I think Tad also knows this season is going to be a battle of attrition, and, whether he wants to or not, he's going to need the top 12-13 guys to play meaningful minutes at some point.
EDIT: and that shouldn't sound like a knock on the frosh, who really did look pretty pretty pretty good for their first game.
This is my thoughts exactly. Yes, Tad likes these guys but he also knows he’s going to need them. I assume every game will have someone random sitting out this year so everyone is gonna need to be ready at a moments notice.