Sporting News display until Dec 5 issue college Basketball

[GOSLU68]

killing lots of trees but I do like to travel with my latest copy of whatever or drag from office to home.

they have us 3rd after xavier and temple, charlotte at 4, the Bonnies at 5, Richmond 6, Dayton 7 St. Joe, 8 Duquesne 9, Umass 10 Rhode island 11, GW 12, Lasalle 13 and of course the Fordham Rams remain 14.

I was surprised by a few of these and happy we have St. Bonaventure on our schedule this year for home.

[AnkielBreakers]

What is the general feel of the Board as to how we will do?

1) Were the last two games of the trip in Canada an aberration? Were they a sign of things to come?

2) Can our forwards actually compete against strong competition?

3) Will DE regress this year? He seemed to have a subpar trip in Canada.

4) Will CE get over his most recent injury?

5) Will JM or GG be even remotely decent this year?

6) Will RL be better or worse for the team this year?

7) Can MM, JJ, and KM co-exist peacefully?

8) Will KC be a solid contributor, or hold the team back this year?

9) Will JB contribute with less minutes than he had in the MAC?

10) Can CR have a breakthrough year?

[Tonka]

What is the general feel of the Board as to how we will do?

1) Were the last two games of the trip in Canada an aberration? Were they a sign of things to come?

2) Can our forwards actually compete against strong competition?

3) Will DE regress this year? He seemed to have a subpar trip in Canada.

4) Will CE get over his most recent injury?

5) Will JM or GG be even remotely decent this year?

6) Will RL be better or worse for the team this year?

7) Can MM, JJ, and KM co-exist peacefully?

8) Will KC be a solid contributor, or hold the team back this year?

9) Will JB contribute with less minutes than he had in the MAC?

10) Can CR have a breakthrough year?

1) Yes - lot of reasons to not worry about the Carleton games

2) Yes, we will see a better CR, a better CE, and a better RL - GG and JM, anything they give us will just be an extra benefit - KM will make everybody better

3) I don't see him regressing - at worst he will plateau from last year and I will take that in a heartbeat - KM will make everybody better

4) I wonder about CE as well, but I think we'll see a healthy CE this year - at least I am hoping

5) Yes - JM looked okay in this summer's scrimmages and that was when he barely had any time on campus - I think our experienced coaches will really make him better - he only needs to give some good minutes to give some starters rest and play good D and pull down some Boards

6) I think RL's inside game will improve as he seems to be a little better each time he plays

7) Absolutely! I expect big things from these three this year

8) Solid contributor - quiet leader on the team, will surprise some people this year

9) Yes, but I could also see him getting good minutes as a Billiken

10) YES - I think this will be a breakout year for CR - not all conference by any stretch, but I think we see consistency from CR

[GOSLU68]

only 2 players in this group that I worry about being hesitant are CR and KC and I hope we don't have to wait until their senior years for the long expected breakout.

[billiken_roy]

only 2 players in this group that I worry about being hesitant are CR and KC and I hope we don't have to wait until their senior years for the long expected breakout.

cassity is what he is. he had his chance to "be the man" last year and showed great discomfort with that role. he is not a scorer. he is a coach on the floor, that plays solid defense normally guarding the opposing best guard, makes few mistakes, and probably our most consistent passer, he is not going to be a consistent scorer. he might have days, but we should not look to him to be more than a 6 or 7 ppg guy. if that isnt enough considering his other strengths which are all about as good as anyone on the team, then sit him.

[b.hayes]

cassity is what he is. he had his chance to "be the man" last year and showed great discomfort with that role. he is not a scorer. he is a coach on the floor, that plays solid defense normally guarding the opposing best guard, makes few mistakes, and probably our most consistent passer, he is not going to be a consistent scorer. he might have days, but we should not look to him to be more than a 6 or 7 ppg guy. if that isnt enough considering his other strengths which are all about as good as anyone on the team, then sit him.

only 2 players in this group that I worry about being hesitant are CR and KC and I hope we don't have to wait until their senior years for the long expected breakout.

Agree with Roy, and Kyle has hit his Senior season, so we already did have to wait that long for his breakout.

[Cowboy]

Agree with Roy, and Kyle has hit his Senior season, so we already did have to wait that long for his breakout.

-KC and every player will have the chance to contribute, if the player does as expected they will keep their minutes, if not someone else gets a try, i hope the competition for minutes is great but also that the players are not unduly worried about mistakes

-i hope KC is healthy, that ankle needs to be 100%, i guess we will get an indication tomorrow night

[Archy McNally]

1) Well they destroyed the 1st 3 teams. Can't really get much out of the Canada trip, since it is hard to get an idea of the competition and the games were played with little time to rest or prepare.

2) Yes. The bigger question is at Center.

3) No, I think Evans will be one of the 2 or 3 best on the team. Again, just from stats, RL may have been the one to have a subpar trip - he needs to put points on the board to be effective.

4) Yes - it was not much of an injury.

5) No, my guess is too raw. One or both could redshirt, possibly. BC, RL, CR, and CE are in front of them, with DE moving down in a quick lineup.

6) Better, but I am not sure he makes the jump to starter, that was assumed by many on this board.

7) Have to add in KC, JB, and DE - 6 players for 3 positions. I think that is a good problem to have.

8) Help obviously, he has started the last 2 years. Best passer, good handle, good D. I think he will fill in the taller spot shooter role now that KM is back to draw the opposing team's attention.

9) Yes, although hopefully he can transition defensively in the early part of the year.

10) Yes and he does not have to be a scorer to do so. If the other 4 guys on the floor are all scoring some, the fourth guy does not have to be too much of a threat. I believe he competes with RL to start.

[Cowboy]

What is the general feel of the Board as to how we will do?

1) Were the last two games of the trip in Canada an aberration? Were they a sign of things to come? - i hope and feel an aberration

2) Can our forwards actually compete against strong competition? - see #10, i think so

3) Will DE regress this year? He seemed to have a subpar trip in Canada. - the dreaded sophomore slump, let's hope DE and the rest avoid this

4) Will CE get over his most recent injury? - he says he is 100%, lets hope he shoots at 50% from 3

5) Will JM or GG be even remotely decent this year? - in spots, brief, but there will be some

6) Will RL be better or worse for the team this year? - if he is worse for the team we are in trouble, i see a big year

7) Can MM, JJ, and KM co-exist peacefully? - oh yeah, i don't have a worry about this

8) Will KC be a solid contributor, or hold the team back this year? - solid contributor, he brings what he brings, i would expect to see KC on the floor at the end of tight games

9) Will JB contribute with less minutes than he had in the MAC? - if he is making shots and defending there will be no keeping him off the court

10) Can CR have a breakthrough year? - yes, i hope it is this year, could be next year, but i do think CR will have people excited at some point during his career, i just hope it is for an extended period of time, come on switch..move to 'on' - if CR has a breakthrough year we will be really good - 12 and 6???

[GOSLU68]

I would be tickled to se CR a consistent 4 and 6 rebounds 2.5 blocks: JM more likely 5 and 5 with a gift block per game; I think JM

Could be somewhere between IV and Heinrich by JR year I do hope senior year CR finally feels

Important

[Billikan]

What is the general feel of the Board as to how we will do?

1) Were the last two games of the trip in Canada an aberration? Were they a sign of things to come?

We were a bit shorthanded, particularly in the last game and the stars of the other team had been sharpened by a summer the international team. I liked how we came back in the last game. You can't make too much out of a summer game or two.

2) Can our forwards actually compete against strong competition?

This is the most important question for this team this year. Our guards have all proven that they can compete at a high level, even if they have been inconsistant at times. Our early season games out of conference will tell us a lot about our big men. If they are good enough to compete night in and night out against quality competition we will be a very good team.

3) Will DE regress this year? He seemed to have a subpar trip in Canada.

DE is stronger and is shooting the ball better. He plays with great intensity on both ends and rebounds out of his area. He will be fine--probably the player inside that has the fewest issues or questions about his potential and performance.

4) Will CE get over his most recent injury?

I spoke with CE and asked him about his injuries and he told me he is fine. If he can shoot the ball at a decent clip and play tougher overall like he has recently he will be a huge "addition" to this team in terms of his improvement from last year to this year.

5) Will JM or GG be even remotely decent this year?

JM will be a decent backup center who can score and rebound a bit and he will get some blocked shots. For a 6'11" frosh he is pretty darn good because it is really hard to have big men who contribute before their junior year. GG is a wild card in that he is extremely tough and very active but he seems to foul a lot! He will give us some minutes where we are extremely happy and some that will have us tearing our hair out!

6) Will RL be better or worse for the team this year?

RL will be better, stronger and more effective. Like CE, if he is much improved the overall team will be much improved because he is a difficult cover if he can hit the 3 ball and play in the low post. It was interesting to see the comments of the NZ national team coach who said it was obvious to him that Rob was playing with more intensity and toughness than when he last saw him before he came to SLU. He has a great attitude.

7) Can MM, JJ, and KM co-exist peacefully?

They get along great and my guess is that they will play a fair amount together. Each has his strengths and all can score and run. MM may be at least as good an overall shooter and scorer as Claggett before he is done and we all know that KM is one of the best guards ever to put on a Billiken uniform. JJ is tough as nails and really has improved on defense. These three will be the heart and soul of our guards.

8) Will KC be a solid contributor, or hold the team back this year? KC is a smart and heady player who can defend big guards and our league has a bunch of good ones. He will play but how many minutes is a big question. I don't see him holding the team back because if he does not perform up to expectations then we have many other guards who can take his place.

9) Will JB contribute with less minutes than he had in the MAC?

JB was a frosh who lead Toledo in minutes played and points scored. I think he will be much like a juco transfer and even though he was playing in practice all last year I would predict that it will take him into the second semester to get his game to the point it was before because he will be rusty after sitting out a year. I hope I am wrong but I think he might struggle to get minutes unless he lights it up from the outside. If he shoots the ball well then there will be minutes for him so long as he defends.

10) Can CR have a breakthrough year?

CR is athletic and smart. He can play with the big guys on the defensive end and will get some blocks. His offense is better but he will need to play within himself and not go overboard with his "moves". We will need him to play big in conference and if the early season big games. Does he have it in him? I am not sure anyone knows.

[NH]

1) Were the last two games of the trip in Canada an aberration? Were they a sign of things to come?

It was pre-pre-season so I put little to no stock in the games.

2) Can our forwards actually compete against strong competition?

Name a team we will face with a better frontcourt. It's harder than you'd think.

3) Will DE regress this year? He seemed to have a subpar trip in Canada.

DE has looked like our best or second best player in practice. I predict him to make an All-Conference team.

4) Will CE get over his most recent injury?

Yes, but he won't be one of the more important players on this team. A solid bench player.

5) Will JM or GG be even remotely decent this year?

Hopefully they don't play enough for us to find out too much.

6) Will RL be better or worse for the team this year?

Better. But he still has a LONG way to go. He will start and have some big games though.

7) Can MM, JJ, and KM co-exist peacefully?

Yes definitely.

8) Will KC be a solid contributor, or hold the team back this year?

No way will he hold us back. He had a good year last year and will have a better one this year. (you heard me)

9) Will JB contribute with less minutes than he had in the MAC?

Contribute? Yes. He will be a solid role player and might even get a couple spot starts.

10) Can CR have a breakthrough year?

I'm skeptical of a breakthrough. But I think he has progressed as much as any big and I expect him to contribute and maybe even fight for a starting spot at points.

[Westy03]

Good post NH. I agree on all points.

[SShoe]

Agree with Westy, all good points by NH. To further his point on KC, I completely agree that he will not "hold us back" and I think he'll go back to his role of being primarily a distributor. While KC was not the solution last year, he was also not the problem. I think his minutes will be significantly reduced from the past two seasons, but he'll still be a major contributor and I'll be surprised if he's not in the game when it's on the line. That'd be great if he's not because it'll mean we've got a helluva team.

[slufan13]

2) Can our forwards actually compete against strong competition?

Name a team we will face with a better frontcourt. It's harder than you'd think.

I agree. Obviously Xavier and St. Bonaventure will probably give us some problems, but I think we have a top 4 or 5 frontcourt in the conference.

[AnkielBreakers]

Well, teams that I think would have a better frontcourt, just guessing, without any research, include at least:

11/20 Washington

11/24 Boston College

11/25 76 Classic

11/27 76 Classic

12/3 Portland

12/31 @New Mexico

1/4 @Dayton

1/11 Temple

1/25 @Xavier

There were a couple more last year in the A10, but I do not remember which ones, or if they will be as good this year. The frontcourt was weak until the end of the year last year, hopefully they pick up and improve upon where they left off.

[NH]

Well, teams that I think would have a better frontcourt, just guessing, without any research, include at least:

11/20 Washington

11/24 Boston College

11/25 76 Classic

11/27 76 Classic

12/3 Portland

12/31 @New Mexico

1/4 @Dayton

1/11 Temple

1/25 @Xavier

There were a couple more last year in the A10, but I do not remember which ones, or if they will be as good this year. The frontcourt was weak until the end of the year last year, hopefully they pick up and improve upon where they left off.

With research, I would say Dayton, Temple, Portland, Boston College all do not.

Dayton, Portland and Boston College are no contest.

[waldo027]

I bet Conk has nightmares about facing Luke Fabrizius of Dayton again.

Ankiel you made that list and didn't even include the team with the best big man in the conference (Andrew Nicholson of St. Bona)?

[NH]

There aren't a lot of teams out there with good, deep frontcourts.

[jbizzle09]

1) Were the last two games of the trip in Canada an aberration? Were they a sign of things to come?

It was pre-pre-season so I put little to no stock in the games.

2) Can our forwards actually compete against strong competition?

Name a team we will face with a better frontcourt. It's harder than you'd think.

3) Will DE regress this year? He seemed to have a subpar trip in Canada.

DE has looked like our best or second best player in practice. I predict him to make an All-Conference team.

4) Will CE get over his most recent injury?

Yes, but he won't be one of the more important players on this team. A solid bench player.

5) Will JM or GG be even remotely decent this year?

Hopefully they don't play enough for us to find out too much.

6) Will RL be better or worse for the team this year?

Better. But he still has a LONG way to go. He will start and have some big games though.

7) Can MM, JJ, and KM co-exist peacefully?

Yes definitely.

8) Will KC be a solid contributor, or hold the team back this year?

No way will he hold us back. He had a good year last year and will have a better one this year. (you heard me)

9) Will JB contribute with less minutes than he had in the MAC?

Contribute? Yes. He will be a solid role player and might even get a couple spot starts.

10) Can CR have a breakthrough year?

I'm skeptical of a breakthrough. But I think he has progressed as much as any big and I expect him to contribute and maybe even fight for a starting spot at points.

No need for me to answer these questions as I am pretty much in agreement with you on everything, NH. Very nice post.

[P.B.]

I would be tickled to se CR a consistent 4 and 6 rebounds 2.5 blocks: JM more likely 5 and 5 with a gift block per game; I think JM

Could be somewhere between IV and Heinrich by JR year I do hope senior year CR finally feels

Important

In that case, KM will be somewhere between Larry Hughes and Drew Diener

[BACKHANDtheRICAN]

That'd be great if he's not because it'll mean we've got a helluva team.

+1

[slu72]

1) Were the last two games of the trip in Canada an aberration? Were they a sign of things to come?

This has me stumped. I still don't think an NCAA quality team would have lost both games. Yes, there are excuses, still it was the way we lost them that is scary. I just hope we're not going to be the type of team that plays down to it's competition. We have some cupcakes on our schedule that we are counting as wins. If you've been a Bills fan for any length of time you know these types of games can cause serious emotional distress. I'm taking a wait and see if these games really meant anything.

2) Can our forwards actually compete against strong competition?

Two come to mind, X and St. B's. I'm sure there are others. Still, I think this depends on CR, RL, and CE's development. We lost the most talented big we've had since Bonner when WR decided to go Spanish. If this team has a weakness it's on the inside.

3) Will DE regress this year? He seemed to have a subpar trip in Canada.

After last year's performances, DE demonstrated good athleticism and BB smarts. He lacked muscle. He's packed on some muscle and he's too smart to lose his BB smarts. And why should he suddenly show up less athletic. It will be interesting to see what his role on this team turns out to be. A 3 or a small 4?

4) Will CE get over his most recent injury?

Hopefully he's in top physical shape. I think CE is a very key player to the success of this team. If he can get back his 3 shot, he'll be a force. What's often overlooked with him is his court savvy. His major flaw is his seeming dislike for physical play, common amongst foreign players. If he can overcome this, which he appeared to be doing last year, he'll be fine. Don't discount him, he can be a/the difference maker for us.

5) Will JM or GG be even remotely decent this year?

Hopefully, nothing comes up, ie injuries or doghouse things, that make it necessary for us to find out.

6) Will RL be better or worse for the team this year?

See comments on CE. However, I don't think he's as critical a player as CE is. He's still learning the ropes. Hopefully, he does a WR and really comes on strong the second half of the season.

7) Can MM, JJ, and KM co-exist peacefully?

KM's too much a leader and team oriented guy to let egos get in the way of winning.

8) Will KC be a solid contributor, or hold the team back this year?

KC will be KC. He's a steadying influence that will only help not hinder. Besides, we don't need him to score a lot, just play good D and be careful w/ the ball. Those are his strengths.

9) Will JB contribute with less minutes than he had in the MAC?

If there was one player that did disappoint in Canada, I guess it would be JB due to RM's hyping him as all conference material. Doesn't seem to be a guy who will hurt the team, and, in fact, may turn out to be a major positive player.

10) Can CR have a breakthrough year?

Based on last year he seemed to regress. I'm going with if you did it once (at the end of his FR year), you can do it again. It's up to him now to do it. If he turns out to be a solid inside presence, the NCAA is a definite possibility since we need an athletic presence inside.

[BACKHANDtheRICAN]

8) Will KC be a solid contributor, or hold the team back this year?

No way will he hold us back. He had a good year last year and will have a better one this year. (you heard me)

NH-

You are smoking crack. You must just love his floppy hair.

[cheeseman]

only 2 players in this group that I worry about being hesitant are CR and KC and I hope we don't have to wait until their senior years for the long expected breakout.

This is KC's senior year so you do not have to wait anymore on him.