2024/2025 Roster

[Oldtimer_UC_fan]

BANG

1. Aziz Bandaogo, SR+
2. CJ Fredrick, SR+
3. Simas Lukosius, SR
4. Day Day Thomas, SR
5. Connor Hickman, SR (Bradley)
6. Dan Skillings, JR
7. Josh Reed, JR
8. Dillon Mitchell, JR (Texas)
9. Jizzle James, SO
10. Arrinten Page, SO (USC)
11. Rayvon Griffith, RS-FR
12. Tyler Betsey, FR
13. Tyler McKinley, FR

Doesn't JJ Rembert count? I realize he isn't a scholarship player.

[leo from jersey]

Griffith redshirted last year as a four-star. Just saying its possible.

He had to be a remarkable and mature young man to red shirt in this day. I hope he received a nice NIL package. His attitude shown on the bench has already made him a favorite.

[GoBearcats31]

Doesn't JJ Rembert count? I realize he isn't a scholarship player.

I only listed scholarship players, as there isn’t an expectation of meaningful mins. Thus no CJ Anthony either..

[Lobot]

He had to be a remarkable and mature young man to red shirt in this day. I hope he received a nice NIL package. His attitude shown on the bench has already made him a favorite.

He was doing pretty well off the court with NIL deals from what I saw.

[Lobot]

Here's a question that leeraymond brought up in the Dillon Mitchell thread. Who are the backups here? I'd follow that up with how do you keep the entire roster happy ?

[longtimefan]

Here's a question that leeraymond brought up in the Dillon Mitchell thread. Who are the backups here? I'd follow that up with how do you keep the entire roster happy ?

Not sure how you keep this entire roster happy, but practices should be damn spirited. The good thing is we’re OK to deal with injuries.

[Jeff Burk]

Not sure how you keep this entire roster happy, but practices should be damn spirited. The good thing is we’re OK to deal with injuries.

And foul trouble

[leo from jersey]

What about egos. In this day of getting paid, most still have some big ones. Let the better player win.

[zykarious]

Not sure how you keep this entire roster happy, but practices should be damn spirited. The good thing is we’re OK to deal with injuries.

Historically Wes has done very well at keeping the roster happy, even when a veteran player ends up as a bench warmer. I don't know his exact formula, but it seems to involve not promising guys playing time, not playing favorites and making players earn their minutes in practice. Plus the whole culture aspect, recruiting team guys. Winning helps too.

For the younger guys, the promise of more minutes in 2025/26 with half the team leaving at the end of this year will hopefully keep them around even if they don't get many minutes (or redshirt) this year.

A crazy idea (that will almost certainly not happen) I had is redshirting CJ Fredrick. Rumor is he wants to get into coaching, so it gives him a year to be a player coach and make sure he's fully healthy. Then in 25/26 he'd a super veteran floor coach, on a team that looks to be relatively young. The could also happen if he gets a medical redshirt for last year (I'm not sure if that's a possibility though).

[GoBearcats31]

Never going to keep everyone happy, but even pre-portal and NIL craziness you couldn't either. I was thinking earlier in the portal cycle about the risks/consequences of bringing in a highly regarded/talented transfer who might play "over" a returning player. Then I thought, wait, that shouldn't be a concern. Wes has to build the best possible roster and put the best players on the floor. This team hasn't played in the NCAA Tournament in several years, and I believe only CJ Fredrick (and now Dillon Mitchell) has (have) partaken in March Madness. While there were flashes of potential late in the last season, this team isn't going to dance next March if we're just returning most of the core of NIT roster and banking on improvements/continuity/culture to carry them through the gauntlet of the Big 12. Good teams are stacked with talent and do have studs coming off the bench. And if this team plays up to its potential this coming season, the vibes will be good and the culture will remain positive moving forward.

[Carthage World]

My way too early minutes predictions would be something like:

Center: Aziz 22, Page 10, Mitchell 8
PF: Mitchell 12, Simas 20, Page 3, Reed 5
SF: Skillings 20, Reed 5, Simas 5, Griffith 10
SG: Hickman 20, Fredrick 15, Skillings 5
PG: Jizzle 22, Day Day 18

Both Tyler's redshirt.

Guys are going to have to compete to earn minutes and deserving players are going to be left out. Skillings and Aziz are the only two players I'm 100% sure will start. I have a feeling either Hickman or Fredrick is going to end up as a bench warmer. At PF I expect Mitchell or Simas to start, though Page is a dark horse to take the spot later in the season (he's the most complete player of the three, but also the youngest and most mistake prone). SF/SG will be the biggest competition, Skillings can start at either position, but Simas could start at the 3, Hickman or Fredrick at the 2, Reed/Griffith should get minutes and Jizzle/Day Day can play together too.

My shot at minutes:

C - Aziz 22, Page 14, Mitchell 4
PF - Mitchell 20, Simas 12, Betsy 4, Reed 4
SF - Skillings 24, Simas 12, Betsy 4
SG - Hickman 16, Fredrick 12, Griffith 8, Day Day 4
PG - Jizzle 24, Day Day 16

[westside bearcat]

If Griffith only gets 8 minutes per game, he will be gone after the season.

[Rufus]

Your probably correct. The two Tyler's and Griffith will have to get intense on defense so that they can take minutes away from Reed. I like Reed but his only role on the team at this point is for his defense. He is no scoring threat. So if Griffith can score and play defense as good or better than Reed that would absorb all of Redds minutes theoretically.

[leo from jersey]

Your probably correct. The two Tyler's and Griffith will have to get intense on defense so that they can take minutes away from Reed. I like Reed but his only role on the team at this point is for his defense. He is no scoring threat. So if Griffith can score and play defense as good or better than Reed that would absorb all of Redds minutes theoretically.

Very interesting that the program has advanced to where 4 stars leave due to better players in front of them. He is a local so we will see if he is offered more NIL to stay until this upper classmen on the team move on.

[longtimefan]

Rayvon was here practicing all last year so he should have a leg up on the two Tylers. I just want to see everybody get a chance to earn PT in practice.