2025-26 Roster

[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?

[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

[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.

[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

[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

[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.

[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....

[red_n_black_attack]

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.

Redshirt for Dzellat?

[dmoney70]

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....

I would temper that to save you some heartache later. I mean the Coach hasn't entered the portal, has he?

[sedz]

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....

Slightly worse per Torvik. We began last season at #27. Our projected roster right now would be #30.

[sedz]

Redshirt for Dzellat?

I don't see value in having more than a 10 man rotation. So yes, I would redshirt Dzellat. Maybe Tillery too if we add another transfer.

[zykarious]

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.

I'm not convinced by Celestine, his rebounding numbers aren't that good and reading Baylor forums they didn't think he was a good defender. He's a shooter, but that's pretty much it. Seems more like a 10-15 minute per game guy off the bench unless something goes wrong. He'd be very undersized and poor at rebounding for a PF.

I think the plan is for Haynes to start at the 4 and that could spell trouble too, as he's foul prone and struggles to guard the perimeter even as a 5. Maybe we still have money to add a PF, but I expect all the projected starters are already on the roster. I'd like to add bigger wing as a backup who can defend and rebound at the 3 or 4.

My projection as of now.

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

[sedz]

I'm not convinced by Celestine, his rebounding numbers aren't that good and reading Baylor forums they didn't think he was a good defender. He's a shooter, but that's pretty much it. Seems more like a 10-15 minute per game guy off the bench unless something goes wrong. He'd be very undersized and poor at rebounding for a PF.

I think the plan is for Haynes to start at the 4 and that could spell trouble too, as he's foul prone and struggles to guard the perimeter even as a 5. Maybe we still have money to add a PF, but I expect all the projected starters are already on the roster. I'd like to add bigger wing as a backup who can defend and rebound at the 3 or 4.

My projection as of now.

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

I could see that rotation. I'm not convinced by any of these guys except Thiam. The 3 and 4 positions are up for grabs and we could play several different styles. I'll need to see Haynes defending the perimeter before I decide if he can play 4, but I have a hard time imagining a 260 lb guy staying in front of wings like Demin and Dybantsa.

[sedz]

FWIW, here's Torvik's minutes distribution with the newest additions.

PG: Kriisa 25 / Day Day 8 / Tillery 7
SG: James 21 / Day Day 19
SF: Harris 15 / Abaev 13 / James 11 / Celestine 1
PF: Celestine 25 / Haynes 11 / McKinley 4
C: Thiam 30 / Haynes 10

[zykarious]

I could see that rotation. I'm not convinced by any of these guys except Thiam. The 3 and 4 positions are up for grabs and we could play several different styles. I'll need to see Haynes defending the perimeter before I decide if he can play 4, but I have a hard time imagining a 260 lb guy staying in front of wings like Demin and Dybantsa.

I wonder if Rayvon or Betsey will decide they like their odds returning over trying to get minutes elsewhere, hope to come back for a "prove it" year at a high level, then get paid next year. They can both play the 4 and I think there's a chance either could win the role over the guys we have right now. Have to think Wes is looking to add at least one more PF to the mix to compete for minutes at that position.

PG, SG and C seem pretty much settled. SF Harris/Abaev likely have they majority of minutes locked down as well, though it seems less certain.

But PF seems like a position Wes is getting guys who aren't clearly good enough to be given the starting spot and telling them he'll give them a chance. I could see Rayvon or Betsey (or a guy like them, trying to prove themselves at the high major level) looking at Celestine (undersized, not great at defense or rebounding), Haynes (moving up a level, probably not quick enough to guard 4's and fouls too much) and McKinley (redshirt freshman, unknown, coming off a major knee injury) and saying to themselves, I can win the starting role (or at least 15-20 minutes per game) over those 3.