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Topic: The Rotation

Topic: The Rotation

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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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The Rotation

Posted: 10/21/2025 8:28:13 PM

The Wright State scrimmage thread has a lot of thoughts about this year's rotation, so figured I'd start a thread on the topic. Curious to get others thoughts about how it'll shake out.

Against Wright State, Boals the starting 5 was (minutes):

Pavs (32)
Sheldon (33)
Hadaway (30)
Simmons (23)
Elliot (31)

Bench minutes:

Breath (17)
Kuany (10)
Connors (9)
Burris (9)
Kelly (6)

With the caveat of "it was a scrimmage", seems like a lot of folks were surprised to see Sheldon in the starting 5, and I would certainly be surprised if he's playing 30 minutes a game.

What do folks think our most used 5 man lineup will be this coming season? How much run will the 'big' lineup of Pavs, Elliot, Hadaway, Simmons and Breath get? If Sheldon ends up closer to where he should be (~20-22 minutes per game) where do those additional minutes go. In the offseason, my guess was Connors. But that doesn't seem to add any size on the perimeter.

GoCats105
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/22/2025 10:56:54 AM

Either Burris or Sheldon absolutely has to step up and become the outside shooting threat on this team. Otherwise, any drive and kick capability from Pav or E2 go out the window. If that's the case, you may as well go big boy ball and bring shooters off the bench. To me, I'm splitting minutes between Burris and Sheldon until one can prove he's the guy, then giving more to the one that does as the season progresses.

E2 (30)
Pav (30)
Hadaway (25)
Simmons (25)
Breath (20)
Connors (15)
Sheldon (15)
Burris (15)
Kuany (15)
Kelly (10)

Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/22/2025 11:55:09 AM

That looks about right to me. My only quibbles are minor ones -- I'm not sure we'll get 15 minutes out of Kuany, for instance. But otherwise that's what I'd expect, as well.

Another season without size on the wings. You can get away with that in the MAC generally, so not a huge issue, but I do think if you're going to be small on the wing you should be making up for it with shooting. And I'm not sure our roster is set up to do that. Feels like Connors/Burris are the two X-factors for us and one or (ideally) both need to step up.

Fingers crossed.

FearLeon
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/22/2025 12:08:33 PM

GoCats105 wrote:

Wait a minute�did Conners come here to play only 15 minutes per game? I don�t see this as a positive if one of our key portal additions is only getting 15 minutes from the shooter position.

Last Edited: 10/22/2025 12:10:22 PM by FearLeon

#BleedGreen #TrentIsGOAT

GoCats105
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/22/2025 12:17:36 PM

FearLeon wrote:

GoCats105 wrote:

Wait a minute�did Conners come here to play only 15 minutes per game? I don�t see this as a positive if one of our key portal additions is only getting 15 minutes from the shooter position.

I don't think he came here to play only 15 per game, but I'm also just basing this off of the scrimmage. He could easily take some combo of Kuany, Sheldon or Burris minutes away.

FearLeon
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/22/2025 12:37:11 PM

GoCats105 wrote:

FearLeon wrote:

GoCats105 wrote:

Wait a minute�did Conners come here to play only 15 minutes per game? I don�t see this as a positive if one of our key portal additions is only getting 15 minutes from the shooter position.

I don't think he came here to play only 15 per game, but I'm also just basing this off of the scrimmage. He could easily take some combo of Kuany, Sheldon or Burris minutes away.

+1

I'd like to see Conners up to 20-22 minutes per game and Sheldon down to 5-10 minutes per game.

Last Edited: 10/22/2025 12:38:10 PM by FearLeon

#BleedGreen #TrentIsGOAT

GoCats105
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/22/2025 1:54:36 PM

Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:

Yeah I don't think we're going to fully realize that wing size until 2026-27 when Kelly (6'6") and Fisher (6'5") are part of the regular rotation. We'll also hopefully have a fully healed Mosley (6'7") back then and still not sure what type of guy he'll be.

FJC31
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/22/2025 2:03:13 PM

Connors was playing 28 mpg last year. I understand playing closer to home was a factor for him, but I'd like to think he sees more minutes if he's knocking down the 3. I also hope Breath sees around 25 minutes.

OhioCatFan
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/22/2025 4:06:44 PM

What happened to Evans? Did he leave school or something? Seems he's not fitting into anyone's projection of minutes at all. Perhaps, I missed an announcement about his status.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

GoCats105
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/22/2025 4:38:17 PM

OhioCatFan wrote:

What happened to Evans? Did he leave school or something? Seems he's not fitting into anyone's projection of minutes at all. Perhaps, I missed an announcement about his status.

Check the Wright State exhibition thread.

OhioCatFan
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/22/2025 4:51:18 PM

GoCats105 wrote:

OhioCatFan wrote:

What happened to Evans? Did he leave school or something? Seems he's not fitting into anyone's projection of minutes at all. Perhaps, I missed an announcement about his status.

Check the Wright State exhibition thread.

OK, I just read the rest of the thread. I had stopped reading it after my post about how depressing the thread was. Most of the discussion of Evans was after that. And, most of that discussion was speculative, and the general consensus among the BA analysts was that he wasn't ready to play in year two because he didn't play in that exhibition game. Maybe there are other explanations. I hope so, because I was counting on him to do a little rim protecting.

Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/22/2025 4:54:33 PM

OhioCatFan wrote:

People also watched him play last year and took note of the fact that Boals brought in two bigs in the portal.

If people are expecting much from Evans this year, they're gonna be disappointed.

GraffZ06
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/22/2025 8:35:55 PM

OhioCatFan wrote:

GoCats105 wrote:

OhioCatFan wrote:

What happened to Evans? Did he leave school or something? Seems he's not fitting into anyone's projection of minutes at all. Perhaps, I missed an announcement about his status.

Check the Wright State exhibition thread.

Its certainly possible he was a healthy scratch due to academics, or a team rules violation or something we aren't privy to I guess. But he was definitely healthy. Full participant in warm ups. Running jumping dunking etc.

Seemed like a DNP coaches decision to me. And that was disappointing.

rollbobbies
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/23/2025 8:30:26 AM

I won't disagree that we should try the big lineup with Hadaway, Simmons, and Breath, but I have major doubts that it can be a sustainable lineup.

Simmons is going to struggle mightily to defend any type of player that isn't a typical MAC 5, and he would see lots of those players if he was asked to defend 4's. I have the same feeling of Hadaway at the 3. Hadaway can handle MAC 4's, but asking him to guard MAC 3's (who are typically tilted towards more of a guard skillset like Eliot) seems like a stretch.

Those issues, on top of the offensive spacing concerns others have mentioned seem too much to overcome with rebounding and physicality alone. Unless we'd play Burris/Sheldon with Pavs to add some shooting, but that even further exacerbate that trio's defensive issues by asking Burris/Sheldon or Pavs to guard the other team's best guard.

I just don't see any way these lineups are sustainable for 20+ minutes a game unless the other team has multiple non-shooters on the floor at the same time as Simmons and Breath to not have to close-out to.

GraffZ06
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/23/2025 10:55:05 AM

Ill put my thoughts on dispersal of minutes later after time to think and evaluate, but this whole thread highlights the core issue I've been stating.

Our roster construction, from a "the whole is greater than the individual parts" or "every player fits a piece" is AWFUL.

We have a bunch of really talented players, none of which fit together or compliment each other well without causing other issues (defense, rebounding, outside shooting etc).

Boals and Co have a lot of work in front of them to make this work IMO. And it might require some hurt feelings reports by certain players who probably have the skill to earn more minutes than they will end up getting due to "fit".

rollbobbies
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/23/2025 11:06:28 AM

GraffZ06 wrote:

Agreed, and I think this has been the core issue for the last 3-4 years. Seems to be somewhat of an issue due to the new transfer/recruiting world we live in, but also hasn't felt to me like Boals has been willing to try many different combinations for a better fit throughout seasons. Feels like he tends to try to let the best 5 figure out how best to play together by March, rather than putting the best fit of 5 out there from the start. I can see his thinking because all that matters is 3 days in March, so you hope your best 5 figure it out enough to reach the absolute maximum potential of the roster, but it hasn't worked out that way recently.

MonroeClassmate
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/23/2025 8:05:46 PM

rollbobbies wrote:

Simmons is going to struggle mightily to defend any type of player that isn't a typical MAC 5, and he would see lots of those players if he was asked to defend 4's. I have the same feeling of Hadaway at the 3. Hadaway can handle MAC 4's, but asking him to guard MAC 3's (who are typically tilted towards more of a guard skillset like Eliot) seems like a stretch.

And wouldn't the typical MAC 4 struggle mightily to defend Simmons? Wouldn't a MAC three struggle to keep Hadaway when his teammates clear out for him from backing down the undersized defender? If help comes then the good passing Hadaway will find the open Bobcat for a shot or another pass. I could see both Simmons and Hadaway getting fatigued faster and see their minutes go down but that is the time for Kuany, Kelly and Evans to give them a blow. The three bigs at a time wouldn't be for many minutes before rotating to Breath on the bench and a midsize lineup gives it a go. I think it foolish to not at least see what those three on the floor together looks like in early competition.

These big bodies also allow for some great picked fence screens to knock the fillings loose from defenders attempting to fight through. Not to mention the size should cut down on opponent's offensive rebounds.

In Boals We Trust or must!

rollbobbies
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RE: The Rotation

Posted: 10/24/2025 8:07:47 AM

MonroeClassmate wrote:

rollbobbies wrote:

Sure, the typical MAC 4 would struggle to defend Simmons 1-on-1, and a MAC 3 would struggle to defend Hadaway 1-on-1. Problem is, in our scenario, there are 5 guys on the court for each team at all times. That means if Simmons is posting up a 4, Breath has to be somewhere. If he's on the other side of the paint as the ball, the defending 5-man can double/help easily. If Breath is spaced out, no 5 man is going to close out hard to him on the perimeter, making it easy for him to double/help. Even worse would be when Hadaway is posting up. Where would Simmons and Breath be? If they are in the post, no room for Hadaway. If they are on the perimeter, no opposing defense is letting Hadaway get to the rim to make sure they close out to our non-shooting 4 and 5 men. I don't care how good your passing is, if there is no room to put pressure on the rim, and your kickout options can't shoot, it won't work.

I'm not saying there are no positives involved. Offensive rebounding would surely have to be the strong suit, and I'd agree that we'd be much more physical than any team we'd face. I just don't think the spacing would be there to score enough points to compete.

And our defense would not be good, no matter how much our rebounding would improve. We may not even have to rebound with that group on the floor if they can't stay in front of people. It could be layup lines.

Again, I do hope we actually try it and that I'm proven wrong. Maybe Simmons can shoot enough from the perimeter to keep a defense honest. And maybe Hadaway and Simmons can defend the least threatening shooters on the other team and we can get away with being a little less athletic on defense. It could work in certain situations or against certain teams. I just have doubts that we'd win 3 games in Cleveland with that lineup being used often.

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