Let's fast forward to next year...

[smootness]

I'm excited about watching our basketball team this year, but with Q's injury, I think it's safe to say that it will probably be next year before we start to make real noise. So looking ahead, I think our lineup will look something like this:

PG - N.Weatherspoon / L.Peters
Wing - Q.Weatherspoon / E.Wright
Wing - M.Kegler / T.Carter / X.Stapleton
Forward - A.Holman / G.Brooks / E.Datcher
Center - S.Herard / A.Ado

And obviously that lineup will change quite a bit depending on who is in. I could see us running out a smaller lineup with Kegler and Holman at the 4/5 or trotting out both Herard and Ado as a twin-tower lineup, for instance. We'll have a lot of good pieces we can mix and match. But that roster is extremely talented and will be at least reasonably experienced by then.

I think Nick Weatherspoon will take the primary PG job from day one, and when I watch Brooks' film, he reminds me quite a bit of Lawrence Roberts in terms of style. He's not a great athlete, but he is very comfortable down low and uses his body well to create space for himself. He's able to get it and go up quickly for an easy bucket. Not a lot of wasted motion. If he can indeed shoot like Howland suggests as well, that is a big-time weapon that could be really, really good for us in time.

Ado will add an extra element of defense for us down low, and I think we'll see Kegler and Herard slimmed down even more while Peters, Wright, and Carter should add some additional strength. I think Q, Kegler, and Holman could all be go-to guys by next year, and we'll have athleticism to run people out of the building when we choose to.

[msstate7]

I don't think carter will be letting go of starting at the 2. He's gonna be a weapon this year and potentially all sec next season as a 3-pt shooter

[BrunswickDawg]

Losing Q hurts this year - but I'm not convinced that we should call the season yet. The SEC is still a pretty weak conference, and we have young talent. Carter catching fire the other night I think showed what can happen. I thought we were a bubble team this year. I think we can still go NIT if the team gels.

Biggest factor is it doesn't look like we have a chemistry problem this year. I think that easily took 3-4 wins off the board last year.

[drummerdawg]

That is a loaded team. I've made a similar comment about Brooks reminding me of Roberts. He just does everything right and plays hard. I think Ado will likely end up getting that starting spot at the 5. Will be interesting to see how the PG position works out. I hope there won't be any tension there between lil Spoon and Peters.

[confucius say]

Don't forget about feazell next year. Could help out too

[missouridawg]

Getting a Stapleton back in January will be big for us too. Crazy athlete.

Next season is going to be so much fun.

[smootness]

I don't think carter will be letting go of starting at the 2. He's gonna be a weapon this year and potentially all sec next season as a 3-pt shooter

I really like Carter a lot, and he's going to play a lot regardless (as will most of the guys I listed as backups), but Q will obviously start, and it's hard not to see Kegler and Holman starting as well. So I'm just not sure where Carter would fit in.

[Jack Lambert]

Too be honest we have been fast forwarding to next year for about five years and it is getting old.

[smootness]

Too be honest we have been fast forwarding to next year for about five years and it is getting old.

Thanks.

[Dawg-gone-dawgs]

I really like Carter a lot, and he's going to play a lot regardless (as will most of the guys I listed as backups), but Q will obviously start, and it's hard not to see Kegler and Holman starting as well. So I'm just not sure where Carter would fit in.

Carter would be ahead of Wright

[messageboardsuperhero]

If we make the NIT this year, it will be an absolutely incredible coaching job by Howland.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Too be honest we have been fast forwarding to next year for about five years and it is getting old.

At what point in the last five years have we had a roster like the one listed in the OP? The team next year will have more experienced talent and quality depth than any group I've seen at MSU in AT LEAST a decade.

[DudyDawg]

What's the rundown on Stapleton? Love basketball but don't pay attention to recruiting at all other than seeing the ranks and stars of the guys we have playing right now to try to get a feel of talent. How much will he help once he can play?

[smootness]

Carter would be ahead of Wright

I agree. But I don't have either one in my starting lineup for next year.

[Jack Lambert]

At what point in the last five years have we had a roster like the one listed in the OP? The team next year will have more experienced talent and quality depth than any group I've seen at MSU in AT LEAST a decade.

Why haven't we? Sorry to be negative but I am ready to win and we are not even five games into this season and we have a thread saying wait until next year.

[smootness]

Why haven't we? Sorry to be negative but I am ready to win and we are not even five games into this season and we have a thread saying wait until next year.

Because we haven't? Because it's really freaking hard to assemble a roster with that much talent at Mississippi State?

Guess what? Sometimes it's not as easy as, 'I'm ready to win, so let's win!' This team will win games, I just don't think they're prepared to really make noise after losing Q. They could surprise me, but this season will still be fun regardless.

When I say, 'let's look ahead to next year,' it's not because this year is a lost cause. It's just because next year sets up to potentially be one of the best years we've ever had.

[MarketingBully]

So according to Howland's press conference, here is our starting five for Lehigh:

PG: Ready
SG: Peters
3G: Carter
S4: Kegler
C: Holman

That means Herard, Datcher, Wright will come off the bench with Strugg getting some minutes as well. He also stated that he is going to play Kegler at the 3 some and we could have a lineup with Holman at S4 and Herard at center. That would be a lineup that will be hard to deal with. I think our biggest key to this season will be the development of Kegler. Can he develop enough to let the game come to him? I think he will takeover the Q role. The good thing here is he is a prototypical NBA small forward. That is the position he will play in the NBA. He is ultra talented.

[CadaverDawg]

I agree, smootness. I wasn't convinced we'd make a tourney even with Q this year due to our youth and inexperience. That being the case, the Q injury may have one small positive in that it gives all of Q's minutes to a Freshman that will gain a good bit more experience now. This should improve our depth next year, which may have been our next real shot at competing for postseason anyway.
Guys like Wright will be forced to step up and that could expedite that growth some.

Just a thought.

[missouridawg]

Too be honest we have been fast forwarding to next year for about five years and it is getting old.

Get used to it... cause every season that Howland recruits for us... will make the next year exciting.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

The only issue with Mario playing the 3 is defense. He can score at the 3 or the 4 but will he have the foot speed to guard most 3's? That's the big question.

[msstate7]

The only issue with Mario playing the 3 is defense. He can score at the 3 or the 4 but will he have the foot speed to guard most 3's? That's the big question.

There's certainly question marks defensively with the new starting 5 too. We're tiny with our 3 guards. Carter has some height, but no mass

[Dawg61]

I think initially our starting lineup next year will be..

PG Peters
SG Carter
OG Q Spoon
SF Kegler
PF Holman
6th man N Spoon

[Dawg61]

The only issue with Mario playing the 3 is defense. He can score at the 3 or the 4 but will he have the foot speed to guard most 3's? That's the big question.

True but Kegler will dominate the boards on both ends to more than make up for that lack of foot speed.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

True but Kegler will dominate the boards on both ends to more than make up for that lack of foot speed.

Just have to stay out of foul trouble. You can't touch guys & not being the quickest guy is a gamble. If he can do that we will be good.