Can't help but wonder about next years team!!!

[denverMU]

We are rated #10, we just beat Wisc. at the James(kohl) Center, and all five of are starters are eligible to play next year.  I know about all the talk of James and Mcneal going pro, but what if they stayed to go to a Final Four and win a National Championship.  With our current starting five plus Otule, Mbakwe, Cubillan, Acker, Taylor, and Williams coming off the bench we would have to be a Top 5 team starting next season.  If only the Three Amigos stay together one more year!

[murocky01]

Or we could just go to the final four this year with the team that we have.

[denverMU]

I hope but I think we are 1 year away.

[Ready2Fly]

I'd love it if James stayed another year because he's been playing up to his full potential this year, which, needless to say, is great.

But I hope he doesn't.

Because

A.) That means he had a great year and we probably we probably went deep in the tournament, so his stock rose to the level that he would be a guaranteed draft pick.

and

B.) We're over-committed on scholarships, with the assumption that James is gone.  If he stays, another recruit has to leave again, and that just wouldn't be good.

[Wareagle]

We are rated #10, we just beat Wisc. at the James(kohl) Center, and all five of are starters are eligible to play next year.  I know about all the talk of James and Mcneal going pro,

I can't imagine McNeal would go pro after this year barring ridiculously bad financial advice.  Only first round NBA draft pick's salaries are fully guaranteed, and no literature that anyone has posted here or that I have read elsewhere puts him close enough to making the first round for it to make economic sense for him to leave now. 

As far as DJ, I don't have anything to add that hasn't been said already.

[AZWarrior]

If James continues to play at the level he has so far this season, he's a legit 1st rounder.

[Harrison]

Agreed ...for MU to stay in the top 10 or 15 DJ has to play really well, that is... just like he has the first 7 games this year. 
If that happens DJ is a 1st rounder and gone.  Heck if he can simply continue to make good decisions, that is not try to do too much, and keeps making his FT's he will go in the first round.  And if he does that we will remain in the top 15 and he will go in the 1st round.  Which came first the chicken or the egg?

[Daniel]

We will have an outstanding team next year - I hate that we are a scholie over the limit - James may try again for the NBA, but in reality, Iverson and Spudd Webb were the only under 6 foot guys that went high in the draft that I can remember.

Either way, our team will be super next year - what a bench we will have - it will be like another starting team, and probably better than a lot of starting teams we play!

[muwarrior87]

Muggsy Bouges. 12th overall

[Doctor V]

our team will not be better than this year if james leaves. i actually hope he does too, but only cause if he does we will be an elite 8 final 4 team. we will not be as good, no stars next year. dont yell at me, alot of really good players, but no superstar. this is our year, even if we could use some low post help

[muwarrior87]

Matthews, if we ran the offense through him, would be a star, and don't count out Lazar. The way he's improved thus far, I think next year he will be an absolute force!

[Doctor V]

Matthews, if we ran the offense through him, would be a star, and don't count out Lazar. The way he's improved thus far, I think next year he will be an absolute force!

no. if wes has shown us anything, it has been that he was overrated. jerel maybe. but still prob not.

heres a TC plug. how any NBA'ers have we had in history? how many have we had in the past 5 years?

[muwarrior87]

We've already discussed this on another thread. When Wesley has been the main cog in the offense, he can most definitely be effective and very good.  That being said, James and McNeal are accounting for a large portion of the offense and with the increased production of Cubillan and Hayward, you can't expect everyone's numbers to remain constant or increase from last year.  Matthews can be a force if he his the focal point of the offense, this year he has been the 4th option in many cases.

[Doctor V]

We've already discussed this on another thread. When Wesley has been the main cog in the offense, he can most definitely be effective and very good.  That being said, James and McNeal are accounting for a large portion of the offense and with the increased production of Cubillan and Hayward, you can't expect everyone's numbers to remain constant or increase from last year.  Matthews can be a force if he his the focal point of the offense, this year he has been the 4th option in many cases.

you are pointing this out to a guy that argues that matthews can average 17-20 this year. im willing to admit i was wrong, until he proves me right. i just dont see it anymore. seems that burke has proved me wrong before wes. ps. i have wes scoring 26 on sat

[romey]

Matthews, if we ran the offense through him, would be a star, and don't count out Lazar. The way he's improved thus far, I think next year he will be an absolute force!

no. if wes has shown us anything, it has been that he was overrated. jerel maybe. but still prob not.

heres a TC plug. how any NBA'ers have we had in history? how many have we had in the past 5 years?

Well, just a quick check of our own Wikepedia, shows in Mcguires tenure, 15 of his players actually played in the NBA and an additional 12 were drafted but never played.  Not bad.

[Doctor V]

Matthews, if we ran the offense through him, would be a star, and don't count out Lazar. The way he's improved thus far, I think next year he will be an absolute force!

no. if wes has shown us anything, it has been that he was overrated. jerel maybe. but still prob not.

heres a TC plug. how any NBA'ers have we had in history? how many have we had in the past 5 years?

Well, just a quick check of our own Wikepedia, shows in Mcguires tenure, 15 of his players actually played in the NBA and an additional 12 were drafted but never played.  Not bad.

how does everyone take a tom cream compliment as an AL rip?? everyone loves Al, relax. he was in a league of his own. All im saying is that to Creans credit, 3 NBA'ers in that past 5 seasons isnt bad, with a few more on the way. Its more of a rip on other big programs. Dont get so defensive Alers

[augoman]

I don't see any overreaction; you asked and he answered.

I'm curious how may during the Mike Deane era- or was it Chris Crawford only?

[muarmy81]

We will have an outstanding team next year - I hate that we are a scholie over the limit - James may try again for the NBA, but in reality, Iverson and Spudd Webb were the only under 6 foot guys that went high in the draft that I can remember.

Either way, our team will be super next year - what a bench we will have - it will be like another starting team, and probably better than a lot of starting teams we play!

Mike Bibby - 2nd overall, Chris Paul - 4th overall, Mike Conley - 4th overall, Raymond Felton - 5th overall, Damon Stoudamire - 7th overall, Jason Williams - 7th overallT.J. Ford - 8th overall,Sebastian Telfair - 13th overall, Brevin Knight - 16th overall, Speedy Claxton - 20th overall, Jameer Nelson - 20th overall, Nate Robinson - 21st, Rajon Rondo - 21st, Kyle Lowry - 24th, Derek Fisher - 24th, Dan Dickau - 28th, Jacque Vaughn - 27th
And none of the above guys were over 6' - 1"

[The Lens]

I don't see any overreaction; you asked and he answered.

I'm curious how may during the Mike Deane era- or was it Chris Crawford only?

Amal also played under Deane-0.

In the late 90's we had 3 guys in the NBA, which is more than we have now.

[4thAndState]

Crawford and MacCaskill were Kevin O'Neill recruits, even though they played for a two years (?) with Deane. Amal especially had his coming out party at the end of his sophomore year under KO. His game against Kentucky to get to the sweet 16 was one of his break throughs. None of Deane's recruits ever made it to the NBA.

[muarmy81]

I would say Deane's best recruit was Cordell henry.