talking about next year is a little strange from the standpoint that one of our best players, McKay, won't be with us for about 12 games. This will include at Iowa, the SEC challenge, a marquee non conference game, and a tournament. Can we win those type of games without him on the front line? I'm not saying we will lose a bunch of games, but it could be like last year where the team wasn't looking so good until January or actually until Bubu came on board. That team did well in conference, but because they could not come up with any marquee non conference wins, they ended up a 10 seed. I think next years team has a lot of potential, but they have to somehow come up with the heart and grit that this years team had and they need to somehow pick up a big win without Mckay. Can't wait to start it all back up again.
We'll Be Back Better Than Ever
- Thread starter ISUCubswin
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I think on paper we are going to be a big dance team for sure. But if we know anything from this erratic year of basketball, we should know anything can happen next year. This year we were good on paper but GREAT with the intangibles. Lets hope next year we are GREAT on paper and GREAT on intangibles.
with what we have now i could see us goin to the sweet 16 again but if we can add a 5th year transfer we could be in the final four
Best overall player will be Hogue no doubt. Both him and Gorgeous Georges will be All-Big 12.
Yes. MM. Kid looks like he has fun too. Hopefully next year there is similar chemistry.
Too bad for him.
I look at it in terms of offense, defense, and rebounding. We lose a lot offensively from Kane and Ejim. However, with what Hoiberg has said about Nader along with expected improvements from everybody, hopefully more consistency in Naz's shooting, and more confidence from Thomas, our offense could be as good and maybe better.
Defensively Kane was decent and Ejim was always tough but sometimes very undersized completely depending on the matchup. We add a rim protector which can be a game changer. How many easy layups did teams score against us this year? Monte could develop into a Babb type stopper and Naz should improve as well. With other post options Hogue should get more fare matchups. I think our defense should improve significantly.
Rebounding may be a wash but hopefully even better. Kane and Ejim were fantastic rebounders. From what we've heard about Nader and McKay they could be great too, but with added height.
The x factor here is that this year's team had great chemistry and you don't know for sure if that will be there next year. We return almost everyone so hopefully that doesn't take a hit.
Defensively Kane was decent and Ejim was always tough but sometimes very undersized completely depending on the matchup. We add a rim protector which can be a game changer. How many easy layups did teams score against us this year? Monte could develop into a Babb type stopper and Naz should improve as well. With other post options Hogue should get more fare matchups. I think our defense should improve significantly.
Rebounding may be a wash but hopefully even better. Kane and Ejim were fantastic rebounders. From what we've heard about Nader and McKay they could be great too, but with added height.
The x factor here is that this year's team had great chemistry and you don't know for sure if that will be there next year. We return almost everyone so hopefully that doesn't take a hit.
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Defense will be better, rebounding, 3 point shooting, and LOB CITY.
Next years team will be special. Last year we had guys more than capable of stepping up and playing, but they didn't have to because we already had Kane, Ejim, Niang. Only so much ball to go around. Morris, Long, and Naz will just get better and more confident among others.
Best front court in the Big12, and one of the best up and comin PG's in the nation.
Oh, and more depth. With two open scholarships to potentially add one more transfer at least.
SDW is also just a talented bomb who could explode onto the scene at anytime. If not next year, then the next.
Next years team will be special. Last year we had guys more than capable of stepping up and playing, but they didn't have to because we already had Kane, Ejim, Niang. Only so much ball to go around. Morris, Long, and Naz will just get better and more confident among others.
Best front court in the Big12, and one of the best up and comin PG's in the nation.
Oh, and more depth. With two open scholarships to potentially add one more transfer at least.
SDW is also just a talented bomb who could explode onto the scene at anytime. If not next year, then the next.
Is it just me, or does it seem like Matty Ice will have a season similar to what Naz did this year? I mean, we all know the kid can shoot it (highly touted for his phenomenal stroke out of high school). Pretty good defender, but it just seemed like he had the freshman jitters all season. Hopefully he gains a lot of confidence this offseason.
I am optimistic for next season, but we do have some challenges and concerns. Chemistry and toughness after losing Kane and Ejim will need to be reformulated (as always).
Skill wise, we lose two plus rebounders and replace them with two minus rebounders the first 1/3 of the season. Nader has not been a plus rebounder, and neither has Naz. Nader has also not been the defender or shooter that Ejim was. Naz hopefully will be an equal defender to Kane, but he is nowhere near the creator.
Until McKay is worked into the line-up, we could struggle some. We could really use a good combo guard like Kane and a good post (unless McKay wins his appeal).
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Eh, no on the front court. They'll be pretty good but not better than what Kansas will roll out there. I agree that Morris will be a star before he is done ay ISU.
I still think KU will win the conference, just because they'll have talent and Self, but ISU will have the best front court next year and it's not close.
Hogue, Niang, McKay, Nader + others to Alexander, Ellis + others... No.
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"I'm going to try to make this team be the most nasty defensive team you'll see in college basketball," he said. "Defense. Defense. Defense.
"Our offense will come. That's never going to be a problem with coach Fred's (Hoiberg) teams. Everybody can make shots."
"Our offense will come. That's never going to be a problem with coach Fred's (Hoiberg) teams. Everybody can make shots."
I wish I could agree, but KU will be better, especially if you weight the three spot less. Second place would still e pretty good after losing the Big 12 POY.
Ellis, Alexander (top 5 recruit, #1 PF), Oubre (top 10 recruit, #1 SF), Traylor, Lucas/Mickelson is a huge, talented frontcourt. This is also assuming KU does not land Myles Turner (top 5 recruit, #1 C), and that you do not count Selden as a SF (which Self could do to prevent the mismatch Hogue or Nader would have on the wing).
I will always take experience over talent, especially when the experience is talented. Ellis is the only experienced member of that group, unless you count Traylor, which I don't.
I count Oubre and Selden as guards. They have a better back court, but our front court is better. They're very good, just not better than us.
That is a silly absolute. We only have two experienced guys coming back. KU has that many. They also have incredible talent coming in and more size and depth at every position. There is a reason why KU is KU- they reload.
Oubre is a SF, so if you wish not to count him, you should not count at least one of Nader or Hogue. Also, in a head-to-head discussion, guys like Oubre and Selden could be used to negate how we like to create mismatches. Selden is 6'5" 230 and can move. If small-ball is hurting KU, they could easily move him on to Hogue or Nader.
Iowa State also reloads, and is better every year. This is the first year will will return a lot of experience.
We have multiple guys break out every year because Fred Hoiberg plays to their strengths and puts them in a position to succeed. That isn't changing.
We have multiple guys break out every year because Fred Hoiberg plays to their strengths and puts them in a position to succeed. That isn't changing.
That is great, but it does not change that KU returns more and is even more apt at reloading. I agree that no one does a better job of putting players in a position to succeed on offense than Fred, but defense and rebounding are just as important. ISU is hard to rank due to how we play. Imo, after KU and UT, it is a pack on teams (just looking at frontcourts).
1.) KU
2.) UT
3.) OSU (Nash, Cobbins, Murphy, Williams and a couple top-100 recruits)
T4.) Baylor (if Austin returns)/ISU/WVU (return everyone and add two very good redshirts)/TCU (Fields, Shepherd, Abron, Washburn)
8.)KSU (they will be huge, a couple 7-footers to go with Gipson and DJ Johnson)
9.)OU
10.) TT
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No idea why you have Texas at number 2. Did you not learn anything from watching Iowa these past two years that returning the exact same team fields the same results? Also I'd say OSU to be about 7th and OU to be more around 5. ISU will not be competing for 4th next year. Your rankings make no sense.
