Time To Shake Up The Starting 5

[TRUHOG718]

Coach Anderson continues to say ask the right things to the media but something tells me change is soon upon us. We need to get better defense and basketball iq out of our starters so our bench can stop coming in playing catch up. Our staple is our starters wear you down and our bench comes in to wear you out. Our starters do not gel well together and the slow starts are causing coach to play them too much at the end of games because they have experience.

When it's all said and done Nick Babb and Anton Beard will play a big part on this years team. Babb is more physical, taller, better defender, and has and has a better all around game than Bell even as a frosh IMO. And Beard who's quickly becoming my favorite player on this team just has that it factor you need in a lead guard. Reminds me of some of the old blue collar guards Nolan used to get. Coach Anderson prefers to go with experience but I believe Babb is going to start cutting into Bells PT and Beard is going to start cutting into ihog's PT as well. Everyone loves to list their starting 5 so this is how I would play it.

BEARD
BABB
QUALLS
HARRIS
PORTIS

Watkins
Bell
Madden
Jacorey
King Moses

At first thought you may say we lose a little scoring with this bunch. But when you think about it we haven't been coming out the gate on fire anyways With this starting five you get better defense, ball rotation, rebounding, and basketball IQ which could lead to better transition buckets and half court scoring to begin games. Then you bring Bell and ihog off the bench with Jacorey and you have some scorers to go with your rim protector and your best defender. You could even swap out Durham for Anton but then you bring Beard off the bench and Watkins to the 3 which kind of cuts Ky out the mix which I know Coach Anderson won't do to his senior. This is where it becomes tricky because ihog might be the odd man out on another team. I think by mid season that starting five would be ready to compete with anyone.  :razorback:

[Smithian]

*in b4 "it doesn't matter who starts for Mike Anderson"*

[Kevin]

Limit Harris minutes

[TRUHOG718]

*in b4 "it doesn't matter who starts for Mike Anderson"*

Lol... I was feeling froggy this morning. Had an extra sugar in my coffee.

[TRUHOG718]

Limit Harris minutes

I agree Jacorey is our best option. I think Harris is in a funk trying to be a better teammate in order to play. Hes our toughest player and I hope he gets it all figured out because he is not the same player that gave us the business that night vs Houston.

[daprospecta]

I agree Jacorey is our best option. I think Harris is in a funk trying to be a better teammate in order to play. Hes our toughest player and I hope he gets it all figured out because he is not the same player that gave us the business that night vs Houston.

He doesn't want to embrace his strong suit.  He's strong as an ox.  Stay inside and draw fouls. 

[yraciv]

Slight overreaction to Madden's bad game?  I could see the argument to put him on the wing at this point, and playing one of the FR at PG, but taking him out as a starter is absurd.  The guy is getting 6 ast a game in 25 minutes. and is one of few guys on the team that can create a big basket down the stretch.

[ballz2thewall]

i like your thinking truhog.

coach has his work cut out for him.  most all the guys here agree that we have serious fundamental issues with 1) lineup and subs, and 2) schemes and style.

even though our pedigree has tarnished some over the years, it's frustrating that we'd be reduced to working on something so basic to the game.

good, even just decent teams hoping to get to march don't lose to clemson.  what is even more frightening is hogville is in agreement for the most part.  there are differences, but most are minor.

i guess coach sets about fixing both issues, which essentially should open up the entire tool box.  whether he does that, we'll know in 90 minutes.

your lineup is fine with me.  most want portis and kingsley, but that is doubtful. 

we'll see.

[TRUHOG718]

Slight overreaction to Madden's bad game?  I could see the argument to put him on the wing at this point, and playing one of the FR at PG, but taking him out as a starter is absurd.  The guy is getting 6 ast a game in 25 minutes. and is one of few guys on the team that can create a big basket down the stretch.

Maybe slightly but not just one game.  Its more about what else he's not doing like staying in front of his man leading to defensive breakdowns and wide open 3's and not forcing Portis the ball that is costing us more than the 6 assists are helping us. 

[TRUHOG718]

He doesn't want to embrace his strong suit.  He's strong as an ox.  Stay inside and draw fouls. 

He thinks of himself as a sf on the next level and is stuck in the middle of doing what his mind tells him he's capable of and what this teams needs him to be. I hope he gets it figured out because we are going to need him.

[razorbackkid]

Just start some players that can inbound the ball and dribble the thing. 

[Beaverfever]

He thinks of himself as a sf on the next level and is stuck in the middle of doing what his mind tells him he's capable of and what this teams needs him to be. I hope he gets it figured out because we are going to need him.

Yeah he wants to be Carmello Anthony but that ain't happening.  God built that kid to get 10 rebounds a game in the SEC.  He needs to model his game after Jarnell Stokes.  We need that kind of guy on our team. 

[Danny J]

Yeah he wants to be Carmello Anthony but that ain't happening.  God built that kid to get 10 rebounds a game in the SEC.  He needs to model his game after Jarnell Stokes.  We need that kind of guy on our team.

His muscular build is the only thing he has in common with Stokes. Stokes was a couple inches taller, had awesome footwork, hands and a nose for the ball. He had very good back to the basket moves. Stokes reminded me more of a Corliss than any player I have seen since Corliss.

[mhuff]

Just start some players that can inbound the ball and dribble the thing. 

Players that can pass the ball or split a press.

[TRUHOG718]

Just one game I would like to see Babb get a shot at Ihogs minutes.. please coach u can do it.

[Danny J]

Just one game I would like to see Babb get a shot at Ihogs minutes.. please coach u can do it.

I would like to see Babb get more time also. Would love to see Beard be in the game to start and to finish. No reason he is coming off the bench. None.

[TDHog]

Slight overreaction to Madden's bad game?  I could see the argument to put him on the wing at this point, and playing one of the FR at PG, but taking him out as a starter is absurd.  The guy is getting 6 ast a game in 25 minutes. and is one of few guys on the team that can create a big basket down the stretch.

I don't see Madden as a guy that can create big baskets down the stretch, I would say exactly the opposite, when the game is tight down the stretch he stops passing and tries to do too much on his own.  His performance against Clemson down the stretch seems pretty typical to me.  I don't think he is a guy I'd want on the court when we have to have a basket (unless you want to watch him dribble around fro 10 sec and chuck up a shot)

[Hawg Red]

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why Moses Kingsley plays as little as he does. It just does not make any sense. It feels like we've played our best basketball of the season with him in the starting lineup. Granted, he still doesn't play but 10-13 minutes when he starts but we've looked our best in that stretch, IIRC.

I'm in favor of switching out Williams with Kingsley in the starting lineup and reducing Durham's minutes (giving more to Beard and Babb) but still keeping him as a starter. Really like Beard coming in with that second unit as I just don't see Durham giving us that pop. Durham needs to be playing around 10 minutes per game. That's a good number for him relative to what he's been bringing to the table in the tougher part of our schedule thus far. About five less minutes for Durham and about 5-8 more minutes for Kingsley. I'd even be okay with Madden's minutes getting cut in games that are close late or we're trailing in. He just does not tend to play well in our backs are against the wall. I'm sure there's some examples of him doing that over the years, but most times, he just seems to fold badly.