2024-25 Post Mortem and Looking Ahead to 2025-26

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, ZipsFan31 said:

Someone asked about Rotation here is my take. Obviously it will change throughout the season but with huge games early here is my 1st couple game predictions. 

 

we will Play a 3 guard line up with Tavari Johnson, Shammah Scott, and Bowen Hardman starting.  Sharron Young and Cody Head will come off the bench at the guard. the 2 freshman guards might redshirt. 

 

At the 4 I think we will start the year with Evan Mahaffey with his brother backing him up but Ogen Stankovic will play more and more as the season goes on and might shift the Mahaffey brothers to the 3 (it is probably a given that we will play a 4 out offense so all these dudes will play on the perimeter) 

 

At the 5 Amani will start and play big minutes. with Chabi Barre and Rich Brisco coming in with foul trouble or to give Amani a break. Marvin will struggle to see the court unless injury. 

 

That gives us 11 total players playing regular minutes.  I think we have the pieces to 3peat and my biggest mystery player is Cody Head, as I don't know how good he is, he could start over Bowen. 

 

I would probably imagine Cody would only play 5-10 minutes a night. Like Arkansas State last year this Akron team has a lot of guard depth.

 

Akron on paper looks like an even deeper team than last year. I expect an even more uptempo offense to cater to our athleticism and to gas our opponents. For that reason I can't imagine Amani averaging much more than 25 minutes a night. We will probably need to get a combined 15 minutes a night out of Chabi and Brisco. I also wouldn't be surprised if in limited situations we even see someone like Evan play the 5 if Groce sees the ability to exploit an opposing flat footed, offensively challenged big many MAC teams often have.

[Illini Zip]

Stankovic makes playing 5 out possible without losing too much size. I am hoping an even more improved Amani can also rotate out to the perimeter.