Early Projection for Next Season

#101      

WesterveltVictoryCigar

WesterveltVictoryCigar
WesterveltVictoryCigar
Calvin said:
Is there any reason to think the BIG will be tougher next year? Swanigan should go pro, so should Bridges. Trimble declared. I think Bryant is expected to go too. It was a very competitive league this year, without an elite squad, and I don't see that changing next year. Possibly the biggest changes are going to be Underwood and Miller.
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Yes, there are a number of reasons to think the Big Ten should be better. Yes, Trimble, Swanigan and Bridges are likely gone, but those 3 teams return just about everyone else and MD and MSU played a lot of freshmen who should be much better next year. Then you've got teams like NW and MN which bring just about their whole team back. Iowa loses Jok but also played a bunch of frosh. PSU also had a core of very talented freshmen. Not sure there will be an "elite" team next year either, but there's so much talent returning that I think the league will definitely be better.

mhuml32 said:
How much of next year's non-conference schedule has been released? Mizzou and the UC game (NMSU?) are the only ones I remember being reported.
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We should find out about the ACC and possible Gavitt game opponent later this spring. The rest will probably come out in Aug/Sept as usual.
 
#102      

Liesse1997

L
Liesse1997
mhuml32 said:
How much of next year's non-conference schedule has been released? Mizzou and the UC game (NMSU?) are the only ones I remember being reported.
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We need to start bringing the upper echelon programs in for that UC game again. IMO that game should be the highlight of the non-con year in, year out.
 
#103      

HTT

H
HTT
I can see MSU, MD, Minny, NW for sure better than us next season

Purdue is also for sure if Swanigan returns, and is still likely if he's gone.

Iowa and Penn state likely to be better than us.

UMich, Indy and Wisc are hard to assess with key players gone. But they all have very good coaches.

There is also concern that tOSU may suddenly be a very good team. Like us they have promising parts, just need to put them together.

So if BU can better 2 of the "hard to assess" group, 1 of the "likely to be better" group, and 1 good team is doomed with early injuries/suspensions, we are 7th and safely in the tourney. This is the most optimistic scenario I can think of though.
 
#104      

illiniguy24

illiniguy24
illiniguy24
Adnarel said:
If we don't average more PPG as a team next year I'll eat my socks.
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Putting it in my calendar for this time next year to follow up on this.

Also, socks must be at least a couple months old (everyone gets socks for Christmas)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#105      

Adnarel

A
Adnarel
illiniguy24 said:
Putting it in my calendar for this time next year to follow up on this.

Also, socks must be at least a couple months old (everyone gets socks for Christmas)
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Well, the number to beat is 69.4ppg (according to my numbers - check me). Pretty low bar, imo. But you're on! :thumb:
 
#107      

Tevo

Tevo
Wilmette, IL
Tevo
Adnarel said:
If we don't average more PPG as a team next year I'll eat my socks.
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Adnarel said:
Well, the number to beat is 69.4ppg (according to my numbers - check me). Pretty low bar, imo. But you're on! :thumb:
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Socks are really chewy, though. I mean, how would you even get them down? chop them into tiny bits and blend them into a thick smoothie?
 
#109      

Thor015

T
Thor015
Top 4 BIG finish or bust

Elite 8 or bust

$3million = pressure from the start

No fail
 
#110      

Illini1221

I
Peru,IL
Illini1221
mhuml32 said:
How much of next year's non-conference schedule has been released? Mizzou and the UC game (NMSU?) are the only ones I remember being reported.
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I think Dan Majerle mentioned that Grand Canyon was set for a two year series with Illinois (during the coaching search) so they'll be on the schedule.
 
#111      

sacraig

sacraig
The desert
sacraig
Illini1221 said:
I think Dan Majerle mentioned that Grand Canyon was set for a two year series with Illinois (during the coaching search) so they'll be on the schedule.
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Ugh. That's a game that benefits us precisely zero and benefits them infinitely. I am also not a huge fan of legitimizing for-profit universities.
 
#113      

Andy Kaufman

A
Andy Kaufman
I have to disagree with the #11 ranking. I believe the Illini will end up anywhere from 7 - 9. The 2017 - 2018 season will be two seasons with the team improving and coming on in the second half.
 
#114      

MakesNoSense

M
MakesNoSense
FiveStar said:
While the loss of Mav might not be felt as much in an uptempo system like BU, and his skill set doesn't necessarily fit in the half court, let's please not act like he was a slouch. He's been our best player at times the past 2 seasons. We are bound to feel his loss in some ways.
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We will nortmiss him one tiny bit
 
#116      

ILLINI IN NE

ILLINI IN NE
Omaha,Ne.
ILLINI IN NE
FiveStar said:
While the loss of Mav might not be felt as much in an uptempo system like BU, and his skill set doesn't necessarily fit in the half court, let's please not act like he was a slouch. He's been our best player at times the past 2 seasons. We are bound to feel his loss in some ways.
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I agree. He was a legit low post scoring threat and could hit the 15 footer on the pick and pop. He got less foul prone and played fairly good D the last 2 years.
 
#117      

helppitch

H
helppitch
ILLINI IN NE said:
I agree. He was a legit low post scoring threat and could hit the 15 footer on the pick and pop. He got less foul prone and played fairly good D the last 2 years.
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Offensively he improved a lot, & turned out pretty good. Defensively he was not good, unless he had a matchup with another slow footed center. He was really bad on help defense. He was not a good rebounder, in fact, pretty poor.
 
#118      

Ga65

G
Ga65
HTT said:
I can see MSU, MD, Minny, NW for sure better than us next season

Purdue is also for sure if Swanigan returns, and is still likely if he's gone.

Iowa and Penn state likely to be better than us.

UMich, Indy and Wisc are hard to assess with key players gone. But they all have very good coaches.

There is also concern that tOSU may suddenly be a very good team. Like us they have promising parts, just need to put them together.

So if BU can better 2 of the "hard to assess" group, 1 of the "likely to be better" group, and 1 good team is doomed with early injuries/suspensions, we are 7th and safely in the tourney. This is the most optimistic scenario I can think of though.
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We beat NW twice this year. Don't understand why they are automatically better than us next year.
 
#120      

HTT

H
HTT
Ga65 said:
We beat NW twice this year. Don't understand why they are automatically better than us next year.
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They are in the tourney this year and their top 3 scorers will return. We are not in the tourney and our best player leaves. Our new coach had a worse record than NW with one of the best point guards in the country.

Groce did a terrific job of turning illini into what is worse than a program with restricted recruitment, bad facilities, and no crowd at all (even if they are wining).

Realistically we can argue if we are better than PSU next season. NW seems out of reach...
 
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#121      

MadSeason

MadSeason
MadSeason
HTT said:
They are in the tourney this year and their top 3 scorers will return. We are not in the tourney and our best player leaves. Our new coach had a worse record than NW with one of the best point guards in the country.

Groce did a terrific job of turning illini into what is worse than a program with restricted recruitment, bad facilities, and no crowd at all (even if they are wining).

Realistically we can argue if we are better than PSU next season. NW seems out of reach...
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We bring in a talented recruiting class, Underwood's Oklahoma St. team was better than Northwestern in Pomeroy rankings and no we were not as bad under Groce as a team on probation like say Indiana when Crean took over.

It is silly to rule anything as unrealistic at this point
 
#122      

GoIllini40

G
GoIllini40
This should be a tournament team next year. The talent is there, the coach is there. We should all be expecting to make the tournament. Now if they don't, I wouldn't call it a disappointment but the expectation should be NCAA Tournament.
 
#123      

DragonIlliniFan

D
DragonIlliniFan
Still a decent amount of roster turnaround to happen. In 2 months we'll have a solid picture of what's what.

The system is huge...especially when you have 2 big time gazelles heading it.....
 
#124      

Ga65

G
Ga65
HTT said:
They are in the tourney this year and their top 3 scorers will return. We are not in the tourney and our best player leaves. Our new coach had a worse record than NW with one of the best point guards in the country.

Groce did a terrific job of turning illini into what is worse than a program with restricted recruitment, bad facilities, and no crowd at all (even if they are wining).

Realistically we can argue if we are better than PSU next season. NW seems out of reach...
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I got two beach houses that says we finish ahead of NW.