FanPost

The Worst Case, Moving Forward

I am NOT one of the nutjobs that thinks that 4 minutes a game in the Big East season would have helped DaShonte Riley "develop"—that's what practice is for. (Yes, we're talkin' 'bout practice.) If he were good enough, he'd have been out there, that simple.

That said, IF Onuaku can't go in the NCAA Tournament, I think Riley should get some time. Not a lot... maybe 5 to 7 minutes a game tops. Just enough time to give Jackson a breather. My thinking if they did that would be that he's only their seventh most-important player if he's getting that time. They're not winning or losing on his back; he's just spelling Rick for a minute and taking up space. So you send him in there, tell him "you've got five fouls—don't let them get easy buckets," and let him go to town. Don't use him as a Chaney-like goon, don't have him play dirty. Just have him realize that he'd basically be in as a placeholder and he should be super-aggressive. If he fouls out, eh, whatever.

I say this just as a worst-case. No matter how good the top six are, if AO can't go, Rick WILL need some time on the bench (due to fatigue or fouls), and they will run into teams where "going small" (especially when nobody can foul in a six-man rotation) won't be the answer.

I know he's extremely raw and I know Boeheim knows best; if he thinks Riley would be a liability he won't play him—he's miserable on offense. It's just a thought. Hopefully it's not an issue.

Thoughts? Am I completely freaking nuts? Is Riley even athletic enough to pull this off?