In Reply to: I think the obsession with the center position may be off posted by mh on December 03, 2024 at 11:28:53
guards that made Baylor the team that they were (Flagler, Butler, Teague and Mitchell). Thamba only averaged 15 minutes a game for the Bears and only played 16 minutes in the championship game before he fouled out with 3 points and 6 rebounds. So I agree with you in that a winning team doesn't necessarily need a dominant big man to be successful. But it does need some other damn good players who can put the ball in the hoop under pressure conditions (at a decent percentage) in highly competitive games.
And Baylor had those damn good players. Their 4 guards carried the team all year (averaging near 60 points between the 4 of them). In the championship game against Gonzaga, the 4 guards combined for 69 of Baylor's 86 points. Butler scored 22 with 4 threes (41% 3 point shooter), Teague had 19 with 2 threes (39% three point shooter), Mitchell had 15 with 1 three (44% three point shooter) and Flagler had 13 with 3 threes (43% three point shooter).
So if you don't have a great center or great inside power game, you will need some very good shooters on the perimeter who can hit shots under pressure. Baylor's 4 guards back then were very aggressive, strong penetrators, and excellent three point shooters. I don't see that level of capability in any of the Bruin's guard combinations. However, neither have I seen that type of combination in any of the many teams I've watched thus far.
All that being said, I believe there is good potential for the Bruins to be a very competitive team in the BIG. But they will continue to have to improve, especially on the offensive end, to achieve that, IMO.