Ten Trojan Questions

If I counted right, we have 52 days remaining until the tip-off of the Darrell Walker Era. And I must admit that right now curiosity is my main emotion regarding the new season. I just have no idea whatsoever what to expect. Many questions are unanswered at this point, but it will be very interesting and a lot of fun watching as they get answered.

1.       Can Darrell Walker coach at the D1 level? He did not do very well in the pros. He did quite well over a couple of seasons at D2. His recruiting to date has been underwhelming, but if he is a whiz on the bench, that could be overcome. How good is he? Can he motivate? Will he require good discipline on and off the court? Stay tuned.

2.       How good will Markquis Nowell be? It is not often that we get someone who was a top-40 player at his position nationally. I am not yet ready to start saying “the next Fish”, but wouldn’t it be nice if we were saying that at the end of his freshman season? If he is good, and if he can bring with him a little of that Harlem swagger, the kid could be something special and just what this program needs.

3.       Will we have some shooters? Ryan Pippins shot well last season, but on limited attempts. Deondre Burns shot well year before last, but he hasn’t been on the court for almost a year. Corcoran and Reedus were good, but they are no longer on the roster. These days any team has to have (at least) a couple of reliable 3-point shooters to have a chance.

4.       How good is Rayjon Tucker? He was a 3-star coming out of high school, and was a part of a high-octane offense at FGCU. But he also has laid out a year. Can he pick up where he left off?

5.       Will the lack of a true big man affect us? Lots of SBC teams have done pretty well without one. But someone has to fill that role, even if he is only a role-player on a perimeter-oriented team. Who will do it for us?

6.       Can Kris Bankston fulfill his potential? My gut feel is that this kid could be really, really good for us. As a true freshman he shot the ball very well, rebounded fairly well, and led the team in blocks. Can he pick up where he left off and continue to progress?

7.       Where will the locker room leadership come from? Our only senior so far is graduate student Dani Koljanin, and he will be in his only year with the program. Someone has to step up and be the “enforcer” if this team (or any team) is to be successful.

8.       At what degree of rotundity will Pippins be playing this season?

9.       Assuming we do not get any late additions, can we survive a somewhat short roster through the season?

10.   Who will be the “sleeper” on this roster. Who will surprise us by coming out of no where to contribute?