Marshall & Trayvonn will be playing, because no one else on the current team has what those 2 have, hieght and athleticism.
Taylor Baxter held out. (Taylor Braun is very similar to him)
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Marshall & Trayvonn will be playing, because no one else on the current team has what those 2 have, hieght and athleticism.
Taylor Baxter held out. (Taylor Braun is very similar to him)
Football hasn't even started and I am excited about the upcoming basketball season.
If they all can contribute, I wouldn't mind if they all played right away, all though I know that likely won't happen. Either way I can't eait for the basketball season.
I wanna see Tray play right away
This is still a fluid issue. Everybody seems pretty sure that Bjorklund will play immediately. With Wright and Baxter it depends on who you are talking to and what day it is--my impression is that the coaches are still evaluating the situation.
Taylor Braun and Taylor Baxter do have similarities, but they are not likely to play the same position. One of the ways they are similar is that they were both SKINNY when they showed up on campus. Taylor Braun had impressive talent from Day 1, but he has REALLY helped himself by gaining muscle over the past year. I think Braun's best position is the 3 now. He is versatile and he could also play some 2 or 4, eventually. Braun is excellent in the open court. He can fill a wing on the break and finish at the rim. He is also very good at taking people off the dribble. He is a decent shooter, but the jumper is still a work in progress. Defensively, he is also best in space. He will get into passing lanes and make some steals, but a guy like Carlson can still out-muscle him around the basket. Tveidt and Carlson will surely start at the 3 and 4 spots, but I think Braun will play a lot. I think those three guys will be get most of the minutes at the forward spots. Braun will spell Tveidt, and when Carlson comes out Tveidt will slide over to the 4 with Braun at 3.
As of now, I don't see a lot of minutes for Trayvonn this year unless somebody gets hurt. I just can't see him playing before Tveidt, Carlson, or Braun at this point. On the other hand, with his ability, change could come quickly. He definitely has tremendous length and jumping ability. Even now, Trayvonn can make some highlight reel plays right now that NOBODY ELSE on this team can make. The big issue is that he needs to get a lot stronger and gain endurance. It will be fun to watch his development for sure!
When Taylor Baxter was signed I would have guessed that the chances of him redshirting were 99%, but he is a better player and more ready than I thought. He was recruited as a point guard, and he has the skills to fill in there, but in summer workouts he has looked like he can be a really good 2. Baxter is long enough to play a little 3 in the future, but I don't think he is strong enough to fit there now. He can handle the ball and he is a good passer. I have been most surprised by his shooting ability. He has a good midrange game--he likes to drive into the lane and pull up. He is another good athlete with excellent leaping ability. Freddie Coleman will be the starter at the 2 spot. It would make sense for Baxter to redshirt unless he can get in front of Mike Felt on the depth chart--and that is possible. We also have to remember that Coleman and Felt are coming back from major injuries. If Trayvonn plays right away and takes some of the forward minutes, then Braun could get some minutes at the 2. Drew Lundberg could also get minutes at 2, but he has had a great summer, and he could be the starting point guard (that spot will be a HUGE battle with Zastrow--and hopefully Marcus Williams later on).
Bjorklund plays for sure. He is a 4/5, but he may get the majority of his time at 5 this year. I look for him to battle Aaberg for the starting spot with Nagel seeing spot duty.
Unless necessary, I see it best for the Bison program to have both Wright and Baxter redshirt this season. If they wait a year, they will get much stronger and will contribute many more minutes than they would this year.
You did say it Kermit. I was just agreeing with you with my usual short answer.
The good thing about the redshirt is they don't have to decide right away. If somebody gets hurt they will play, or if NDSU starts to look like a tournament team then they might be needed to push them over the top. You wouldn't want to miss the tournament for a redshirt. The good thing is the coaches should know what kind of team they have when conference play starts.