Starting Lineup - Depth Chart

[7th Cir. Cat]

In football, there is a lot of buzz when the first two deep is announced showing the starters, and of course it was a big deal when Fitz named Hunter Johnson the starting QB, two weeks before the opener.

Remind me, does Collins do a pre-season depth chart showing the projected starters? I’m really curious to see who gets Kopp’s spot.

Any rumors or tidbits coming out of that scrimmage in Iowa?

 

[CappyNU]

In football, there is a lot of buzz when the first two deep is announced showing the starters, and of course it was a big deal when Fitz named Hunter Johnson the starting QB, two weeks before the opener.

Remind me, does Collins do a pre-season depth chart showing the projected starters? I’m really curious to see who gets Kopp’s spot.

Any rumors or tidbits coming out of that scrimmage in Iowa?

Scrimmage isn't until 10/30.

 

[7th Cir. Cat]

Scrimmage isn't until 10/30.

Thanks! I wonder if Collins will tell us who were the starting five.

 

[EagerFan]

Seems unlikely. He probably won't know himself until we get to the conference games.

 

[cats_man_too]

In football, there is a lot of buzz when the first two deep is announced showing the starters, and of course it was a big deal when Fitz named Hunter Johnson the starting QB, two weeks before the opener.

Remind me, does Collins do a pre-season depth chart showing the projected starters? I’m really curious to see who gets Kopp’s spot.

Any rumors or tidbits coming out of that scrimmage in Iowa?

From Collin's presser on replacing Miller:

"Those are going to be some shoes for us to fill. He was a scorer for us. He was a leader for us. I think a guy like Ty Berry, someone who comes to mind. Ty was a guy last year as a freshman showed some signs, had some really good moments, can really shoot the ball, brings some pop to us. I think he'll be someone that we'll ask to do a little bit more this year in Miller's absence."

 

[7th Cir. Cat]

From Collin's presser on replacing Miller:

"Those are going to be some shoes for us to fill. He was a scorer for us. He was a leader for us. I think a guy like Ty Berry, someone who comes to mind. Ty was a guy last year as a freshman showed some signs, had some really good moments, can really shoot the ball, brings some pop to us. I think he'll be someone that we'll ask to do a little bit more this year in Miller's absence."

Interesting, thanks for posting. Boo, Audige, Berry; that would be a pretty small lineup no?

 

[b735player]

Interesting, thanks for posting. Boo, Audige, Berry; that would be a pretty small lineup no?

Yea but no real SF on the roster that’s not a true freshman. Just don’t see Nance, Beran and Young in the starting lineup so we’ll have to go three guards

 

[7th Cir. Cat]

Yea but no real SF on the roster that’s not a true freshman. Just don’t see Nance, Beran and Young in the starting lineup so we’ll have to go three guards

Our transfer from FDU (Elyjah Williams) is 6'7. Although he doesn't appear to be a threat from deep in terms of spacing the floor like Kopp, he *might* be a candidate for the 3 spot. He would at least give us some height at that position.

 

[cats_man_too]

Interesting, thanks for posting. Boo, Audige, Berry; that would be a pretty small lineup no?

Yes, it would lack some size/length. I think Collins will have to see if the benefits on the offensive side outweigh liabilities on the defensive end.

Collins did augment his comments as follows:

"As well as some of our young guys. We have three freshmen wings that I have high aspirations for: Casey Simmons; Brooks, who I talked about; Julian Roper. I think there will be more opportunity for some of those guys to be able to get out there and help us."

Barnhizer and Simmons would bring size/length.

 

[NREPP Fraud]

Most depth I have ever seen at NU! Especially at guard

 

[Kat burglar]

I wonder how we look compared to Loyola? They have been more guard oriented and had success in March.

 

[freewillie07]

Feels like the most logical starting lineup is:

Buie
Berry
Audige
Nance
Young

I don't see any of the three freshmen getting the starting nod right off the bat. I don't see Greer starting, even if he's a captain -- seems like a steady hand off the bench if Buie/Berry get into early foul trouble. Beran could start in place of Young if we need to go small, I guess. Nicholson won't start over Young. Williams is bench depth.

So, it's those five almost by default, unless someone has impressed that we don't yet know about.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Feels like the most logical starting lineup is:

Buie
Berry
Audige
Nance
Young

I don't see any of the three freshmen getting the starting nod right off the bat. I don't see Greer starting, even if he's a captain -- seems like a steady hand off the bench if Buie/Berry get into early foul trouble. Beran could start in place of Young if we need to go small, I guess. Nicholson won't start over Young. Williams is bench depth.

So, it's those five almost by default, unless someone has impressed that we don't yet know about.

The lineup you mentioned is completely rational. We have Barnhizer and Simmons who are both probably more talented than Williams to play the 3. If they aren't ready and Williams isn't good enough, then 3 guards and two bigs is really the only alternative. But if CCC plays 3 guards with Nance and Beran we will get killed on the glass.

Thankfully we have a lot of guys with upside. Berry should be better. Roper or Simmons or Barnhizer should give us something better than Gaines. Nicholson should make an impact. Audige may be less erratic offensively. He plays hard and defends. Buie may improve too. Nance at the 4 will play better too. Even Beran has upside in the right role.

 

[GatoLouco]

Feels like the most logical starting lineup is:

Buie
Berry
Audige
Nance
Young

I don't see any of the three freshmen getting the starting nod right off the bat. I don't see Greer starting, even if he's a captain -- seems like a steady hand off the bench if Buie/Berry get into early foul trouble. Beran could start in place of Young if we need to go small, I guess. Nicholson won't start over Young. Williams is bench depth.

So, it's those five almost by default, unless someone has impressed that we don't yet know about.

Logical, yes. But lineup will be:
Buie
Audige
Williams
Beran
Nance

 

[cats_man_too]

Logical, yes. But lineup will be:
Buie
Audige
Williams
Beran
Nance

Both logical, but wrong. It will be:

Buie
Audige
Berry
Beran
Nance

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Both logical, but wrong. It will be:

Buie
Audige
Berry
Beran
Nance

Beran and Nance were a consistently bad pairing last year.
When they played together we got stomped. (548-454)
Collins kept playing them together, expecting a different result.

When Nance and Beran played, but not at the same time, we outscored the BigTen 655-622.

If Collins opens Big Ten play with Nance at the 5 and Beran at the 4, he should be fired immediately.
Just have Fitz walk out there, take Beran out, put Young in and escort CCC off the court.

Fun fact. Every player in the rotation had a positive +/- when they played with Ryan Young and Anthony Gaines was on the bench. Thats right. When Young played with Kopp we outscored our opponents, as long as Gaines was not playing. When Young played with Beran, we outscored our opponents, as long as Gaines was not playing. When Ty Berry played with Ryan Young, we outscored our opponents as long as Gaines was on the bench. Same holds for Buie, Audige, Nance and Greer. Its a phenomenal set of stats and says two things.... Ryan Young is our best player... Gaines departure is a good thing.

 

[7th Cir. Cat]

Now that’s an interesting set of stats!

Ryan Young is not NOT our best player. But if NU hoops disbanded and the rest of the conference got to draft players from our program, I think Nance and Buie get taken ahead of him, maybe even Audige. Perhaps Ryan Young is our most “important” player?

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Now that’s an interesting set of stats!

Ryan Young is not NOT our best player. But if NU hoops disbanded and the rest of the conference got to draft players from our program, I think Nance and Buie get taken ahead of him, maybe even Audige. Perhaps Ryan Young is our most “important” player?

Thats a fine assessment. I will concede the point regarding natural ability alone. He is an above average to good college player who holds the team together... a winning Power 5 player who was under-appreciated and mis-used by his coach last year.

 

[SDakaGordie]

Ryan Young is “mis-used” and stays, while Miller Kopp was used as much as one could allow and leaves. How do you reconcile that in Ryan’s case?

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Ryan Young is “mis-used” and stays, while Miller Kopp was used as much as one could allow and leaves. How do you reconcile that in Ryan’s case?

I would just assume Young is more team-oriented or more committed or got along better with his teammates or coaches or wants that Northwestern diploma. Could be a lot of logical things.

I say Young was mis-used because he played too many minutes with the second string players, especially Gaines. Gaines and Young were like trying to pair water and motor oil. Our starting lineup of Nance, Beran, Kopp, Buie and Audige played about 20% of the minutes, getting outscored 280-233.
When Young took Nance's spot with the other 4 "starters", (3.5% of our minutes), we won 59-39.
When Young replaced Beran and played with Nance, Buie, Audige and Kopp, (7.7% of minutes) we won 93-90.

In other words NU was much more effective with Young replacing either Nance or Beran in the starting lineup. That would be the "Young at the 5, Nance or Beran at the 4" approach that some of us see as incredibly obvious.