2018-19 Media Predictions

[brewcity77]

We're about to get flooded with the "too early" predictions and I saw the first this morning. Should provide us some discussion fodder after tonight. I'll continue to add and update the opening post.

Sporting News (No Marquette mention)
Gary Parrish Top-25 & 1 (No Marquette mention)
Yahoo! Sports (#22 Marquette)
The Athletic (Marquette "Others Receiving Consideration")
Jon Rothstein (No Marquette Mention)

[Tha Hound]

Badgers at 15 is so shameful it hurts, but then again this is Sporting News, not a real media outlet.

Edit: they cite the Badgers "addition of talent" with the #59 overall recruiting class coming in. You cannot make this crap up.

[brewcity77]

When questioned on social media, DeCourcy defended the "talent coming in" as including their two guys (King & Trice) returning from injury. Never mind the Badgers were 4-6 with those guys.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Badgers at 15 is so shameful it hurts, but then again this is Sporting News, not a real media outlet.

Edit: they cite the Badgers "addition of talent" with the #59 overall recruiting class coming in. You cannot make this crap up.

They should fit the 12 year old who wrote this.

What? It was a grown ass man?  Yeesh

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

I can see why Grimes went to Kansas. #1 ranked team coming off of a Final Four. Compared to Marquette, it's a no brainer.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

TBH, most of these way too early predictions will have one pick that seems totally nuts. Either they are right and they link back to it next season to show what a genius they are or they are wrong and no one remembers this dumb article anyway

[WarriorDad]

When questioned on social media, DeCourcy defended the "talent coming in" as including their two guys (King & Trice) returning from injury. Never mind the Badgers were 4-6 with those guys.

Isn't Ryan Fagan the one who wrote the article?

With those guys they lost to Xavier despite being tied with about 2 minutes to go, lost to UCLA in final seconds.  15th is way too high, but Wisconsin will be a NCAA team next year.  I'd say 26th to 30th range.

[NickelDimer]

I had no idea The Sporting News was still a thing

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Isn't Ryan cute onean the one who wrote the article?

With those guys they lost to Xavier despite being tied with about 2 minutes to go, lost to UCLA in final seconds.  15th is way too high, but Wisconsin will be a NCAA team next year.  I'd say 26th to 30th range.

That's very generous,  I think they could be an NCAA tournament team but they were about 35 spots out of the tournament this year and I'm not sure that the #59 recruiting class plus  Trice and King will enough to make up those 35 spots plus another 15 or so to get to the top 30.

And they lost by 10 to X,  and then lost to two bubble teams in UCLA and Baylor. Not bad losses for sure,  but I wouldn't use losing to them as evidence that Wisconsin was really good before the injuries.

[HutchwasClutch]

Total joke to consider them #15.  His rationale for such a ranking is so weak.  He cites a #59 recruiting class!!  One of the their three guys in the class will start his Badger career as a preferred walk-on.  Writer noting their starting with a clean slate is throwaway nonsense. 

Happ will return I'd bet, even with that, this team is a mile from a top 25 ranking.  Other than Davison and Happ's low post game (he still sucks at FT) there is little to like about their team. 

A know nothing writing a college basketball column based on recent reputation of programs.   But we all know most of these pre rankings are a waste of time.  I can't recall a single one for 2017-18 that didn't have Bucky as a top 25, with the rationale, well there always there at the end.  Well, this year was different, they stunk.   Their improvement was modest at the end of the year.  Playing MI St close twice, one home, one neutral, is hardly anything to get worked up over based on MI St. very short stay in the NCAA's.

[HutchwasClutch]

We get a solid grad transfer PG, we are surely top 20.  Not that any in media will figure that out until well into next season. 

[DCHoopster]

Total joke to consider them #15.  His rationale for such a ranking is so weak.  He cites a #59 recruiting class!!  One of the their three guys in the class will start his Badger career as a preferred walk-on.  Writer noting their starting with a clean slate is throwaway nonsense. 

Happ will return I'd bet, even with that, this team is a mile from a top 25 ranking.  Other than Davison and Happ's low post game (he still sucks at FT) there is little to like about their team. 

A know nothing writing a college basketball column based on recent reputation of programs.   But we all know most of these pre rankings are a waste of time.  I can't recall a single one for 2017-18 that didn't have Bucky as a top 25, with the rationale, well there always there at the end.  Well, this year was different, they stunk.   Their improvement was modest at the end of the year.  Playing MI St close twice, one home, one neutral, is hardly anything to get worked up over based on MI St. very short stay in the NCAA's.

They have a potential All-American back, plus 7 other players back, lose nobody.  With King and Trice back, they will be better.  I can see the rating at this time.
Most teams lose players so there is some question marks, here, none.  Now can they improve this summer, I think so.  Freshman will make no difference.  Can MU
be better, maybe, but I see lots more question marks right now.  Maybe in a month, not as many.  It is early.

[HutchwasClutch]

They have a potential All-American back, plus 7 other players back, lose nobody.  With King and Trice back, they will be better.  I can see the rating at this time.
Most teams lose players so there is some question marks, here, none.  Now can they improve this summer, I think so.  Freshman will make no difference.  Can MU
be better, maybe, but I see lots more question marks right now.  Maybe in a month, not as many.  It is early.

I truly believe Happ has hit his ceiling as a player.  The other guys are just that, guys.  What's to be so excited about Trice and King?  They were hardly setting anyone on fire before they were injured.  Trice was a sub 40% shooter, averaging less than 10 ppg, with 2 assists and 2 rebound per game. 

King was averaging 5 a game.  Hardly Markus Howard like start to his career. 

I'm not saying those two won't help, and maybe they will be good in the end.  My bottom line is it takes a tremendous homer mentality and leap of faith to slot them #15, would require many so-so and disappointing players becoming really strong players over the course of one summer.   That can happen, not very often.  And they don't have a HOF coach leading the development anymore.

[MU82]

F%cky #15.

Thanks for posting, brew. I needed a morning chuckle.

It will be fun to beat them by 1,000 points again.

[rocky_warrior]

Should we change the title to 18-19 Badger Predictions - since it appears that's all anyone wants to talk about?

[bilsu]

At the end of the year the Badgers were playing really well. 15 is probably too high, but they will be good next year assuming Happ returns.

[DCHoopster]

I truly believe Happ has hit his ceiling as a player.  The other guys are just that, guys.  What's to be so excited about Trice and King?  They were hardly setting anyone on fire before they were injured.  Trice was a sub 40% shooter, averaging less than 10 ppg, with 2 assists and 2 rebound per game. 

King was averaging 5 a game.  Hardly Markus Howard like start to his career. 

I'm not saying those two won't help, and maybe they will be good in the end.  My bottom line is it takes a tremendous homer mentality and leap of faith to slot them #15, would require many so-so and disappointing players becoming really strong players over the course of one summer.   That can happen, not very often.  And they don't have a HOF coach leading the development anymore.

They subbed last year Schlundt and Moesch, there is a difference having Trice and King.  Big difference.  Add the 15 points you stated above, that will make a big difference compared to those 2 stiffs.  But in defense to them, they were both walk-ons.
next year.

[Its DJOver]

Articles like this are really just meant to stir the pot.  I don't know anything about their incoming class, but Oregon certainly did not strike me as a top 10 team.

[HutchwasClutch]

At the end of the year the Badgers were playing really well. 15 is probably too high, but they will be good next year assuming Happ returns.

Other than beating Purdue, based on what?  Playing MI St close and losing twice on home and neutral courts?  MI St flamed out in both tournaments.  Or beating Maryland who made no postseason, in a game decided in the final minute? 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Articles like this are really just meant to stir the pot.  I don't know anything about their incoming class, but Oregon certainly did not strike me as a top 10 team.

If you did know anything about their incoming class,  you would know why they are ranked so high.

https://247sports.com/college/oregon/Season/2018-Basketball/Commits

Currently the #2 class in the country

[GrimmReaper33]

15 is too high for UW, but people are kidding themselves if they don't think the Badgers will be back in the Dance next season and flirting with the top 25 at points during the season.  They literally return everyone from this season- how many teams in college basketball can say that?  The incoming class is nothing special, but adding Trice and King back to a young team that showed a lot of improvement last season will be a big help.

Plus it sounds like they may still go after a grad transfer as well.  15 is too high though, and not sure I would bet on UW finishing next season ahead of MU.

[Goose]

I loved the Sporting News early prediction following our E8 showing. If memory serves me they had MU ranked #5 going into the following season. Unfortunately it failed to materialize.

[Its DJOver]

If you did know anything about their incoming class,  you would know why they are ranked so high.

https://247sports.com/college/oregon/Season/2018-Basketball/Commits

Currently the #2 class in the country

Great class, but it doesn't always lead to a high ranking.  They had a top 15 class last year and didn't make the tourney.  Plenty of examples of programs having great classes that don't end up ranked very high, but I do understand why they would appear on the list, just think top 10 is a little high.

[Daniel]

Would be nice to see Marquette showing up on some lists. Been way too long.   

[MU82]

I loved the Sporting News early prediction following our E8 showing. If memory serves me they had MU ranked #5 going into the following season. Unfortunately it failed to materialize.

Yep yep.

These kinds of articles are what we used to call "conversation starters." And it obviously worked!