The Shaka Era is happening!

[fjm]

Ok folks let's do this!

It's been months since Wojo was shown the door and #donedeal has resurfaced. The Shaka era is about to begin.

MU has gone through some major roster turnover! Has the 352nd total amount of experience returning (a solid 6 teams higher than last).

Let's talk expectations!
13 days until Bowie St.
18 days until the season opener!

Inspired by yesterday's cracked sidewalks podcast... ( http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2021/10/new-coach-new-team-new-season-for-mubb.html )
Let's see those w/l predictions.

H: SIUE:
H: New Hampshire:
H: Illinois:
N:Ole Miss (Charleston):
N:Charleston game 2:
N: Charleston game 3:
H: Northern Illinois:
H: Jackson St:
A: UW-Madison Extension:
A: Kansas St:
H: UCLA:
—BE CONF GAMES—
A: Xavier:
H: UConn:
A: St John's:
H: Creighton:
H: providence:
A: Georgetown
H: DePaul:
H: Seton Hall:
A: Nova
H: Xavier
A: Seton hall
A: providence
H: Nova:
A: UConn:
A: butler:
H: Georgetown:
A: Creighton:
H: butler:
A: DePaul:
H: St. John's:

Total W-L:


Biggest impact player:

[Newsdreams]

No 0 wins?

[The Lens]

I think 16-17 wins.  I think there's enough energy and optimism around and within the program that we over achieve just a little.  It's the honeymoon phase, everyone loves each other, there's no Marcus / Sam / Joey cloud, there's no hot seat.  There's just energy and two defensive first seniors who I think will set a tone for turning defense into offense and springing a few upsets. 

[mu_hilltopper]

It's hard to have *any* idea how this team is going to do, since, what .. ~85% of the team is brand new and have never played a D1 game together.

Could be 3 wins, could be 23.  That's my answer.

[TallTitan34]

It's hard to have *any* idea how this team is going to do, since, what .. ~85% of the team is brand new and have never played a D1 game together.

Could be 3 wins, could be 23.  That's my answer.

This.

[NCMUFan]

I will tell you after the season.   

[roadwarrior3]

Love prediction threads where people reply saying there's no way to know....as if that isn't the entire point of making a prediction.

I think this year the team will be competitive in most every game. That will lead to an upset win or two during non-conference play (thinking during Charleston tourny and at Wisconsin), but also will lead to close games and maybe even a few losses in non-conference to teams that are meant to be buy games (thinking vs. New Hampshire).

Big East play we'll be a dangerous team but ultimately won't be able to close enough games to be in NCAAT discussion, but NIT is likely and everybody will feel good about the foundation Shaka is setting.

[tower912]

So many new guys, so little proven scoring, so much length, so much potential depth, so little of it experienced.     
Best Case:   Justin and OMP make huge leaps and are versatile forwards with length and athleticism.    Greg stays healthy.   Kolek can get his shot off in the Big East.    A couple of our freshman guards are ready for prime time.   Morsell and Kuath provide the defense and senior leadership this team needs.     Absolutely everything falls into place.   20 wins.   
Worst case:   Injuries.    Our three star recruits play like three star recruits.   Morsell still can't shoot.   Kolek is not quick enough for the Big East.  MU loses a bunch of games in the 70-58 range simply because there is not enough offense.   8 wins. 

Somewhere in the middle.    Fits and starts.    Lose a couple of games when Morsell and Kuath go out with foul trouble and the defense implodes for 5 minutes at a time and MU cannot recover from that 15-4 run. 

I picked 12-15 wins.   I hope with all of my heart that Shaka turns out to be a genius, the young guys step up, and the team surprises me.   

[brewcity77]

H: SIUE: W
H: New Hampshire: W
H: Illinois: L
N:Ole Miss (Charleston): L
N:Charleston game 2: W
N: Charleston game 3: W
H: Northern Illinois: W
H: Jackson St: W
A: UW-Madison Extension: W
A: Kansas St: W
H: UCLA: L
—BE CONF GAMES—
A: Xavier: L
H: UConn: L
A: St John's: L
H: Creighton: W
H: providence: W
A: Georgetown W
H: DePaul: W
H: Seton Hall: L
A: Nova L
H: Xavier W
A: Seton hall L
A: providence W
H: Nova: L
A: UConn: L
A: butler: L
H: Georgetown: W
A: Creighton: W
H: butler: W
A: DePaul: W
H: St. John's: W

Total W-L: 19-12 (11-9)


Biggest impact player: Darryl Morsell

As a caveat, my wife recently accuses me of something called "toxic positivity."

[Galway Eagle]

H: SIUE: W
H: New Hampshire: W
H: Illinois: L
N:Ole Miss (Charleston): L
N:Charleston game 2: W
N: Charleston game 3: W
H: Northern Illinois: W
H: Jackson St: W
A: UW-Madison Extension: W
A: Kansas St: W
H: UCLA: L
—BE CONF GAMES—
A: Xavier: L
H: UConn: L
A: St John's: L
H: Creighton: W
H: providence: W
A: Georgetown W
H: DePaul: W
H: Seton Hall: L
A: Nova L
H: Xavier W
A: Seton hall L
A: providence W
H: Nova: L
A: UConn: L
A: butler: L
H: Georgetown: W
A: Creighton: W
H: butler: W
A: DePaul: W
H: St. John's: W

Total W-L: 19-12 (11-9)


Biggest impact player: Darryl Morsell

As a caveat, my wife recently accuses me of something called "toxic positivity."

did you choose to take that as a compliment?

[Uncle Rico]

9-12 wins sounds about right unless half the Big East gets Covid

[brewcity77]

did you choose to take that as a compliment?

Considering she usually takes the most pessimistic view, I considered it a necessary balancing of the familial outlook.

[Tha Hound]

9-12 wins sounds about right unless half the Big East gets Covid

Im very much in on Shaka at this point, but if we end up with only 9 or 10 wins this year that is a full blown disaster. I dont care how much turnover you have, MU should never, ever have a single digit win total.

[panda]

I'm probably a bit higher on this team than others.

I see Morsell who's been looked at as a 3rd or 4th option during his time at Maryland as a guy who will be allowed to flourish on the offensive end this year.

Justin Lewis is poised for a leading role and should be one of the better players in the conference.

Kur Kuath was the odd man out in a guard heavy rotation, but played good minutes when on the floor.

Tyler Kolek was the A10 freshman of the year. Phenomenal passer and spacer of the floor. Always makes the right play. Decent outside shooter and crafty scorer inside the arc.

Elliott coming off the bench will play good minutes and knock down outside shots. Something this team will need desperately.

The question marks come with the freshmen. I do think we need to get consistent contributions from two of the high school newcomers to challenge for top 5. We'll see but I do think Mitchell and Joplin are good candidates.

[wadesworld]

H: SIUE: W
H: New Hampshire: W
H: Illinois: L
N:Ole Miss (Charleston): W
N:Charleston game 2: L
N: Charleston game 3: W
H: Northern Illinois: W
H: Jackson St: W
A: UW-Madison Extension: W
A: Kansas St: W
H: UCLA: L
—BE CONF GAMES—
A: Xavier: L
H: UConn: W
A: St John's: L
H: Creighton: W
H: providence: W
A: Georgetown: W
H: DePaul: W
H: Seton Hall: W
A: Nova: L
H: Xavier: L
A: Seton hall: L
A: providence: L
H: Nova: L
A: UConn: L
A: butler: W
H: Georgetown: W
A: Creighton: L
H: butler: W
A: DePaul: W
H: St. John's: W

Total W-L: 19-12 (11-9)

Biggest impact player: Morsell

Feels like we always have a tough start to the BE schedule. This feels weak. Take advantage and rack up some wins early, because the middle part is brutal.

[UWW2MU]

H: SIUE: W
H: New Hampshire: W
H: Illinois: L
N:Ole Miss (Charleston): L
N:Charleston game 2: W
N: Charleston game 3: W
H: Northern Illinois: W
H: Jackson St: W
A: UW-Madison Extension: L
A: Kansas St: W
H: UCLA: L

—BE CONF GAMES—

A: Xavier: L
H: UConn: L
A: St John's: W
H: Creighton: W
H: providence: W
A: Georgetown L
H: DePaul: W
H: Seton Hall: L
A: Nova L
H: Xavier L
A: Seton hall L
A: providence W
H: Nova: L
A: UConn: L
A: butler: L
H: Georgetown: W
A: Creighton: L
H: butler: W
A: DePaul: W
H: St. John's: W

Total W-L: 16-15 (9-11)


Biggest impact player: Darryl Morsell

[BM1090]

Im very much in on Shaka at this point, but if we end up with only 9 or 10 wins this year that is a full blown disaster. I dont care how much turnover you have, MU should never, ever have a single digit win total.

Agreed. In Wojo's first year they won 13 and then never won less than 18 until this past year with a shorter schedule.

I'll go 18-13. Just miss the tournament. I'm probably being too optimistic but I'd be surprised if we won less than 14.

[Galway Eagle]

>25 wins. I've run the numbers and decided there no feasible way that we lose more than a couple to DePaul.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

H: SIUE: W
H: New Hampshire: W
H: Illinois: L
N:Ole Miss (Charleston): L
N:Charleston game 2: W
N: Charleston game 3: W
H: Northern Illinois: W
H: Jackson St: W
A: UW-Madison Extension: L
A: Kansas St: W
H: UCLA: L
—BE CONF GAMES—
A: Xavier: L
H: UConn: L
A: St John's: L
H: Creighton: W
H: providence: W
A: Georgetown L
H: DePaul: W
H: Seton Hall: W
A: Nova: L
H: Xavier: L
A: Seton hall: L
A: providence: W
H: Nova: L
A: UConn: L
A: butler: L
H: Georgetown: W
A: Creighton: L
H: butler: W
A: DePaul: W
H: St. John's: L

Total W-L: 15-16 (8-12)

Biggest impact player: Darryl Morsell

Just a nit, I don't think 16 wins puts us in team bubble watch

[Scoop Snoop]

I went back and forth on this before finally settling on 16 wins. I was going to go a little lower. I think Moresell, Kuath, Justin Lewis (hoping for a breakout year from him) and a healthy (please) Greg Elliot  give us a solid base. Will Kolek make the transition to BE level bball? I think so. With his performance and accolades in the A10, I'm confident that we will not have to worry about a Chartouney 2.0. Then we need at least 2 freshmen who adapt to the college game quickly and can hold their on on the court.   
 

[Herman Cain]

H: SIUE:                         W
H: New Hampshire:          W
H: Illinois:                        L
N:Ole Miss (Charleston):    W
N:Charleston game 2:        W
N: Charleston game 3:        W
H: Northern Illinois:           W
H: Jackson St:                    W
A: UW-Madison Extension:   L
A: Kansas St:                     W
H: UCLA:                            L
—BE CONF GAMES—
A: Xavier:                           W
H: UConn:                          L
A: St John's:                       L
H: Creighton:                      W
H: providence:                     W
A: Georgetown :                   L
H: DePaul:                           W
H: Seton Hall:  W           
A: Nova:          L
H: Xavier :        W
A: Seton hall.     L
A: providence.    W
H: Nova:           L
A: UConn:         L
A: butler:          W
H: Georgetown:  W
A: Creighton:      L
H: butler:            w
A: DePaul:          w
H: St. John's:     w

Total W-L:    20-11  (12-8)


Biggest impact player:Kur Kuath

[GooooMarquette]

We got this. 30+ wins easy.

[Dr. Blackheart]

We got this. 30+ wins easy.

Over two years?

[bilsu]

It's hard to have *any* idea how this team is going to do, since, what .. ~85% of the team is brand new and have never played a D1 game together.

Could be 3 wins, could be 23.  That's my answer.

I can't even figure out who my favorite player is.

[Herman Cain]

I can't even figure out who my favorite player is.

Based on past experience , it should be Kur Kuath since he gets the hard rebounds.