The 5th Starter
By Mark Knight
The UW Men’s basketball team, over the course of the season have used a variety starting combinations this season but the most consistent one is:
- Isaiah Thomas
- Matthew Bryan-Amaning
- Justin Holiday
- Aziz N’Diaye
- Scott Suggs
However, Suggs strained his MCL against ASU and has been out of the lineup since. He is also going to miss the Tuesday game against Seattle University. This has created a little bit of a opportunity for someone else to receive more playing time and that 5th starter spot.
Most of the opportunity has been given to Venoy Overton but taken by CJ Wilcox who is proving he should be the 5th starter. Look at this breakdown of stats amongst these 4 that have occupied that spot.
As you can see Wilcox is averaging the best stats with the least amount of minutes played during the game. He has been a game changer and a momentum booster for the Huskies. Wilcox deserves the spot, maybe even after Suggs comes back.
Now of course Overton, has his advantages on the defensive end, and is aggressive and can make plays. However, he is great at being the 6th man off the bench, he has had that role the last few years and has excelled at it.
Terrence Ross is an exception, as he is the guy on the team with the most potential and is improving every game. He can handle this spot but he can also play forward, he can come in for Holiday, N’Diaye (if Romar is going with a smaller set), or any of the guards and perform exceptional. This may seem like Ross deserves the spot, but in fact, it is the opposite because of his value all over the court, he needs to remain in that flexible position.
CJ Wilcox, redshirted all of last season, and has learned how to excel in this offense. He provided the momentum in the Arizona State game to get back in it. Since the loss at Oregon, he scored- 14, 10, 16, and 19 points in the next four games. He is hot right now and it is time for him to have the reigns as a starter for the Huskies.