2023 Team Outlook

[BrewCity83]

I really like Ellis's potential. He is quick and he just needs strength and playing time.

Me too.  I find myself pulling for Ellis to emerge more than almost any of last year's new guys.

[Its DJOver]

Joey was hyped, but Morrow was that perfect fit guy. The enforcer who could rebound (something we didn't do in 2018) and add toughness. But instead he was just a backup who never did much aside from blocking Ethan Happ and left in the middle of his second year. Had those teams been as bad as Wojo's average, he'd have been skewered, but they were Wojo's best years, so we focus more on the Hausers because of how they left and Ed gets a pass.

Don't get me wrong, team success plays a factor, but hype and expectations also do.  I guess my fear is that if Jones or Ross don't have a great year next year, which I hope isn't the case, people don't jump on the "well, I heard last summer that this guy was going to be so good and he sucked" train, and then just proceed to overhype whatever recruit we may have coming in the following year.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Don't get me wrong, team success plays a factor, but hype and expectations also do.  I guess my fear is that if Jones or Ross don't have a great year next year, which I hope isn't the case, people don't jump on the "well, I heard last summer that this guy was going to be so good and he sucked" train, and then just proceed to overhype whatever recruit we may have coming in the following year.

I admire your intent, but you cannot possibly prevent this from happening.

[Its DJOver]

I admire your intent, but you cannot possibly prevent this from happening.

Prevent it altogether? No. Lessen it? I don't see why not. 

[panda]

no one should ever get excited about any player because you'll inevitably be let down in some capacity.

[GoldenEagles03]

no one should ever get excited about any player because you'll inevitably be let down in some capacity.

Can't believe Michael Jordan didn't win 7 titles.

[brewcity77]

Don't get me wrong, team success plays a factor, but hype and expectations also do.  I guess my fear is that if Jones or Ross don't have a great year next year, which I hope isn't the case, people don't jump on the "well, I heard last summer that this guy was going to be so good and he sucked" train, and then just proceed to overhype whatever recruit we may have coming in the following year.

I think it's an odd thing to get too wrapped up in. If we're bad, my guess is a lot more criticism will go toward the experienced players, like how this year people seemed to aim criticisms at Kur, Justin, Morsell, and Kolek rather than much at Joplin or Ellis. Next year, I imagine O-Max, Kolek, and Oso are more likely to be the criticism targets than Sean or Chase.

It's the nature of coaches and fans to hype up players. You hope for the best and hope the flashes players show translate to consistent results on the court. I don't think that will ever change.

[Its DJOver]

I think it's an odd thing to get too wrapped up in. If we're bad, my guess is a lot more criticism will go toward the experienced players, like how this year people seemed to aim criticisms at Kur, Justin, Morsell, and Kolek rather than much at Joplin or Ellis. Next year, I imagine O-Max, Kolek, and Oso are more likely to be the criticism targets than Sean or Chase.

It's the nature of coaches and fans to hype up players. You hope for the best and hope the flashes players show translate to consistent results on the court. I don't think that will ever change.

Maybe, I just know that Joey had been hyped up since the day we started recruiting Sam, and even before Hausergate happened, he was experiencing a fair amount of abuse.  Vander was skewered pretty good as a 5* recruit that only averaged 5 ppg and 16% three point shooting as a freshman.  Hasn't pretty much every grad transfer been considered a wasted scholarship at some point between November and January, and we usually spend all summer hyping them up. My point is, that high school to college, or even one college to another is a big adjustment, and just because a player may have a longer adjustment period than others should not be a reason to dismiss them, and there seems to be a pretty strong correlation between pre freshman year hype and freshman year abuse received.

(Not pointing fingers at you or anyone in particular here BTW).

[MU82]

Maybe, I just know that Joey had been hyped up since the day we started recruiting Sam, and even before Hausergate happened, he was experiencing a fair amount of abuse.  Vander was skewered pretty good as a 5* recruit that only averaged 5 ppg and 16% three point shooting as a freshman.  Hasn't pretty much every grad transfer been considered a wasted scholarship at some point between November and January, and we usually spend all summer hyping them up. My point is, that high school to college, or even one college to another is a big adjustment, and just because a player may have a longer adjustment period than others should not be a reason to dismiss them, and there seems to be a pretty strong correlation between pre freshman year hype and freshman year abuse received.

(Not pointing fingers at you or anyone in particular here BTW).

I don't remember much "abuse" of Vanilla Soft Serve on Scoop during his freshman year - at least not until near the very end when he became a turnover machine - but it's possible I'm misremembering.

Vander never got much respect, though, at least not till the very end.

We're not a patient group. Lots of condemnation of guys like Lockett, Reinhardt and even O-Max this season when they struggled early. And none of them had been exactly hyped up to the max.

[Johnny B]

i'm not down with Kolek. I prefer Mitchell from what he showed late season.

until he shows some offense or koleks passing abilty hell nah

[The Sultan]

until he shows some offense or koleks passing abilty hell nah

Well, he has to improve in both areas to be the long term answer at point.  He was pretty bad by the end of the year.  Not saying that Mitchell is the answer, but someone else might have to be.

[mileskishnish72]

Hell, last year I suspected Ellis would be a player and Kam was a hanger-on. Vice versa of course.
For next year, I think Stevie will put in the work and surprise people. No inside knowledge, just based on the kind of kid he is and his track record.

[The Sultan]

I think Stevie will have a bigger impact on the program than Kam when all is said and done.

[Goose]

Fluff


I think Stevie is going to have a big impact as well. That said, I am very high on Kam and think he is going to have a very good college career.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Whose buying season tickets next year?

[Newsdreams]

Whose buying season tickets next year?

No me 

[Goose]

Dr. B

I am planning on rejoining the season ticket group this season.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Shaka took a roster that on paper had no business making the NIT and led them to a 9 seed. Assuming we land Wrightsil and a Washington level transfer and lose no one else (assuming Justin is gone), next year's roster will be better on paper than last year's was before the season started. I expect another overperformance. Somewhere in the 5-8 seed realm. Coaching matters.

Year 1 saw huge developmental jumps for Lewis, Morsell, OMax, Oso, and Kolek. Kam played way above his high school ranking. Kur and Greg were about the same players they were the previous season and Mitchell, Joplin, and Ellis roughly played to their high school rankings with Mitchell/Joplin occasionally showing promise and Ellis largely underperforming.

No reason not to expect similar developmental jumps this season and at least one of the four freshmen (including Itejere) to play well above their ranking. It may not happen but the baseline has been set.

[Goose]

TAMU

Good summary and I agree that next year's team will be better on paper going into the season. In addition, I think all returning guys are athletic basketball players, and not just athletic which bodes well for offseason improvement. In years past, the roster was not filled with guys that were basketball players first.  While I was not a Theo guy, he improved a great deal over his time at MU, but his ceiling was lower than the current guys returning.

As for coaching matters, I could not agree more. A second year of Shaka with the core should pay dividends this year and next year.

[GoldenEagles03]

Shaka took a roster that on paper had no business making the NIT and led them to a 9 seed. Assuming we land Wrightsil and a Washington level transfer and lose no one else (assuming Justin is gone), next year's roster will be better on paper than last year's was before the season started. I expect another overperformance. Somewhere in the 5-8 seed realm. Coaching matters.

Year 1 saw huge developmental jumps for Lewis, Morsell, OMax, Oso, and Kolek. Kam played way above his high school ranking. Kur and Greg were about the same players they were the previous season and Mitchell, Joplin, and Ellis roughly played to their high school rankings with Mitchell/Joplin occasionally showing promise and Ellis largely underperforming.

No reason not to expect similar developmental jumps this season and at least one of the four freshmen (including Itejere) to play well above their ranking. It may not happen but the baseline has been set.

Jones was better than advertised for a Freshman

[Viper]

Shaka took a roster that on paper had no business making the NIT and led them to a 9 seed. Assuming we land Wrightsil and a Washington level transfer and lose no one else (assuming Justin is gone), next year's roster will be better on paper than last year's was before the season started. I expect another overperformance. Somewhere in the 5-8 seed realm. Coaching matters.

Year 1 saw huge developmental jumps for Lewis, Morsell, OMax, Oso, and Kolek. Kam played way above his high school ranking. Kur and Greg were about the same players they were the previous season and Mitchell, Joplin, and Ellis roughly played to their high school rankings with Mitchell/Joplin occasionally showing promise and Ellis largely underperforming.

No reason not to expect similar developmental jumps this season and at least one of the four freshmen (including Itejere) to play well above their ranking. It may not happen but the baseline has been set.

are you saying that the team isn't bad...not great, but not bad, but w/over-performance (again) and with your confidence in Shaka as a coach, MU should be a 5-8? On the other side, without over performing, is MU still a ncaa tourney team (9-12 seed) or more likely NIT?

[tower912]

Overperforming is the operative concept.  How much improvement and development is it reasonable to expect.?

[GoldenEagles03]

Kolek/Jones
Jones/Mitchell/Ellis
Prosper/Ross
Wrightsil/Joplin/Itejere
Ighodaro/Gold

That's where we stand as of right now. Warren Washington would be a nice addition, but I'm also looking at the guards and noticing we don't have a veteran bucket getter. Still think Washington is probably the primary target but it wouldn't surprise me to see them pivot to a veteran scorer at the guard spot.

[tower912]

A year ago, the 21-22 team didn't have a veteran bucket getter, either.    I am worried more about the rebounding.

[Tha Hound]

Kolek/Jones
Jones/Mitchell/Ellis
Prosper/Ross
Wrightsil/Joplin/Itejere
Ighodaro/Gold

That's where we stand as of right now. Warren Washington would be a nice addition, but I'm also looking at the guards and noticing we don't have a veteran bucket getter. Still think Washington is probably the primary target but it wouldn't surprise me to see them pivot to a veteran scorer at the guard spot.

Adding Washington would go a long way towards making me feel better about next year. I think that, realistically, as it stands, we're a solid team and probably on or around the bubble.  Washington, due to his strengths and our current weaknesses, would go a long way towards improving us