Taj79

As noted, the rankings are purely speculative and a pure discussion-starting article. Labedz (the author) is a Davidson grad but i don't find him as "homeristic" as Kelly (Dayton), Goldberg (Richmond), Godar (Saint Louis), Revo (Bonaventure) andMorelli (St. Joe's). But then again, who isn't homeristic, including all of us? I don't have a problem with French ahead of Goodwin. I don't know that the bulk of writers see what we see in the intangibles Goodwin brings to the court. His flaws are readily seen in terms of shooting percentage, free throw percentage, 3-point percentage and so on. So too are French's and i think if both continue to post numbers like they have, our season will go further south then we all want it to. Ditto Thatch. I don't really have an issue with the top 9 or 10 ..... I am not so bullish on Sincere Cary or Carl Pierre. Maybe that's because their teams didn't do so well. Sherod is comign back from a big injury, having him at 15 is dicey. Fats Russel? Hmmm --- early Fats 2018 no, late 2018-19, maybe. Osunniyi was nice but let's see what he does without Stockard and Griffin. And to put Daly at #18, when he hasn't played a game and is a transfer from powerhouse Delaware? Same was said about Lewis when he transferred from Delaware to La Salle a few years back and meant little to nothing. I think Goodwin is too low but I understand why. Didn't someone say he needed "a lot of work" going forward? Frankly, I don't know if there are 100 good players in the A10. But this gives me great advance warning as to who to watch for. Didn't really know about Daly (Joeys), and I agree that Cayo and Francis (both Richmond) may not be as high as they are. Stunning that former 4-star recruit Jermaine Harris at Rhodey is"only" #83 in this report. Never heard of Lee (Davidson), Ward (VCU), Hikim (La Salle) or many others on this list and find it surprising that most of Dayton's transfers are ranked where they are. Top freshman to watch is Tre Mitchell at Umass. Only time will tell. I do like it where they have placed our new guys because that gives me some good hope and nice preseason publicity. If true, we have 8 guys listed. That alone should say we have one thing we've never had in the Ford era ---- depth.

https://www.a10talk.com/ranking-the-top-100-atlantic-10-basketball-players-for-the-2019-20-season/ An interesting read. All speculation of course like the Top 144 but still a good read given where we are as the season approaches. For those who want the condensed version, last year's POY Jon Axel Rose is #1; Obi Toppin is #2; and Marcus Evans is #3. Duh. But the author puts jacob Gilyard at #4 with Grady #5. I want to start a A10 fantasy team and Gilyard doesn't come to mind. For the good guys, Hasahn is #13 and is listed as the fourth best big behind Toppin, Santos-Silva, Golden and Langevine. Goodwin is "only" #19; then Hargrove comes in at #41, Yuri Collins at #49 )ahead of Fred Thatch Jr., hmm); Perkins at #51; Thatch at #53; Jimmy Bell Jr. at #57 and Jimmmmmerson at #68. Interesting fact: at #94 comes Jacob Toppin..... yep Obi's brother. There is also some good highlight reel stuff for Hargrover, Collins and Jimmmmmerson, in case you missed it.

Who is the worst team in the Big East? It might be open for debate but I vote DePaul. What's the size of their TV market (Chicago)? What does that alone mean for ad dollars and revenue? Villanova is an A+ team. Ditto Marquette, Xavier, and maybe Creighton. Georgetown and Seton Hall are potential A teams. Providence and Butler are B+. I'd give St.John's a B and Uconn is a B as well. Over in the A10, VCU is a B+ with Dayton and Davidson as B. SLU and Rhode Island might be C+ but the rest ...... 9 teams.... are all C or lower. There it is in a nutshell. TV is going to air competitively good games. The A10 has few marquee matchups. The Big East could have five a night.

No thoughts. Haven't seen him play and don't believe any hype. I grade our season on the performance in the OOC, the conference and the A10 tournament. Yuri has "dnp"s for all those columns right now.

I remember when we brought Darren Clarke in and some brilliant mind b*tched about rooting for "that f*cker" from Minnesota over a local product. Interesting juxtaposition. Drew Deiner was another 'can't miss' distance gunner. Diener shot 40% for his career but I doubt anyone mentions his shooting from distance in the same breath as Claggett, Highmark and Waldman. Not taking a side; content to watch it all unfold. I'm glad to have Jimerson. I think from an overall team aspect Kasubke would have been a good add. But counting on suppostions as absolutes is a futile exercise. Show me.

Coachspeak.

I've got to say ... I don't care. I feel somewhat vindicated that he won't play at DePaul and see this as just another talented kid on the scrapheap of college basketball players "who knew better" and failed to bother to listen. Second coming of Cameron Beischeid. Why are we wasting any air time to this kid. He became ... in the words of this board ... a "tool" last December when he high-tailed it north. Now he's done it again. Just glad he's not our problem anymore and doesn't need to occupy our air time.

I think most called this one last December. I believe I myself said I never expect to see him on a college court again. I'll have to see if I can find that. This is just another example of a young kid gone well astray. Korleone Yong. Dontonio Wnfield. Chris Washburn. Willie Reed. The list is endless. And will always be endless because kids like Gordon just come along constantly and should know better based on all the examples preceding them. This is why I am fine with these kids going straight to the "D" League. Even if they expand the one-and-done to two year sof college, these kids of kids should have another option. I am not the least bit surprised at this ... and I'm pretty sure you all aren't either. The bottom line is it is his decision to make. I don't care how many counselors are chirping in his ear --- he's the one that's got to do it, whatever it is. The youth excuse may be there but that is just too bad. One must accept the total sum of the consequences based on the action(s) chosen. In other words, you should of thought of all that before you did whatever you did. This guy has apparently had quite a checkered decision-making past. Where's this surprise really?

If this kid and family are so keen and devote and goon missions, I can understand the religious connection of a Loyola or Creighton or us. But Kansas State? If this family wants to see their son play college basketball, there is us, five hours to Chicago, five plus hours to Manhattan and six plus hours to Omaha. Hmmm.

Another thread I missed?

S1 = Kwamain, Reed, Smith & Jordan. S2 = Henriquez, Bishop, Graves & Goodwin. S3 = Santos. I don't consider Gordon any different than Frazier, Smith, Edwin, Ford, Carter or other guys who transfer out for whatever reason. The S's were all sex related (although now I am hearing otherwise on Santos).

What dlarry said ... coachspeak. And there wasn't a team in the A10 last year with a "deep bench." With the exception of maybe VCU. Davidson was a five man team. Dayton has four transfers in street clothes. The Bonnies went five deep. Rhode Island four. Duquesne three. Please give these guys time ----- will Collins earn a starting role? Can Jomerson shoot at the D1 level? Can Perkins score. Have French and Thatch developed perimeter games/ Has Goodwin found a shooting touch from the filed or line? Are Bell and Diarra better than just projects? Lots of stuff to watch for in the OOC. No history of injury problems? So what, an injury will be an injury, history or not. No chemistry problems? Not yet an dmaybe not but no one knew the Gordon situation until it blew up in our faces. No Situation iV? Not yet but stay clean and chaste boys -- the coeds are about to appear on campus. More experience under Ford? What does that mean? Players can shoot? Player si plural -- who you counting? What's the proof? While having the likes of Goodwin, French and Thatch back are huge positives, they all need more work to be the answer we need them to be. The rest are unknowns, including Hankton and Jacobs. If you are not watching games in November and December with a critical eye focused on demonstrated development, you're watching for the wrong thing. As the schedule assembles, I am liking it more and more but it will be a challenging schedule given our many unknowns. A great year to watch and see what happens. I'm excited.

Quick is better than fast. David Burns was quick and fast and best the rest by a mile.

Seton Hall lost only Michael Nzei from la1st year's team. All others return. Myles Powell went pro but then came back to school.

High Point is the alma mater of baby girl Taj and Tubby Smith. Believe he went back last year. They lost stud GT Proctor to Purdue. Belmont is always tough. ACC is ACC. I like it.