beast of the east
Active member
In recent seasons, I go into the year with a less than optimistic view. Yes, having a true point guard in SImons, one that is 6-5 at that, is an improvement over the departed Mussini. However, the loss of a serviceable Mussini dampens that improvement slightly because our depth wasn't improved.
Just on stats alone, I was concerned that Clark likes to shoot three's and as a result you can't be too places at once - 20 feet from the basked and battling for boards. Can't for an opinion after just 2 exhibition games, but we are razor thin on the front line, and if Clark doesn't rebound hard and defend in the paint, we are in deep trouble.
It's a long season, and 2 of the top 6 rotation players are brand new. It's quite possible that the success of this season will hinge on players doing what the team needs to win rather than what they like to do as individuals. Yes, everyone likes to score - it's the nature of basketball. As an undersized squad, on most nights they will get outrebounded. How much they can keep rebound margins reasonable depend on positioning and desire. No matter what anyone says, being defense minded can detract from offense, since good defense is so much hard work.
IMO, this team, with their lack of depth and size on the front line, is going to have to play tough defense and hit the boards hard in order to win. A reasonable goal would be to go 10-8 in conference as a high goal. That would secure an NCAA bid. 9-9 would put them at around 6th in conference, and put them on the bubble. Anything less and they would need a winning OOC record just to get an NIT bid and offset a losing conference record.
Very unfair to make predictions after 2 exhibitions, but with some obvious flaws exposed yesterday, if they go uncorrected, 8-10, (a one game improvement in the BE) is perhaps the most anyone could reasonably hope for. Of course, then year 3 of the Mullin era would put us on the outside looking in.
Starting Friday, we must win every OOC game that should be won, since a 9-9 conference record will be viewed unfavorably unless we approach 20 wins overall.
Just on stats alone, I was concerned that Clark likes to shoot three's and as a result you can't be too places at once - 20 feet from the basked and battling for boards. Can't for an opinion after just 2 exhibition games, but we are razor thin on the front line, and if Clark doesn't rebound hard and defend in the paint, we are in deep trouble.
It's a long season, and 2 of the top 6 rotation players are brand new. It's quite possible that the success of this season will hinge on players doing what the team needs to win rather than what they like to do as individuals. Yes, everyone likes to score - it's the nature of basketball. As an undersized squad, on most nights they will get outrebounded. How much they can keep rebound margins reasonable depend on positioning and desire. No matter what anyone says, being defense minded can detract from offense, since good defense is so much hard work.
IMO, this team, with their lack of depth and size on the front line, is going to have to play tough defense and hit the boards hard in order to win. A reasonable goal would be to go 10-8 in conference as a high goal. That would secure an NCAA bid. 9-9 would put them at around 6th in conference, and put them on the bubble. Anything less and they would need a winning OOC record just to get an NIT bid and offset a losing conference record.
Very unfair to make predictions after 2 exhibitions, but with some obvious flaws exposed yesterday, if they go uncorrected, 8-10, (a one game improvement in the BE) is perhaps the most anyone could reasonably hope for. Of course, then year 3 of the Mullin era would put us on the outside looking in.
Starting Friday, we must win every OOC game that should be won, since a 9-9 conference record will be viewed unfavorably unless we approach 20 wins overall.
