Better yet, why don't you link your posts where you say the team will play hard ...
We're turning on each other Lord of the Flies style. Not surprising, but I do find it amusing
I try to look bigger picture. And, when I think of basic questions, I have a hard time being confident that we'll be a materially better team that'll challenge for a post-season. Sorry, as much as I want to, I can't. And I think you need to drink some seriously spiked orange koolaid to do so. Some basic questions:
1. Is our raw roster talent going to be better next year vs. last? Unsure, but I'd bet not. Outside of TF, we have no proven high level talent returning next year. DMW and KN might step up. So might AJ. But that's yet to be seen. Feel free to bet on that, but one needs to understand that's what you're betting on and that's not what you'll necessarily see and have to discount it accordingly. And all the other talent we have is completely untested unproven. Most have never played a college game - I don't know how you can say with any sort of certainty that they'll be better than what we lose (discussed more below)
2. Where will our strengths/weaknesses lie, and how does that change vs last year? I'd say our weaknesses (inside, esp on D) get worse. Our strength (wings/guards) may or may not get better. We may get raw talent (again, it's a "may" and not definitive being they're ALL new to the team outside of TF and maybe BMW/KN). But, again, this is a larger unknown than even last year. Saying with confidence that Ayo will be better than Mark Smith last year is a lot more uncertain than many on these boards are assuming, IMO. Yea yea, style of play, playing basketball longer, yadda yadda yadda, rationalize away. But those are still so variable case by case, that there's nothing, IMO to make me say with any sort of certainty that'll be the case.
3. Can our coaching "coach em up" and make them play above their talent? Maybe. Last year I'd say it wasn't the case. I think they played largely at their talent level. You could argue the SFA days maybe he did. OSU potentially, though he had a bunch of talent. I think this is a toss-up. But after last year, I'm less convinced BU will be able to get them to play significantly better than their talent level quickly. I think he's a "system" guy and that system is not easy to play/learn. Losing as much experience in that system as we did, I think it'll be harder for it to really click next year.
4. People don't talk about this enough (undertandably) - how will ILL's competitors fare? Sports is usually a relative game. You don't have to be "good", just better than your competition. There's a distinction. Here I can't say with confidence one way or another. I think at the margin the conference will be a bit weaker (MSU losing experience, Michigan too). But OSU, Indiana, potentially Neb may be better. Again, no real confidence either way.
So overall, I think we may be a bit better next year IF 1) our talent plays out how we hope or 2) coaching is able to get them to play better than their talent is or 3) the rest of the conference is weaker. If we get all 3 to some degree then we have a shot at the postseason. If we get homeruns on 1 of the three, then maybe we do then too. But I have no real confidence that any of those three will be meaningfully outstanding.
So, then I go to what I'd like to see. We NEED to show improvement. Even if it's not postseason, we need to outperform expectations. That means showing at least a bit of 1) and 2). If we can do that, then we can build for future years. But that's a multi-year plan. I think we can do that, but it'll be slow and probably still painful.
On a loosely related note...I got a little sad when I saw that Ekey buzzer beater video and immediately thought "those were the good ole days." That's how we've fallen. That was a 20 win season. WITH Starks, Cosby, and Ekey and (lack of) Paul. 20 wins! Remember what that was like?? I'm longing for those days??? :tsk: