Offseason Transfers:
F/C Chuck Reid decided to transfer after one year at Troy. Reid showed flashes of potential at the end of the season, and his absence will hurt the Trojans' frontcourt depth. Now, Troy is left with three seniors (Gerald Griffin, Rob Stone, and Corey Best) to play in the post, and they might also have to use Danny Thomas more in that role.
With an open scholarship, Coach Price signed 6-11 F/C Ben McLean, who played one season with the La Salle Explorers. McLean played sparingly as a freshman, averaging just over a point per game, but he has similar potential as Reid did as a lanky stretch 4. Hopefully a year in the weight room will allow him to develop as a strong big man when he is eligible next year.
2020-21 Troy Trojans Roster:
#2 Luke Linton (6-0 Jr.) - Linton was reliable as Troy's starting point guard last season, as he ran one of the most efficient offenses in the conference. He's not much of a scorer (8.4 PPG), but he led the team in assists (4.2 APG) and is a decent outside shooter (36.4% 3pt).
#21 Steven Haslem (6-1 Jr.) - Haslem broke out as Troy's starting shooting guard, and surprisingly ended up as the leading scorer (13.2). After making the All-Sun Belt Second Team last year, Haslem will be asked to carry a heavy load as an outside shooter.
#3 Zach Petteway (5-8 Jr.) - Petteway was an electric shooter from deep last year (48.3% 3pt), but his 2.5 turnovers per game averaging just 13 minutes was too high for him to be the regular point guard.
#32 Oliver Smith (6-3 So) - Smith led Troy's freshmen in scoring last year (4.2), and was one of the best three point shooters in the country in his limited playing time (26-47, 55% 3pt). Unfortunately, he was behind Haslem on the depth chart, and doesn't do other things quite as well to warrant more playing time.
#1 Mike Guthridge (6-4 Sr.) - Based on the makeup of this year's team, Guthridge will see most of his playing time on the wing backing up Danny Thomas. Guthridge averaged 4 PPG before breaking his ankle, and didn't do much after returning for the CIT.
#14 Matt Kincade (6-1 Fr.) - Kincade redshirted last season, and with no guards leaving the team, he will need to earn playing time by impressing in practice.
#12 Russ Hix (6-5 Sr.) - Walk on who joined the team this offseason.
Forwards:
#5 Danny Thomas (6-7 Jr.) - Thomas led the Trojans in minutes last year, and he will carry a heavy load once again as the best wing on the roster. Thomas averaged a solid 10/4 last year, but he will need to improve as a three-point shooter (26%).
#40 Corey Best (6-8 Sr.) - Best was effectively benched at the end of last season, but with Chuck Reid's transfer, he has a good chance at more playing time. Best is a solid rebounder, but he has never established himself as a consistent player on offense.
#25 Kevin Watson (6-6 So.) - Watson didn't see much action as a freshman, but after a year of practice he should be ready to see more playing time. He shot the ball well last year, but has never contributed much as a rebounder or defender to this point.
#34 Eric Swift (6-6 Fr.) - Swift was a 2-star recruit, and is a raw talent at this point, so he will need to work hard for playing time. His biggest strength right now is as a three-point shooter, but the other parts of his game need work.
#33 Ben McLean (6-11 So.) - McLean will be redshirted after transferring from La Salle this offseason. He averaged 1.1 PPG playing about 3 minutes per contest, and will take the offseason to develop as a stretch 4/5.
Centers:
#41 Gerald Griffin (6-9 Sr.) - Griffin was one of the first Trojans off the bench last season, and was probably the best rebounder and post defender on the team. His efficiency has room for improvement, as his FG% was pretty underwhelming for a big.
#13 Rob Stone (6-10 Sr.) - Stone was the best post scorer on last year's team, but his interior defense was a noticeable weakness. If his defense improves, he has the potential to be an All-Conference player.
#52 Kory Napier (6-9 Jr.) - Walk on who appeared in 4 games last season.