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Not too early

For me you'd have something like this (players in specific order) --

1 - EM, SM, DN
2 - AW, SM, DN
3 - DD, CR, AW, MK
4 - TB, JP, MK, AT
5 - WE, JP, AT

I'm sorry, but any starting lineup that doesn't have Maniscalco in it really makes no sense to me.
Either McCain or Dunson will not start over Maniscalco next year...don't know which one, but Maniscalco will start....without a question.
 
I'm sorry, but any starting lineup that doesn't have Maniscalco in it really makes no sense to me.
Either McCain or Dunson will not start over Maniscalco next year...don't know which one, but Maniscalco will start....without a question.

Based on what I have seen this year, defense will be a concern then. By next year, EM could be a very good defensive player. He has quickness, long arms, the ability to get out on the 3 point shooter, and the quickness to keep point guards in front of him. SM is a tough, tough player but he has quickness limitations that hurts team defense. Not sure that his defense doesn't allow as many if not more points then his offense brings. I can still see why you would say that Coach Les would start him.
 
I'm sorry, but any starting lineup that doesn't have Maniscalco in it really makes no sense to me.
Either McCain or Dunson will not start over Maniscalco next year...don't know which one, but Maniscalco will start....without a question.

You're probably right-- particularly with the coach's tendencies. I was trying to construct a lineup that plays 3 guards but tries to keep the 6 ft guards on the court to 1 at a time. I think SM will get lots and lots of minutes next year (30+ per game) but I don't see a lot of reason to play more than 1 6 ft guard for more than 15 minutes a game.

I think SM and EM are both worthy of playing lots of minutes next year, but I think EM is a better defender at this point. SM is a better scorer than EM. I think both are good at distributing the ball.

If I get a chance I'll try to put together minutes by position or something and see how that works out.
 
SM is JL's boy and regardless of who is brought in or anything else SM starts the majority of games from now until he graduates in 11. There is no reason to debate this. JL sees himself in SM, trusts him and relies on him to be the leader of this program.
 
SM is JL's boy and regardless of who is brought in or anything else SM starts the majority of games from now until he graduates in 11. There is no reason to debate this. JL sees himself in SM, trusts him and relies on him to be the leader of this program.

I agree 100%. The team defense will suffer though. Defense wins championships.
 
I'm sorry, but any starting lineup that doesn't have Maniscalco in it really makes no sense to me.
Either McCain or Dunson will not start over Maniscalco next year...don't know which one, but Maniscalco will start....without a question.

Agreed completely, people see that Maniscalco does not have any major physical gifts and so they don't want him to be a starter. But he has all the intangibles, and will start next year for sure. JL has been having Sam run the point some the last few weeks to slow things down when Edge is a little trigger happy, and right now EM drives too many times without anythign to do but what he call a 'DRuff' shot, and he is an offensive liabilty most times.
 
Agreed completely, people see that Maniscalco does not have any major physical gifts and so they don't want him to be a starter. But he has all the intangibles, and will start next year for sure. JL has been having Sam run the point some the last few weeks to slow things down when Edge is a little trigger happy, and right now EM drives too many times without anythign to do but what he call a 'DRuff' shot, and he is an offensive liabilty most times.

I am trying to stay positive and say that EM brings the best for the team defense at the point position. He makes the other team's point guard start farther from the basket, he is better at stopping the drive to the lane, he is better at fighting through picks and getting to the shooter, he is better at helping and recovering etc. Defense wins championships and it starts at the point guard position.
 
I agree 100%. The team defense will suffer though. Defense wins championships.

This statement makes for a great slogan on the back of a t-shirt....but I think it is overused.
To win games, you need to score more points than the other team. Period.
Teams that win consistently play solid defense and have players that are offensive weapons.

If you wanted to trot out our best defensive lineup this year...all year long...because that "wins championships"...I'm assuming you would bench Maniscalco...but do you realize what those games would look like? Do you realize how awful of a team we would be? We may be marginally better defensively...but we would be nowhere near a championship...without Maniscalco, we would probably have the most dysfunctional, ugly offense in America...we would lose games 45-30, and every recruit in America would avoid our program like the plague because no one would want to play for a team that can't score...

I'm not saying that Maniscalco is the next coming of Allen Iverson or anything of the sort...he has his limitations...but he is the best overall offensive player we have on our team this year...he's the best free throw shooter we have, he's the guy that takes the shots in the guts of the game, he and Dodie are probably the only two guys that can score from both the perimeter and by taking the ball to the hole on a consistent basis...

I don't think Sam's defensive limitations are as glaring as you believe them to be....and quite simply we are 100 times better as a team with him on the floor than without him...
 
I've noticed the EM doesn't do some of the little things he did towards the beginning of the year. Things like no look passes and just trickier things that reminded me a little of Steve Nash. It resulted quite a bit of turnovers and I haven't seen them in a long time (accept for one that was nice against evansville) and it's probably because JL told him to stop to reduce the turnovers, but I got excited when I saw that. I thought wow in a year or two this is going to be a GOOD point guard when he controls those "tricky" passes. I'm a little disappointed that he doesn't do it anymore. I know I'm advocating more turnovers but it would pay dividends down the road to have a PG like that rather than the one he's kind of turning into...where he drives and has no where to go every so often.
 
I am just so affraid we will be man handled inside next year, and in a conf. like MVC with no legit big men that is a problem. We are a week rebounding team this year and we lose 42.6% of this years boards. I am also worried about scoring inside and out AW can make a jumpshot but I wonder who we will look at to score other than him. I am affraid next year might be longer than this year...
 
I've noticed the EM doesn't do some of the little things he did towards the beginning of the year. Things like no look passes and just trickier things that reminded me a little of Steve Nash. It resulted quite a bit of turnovers and I haven't seen them in a long time (accept for one that was nice against evansville) and it's probably because JL told him to stop to reduce the turnovers, but I got excited when I saw that. I thought wow in a year or two this is going to be a GOOD point guard when he controls those "tricky" passes. I'm a little disappointed that he doesn't do it anymore. I know I'm advocating more turnovers but it would pay dividends down the road to have a PG like that rather than the one he's kind of turning into...where he drives and has no where to go every so often.

McCain needs to spend a lot of time working on his offensive game in the offseason...He has to develop confidence in his outside shot and work on taking the ball to the hole and finishing. He has all the makings of a really good defender and distributor right now...but his lack of confidence in his offensive game is really hindering this team's ability to succeed on the offensive end.

He's a freshman, and this is certainly not expected...so don't take this as me being a McCain hater...because that is not the case. He just has to work to make himself a bit more of a threat offensively next year...defenses simply don't respect his perimeter game right now and he doesn't penetrate enough to warrant help from opposing defenses, so those wide open threes aren't there on the penetrate and kick out...and the slashing lanes for Theron and CR are harder to come by because defenses view McCain as a non-factor offensively...

I like McCain's shot and he's certainly athletic and tough enough to learn how to penetrate and finish...so I'm hoping it's just a matter of confidence and trust in himself that he can build coming into next year...because a point guard that can penetrate and kick in this offense with Warren, Maniscalco, Dunson, and Norris waiting outside to shoot open threes can be a much, much improved offense.
 
Yeah everyone is saying next year is the year...I don't see it personally. If you want to start talking about '10-'11 then I can understand. I don't see the personnel there to make a huge statement next year. If TB develops into TW then maybe. If WE and AT together contribute more than SS/DC by a factor of about 1.5 that'd be critical if we want any amount of success (i.e. NCAA tourney). The freshmen have to come game ready that is essential as well...I just don't see it next year. I see a better record next year then these last two years but it will be harder to win the MVC next season and that makes it probably a 3rd to 5th place finish for the Braves.
 
I think EM is improving his offensive game. Next year should be much better. I do not see offense being a problem next year. It will continue to be defense and rebounding that will determine where BU finishes. EM will be the best defensive point guard on BU's roster next year. He can make a huge difference in the overall defense. We shall see what happens.
 
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