My rankings of the most indispensable players on this year’s roster (i.e. who can we least afford to miss extended time):
Raynaud:
Smith is going to ride him hard. Rare for a center to lead a team in MPG but he has a clear lead so far. Our top scorer and rebounder with very efficient percentages.
Blakes:
My clearcut number two. He’s been so good on defense and really efficient on offense, getting to the line and hitting his FTs while finishing around the hoop well!
Gealer:
Clearly third (and some might argue second). Given our lack of ball handling, he’s a piece we need to keep healthy all season.
Sellers:
A coin flip with Agarwal, Sellers has shown a bit more, albeit he’s been inconsistent this season.
Agarwal:
We’ve talked a ton about this kid. Such a great surprise after a redshirt season.
Okpara:
This is the only “core” guy who has disappointed so far. He plays a lot of bully ball that likely won’t translate at the ACC and his shot hasn’t been good. Still, he’s a valuable piece and strong defender.
Cammann:
If you told me last spring that our 24-25 team would prominently feature Cammann and Agarwal, I would’ve assume we were completely f**ked. Cammann hasn’t shown up in the box score (averaging a meager 1.5 RPG to 3.3 fouls) but looks like he belongs and is a solid platoon with Okpara. Their development this year will be critical to fill the Raynaud void.
Not sure who I would put in the 8 spot. Maybe Saran given our thin backcourt ball handling? Or Batson Jr? Or Young, since we have yet to see his game?
Thoughts?