- Tech needs to ensure that either Jamarius Burton or Mac McClung can play next year. I cannot envision any sort of scenario to where Kyler, Burnett and Nadolny are your only primary guard options going into the season. Need an experienced fourth option there, period.
- Burton wants to sit out. He's told me this and Beard has indicated that plan to me as well. Could that plan change? I guess but I don't see anyone pushing for that unless McClung is denied his waiver request.
- I can't speak to McClung's basis of a waiver but I know enough to know there are things that went on with him at G'town that ensures he will almost assuredly get their cooperation and support toward immediate eligibility. The exact opposite was true for Ntambwe who had UNLV fighting him/Tech every step of the way. Some think it has to do with how G'Town handled an injury he had and others think it has to do with other issues on his reasons for leaving. Something else he could do is to file it on the basis of Covid-19 too and suggest to the NCAA that he wanted to get away from a major metropolitan area for a smaller one that has a very low current case count. We'll see.
But, there is enough optimism in the Tech camp that they went hard after him with the thought that he'd be good to go right away. Again, we'll see how it plays out in the coming weeks and months.
- Assuming McClung can play right away, my starting five options are this:
McClung, Burnett, Edwards, Ntambwe and Santos-Silva
or this
McLung, Edwards, McCullar, Ntambwe and Santos-Silva.
Doesn't really matter much while still in May but I know folks are curious so those are my thoughts on it. And as we know it is about who finishes and who does Beard want to handle things in EOC scenarios and at the end of the game.
- Are they done now? Ha. Has anyone not learned from being around this program these last four years. I wouldn't get in a hurry to put a bow on this off-season and I wouldn't count anything as a "final" roster until the first day of classes this fall, period. And that goes for potential departures and potential additions.
- The next step for this program at some point soon will be Beard adding to his staff. I know Matt Temple isn't around anymore and have heard the same might be true of Ronald Ross as well. Replacing Brian Burg and Tim McCallister are the focus though and I have heard the name James Miller (currently at New Mexico State) mentioned some as a potential Burg replacement. Miller is extremely close to Burg and has a similar skill set but I can't confirm anything yet.
I asked someone about Miller today that knows him well and he told me the following, "He will be like Burg. Be there a few years and then go be a head coach somewhere. He's polished, balanced with his skill set and can do it all within a program. Can really recruit too."
Again, nothing confirmed there at all but wanted to mention his name to you guys. Beard will operate on his own timetable and never gets in a hurry on this stuff. It is arguably his best skill too, surrounding himself with the right people.
- The McClung addition is fun because of the reach the young man has. Today's news was the top headline on ESPN for a bit. His high school vids are legendary but by all accounts he's very down to earth, wants to be coached and knows his weaknesses and is working to correct them. Its funny to compare he and Moro because they are so different as players. Both are scrappy with high hoops IQ's and want to win. McClung is a scorer and is working to improve his shot. He shot 27% from behind the arc as a freshman and 32% as a sophomore ... look for that to improve again as a junior.
- With McClung, it'll be about getting him better on the defensive end. I remember back to when Matt Mooney joined the roster and Mark Adams had asked around about him as a defender and the people on the other end of the phone would laugh a bit at the thought of Mooney playing defense, much less good defense. Adams turned him into an All-Big 12 defender. You won't hear much about McClung's defense being a plus part of his game but if he's willing, then Adams will have fun coaching someone that athletic. I think McClung knows the perception of him is being a dunker and a walking highlight reel but the goal now is for him to be a complete player that turns down some of those flashy plays for winning ones. This is where Beard works his magic and it takes time. Mooney showed flashes but he really didn't sort through that part until late January of the Final Four season but once it did we know the result.
- McClung's addition got me to thinking about the following guys today, Lance Hughes, Alan Voskuil, Marshall Henderson (watching him practice the year he sat was quite fun) and Stan Bonewitz. Good memories from those guys.
- Before I finish up here it is worth discussing Moro some. Being part of eight NCAA Tourney wins sums his career up about as much as anything. And that sophomore season of league play that saw him shoot over 50% from deep and 90% at the stripe separates him from a lot of great players. He was obviously much better as a third or fourth option than he was as a first or second option but many a Big 12 coach was glad to see him leave. And my favorite moment of his were easily those back to back threes against Gonzaga in Anaheim.
Just seemed like he always had a big splash from deep when his team needed it. He wasn't perfect with it this last season but Beard using him as a weapon to end games and getting him to the free throw line was always a clinic. I hate it that no one got to tell him bye either, one of the many things that has sucked about this deal since the season ended abruptly. I wish him well as a pro and hope he can get back at some point for a proper send off.
- Burton wants to sit out. He's told me this and Beard has indicated that plan to me as well. Could that plan change? I guess but I don't see anyone pushing for that unless McClung is denied his waiver request.
- I can't speak to McClung's basis of a waiver but I know enough to know there are things that went on with him at G'town that ensures he will almost assuredly get their cooperation and support toward immediate eligibility. The exact opposite was true for Ntambwe who had UNLV fighting him/Tech every step of the way. Some think it has to do with how G'Town handled an injury he had and others think it has to do with other issues on his reasons for leaving. Something else he could do is to file it on the basis of Covid-19 too and suggest to the NCAA that he wanted to get away from a major metropolitan area for a smaller one that has a very low current case count. We'll see.
But, there is enough optimism in the Tech camp that they went hard after him with the thought that he'd be good to go right away. Again, we'll see how it plays out in the coming weeks and months.
- Assuming McClung can play right away, my starting five options are this:
McClung, Burnett, Edwards, Ntambwe and Santos-Silva
or this
McLung, Edwards, McCullar, Ntambwe and Santos-Silva.
Doesn't really matter much while still in May but I know folks are curious so those are my thoughts on it. And as we know it is about who finishes and who does Beard want to handle things in EOC scenarios and at the end of the game.
- Are they done now? Ha. Has anyone not learned from being around this program these last four years. I wouldn't get in a hurry to put a bow on this off-season and I wouldn't count anything as a "final" roster until the first day of classes this fall, period. And that goes for potential departures and potential additions.
- The next step for this program at some point soon will be Beard adding to his staff. I know Matt Temple isn't around anymore and have heard the same might be true of Ronald Ross as well. Replacing Brian Burg and Tim McCallister are the focus though and I have heard the name James Miller (currently at New Mexico State) mentioned some as a potential Burg replacement. Miller is extremely close to Burg and has a similar skill set but I can't confirm anything yet.
I asked someone about Miller today that knows him well and he told me the following, "He will be like Burg. Be there a few years and then go be a head coach somewhere. He's polished, balanced with his skill set and can do it all within a program. Can really recruit too."
Again, nothing confirmed there at all but wanted to mention his name to you guys. Beard will operate on his own timetable and never gets in a hurry on this stuff. It is arguably his best skill too, surrounding himself with the right people.
- The McClung addition is fun because of the reach the young man has. Today's news was the top headline on ESPN for a bit. His high school vids are legendary but by all accounts he's very down to earth, wants to be coached and knows his weaknesses and is working to correct them. Its funny to compare he and Moro because they are so different as players. Both are scrappy with high hoops IQ's and want to win. McClung is a scorer and is working to improve his shot. He shot 27% from behind the arc as a freshman and 32% as a sophomore ... look for that to improve again as a junior.
- With McClung, it'll be about getting him better on the defensive end. I remember back to when Matt Mooney joined the roster and Mark Adams had asked around about him as a defender and the people on the other end of the phone would laugh a bit at the thought of Mooney playing defense, much less good defense. Adams turned him into an All-Big 12 defender. You won't hear much about McClung's defense being a plus part of his game but if he's willing, then Adams will have fun coaching someone that athletic. I think McClung knows the perception of him is being a dunker and a walking highlight reel but the goal now is for him to be a complete player that turns down some of those flashy plays for winning ones. This is where Beard works his magic and it takes time. Mooney showed flashes but he really didn't sort through that part until late January of the Final Four season but once it did we know the result.
- McClung's addition got me to thinking about the following guys today, Lance Hughes, Alan Voskuil, Marshall Henderson (watching him practice the year he sat was quite fun) and Stan Bonewitz. Good memories from those guys.
- Before I finish up here it is worth discussing Moro some. Being part of eight NCAA Tourney wins sums his career up about as much as anything. And that sophomore season of league play that saw him shoot over 50% from deep and 90% at the stripe separates him from a lot of great players. He was obviously much better as a third or fourth option than he was as a first or second option but many a Big 12 coach was glad to see him leave. And my favorite moment of his were easily those back to back threes against Gonzaga in Anaheim.
Just seemed like he always had a big splash from deep when his team needed it. He wasn't perfect with it this last season but Beard using him as a weapon to end games and getting him to the free throw line was always a clinic. I hate it that no one got to tell him bye either, one of the many things that has sucked about this deal since the season ended abruptly. I wish him well as a pro and hope he can get back at some point for a proper send off.
