MI will be really good. IU will be better when TJD announces he's back.
Dickinson back
- Thread starter Cavanagh
- Start date
Best team since Vic and Cody. Much Much Much deeper. Should be a fun year.
Need players to develop (almost everyone) but yea I agree. Michigan could be really good with certain players developing, ie Collins, Houstan, and another wing. That's a scary roster.
JG and Tamar could change this team if they reach potential.
Tamar doing what he has the potential to do would be huge. Get baskets off the bounce when guarded, triple threat, would completely change the dynamic of our offense. We really need someone that can close possessions and games without help. He's the most likely.
Guarding the post play late in games and in late clock situations is too easy for defense. IU needs a dynamic perimeter scorer.
Did you notice the Purdue offense rank? Seems a bit high to me.
I also question the Iowa overall ranking.
Seen these same predictions every year about IU.
Until they prove it, 7-9 place finish per usual.
Until they prove it, 7-9 place finish per usual.
I agree. I have seen so many projections that do not pan out.
Show me.
He took that team farther than anyone else in the big 10 !!
Right now we have not added any shooters so even if TJD comes back unless our guys really improve from three its likely still going to be the pound it inside game for IU. There is enough talent to finish top 3 but you gotta hit threes or it will not happen. Without TJD no idea probably looking more like 4th to 7th type of finish.
You don’t have to hit threes as much as you think. Kansas only hit 1 more per game than IU and couldn’t hit any from the 4. It shocked me too. They didn’t take many either. We hit 33%, Kansas hit 34% right at the ncaa average. IU missed to many 2s. That’s the difference. Efficiency over type of shot. Hit what you take at a better clip, play D and don’t turn the ball over. It’s simple and it works. KU did that as well as anyone.
If anything, what IU needed was just a 33% shooter will to take 3s when IU had missed a couple shots in a row to help the offense from going completely stagnant, especially in the last 10 minutes of games. I think when IU would get a little cold, players panicked and were too focused on getting the perfect shot
Maybe. The other problem is a 2 or 3 that can generate off the dribble. That to me(after digging) was a bigger problem. We need a guy or two that can go get us one.
Of course, I’m just pointing out another way in which raw shooting percentage does not always tell a complete story
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Knowing who can take who off the dribble is a scouting and matchup question.
X and Galloway were last year’s standouts. 2s, 3s, & 4s all can use this. (Skill)
Can’t rely on a PG being the only, to the hoop option.
X and Galloway were last year’s standouts. 2s, 3s, & 4s all can use this. (Skill)
Can’t rely on a PG being the only, to the hoop option.
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As loing as I do not have to watch Kopp and Stewart shoot bricks on wide open threes I am good.
Baylor, Kansas, and Gonzaga are good at this.
At least you are consistent with you negativity
The top of the conference feels like it will be down a bit, versus what we've seen recently. So teams like IU and Michigan, could really ascend up the standings even if they don't improve a ton at key positions. But I think both need continued development at their weak areas, in order to be a legit contender...and then a legit threat to go deep in the NCAA's.
As of today...here's my expert guesses at standings next year.
1. Michigan...Howard has shown recently that when he has a talented team with all the right pieces, he can contend for a regular season title.
2. Wisconsin...Hepburn and Wahl, and then faceless players 3-8 that will somehow step up and become contending level players. It happens every dang year, so until it doesn't happen, I'll always predict them in the top few teams in the standings.
3. IU...we've all talked about our weaknesses ad nauseum. This is assuming TJD and X are back. If that happens, I'd say 4-5 is our floor, and outright champ is our ceiling. It'd take Bates, Geronimo and JHS all "playing up", and Woody improving the overall system to open things up a bit.
4. Purdue...still enough talent to contend. Guard play will be a question mark, they could have a disappointing season because of it, and finish much lower than this. But they have a very solid core of guys that I feel will be reliably productive.
5. Ohio State...Some have them as contenders...I don't know. They'll be talented, and Holtman is a very good coach. I just don't see their guards as contender material?! And they don't have as good a front court to make up for it as Michigan and IU do. Solid for sure, just not as likely to be contending level.
6. Michigan State...He's always upper half. He will be again. They'll play physical, football style, and that will win them enough games in our conference to be upper half.
7. Iowa...Losing a lot of firepower. Returning some decent pieces. Fran usually has them playing up to about this level, most years. But his system keeps them from turning the corner and contending.
8-10...Rutgers, Maryland, Illinois in no particular order
11-14...Northwestern, Nebraska, Minnesota, Penn State in no particular order
On IU...if TJD doesn't come back, I still think IU will finish in the top 5-6 in the conference.
As of today...here's my expert guesses at standings next year.
1. Michigan...Howard has shown recently that when he has a talented team with all the right pieces, he can contend for a regular season title.
2. Wisconsin...Hepburn and Wahl, and then faceless players 3-8 that will somehow step up and become contending level players. It happens every dang year, so until it doesn't happen, I'll always predict them in the top few teams in the standings.
3. IU...we've all talked about our weaknesses ad nauseum. This is assuming TJD and X are back. If that happens, I'd say 4-5 is our floor, and outright champ is our ceiling. It'd take Bates, Geronimo and JHS all "playing up", and Woody improving the overall system to open things up a bit.
4. Purdue...still enough talent to contend. Guard play will be a question mark, they could have a disappointing season because of it, and finish much lower than this. But they have a very solid core of guys that I feel will be reliably productive.
5. Ohio State...Some have them as contenders...I don't know. They'll be talented, and Holtman is a very good coach. I just don't see their guards as contender material?! And they don't have as good a front court to make up for it as Michigan and IU do. Solid for sure, just not as likely to be contending level.
6. Michigan State...He's always upper half. He will be again. They'll play physical, football style, and that will win them enough games in our conference to be upper half.
7. Iowa...Losing a lot of firepower. Returning some decent pieces. Fran usually has them playing up to about this level, most years. But his system keeps them from turning the corner and contending.
8-10...Rutgers, Maryland, Illinois in no particular order
11-14...Northwestern, Nebraska, Minnesota, Penn State in no particular order
On IU...if TJD doesn't come back, I still think IU will finish in the top 5-6 in the conference.
Howard won't get a third pass from the judicial system (he would from UM). He goes off on someone again and he goes out in cuffs.
Stewart is transferring back to UT Martin after starting at Indiana, so no.
1 made 3 between them in two tournament games. Cherry picked stats can go both ways. The shots that mattered rarely dropped for them, especially Stewart. They were getting wide open looks. Is what it is.
There are reasons Stewart is heading back to UT Martin. Woodson gave him plenty of opportunities that’s for sure. Seems like a decent dude, wish him nothing but the best.
I know folks always want to think positive, but it's best not to count on freshmen for much generally speaking, especially those outside the top 50 (remember how giddy folks were about Bates, and he was almost a 5 star... not even going to mention Lander... anymore!). Thinking Gunn, who really was only a good, not great, shooter in HS to come in and learn to adjust to the college game, and make longer 3's at a decent clip with much better, quicker and stronger defenders, is probably at best a pipe dream. If he just learns our O and D, and adjusts to the rigors of college academically and training and workouts, that's probably a successful freshman year and more realistic. Highly unlikely he's gonna do much on the court this year.
He will give us some good minutes here and there. The kid is a scorer and can do it multiple ways
I hope so, but again, as a freshman outside the top 100, I'm not expecting it. Just think back if you were saying the same or even higher expectations regarding Bates or Duncomb, and then look what we actually got out of either and my guess is it was less than you were anticipating at this time last year, and that's usually how it goes with freshmen.
If he's physical enough, can get used to the speed of the college game, and can defend well...he'll play. And his offensive abilities will shine through. If he, or Banks, or even JHS or Malik, can't do those things well, they won't play. We desperately needed the offensive things Bates and Geronimo could give us last year, and they still played very little...because they weren't reliable defensively mainly.
From what I've seen, he looks very thin in the upper body and agree. I think he's an offensive talent but I do not see him getting major minutes as Woodson has made clear, it's defense first. Maybe he will surprise.
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