David Hoskins won’t be coming back. And barring an injury in the next three weeks, you can say the same about Bill Walker.
This is what the roster looks like right now.
Guards: Denis Clemente, Jake Pullen, Buchi Awaji, Fred Brown and Chris Merriewether.
Forwards: Ron Anderson, Dominique Sutton, Jamar Samuels and Darren Kent.
Centers: Luis Colon, Abdul Herrera and Jordan Henriquez.
Prognosis?
It’s too early for that.
As I’ve repeated here, I’m not a huge fan of balanced scoring. But I don’t think the Wildcats are going to be left with a choice. To participate in this exercise, you have to not only suspend your negativity but also your optimism.
No Kool-Aid here. And no hating, either.
It’s generally accepted college basketball players advance the most, or, “take the leap,” from the freshman year to the sophomore season. If that’s the case, decent things can be expected from Pullen and Anderson. If Pullen matches his production from last year, which seems plausible, and if Anderson is able to remain on the floor for 25 minutes, he should average close to a double-double – Anderson played 12 minutes per game in 2007-08 and averaged 3.3 points and 3.6 rebounds – those are two solid pieces in place.
How Sutton and Samuels fare will be vital. Clemente is fast – we get it. He also was a decent player in a strong conference two years ago, so it’s not as if he’s an unknown. We never know what to expect from junior college transfers – Akeem Wright and Andre Gilbert spring to mind – so it might be asking too much from Awaji to come in and fill it up. But if he can make outside shots – which his field-goal percentages suggest he should – he’ll be a fine addition.
Again, how Sutton and Samuels perform will be key. Can Sutton, who averaged 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game this past season, expand his offensive repertoire beyond breakaway dunks and layups? Can he be relied upon? Will the Wildcats have a choice? And is Samuels a project or a contributor?
Best-case scenario? Clemente (14 points), Pullen (14 points), Awaji (11 points), Anderson (10 points), Sutton (10 points) all average double figures in scoring. That’s nearly 60 points right there.
Worst-case scenario? Clemente and Pullen don’t gel. Anderson fails to blossom. Sutton remains confused. Samuels is lost.
Know this – there won’t be any stars. Defense will be the priority. And it won’t be pretty most nights. But the Wildcats should still be competitive.
Shouldn’t they?