First Look 2019-20: Gilman
Gilman is coming off of a 10-20 overall record last year with one thing in mind, growth. Aside from their senior point guard Jalen Rucker headed to Army, the Hounds didn’t lose much. What they have is a core of…
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Continue ReadingGilman is coming off of a 10-20 overall record last year with one thing in mind, growth. Aside from their senior point guard Jalen Rucker headed to Army, the Hounds didn’t lose much. What they have is a core of younger, returning players looking to take the next step in their development, which usually calls for overall team success.
Let’s take a look at what we can expect for the 2019-20 season.
Moving on
As stated, Rucker is a major loss for the Hounds considering all that he did throughout the course of games. He was leaned on heavily to score, create for others and defend the other team’s best perimeter player. The 5-foot-10 point guard ended his Gilman career by becoming the all-time leading scorer. Although they’ll miss his productivity with numbers, they may miss his on-court leadership even more. He was constantly in the younger guys’ ear teaching them the game or adjustments to make to put them in better positions to succeed. Replacing that will be extremely difficult, but it’s up to someone to step up and take on that responsibility.
Returning starters
The 2019-20 will be extremely important for 2021 wing Malik Missouri. Not just to help the Hounds become the best team possible, but also for his individual recruitment. Missouri is being courted by a handful of Division I programs and as of lately, Ivy League schools have gotten involved. More would be quick to jump on if he shows consistency and more of an aggressive mindset. With his role this season, he doesn’t have much of a choice to showcase both of those characteristics if he plans on leading this team, which he is capable of doing.
2022 guard Christian Winborne will be looked at as the guard to replace Rucker. At 6-foot-2, Winborne brings more size and athleticism to the table than Rucker did. His ability to set the table for others and becoming a dead-eye shooter are still two areas that he’ll look to prove. Both Winborne and Missouri will be leaned on for much of Gilman’s success this season. The team will go as far as these two players are willing to take them.
2021 guard Matt Cooper will probably see some minutes as a guard and a wing with his strength and ability to guard multiple positions. At 6-foot-2 with a solid frame, Cooper willingly fills the role of doing all of the small things that may not show on the stat sheet. Things such as diving on the floor for loose balls, taking charges or consistently forcing his match up into tough shots. For this season though, Cooper will be expected to be more of an impact offensively. He shoots the ball well from three off the catch and considering he’ll have Winborne and Missouri to create for him, he should see a fair share of open shots from beyond the arc.
Reserves playing a bigger role
2020 6-foot-10 Roman Hinds will be looked at as a player who received a significant boost in his role compared to last season. Hinds is the biggest player in the MIAA, so enforcing the paint will be a must. He’s shown improvement in his mobility and motor over time, now if he can assert himself consistently on the glass, it’ll give the Hounds a great boost and help limit the opposition to one-shot possessions.
2021 point guard Rayuan Lane will take over the point guard duties and share the backcourt with Winborne. Lane provides toughness, energy and willingness to get the offense into their sets. Lane and Winborne will be a scrappy duo defensively, as both love to apply full court pressure and constantly poke at the ball. Lane gets the ball into the open floor quickly after getting the outlet pass, so transition applying pressure to the defense will be a given whenever he is on the floor.
Impact additions
2022 guard Jalen Marshall will look to be a key contributor off the bench as he joins the varsity team. The 6-foot-1 guard was the engine for the junior varsity team as a freshman. He plays extremely hard on both ends, finishes nicely in the paint and is capable of knocking down jump shots. I expect a bit of an adjustment period for both the increase in level and finding his role within the team, but nevertheless he’ll be expected to be an energizer bunny off the bench.
Coach’s outlook
“If you watch film from last year’s team, this year’s team is going to look totally different. It’s going to be a totally different offensive philosophy. Having an alpha male like Rucker who was great off ball screens and reading defense, we have to change our approach this season. This is more of a team that has four double-digit scorers. We put in a bunch of different sets that take on a whole different philosophy. Defensively, we’re preaching the same things that we always have. We have some young, athletic guys who are very coachable. We’re looking to get after it on that end.” -Will Bartz, Gilman Head Coach.