There seems to be plenty of reason for concern both about our current rebounding difficulties as well as for future seasons.
Our current team sucks at rebounding. Fine. We can probably all agree that our rebounding woes in the present are largely--if not overwhelmingly--due to featuring a frontcourt rotation of Carson Desrosiers, Daniel Green, and Nikita M. Got it.
The question going forward is whether we'll ever be an above-average or even average rebounding team in the future. There is reason to be skeptical here.
First, as others have mentioned, none of [Redacted]'s teams spanning 3 different collegiate programs in 3 different conferences have ever been anything but woeful on the boards. The motion / modified Princeton halfcourt offense we run seems to result with our frontcourt players out on the perimeter much of the time, which would obviously hamper our ability to secure offensive rebounds. Moreover, there is reason to wonder whether [Redacted]'s recruiting might focus or favor more wing-type forwards with a diversity of skills rather than typical "bruisers"; indeed, we seem to be bringing in a lot of athletic, multiskilled, and high-upside forwards in the 6'7 to 6'8 range, but not a lot of traditional post players. This could be a matter of preference, coincidence, or just chance. Too soon to tell. Lastly, it's certainly possible that hey--maybe he just doesn't stress or coach it as intensely or effectively as others. Skip made rebounding a point of emphasis, and it showed statistically; maybe it's just the case that [Redacted] utilizes any remaining practice and instruction time for other things, like setting screens, etc.
Long story short, it's not controversial to acknowledge we suck at rebounding now. But it's not at all clear we'll be effective in the future, either. I don't particularly care as long as the overall product improves to a point where the program is where it should be. If being shitty on the boards doesn't matter to [Redacted], then it doesn't matter to me, either; whatever he thinks he needs to get it done here, fine--just do it.
