Question number 1: Who is going to step up to take the starting big man spot? And what about the backup minutes?
Dastrup was a highly-recruited player. He had offers from Kansas, Arizona, UCLA, Oregon, Florida, Ohio St., etc. You could see flashes last year, but his mission legs were apparent. He has 6'10' size and great court awareness and should be an excellent passer and scorer. He will get his chance, with plenty of playing time. He will be a solid contributor this year.
Shaw will get minutes and play a role, but will never dominate.
I believe Andrus will be the other guy in the main rotation. He has the 6'11 height advantage over Nixon (6'7") and Shaw (6'9") and did show promise his freshman year. He has the size and skill set to make a difference in the WCC. He is home from his mission in Philly in time to get in shape for the season.
Question 2: How much will Hardnett play?
I believe Hardnett will be one of the better defending guards, so his defensive ability might be a major factor in determining playing time.
Also, Hardnett will get plenty of time when Bryant is injured. Seljas may have some ups and downs. He will be coming off should surgery.
Question 3:How much better with Haws be?
I'm concerned that TJ goes through a sophomore slump. If he doesn't increase his strength, he will continue to be a defensive liability.
The good news in the WCC is that Gonzaga loses Williams-Goss, Karnowski and Collins. The bad news is that Gonzaga still has players and will contend. St. Mary's also returns its core and will still be very good. USF, Pepperdine, and even Portland and Pacific likely improve with some decent talent coming back or coming in. While you should still expect BYU to compete, don't be surprised if it's a battle for 3rd and 4th place again. I'd like to see a couple of those schools actually step up, so that 3rd place in WCC is in the NCAA bubble conversation.Statistics: Posted by YNot — Mon May 22, 2017 10:28 am
]]>