PacHoops on "The Bench"

[allbuffs]

Today Adam takes a quick look at the Buffaloes bench situation, fortunately for him he didnt focus on Jenkins:

www.PacHoops.com

A season ago, Tad’s rotation extended only about six deep. After Sabatino’s 23.4 mpg, Jeremy Adams ticked in at just 11 mpg and so I feel confident in saying that Tad barely extended his bench. And that’s ok. It obviously worked as the Buffs made it to the NCAA tournament and by most measures had a very good year.

Bravo.

But this season projects to involve many more players. There are just four significant contributors returning (Mayor, Jelly, Ski, and XJ) and what seems to be a talented crop of newbies. On paper, this is arguably Tad’s best team yet and has great pieces from top to bottom. As we’ve already discussed the changing culture in Boulder, I’m curious if 2013-14 might also mark a slight change in execution? In his three seasons at CU, Boyle has ranked 251, 258, and 240[SUP]th[/SUP] in percentage of bench minutes. He’s got more talent at his disposal than ever before – another mark of the changing culture – but how is he going to use it? What could that look like? How’s that going to work? Is it even going to happen?

I won’t venture to know how Boyle expects his roster to gel – much of that will come as we get further along into the season – but I do know that this roster could present Tad with his first challenge in keeping talent happy. I think he’s done a good job of it to date, even getting some quality players to red-shirt, but the way this season unfolds could show us an added element to Boyle’s coaching abilities. It’s one thing to run six guys out there, it’s another to mix and match and rotate to get the most out of your thirteen schollies. While I’m not privy to the chemistry of this team, there is the possibility that issues could arise. But that’s just reckless hearsay. Unless there is actually evidence of chemistry issues – of which I’ve heard absolutely none – there’s no reason to believe there could be. Absolutely not.

The point I’m making is that we can talk all about Boyle’s changing program from how it feels, but monitoring different components, counting how these growing pieces come together, will be the true measure of what he’s doing.

PacHoops on twitter:
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[Buffnik]

Next step in the evolution of the program. Can you keep 13 guys happy when 4 or 5 aren't really playing and they're good enough to have started at CU just a few short years ago?

 

[wyobuff]

Next step in the evolution of the program. Can you keep 13 guys happy when 4 or 5 aren't really playing and they're good enough to have started at CU just a few short years ago?

Not relevant. They knew what cu was when they signed on, and from what I hear about tad recruiting the mayor they knew where it was headed.
Those players didnt go to CU a few years ago, and if the team was in the same spot, would those players have come to CU at all? My guess is probably not.
If they want more playing time for a high major team that is in a power conference but isnt that good, they can head to Salt Lake or fort worth.

 

[cubuffs85]

Not relevant. They knew what cu was when they signed on, and from what I hear about tad recruiting the mayor they knew where it was headed.
Those players didnt go to CU a few years ago, and if the team was in the same spot, would those players have come to CU at all? My guess is probably not.
If they want more playing time for a high major team that is in a power conference but isnt that good, they can head to Salt Lake or fort worth.

Yeah I pretty much agree with this. Look at this way, we can recruit the opposite way in football (albeit there's more positions), we can offer immediate playing time. You want playing time, go to a worse school.