The roster is set!

[STL_Cat]

I like our roster more than last year.
I still have questions about who is going to be “the guy”, the All-American dude. The prevailing thought seems to be Washington and I hope it is. But it’s also another unknown as a freshman and we just aren’t sure. Perform like a freshman All-American and we could really go places. Struggle to adjust to the college game, we probably are a good but not a contending team this year. Jmho

 

[seccats04]

Exactly. Collins is a 5-star and is a backup. People are crying about not having enough inside, yet we are looking at a 5-star backup at the 5. We also have a 4-star 3rd string backup in Ware.

If that is our weak spot on paper, I feel pretty good about this team.

I like the team too but the 5 spot is a big concern. Collins is not a 5. He is tall but is built more like Wenyen Gabriel and is not a post up player. He likes the 15 foot jumpers vs banging down low and he will get pushed around on defense. At this point he seems more like a raw version of Sarr. And if we have to play Ware extended minutes we are in trouble. That is like playing 4 on 5. I would rather Toppin be the back up 5 and the offense run up and down the floor for some fast break points to cover our weakness.

 

[HagginHall1999]

I'm worried that covid is gonna screw everything again.

I honestly am worried it is going to screw with attendance again. I can already hear it now..."capacity down to 25%, have to be healthy at home."

Hate to think that way but with news of my kid's school going backwards, well it is the crappy hand we are dealt right now.

 

[blackcat714]

Damion Collins is going to surprise. He’s a projected first round pick next summer

Collins gonna stomp a mud hole in that Duren kids behind if we get to play them he averaged twice as many points

 

[STL_Cat]

I can see the future, and in December there will be a "What's wrong with Daimion Collins???" post. Several of them. Because some of you guys have yourselves believing this raw dude that just started playing ball a few years ago is going to come in and be a savior. Ain't gonna happen.

 

[LowCountryCat]

you could be happy that we got a damn roster.

Yeah set those high expectations!!!

 

[HagginHall1999]

I hate to put it on one guy, but the one guy we have that can make or break this team, is Tyty Washington.

Wheeler is okay, but his lack of height and length will prevent him from being a star. Tyty has the length and athletesism to be the best pg in the SEC.

Wheeler and Mintz can hold the Fort down for a while, but if we are to have any shot at a FF, Tyty is going to have to be a star.

I agree Jeff. However, I am more inclined to see Washington play off the ball and let Wheeler and Mintz run the point. If Washington shoots like reports indicate (if if if) I don't want him running the offense, I want him taking the shots. Mintz proved at EOY last year he can be a solid PG. Wheeler can beat his man and this is proven. He can set the table for our shooters all day and that is all we need IMO.

 

[STL_Cat]

Well we can guarantee it won't be as bad as last season.

The Delta variant is devastating for teams with several transfers, I hear.

 

[Wunky]

Who's minutes will Hopkins be taking though? Brooks and Oscar are shoe ins for those two starting spots, then you have Toppin, Collins and Ware. I don't see much pt for Bryce.

I’m talking about if Oscar gets in foul trouble. The implication was that Collins and Ware are both too weak/green to spell him. Hopkins however is a wide load. It would obviously be a smaller lineup, but he provides bulk that the other two guys can’t, plus he’s much more developed offensively than they are.

 

[seccats04]

I’m talking about if Oscar gets in foul trouble. The implication was that Collins and Ware are both too weak/green to spell him. Hopkins however is a wide load. It would obviously be a smaller lineup, but he provides bulk that the other two guys can’t, plus he’s much more developed offensively than they are.

Hopkins is also only like 6-6, maybe 6-7. That's not gonna cut it. Plus his game is not being a banger down low. He is built for the mid-range game.

 

[kyledakota3]

Hopkins is also only like 6-6, maybe 6-7. That's not gonna cut it. Plus his game is not being a banger down low. He is built for the mid-range game.

We would sure have to hit all our 3's because we wouldn't be getting many rebounds with that lineup.

 

[cats#1again]

Seems like he already broadcasted his excuse earlier when he knew Duren wasn't coming. I'm just really getting sick of the car salesman that can't sale the cars anymore!

What excuse was that?

 

[BigBlueFan19]

I’m going to say Ware is gonna surprise a few on here when he backs up Oscar. We all know Oscar is gonna be in foul trouble a lot with SEC refs.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

he’s not a fan of the cats

LOL wrong.

 

[kyjeff1]

I agree Jeff. However, I am more inclined to see Washington play off the ball and let Wheeler and Mintz run the point. If Washington shoots like reports indicate (if if if) I don't want him running the offense, I want him taking the shots. Mintz proved at EOY last year he can be a solid PG. Wheeler can beat his man and this is proven. He can set the table for our shooters all day and that is all we need IMO.

If Wheeler is our primary pg, our ceiling is sweet 16.
Washington can shoot all the threes he wants from the PG spot. The ball will cycle back to him on offensive sets and if he's open, he can fire away.
Brandon Knight was a very good pg at UK and it was because he could shoot. Defenses will have to come out and check Tyty, which makes him very dangerous.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

We need more than a capable back up. The 5 position could spell trouble. Who’s gonna play the five when Oscar is out? Oscars only gonna play around 20 to 25 minutes per game. Who fills in those other 20 minutes? Toppin? Keion? Maybe Collins can but he is so raw that I wouldn’t bet on it.

I hope Ware or Collins can back up Oscar. IMO, we should’ve went after Kofi, who was a proven D1 starter and second team AA. Sign a second team AA now, ask questions later. JMO.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

If Wheeler is our primary pg, our ceiling is sweet 16.
Washington can shoot all the threes he wants from the PG spot. The ball will cycle back to him on offensive sets and if he's open, he can fire away.
Brandon Knight was a very good pg at UK and it was because he could shoot. Defenses will have to come out and check Tyty, which makes him very dangerous.

It depends on whether Wheeler can be respectable from deep or not. If he can, the sky is the limit. I kinda think he’ll shoot a better percentage with much more talent around him.

 

[senonesy]

The roster is as follows:

• #0 - Jacob Toppin
• #1 - CJ Fredrick
• #2 - Sahvir Wheeler
• #3 - TyTy Washington
• #4 - Daimion Collins
• #10 - Davion Mintz
• #11 - Dontaie Allen
• #12 - Keion Brooks Jr.
• #14 - Brennan Canada
• #20 - Zan Payne
• #23 - Bryce Hopkins
• #25 - Kareem Watkins
• #31 - Kellan Grady
• #34 - Oscar Tshiebwe
• #55 - Lance Ware

Man, love that roster. Let’s go!!!

 

[Cowtown Cat]

I want to be excited, I really do, but as usual this team has one glaring weakness, We are still missing that one player that we need, which is at the five position. We have zero depth at five position. Oscar over his career has only average around 25 minutes per game. Extremely foul prone. When that happens we really don’t have anybody that can step in and contribute at a high-level. That’s why Cal totally screwed up by passing on Kofi. Unfortunately for him I’m afraid that’s going to come back to bite him in the rear really hard. We shall see. Hopefully I’m wrong.

Yep. I can’t help but agree. I just don’t understand it really. Some people will say, well, the players didn’t want to add Kofi. Okay, but they wanted to add Duren?! That just doesn’t add up to me.

I, like many others, think that we are thin at the 5. Now, if Ware can improve, we should be okay. I think he’s the prime candidate to get run at the 5 along with Oscar. Just would’ve been nice to add Kofi for insurance.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

I honestly am worried it is going to screw with attendance again. I can already hear it now..."capacity down to 25%, have to be healthy at home."

Hate to think that way but with news of my kid's school going backwards, well it is the crappy hand we are dealt right now.

Yep and there’s absolutely NO sense in the BS either. You can’t keep trying to shut the country down over a ******* virus that has a 99%+ survival rate. Sorry, it’s just annoying as hell.

 

[SparksForThree]

If Wheeler is our primary pg, our ceiling is sweet 16.
Washington can shoot all the threes he wants from the PG spot. The ball will cycle back to him on offensive sets and if he's open, he can fire away.
Brandon Knight was a very good pg at UK and it was because he could shoot. Defenses will have to come out and check Tyty, which makes him very dangerous.

I'm more inclined to let TyTy play off-ball more in that Quickley/Monk/Murray role. He can certainly play some point, but I'm not sure he has that elite first step to get by anyone in front of him. He's more skill than athlete - which is good!

Wheeler on the other hand has that elite first step. He has some obvious decencies in his game - shooting and turnovers. But there's other things he is absolutely elite at - getting to the rim and passing.

Two stats on Wheeler's season last year:
-He averaged more shots at the rim than any Cal-era PG (shot 54% at the rim - solid for a guy of his size)
-He also would've had the highest assist rate of any Cal-era PG (and that's with a terrible shooting UGA team and no legit post presence)

Another thing that I love about him is he looks to push the ball at all times. He puts a lot of pressure on the defense just to get back because he's so fast with the ball. I'm hoping he can break Cal a little because my one complaint about Cal over the years is he lets teams dictate pace way too often. Wheeler can change that.

His player profile is very close to Hagans but with a higher IQ and without the baggage which is a really good player. I'm definitely excited to watch what he can do with all the weapons he will have now.

 

[kyjeff1]

I'm more inclined to let TyTy play off-ball more in that Quickley/Monk/Murray role. He can certainly play some point, but I'm not sure he has that elite first step to get by anyone in front of him. He's more skill than athlete - which is good!

Wheeler on the other hand has that elite first step. He has some obvious decencies in his game - shooting and turnovers. But there's other things he is absolutely elite at - getting to the rim and passing.

Two stats on Wheeler's season last year:
-He averaged more shots at the rim than any Cal-era PG (shot 54% at the rim - solid for a guy of his size)
-He also would've had the highest assist rate of any Cal-era PG (and that's with a terrible shooting UGA team and no legit post presence)

Another thing that I love about him is he looks to push the ball at all times. He puts a lot of pressure on the defense just to get back because he's so fast with the ball. I'm hoping he can break Cal a little because my one complaint about Cal over the years is he lets teams dictate pace way too often. Wheeler can change that.

His player profile is very close to Hagans but with a higher IQ and without the baggage which is a really good player. I'm definitely excited to watch what he can do with all the weapons he will have now.

It will be interesting to see how Cal manages the guards, he has a lot of options. I just don't think we will go very far with Wheeler running the pg spot.

 

[HagginHall1999]

If Wheeler is our primary pg, our ceiling is sweet 16.
Washington can shoot all the threes he wants from the PG spot. The ball will cycle back to him on offensive sets and if he's open, he can fire away.
Brandon Knight was a very good pg at UK and it was because he could shoot. Defenses will have to come out and check Tyty, which makes him very dangerous.

Good points on TyTy. I don't agree regarding Wheeler and ceiling but you have a very valid pt regarding having to respect TyTy's shot...for sure.

 

[Wunky]

Yep and there’s absolutely NO sense in the BS either. You can’t keep trying to shut the country down over a ****ing virus that has a 99%+ survival rate. Sorry, it’s just annoying as hell.

Could not agree more. Those at highest risk (elderly, obese, comorbidities) should protect themselves however they see fit, whether it be through vaccines, masks, social distancing, or all of the above. The rest of us (and especially our children and their alleged educators) should be allowed to get on with our lives.

Regardless how anyone feels about our former president, he said one thing when all this started that was 100% correct: we can’t let the response to the virus be worse than the virus. Unfortunately that is precisely what has happened.

 

[westerncat]

I'm telling you some of you are over looking Ware ! He will be a good back up at the 5.

 

[Bluesnky]

To say that our weakness is that we do not have a good back up center would almost by definition make Kentucky a national title contender.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I'm concerned because we don't have one elite player on this roster.

Cal has never been to a Final Four without a legitimate lottery pick. Collins might be that guy, but unlike guys like Randle, Knight, and Towns, he's going to have to make a massive jump in one season in order to pull it off.

I think Washington can be that guy. Cal is really good at developing guards quickly and while Washington is not Wall, Fox, or Knight level, he is in that Murray and Monk range (at least in the rankings). And Cal has done well with guards with lower rankings like Booker, Bledsoe, and SGA.

And early practice reports are saying that Washington is really impressing.

While I don’t think he will be another Wall or Fox, I think he will be closer to that than he will be to being another Askew.

 

[TheWyldKat_rivals45219]

I think Lance Ware has the potential to be a really good backup 5.

The problem with the Kofi/Oscar scenario is, neither is a backup, they are both primary guys and when we're talking about playing at least 3 guards, it just doesn't make sense to have Kofi AND Oscar out there.

Ware has the tools to be a really good 5 in short spurts.

I agree with you but I don’t really think you have to play them together. I think the team would be more effective not having them on the floor together at the same time. It may not be the easiest thing to do but it would be the best way to ensure the team has the most success and has a chance to win a national title. That’s what this is all about, winning a national title, I don’t really care as much about anything else.

 

[crxohio]

I'm telling you some of you are over looking Ware ! He will be a good back up at the 5.

Ware has not completely reassured his role. Once he does, i think we gonna be surprising surprised at what he brings. He gonna come up huge on the road in sec. More than once.

 

[crxohio]

Tyty is closer to doron but from a tru pg angle. Than knight or wall. He was a huge pickup for this team. Especially playing with gutsy mintz. I love our roster! Year 1 of the turn around imho.

 

[crxohio]

I'm more inclined to let TyTy play off-ball more in that Quickley/Monk/Murray role. He can certainly play some point, but I'm not sure he has that elite first step to get by anyone in front of him. He's more skill than athlete - which is good!

Wheeler on the other hand has that elite first step. He has some obvious decencies in his game - shooting and turnovers. But there's other things he is absolutely elite at - getting to the rim and passing.

Two stats on Wheeler's season last year:
-He averaged more shots at the rim than any Cal-era PG (shot 54% at the rim - solid for a guy of his size)
-He also would've had the highest assist rate of any Cal-era PG (and that's with a terrible shooting UGA team and no legit post presence)

Another thing that I love about him is he looks to push the ball at all times. He puts a lot of pressure on the defense just to get back because he's so fast with the ball. I'm hoping he can break Cal a little because my one complaint about Cal over the years is he lets teams dictate pace way too often. Wheeler can change that.

His player profile is very close to Hagans but with a higher IQ and without the baggage which is a really good player. I'm definitely excited to watch what he can do with all the weapons he will have now.

Exactly why i say he closer to doron. Thats not a bad thing

 

[bucsrule8872]

I like the team too but the 5 spot is a big concern. Collins is not a 5. He is tall but is built more like Wenyen Gabriel and is not a post up player. He likes the 15 foot jumpers vs banging down low and he will get pushed around on defense. At this point he seems more like a raw version of Sarr. And if we have to play Ware extended minutes we are in trouble. That is like playing 4 on 5. I would rather Toppin be the back up 5 and the offense run up and down the floor for some fast break points to cover our weakness.

Good post.

But if you look at it closely, you kind of gave me even more hope for the 5 spot.

We have lots of options behind Tshiebwe. We don’t have another true monster Center to play at the 5, but several options to play.

Tshiebwe averaged 23 minutes a game as a Freshman at WVU, before they brought in Culver, which lowered his minutes. He should be able to play that for us.

Collins is not a true 5, but in the modern game, he can be effective at the 5, if Cal will play to his strengths. He can surely spell Tshiebwe for 10 minutes a game (5 each half).

Then you have Toppin, who is similar to Collins, and is a little more skilled. He can give us 5 or so minutes each game.

Ware is only going to get better, he is at least five fouls to use. He can fill in and play 4-5 minutes if we are in serious foul trouble.

We also could play Brooks in there for limited minutes.

That should give us enough bodies at the 5.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Quick question: did the NCAA officially change the foul rule yet?

I know they were talking about going with a 6 fouls, 3 per half rule for this season.

That would really help us out considering Tshiebwe’s propensity for fouling.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Here is my projected 9-man rotation. I think Allen will play as the 10th man early on, but then Cal will cut back to a 9-man rotation by the time the SEC rolls around.

G Washington(20)/Wheeler(20)
G Mintz(25)/Washington(10)/Fredrick(5)
G Grady(30)/Fredrick(10)
F Brooks(20)/Toppin(20)
F Tshiebwe(25)/Collins(15)

Washington- 30
Grady- 30
Mintz- 25
Tshiebwe- 25
Brooks- 20
Wheeler- 20
Toppin- 20
Fredrick- 15
Collins- 15

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I like the team too but the 5 spot is a big concern. Collins is not a 5. He is tall but is built more like Wenyen Gabriel and is not a post up player. He likes the 15 foot jumpers vs banging down low and he will get pushed around on defense. At this point he seems more like a raw version of Sarr. And if we have to play Ware extended minutes we are in trouble. That is like playing 4 on 5. I would rather Toppin be the back up 5 and the offense run up and down the floor for some fast break points to cover our weakness.

Oscar is still the 5. I know people are concerned with fouls, and he does foul a good deal.. but we've dealt with this for years. We've had teams with thinner front courts. The staff will work on this, and there will be plenty of games where he's mostly unaffected.

It's not like Oscar is only going to play 10 minutes a game with fouls.

It'll be 17 minutes lol.

But honestly, I'm not too worried about the front court. Oscar will have an impact. You got Collins and Ware to fill in as needed. And a lot of size at the SF and PF that can make up for lack of center depth. Still one of the nation's longest teams. And this opens the door for more shooting and wing players.

 

[kyjeff1]

Yeah, I think we have plenty of frontcourt depth, but that is with the premise that Cal is going to roll with 3 guards and focus more on the 3 ball than forcing it inside.

Cal should be able to get Oscar in better defensive positions to stave off some of the foul trouble.

Remember, WVa plays a much more physical style of defense. I feel like WVa fouls all game long, but only gets called for half of the fouls they actually commit. They would not like playing in the SEC

 

[Elliott Tim]

How will Cal turn Covid into his way out this year? Especially with the tough schedule we have this year, I’m going to say 3 loses before SEC play and 5 loses in league play. Just a guess but a lot better then last year.

Give me your projected losses so I won't waste my time watching those games.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Hopkins is also only like 6-6, maybe 6-7. That's not gonna cut it. Plus his game is not being a banger down low. He is built for the mid-range game.

In the modern game, you can play a 5 out system, which we could do with Hopkins at the 5, IF he can defend in the post. I know people have talked about his offensive game, but I don’t know much about him defensively. I know he is built pretty well, so maybe he can play the 5.

I think he is similar in build to P.J. Washington and Washington was our primary inside player in 2018 and if he made his free throws, we would have been in the Elite Eight with a great shot at the Final Four that year.

Might be that Hopkins could fill in for 5-10 minutes behind Tshiebwe and Collins.

Height is somewhat irrelevant, but style of play, whether he can hold his own down on the block, is the big question.

I haven’t seen Hopkins play very much, so I don’t know. He looks strong and skilled from what little I have seen. Pretty good traits to have at any position.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Yeah, I think we have plenty of frontcourt depth, but that is with the premise that Cal is going to roll with 3 guards and focus more on the 3 ball than forcing it inside.

Cal should be able to get Oscar in better defensive positions to stave off some of the foul trouble.

Remember, WVa plays a much more physical style of defense. I feel like WVa fouls all game long, but only gets called for half of the fouls they actually commit. They would not like playing in the SEC

Good post.

If Cal does what he says he wants to do, then we play 4 out. We need 4 guys with perimeter skills (can handle, pass, and shoot) and one inside presence.

Tshiebwe should give us around 25 minutes a game at the 5.

That leaves around 15 a game for Collins and Ware to fight over.

Plus you’ve got Toppin or if you want an experienced guy who can rebound and play with energy, you can go with Brooks.

We don’t know for sure what Hopkins brings to the table just yet. He might be able to fill in at the 5.

Lots of options at the 5 behind Tshiebwe. Hopefully, he stays healthy and we only need a few minutes a game from the other guys.

If Tshiebwe goes down with an injury, we are in trouble.

I sure hope he stays healthy, because if not we will have to listen to, “should have signed Kofi” the rest of the season.

 

[BBallin23]

Here is my projected 9-man rotation. I think Allen will play as the 10th man early on, but then Cal will cut back to a 9-man rotation by the time the SEC rolls around.

G Washington(20)/Wheeler(20)
G Mintz(25)/Washington(10)/Fredrick(5)
G Grady(30)/Fredrick(10)
F Brooks(20)/Toppin(20)
F Tshiebwe(25)/Collins(15)

Washington- 30
Grady- 30
Mintz- 25
Tshiebwe- 25
Brooks- 20
Wheeler- 20
Toppin- 20
Fredrick- 15
Collins- 15

Allen will no doubt be in the rotation.