balance

[p diddy]

i think more than ever, the 2004 billikens need to rely on balanced scoring. for the past three of four years, we've depended on basically one player to score and hope to get scraps from other people.

we need to have a team that can take the floor with three or four legitimate "threats." instead of just marque, just j-love or just mo-jeff.

I look for reggie for about 14-16 points a game (somewhere in that range). but i would like to see a few more billikens average in double figures next season.

who do you think are the most likely candidates. Josh fisher, Izik, Sloan. maybe frericks. some of those guys have to step up and be counted on the offensive end.

i doubt if we can get claggett-highmark-dobbs production or even bonner-douglass-gray, but such teams are tough to defend. do we have people who are up to the task? i think they had better be.

bad boyz for life

[jjray]

Agree with you PDiddy. It may happen though that we have balanced scoring ... but not from the same cast members every night. I think Reggie and Izik need to average in double figures if we are to achieve any sort of consistent offense this season. After that, who can say. Drejaj will likely come off the bench again this year but may end up being the third leading scorer on the team. I somewhat expect previously streaky guys like Drejaj and Fish to be in double-figures some nights but disappear on others (although I still hold out hope I am wrong). Morris, Frericks, Ian, JJ, Sloan ... maybe some big nights but, again, most likely not every night. This year though, it is my hope that we have enough players on the team with the ability to score that we are not as desparate on the offense end as we were early last year. If Morris turns out to be a guy that can score when the team needs it, that shall be huge. I am very interested to have the opportunity to watch him play.

[p diddy]

i'm glad you brought up morris. he seems like an interesting player in this whole mix. for those who have seen him play (i am not one), is he good enough to come in a play major minutes at the point. if that happens, does that free up fish for more opportunities to score? would we see a little more three-guard lineups. I like the bigger lineup myself.

but i wonder, if he emerges, what does that do to the makeup of the lineup.

bad boyz for life

[Quality Is Job 1]

I believe the top scorers will be, in some sequence:

Reggie Bryant

Josh Fisher

Chris Sloan

Izik Ohanon

Tom Frericks

Bryant will probably be the team-high scorer. I believe that three of the five will average double figures and the other other two will average between eight and ten.

Fisher deferred to Marque Perry for the last two seasons, but I think he's ready to step up and be a leader. He will probably duplicate his position as the second-leading scorer (8.2 ppg last year). He may have a few off nights here and there, but hopefully those will be the occasions that Anthony Drejaj or Brandon Morris will step up and replace his scoring. It has been a while since the Bills have been this deep, athletic, and versatile in the backcourt.

[Quality Is Job 1]

The way I see it, there are four players who are a lock to start:

Josh Fisher

Chris Sloan

Reggie Bryant

Tom Frericks

The fifth starting spot will be between Brandon Morris and Izik Ohanon. If Morris comes in and runs the point the way Brad Soderberg envisions, he'll start at the point. This is what I believe will happen. If Morris isn't steady enough, then Fisher will play the point and Ohanon will start.

Regardless of who starts, the aforementioned six players plus Anthony Drejaj and one other big (either Justin Johnson or Ian Vouyoukas) will make up the primary eight-man rotation against the best teams on SLU's schedule. Frericks may have to play heavy minutes if Vouyoukas isn't ready to be part of the rotation, because while Johnson can fill in as a four, I don't think he can defend the center of most teams. In some cases, Ohanon may have to play the center on defense if Vouyoukas isn't ready. Against lesser teams, Darren Clarke and whoever is the odd man out between Johnson and Vouyoukas will see more than token minutes. Of course, I just realized that this whole "analysis" is omitting Floyd McClain, whom I have said I think will play, because I can't envision yet how he'll fit into the rotation.

I think Coach Soderberg has a nice problem: how to fit as many as 11 players who could contribute into an eight- or nine-man rotation. Players will have to be on their toes, because during any given game, if they're not on, they could see themselves out of the rotation and look at the box score and see that they played just three minutes.

[tseugnekillib]

Game minutes are generally earned in practice, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. As usual, the newcomers are in for a rude awakening! They will find the games easier than practice.

[NashvilleBilliken]

I also think that Fish could emerge as a major contributer next year. Over the past few years, he has shown he has the ability to get to the hole and hit the mid range jumper. He has a great move where he cuts across the court and pulls up at the free throw line...almost always makes it. The problem is, he picks and chooses the games when he wants to be a factor. I think with Marque gone and the leading scorer slot open, he may be the man and step it up. The guy is jacked and i've seen him dunk before, so we know he's got hops. I really think he has the ability to be a force next year...