ChazzReinhold
2018 Off Season Thread
- Status
Northwestern loses McIntosh, Linsey, Skelly & Brown (transferring), Not sure how Minny will replace Mason.
Deleted member 631370
D
Guest
True, NW will definitely take (another) step back.
Minnesota probably will, too.
But almost everybody else gets better. Penn State loses Shep Garner, but brings everybody else back unless Tony Carr goes pro.
Michigan loses Robinson and Abdul-Rakhman to graduation, and Wagner could go pro. But Simpson, Poole, and Matthews return, and Michigan is Michigan.
Nebraska loses Anton Gill, but that's it.
IU loses Robert Johnson and Newkirk, but returns everybody else.
Maryland brings just about everybody back, and should be really good -- they add a good recruiting class as well.
If Happ comes back, Wisconsin should be much better.
The B1G will be much deeper next year. Probably not as strong at the very top. Should do better than 4 NCAA tourney bids.
Counting on those open growth plates?
you got me :doh: , I meant back court ha ha ha
Peoria Illini
- Peoria, IL
Heck, if we finished about half of our missed layups each game, we probably would have made the tourney... LOL.
Our main focus in the offseason should be continued improvement and aggressiveness at the rim.
We still need another big. I believe Finke will improve offensively from working with OA. Hopefully he will also improve defensively. However if Ebo and Kane are sharing the center position we need a backup to Finke who can also score. It needs to be someone bigger than Kipper. None of the freshmen recruites being mentioned can fill that void. That means an experienced transfer. We are in for another tough year IMO if we don't find that big.
Finke has been on the team for 4 full years. He is not an inside player, neither on offense nor defense. I have had the argument with many posters in previous years (i.e., he is the C of the future, he has post moves, etc.). So I am less optimistic that he will become that player in his 5th year, but beggars can't be choosers, we absolutely still need Finke on the team.
At the 4 and 5 positions, we currently have 2 players who IMO could help in a backup role (Kane and Ebo). I have not seen Kane play, so I hope he can surprise and be an immediate star at B1G level, but it would be a big, big surprise if he is. So the problem is that we still need starter B1G level players at 4 and 5, and the only one we had who could fill that role (Black) is likely leaving.
As I have said multiple times in the past, I am less optimistic than most on late Spring/Summer recruiting on filling recruiting gaps, especially huge gaps. IMO late Spring/Summer is for the opportunistic addition, not filling huge gaps, and we have struggled going into late Spring for multiple consecutive years now. It is an indication that our recruiting has not worked, so I am less optimistic that this year will be much different.
So the key IMO is not so much this Spring/Summer (for 2018), but Fall recruiting for 2019. Much of BU's success depends on filling big recruiting gaps with players like Liddell and Okoro in the frontcourt. That is the level of players that we need. It is the most critical recruiting class, especially in the frontcourt. JMO.
Deleted member 8632
D
Guest
Peoria Illini
- Peoria, IL
I think we have a starter at the 5 next year in Ebo. He won't score like Leron did, but I think he'll be better defensively and will average around 7 PPG. Depending how quickly Kane comes along will also be a factor. Finke at the 4 should be a better fit for him, and if we need to go with a smaller but stronger guy to help Finke out at times Trice/Hinson hopefully can help.
But I do agree, 2019 is a must year for getting quality bigs to commit in the Fall.
Don't disagree with you but believe it may be even tougher to land Okoro and Liddell with another bottom of the conference finish. A player like Wyatt Walker along with the existing players would make a huge difference. Ebo and Kane will be better defensively in the post of than last years team but will not be scorers except put backs and dunks at least not next year. Another serviceable big would possibly put us in the middle of the pack.
I think Okoro and Liddell will be fall recruits, so it is unlikely that next year's season will have any impact. It is tough indeed when we have missed the tournament in 5 straight years and we have been irrelevant in the last 12+ years, but we have to land big (pun intended) 2019 recruits this Fall.
Last edited:
Hope you are right.
I certainly make no claim that we will land a big 2019 recruiting class this Fall, just that it is imperative for UI's (and BU's ) success to do so. Whether we will do it or not remains to be seen.
Trent broke the defense down so many times but didn't always finish with a bucket. His improvement in this area would definitely be worth a handful of games. Same goes with Lucas. And Frank. With all this, and improving outside shooting?? Pass me the cool-aid.
ILL in IA
- Iowa City
Trent broke the defense down so many times but didn't always finish with a bucket. His improvement in this area would definitely be worth a handful of games. Same goes with Lucas. And Frank. With all this, and improving outside shooting?? Pass me the cool-aid.
Who's Frank?
He means Frank's little brother, Damonte
Serious Late
- Peoria via Denver via Ann Arbor via Albuquerque vi
It was an attempt at humor.
or truth depending on which TV station you work for
Trent broke the defense down so many times but didn't always finish with a bucket. His improvement in this area would definitely be worth a handful of games. Same goes with Lucas. And Frank. With all this, and improving outside shooting?? Pass me the cool-aid.
I can appreciate the oversight of Frank vs DaMonte, but C'mon Man..."cool" vs Kool-Aid, that is unforgivable to say the least.
:thumb:Do we really know that Matic is a non factor next year? Not arguing the point just asking if any coaching input or just supposition from what we saw in games last year. We seem to discount existing improvement and see more talent in HS players who haven't any college experience. I'm just not seeing big recruits that look like factors next year (exception Kane).
IMO Vesel showed he doesn’t have the skill set/IQ at this point. His saving graces at this point are his passing and he moves really well for a 6’10 guy.
If he could develop skills and iq, his athleticism could separate him to be a pretty good player. Just seems highly unlikely.
Tacomallini
- Washington State
I can appreciate the oversight of Frank vs DaMonte, but C'mon Man..."cool" vs Kool-Aid, that is unforgivable to say the least.
Definitely unacceptable
- Status