Preseason play is officially in the books, and now all attention shifts toward the season opener on Monday against Niagara. After three exhibitions, we have a pretty good idea of who head coach Ross Hodge trusts most and what role everyone has.

Let's break the roster down.

Starting Five

G Miles Sadler
G Finley Bizjack
G Joson Sanon
F Brenen Lorient
C Mouhamed Sylla

Nothing has changed here whatsoever. This has been my starting five projection since the transfer portal recruiting wrapped up, and with Ross Hodge rolling with this lineup in two of the three exhibitions, that pretty much confirms this is your first five. The only reason they didn't start all three games together is that Joson Sanon was held out of the Glenville State game for precautionary reasons

There is so much speed and athleticism in this group. What I like most, though, is the versatility. It felt like last season it was a bunch of guys who could only do one thing really well, be it Honor Huff shooting threes, Chance Moore putting pressure on the rim, or Jasper Floyd being a facilitator.

All five of these guys can shoot the ball and have a pretty good handle. There was even a possession last night where Mo Sylla grabbed a long defensive rebound and nearly brought the ball up the floor. He looks super comfortable with the ball in his hands and way more than Harlan Obioha, who was more of your typical stand-under-the-basket five man.

In the rotation

G Martin Somerville
F Seydou Traore
F Javan Buchanan
C Amadou Seini

Ross Hodge mentioned in his postgame last night that he feels pretty much everyone he plays could be considered a starter in their own way, and he's not kidding. All four of these guys could very easily be in the starting lineup here or elsewhere. That's how much deeper this roster is than it was a year ago.

Martin Somerville could be one of the best backup guards in the Big 12; there aren't many better defenders in the league than Seydou Traore. Buchanan does a little bit of everything well, and Seini is a massive human being who can really rebound it and move for a guy his size. There isn't going to be a huge drop-off, if any, when Hodge goes to the bench, and because of that, he could do some hockey-style line changes.

On the bubble

G Keonte Greybear

I really like Greybear's game. I just wonder if there will be minutes for him when the big games start happening, even in non-conference play. I do believe he will get several opportunities early in the season when they are playing lower-level schools, and if he makes the most of it, perhaps he plays his way into a role, especially while Amir Jenkins is out. I'd lean toward him being in the rotation while Jenkins is on the shelf, but I'm just not 100% sure, so hence the placement on the bubble.

Developmental guys

C Aliou Dioum
G Max Olejasz
G Jalani McKoy
G MJ Feenane

Aliou Dioum is the only one in this group who has a real shot at impacting the program at some point. He was a highly recruited four-star center at Bella Vista Prep, playing alongside Miles Sadler and Amadou Seini, but there are still some things for him to work on before he gets minutes. Does it happen this year? Maybe, but next year is more realistic.