Not so fast....
Neither Finke nor Black is a center, and Ebo's a true freshman. I'm pretty confident we will have struggles down low.
I love how rapidly the composition of the team is changing, but I still expect this to be a transition year.
Illini Basketball 2017-2018
- Status
Not so fast....
Neither Finke nor Black is a center, and Ebo's a true freshman. I'm pretty confident we will have struggles down low.
I love how rapidly the composition of the team is changing, but I still expect this to be a transition year.
Sal Iacuzzo
- Yonkers, NY
I think they are fine for Underwood's system. If you look a the rosters of any of his SFA or OSU teams none of they had what would you describe as a true center.
I'd like to think that our schedule will be doable, similar to past years where we have a couple strong but not elite teams teams in the non-conf. and nothing unwinnable. Without knowing more, I'd shoot for 9-9 in conf. 10-3 non, with a win in the BTT, and post-season TBD. So yeah, I'd like to think that 20 total is in the cards.
If we can pull that transfer from ND out of our hats then this team will be a legit top 25 team with the system and combo of athleticism/toughness/experience the players possess as a whole.
While we might have the capability and talent to be a top 25 team, look at the minutes we are losing, not to mention how young this team will be and a completely new staff to deal with. There are more things going against this team becoming a top 25 team, compared to reasons why they would be.
Right now i see us as one of the next four out. I think our team will have better overall talent than OSU had last year, but we dont have a Juwan Evans (and no Mark Smith != Juwan Evans).
Really, its going to come down to if BU can pull another rabbit out of his hat and not dependent on a guy from ND (though I do think he would be a great get
)You're forgetting Black would also have to handle and pass at a guard level if he's playing outside. He hasn't shown the ability to do that yet. It will be a lot easier for him to play the high post. He can hit elbow j's, and set good screens. Scoring off one dribble from the high post is an easier skill to learn than guard level ball handling and passing.
If Black spends most of his time playing the post I will be the first to say I was wrong, just like I did when JT went to mizzu. But I am 100% sure he will not , he will see some time there out of need, but it will not be his main spot
I think every team is beatable on any given night besides Minnesota/MSU/Purdue...don't see why we can't be competitive with any team in what I expect to be a Big Ten season where the 3-8 spots are all pretty interchangeable. I think we can finish as high as 6th and as low as 11th. But Nebraska, OSU, Indiana, Rutgers
, Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan and possibly Wisconsin are all winnable games any given night.
I think every team is beatable on any given night besides Minnesota/MSU/Purdue...don't see why we can't be competitive with any team in what I expect to be a Big Ten season where the 3-8 spots are all pretty interchangeable. I think we can finish as high as 6th and as low as 11th. But Nebraska, OSU, Indiana, Rutgers
I would say Minnesota and Purdue are winnable. I don't like our chances but BU will keep us competitive
My thoughts:
LY: 18-14
Groce to Underwood +4 wins (some might say that's low, but if anything I think it's high for year one of his system)
TA/TJL/Tate to TJL/TF/MS +3
JCL/TA to MS/TF +1. (Hope I'm wrong, but these are two true freshmen and one of them weighs 165 pounds). TA was awesome in the first six weeks last year.
MH/KN/DJW to Alstork/KN/AJ. -4. Malcolm was an all time Illini and all BIG caliber player. Add to that the fact that Kipper will play most of his minutes at 4/5.
Black/Finke/Kipper to Black/Finke/Kipper +1. I would give more than one for growth, but last year we could play the hot hand here, this year these three have to cover two positions
Mav/Thorne/Finke to Black/Finke. -4. I really think we are going to get worked by the bigs of the big ten this yr
I understand 1-4 are interchangeable on offense, so these positions are more about defense.
Add it all up... 19 wins
I'm VERY excited for our future, but I think this year is about growth, recruiting wins, and hopefully the satisfaction of wins over Mizz and IU. I think a lot has to go right (namely Mark Smith BIG Freshman of the year) to make the tourney.
LY: 18-14
Groce to Underwood +4 wins (some might say that's low, but if anything I think it's high for year one of his system)
TA/TJL/Tate to TJL/TF/MS +3
JCL/TA to MS/TF +1. (Hope I'm wrong, but these are two true freshmen and one of them weighs 165 pounds). TA was awesome in the first six weeks last year.
MH/KN/DJW to Alstork/KN/AJ. -4. Malcolm was an all time Illini and all BIG caliber player. Add to that the fact that Kipper will play most of his minutes at 4/5.
Black/Finke/Kipper to Black/Finke/Kipper +1. I would give more than one for growth, but last year we could play the hot hand here, this year these three have to cover two positions
Mav/Thorne/Finke to Black/Finke. -4. I really think we are going to get worked by the bigs of the big ten this yr
I understand 1-4 are interchangeable on offense, so these positions are more about defense.
Add it all up... 19 wins
I'm VERY excited for our future, but I think this year is about growth, recruiting wins, and hopefully the satisfaction of wins over Mizz and IU. I think a lot has to go right (namely Mark Smith BIG Freshman of the year) to make the tourney.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the guards in the offense actually do post up, but not the five
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
People are gonna have to get off this defensive thing. This team isnt gonna look anything like what we have seen the past 13 years, at least. Odds are, most of the time, we are just going to be outscoring teams. We arent trying to lock anyone down. We will apply some ball pressure and try to deny the post and force to's but we arent gonna lock teams down, we will be playing too fast for that. Defensive numbers will decline, part of that will be due to our own offensive pace. Our offensive numbers are going to skyrocket. We will be playing fast and efficient and getting out in transition and scoring points like we havent seen in a long time.
I believe that is correct.
Underwood's system + Jawun Evans won 20 games last year. Big 12 and Big Ten are pretty comparable last year when looking at how beatable the bottom half of the conference was. We don't have anyone as good as Evans.
Just one more way to arrive at "probably less than 20 wins this year".
Just one more way to arrive at "probably less than 20 wins this year".
I would disagree. Ill bet at least Mark Smith ends up better than Evans. Also, Evans was unproven before Underwood. Jeffery Carrol before Underwood, unknown. Underwoods system and coaching are whats going to make all the difference. Ill bet all my beach houses that those two arent as good this year as they were last year.
haasi
- New York
Barring important additional pickups, I'll go with 16-15 and major consternation among all those predicting 20+ wins and NCAA chances.
We're very reliant on freshmen and we are super thin at big. Alstork will be important but he's been playing at a *much* lower level for the last 3 years. At his level, MLT starts and averages 8 points a game - the same as JCL at our level. Kipper Black and Finke will all be respectable replacement level B1G players. Mark Smith will be great eventually but he is a freshman. Hard to see us being anything better than toward back of the pack in conference and not very close to the bubble.
This isn't a vote of no confidence in Underwood - to the contrary. It's a recognition that cupboard is pretty empty this year and inflating expectations on him early will only make us dissatisfied and anxious when he doesn't pull off a miracle this year. Even if we have a crap year this year, I'll still feel pretty good about where we're headed.
We're very reliant on freshmen and we are super thin at big. Alstork will be important but he's been playing at a *much* lower level for the last 3 years. At his level, MLT starts and averages 8 points a game - the same as JCL at our level. Kipper Black and Finke will all be respectable replacement level B1G players. Mark Smith will be great eventually but he is a freshman. Hard to see us being anything better than toward back of the pack in conference and not very close to the bubble.
This isn't a vote of no confidence in Underwood - to the contrary. It's a recognition that cupboard is pretty empty this year and inflating expectations on him early will only make us dissatisfied and anxious when he doesn't pull off a miracle this year. Even if we have a crap year this year, I'll still feel pretty good about where we're headed.
Maybe when some people figure out ,that just because someone calls a guy the post, the center or what ever does not always mean they think the guy is going to go stand under the basket and wait for the ball to be thrown in to them. Even our own coach has said he doesn't really give a position on offence, but does on D
:thumb:But when you start off with 4 guys outside the 3 point line and one at the free throw line, that kind of makes that guy the high POST, but he starts off on the base line making him the low POST
Last edited:
Evans is going to the NBA so that one might be hard to prove.
Something I haven't heard anyone say yet is that maybe BU gained experience from his year turning around OSU, and will have a better idea of how to help our team earlier on than his mid season adjustments last year.
Just a thought.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Evans declared? I missed that. Good for him, hope it works out. I said wayyy back when, during his recruiting, that he looked like a good college player but not an NBA player. Ill definitely keep tabs to see if he makes it.
Let's just pretend I said what you said. Because you said what I meant. One caveat - I think a solid 5th year big could be worth three wins. I'll refrain from any "Big Drick" jokes here.
GortTheRobot
- North Bethesda, Maryland
I'm not drinking Kool-Aid, I'm bathing in it. I think we are going to be MUCH more competitive under BU. I think we win at least 20.
ill go with 18-22
Deleted member 3875
D
Guest
19 is the number.
- Status