG:
This is going to be an interesting position next season. It's hard to just pinpoint one player as our SG because on this team SG and SF are basically interchangeable. The starter next year will more than likely be David Huertas. If last night was an indicator of what he is capable of then I am expecting big things from this team next season. I do not think he will put 30 a game, but if he can produce 10-15 points by taking good shots and maintaining his level of defensive tenacity he should be the starting SG. Zach Graham is a player who I think will break out next season. He is the most athletic player on the team from the wing spot, can shoot outside, penetrate, and play defense. He still has some things to work out but I personally feel that he has the most potential at the 2/3 spot. After ZG we will have two freshmen who can come in and compete immediately in Brandon Wilson and Terrico Whte (both 6'5). I saw White play and he is a baller. He can shoot from outside, dunk over you, blow past you, or just hit a mid range J. Brandon Wilson is a scoring and rebounding machine in high school but he could be an academic casualty from what I have heard. Still, either one of these guys could potentially step in and see significant playing time.

SF:
Polynice will be the starter here, although it'd be nice if it was the Polynice who could shoot a three pointer. I have no idea what happened to his release it's awful now. However, he is the best dribbler and slasher on the team and is by far the best defensive player we have. Any of the candidates for SG will also see time at the 3 at some point.

PF:
This is where things can get interesting. We are going to be very thin on the blocks next season, however, I think we will also be improving. If things play out the way they should and he qualifies I think you could see freshman Murphy Holloway starting at PF. Holloway is a 6'7 PF/SF combo who is a very highly rated recruit out of South Carolina. He is very similar to Tyler Smith at UT and would be a great addition to the AK style of offense. Malcolm White will also be available here, but I expect to see him play more Center.

C:
Malcolm White will probably be the starter come next fall/winter. This kid is a freak athletically and has all the tools necessary to be in the NBA, he just has to put it together upstairs. I see him being a Vanardo/Duke Crews mix player and will be a star at Ole Miss. The other option is a freshman named Terrance Henry who is Wayne Chism part II (sorry for all the UT references). Henry is 6'9, long, lean, and can play on the blocks or stretch the floor and he is already fully qualified. Kevin Cantinol is eligible too but I do not think he is any good.

Once again, I hate to make the comparison but we look an awful like Tennessee and we will finally have the type of athleticism AK needs for his offense. While next year could be special the year to look out for these Rebs is 09-10

[Redbluedude]

I like the assessment. I've heard that Polynice has had some type of ligament problem in his leg/knee lately. It may not have bothered his shot much but it has slowed him down and taken away his slashing ability.

Looking forward to Graham next year. He really improved as the year went on.

Henry, in time, could be great. He needs to put on some weight and bulk, but the kid can play.

Also, Terrico White, the guy can go from inside or outside. Poor video quality, but you get the idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWNFtXb- ... re=related

RBD

[john_avery_fast]

great analysis! Like you, I expect big things starting in 09/10 season, but we should have the athleticism in the front court, coupled with some experience in the back court to make things interesting for some teams next season. Haven't seen the schedule but knowing us, it will probably be somewhat light, save a few teams, early.
I have heard some good things about Cantinol. He sounds like a serviceable big man at 6'9, 240. While not as athletic as White or the guys coming in, he will definitely give us some decent depth at the C position. One guy that I would like to see step up, if he stays with the team, is Terrance Watson. Even with his limited experience, we will need him as the newbies get acclimated. The few times he played meaningful minutes, he seemed to be a decent defensive presence, as well.

[MtownRebel]

Cantinol could be a big body to use and we all know we will need those next season.

And I agree about Watson needing to step up. He can cause fits defensively he just needs to get out AKs doghosue or whatever is going on between those two needs to be resolved.

And on the schedule next season I know we have WVU, Louisville, New Mexico (alford has a nice class coming in) and Memphis.

[RebelBond]

Terrico White averaged 26 points a game but I hope he can play defense too.

RebelBond

[MtownRebel]

Terrico White averaged 26 points a game but I hope he can play defense too.

RebelBond

I watched Terrico play in Oxford against Hernando and he is as good as advertised. He was playing injured and he still dominated and almost brought his team back single handedly. I was neither impressed nor disappointed in his defense, I will say I thought he lacked some desire or intensity but after seeing his coach call two timeouts and say nothing to his team and finding out he was playing injured im going to reserve judement on that.

[done]

I am looking forward to the next few years with Warren and Bogan. With just a little more emphasis on defense I think we can make some noise.

[sportsdirector06]

i'm hoping that we play a lot less zone in conference play next year

although the three point line is being moved back, every team in the SEC will have guys that they'll get loose against zone coverage to make the three

we have got to pressure the ball more next season and get players that know how to do that to get more easy baskets at the other end

it happened at times this year when we'd get a loose ball rebound or a steal by eniel or chris, but we've got to be able to shut a team down when it counts