Looking at the roster and how we are recruiting, I had some thoughts to share for discussion.
2018
It's going to be a fun team. A lot of balance and, shockingly, some size. Davis is the wildcard depending on his health, but its offset by the potential of Race Thompson, Clifton Moore, Forrester and Fitzner. We'll have plenty of scoring with Romeo, Morgan, and Hunter. I have a feeling our rotation at the end of the season will look a little different as Rob, Race & Jerome adjust to the college game and Davis gets healthy
I expect to see Romeo running some point. particularly early on. I love what "good" Green brings, but I just don't see him being a PG for the entire year. Justin Smith will be really interesting to gauge, particularly his shooting development in the off season. If that improves, he becomes a legitimate NBA prospect. If not, he's best suited as a 6th man due to his ability to defend 4 positions. Good problem to have.
2019
Can we get to 4 scholarships? I see a clear path to 3, but unsure of where the 4th one would come. A class of TJD, Brooks, Watford, and Lewis would be a home run.
Lewis is a downhill PG in the mold of Westbrook. I don't see him as a pure point, but don't think we need that given Rob.
Watford would immediately replace Morgan in Archie's system. Watfords game is very similar today, and he's probably more advanced skill-wise than Juwan. I also see his upside being limited due to his athleticism, similar to Juwan. Maybe not great for his NBA, but would be great for IU as I see him as a 3-4 year type of player
Brooks is really a swiss army knife. He has a higher ceiling than a player like Watford due to his athleticism, and would add another ball handler to the team. Defensively, he could be a nightmare a la Mikal Bridges. I really like how he and TJD are playing off one another this summer. Some chemistry is forming there.
TJD. What if he shows up a bit early? I think he needs at least 2 years for strength & development. Supposedly he agrees and we should all thank Cliff Marshall.
Archie is stocking this roster with players that are not only really talented, but fit his system very well. I don't think we go too many seasons with obvious holes on the roster like we've experienced the past 10 years.
