2019-2020 B1G Basketball Thread

[Brutus Buckeye]

I had never even noticed him before.

[ELA]

I've never heard of him

[bayareabadger]

UW's prognosis next year is interesting to say the least. 

The team returns six Big Ten rotation players and adds a transfer who pretty much projects as one. The sentiment now seems to be the freshman will at least have a rotation role, and if that happens, you've got a full rotation. 

BUT there's the feeling there's not a ton of star potential with the group. Cruddy finishes for the guards and best forward have people a big edgy. I'm less concerned because I think a good coach with lots of solid pieces should be able to be fine, but who knows.

Who is coming back:
F Nate Reuvers: Will likely start at center and be the No. 1 big. Has range, a developing post game that's a little soft for my taste and can block shots, but doesn't move that well. Was quite good for 2/3s of the year, but tailed off. He's the most talented and has the clearest role. Should be fine.
G D'Mitrik Trice: Smaller guard, good floor general, had struggles with end-of-clock work after the first 10-15 games. He's the target of some fan ire. I think he'll be fine, but not sure about the ceiling
G Brad Davison: Thicker guard. Plays some point, some 2, could be a third guard. Was miserable shooting at points but seems to have potential. Another guy the UW fanbase has seen a lot of and is feeling less great about. My gut is he'll be fine.
Wing Kobe King: He's a guy who can do a little of everything, and has become a sort of beacon of hope for fans who see potential there. Showed the ability to post a little, drive some, hit shots, play the perimeter. He was bad down the stretch despite being more active, and despite the fact I think he'll be good, I'm not as high on him as some.
G Brevin Pritzl: A shooter who can do a bit more. Good rebounder, solid finisher. Release isn't quick enough, but he's an efficient complementary player. Played 19 MPG this year, could get up to 22-25ish maybe.
Aleem Ford: Combo forward shooter who doesn't attack well and is kinda slow. He shot well last year, bad this year, is kinda a functional defender since he can switch and move his feet OKish. Not better than a lightly used 3rd big, but maybe there's a jump in there.

The transfer
Former OSU big Micah Potter: He's a 6-9, 240 pounder who many are penciling in as the starting 4/backup 5. Can I guess shoot. Any thoughts OSU fans?

Who is leaving
Ethan Happ: All-time great. Had some issues with his game and dominated the offense, but his gravity was big. Defense and rebonding will be a mess to replace. 
Kahlil Iverson: Athletic dunking wing without much range. Was ragged on as an offense stopped most of the year, and suddenly came on late as the rest of the offense struggled. Some fans are worried about losing him, which is a reminder to not write anyone off.

Who is joining up
F Tyler Wahl: Looks like a hard-nosed combo forward. Maybe can shooter. Could surpass Ford in the rotation, and one insider has him as an instant plug in for the top-8. Even though it fits the complexion rule, feels like a Krabbenhoft or Bruesewitz

Reserves to watch
F Taylor Currie: Reclassified to move up a year and redshirted. Might be a stretch big, also might be a year away still. 
C Joseph Hedstrom: A walk-on who will get a scholarship. Big and apparently unafraid to mix it up. Maybe a 3-4 MPG guy
G Trevor Anderson: Productive small school transfer who walked on, after a knee injury, tore his ACL early last year. Seems like a nice functional fourth guard, maybe more? 


Guy who never was
Tai Strickland: Tall point guard with a high upside. Kinda unclear if he was in position to reach that upside, but his path to PT next year wasn't clear. So he's gone and UW has an extra opening to play with.

Not a team with any surefire stars, but I assume with a good coach can cobble together a solidish Big Ten team that should probably make the dance. It might get weird, though. 

[MaximumSam]

Ledee was a freshman who barely played. He was big guy, and this team was extremely thin center, and he still barely played.

Potter should be a great fit at Wisconsin. Has a good inside outside game. Didn't want to be stuck behind Wesson.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Being stuck behind Wesson seems like it would be a pretty sweet gig, with him getting in foul trouble every game and getting suspended for weeks at a time. 

[medinabuckeye1]

Jaedon Ledee transferring. Not really surprising, he became an afterthought by the end of the season.

For now, and assuming this is the only early departure I think that this will have very little impact on tOSU for the 19/20 season. In 18/19 he was the fifth big in minutes behind both Wessons, Young, and Aherns. I expect all four of them to return so he likely wouldn't have moved up. Depending on how good the incoming bigs look he might even have fallen to #6 or #7.
IMHO, this is more concerning for the 20/21 season. Assuming that both Wesson brothers leave after 19/20, then Ledee would theoretically have the #3 big. It also wouldn't have been implausible for him to surpass Aherns and/or Young to become a starter.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Are we assuming Wesson the younger is leaving a year early?

[medinabuckeye1]

Are we assuming Wesson the younger is leaving a year early?

I am, for now.
I basically see either possibility as a mixed bag:
I'd obviously love for him to have a great 19/20 season but the downside of that is that then he'll probably leave.
I'd love for him to stay through his Senior season of 20/21 but the downside of that is that it probably means that his 19/20 wasn't very good.

[ELA]

Jordan Pooles dad fighting on social media with UM fans, saying he's ready for his son to move on.  So that's a development

[MarqHusker]

Hoiberg.

[MaximumSam]

Hoiberg.

Heck of a coach

[Anonymous Coward]

Jordan Pooles dad fighting on social media with UM fans, saying he's ready for his son to move on.  So that's a development

I haven't heard about that. Wouldn't be the first time a kid left too soon (he's not in striking distance of the 1st Rd). But it is one of the weirder ways for fans to find out.
I'm conflicted if it happens. We'll always have the Houston shot but Poole may have landed furthest from expectations this year. Obviously he's not an elite defender, but he was typically good enough given the surrounding cast; his main demerit was how his offense became so streaky. Not as inefficient as Charles Mathews but we didn't expect much more from Mathews (and his defense generally [more than] made up for it).

[FearlessF]

Heck of a coach

we're gonna find out

[betarhoalphadelta]

So, does Carsen Edwards go to the NBA? I have to think he impressed some people with his run through the tournament...