Needs:
1. We already signed a back up center that's a shot blocker(Texas district defensive POY). We need another rim protector to go with Oden. We really need Caden Powell. Thompson is not a center. Since we don't have a back up center, Thompson has to play there. That means that we cant play Thompson at the stretch 4 to pull a big out of the post. He has to play back up center in case Ike gets in foul trouble. I still think our best line-up is with him and Ike on the floor together, but we can't afford to do that much without a back up center.
2. Point guard. Without one we walk the ball up, cant push the tempo, dont handle the press well against athletic teams and force Maldo into an abnormally high amount of turnovers. Without a ball handler we have to play through the post. We don't run at altitude. We are easy to defend if you double Ike and Maldo. We really need a point guard that excels under pressure and in transition. We need a quick point that can defend smaller guards. Small quick guards could get to the rim all season against us.
3. Stretch 4. All Linder's best teams have had a good stretch 4. His offense is really hard to defend with one. Thompson got a raw deal because he could be a good one but we couldn't give him minutes there since he was Ike's back-up. Thompson graduated. I don't think he's coming back. We really need a stretch 4 and a back up to Ike to keep people from doubling the post. With both, you can't double Ike with another big.
4. More than anything, we need an off-season with continuity. I think people forget that Reynolds, Dusell, Oden, Ike, and Wenzel are all sophomores/freshmen with a covid year to burn. That's five out of eight guys in the rotation that have less than 50 games of college experience. Those guys now know what they need to work on to take their games to the next level. With our staff, you don't just think guys might improve in the off-season. You know they're going to get better.
Strengths:
1. I love our wing play. Yes, Dusell, Wenzel, and Jeffries all struggled shooting the ball at times this year. They all lit it up for stretches of the season. They all bring so much more to the team than just shooting. Dusell is the best perimeter defender. Jeffries is the best rebounding 6'5" guard we've had since Fennis. Wenzel's defense really improved and he makes winning plays.
2. Graham Ike is the real deal. When he's rested and confident he's really difficult to defend. He'll need to adjust to the way the officials started piling fouls on him. Even when he isn't scouring, he's a very good post defender and our best rebounder.
3. Maldonado's performance was outstanding this year. He ran the point as a small forward all season.I don't want to hear all the disgusting hate that our own fans are sending his way. I saw enough on twitter. [#]f##k off if you think that's all right. We were lucky to get to watch him play. His name will sit in several categories of our record book forever. I don't know if he's coming back, but I sure as hell hope he is. Take your negative comments about him and your turnover [#]sh#t and shove them straight up you A$$. I don't want to hear it.
4. J.O. has so much potential. He can be a lock down defender by the time he's done here. Once he's a little stronger, you aren't going to be able to stop him from going to the rim and dunking on you. His turn around jump shot in the paint is money. He's our best shot blocker right now. He needs to work on boxing out and dominating the glass, but that will come with more strength and reps. I'm super excited to continue to see him grow. If he can develop a consistent three point shot he's a MWC first teamer before it's all said and done.
Remember, we did all this without Kenny Foster. I expected him to be a possible starter at the beginning of the season. That dude has had a horrible run of luck: high ankle sprain, covid, mono.....that's all this season. He's got to be super frustrated with the whole thing. I sure hope we can see him play a season without getting banged up so he can develop his potential.
I hope the staff stays together. This team has a chance to rank right up there with the Adams/Nance, Bailey/Davis, Fennis/Leckner, and Tub Bradley teams. It just needs the time to grow and some continuity in leadership. My greatest regret as a sports fan is watching Brandy leave for SDSU with the team he left behind in Laramie. We need to get to see this team through to the end. We need to pay this staff whatever it takes to keep them here for 3 more years.
Those are my thoughts. We're way ahead of schedule, young, oozing potential, and we have the best staff we've had in decades. The future doesn't get much brighter as long as we can keep them together.
What does this team need? We need to do whatever is humanly possible to allow everyone on the roster/staff to continue to grow together and see this through to the finish line. That finish line might be the deepest run we've made since Kenny Sailors and Ev Shelton won everything.
