Coach Clint Sargent has been tweaking his starting five regularly since the season opener, which ramps up intensity in practice.
“That’s what we need. This team has to get better as we go. And I believe we will just because of the depth we have and, more importantly, the young men we have,” he said.
“The lineups are always going to be different from game to game.”
If the Raiders were better than 4-5, they might have more continuity. Sargent isn’t opposed to locking in starters, but he’s not there yet.
Asked if it’s better to have a settled starting five, he said: “There’s pros and cons to both. It all depends on the team you have and the maturity and their ability to understand the fluidity of it. And I think we have that.”
Sargent has gone with six different starting lineups in nine games.
Fifth-year forward Michael Imariagbe and freshman point guard Michael Cooper have started every game. And that’s not likely to change since they’ve been productive.
Sophomore guard Solomon Callaghan has started the eight games where he’s been healthy. But he hasn’t been the player yet he was late last season when he averaged 15.8 points in a five-game stretch.
Transfer Bryan Etumnu has made eight starts, returning starter Logan Woods five, transfer Dom Pangonis four and Andrea Holden and Kellen Pickett one each.
“We’ve just got to make sure guys stay ready and into it. It keeps you ‘on’ as a player, for sure. You just can’t relax,” Sargent said.
“We’re not going to do entitlement. We’re just going to play the guys who are ready and give us the best chance to defend and rebound.”
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Sargent also has been making frequent in-game adjustments, taking advantage of their flexibility to find favorable matchups.
Point guards TJ Burch and Cooper were paired together most of the night at Youngstown State. Burch had 14 points and three assists in 28 minutes, and Cooper had nine points in 29.
“Youngstown has one of the better perimeter defenses in the country in terms of taking away 3’s. We were just trying to play guys that, one, could guard the ball and, two, could drive — especially in the middle third of the floor,” Sargent said.
“Both of those guys can handle it and pass it. And Coop can shoot it. They’re dynamic. We just want to play guys who seem emotionally ready to go.”
NEXT GAME
Who: Green Bay at Wright State
When: 5 p.m. Sunday
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 1410-AM, 101.5-FM
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