(03-15-2015 11:15 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Rice returns 4 of 5 starters including two guys (Marcus Jackson and Max Guercy) who could be preseason all-conference players next year. Most of the other returnees are just role players but we are pretty excited about our incoming freshmen recruiting class plus we have a transfer from Arizona State who should be an immediate starter at the small forward spot. But we need a little more inside presence and hopefully our recruiting efforts will get some more help in that area. I do think we'll be picked middle of the pack and could be a top 4-6 team in the conference if things go our way.

And for the first time in awhile, hopefully we won't be losing starters who transfer to another school....

I am thinking we could be on the other end of the transfers this time. Maybe a big guy with inside presence who wants to play under Mike Rhoades?

Rice looked a lot better than I expected them too after getting to watch them live.

(03-15-2015 11:15 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Rice returns 4 of 5 starters including two guys (Marcus Jackson and Max Guercy) who could be preseason all-conference players next year. Most of the other returnees are just role players but we are pretty excited about our incoming freshmen recruiting class plus we have a transfer from Arizona State who should be an immediate starter at the small forward spot. But we need a little more inside presence and hopefully our recruiting efforts will get some more help in that area. I do think we'll be picked middle of the pack and could be a top 4-6 team in the conference if things go our way.

And for the first time in awhile, hopefully we won't be losing starters who transfer to another school....

I fully expect Rice to shoot up the standings next year. Hopefully you do well OOC too.

We need to get to the point where having teams in the Top 10 isn't considered foolish. The MVC manages to do so.

If ODU finds a consistent low post threat on offense, (and learns how to play on the road) I expect them to be flirting with a Top 25 as well.

(03-15-2015 11:56 AM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  We need to get to the point where having teams in the Top 10 isn't considered foolish. The MVC manages to do so.

If ODU finds a consistent low post threat on offense, (and learns how to play on the road) I expect them to be flirting with a Top 25 as well.

RPI Goals for a 14-team C-USA:
RPI 1-50: 2 teams
RPI 50-100: 4 teams
RPI 100-150: 4 teams
RPI 150-200: 2 teams
RPI 200-250: 2 teams
RPI 250-300: Barring absolute collapse, no one is this bad

Here's how we all finished, for reference:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketba...groupId/11

Per Warren Nolan, we're current ranked #17 out of 32 leagues in CUSA.

I would think that Top 12 next year is a reasonable goal.

(03-15-2015 12:05 AM)blazed247 Wrote:  If UAB is still in cusa they will not have a conference loss and will have a legit top 10 team. Only losing Washington who is a role player off the bench. I don't even consider Collins considering he hasn't played 10 min all year. Already signed dirk williams a freakishly athletic scorer, and have 2 schollys

Anointing yourself to replace Memphis when there is a very good shot that you might be in the Slum Belt or ASUN.

(03-15-2015 03:04 PM)HerdZoned Wrote:  

(03-15-2015 12:05 AM)blazed247 Wrote:  If UAB is still in cusa they will not have a conference loss and will have a legit top 10 team. Only losing Washington who is a role player off the bench. I don't even consider Collins considering he hasn't played 10 min all year. Already signed dirk williams a freakishly athletic scorer, and have 2 schollys

Anointing yourself to replace Memphis when there is a very good shot that you might be in the Slum Belt or ASUN.

He's a young poster.

Decent chance UAB can become a top 25-40 team next year if they can win on the road and fill in some gaps, assuming we dont lose any players for whatever reasons. No way UAB will go undefeated in CUSA play if we are still here.

(03-15-2015 12:05 AM)blazed247 Wrote:  If UAB is still in cusa they will not have a conference loss and will have a legit top 10 team. Only losing Washington who is a role player off the bench. I don't even consider Collins considering he hasn't played 10 min all year. Already signed dirk williams a freakishly athletic scorer, and have 2 schollys

I seem to remember a fan base around this time talking about how they were only losing one contributor, had the probable 2014-2015 Player of the Year and potential NBA lottery pick returning, had a solid recruiting class coming in, and if things broke right, were a top-15 team and a cinch at-large. And, that didn't turn out so well.

“The hen is the wisest of all the animal creation, because she never cackles until the egg is laid.” ― Abraham Lincoln

Doesn't matter what conference we are in next year or the year after we are going to be a force.

There is no denying that.

(03-15-2015 03:19 PM)STexMiner Wrote:  

(03-15-2015 12:05 AM)blazed247 Wrote:  If UAB is still in cusa they will not have a conference loss and will have a legit top 10 team. Only losing Washington who is a role player off the bench. I don't even consider Collins considering he hasn't played 10 min all year. Already signed dirk williams a freakishly athletic scorer, and have 2 schollys

I seem to remember a fan base around this time talking about how they were only losing one contributor, had the probable 2014-2015 Player of the Year and potential NBA lottery pick returning, had a solid recruiting class coming in, and if things broke right, were a top-15 team and a cinch at-large. And, that didn't turn out so well.

“The hen is the wisest of all the animal creation, because she never cackles until the egg is laid.” ― Abraham Lincoln

Yeah, the CUSA newcomer of the year decided he didn't want to play basketball anymore earlier last year

(03-15-2015 03:19 PM)STexMiner Wrote:  

(03-15-2015 12:05 AM)blazed247 Wrote:  If UAB is still in cusa they will not have a conference loss and will have a legit top 10 team. Only losing Washington who is a role player off the bench. I don't even consider Collins considering he hasn't played 10 min all year. Already signed dirk williams a freakishly athletic scorer, and have 2 schollys

I seem to remember a fan base around this time talking about how they were only losing one contributor, had the probable 2014-2015 Player of the Year and potential NBA lottery pick returning, had a solid recruiting class coming in, and if things broke right, were a top-15 team and a cinch at-large. And, that didn't turn out so well.

“The hen is the wisest of all the animal creation, because she never cackles until the egg is laid.” ― Abraham Lincoln

Ignore him. He's a troller and not a true UAB fan.

I can't think of anyone who isn't set up to be better next year than they were this year. Maybe Charlotte? They should be breaking in a new coach. I'm excited for the future of the league.

(03-15-2015 11:15 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Rice returns 4 of 5 starters including two guys (Marcus Jackson and Max Guercy) who could be preseason all-conference players next year. Most of the other returnees are just role players but we are pretty excited about our incoming freshmen recruiting class plus we have a transfer from Arizona State who should be an immediate starter at the small forward spot. But we need a little more inside presence and hopefully our recruiting efforts will get some more help in that area. I do think we'll be picked middle of the pack and could be a top 4-6 team in the conference if things go our way.

And for the first time in awhile, hopefully we won't be losing starters who transfer to another school....

I'm cautiously high on the team, but obviously gunshy from the constant waves of transfers in recent years. But assuming we're mostly okay on that front, I like our team. Gearhart will be a big loss, but he's the only impact player we're losing. Marcus Jackson really took big strides this year (14.5 ppg), including a 28 point game in the C-USA tournament. Hopefully that will continue. Guercy had a bit of a slow start this year but by the end of the year was really keeping the team motoring at a high pace and seemed to have figured it out. Expect that to keep up as a senior. And as others mentioned, people are high on the ASU transfer and some decent talent coming in. I don't expect us to be in the mix to win the conference next year, but I expect us to be in that next tier.

(03-15-2015 12:00 AM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 11:48 PM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  I just hope that all of these CUSA teams are as big and bad as some here believe they will be next season so that they can actually win some games during the November/December out of conference portion of the season. That sets the table for where this conference goes on the national scene. It's hard to make much of an impression if your team doesn't become good till conference season rolls around and then the teams just beat up on one another. Conferences like the ACC beat up on one another too, but the difference is that they also win lots of games against other conferences during November/December to lower their conference rating and the in conference losses aren't as bad then.

Come on man. We all know that but next season ODU could just as easily be one of the teams that doesn't hit its stride until conference play.

I don't see where I said otherwise about ODU next season!

UAB and ODU are definitely the front runners next season looks like...

Still early though, we have a long way to go until October....

ODU will have a tough slate OOC next season. Preseason tournament in the same bracket with Florida, Perdue, and St. Joes, @VCU, @Richmond, @UNCW (they'll likely be top 100 good next year), @W&M , @Georgia State. We will certainly have the opportunity to build an NCAA resume, but we better figure out our road woes from this season or the season could just as easily be a let down.

(03-16-2015 12:45 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  ODU will have a tough slate OOC next season. Preseason tournament in the same bracket with Florida, Perdue, and St. Joes, @VCU, @Richmond, @UNCW (they'll likely be top 100 good next year), @W&M , @Georgia State. We will certainly have the opportunity to build an NCAA resume, but we better figure out our road woes from this season or the season could just as easily be a let down.

We need to do the same thing. If UAB and ODU can put together solid OOC resumes and win most of their conference road games, we will be in good shape for multiple bids.

Right now we have a decent preseason tournament(Illinois and va tech or Iowa state) and return trips to usf and Illinois state. We will see what we fill the schedule with.

(03-14-2015 09:49 PM)SApuro Wrote:  UTSA made some strides but we graduate a ton of contributors. .500 season next year may be a stretch.

We've dipped into the JUCO ranks in the past...we have an Idaho connection...last place I'd look for JUCOs but it works. Combine that with some nice young talent and the Runners will compete. Now if we can only get the tourney to be played in San Antonio...

If UTSA could build a nice basketball arena near the campus or heck anywhere on the NW side of town, they could compete for the title.. IMO.. until then playing in the high school gym, .500 is probably the best UTSA can hope for

(03-15-2015 11:49 AM)HSV_BLAZER Wrote:  

(03-15-2015 11:15 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Rice returns 4 of 5 starters including two guys (Marcus Jackson and Max Guercy) who could be preseason all-conference players next year. Most of the other returnees are just role players but we are pretty excited about our incoming freshmen recruiting class plus we have a transfer from Arizona State who should be an immediate starter at the small forward spot. But we need a little more inside presence and hopefully our recruiting efforts will get some more help in that area. I do think we'll be picked middle of the pack and could be a top 4-6 team in the conference if things go our way.

And for the first time in awhile, hopefully we won't be losing starters who transfer to another school....

I fully expect Rice to shoot up the standings next year. Hopefully you do well OOC too.

Losing Forward Gearhart, who was our most versatile and probably best overall player. He'll be replaced by Wing Koulechov, an Arizona State transfer who some insiders said would have been the best player on this year's team if he had been eligible. Koulechov was with the team all year, so he will certainly step right in. This will probably be a wash with the potential for improvement.

Guards Peera and Green are the other seniors that we lose. Both were merely role players. They will be replaced by freshman forward Letcher-Ellis and guards Evans and Cashaw. Letcher-Ellis is a borderline top-200 player. Evans is an elite-defending PG. Cashaw is a SG who got a lot of rave reviews this year after being overlooked somewhat in the past (he plays on the same HS team as one of the top PG's in the country, a Villanova commit).

Other key returns are PG Guercy and SG Mency. Guercy was CUSA all-freshman team in 2012-13, but struggled some in 2013-14 and the first half of 2014-15. But he really flourished the last 1/2 of 2014-15 and should be a good veteran player. Jackson was Rice's best scorer when he was hot, but had some cold spells where he essentially disappeared. I expect some continued maturation and consistency. Both are great FT shooters.

Drone is steady and has shown flashes of potential. He's lost 50 pounds the past ~18 months at Rice and I expect he'll be in even better shape and more polished in the fall. Pollard is tall and skinny and Coach Rhoades was on record as saying he should have been red-shirted, but Rice just didn't have the bodies. Rice will be better inside next year, but not elite. Rice also had a football player, Forward Jeremy Jones, in 2014-15. It is unknown whether he will play basketball next year. He made a lot of hustle plays and was starting over Drone by the end of the season, but he likely wouldn't join the team until late-December (if he does at all).

The big problem right now is that Rice could really use some more depth. Rice has 2 open scholarships still and one of the scholarship players on the team (Reed) was a non-factor all year, despite the team lacking any sort of depth. So Rice is essentially 3 spots short of a full scholarship team heading into 2015-16 (unless Reed improves a lot).

Rice really improved over the course of the season. I think next year's team starts where this year's team finished and makes steady improvement in 2015-16. I expect the team to contend for a bye in the CUSA tournament. If they can add 1 or 2 more legit players ... look out!

#RiceRising