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Jermaine Lawrence's injury comes just as the Bearcats embark on their inaugural AAC journey. It also comes just as Lawrence was hitting his stride and finding a role for this team, on the offensive end most of all. Lawrence was functioning as the only other big man in the rotation with Justin Jackson and Titus Rubles.
With J-Law out that will mean a much bigger work load for David Nyarsuk who has been mostly confined to mop up, blowout duty this year. Nyarsuk set or tied season highs for points, blocks and steals against Houston yesterday, but over the long haul he is a question mark.
This leaves Mick Cronin in a precarious position with his rotation. Thankfully the immediate schedule will give him a chance to tinker with things rotationally while Lawrence heals, presuming that surgery is not in his immediate future. I am starting to think that the Bearcats best bet to bide time when Justin Jackson and Sean Kilpatrick have to sit may be to go super small with a Troy Caupain, Kevin Johnson, Jermaine Sanders, Shaq Thomas, Rubles lineup. That group will be bad defensively, but can theoretically put up points by pushing the pace. Its just an idea, and regardless Mick has to start getting creative with his rotation with Lawrence out.
