Kelly ended last night's post game press conference by mentioning that 52 of the 62 guys that traveled to MSU should be returning next year. And I noticed that the announcers mentioned 18 first year guys getting decent playing time so far this year (9/True Fr. & 9 Redshirt Fr.)
The 52/62 number surprised me a bit (though it shouldn't have when I think about who I see playing). It seems like we were kind of a young team for the past two seasons. Though I haven't thought deeply about the numbers.
The number of first year players getting game reps makes sense. Its one of the benefits of winning by a wide margin and putting games away. It seems like there is also a new emphasis on developing depth through a regular rotation too.
Watching the team with Kelly in the locker room with the dancing and the Megaphone celebration showed me this team seems to be welcoming Kelly's leadership changes. Of course things are always better after a win, but it seemed like a genuine dynamic. Pretty obvious the dancing is outside Kelly's comfort zone, but he did it anyway and guys responded well. He seemed right at home grabbing the Megaphone though.
We never get the full story about what actually motivates transfers, and I'm sure some may be a good thing. But I have to wonder if Kelly's leadership changes and a healthy rotation of playing time will help with some of the attrition - whether via transfer or just mentally opting out - that we've seen for a while now.
The 52/62 number surprised me a bit (though it shouldn't have when I think about who I see playing). It seems like we were kind of a young team for the past two seasons. Though I haven't thought deeply about the numbers.
The number of first year players getting game reps makes sense. Its one of the benefits of winning by a wide margin and putting games away. It seems like there is also a new emphasis on developing depth through a regular rotation too.
Watching the team with Kelly in the locker room with the dancing and the Megaphone celebration showed me this team seems to be welcoming Kelly's leadership changes. Of course things are always better after a win, but it seemed like a genuine dynamic. Pretty obvious the dancing is outside Kelly's comfort zone, but he did it anyway and guys responded well. He seemed right at home grabbing the Megaphone though.
We never get the full story about what actually motivates transfers, and I'm sure some may be a good thing. But I have to wonder if Kelly's leadership changes and a healthy rotation of playing time will help with some of the attrition - whether via transfer or just mentally opting out - that we've seen for a while now.
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