Dee Bost will run the point again for MSU next season.

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After MSU's season-ending loss to North Carolina, coach Rick Stansbury was asked about what he had coming back next season.

"Way too early for that," he said. "You guys know what we have coming back."

Hey, it's never too early to look ahead, not for sports writers, anyway. And Stansbury was right, we do know who's back, as do you.

Two players, shooting guard Barry Stewart and center Jarvis Varnado, must be replaced. So three starters return, but will all three be starting come November? Let's take a look at the 2010-11 team by position. (Note: I'm using this year's classifications. Another note: There's a decent chance I'm out in left field on some of these, so I welcome your input.)

• Point guard: Obviously this job belongs to Dee Bost after two strong seasons. He knows how to take care of the ball and distribute it, is a demon in transition, and can light it up when need be. The problem this season was the number of minutes he logged – 34.9 per game, three-plus minutes more than his freshman year. If backup Twany Beckham can come back from his hip surgeries – and prove to be a better caretaker of the offense than he was last year – this position will be very strong.

• Shooting guard: It's going to be tough to replace Stewart's defense and toughness here, and it's a spot that's up for grabs. The leading candidates: junior Phil Turner, freshman Shaun Smith and incoming junior college transfer Brian Bryant. (It should be noted that Bryant plays the point, too.) Turner is the only Bulldog with game experience – Smith missed the year with injuries. Bryant is an intriguing prospect, though, and with Turner being such a versatile asset, Stansbury might have a hard time locking him into one position. Riley Benock will continue to give solid minutes off the bench.

• Wing: Ravern Johnson saw his 3-point shot abandon him at times in his junior season. In SEC play, he hit just 32.6 percent from downtown. But you figure that shot will return with time, and he developed a nice mid-range game this year. Johnson's the kind of guy who can go off at any time and should start here again. I wouldn't be surprised to see Smith here some, and Romero Osby has played the three a bit.

• Forward: Kodi Augustus, to me, did not live up to expectations this season. He averaged 8.9 points per game, disappeared at times on offense, and was a defensive liability. He's got the tools, but despite his mea culpa early in the season following that anti-Stansbury rant, he still doesn't seem to have fully bought in. I could see him being supplanted in the starting lineup by Osby, who's tougher inside and is a better perimeter shooter. While freshman Wendell Lewis got his minutes at the center position this season out of necessity, he seems better suited to back up the four spot.

• Center: I'm assuming that once his nine-game suspension is up, freshman Renardo Sidney will take over the pivot. He can certainly play the four – he has a nice outside game – but his size and athleticism should make him a tough matchup for most opposing fives. And he could split time between both positions if 7-foot-1 John Riek continues to develop and the gritty Elgin Bailey gets over his ankle injury.