2025-26 Roster

[Bearcat9796]

this roster unquestionably better than last years.
yes or no?
best decision making metric?
hope the newbies score high on it
I'm excited...again....

[sedz]

I'm currently penciling in Celestine at the 4.

PG: Kriisa 20 / Day Day 10 / Tillery 10
SG: James 25 / Day Day 15
SF: Harris 20 / Abaev 20
PF: Celestine 20 / McKinley 15 / Haynes 5
C: Thiam 25 / Haynes 15

If we get a rebounder like Durugordon, maybe Celestine plays more at the 3.

[GoBearcats31]

Transfers in: Kriisa, Harris, Haynes, Thiam, Celestine

Confirmed returning: James

Returning unless they post otherwise: Thomas, McKinley, Dzellat

Signed HS prospects: Abaev, Tillery


Guards - James, Thomas, Kriisa, Harris, Tillery
Wings - Abaev, Celestine
Bigs - Thiam, Haynes, Dzellat, McKinley

Possible #s (based on visit photoshoots / commitment graphics):

1 - Abaev
10 - Harris
11 - Haynes or Tillery
32 - Celestine
52 - Thiam
77 - Kriisa

[GoBearcats31]

Transfers in: Kriisa, Harris, Haynes, Thiam, Celestine

Confirmed returning: James

Returning unless they post otherwise: Thomas, McKinley, Dzellat

Signed HS prospects: Abaev, Tillery


Guards - James, Thomas, Kriisa, Harris, Tillery
Wings - Abaev, Celestine
Bigs - Thiam, Haynes, Dzellat, McKinley

[sedz]

Thiam aside, do you think McKinley might be on the floor with Abaev at the 3 when we go big? I'm kinda stoked about Tyler, and hear he is the real deal. Tyler/Shon just might be the reasoning behind Betsey and Rayvon hitting the portal. I don't really see Harris at the 3 spot, and Shon may be the 4 at times

I'd say Abaev is a pure perimeter guard. If we play him at the 4 we basically have a 4 guard lineup. Our roster is full of guards. If Harris isn't playing the 3, whose minutes is he cutting into at the 1 and 2 spots? We already have 4 PGs competing for 80 minutes there.

[red_n_black_attack]

Algorithms aside, this is my depth chart guess.

PG: Kriisa 20 / Day Day 10 / Tillery 10
SG: James 25 / Day Day 15
SF: Harris 20 / Abaev 20
PF: TRANSFER 20 / McKinley 15 / Haynes 5
C: Thiam 25 / Haynes 15

Thiam aside, do you think McKinley might be on the floor with Abaev at the 3 when we go big? I'm kinda stoked about Tyler, and hear he is the real deal. Tyler/Shon just might be the reasoning behind Betsey and Rayvon hitting the portal. I don't really see Harris at the 3 spot, and Shon may be the 4 at times

[Oldtimer_UC_fan]

Torvik has a crude Roster Cast tool where you can plug in any player and it will project the team efficiency margin. It obviously makes some assumptions about minutes distribution, some of which don't make much sense. With the current roster we're at 17.4, which would have been #40 last season. Adding Thiam bumps us to 19.7 (#29). Here's how it sees the minutes (position assignments are mine):

PG: Kriisa 25 / Day Day 15
SG: James 27 / Day Day 13
SF: Harris 22 / Tillery 13 / James 5
PF: Abaev 15 / Haynes 14 / McKinley 7 / Harris 4
C: Thiam 30 / Haynes 7 / Dzellat 3

It struggles with the 3 and 4 positions - PGs getting time at the 3 while a C and SG get most of the minutes at 4. It doesn't see a major role for McKinley. Hopefully we can bring in a true 4 or big wing.

Are we already counting Thiam?

[sedz]

Algorithms aside, this is my depth chart guess.

PG: Kriisa 20 / Day Day 10 / Tillery 10
SG: James 25 / Day Day 15
SF: Harris 20 / Abaev 20
PF: TRANSFER 20 / McKinley 15 / Haynes 5
C: Thiam 25 / Haynes 15

[sedz]

Torvik has a crude Roster Cast tool where you can plug in any player and it will project the team efficiency margin. It obviously makes some assumptions about minutes distribution, some of which don't make much sense. With the current roster we're at 17.4, which would have been #40 last season. Adding Thiam bumps us to 19.7 (#29). Here's how it sees the minutes (position assignments are mine):

PG: Kriisa 25 / Day Day 15
SG: James 27 / Day Day 13
SF: Harris 22 / Tillery 13 / James 5
PF: Abaev 15 / Haynes 14 / McKinley 7 / Harris 4
C: Thiam 30 / Haynes 7 / Dzellat 3

It struggles with the 3 and 4 positions - PGs getting time at the 3 while a C and SG get most of the minutes at 4. It doesn't see a major role for McKinley. Hopefully we can bring in a true 4 or big wing.

[leo from jersey]

Jizzle was working with Joey Burton on campus the last couple days, per IG posts. Joey Burton is an "NBA Player Development Coach, specializing in shooting development and offensive strategies" per his website. He serves (or has served) as a full-time player development coach for multiple NBA players. https://www.joeyburton.com/

teaching him to dribble with his head up and seeing the floor. Now that's a groovy strategy.

[GoBearcats31]

Jizzle James is back, per his Instagram post

Jizzle was working with Joey Burton on campus the last couple days, per IG posts. Joey Burton is an "NBA Player Development Coach, specializing in shooting development and offensive strategies" per his website. He serves (or has served) as a full-time player development coach for multiple NBA players. https://www.joeyburton.com/

[GoBearcats31]

Portal: Skillings, Griffith, Reed, Page, Betsey, Mitchell, Hickman

Transfers in: Kriisa, Harris, Haynes

Confirmed returning: James

Returning unless they post otherwise: Thomas, McKinley, Dzellat

Signed HS prospects: Abaev, Tillery

[red_n_black_attack]

McKinley is not a wing at all. He most definitely is a 4 and could maybe play the 5 in short spells. You think 3 bigs are enough? I am thinking at least 4 bigs to rotate.

There are 5 traditional positions, so that breaks down to 3 players at each position. As for McKinley, he was recruited as PF, but definitely a big inside presence, though not a traditional center. He was listed as 6' 8" coming out of high school, and is listed at 6' 9" now on the official team roster, and at his updated 247 profile. I would be happy the kid has shot up a few more inches, but cannot find confirmation anywhere. Please share your source.

With McKinley as a hybrid 4/5, and a taller guard as a hybrid 2/3, there will be flexibility rotate in plenty of different lineups.

https://247sports.com/player/tyler-mckinley-46125404/

https://gobearcats.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster

[leeraymond]

8 spots accounted for, not counting Hickman and 4 are not guards. Honestly 6 guards, 6 wing/forward, and 3 "big men" make sense in bulding a roster with 15 scholarships. Counting McKinley and Abeav as wings, and Halvine the only big man, I'm still okay with Wes recruiting guards, especially 6'4" or taller. While we are really short on the wing/center front, we are not at all done with guards.

McKinley is not a wing at all. He most definitely is a 4 and could maybe play the 5 in short spells. You think 3 bigs are enough? I am thinking at least 4 bigs to rotate.

[GoBearcats31]

Portal: Skillings, Griffith, Reed, Page, Betsey, Mitchell, Hickman

Transfers in: Kriisa, Harris

Confirmed returning: James

Returning unless they post otherwise: Thomas, McKinley, Dzellat

Signed HS prospects: Abaev, Tillery