big surprise....
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=4058254 (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=4058254)
not that my expectations are over the top for next year, in fact, I kinda like the fact that we will have the ability to "fly under the radar" a bit early on as our young talent develops... 2005-2006 was a great year flush with new recruits... if we can come close to that, I will be a happy man.
from a Big East standpoint, only 3 listed and none of them are UCONN... granted the probably lose a lot of talent in the offseason, but talk about a team that can consistently reload.
oh well.....hope everyone here at scoop has a happy Easter!
I don't think we'd be in his top 50 if he had one of those. Why would we be? We're losing 4 starters from a team that basically only played 7 guys when everyone was healthy. We have only one returning player who averaged as many as 6 points and only one returning player who averaged as many as 4 rebounds and no returning players who averaged as many as 2 assists. There's no reason for anyone other than the most optimistic of fans to think we're an NCAA team next year.
I'm thinking NIT next year, though I'm cautiously optimistic.
Why should Katz assume our new coach, with a huge incoming but highly ranked class, with little returning scoring, no notable returning size, a 5'8" (maybe) PG who can't score in the lane, a best returning SG who can't shoot, will have a top 25 team. Can't he see what we see? (sarcasm off) I think we have some very talented newcomers coming in. To project that to a top 25 team is too great a leap.
Quote from: CTWarrior on April 10, 2009, 02:27:44 PM
I don't think we'd be in his top 50 if he had one of those. Why would we be? We're losing 4 starters from a team that basically only played 7 guys when everyone was healthy. We have only one returning player who averaged as many as 6 points and only one returning player who averaged as many as 4 rebounds and no returning players who averaged as many as 2 assists. There's no reason for anyone other than the most optimistic of fans to think we're an NCAA team next year.
I'm thinking NIT next year, though I'm cautiously optimistic.
Have to agree with CTWarrior on this one. Honestly, I think the NIT should be a goal next year. I think we will be playing our best basketball to end the season next year. My expectiations are NIT and making some noise.
the NIT "should be a goal" are you kidding? .500 gets us in the NIT that is your goal to be .500. WOW Mu is a NIT shoo in on paper alone, goal should be the NCAA just like it was 4 years ago and like then acheivable
No UCLA either
Quote from: MR.HAYWARD on April 10, 2009, 03:10:01 PM
the NIT "should be a goal" are you kidding? .500 gets us in the NIT that is your goal to be .500. WOW Mu is a NIT shoo in on paper alone, goal should be the NCAA just like it was 4 years ago and like then acheivable
I hear you. The goal should always be the NCAA. I guess when I mention "goal" I am referring to my expectations. I just don't expect to make the NCAA next year. MY expectations are to make the NIT and do some damage in it. You are right though... the team's goal should be to make the tourney, no doubt.
I just think some here, because of our recruiting class, are EXPECTING big things out of this team (i.e. Top 25 as original thread). I just don't have those kind of expectations. I think people are going to be disappointed to expect that much.
Would be happy to wrong. PLEASE let me be wrong!
Big East will be down next year. A crap load of talent leaving, and only Villanova is bringing in a truly great class. We have a shot at the NCAA. The kids will need to grow up by the time the Big East season starts, and if they do, we will be fine.
Quote from: Tmreddevil on April 10, 2009, 03:33:35 PM
Big East will be down next year. A crap load of talent leaving, and only Villanova is bringing in a truly great class. We have a shot at the NCAA. The kids will need to grow up by the time the Big East season starts, and if they do, we will be fine.
MU's class is ranked in the top 15 by some, I consider that boader line great, considering there are 347 Division 1 teams..
A few of you mentioned how we have very little coming back which is true, but you failed to mention that our 3rd leading scorer will be back next year, Lazar Hayward. I think he will play a role similar to Novak in 05-06, but obviously he won't be as good as Novak was.
Why can't/won't Lazar be as good as Novak? Novak shot 3's and scored thats about it. He did that very well of course. Lazar will not be as good of a shooter as Novak. However he is a MUCH better overall player already! MU has a TON of talent coming in next year and will have MORE overall talent then 4 years ago, they will be fine, my goal is the NCAA.
Quote from: Warrior1969 on April 10, 2009, 04:19:56 PM
Why can't/won't Lazar be as good as Novak? Novak shot 3's and scored thats about it. He did that very well of course. Lazar will not be as good of a shooter as Novak. However he is a MUCH better overall player already! MU has a TON of talent coming in next year and will have MORE overall talent then 4 years ago, they will be fine, my goal is the NCAA.
Novak's presense allowed DJ to be successful.
I didn't expect we'd be a pre-season ranked team. I would love for us to climb up and get ranked during the year tho - that would stir a lot of comment and exposure for MU.
That is a realizable goal, I think.
GO Marquette!
Quote from: Lacrosse218 on April 10, 2009, 04:04:17 PM
A few of you mentioned how we have very little coming back which is true, but you failed to mention that our 3rd leading scorer will be back next year, Lazar Hayward. I think he will play a role similar to Novak in 05-06, but obviously he won't be as good as Novak was.
There's no reason Lazar can't be as good as Novak - comparing the past year for Haywar to Novak's senior year (http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/compare?add=steve-novak&i=1&p1=lazar-hayward), they had similar points per game numbers and Hayward had more rebounds. Obviously Lazar isn't going to end up with the #1 offensive efficiency in the country, but he's a better defender and is somewhat more versatile.
It's really going to come down to the supporting cast, and it's probably expecting a bit much of them to look for someone to have a season like DJ's freshman year.
Quote from: schubert33 on April 10, 2009, 04:03:22 PM
MU's class is ranked in the top 15 by some, I consider that boader line great, considering there are 347 Division 1 teams..
It's actually ranked #2 (tied for #1) by some after adding Darius Johnson-Odom!
http://www.hoopscooponline.com/members/toprecruitingclasses-classof2009.asp
Quote from: dsfire on April 10, 2009, 05:15:05 PM
There's no reason Lazar can't be as good as Novak - comparing the past year for Haywar to Novak's senior year (http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/compare?add=steve-novak&i=1&p1=lazar-hayward)
Nice use of http://StatSheet.com. Man I love that site.
Has the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft passed already? Or the deadline to those without an agent to withdraw passed?
If not, it's a little ridiculous to try to assemble a preseason top 25 list.
A starting team of 5 Butler type players would have been a very bad team at the beginning of last season. That same starting team would have been a very good team at the end of the year. The point is talent with no experience can result in early losses. What we don't know is if the players will work hard to improve or give up. Until I see them play the goal is the NIT and that is not a given.
Quote from: rocky_warrior on April 10, 2009, 05:21:41 PM
It's actually ranked #2 (tied for #1) by some after adding Darius Johnson-Odom!
http://www.hoopscooponline.com/members/toprecruitingclasses-classof2009.asp
That poll is a little misleading. If you go by total points MU is up there, but if you go by average they are 7, still awesome...
Quote from: Warrior1969 on April 10, 2009, 04:19:56 PM
Why can't/won't Lazar be as good as Novak? Novak shot 3's and scored thats about it. He did that very well of course. Lazar will not be as good of a shooter as Novak. However he is a MUCH better overall player already! MU has a TON of talent coming in next year and will have MORE overall talent then 4 years ago, they will be fine, my goal is the NCAA.
Novak as a senior did so much more than just shoot 3's and score. At some point between the end of his junior season and the start of his senior season he got 100x better at rebounding, defending, creating, etc. He was way closer to a complete player (as opposed to just a sharp-shooter) his senior year than he had ever been before that season.
Novak may have improved as a defendier his senior year (his low point was that DePaul game his junior year when he was benched) but in no way shape or form was he ever a remotely good defender. He was/is still a defensive liability He was never even close to be called a "complete player". You are the first I have ever heard him referred to as that.
I'd love the NCAAs, but a long run in the NIT with this young team only makes them hungrier and more experienced.
And it'll be a plus for them to play in front of their home crowd.
Despite it's status, I'm not sure a one-and-done in the NCAAs is ideal for next year's class.
I kind of agree with you on one hand, but it would be nice to tell recruits you've been to the tourney five years in a row.
Quote from: bilsu on April 10, 2009, 06:00:26 PM
. Until I see them play the goal is the NIT and that is not a given.
Different year, same perdictions from Bilsu!
But this time i agree. At this point we know we have good players coming in, it's possible that they will come in ready to play as with our last monster class 4 years ago, but that usually isn't the case. I wouldn't be shocked if we only won 5-7 conference games next year, plesently surprised 8 or 9, would be shocked if we win 10 or more. If we win 5 or 6 i won't be calling for buzz to be fired, but it will be fun to see how many do.
I am thrilled about the incoming class, but Gtown had a great class coming in this year and got devoured. If the Big East were as good next year we could easily have a losing record in conference.However, if this class gels, Lazar can give the early scoring while the rest of the team gets used to playing together, we could have a huge upside. But for the first time in three years, I don't think we know if we are a tourney team or even have a winning record in the BEAST. Huge upside, but might take two years.