With the roster finally set..

[Canned Heat]

Starters

Hagans
Maxey
Whitney
EJ
Nichards

Next in order off bench

IQ
Brooks
Sestina
Juzang
Allen

no choice but to play semi-small ball when Nick gets into foul trouble. I think EJ slides into the traditional 5 postion and Sestina plays stretch four. Brooks could be the 4 and Sestina the 5 is EJ needs rest/foul trouble. 1-3 will interchange often and hopefully not see much of a drop off at all.

 

[track42]

Ej and Nick in the lineup together would be a disaster for the offense.

 

[Canned Heat]

I think Cal will go to that starting lineup at the beginning of the season. To see If Nick can gain confidence. I expect EJ to be much better offensively for us. He should see plenty of open looks with our guards driving to the basket. I believe the minutes spread may not favor Nick as much as brooks/sestina however. Time will tell.

 

[CatEye2010]

Ej and Nick in the lineup together would be a disaster for the offense.

Let's withhold that critique until we see them actually play.
Improvement can occur, you know.

 

[ksharpless]

Hagans
Maxey
Whitney
EJ
Sestina

Bench:
IQ (6th man)

Any order depending on situation
Brooks
Allen
Juzang
Richards (similar role to last year unless he gets his stuff together)

 

[BlueCat43]

Starters

Hagans
Maxey
Whitney
EJ
Nichards

Next in order off bench

IQ
Brooks
Sestina
Juzang
Allen

no choice but to play semi-small ball when Nick gets into foul trouble. I think EJ slides into the traditional 5 postion and Sestina plays stretch four. Brooks could be the 4 and Sestina the 5 is EJ needs rest/foul trouble. 1-3 will interchange often and hopefully not see much of a drop off at all.

I would think that EJ and Nick man the 5 so it looks like this

Hagans
Maxey
Whitney
Brooks or Sestina
EJ or Nick


IQ at 1/2
Juzang at 2/3
Brooks or Sestina
EJ or Nick

Allen works his way into the lineup midseason

**Edit to note that Brooks can also play some at the 3

 

[502 Wildcat]

EJ and Nick won't play together much, if at all.

We are not going to be a back to the basket team like last season with PJ and Reid playing together.

I foresee it looking more like this, but we have so many capable bodies at guard and on the wing it may change and change often. By far the most loaded backcourt and wing crop in the country.

Hagans (starting PG)
Maxey (starting 2G)
Whitney / Brooks (interchangeable at the 3/4)
Sestina (floor stretcher and very capable rebounder. May see some mins at the 5 at times, but ideally a 4)
EJ (versatile and classic small-ball 5)

6th: Brooks / Whitney (interchangeable at the 3/4)
Quickley (to spell Ashton or Tyrese)
Richards (to spell EJ at the 5)
Juzang (can play 1/2/3 spot in a small ball lineup)
Allen (seems like he will indeed be available and ready this season. Can play 2/3)

I think this is likely to be the lineup to start the season, but the recent reports of Brooks further along than expected and IQ's transformation we may see Quickley get major PT and possibly Brooks starting as the small-ball 4 in place of Nate.

Only time will tell.

 

[KentuckyCat420]

Hour

Starters

Hagans
Maxey
Whitney
EJ
Nichards

Next in order off bench

IQ
Brooks
Sestina
Juzang
Allen

no choice but to play semi-small ball when Nick gets into foul trouble. I think EJ slides into the traditional 5 postion and Sestina plays stretch four. Brooks could be the 4 and Sestina the 5 is EJ needs rest/foul trouble. 1-3 will interchange often and hopefully not see much of a drop off at all.

Your starting lineup is the most offensively retarded group I’ve ever seen Cal assemble, which was always my fear because that’s exactly who Cal will start.

 

[BigKari]

The thing I like about this team is there are 8 different guys that you could make an argument for as starters, and that doesn’t even include Quickley. From everything I’ve heard, there is no way Juzang is our 4th guy off the bench (basically a Jemarl Baker role).

 

[somethingalways1]

Juzang gonna surprise everyone. I'm copyrighting the phrase "Dang, Juzang".

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

If everyone plays close to their reasonable potential:

5 - Montgomery
4 - Brooks
3 - Whitney
2 - Maxey
1 - Hagans

We will struggle to score if Nick and EJ are out there together more than a few minutes at a time. I hope the silver lining on missing 90% of our big man targets is that Cal finally goes small and opens up the offense.

 

[ksharpless]

Juzang gonna surprise everyone. I'm copyrighting the phrase "Dang, Juzang".

Def think he could see some starts if he can play any defense.

Wouldn’t be mad with
Hagans
Maxey
Juzang
EJ
Sestina

With IQ, Whitney, and Brooks being first ones in. That’d be crazy energy (defense/rebounding) off the bench.

 

[TFCat11]

IMO, no way Richards doesn’t start at the 5. This is his year to “show out”. Also, for developmental purposes, no way Cal puts EJ at the 5 for extended stretches either. Unfortunately, foul trouble will cost UK an extra game or two, for not securing one more “big”.

 

[seccats04]

Ej and Nick in the lineup together would be a disaster for the offense.

Throw Hagans in there too. He can't shoot or at least he couldn't last year and did not look like a natural shooter.

 

[seccats04]

EJ and Nick won't play together much, if at all.

We are not going to be a back to the basket team like last season with PJ and Reid playing together.

I foresee it looking more like this, but we have so many capable bodies at guard and on the wing it may change and change often. By far the most loaded backcourt and wing crop in the country.

Hagans (starting PG)
Maxey (starting 2G)
Whitney / Brooks (interchangeable at the 3/4)
Sestina (floor stretcher and very capable rebounder. May see some mins at the 5 at times, but ideally a 4)
EJ (versatile and classic small-ball 5)

6th: Brooks / Whitney (interchangeable at the 3/4)
Quickley (to spell Ashton or Tyrese)
Richards (to spell EJ at the 5)
Juzang (can play 1/2/3 spot in a small ball lineup)
Allen (seems like he will indeed be available and ready this season. Can play 2/3)

I think this is likely to be the lineup to start the season, but the recent reports of Brooks further along than expected and IQ's transformation we may see Quickley get major PT and possibly Brooks starting as the small-ball 4 in place of Nate.

Only time will tell.

Sestina will not start because he is not a projected draft pick. Although having all these draft picks has not helped our front court recruiting lately.

 

[track42]

Sestina will not start because he is not a projected draft pick. Although having all these draft picks has not helped our front court recruiting lately.

Reid Travis started all season and he was never a draft pick.

 

[KentuckyCat420]

Throw Hagans in there too. He can't shoot or at least he couldn't last year and did not look like a natural shooter.

Whitney can’t score in the halfcourt either, I’m telling you that lineup is going to be painful to watch with the ball and it’s exactly who Cal will start every game because of loyalty purposes.

 

[JAC71]

Hagans
Maxey
Juzang
Whitney or Brooks
EJ

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Hagans
Maxey
Juzang
Whitney or Brooks
EJ

I'd take it.

If Juzang plays solid defense, I could see it. Really wish we'd brough back Johnson or added McDaniels. We could have used their scoring.

 

[Nicholascat]

Start the season with ej and Nick and see how it goes.

 

[senonesy]

Don’t really care who starts, but I’ll take UK’s roster 1-10 against anybody.

 

[kevcat]

I don’t think who starts is going to matter at all.

There’s a ton of interchangeable parts to this team, and on any given night they could mesh or not mesh well.

One thing I am pretty sure of, this team better be crazy good defensively.

Losing 3 really good offensive players from last season is going to be harder to replace than most people think.

 

[bookerfan66]

I hope Brooks is really good enough to take over the 4 so EJ can play the 5.The less we see of Nick the better IMO.

 

[seccats04]

Reid Travis started all season and he was never a draft pick.

But he was a 5 star. And was a collegiate All American.

 

[bucsrule8872]

If everyone plays close to their reasonable potential:

5 - Montgomery
4 - Brooks
3 - Whitney
2 - Maxey
1 - Hagans

We will struggle to score if Nick and EJ are out there together more than a few minutes at a time. I hope the silver lining on missing 90% of our big man targets is that Cal finally goes small and opens up the offense.

This is my thinking, too.

 

[Conna03]

I like
G Hagans
G Maxey
G Juzang
F Whitney
F Montgomery
Or
G Hagans
G Maxey
F Whitney
F Brooks
F Montgomery

 

[kywildcat1021979]

I hate to say it but depending on Nick for any meaningful minutes we will be in trouble in the front court.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Starters

Hagans
Maxey
Whitney
EJ
Nichards

Next in order off bench

IQ
Brooks
Sestina
Juzang
Allen

no choice but to play semi-small ball when Nick gets into foul trouble. I think EJ slides into the traditional 5 postion and Sestina plays stretch four. Brooks could be the 4 and Sestina the 5 is EJ needs rest/foul trouble. 1-3 will interchange often and hopefully not see much of a drop off at all.

That starting five screams "zone us."

 

[kyjeff1]

If everyone plays close to their reasonable potential:

5 - Montgomery
4 - Brooks
3 - Whitney
2 - Maxey
1 - Hagans

We will struggle to score if Nick and EJ are out there together more than a few minutes at a time. I hope the silver lining on missing 90% of our big man targets is that Cal finally goes small and opens up the offense.

I fear that Cal is still going to try to make this an offense that runs through the post again.

It would not surprise me if he tried to turn Nick, Nate or EJ into a back to the basket player.
Talk about a square peg in a round hole.

Please, please, please go small ball with a high tempo offense and a pressure defense.

 

[kyjeff1]

Reid Travis started all season and he was never a draft pick.

Yeah, but Cal was really trying to get him there. He thought he could.

 

[kyjeff1]

I like
G Hagans
G Maxey
G Juzang
F Whitney
F Montgomery
Or
G Hagans
G Maxey
F Whitney
F Brooks
F Montgomery

Honestly, I would swap Hagans out for Quickly in both lineups. That gives each group a legit pg that can shoot and D up.

I know Hagans has more upside, but Quickly is the better shooter and doesn’t turn the ball over as much.

 

[Justwar]

IMO, no way Richards doesn’t start at the 5. This is his year to “show out”. Also, for developmental purposes, no way Cal puts EJ at the 5 for extended stretches either. Unfortunately, foul trouble will cost UK an extra game or two, for not securing one more “big”.

If ej plays the 4 it changes my feelings on the team negatively

 

[bucsrule8872]

To me the season hinges on Montgomery. We will go as Montgomery goes.

 

[YankeeCpt_rivals378522]

Going to be a good year! I am getting excited!!

 

[BassProCat]

I just want the Cats to stay healthy all season.

Injuries seem to always bite us in the butt.

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

Time to give small ball a chance. I like having ball handlers out there and shooters especially if we have trouble going inside against certain teams. I'm sure he will give Nick a chance to start the season. Hopefully, it doesn't cost us any big games, but I like the lineup of:

Ashton
Maxey
Quickly/Juzang-Toss-up.
Brooks/Whitney-Toss-up, but think we see big things from Brooks.
EJ

I think this is our best offensive lineup with experience to give us a good start to games. Especially with having Ashton, Maxey and Quickly all out there together. Maxey and Quickly can fill it up from deep and I like Brooks shooting the ball better than Whitney although I know Whitney is a stud.

 

[dave5164]

It will be Richards starting at beginning of season but it will be Sestina getting 25-28 just like Travis did last year. Richards will get his usual 12-15 minutes a game like last year with Travis. Travis was 6'8 and Sestina is 6'9 and played Center at Bucknell and did an outstanding job for them last year. Sestina can take it to the basket, Rebound, and pop out and hit the outside shot and 3 point shot. Sestina hit 38% from 3 last year and also was 80% from the Free throw line. I am not saying he will average 16 and 9 like last year but I believe Sestina will be a Huge Surprise either at the 5 or 4 and get 25 mpg.

 

[Tapemaster8]

I look forward to seeing Nick play this season. I would like to see what he can accomplish with 25 to 30 minutes a game. I would love to see the light come on. He shoots free throws pretty well for a big man. Don't believe teams will be able to "Hack a Nick"! Go Cats!

 

[Runnin'Ramel]

I've read a lot on this board lately about "Elite 8 ceiling" or "can't win it all" with this group because of the disappointment in not getting Blackshear, McDaniels, or N'Faly.

Get a grip. Look at the talent on that roster and realize it's more loaded than most of the final four teams of the last few years. They just have to put it together and play as a team and they're as good as any team in the country.

Stop looking at everything in a vacuum. Go analyze everyone's pre-season #1 Michigan State team and tell me why they are so much better, on paper, than this roster. I'll wait.

 

[Blue-The-Dog 2_rivals]

"small ball" doesn't work unless you have 3-4 guys that shoot close to 40% from behind the arc. If we have 2 hovering around 40%, I'll be thrilled.

Point is, EJ has to step up and be a serious go-to guy down low, or I think teams zone us and we struggle.