Link from an article on The Athletic this morning by Jim Root
Purdue, Duke, Florida, BYU...and
Hole to fill: Additional ball handler/creator on the perimeter
Portal candidates: Duke Miles, Malachi Smith, Ahmad Nowell
The Red Raiders have fewer pieces back than some of the other teams on this list. But when two of the returners are All-American JT Toppin and potential all-conference guard Christian Anderson — yes, he’s that good — the foundation is rock solid. That inside-outside duo will form a lethal ball screen pairing,
Coach Grant McCasland and his staff have quickly done a tremendous job reloading in the portal, most notably with LeJuan Watts, a mismatch forward with outstanding passing acumen who should slide perfectly into the void left by Darrion Williams. The Red Raiders also loaded up on shooting via Donovan Atwell (UNC Greensboro) and Tyeree Bryan (Santa Clara), two wings with size who combined to make 162 3s at a 41 percent clip.
Atwell and Bryan are not great on-ball creators, though. Coupled with the graduation of Elijah Hawkins plus Kevin Overton’s decision to transfer, the ball-handling burden on Anderson would be immense in the current structure of the roster. Jazz Henderson, a tiny but mighty point guard who redshirted last year, is an in-house candidate for more minutes, but finding another piece is necessary. Duke Miles (Oklahoma) recently decommitted from Virginia and would be a great fit. Malachi Smith (Dayton) is a veteran option, while Ahmad Nowell (UConn) would be an upside swing.
Purdue, Duke, Florida, BYU...and
Texas Tech
Presumed core: F JT Toppin, G Christian Anderson, F LeJuan Watts, G Donovan Atwell, G/F Tyeree Bryan, C Federiko FederikoHole to fill: Additional ball handler/creator on the perimeter
Portal candidates: Duke Miles, Malachi Smith, Ahmad Nowell
The Red Raiders have fewer pieces back than some of the other teams on this list. But when two of the returners are All-American JT Toppin and potential all-conference guard Christian Anderson — yes, he’s that good — the foundation is rock solid. That inside-outside duo will form a lethal ball screen pairing,
Coach Grant McCasland and his staff have quickly done a tremendous job reloading in the portal, most notably with LeJuan Watts, a mismatch forward with outstanding passing acumen who should slide perfectly into the void left by Darrion Williams. The Red Raiders also loaded up on shooting via Donovan Atwell (UNC Greensboro) and Tyeree Bryan (Santa Clara), two wings with size who combined to make 162 3s at a 41 percent clip.
Atwell and Bryan are not great on-ball creators, though. Coupled with the graduation of Elijah Hawkins plus Kevin Overton’s decision to transfer, the ball-handling burden on Anderson would be immense in the current structure of the roster. Jazz Henderson, a tiny but mighty point guard who redshirted last year, is an in-house candidate for more minutes, but finding another piece is necessary. Duke Miles (Oklahoma) recently decommitted from Virginia and would be a great fit. Malachi Smith (Dayton) is a veteran option, while Ahmad Nowell (UConn) would be an upside swing.
