The college basketball season gets underway in November. Now that we’re in October, things are about to get serious. Teams will be practicing in under two full weeks. One of the bigger questions in the sport will be the ability of newcomers to take over the big stars and provide consistency in the absence of players who have departed – either for the pro game or simply due to graduation.
Kyle Guy To Replace Malcolm Brogdon
There are few players who meant more to their team last season than Malcolm Brogdon meant to Virginia. He was one of the big stars. Brogdon was the man who, more than any other on the Cavaliers’ roster, took the ball late in games and was willing to take big shots. He stepped up when other teammates were afraid to shoot or reluctant to take matters into their own hands. The other central virtue of Brogdon is that he was the team’s foremost defensive stopper. He took on the toughest defensive responsibilities, guarding the opposing team’s best shooter or scorer. He was skilled, and he was a two-way player, but beyond that, his leadership came through in so much of what he did and how he did it. This is not merely a question of replacing statistics – it’s about replacing effort and example and a large number of responsibilities at both ends of the court.
Christian James To Replace Buddy Hield
The enormity of Buddy Hield’s value to Oklahoma last season was not just his incredible shooting ability – the unlimited range, the consistency, the variety of styles (long-range, medium-range, attacking the basket), but also being able to hit big shots in the clutch. When Oklahoma really and badly needed a basket, Hield reliably gave it. Plenty of players can and do shoot well for much of a game, but they get paralyzed late. This was not the case with Hield. He got better when the moment got tougher. That’s the specific thing Christian James has to find a way to provide – perhaps not in full, but at least enough that Oklahoma doesn’t collapse this upcoming season.
Remember that Oklahoma went deep into the NCAA Tournament last year and at times, Hield was the main reason for it. He finished his career as the Big 12’s all-time leading scorer and was just the second player in conference history to win the Player of the Year award twice. Yes, he struggled in his final game against Villanova, but they were the champs. He carried the team, at times, with his 36-point performance against VCU in the Sooners’ second March Madness contest as well as scoring 37 against Oregon in the penultimate game. James has big shoes to fill here and he likely won’t ever live up to Hield.
Indiana: Robert Johnson To Replace Yogi Ferrell
The leadership Ferrell provided for Indiana will be very hard to replace. He was one of the big stars in the Big Ten. Ferrell was a four-year player, something that’s not commonly seen at high-level college basketball these days. He galvanized the Hoosiers last season and kept them from falling apart when the team wobbled in late November and early December. Ferrell was quick, and he was skilled, and he could shoot the three, but the biggest thing he did was quarterback the offense and prevent his teammates from losing confidence. That’s a hard thing for the new Indiana point guard to do. Robert Johnson has to find a way to make things work – at least enough to succeed.
North Carolina: Isaiah Hicks To Replace Brice Johnson
The greatness of Brice Johnson lay in his quickness, often as a leaper and not necessarily a lateral mover. He was one of the big stars in the ACC. Johnson excelled at something big men need to excel at: making a quick second or third leap for a rebound, getting back off the floor after landing on the floor. This made him quicker to rebounds and loose balls, also enabling him to be a better shot blocker. Hicks is not as quick as Johnson. He has to develop his instincts over the course of the season in order to give North Carolina more power and strength near the basket, on offense and defense alike.
