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Jon Rothstein 2020-21 Predictions

hotshot said:
Canes go into season ranked #30 in the nation with a starting lineup of:

PG - Chris Lykes
W - Kam McGusty
W - Isaiah Wong
SF - Earl Timberlake
C - Nysier Brooks

Bench: Beverly, Cross, Miller, Walker, and Waardenburg

Top 6 ACC Teams (still looks like another sorta down year for the ACC):

1. FSU (#5 nationally)
2. Virginia (#8 )
3. Duke (#11)
4. UNC (#24)
5. Louisville (#29)
6. Miami (#30)
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No way Timberlake starts over Sam. Let me be clear, I'm not saying Sam's the better player, just that he will start (though I do think Sam's a decent role player provided he's put into a situation that allows him to do that role and nothing more).

Also, I don't see a good defender on that team, outside of potentially Brooks (assuming he's 100% healthy). The last month of the season, when we were mostly healthy and still got killed, has really lowered my expectations for next year.
 
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Da_Lucky_One said:


With no games or recruiting going on, it would be a great time for Blake James to put together a really good non-conference schedule since Miami projects to be really good this upcoming year.
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With no games going on, it would be a great time for Blake James to take a spontaneous vacation to the Wuhan region.
 
jkdood said:
Wong had 39 rebounds in the last 6 games. I think when he is relatively fresh, his athletic endurance allows him to hover around the basket a bit longer than the others on those "can't hit the ocean from the beach shots" we favor so much, and then get back on transition.

I'm hoping this will be true of some of the new guys as well, and Coach L will allow that. Carefully managing minutes and PT is a necessary ingredient for what I see as a long-standing failing; and coming off the bench for Wong might fit well with that strategy.
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I wholeheartedly agree, we need to get these rotations set and steady. Finding whoever has the hot hand, and riding him for 40 minutes that particular night, is not a winning strategy. Players wear down.
 
IncaneInTheBrain said:
No way Timberlake starts over Sam. Let me be clear, I'm not saying Sam's the better player, just that he will start (though I do think Sam's a decent role player provided he's put into a situation that allows him to do that role and nothing more).
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Assuming Timberlake signs with us, I'd be shocked if he isn't in the starting lineup next Fall. Even with Coach L's well known "loyalty" to upperclassmen. The disparity in talent is just too great to ignore..
 
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Da_Lucky_One said:


Why not another one?
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Always followed UCLA closely since 2006. I thought they'd be very good this year but too much youth and getting used to a new system obviously took longer than expected. Mick Cronin's crew should be solid next year I think they will be at least a Sweet 16 team.
 
Think most "experts" will have us penciled in as a NCAAT team for 2020-21. The caveat will be that we have little to no margin to underperform whatsoever. We'll need to win all the games we're supposed to win and, hopefully, achieve an upset or two to ensure our participation..
 
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I'm gonna want to scratch my eyes out when L trots Miller out there to start. He shouldn't be a rotational player, let alone starter.
 
RiDLer80 said:
I'm gonna want to scratch my eyes out when L trots Miller out there to start. He shouldn't be a rotational player, let alone starter.
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Him and Sam don’t belong in this league let alone a power 5 roster. Yet they started a ton of games last year. Get your big men and plant their asses on the bench or tell them to transfer the **** out.
 
Mklein13 said:
Unc could be scary next year depending on who comes back. They might roll 10-11 deep. Got some ridiculous freshmen coming in.
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Better yes but scary, I am not sure. Of the five freshman, Sharpe is the best and he should start. Everyone else will have good moments but because it is UNC, the media will overhype them.
Ultimately, Coach L will decide how good Miami will be and if Miami beats Carolina this season.
Miami is 10 deep easily but how does Coach L see things. Coach L should be playing Beverly, Walker, Cross early in the season as Timberlake should start.
All ten guys should play over 20 minutes in the non-conference portion of the schedule with no one exceeding 30 minutes.
However, I have already read Coach L comparing 2021 to 2013 as he sees Miller and Brooks performing like Julian Gamble and Reggie Johnson. That is a stretch but he has said worse before.
I do agree that the 2013 team is the Miami formula for success but Coach L does a terrible job of molding his teams in that image.
 
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Da_Lucky_One said:
Better yes but scary, I am not sure. Of the five freshman, Sharpe is the best and he should start. Everyone else will have good moments but because it is UNC, the media will overhype them.
Ultimately, Coach L will decide how good Miami will be and if Miami beats Carolina this season.
Miami is 10 deep easily but how does Coach L see things. Coach L should be playing Beverly, Walker, Cross early in the season as Timberlake should start.
All ten guys should play over 20 minutes in the non-conference portion of the schedule with no one exceeding 30 minutes.
However, I have already read Coach L comparing 2021 to 2013 as he sees Miller and Brooks performing like Julian Gamble and Reggie Johnson. That is a stretch but he has said worse before.
I do agree that the 2013 team is the Miami formula for success but Coach L does a terrible job of molding his teams in that image.
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Yikes Gamble ***** on Miller and Brooks is TBD. I suppose Lykes is being compared to Larkin as well...
 
Mklein13 said:
Yikes Gamble ***** on Miller and Brooks is TBD. I suppose Lykes is being compared to Larkin as well...
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Actually, he said he hopes Wong has the Larkin type impact. That also means Wong turns pro as a sophomore.
He did not say Sam was Kadji though, for now.
 
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I'm hoping Brooks will prove a bit better than Reggie. I mean, Reggie could score 20+ on a given night and then the next two games give you low single digits. He was a nice space eater who did give us 7 rpg but couldn't elevate or handle quick, athletic bigs all that well.
 
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hotshot said:
I'm hoping Brooks will prove a bit better than Reggie. I mean, Reggie could score 20+ on a given night and then the next two games give you low single digits. He was a nice space eater who did give us 7 rpg but couldn't elevate or handle quick, athletic bigs all that well.
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Reggie sure did eat a lot of space...and apparently anything else that violated social distancing guidelines.
 
hotshot said:
I'm hoping Brooks will prove a bit better than Reggie. I mean, Reggie could score 20+ on a given night and then the next two games give you low single digits. He was a nice space eater who did give us 7 rpg but couldn't elevate or handle quick, athletic bigs all that well.
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When healthy, Reggie was a monster. Too bad he got hurt a couple times his senior year.
 
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