The college basketball season is upon us.... Maybe.

The Blue Raiders are one of eight teams that were tabbed to begin the season at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Florida. As of this (Tuesday) afternoon, three of those eight teams have withdrawn from the tournament due to having COVID activity or COVID concerns. One of those teams was Akron, who MTSU was slated to play in the opening round on Wednesday. Tournament officials still plan to have the tournament and are doing their best to recruit one more team to participate this week. The outcome remains unknown, but what is the year of 2020 other than the year of unknowns.

So let’s move forward with what is known. The Blue Raiders have talent and depth. Proven mid-major production, former power 5 potential, and a solid crop of returnees. There are four clear position/tier battles based on what I have heard around the program and seen at practice, as well as each players' history before this season. Here, I will be going through those respective battles.

The Dynamic Quartet (Guards): Donovan Sims, Jordan Davis, Jalen Jordan, and Dontrell Shuler

Jordan Davis, who is penned as “the silent assassin,” has been touted as much as anyone on the team. Jalen Jordan is a sharpshooter who loves to lead. Dontrell Shuler is a pitbull that fears nothing. And we all know what Donovan Sims brings to the table. It would not be unreasonable to call these four the most talented players on the team, so we could see three of them coexisting on the floor in many lineups. That does not make for a particularly tall backcourt with all four being listed as 6’3 or shorter. Jordan Davis and Dontrell Shuler have been often cited as good defenders, so if that holds true, it could make up for potential size deficiencies.

All four of these players have no problem scoring. Each has had at least one season in college basketball averaging near double digit points. It is everything else they can bring that will determine their total minutes. Sims is the only pure facilitator/floor general of the group but is also fourth on the totem pole as a defender. Shuler averaged 18 ppg with Charleston Southern last year but has never finished a season above 31% from 3. Davis and Jordan might be the most complete scorers on all three levels but have never averaged more than 2 assists a game. Whoever can display the most versatility from this group could determine who leads this team in playing time, or even points per game.

The Cerberus (Forward/Centers): DeAndre Dishman, Tyson Jackson, Jared Coleman-Jones

Anyone who knows DeAndre Dishman’s story is pulling for him. The junior has been coming along well but will still need time to knock off rust and return to basketball shape after being inactive for twelve months of recovery. Still very possible, maybe even likely, he starts opening day. Despite the fact that he’s still working his way back to the athlete he was before, his immense skill level still remains. More importantly, he fits the script as a PF better than any other player on the team.

However, Dishman’s situation leaves a lot of mystery. He could be on a game-by-game minutes restriction. He could have to sit in back-to-back situations (which is 90% of C-USA play this year). Or he might get healthier as the season goes along and become a non-issue.

I am interested to see if Tyson Jackson and Jared Coleman-Jones can coexist. Tyson Jackson has bulked up over the offseason and he wasn’t exactly skinny before it started. JCJ has flashes of a smooth faceup game, but I wonder if he has the necessary perimeter game or body-type to play significant minutes at the 4. Jackson’s style of play resembles a traditional center more-so but JCJ does have a certain versatility to his game that can create matchup nightmares for opponents.

The Three 3's (Wings): Jayce Johnson, Eli Lawrence, Elias King

In his first two seasons, Jayce Johnson has played 1620 minutes. For reference, that is more than Giddy Potts saw in his first two seasons. Safe to say Johnson is a known commodity among Blue Raider fans. His swiss-army knife ability could fit well with some of the score first guards that MTSU has. Eli Lawrence and Elias King are not mere images of each other but are both solid off-ball scorers. Lawrence has shown a little more variety in scoring, especially in transition. King has looked like more of a spot up shooter, and although he can be streaky, he can really light it up when he is feeling it.

As mentioned earlier, these three could be used according to what guards are on the floor. Lineups with less playmaking or defense could use Johnson. Lineups that need an offensive jolt could use Lawrence or King. It is worth mentioning that Johnson and King are capable to play the 4 in some instances, which could help their chances of seeing the floor more often.

Frontcourt Reserves (Forwards/Center): Jo’Vontae Millner, Tyler Millin, and Christian Fussell

Based on the positive plays you see these three make in practice, you wouldn’t think this group would be the last three in the rotation. That is a good sign of depth that MTSU simply has not had the last two years.

Millner has displayed good instincts in off-ball movement, being in the right place at the right time. He can be a capable shooter as well. Tyler Millin has natural scoring talent and continues to show strong potential both on the drive and on the perimeter in that regard.

The issue for these two comes down to one thing: turnovers. They had the two worst AST:TO ratios on the team last year and still have those lapses at times in practice. If either can improve in taking care of the ball, that might be the key in who sees more minutes, especially if Dishman needs consistent breaks in action.

That leaves Christian Fussell, the lone true freshman. His high school highlights were not an illusion. The young man has serious potential with his ability to protect the rim on defense and stretch the floor on offense. That said, he has a way to go in getting his body right into college basketball shape. He seems like the most logical candidate for a redshirt season, but that is only my speculation.

Conclusion

Nick McDevitt only had 8 players average more than 5 minutes his first year. He had 10 of which last year, but Reggie Scurry was ineligible for 11 games and JV Millner missed 12 games with various injuries.

This year is unlike the others. 13 scholarship players, many who have already made some sort of imprint in college basketball, are all available. Seeing how McDevitt manages the minutes of a full roster for his first time with MTSU will be something to keep a close eye on when(ever) the season begins.