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I've said it before, I'll say it again until he's gone. In the off-season, Jim Boeheim does not mince words and he does not bullshit. So when he talks to Donna Ditota about the line-up for the 2014-2015 season, you can easily parse what he's saying to figure out what things are probably going to look like when the Orange take the floor in November.
Your starters, based on what Boeheim seems to be saying...
Rakeem Christmas
"He just needs to keep making progress," Boeheim said. "He needs to realize he's going to have to do more offensively. We can't live with him getting 5 or 6 points. We have to get more production out of him. That's important."
Trevor Cooney
"Trevor has to find a way to score every night. He can't have nights where he shoots and makes it and other nights when he doesn't score," Boeheim said. "He has to figure out ways to score. He has to be productive."
Michael Gbinije
Boeheim said SU junior Mike Gbinije could start at point guard or at small forward. Gbinije will again help the Orange at three positions. How much time he logs at small forward, Boeheim said, depends upon the basketball maturation of Tyler Roberson in particular, plus B.J. Johnson and Chris McCullough.
Kaleb Joseph
"Kaleb's important," Boeheim said. "Can he push it? That will be important as to how we play."
That's only four because those are the only four guys Boeheim seems to be sure(ish) of. That's two guards, a small forward and a center. That leaves room for a power forward which, to me, spells Chris McCullough. But Boeheim remained somewhat mum on the subject here (unlike previous times).
As for the bench players...
Probable sixth-man Tyler Roberson
"Tyler Roberson, he's a big key. He has to be able to really change production," Boeheim said. "He's got to go from nothing to 10-11 points a game, 5-6 rebounds. That's a big jump. If he rebounds, he'll score because he'll get some offensive rebounds."
B.J. Johnson
"The real key will be B.J. and Roberson and how they play.
Buss Patterson
Boeheim called sophomore guard Ron Patterson "a wild card' who can earn playing time if he proves he belongs.
Boeheim calls the potential return of DaJuan Coleman "a big positive if we can do that," though it's been made clear that we shouldn't expect too much just yet.
So let's say that's right... Joseph, Cooney, Gbinije, McCullough & Christmas with Roberson first off the bench. Does that blow up your skirt? Or does it keep your skirt firmly in place? And why am I making skirt metaphors?
