I never commented on the talk being either positive or negative, but you still feel compelled to defend it. Please don't drag this thread down to another debate on speculating on players transferring.
Expectations for 2018-2019
- Thread starter CloneGuy8
- Start date
Not sensitive, just don't want another thread ruined. And I didn't bring anything on.
I think it was the accurate assessment (by Coach Prohm, sorry lol). Playing fast and in the open court allows for instincts and abilities to naturally show. Once the defense is set, it’s becomes about solid movement and execution to break down the defense. If one or two people have even just bad timing, the plays aren’t there and players have to improvise.
We were so bad in the half-court this year compared to on the break.
Not having the bodies to run it (which is partially on Prohm, yes) does not mean the instinct overall to go much faster was wrong.
You wanted us to slow things down? There’s something to be said for stall-ball shortening the game, but teams that do that do it because of superior half-court execution on both ends. That’s not this team. Running was our only offense some games.
The home legs against West Virginia and OU were our best games of the year. Not coincidentally, we also ran well for the entirety of those games.
I'm a little less optimistic than some others in this thread, mostly because people seem to assume that NWB and Young will be completely healthy and remain so the whole year. But look at Hans Brase this year. He appeared to have recovered from his injury, only to see it relapse.
Also, everyone seems to be forgetting that our new recruits will *also* be inexperienced freshmen just like this year's and every other year's crop of freshmen.
I think we will improve, though "improvement" will be more like 7-11 or 8-10.
Also, everyone seems to be forgetting that our new recruits will *also* be inexperienced freshmen just like this year's and every other year's crop of freshmen.
I think we will improve, though "improvement" will be more like 7-11 or 8-10.
Can you really compare Nick and Solo's injuries to Hans'? Brase was recovering from two torn acl's to the same knee. He wasn't ready to start the season and has never recovered from his injuries.
Tendinitis can be a real lingerer, depending, but I think Solo should be good as new. Prayers out for his mom.
I think the key with talented freshman is peer mentorship and leadership that integrates them as soon as possible. ISU didn't exactly have a clear leader this year. Maybe that changes next year, maybe not. I'm leaning towards the former because the guys who I feel have the most potential to lead will all feel more comfortable in their roles next year: LW, NWB, and Shayok. Jacobson and Solo possibly, too.
The best example is probably Kane/Monte and Ejim/Niang. I think Naz had Chris Babb for a year? They need leaders by example.
It does, though did they ever figure out if part of that was due to his back? Tendinitis sucks- had it in my wrist and elbow (from installing wood floors) and when it was really acting up, I could lean on my wrist and totally lose strength and it would turn on its own. Took a few years for that arm to not go dead when I slept on it (might have been partially due to carpal tunnel in that arm too).
Hopefully Nick has something else (or a milder case of it). He's also quite a bit younger than I was when I started having those issues.
Young will be 100% barring other injury. I do worry slightly that NWB’s issue could linger or be bigger than we thought, though, but he has 6+ months to recover from it.
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Echoing others here as I'm not at all worried about Solomon's future health status. Really hoping they figure things out with Babb's knee... the ambiguity of that situation makes it more difficult to get things fully resolved but they do have ample time between February and November.
While everyone is excited about the entire 2018 recruiting class, most are not expecting much of any kind of contribution next year from Haliburton and Conditt. They are nice prospects but likely will need time to develop physically (and there's stronger, experienced players in front of them). It'd be nice if Zion Griffin surprises and is able to knock down outside shots off the bench and offer some versatility on defense, but I again think most are expecting a minimal year 1 impact. His game still seems a bit raw to me but when it all clicks with him... look out. It's quite clear that THT's game is more advanced than most freshmen and those in the industry have taken notice as he may finish as a 5 star prospect on Rivals. I'm sure he'll have adjustments to make at the college level, but it's pretty fair to count on him as an immediate contributor off the bench. I'm with people who have him averaging 10ish points per game next year in 20-25 mins... While I could see some inconsistencies in his outside shot early on, he has an elite arsenal of moves on the offensive end at 17 years old.
I'm not far off from you on projected conference W-L but I'm more optimistic as of now because of experience, added talent + depth, and what others lose. Teams like OK State and Baylor are going to be in for rough years imo.
Not trying to tempt fate here, but if NWB is not ready to go or somehow on a pitch count because of injury (heaven forbid that), then THT could easily be a starter.
Assuming we start the same guys as last year just swapping Shayok for Jackson, then having a bench of THT, Talley, and Jacobson feels a lot better than this year.
Yeah I agree and I think THT could be good enough to push for a starting spot regardless. It will be nice to have the versatility to play multiple ways. A big lineup of Babb/Lindell/Shayok/Solomon or Jacobson/Lard or a small lineup of Babb/Lindell/Shayok/THT/Lard. Add Lewis, Talley, and maybe Griffin in that mix too. Prohm will have a lot of options at his disposal.
I think the default right now is...
Weiler-Babb
Wigginton
Shayok
Young
Lard
That lineup has a few questions marks, namely...
-- who is the PG? NWB or Wigginton?
-- can Young and Lard thrive together as two traditional big men?
-- is NWB going to be healthy?
-- does it have enough shooting relative to some other bench options?
Wanting to start THT is... well, hard, though, because I do not know who you send to the bench. If Nick is hurt, well, that is an obvious one, but I do not know how you put a healthy NWB on the bench. Wigginton and Lard were our two best players last year, and Shayok might be our best player overall, so I doubt any of them are going out.
That leaves Solomon. I love the guy's motor, post defense, and boxing out, but he is limited offensively, has no outside shot, and kind of clogs the lane for any of the wings to work or for Lard to beat up on guys one-on-one. He has been a starter for two years, too, and while I am sure he could bury the ego and go back to the bench, that is never easy.
Is this lineup going to be big enough, though? Can NWB and Shayok guard 4s?
Weiler-Babb
Wigginton
Horton-Tucker
Shayok
Lard
That thing would score, but I wonder how it would rebound and defend.
The injury that kept Hans out most of the year (ankles) was completely different than the one he was recovering from.
Not to mention, Solomon isn't coming back from tearing two ACLs in 3 years. His surgery wasn't even considered 'major'.
Nick could be a wildcard of off/on health if it is indeed just tendinitis, but I'm sure the trainers and doctors will get something figured out in the offseason to minimize it.
