2024/2025 Roster

[red_n_black_attack]

My take on next year's roster:

-Incoming Freshmen (3): Rayvon (RS), Betsy, McKinley

-Key Players who I 100% want back (5): Day Day, Jizzle, Simas, Skillings, Aziz

-Role Players who I'm 50/50 on staying/going (4): Fredrick, Reynolds, Reed, Vik

-Don't care (1): Sage

Don't forget JJ Rembert.

I'm going to add Reynolds and Reed to guys I 100% want back. Reed got a little PT as a freshman and about as much PT as a sophomore as Skillings did as a freshman, so I expect Reed to improve dramatically (not saying he will be starting material, but a defensive stud who isn't a liability on offense). Reynolds will get another year to improve strength, and already has the highest vertical jump on the team. You can't teach size, but we have seen in some others that you can't always teach guys with size (Sage/Vik). I'd put DayDay into the role player I'm 50/50 on camp. If we can get a PG or a SG that can spell Jizzle, then I absolutely take upgrading the guard position as a win.

There will be a logjam behind Simas and Skillings. Rayvon, Betsy, Reed, McKinley are all essentially the same position, maybe Betsy is a true 4.

As to the don't care grouping, I hope the staff (Wes) feels differently. You want all of these guys to improve and contribute, but at the end of the day older guys like CJ, Vik, and Sage have to realize they aren't "The Future" nor are they "The Present".

[sedz]

How can we possibly count on CJ?

I don't want to count on CJ, that was just a comment on what the 2 spot would look like with the current roster. He's injury prone and a poor defender, but he would at least contribute some offense.

[sedz]

Don't be surprised if Tyler Betsey starts next year.

If one of Betsey, McKinley, or Rayvon are good enough to start as a high usage scorer then we have a complete starting 5 and anything we add is gravy. I will have no idea if that's the case until I see them play, and I don't think even Wes will know for sure until he sees them in D1 competitive action. I'd feel much more comfortable bringing in a known guy with proven experience.

I'm all for a roster full of positionless wings. The more the better. Not only does it give you tactical options like switching screens and pressing, but it gives you much more flexibility if injuries, foul trouble, or roster crunches pop up. I'd rather not take another PG. A wing can be Leo's floor leader. Think Rashad Bishop. When I think of a floor leader, I picture a player coach who keeps everyone engaged and accountable, not necessarily a distributor with the basketball. I agree with Leo that we were missing that this year. The only guy who I really saw demonstrating leadership qualities was Dan, who was always quick to approach frustrated teammates. Maybe he can grow into that role next year. It should have been Newman this year, but that's just not his personality. It's not something that can be forced imo, someone has to organically take on that responsibility. Rashad was never an efficient individual player, but led the team in box plus minus as a junior and was second behind Kilpatrick as a senior because of his leadership abilities.

[Carthage World]

Don't forget JJ Rembert.

I'm going to add Reynolds and Reed to guys I 100% want back. Reed got a little PT as a freshman and about as much PT as a sophomore as Skillings did as a freshman, so I expect Reed to improve dramatically (not saying he will be starting material, but a defensive stud who isn't a liability on offense). Reynolds will get another year to improve strength, and already has the highest vertical jump on the team. You can't teach size, but we have seen in some others that you can't always teach guys with size (Sage/Vik). I'd put DayDay into the role player I'm 50/50 on camp. If we can get a PG or a SG that can spell Jizzle, then I absolutely take upgrading the guard position as a win.

There will be a logjam behind Simas and Skillings. Rayvon, Betsy, Reed, McKinley are all essentially the same position, maybe Betsy is a true 4.

As to the don't care grouping, I hope the staff (Wes) feels differently. You want all of these guys to improve and contribute, but at the end of the day older guys like CJ, Vik, and Sage have to realize they aren't "The Future" nor are they "The Present".

Rembert's a walk-on so he wasn't factored into my 13 scholarship player squad.

As for the center position next year, with the Vik at the 4 experiment largely being a failure, I think it would be best to move forward with only one of Vik/Reynolds as the other 5 in the rotation. We've seen how good a clear-headed/motivated/healthy Vik can be, but if the last two months are an indication of what's to come, I'd rather move forward with Reynolds for one more year. If one goes, I hope the staff does everything possible to keep the other one here.

Reed proved he can be a respectable 8-10 minute contributor at this level, but I disagree that there should be an expectation for him to "improve dramatically" next season. While I would welcome someone like him on next year's roster that has proven they can fulfill a role off the bench, I wouldn't lament his departure as it would only fast track the development of the freshmen with the extra minutes freed up.

I'm not confident in the staff's ability to recruit a better player than Day Day out of the portal - especially one who has 1 year of Big 12 (or equivalent) experience as a full-time starter. I'd rather stick with the devil I know in this case and hope that a year of him and Jizzle together will only pay more dividends next season.

The staff recruited Sage as a project and if they want to give him another year to develop that's fine with me. He has 3 more to play and shouldn't be called on to contribute next season, but if he wants to actually see the floor in 24/25 then he may want to drop down to much lesser competition level.

[Oldtimer_UC_fan]

I don't want to count on CJ, that was just a comment on what the 2 spot would look like with the current roster. He's injury prone and a poor defender, but he would at least contribute some offense.

I would much rather play Rayvon Griffith.

[sedz]

Reed proved he can be a respectable 8-10 minute contributor at this level, but I disagree that there should be an expectation for him to "improve dramatically" next season. While I would welcome someone like him on next year's roster that has proven they can fulfill a role off the bench, I wouldn't lament his departure as it would only fast track the development of the freshmen with the extra minutes freed up.

Reed is our only good versatile defender, so I like him as a guy to bring the freshmen along. He's a good fallback option when they have inevitable defensive struggles.

[longtimefan]

Reed is our only good versatile defender, so I like him as a guy to bring the freshmen along. He's a good fallback option when they have inevitable defensive struggles.

But the offense really struggled with him in the game, especially of late when Reynolds was on the floor at the same time. I would love to see Josh develop more than just those stratosphere threes he shoots.

[sedz]

But the offense really struggled with him in the game, especially of late when Reynolds was on the floor at the same time. I would love to see Josh develop more than just those stratosphere threes he shoots.

Yes, no doubt. In conference play Josh was our best defender but our worst offensive player. He had a crazy low usage rate with only a 5% assist rate and a 28% turnover rate. He needs to work on some moves around the basket and reducing the arc on that shot. High arcing threes are discouraged for a reason - basic physics, they require more force than an ideal trajectory.

[GoBearcats31]

Trying to speak Jizzle James leading the backcourt into existence for next year...

Obviously, context (and roster construction/depth) matters a bit, but here are the top freshman scoring Bearcats since Lance Stephenson's 12.3 ppg in 2009-10 -- assuming I did not miss anyone:

6. Tari Eason, 7.3 ppg in 18.4 mins/game
5. Gary Clark, 7.8 ppg in 27.8 mins/game
4. Jarron Cumberland, 8.3 ppg in 19.1 mins/game
3. Jacob Evans, 8.4 ppg in 24.4 mins/game
2. Jizzle James, 8.8 ppg in 18.3 mins/game
1. Sean Kilpatrick, 9.7 ppg in 20.6 mins/game (RS freshman)

(for what it's worth, JJ averaged 8.0 ppg before scoring 46 points over the last two NIT games)

[GoBearcats31]

Here are the 13 scholarships for 2024-25, before any roster movement

1. Aziz Bandaogo SR+
2. CJ Fredrick SR+
3. Jamille Reynolds SR+
4. Viktor Lakhin SR (redshirt)
5. Simas Lukosius SR
6. Day Day Thomas SR
7. Dan Skillings JR
8. Josh Reed JR
9. Sage Tolentino SO (redshirt)
10. Jizzle James SO
11. Rayvon Griffith FR (redshirt)
12. Tyler Betsey FR
13. Tyler McKinley FR

[GoBearcats31]

Appears that Edgerrin James has announced that Jizzle is back https://x.com/bearcatbunch/status/17...429-7Zsp1zj4Tg

(Wolf of Wall Street clip - “I’m not f——- leaving!”)

[Bearcat9796]

CJ, could he play as a walk on to free up a scholly? that way if can't get healthy it's no harm and a bonus if he can contribute ?
and a broader question, could any player who's already graduated do the same??

[condo52]

Interesting proposition you raise. Along that line, can a walk-on receive NIL money? What’s to keep a school from having several walk-on players collecting NIL money to pay tuition costs and housing, etc. Seems to hold the possibility of having an unlimited number of players.

[longtimefan]

So Vik is gone. I really hope everything works out for him.

[GoBearcats31]

Here are the 13 scholarships for 2024-25, before any roster movement

1. Aziz Bandaogo SR+
2. CJ Fredrick SR+
3. Jamille Reynolds SR+
4. Viktor Lakhin SR (redshirt)
5. Simas Lukosius SR
6. Day Day Thomas SR
7. Dan Skillings JR
8. Josh Reed JR
9. Sage Tolentino SO (redshirt)
10. Jizzle James SO
11. Rayvon Griffith FR (redshirt)
12. Tyler Betsey FR
13. Tyler McKinley FR

1. Aziz Bandaogo SR+
2. CJ Fredrick SR+
3. Jamille Reynolds SR+
4. Simas Lukosius SR
5. Day Day Thomas SR
6. Dan Skillings JR
7. Josh Reed JR
8. Sage Tolentino SO (redshirt)
9. Jizzle James SO
10. Rayvon Griffith FR (redshirt)
11. Tyler Betsey FR
12. Tyler McKinley FR
13. OPEN