I'm a huge fan of John Brady. He loves LSU and has done very well considering the sanctions LSU has been under. This is the starting five i'd love to see at the beginning of the season. PG - Tack Minor - The guy is flat out relentless. As long as he stayys within Brady's system and doesn't become a ball hog he will be great. Remember he scored 72 points in one game last season. I'm looking for about 10 points a game from him. SG - Antonio Hudson - This guy played very well as a freshman but lost a little confidence last year as a sophomore. I expect him to regain his confidence. He needs to drive to the basket more instead of taking all those outside shots. About 11 points a game from him. SF - Regis Konjia - This guy reminds me of a young Stacey Augmon with a little more upside. He can flat out run the floor. He will be great in transition. Looking for a bout 14 points a game. PF - Brandon Bass - Strength, skills, and a love for the game. Enough said. Looking for about 16 points a game. Center - Jaime Lloread - Strength and skills. He needs to keep his anger down though. Looking for a bout 16 points a game from him. First of the bench - SG - Darrel Mitchell: I love this guys game. He's only 5'11" but he can jump out of the gym and he loves to shoot the 3 - ball. He will likely average close to 10 points a game off the bench. PG - Xavier Whipple: I know he started last year. He is a great floor leader, but he just can't score. I think Brady will start him but when the games get tougher we will see Tack Minor at the point. Xavier will contribute about 4 points a game. SG - Tony Gibson: This guy is sooooo quick and can shoot the 3-ball. I expect him to get about 6 points a game. SF - Ross Nelter: He was Kentucky's Mr. Basketball, but I don't think Louisville and UK really recruited this guy at all. This scares me. I know he is about 6'8". Hopefully his credentials match his ability. PG - Charlie Thompson - He loves the game and is a very smart player who doesn't turn the ball over. Look for him to get a little playing time. PF - Tim Bush - This guy is only 6'6". He is a forward. Hopefully he will get some playing time this year and relieve Brandon Bass for a break every now and then. This could be one great season if this team forms some chemistry. Just my opinion here guys. Let me know what you think.
i think Whipple should start until he Minor proves ON THE COURT he is better and more capable of handling the position than Whipple....Xavier proved to be a key player in last year's team...i think if stayed on the bench we would have been lucky to make the NIT after that horrid 6 game SEC losing streak...
Whipple will get the start. The team last year played lights out 180 degrees different when he got inserted. He's just the right guy at the right time for this team. He knows the offense, and he's got the experience on Tack. Minor's time will come, but not right now... As for your other starting five, I can't disagree with you. I think that Antonio was averse to driving because he doesn't have the physical nature to be able to take contact down there. He shys away from it. A year of weight training probably cured that shyness, though. I think Mitchell and Gipson are first off the bench. We need Whipple in as the starter to help temper Minor's exuberance for scoring. We have a lot of mouths to feed in that offense, and inserting a guy who's shot the rock his entire career thusfar and asking him to dish the rock doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Eventually, his talent will help him push through to the starting lineup, but look for him to be brought along slowly...
i think Minor realizes his role on the team...this is from the annual media day: Tack Minor (Fr., Guard) "I've had to learn the other side of my game since I've been here; I can't score as much as I used to. I have to concentrate on passing, so I've been working on that all summer. I pass the ball, and when I'm wide open, I'll take good shots. I'm trying to develop into an all-around point guard. "We're a run-and-gun team, and we're explosive in the paint. We're going to have a lot of high-flying activity. I'm looking forward to passing the ball, and I'm hoping to lead our conference in assists. I'm looking forward to being a leader, controlling the floor and getting the ball to our big men."
