Projected Bearcats Basketball Depth Chart For 2014-15

Starters

PG: Troy Caupain -- There are still some out there who view Caupain as more of combo guard who is playing PG because Mick Cronin refuses to recruit true point guards. It would be interesting to see exactly what games that subset of Bearcat Nation is watching. Caupain is a shooting guard sized player, but his skill set is 100 percent PG. He gets his run next year.

SG: Kevin Johnson -- KJ was impressive down the stretch of the season, providing spacing and shooting that the Bearcats had seriously lacked for most of 2013-14. It was all in a very small sample size, a stretch of about 10 games all told so the question about his ability to produce in a more intensive role will remain. I still think KJ has two things over his competition, his shooting and his ability to guard the quicker point guards that proliferate in the AAC. His chemistry with Caupain and ability to cross match makes him a good bet.

SF: Shaquille Thomas -- Shaq somehow got noticeably and quantifiably better as a sophomore...and still managed to leave some Bearcats underwhelmed. The highs of his play were often times so high (literally) that it made the inevitable lows faced by all young players neigh on unbearable. Still, he is the best option at the 3 spot unless something crazy happens in recruiting.

PF: Jermaine Lawrence -- It is painfully obvious that Jermaine Lawrence's season did not play out as everyone, (myself included) expected. There are still plenty of reasons to be excited about the potential with Lawrence, despite all the adversity with his injury and offensive issues he still managed to carve out a role with this team. He reinvented himself as a rebounder and proved to be a much better than expected defensive player. What he needs to do for next year is start playing the game 12 feet and in.

C: Coreontae DeBerry -- The Bearcats haven't had a ton of good fortune when it comes to first year impacts from JUCO's, but I have heard nothing but good things about DeBerry. He played last year at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. He averaged nearly 12 and 7 while shooting around 70 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line. DeBerry might not give the Bearcats Justin Jackson level production right out of the gate, but he will be a big part of the Bearcats team next year.

Rotation

PG: Ge`Lawn Guyn -- After a year of starting I see Guyn sliding back into the back up PG role he occupied as a freshman and sophomore. The bottom line is that Caupain does far more for the offense and will be better in bigger doses. Ge can best serve the team going forward as a situational defensive stopper and spot up shooter for spacing on offense

SG: Deshaun Morman -- It might be hoping a bit much for Morman to have an SK like impact as a red shirt freshman. Still, Morman should be one of the lead dogs offensively with the second unit. The Bearcats as a team haven't had a player with a similar skill set since Dion Dixon graduated.

SF: Jermaine Sanders -- Jermaine has been around forever, he knows the system inside and out and was the most consistent shooter the Bearcats had a year ago. He gives the Bearcats spacing, good rebounding and effort. Pencil him in for 5 or 6 points and 20 minutes a night.

PF: Gary Clark -- I have high hopes for Clark in the long term, but as a freshman he will get minutes as nebulously defined "energy guy." He runs the floor, protects the rim really well for a 6'7" guy and rebounds his ass off. Mick always has room for guys like that.

C: Jamaree Strickland -- After a year in the wilderness thanks to the NCAA Strickland will gain eligibility this year. Given all that time spent away from the game, and away from the team in an official capacity its hard to know what to expect from Strickland. His size alone should give the bearcats bench units a different feel, but its hard to pencilhim in for more than 10 or so minutes a game.