McCaffery-era Starting 5

[icantfindausernamethatisntused]

If you could choose a starting 5 for players in the McCaffery-era, what would your lineup be?

David Eickholt asked Connor McCaffery this question on his Locked on Hawkeyes podcast. Connor's starting 5:

1 - Devyn Marble
2 - Peter Jok
3 - Keegan Murray
4 - Aaron White
5 - Luka Garza

Tough to argue too much with that. Other players that deserve consideration:

• Kris Murray
• Joe Wieskamp
• Jarrod Uthoff
• Tyler Cook
• Matt Gatens

 

[CharlieVee]

Not enough balls on the floor for that group. A functional starting 5 has players that know their role. Is that the most individually talented…sure. I don’t think that would be the team with the most wins.

 

[wneff]

I heard Connor and Patrick do this in a podcast last summer. We might be talking about the same one, but I think it might have been on their own podcast. They went through their starting fives and near misses. What surprsied me some (but maybe not that much) is that neither ever mentioned JBo who is the program's careeer leader in numerous categories.

 

[BrewHawk]

I would play Joe or Matt ahead of Peter due to better defense. Jok would be 6th for a spark on offense.

Also would sub Woodbury in for Garza if defensive stop was needed.

 

[UndercoverHawk]

I would play Joe or Matt ahead of Peter due to better defense. Jok would be 6th for a spark on offense.

Also would sub Woodbury in for Garza if defensive stop was needed.

Woodbury?! I’d plug in Olaseni over Woodbury

 

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

1 - Devyn Marble
2 - Peter Jok
3 - Keegan Murray
4 - Jarrod Uthoff
5 - Luka Garza


Top four off the bench...

Aaron White
Kris Murray
Tyler Cook
Joe Wieskamp

 

[Herky T Hawk]

For my 2 deep I'd go:
PG: Devyn Marble / Bryce Cartwright
SG: Joe Wieskamp / Peter Jok
SF: Keegan Murray / Jarrod Uthoff
PF: Aaron White / Jarryd Cole
C: Luka Garza / Gabe Olaseni

That isn't necessarily the 10 best players, but that team should win a Big Ten title. Bryce is the worst shooter of the PG/SG/SF positions but he averaged over 5 assists per game in his two years with us and his speed would help a ton off the bench. The guards are lacking quite a bit on defense though, hence the Bryce inclusion. The PFs and Cs allow you to mix and match high end offensive players with high end defenders and rebounders. Garza on the floor with Cole or Olaseni and White on the floor with Olaseni. Or go small and move Keegan up to PF.

I'd love Matt Gatens and Eric May as my 11th and 12th men off the bench. Better defenders and decent shooters to complement the the others while being able to fill in at both SG or SF(in a small lineup). Then Tyler Cook to fill in the 13th spot, but with coaching that we don't need him to do anything but score garbage buckets. He needs to spend his energy rebounding and defending. You can't coach someone to have his athleticism.

 

[BrewHawk]

Woodbury?! I’d plug in Olaseni over Woodbury

Yeah, Gabe would work too.

 

[fivecardstud14]

Marble/Jok/Uthoff/Murray/(Sr.)Olaseni

 

[CookyMonster]

Id pry play Nic baer 7-10 mins a game.

 

[dean_oliver222]

Josh Oglesby as a good 6th man

 

[wondergrape]

Gotta go Matt Gatens at shooting guard. Seems like people are forgetting what a good all around player he was.

 

[Bishop1971]

Gotta go Matt Gatens at shooting guard. Seems like people are forgetting what a good all around player he was.

I agree with @wondergrape. I'd definitely find some minutes for Gatens.

 

[ShonnDeereGreene]

Loved Devyn Marble as a player. Great player. Hard to be excited that he is head and shoulders above any other PG.

Probably emblematic of the NCAA tourney challenge over Fran’s tenure.

 

[CookyMonster]

Loved Devyn Marble as a player. Great player. Hard to be excited that he is head and shoulders above any other PG.

Probably emblematic of the NCAA tourney challenge over Fran’s tenure.

Plus, he was never a full time point guard after his sophomore year.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Loved Devyn Marble as a player. Great player. Hard to be excited that he is head and shoulders above any other PG.

Probably emblematic of the NCAA tourney challenge over Fran’s tenure.

PG hasn't been a position of strength. Devyn more of a combo guard. I know most wouldn't agree, but Gesell might be the best all-round PG during Fran's tenure. Woody has to be the back up center.

 

[CAhawki]

Garza/Woody
White/Cook
Keegs/JW
Jok/Gatens
Jbo/Mike G

 

[CookyMonster]

Garza/Cook
White/Uthoff
Keg. Murray/Wieskamp
Gatens/Jok
Marble/Perkins

The second unit would score a shit ton with Jok, Wieskamp, and Uthoff giving space for the best athletes.

Kris and Jbo to round out Fran's 12 man rotation.

 

[Andrew Houk]

Boy the PG problems really come into focus when you put together a list like this.

SG: Stud
SF: Stud
PF: Stud
C: Stud

PG: ???
Marble not really a PG but probably the best of the lot. Gesell/Clemmons good defense, no offense. Bohannon good offense, no defense. Cartwright? Was Cartwright one of the two best overall PGs of the Fran era? Wow. Amazing we are winning as much as we are.

My list:
C: Garza/Woodbury (maybe Olaseni as the backup center)
PF: KeeganM/White
SF: KrisM/Uthoff
SG: Gatens/Wieskamp (maybe the other way around, my recollection is that Gatens was better defensively)
PG: Marble/Cartwright

That should be one of the best offensive teams in NCAA history. There are still some defensive issues, though. The guards aren't quick and the starting center is not a plus defensive player.

 

[Incredible Hawk]

Loved Devyn Marble as a player. Great player. Hard to be excited that he is head and shoulders above any other PG.

Probably emblematic of the NCAA tourney challenge over Fran’s tenure.

Definitely - the best PG we can come up w wasn't a PG.....after that it's a bunch of 'oh yeah i forgot about him' guys......big time problem.....

 

[KcTo]

If you could choose a starting 5 for players in the McCaffery-era, what would your lineup be?

David Eickholt asked Connor McCaffery this question on his Locked on Hawkeyes podcast. Connor's starting 5:

1 - Devyn Marble
2 - Peter Jok
3 - Keegan Murray
4 - Aaron White
5 - Luka Garza

Tough to argue too much with that. Other players that deserve consideration:

• Kris Murray
• Joe Wieskamp
• Jarrod Uthoff
• Tyler Cook
• Matt Gatens

C- Garza
PF- Uthoff (NBA player) (white was not)
SF-Keegan
SG-Kris (Gatens, Jok weren’t)
PG-Marble

to think 3 were in the same team but never played all together

 

[Mohawkeye]

I would play Joe or Matt ahead of Peter due to better defense. Jok would be 6th for a spark on offense.

Also would sub Woodbury in for Garza if defensive stop was needed.

Weiskamp was worse at defending than Jok. I wouldn’t have Joe in my top 10.

 

[Mohawkeye]

I agree with @wondergrape. I'd definitely find some minutes for Gatens.

Gatens was tough. You got to find space for him. Marble, Garza, Keagan and White would round out my 5.

 

[Buffalo43]

My defense starting five:
Gesell
May
Woodbury
Olsleni
Joe T