The Friars season has played out a bit like a soap opera this year. There was a never-ending series of injuries, questions about who would be available from game to game, and a shocking inconsistency on the court. Perhaps this should be expected with the uncertainty of bringing in four new portal contributors as well as two freshmen who have earned big minutes, and of course the season-long concern over Bryce Hopkins’ health status. A season that began with legitimate expectations of an NCAA bid and strong seed is now hoping to avoid the Friars first losing record since the 2011-12 season.
I am not giving up on Coach English at this point, and still note many strengths that he brings to the table, but it is only reasonable to have questions about the direction of the program. English inherited a program that produced eight NCAA tournament teams (counting the shortened 2019-20 season) in the previous ten seasons, including the two immediately preceding his hiring. This is different than Rick Pitino, Rick Barnes, and Ed Cooley, who all came into clear rebuilding situations that they quickly turned around. In his inaugural season last year, English’s Friars were 11-2, 2-0 in the Big East and nationally ranked until Bryce Hopkins went down for the season. After early struggles, he kept the squad focused to the point where they should have received an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
This year has been different from the beginning, as the team has lacked cohesion and defined roles. Additionally, the personnel on the team do not appear to be a good fit for the style Kim wants to play. To his credit, he has made adjustments after the nadir of the New Year’s Eve game against Marquette, and the team has averaged 81 points per game since then, even with only 64 against Creighton on Tuesday. Now that it seems highly unlikely that Bryce Hopkins will be able to return to action this season, the staff needs to figure out how they will go forward over the next 14+ games.
One of the biggest issues has been the pairing of Bensley Joseph and Jayden Pierre as double point guards. They are the two leading scorers on the team and have both have had big games on the floor. The problem is that there have been times where questions arise over their defined roles, leading to them barely having more assists than turnovers. The other and bigger problem is on the defensive side of the ball, where they have struggled against opposing lead guards. Because they are both small (6’1” -ish) they are often victims to mismatches. Pierre in particular has struggled against opposing point guards, including Kobe Elvis, Sebastian Thomas, Melvin Council, and Hassan Diarra, all quality but not elite-level players. Then on Tuesday, Pierre was dominated by Steven Ashworth, which was surprising because Ashworth is a top point guard but not bigger, quicker, or faster than Pierre. Part of this is because of how Ashworth used Ryan Kalkbrenner in screens and pick and rolls, but part is also because of Ashworth’s superior understanding of the game.
Another concern is the lack of support for Oswin Erhunmwunse at the center position. Oswin continues to improve by the game, including 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game in the last four games. Last night against the best defensive center in the country, Oswin hit 4 of 5 shots, including multiple dunks and a fake and spin move around Kalkbrenner that would not have happened a month ago. Unfortunately, Christ Essandoko has struggled on the floor and with injuries and Anton Bonke works hard but is too raw to compete against Big East caliber centers. Eli DeLaurier always gives a solid effort when on the floor but is physically more suited to a stretch four position than banging against Kalkbrenner and Eric Dixon. This was most evident in the Creighton game where the Friars were in the game with Oswin on the floor and dropped off when he went to the bench.
The biggest positives for the season have been the play of the two freshmen (Oswin and Ryan Mela), as well as the all-around play on both sides of the ball from Wesley Cardet and Corey Floyd Jr. Mela has shown impressive versatility and maturity at being able to play multiple positions. He is as good as any ball-handler on the team, has exceptional court vision, and is the best rebounder on the team. The only deficiency at this time is his marginal three-point shooting, which I am willing to bet will be much improved next year. Floyd has been a top defender and improved his ability to drive to the hoop and draw fouls. His offensive rating per Kenpom is the highest on the team and in the 93rd percentile nationally. He’s also shooting 79% from the free throw line, including 21 of 23 in conference play. Like Mela, Floyd’s three-point shooting has not been great although it is more due to him passing up shots, as he is shooting 40% from three on 25 attempts in the last 15 games. Wesley Cardet has also provided top defense and solid offense despite not being exactly the player many fans expected. In the last eight games, he’s averaging 13 points per game, including 50% from three and 73% from the free throw line.
I like the recent starting lineup of Pierre, Floyd, Mela, Cardet, and Oswin, with Joseph as a spark off the bench, though I would like to see Pierre playing fewer minutes to keep him fresh and limiting minutes of Pierre and Joseph on the floor together. It would help to be able to go small when opponents are resting their starting centers, utilizing DeLaurier and hopefully Barron to improve depth. Except for the game at Marquette, every other game on the schedule is at least winnable, although they are also all losable. This will be a test of how Coach English coaches and manages the personnel.
Going forward, it is important to remember that the staff has recruited very well, getting a high-level recruit and an overachieving player in each of their two years, with two more top prospects coming in next year. Additionally, they were able to target the players they wanted in the portal and move to secure their services quickly, as they finished in the portal before April was over last year. People can argue about the results, but if they identify the right guys, there is every expectation that they will succeed in getting some of their top targets. I will continue to critically analyze the moves made by Coach English and his staff, but at this point they deserve faith until proven otherwise.
Go Friars!
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