I have given up the ghost on a late season miracle run. I thought we would get at least one upset in this difficult stretch and at times it looked like it may happen vs. Iowa and Michigan, but seems like we caught a case of the "can't close"-ies and couldn't shake it all year. I will maintain to the end that outcomes for this team were extreme left-tail relative to talent and effort. It came down to missing too many open 3s and not being able to defend well enough to overcome the awful shooting.
Below is my personal opinion of the potential of our returning roster for the 26-27 season (not looking further ahead), on a scale of one to five Boos, with one Boo being "if you miss a switch or turn it over we don't see you for three weeks" (known colloquially as a "Mullins"), and five Boos being First Team All-B1G. Non-scholarship players and incoming freshmen are excluded from this exercise, though if Hodge's knee heals up I think he gets minutes immediately. No speculation on transfers with the exception of Windham. I am and forever will be a Wildcat optimist.
Windham: NR - the mystery that will never be solved for '25-'26, but I hope the shooter/scorer with moxie and a high ceiling returns, regardless of the name on the front of the jersey.
Page: 5 Boos - agree with Jordan Taylor who said on the Michigan broadcast that Page is an NBA player if he can figure out the consistency/defense/mental aspects fully. I hope our staff are the ones to unlock him. His offseason determines if we have a second weekend tourney run in us or if we muddle through another series of disappointing losses.
Singleton: 5 Boos - in different games he has shown everything from running the lane to back-to-the-basket post moves to elite rebounding to shot blocking and a little bit of nastiness, which we desperately need. His FT shooting has gotten better as the year went on. The distance shooting is not there, and he committed way too many pointless fouls. Clear stuff to work on, but he's the Franchise and keeping him in purple for his remaining collegiate career is the top priority.
Gelo: 4 Boos - improved across-the-board this season but like Singleton couldn't make a three and fouled too often. Really good rim-runner and offensive rebounder. He looks like a less smooth but more explosive Barnheizer facsimile if the defense makes a leap. If the threes start falling, look out.
Reid: 3 Boos - the same clogged lane that is dragging Nick down has lowered Reid's ceiling, too, because he is a solid penetrator but weak finisher in traffic. If we had the 40% shooters in the corners, Reid's game is transformed. Thought he got better on defense as the year went on.
West: 3 Boos - the dunk against Iowa almost made me elevate this to 4 Boos. His three point stroke and decision-making have gotten stronger even as our competition got better. I don't think he will ever be an elite defender, but he won't need to be with all he brings to the table at the point.
Green: 3 Boos - I believe he will be a bigger, more athletic Langborg by his senior season. Must quicken his release and get stronger to draw contact in the lane and get to the foul line rather than pump fake endlessly and look to pass out. Kept firing even when they stopped falling which is a good thing. Need him to get to 40% from downtown and it looks to me like he has it in him. Showed some rebounding/toughness in the B1G season that was absent early on.
Kropp: 3 Boos - I might be selling this guy short because his game is pretty lunchpail, but it has been impressive to see him go from unplayable to starter in a single season as an 18 year old. Needs to work on the quick twitch muscles in the offseason to get offensive boards/dishes in the lane and explode to the rim for a dunk/foul rather than get his weaker lay-ins blocked or altered. Must soften his hands to catch passes cleanly. Early candidate for the Matt Nicholson "boy I didn't realize how much we'd miss him" Award by the end of his four years.
Clayton: 2 Boos - if he does nothing but shoot threes in the offseason so he can make the open looks at a higher clip, he becomes a very valuable chip. He does the right things on defense, but I hope another offseason gets him stronger to not get pushed out of the lane when he is boxing out. Draws too many loose ball fouls on rebounds he should get cleanly. Not a penetrator or creator and after three years I am not sure it is reasonable to expect that to suddenly appear, so making the open 3s is what we badly need him to do.
Bennerman: Unknown - love the wingspan. Hope he has spent all season working on leg strength and rebounding position.
Below is my personal opinion of the potential of our returning roster for the 26-27 season (not looking further ahead), on a scale of one to five Boos, with one Boo being "if you miss a switch or turn it over we don't see you for three weeks" (known colloquially as a "Mullins"), and five Boos being First Team All-B1G. Non-scholarship players and incoming freshmen are excluded from this exercise, though if Hodge's knee heals up I think he gets minutes immediately. No speculation on transfers with the exception of Windham. I am and forever will be a Wildcat optimist.
Windham: NR - the mystery that will never be solved for '25-'26, but I hope the shooter/scorer with moxie and a high ceiling returns, regardless of the name on the front of the jersey.
Page: 5 Boos - agree with Jordan Taylor who said on the Michigan broadcast that Page is an NBA player if he can figure out the consistency/defense/mental aspects fully. I hope our staff are the ones to unlock him. His offseason determines if we have a second weekend tourney run in us or if we muddle through another series of disappointing losses.
Singleton: 5 Boos - in different games he has shown everything from running the lane to back-to-the-basket post moves to elite rebounding to shot blocking and a little bit of nastiness, which we desperately need. His FT shooting has gotten better as the year went on. The distance shooting is not there, and he committed way too many pointless fouls. Clear stuff to work on, but he's the Franchise and keeping him in purple for his remaining collegiate career is the top priority.
Gelo: 4 Boos - improved across-the-board this season but like Singleton couldn't make a three and fouled too often. Really good rim-runner and offensive rebounder. He looks like a less smooth but more explosive Barnheizer facsimile if the defense makes a leap. If the threes start falling, look out.
Reid: 3 Boos - the same clogged lane that is dragging Nick down has lowered Reid's ceiling, too, because he is a solid penetrator but weak finisher in traffic. If we had the 40% shooters in the corners, Reid's game is transformed. Thought he got better on defense as the year went on.
West: 3 Boos - the dunk against Iowa almost made me elevate this to 4 Boos. His three point stroke and decision-making have gotten stronger even as our competition got better. I don't think he will ever be an elite defender, but he won't need to be with all he brings to the table at the point.
Green: 3 Boos - I believe he will be a bigger, more athletic Langborg by his senior season. Must quicken his release and get stronger to draw contact in the lane and get to the foul line rather than pump fake endlessly and look to pass out. Kept firing even when they stopped falling which is a good thing. Need him to get to 40% from downtown and it looks to me like he has it in him. Showed some rebounding/toughness in the B1G season that was absent early on.
Kropp: 3 Boos - I might be selling this guy short because his game is pretty lunchpail, but it has been impressive to see him go from unplayable to starter in a single season as an 18 year old. Needs to work on the quick twitch muscles in the offseason to get offensive boards/dishes in the lane and explode to the rim for a dunk/foul rather than get his weaker lay-ins blocked or altered. Must soften his hands to catch passes cleanly. Early candidate for the Matt Nicholson "boy I didn't realize how much we'd miss him" Award by the end of his four years.
Clayton: 2 Boos - if he does nothing but shoot threes in the offseason so he can make the open looks at a higher clip, he becomes a very valuable chip. He does the right things on defense, but I hope another offseason gets him stronger to not get pushed out of the lane when he is boxing out. Draws too many loose ball fouls on rebounds he should get cleanly. Not a penetrator or creator and after three years I am not sure it is reasonable to expect that to suddenly appear, so making the open 3s is what we badly need him to do.
Bennerman: Unknown - love the wingspan. Hope he has spent all season working on leg strength and rebounding position.
