What Will Sacramento State's Frontcourt Look Like?

Last season, Sacramento State had one of the most experienced frontcourts in the conference, with senior starts Konnor Veteto, Joe Eberhard, and John Dickson. The flipside is that this year, with all of those guys gone, there is not a lot of certainty in their frontcourt heading into this season.

Like we did with Southern Utah's scoring, let's just take a rundown of some of the guys that might be involved.

- Joey Quigley - Of their returners, Quigley logged the most minutes among those vying for frontcourt roles, so that seems to put him at the top of the list. He is a versatile guy that seems to have the skillset to play inside and outside, but he struggled last season as a junior, his first year in the program. He shot just 31% on twos, and 4/16 from deep, not really dishing out assists or grabbing any offensive rebounds, making him a serious liability last year. He did grab a solid number of defensive rebounds (15.3% DR%), but he needs to improve offensively. The skills appeared to be there, so maybe he can be more comfortable as a senior.

- Jordan Salley - He was efficient when he shot, at 22/36 for the year, but didn't get a ton of time as he was very turnover prone and only an average rebounder. Those things have to improve for him to be a good starting frontcourt player. He has the athletic ability to play and be effective, but he needs to clean things up around the edges of his game.

- Ryan Okwudibonye - He missed almost all of last season because of a knee injury. His numbers from junior college suggest that he could be a frontcourt rotational player that can get some rebounds and defend, but is probably not a guy that will be counted on to play heavy minutes.

- Alex Tiffin - He sat out last season after transferring from UC Davis, and he could factor in for a starting role. Even though he didn't put up many numbers in his two seasons for the Aggies, the Hornets hope he can have a Konnor Veteto like impact in Sacramento, as Veteto improved a lot in his redshirt year after transferring.

- Eric Stuteville - He is the most intriguing guy in their frontcourt to me, a 6'10'' F that can play inside and out. Last year as a senior in high school, he averaged about 21 and 12 per game. He also averaged 3.5 blocks per game as a junior. He appears to have the most upside of anyone in the frontcourt rotation, and I think he could see big minutes early on in his career.

- Zach Mills - Mills is only 6'5'', but looks like he can play either the three or four spot for the Hornets. He is a great rebounder for his size, after grabbing over eight per game last season in junior college. He is in the mold of Joe Eberhard, a versatile player that can potentially fill in a lot of roles for Sac State.

Anyone stand out as someone that figures to get a lot of time for the Hornets?

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Where Will Sacramento State Get Bench Production?

 

If you have been reading this blog lately, you know I think that Sacramento State has the potential to have their best team in quite some time. Their starting lineup has a legitimate claim to be one of the top three best lineups in the conference. However, the problem comes when they have to go to their bench... where will they get production?

In the backcourt, their best reserve could be Mikh McKinney, a junior college transfer (with three years of eligibility left). He is a combo guard capable of backing up Dylan Garrity and Jackson Carbajal. Last year, he averaged 14 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. I expect he should get the first chance at being a key performer off the bench.

There are three returning players in the backcourt - Jordan Estrada, Julian Demalleville, and Kendall Groom. Despite all the experience, all of them have been a bit underwhelming in their careers, and it seems like the newcomers will have all the chances they want to carve out a role. Cody Demps could be an interesting guy to watch, as he is extremely versatile at 6'4'', and Katz says he can play three spots. He could be a little raw, but he has the talent. Dreon Bartlett is also on the roster, but he seems like a prime redshirt candidate.

The frontcourt also has a lot of guys that could play, but not a lot of clarity, as three newcomers will likely be competing for most of the run. None of the three posted really impressive stat lines in junior college, but all bring different skill sets. Ryan Okwudibonye is the most traditional of the big men, and can play the three or four. He is not a strong offensive player, with just 4.6 points per game on 44% shooting, but could bring a defensive and rebounding presence.

Joey Quigley is a bit more skilled, and projects as more of a stretch four. He can handle the ball a bit more, and is a solid passer. Jordan Salley has good athleticism, but may struggle to produce consistently. He will be a backup at the four as well.

The Hornets need at least two or three of the newcomers to become consistent producers, and guys they can count on in the second unit. If they do, the Hornets will make the conference tournament. If they can't find that productivity, it could be another year watching the tournament from home.

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Sacramento State Snags A Couple Recruits

Within the past week or so, word has come that Sacramento State has received a pair of commitments.

The first was 6'4'' wing man Cody Demps from Pleasant Grove High School. He was a two-sport standout in high school, but will just be playing basketball for the Hornets. Head coach Brian Katz said, "(Demps is)a leader with skills, toughness, instincts. Great young man, top student, terrific basketball upside." I haven't been able to find out too much about his game yet, but I did find this little snippet:

Demps committed just last week to play basketball for Sac State. He led Pleasant Grove to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinals and the program’s first-ever Northern California Regional appearance, where they beat Castlemont of Oakland in the first round.

They also reportedly scored a commitment from Jordan Salley. Salley committed to Montana State a couple years ago, but then failed to qualify academically.

Salley spent two years in junior college, and will be joining the Big Sky after all. From NorCal Basketball, here is an old scouting report on Salley (via ESPN):

Salley, a lefty, has very long arms and uses this length to crash the boards on both ends of the floor. He scores on offensive rebounds put-backs and runs the floor reasonable well, which leads to easy finishes on the break. Salley has very good strength and powers up in traffic and finishes with bodies hanging on him. Salley generates power in the strong lower half of his body and has the capacity to add even more strength. His quick leaping ability allows him to play an active brand of basketball and get to offensive boards before the opposition. Salley, especially since he is undersized, needs to improve his post footwork and add counter moves to his game.

It appears that the Hornets may have as many as five scholarships to give, so they are not done yet.

They could have their best team in years this coming season, so I have to think Katz may be targeting some JUCO guys to try and push them over the hump and into the Big Sky tournament. I would think (but can't confirm) that the Hornets would still try to target a PG to backup Dylan Garrity, another shooter (to replace Heath Hoffman), and perhaps another big man for depth.

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