We've reached the first TV timeout. Cats lead Lehigh 10-7. Now what?

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

It seems like a safe assumption that Nicholson, Martinelli, Barnhizer, Berry and Leach will open the season as the starting 5, assuming everybody is healthy.

Is the first substitution Hunger for Nicholson? Or is it Keenan Fitzmorris for Nicholson?
I want to believe it is Luke Hunger. After that things are unclear...

Who is the first man off the bench for the non-centers?
Will we see Jordan Clayton subbing in for Leach? Or will we run an offense without a point guard?

Justin Mullins, Angelo Ciavarino and Blake Smith all seem like the same sort of wing / small forward. Athletic guys who will not be handling the ball too much.
They should provide depth at the 2 and/or the 3, with Smith probably getting fewer opportunities.

KJ Windham looks like a guy who can jump ahead of Clayton quickly and become the first bench option at point guard or shooting guard.

If Blake Barkley can provide depth at the power forward position, that would be nice, but I don't expect it.
Hopefully we'll see Luke Hunger at that position on occasion.

We're solid at 4 starting positions, facing a big question at point guard, with lots of rotation possibilities.

The season starts in 3 weeks!

 

[macarthur31]

Appreciated the hypothetical. I align with your takes. I wonder if Collins will look to Barkley a bit more to spell Barnhizer early in the non-con as Brooks' gets his wind back. Or perhaps they throw Nick to the 4, and then put Mullins/Smith at the 3.

Among the frosh/redshirts, KJ seems like the most likely to grab minutes and that's dependent on him hitting 3s and being passable at defense.

 

[SmellyCat]

Martinelli was up and down as a part-time starter last year, but I think he's done enough to earn a starting job this year. The question is: WILL he start? Collins may like having him come off the bench yet still play starter/crunch-time minutes. If this hypothetical turns out to be a trick question (which I'm sure wasn't your intention), I think he'll be first off the bench.

But I'll answer the real question you asked. I think Clayton will be first. He has "earned" it by playing the most last year, and with Boo no longer playing (sniff sniff, I miss him so much already), NU will want to establish Clayton as much as possible. Now, will he be passed by somebody? Possibly, but I think he'll get the first shot in the first game.

 

[Hungry Jack]

NMart off the bench would be a real luxury. He's a matchup problem for a lot of guys.

I think we ending riding with Windham as backup PG by the time we get near conference play. He already seems a better player than Clayton.