Next Year.

[gtmoBlue]

Geeezzzuuuss! You guys are sounding more and more like damned Creighton fans every hour.
10-8 and make the dance. We can do better'n nat...we being Prov and the Jays!

[Hall2012]

SHU may be down next year, but they sure aren't scheduling like it. Rothstein is reporting the they're close to finalizing a game against Kentucky at MSG. That's in addition to Louisville at home, VCU away, and I'm guessing a road Gavitt Game. The Wooden Legacy Tournament Field is fairly modest, but Miami, Utah, and Northwestern are potentially quality opponents (rest of the field is Fresno St, Grand Canyon, La Salle, and Hawaii).

[mel ott]

Geeezzzuuuss! You guys are sounding more and more like damned Creighton fans every hour.
10-8 and make the dance. We can do better'n nat...we being Prov and the Jays!

GTmo- love you, but getting a little old about how "Jays fans don't expect anything more than what they have" and you are the only one frustrated and expecting more. Believe me, those of us that have been season ticket holders forever know that pain. I do give the staff some leeway though, when in the last two years we have lost a very significant player in mid season that derails us from a top 15 position( and we aren't as deep as a Nova to be able to plug in another quality replacement at this time). That isn't complacency- it's just reality. Now, we are getting the type of recruits, that perhaps a single injury we can overcome. I believe we will break through soon- and a little luck if Khyri stays!!

[ThrowDownDBrown]

1. Nova

2-9. Some combination of Marquette, Providence, Xavier, Creighton, Seton Hall, Gtown, Buter, St John's

10. Depaul

It's an absolute mess behind Nova next year. Marquette looks to be the second best team on paper but I need to see Wojo actually coach a quality team before I believe it. Providence loses a lot but has a proven coach who has shown he can coach up pg's. Xavier obviously loses some really good seniors and their coach but has a lot of young athletic talent back. Creighton will have some solid big guys but little proven outside of that if/when Thomas leaves and the roster currently constructed isn't really a 3 point shooting team like normal. Seton Hall loses their senior group but maybe that is a good thing for Williard to regain more control over the team. Gtown just lost Derrikson and is in year two under an unproven college coach. Butler looks pretty bad on paper but will likely overachieve because that's what Butler does. St John's is still coached by Mullin so they'll likely underachieve. Depaul is Depaul.

I think Nova is going to roll this league while Depaul wins very few games. That will leave the eight other teams to beat up on each other. I predict all of them finishing within four or five games of one another, ie win totals of 6-11 for everyone in the group. I don't see anyone pulling away to finish in a clear 2nd and outside of possibly St John's I don't really see anyone falling to a clear 9th place.

[Bill Marsh]

Marquette looks to be the second best team on paper but I need to see Wojo actually coach a quality team before I believe it.

Agree. I actually think that Wojo will get it done. Like good wine, coaches improve with age.

Providence loses a lot but has a proven coach who has shown he can coach up pg's.

Another agree. Who thought Cotten would become what he became? Or Cartwright?

PC is losing a lot, but consider this. The 3 guys they are losing we’re all 3-star recruits when they got them. They are replacing them with Holt, a proven starter who was lost to a year of injury, and two 4-star recruits. They may actually have more talent than they had this past season when they went to the BE tournament finals and lost in the championship game by a whisker. Cooley will coach ‘em up again.

[Hall2012]

Providence loses a lot but has a proven coach who has shown he can coach up pg's.

Another agree. Who thought Cotten would become what he became? Or Cartwright?

PC is losing a lot, but consider this. The 3 guys they are losing we’re all 3-star recruits when they got them. They are replacing them with Holt, a proven starter who was lost to a year of injury, and two 4-star recruits. They may actually have more talent than they had this past season when they went to the BE tournament finals and lost in the championship game by a whisker. Cooley will coach ‘em up again.

That's interesting, and while I realize Willard isn't proven with multiple groups of players like Cooley is - a similar argument can be made about Seton Hall. All 4 seniors are being replaced by players considered comparable, if not better prospects. Here's a look at how the outgoing seniors were rated as recruits vs the players expected to take their minutes as things stand today:

Out - Star/ranking - In - Star/ranking
Delgado - 4*/47 - Thompson - 4*/74
Rodriguez - 3*/349 - Cale - 4*/92
Carrington - 3*/144 - Walker - 3*/181
Sanogo - 3*/378 - Sandro - 3*/199

What the Pirates lose this year is much more in terms of experience than talent and because of that, I believe this year will go a long way towards showing what Willard is as a coach.

[MUBoxer]

Marquette looks to be the second best team on paper but I need to see Wojo actually coach a quality team before I believe it.

Agree. I actually think that Wojo will get it done. Like good wine, coaches improve with age.

Provided no major transfers, major injuries and early draft applicants I think MU likely is running for at least the next two years. Could be three to four depending on Joey Hauser and Bailey.

[Bill Marsh]

Providence loses a lot but has a proven coach who has shown he can coach up pg's.

Another agree. Who thought Cotten would become what he became? Or Cartwright?

PC is losing a lot, but consider this. The 3 guys they are losing we’re all 3-star recruits when they got them. They are replacing them with Holt, a proven starter who was lost to a year of injury, and two 4-star recruits. They may actually have more talent than they had this past season when they went to the BE tournament finals and lost in the championship game by a whisker. Cooley will coach ‘em up again.

That's interesting, and while I realize Willard isn't proven with multiple groups of players like Cooley is - a similar argument can be made about Seton Hall. All 4 seniors are being replaced by players considered comparable, if not better prospects. Here's a look at how the outgoing seniors were rated as recruits vs the players expected to take their minutes as things stand today:

Out - Star/ranking - In - Star/ranking
Delgado - 4*/47 - Thompson - 4*/74
Rodriguez - 3*/349 - Cale - 4*/92
Carrington - 3*/144 - Walker - 3*/181
Sanogo - 3*/378 - Sandro - 3*/199

What the Pirates lose this year is much more in terms of experience than talent and because of that, I believe this year will go a long way towards showing what Willard is as a coach.

Good points. Thanks for the info about the Hall.

I think there are a couple of differences between the 2 programs this year. PC lost 3 starters, which means they are bringing 2 back. But they are also bringing back Holt, a former starter, who was out with injury. In addition, they had a strong and talented bench this year. Coming back are Jackson, White, Ashton-Langford, Watson, and Edwards. That’s a lot of experienced talent to rebuild with in addition to 3 returning starters and a couple of 4-star recruits.

I’d cut Willard a little slack as this will clearly be a rebuilding season in South Orange.

[Hall2012]

Willard certainly has some slack for this season. Then general expectation on the SHU board for this coming season seems to be that finishing 6th or 7th with an NIT birth would be a good season, building towards a return to the NCAA's the following year. Some of the more bullish posters think they can get right back to the NCAA's this coming season and actually improve of their conference record due to the league being down as a whole, but (while I suppose it's not impossible) I don't think that's a fair expectation.

[FriarJ]

If Holt comes back close to where he was then next years PC team will be the strongest yet since the restart of the BE. Watson and Diallo are both future stars with Diallo's time coming next year. With the exception of Lindsey his senior year almost every player who worked to improve, has under Cooley. I expect more of the same and if even one of the touted freshman class of Dickens, Duke, Reeves, Nichols or Monroe can contribute anything, then I expect a great year from the Friars.