Hanner Predicts Orlando Classic

[MUDPT]

69% chance of beating Georgia Tech.  26% chance of making it to the finals.

http://basketball.realgm.com/news/blogs/author/133/Dan-Hanner

[PGsHeroes32]

wow. 26% is better than I would have thought lol

[MU82]

He has us as the third choice to reach the title game, behind obvious favorites Kansas and Michigan State.

Here's the little blurb on MU:

"I'm very interested in seeing new Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski on the sidelines. With Matt Carlino and a number of former elite recruits, Marquette could be a sleeper team this year. But teaching a bunch of new players to run and gun while still playing elite defense is not easy. Tennessee also has a ton of new faces and is very hard to peg."

[PGsHeroes32]

Just hope we beat GT. Way better playing in the winners bracket even if it means a probably ass beating to MSU.

And it would be a nice gauge that in a supposed down year we can at least beat an ACC bottom feeder(and hopefully ASU at home as well)

[Texas Western]

Just hope we beat GT. Way better playing in the winners bracket even if it means a probably ass beating to MSU.

And it would be a nice gauge that in a supposed down year we can at least beat an ACC bottom feeder(and hopefully ASU at home as well)

MSU lost some key players. If we are able to beat GT and have a little momentum anything can happen on a neutral floor.

[Johnny B]

I think we'll have a pretty good idea of how how good this team can on be after the OSU game.

[Class71]

I think we'll have a pretty good idea of how how good this team can on be after the OSU game.

Agree, until then we are all guessing.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

MSU lost some key players. If we are able to beat GT and have a little momentum anything can happen on a neutral floor.

Agreed, I don't think Michigan State is a top 25 this season. Lost too much and is very shallow in the post. Even so....I have a hard time picturing as winning that game.

Though we did take down #15 Michigan in the second game of the Old Spice Classic when we were there in 2009. History could repeat itself!

[ecompt]

We probably get pounded by Ohio State. Then it will be interesting to see how Wojo gets the team to bounce back.

[Nukem2]

Just hope we beat GT. Way better playing in the winners bracket even if it means a probably ass beating to MSU.

And it would be a nice gauge that in a supposed down year we can at least beat an ACC bottom feeder(and hopefully ASU at home as well)

GT is very big with a couple decent guards.  Will be a very tough game for MU.

[Johnny B]

i surprised were predicted to win.

[Benny B]

GA Tech is picked anywhere from 13th to dead last in the ACC preseason polls.  Right now, they're like the South Florida of the ACC, which is somewhat fitting since Stan Heath's kid now plays for the Jackets.

Even in a "rebuilding" year, losing to GA Tech would sting.

[Windyplayer]

Even in a "rebuilding" year, losing to GA Tech would sting.

I see what you did there.

[Windyplayer]

He has us as the third choice to reach the title game, behind obvious favorites Kansas and Michigan State.

Here's the little blurb on MU:

"I'm very interested in seeing new Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski on the sidelines. With Matt Carlino and a number of former elite recruits, Marquette could be a sleeper team this year. But teaching a bunch of new players to run and gun while still playing elite defense is not easy. Tennessee also has a ton of new faces and is very hard to peg."

I think we've all thought this, and he states it in a nice, concise manner.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

GT is very big with a couple decent guards.  Will be a very tough game for MU.

The good guards I'm not so sure about. They return their starting SG and SF, one will be their top player and the other is fairly forgettable. Their PG situtation is shaky, they either have a redshirt freshman who played in 4 games last season before getting injured, or a sophomore who averaged 1.0 ppg despite getting 17 mpg last season.

They are big, but their bigs are all new to Georgia Tech. They have six players who are taller than Steve. 5 of them are either freshman or just transferred in:

Robert Sampson: 6-8, 224 SR C, averaged 9.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 1.8 bpg for ECU in 2012-2013.
Demarco Cox: 6-8, 276 SR C, averaged 4.2 pgg, 3.9 rpg, and 0.8 bpg for Ole Miss last season
Charles Mitchell: 6-8, 269 JR PF, averaged 6.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and 0.5 bpg for Maryland last season.
Quinton Stevens: 6-9, 187 SO SF, averaged 3.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, and 0.3 bpg on 12.8 mpg last season
Ben "Blammers" Lammers: 6-10, 241 FR C, 3 star recruit for most services.
Abdoulaye "A.D" Gueye: 6-9, 208 FR PF, 2 star recruit

What I see is a large, not tall, team that has little experience playing together. Combine that with likely poor PG play and you've got a slow team that is susceptible  to giving into full court press. I think our smaller players will get abused inside, but will make life hell for any Yellow Jacket trying to make an entry pass or even bring the ball up the court.

[tower912]

Important to do the lion's share of your defensive work before one of those behemoths get the ball on the block.   Do everything possible to deny the entry pass, be it high pressure, full court press, fronting the post, whatever.    If they do get it down there, don't make dumb fouls.  Give up the occasional thunderous dunk and stay in the game. 

[Galway Eagle]

The good guards I'm not so sure about. They return their starting SG and SF, one will be their top player and the other is fairly forgettable. Their PG situtation is shaky, they either have a redshirt freshman who played in 4 games last season before getting injured, or a sophomore who averaged 1.0 ppg despite getting 17 mpg last season.

They are big, but their bigs are all new to Georgia Tech. They have six players who are taller than Steve. 5 of them are either freshman or just transferred in:

Robert Sampson: 6-8, 224 SR C, averaged 9.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 1.8 bpg for ECU in 2012-2013.
Demarco Cox: 6-8, 276 SR C, averaged 4.2 pgg, 3.9 rpg, and 0.8 bpg for Ole Miss last season
Charles Mitchell: 6-8, 269 JR PF, averaged 6.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and 0.5 bpg for Maryland last season.
Quinton Stevens: 6-9, 187 SO SF, averaged 3.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, and 0.3 bpg on 12.8 mpg last season
Ben "Blammers" Lammers: 6-10, 241 FR C, 3 star recruit for most services.
Abdoulaye "A.D" Gueye: 6-9, 208 FR PF, 2 star recruit

What I see is a large, not tall, team that has little experience playing together. Combine that with likely poor PG play and you've got a slow team that is susceptible  to giving into full court press. I think our smaller players will get abused inside, but will make life hell for any Yellow Jacket trying to make an entry pass or even bring the ball up the court.

these aren't massive guys though.  Sure they're taller but not by much more than Steve it's not like when faced LSU in 2011-12 when a quarter of the team was 6-10 or more

[dgies9156]

This is the best comment of all:

I'm very interested in seeing new Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski on the sidelines. With Matt Carlino and a number of former elite recruits, Marquette could be a sleeper team this year. But teaching a bunch of new players to run and gun while still playing elite defense is not easy.

[Texas Western]

Important to do the lion's share of your defensive work before one of those behemoths get the ball on the block.   Do everything possible to deny the entry pass, be it high pressure, full court press, fronting the post, whatever.    If they do get it down there, don't make dumb fouls.  Give up the occasional thunderous dunk and stay in the game. 

You are making some good points.

[kryza]

We probably get pounded by Ohio State. Then it will be interesting to see how Wojo gets the team to bounce back.

Honestly, scoring more than 35 points would be an improvement from last year.

[Nukem2]

The good guards I'm not so sure about. They return their starting SG and SF, one will be their top player and the other is fairly forgettable. Their PG situtation is shaky, they either have a redshirt freshman who played in 4 games last season before getting injured, or a sophomore who averaged 1.0 ppg despite getting 17 mpg last season.

They are big, but their bigs are all new to Georgia Tech. They have six players who are taller than Steve. 5 of them are either freshman or just transferred in:

Robert Sampson: 6-8, 224 SR C, averaged 9.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 1.8 bpg for ECU in 2012-2013.
Demarco Cox: 6-8, 276 SR C, averaged 4.2 pgg, 3.9 rpg, and 0.8 bpg for Ole Miss last season
Charles Mitchell: 6-8, 269 JR PF, averaged 6.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and 0.5 bpg for Maryland last season.
Quinton Stevens: 6-9, 187 SO SF, averaged 3.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, and 0.3 bpg on 12.8 mpg last season
Ben "Blammers" Lammers: 6-10, 241 FR C, 3 star recruit for most services.
Abdoulaye "A.D" Gueye: 6-9, 208 FR PF, 2 star recruit

What I see is a large, not tall, team that has little experience playing together. Combine that with likely poor PG play and you've got a slow team that is susceptible  to giving into full court press. I think our smaller players will get abused inside, but will make life hell for any Yellow Jacket trying to make an entry pass or even bring the ball up the court.

Actually, GT was playing well last year before the PG was injured.  The transfer PG is the son of former USF coach Stan Heath.  Brian Gregory is optimistic about PG play, which should be much improved over what GT had after PG Jorgenson was injured.  Buzz was hot after Ben Lammers, btw.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Actually, GT was playing well last year before the PG was injured.  The transfer PG is the son of former USF coach Stan Heath.  Brian Gregory is optimistic about PG play, which should be much improved over what GT had after PG Jorgenson was injured.  Buzz was hot after Ben Lammers, btw.

Josh Heath isn't that special of a player. And Jorgenson was looking okay....in wins over Presbyterian, Delaware State, Georgia and in a loss to Dayton. I think they will struggle at PG to start.