Build your team

[emmitt01]

If you were given ten picks to build a roster (so, a starting five and five off the bench) made up exclusively of players from the McCasland/Hodge era…who ya got?  

[Glory to the Green]

Do we still only play 7-8?  😝

This is what I have.  This was tough.  We’ve had some pretty great players.  Lorient is more potential that straight up production.

Starters:
Javion Hamlet
Rubin Jones

Aaron Scott

Thomas Bell

Zach Simmons

 

Reserves:

Ryan Woolridge

Tylor Perry

James Reese

Brennon Lorient

Abou Ousmane

 

Too good to leave off:
Deng Geu

Kai Huntsberry

Moulaye Sissoko

Jason Edwards

Edited Saturday at 03:44 AM by Glory to the Green

[BleedingGreen]

Agree except Tylor for Rubin starting.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

8 hours ago, Glory to the Green said:

Do we still only play 7-8?  😝

This is what I have.  This was tough.  We’ve had some pretty great players.  Lorient is more potential that straight up production.

Starters:
Javion Hamlet
Rubin Jones

Aaron Scott

Thomas Bell

Zach Simmons

 

Reserves:

Ryan Woolridge

Tylor Perry

James Reese

Brennon Lorient

Abou Ousmane

 

Too good to leave off:
Deng Geu

Kai Huntsberry

Moulaye Sissoko

Jason Edwards

Yes. My only critique is that I am also starting Perry, but I am also finding a way to get Kai into a reserve role. Even if that means swapping Woolridge and Kai. Also, if Sissoko starts showing more consistency as he has then go ahead and switch him and Abou as well. 

We can go ahead and drop Edwards off that list altogether. UNT basketball is offensive efficiency and floor slappin' defense. I thought Edwards was a weird haul for us as he was neither, ever. 

Edited Saturday at 11:42 AM by NorthTexasWeLove

[Glory to the Green]

11 hours ago, BleedingGreen said:

Agree except Tylor for Rubin starting.

I can see that. Tylor’s as the 6th man his first year was a good role for him, too. 

[Glory to the Green]

3 hours ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

Yes. My only critique is that I am also starting Perry, but I am also finding a way to get Kai into a reserve role. Even if that means swapping Woolridge and Kai. Also, if Sissoko starts showing more consistency as he has then go ahead and switch him and Abou as well. 

We can go ahead and drop Edwards off that list altogether. UNT basketball is offensive efficiency and floor slappin' defense. I thought Edwards was a weird haul for us as he was neither, ever. 

Right. With Javion, Tylor, and Rubin we could lose Woolridge to add Kai. And Sissosoko is starting to turn a corner, so I could get on board with his add.  I struggled with keeping Edwards off due to his production, but I’m good either way. 

[emmitt01]

15 hours ago, Glory to the Green said:

Do we still only play 7-8?  😝

This is what I have.  This was tough.  We’ve had some pretty great players.  Lorient is more potential that straight up production.

Starters:
Javion Hamlet
Rubin Jones

Aaron Scott

Thomas Bell

Zach Simmons

 

Reserves:

Ryan Woolridge

Tylor Perry

James Reese

Brennon Lorient

Abou Ousmane

 

Too good to leave off:
Deng Geu

Kai Huntsberry

Moulaye Sissoko

Jason Edwards

I’ll take your starting 5 and reserves with two changes.  
 

Give me Umoja Gibson in place of Woolridge and JJ Murray over Reese*

 

*My son would kill me for taking Reese out (he is his all-time favorite Mean Green player) but I think I have enough scoring and I can’t pass up JJ’s ability to take on the opposing team’s best scorer. 

[Censored by Laurie]

Starting 5:
PG. Javion Hamlet
SG. Tylor Perry
SF. Rubin Jones
PF. Thomas Bell
C. Zach Simmons

Bench
G. Umoja Gibson
G. Ryan Woolridge
G. Kai Huntsberry
F. Brennan Lorient
F/C. Robert Allen

Role Players to round out a 13 man roster
G. JJ Murray
F. Rondell Walker
G. DJ Draper (I assume if he's on the bench that he can't be on the broadcast team for these games)

I think I just barely have Lorient above Scott...beyond that I don't think I'm too pained over leaving anyone out. 

[GrandGreen]

My starting five:

Hamlet, great guard at all phases: offense, defense, leadership

Simmons, dependable big man that actually played 4 years

Bell, tough player who was the epitome of a team player

Perry, best player of this period, unbelievable shooter

Woolridge, greatest athlete of period; unbelievable speed with or without the basketball

Sissoko and Lorient still need to finish at least this season to be considered.  Sissoko has a long way to go IMO, but he is a physical specimen. He has been too inconsistent to be included in the first team at this point. 

I go with a  bunch of pundits that Lorient has immense skills.   If he continues to improve, he should be a first team all conference player.  

[MeanGreenTexan]

On 1/18/2025 at 1:47 PM, Censored by Laurie said:

Starting 5:
PG. Javion Hamlet
SG. Tylor Perry
SF. Rubin Jones
PF. Thomas Bell
C. Zach Simmons

Bench
G. Umoja Gibson
G. Ryan Woolridge
G. Kai Huntsberry
F. Brennan Lorient
F/C. Robert Allen

Role Players to round out a 13 man roster
G. JJ Murray
F. Rondell Walker
G. DJ Draper (I assume if he's on the bench that he can't be on the broadcast team for these games)

I think I just barely have Lorient above Scott...beyond that I don't think I'm too pained over leaving anyone out. 

- I like the starting 5 here... (that backcourt is scary as hell), although you gotta make JJ a starter over Tylor for ~2-3minutes to set the tone, right?  It's how McCasland/Hodge & Tylor would have it.
- People in this thread are really forgetting just how good Wooly was.  He is a must-have.   And I think since you have him (sparkplug, instant-offense, drive/shoot-first PG), I think I might swap Mo for a floor-stretching Aaron Scott.  Otherwise, you're really running out of minutes for ball-handling G's, and as much as I loved Mo, I don't want him to eat too many of Javion/Tylor/Wooly's minutes.
...Speaking of forgetting how good someone was...
- I think if you could guarantee me I'd get '17-18 Smart, I'm rolling with him over Rondell.  And I'm starting him, and my team is friggin shooting the lights out.
- I'm gonna swap Kai for Mardrez McBride since his 3pt% is a little higher while they were wearing Green.
- I also don't know that I'd put Lorient over Ousmane.  Since you have Bell (and I added Scott), you really only have Simmons & Allen for rim protection.  Might be good to go 1 deeper there (especially if this hypothetical team is going against a dude like Lofton).  But Lorient/Ousmane, either/or, I'm fine.
- JJ is a must for that Defensive Dog mentality that marks these teams over the past 9 years, & DJ for the same, plus that career 40+ 3pt% in case you need it.

Give me:
Starting 5 - Javion, JJ, Smart, Bell, Simmons
Bench - Tylor, Rubin, Woolridge, AScott, Drez, Allen, Draper, Ousmane/Lorient

EDIT:  Tough to leave dudes like Mo, Lorient/Ousmane, Reese, Kai, Edwards, Geu, & Mike Miller off the team.

Edited 2 hours ago by MeanGreenTexan