(07-08-2017 01:43 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  1- Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
2- Rice Owls
3- Old Dominion Monarchs
4- Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
5- Texas/El Paso Miners
6- Charlotte Forty Niners
7- Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
8- Marshall Thundering Herd
9- Alabama/Birmingham Blazers
10- Florida Atlantic Owls
11- Texas/San Antonio Road Runners
12- Florida International Panthers
13- Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
14- North Texas Mean Green

Getting a bit conservative with your placement of our team, aren't you? Well, modesty is a virtue, so the lesser beings tell me.

Seriously, I think this team's performance will surprise some people. It just remains t be seen whether it is us or them.

(07-09-2017 10:13 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  Getting a bit conservative with your placement of our team, aren't you? Well, modesty is a virtue, so the lesser beings tell me.

Seriously, I think this team's performance will surprise some people. It just remains t be seen whether it is us or them.

I really liked what Mike Rhodes was doing at Rice. I just don't see how you can not only lose the head coach but 8 players, 4 of those starters transfer out and not take a step back.

Even with the roster last year Rice finished 5th thanks to Koulechev's last second shot in the Henderson Center. Rice finished 10th in the standings in 14-15 and 15-16.

How big or little the step back is will depend on how good Scott Pera and his staff are.

(07-09-2017 10:13 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  Seriously, I think this team's performance will surprise some people. It just remains t be seen whether it is us or them.

I think a strategy of betting against Bailiff's football team each game, and for Pera's basketball team, might generate considerable winnings in Vegas this season.

(07-09-2017 10:13 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(07-08-2017 01:43 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  1- Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
2- Rice Owls
3- Old Dominion Monarchs
4- Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
5- Texas/El Paso Miners
6- Charlotte Forty Niners
7- Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
8- Marshall Thundering Herd
9- Alabama/Birmingham Blazers
10- Florida Atlantic Owls
11- Texas/San Antonio Road Runners
12- Florida International Panthers
13- Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
14- North Texas Mean Green

Getting a bit conservative with your placement of our team, aren't you? Well, modesty is a virtue, so the lesser beings tell me.

Seriously, I think this team's performance will surprise some people. It just remains t be seen whether it is us or them.

You know me well! I've been working on my modesty and I'm really doing an amazingly fantastic job at it, I am probably now the world's most modest guy! The best!

(07-09-2017 01:48 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(07-09-2017 10:13 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(07-08-2017 01:43 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  1- Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
2- Rice Owls
3- Old Dominion Monarchs
4- Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
5- Texas/El Paso Miners
6- Charlotte Forty Niners
7- Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
8- Marshall Thundering Herd
9- Alabama/Birmingham Blazers
10- Florida Atlantic Owls
11- Texas/San Antonio Road Runners
12- Florida International Panthers
13- Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
14- North Texas Mean Green

Getting a bit conservative with your placement of our team, aren't you? Well, modesty is a virtue, so the lesser beings tell me.

Seriously, I think this team's performance will surprise some people. It just remains t be seen whether it is us or them.

You know me well! I've been working on my modesty and I'm really doing an amazingly fantastic job at it, I am probably now the world's most modest guy! The best!

No, you're the fourth most modest guy in the world and they give medals only to the first three.

(07-09-2017 08:24 AM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(07-08-2017 02:34 PM)AdoptedMonarch Wrote:  If Rice finishes in the top half, Scott Pera is c.o.y.

And BTW James Harden just re-upped for the Rockets. Pera's basketball progeny (and Rice fan) will be staying local.
Also- I get your point, but I don't see Pera getting serious COY consideration unless we make the top four.

Did I miss something, is James Harden playing for Rice Next season? The way you guys post you would certainly think so ....

(07-08-2017 09:53 AM)Hilltopper2K Wrote:  

(07-08-2017 07:26 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  

(07-07-2017 10:06 PM)Hilltopper2K Wrote:  6. Rice returns 4 out of their top 5 players. I actually think they will be improved this year but it may not show in the results because of other teams improving as well.

You've got it backwards - 4 out of the top 5 left (to Florida, VCU, Nevada and UCSB). We've got more talent on the roster than people would expect, but realistically we're back to being picked no better than 10th or 11th in preseason polls. And that may be generous.

I think some of your other capsules are wrong too. I think UTSA's best player transferred too as an example.

College basketball comings and goings are crazy. You need a new scorecard for every game. We lost 2 graduate transfers and gained 2 graduate transfers. Lost 4 other transfers and gained 1 regular transfer. And then we signed three other true freshmen recruits.

Information is hazy this time of year. Hard to make any kind of informed decision. Thanks for the info / responses everyone.

Can I revise my order?

There are very few rules in this, haha. Of course you can revise your order. Anyone who has voted can revise if they want - I have it all stored with usernames so if you ever submit another poll I will just revise your previous one.

Updated CUSAbbs Composite MBB Rankings:

1. MTSU 362 (10)
2. UAB 342 (8)
3. WKU 323 (4)
4. LT 300 (2)
5. ODU 298 (1)
6. Mars 293 (1)
7. UTEP 275 (3)
8. Char 206
9. USM 142
10. UTSA 142
11. Rice 125
12. NT 119
13. FAU 64
14. FIU 54

Tier 1: MTSU, UAB, WKU
Tier 2: LT, ODU, Marshall, UTEP
Tier 3: Charlotte
Tier 4: USM, UTSA, Rice, NT
Tier 5: F_U

Voters: MT Fan, HerdZoned, odu09, WKUFan518, mturn017, ODUi, inutech, Rojogrande, AdoptedMonarch, Noodles, blazerguy, ODU AGGIE, MarshallHerdFanz, ATTALLABLAZE, ThreeifbyLightning, elw4796, Eagleholic, JCMiner, Stick4489, Jack Bauer, MinerInWisconsin, SpaceRaider, UABallin, Herd2believe, picks up, Blueraider11, IoncemetJonVoight, Hilltopper2k, owl at the moon

We have enough of a difference where another way to look at the tiers is top, middle, and bottom:

Top: MTSU, UAB, WKU, LT, ODU, Marshall, UTEP
Middle: Charlotte
Bottom: USM, UTSA, Rice, NT, FAU, FIU

(07-10-2017 07:24 AM)odu09 Wrote:  We have enough of a difference where another way to look at the tiers is top, middle, and bottom:

Top: MTSU, UAB, WKU, LT, ODU, Marshall, UTEP
Middle: Charlotte
Bottom: USM, UTSA, Rice, NT, FAU, FIU

Weird to see the two biggest gaps in point totals right in the middle of what would usually tend to be a bell curve.

Maybe Charlotte farted.

(07-10-2017 09:52 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(07-10-2017 07:24 AM)odu09 Wrote:  We have enough of a difference where another way to look at the tiers is top, middle, and bottom:

Top: MTSU, UAB, WKU, LT, ODU, Marshall, UTEP
Middle: Charlotte
Bottom: USM, UTSA, Rice, NT, FAU, FIU

Weird to see the two biggest gaps in point totals right in the middle of what would usually tend to be a bell curve.

Maybe Charlotte farted.

lolz

(07-09-2017 11:47 AM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(07-09-2017 10:13 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  Seriously, I think this team's performance will surprise some people. It just remains t be seen whether it is us or them.

I think a strategy of betting against Bailiff's football team each game, and for Pera's basketball team, might generate considerable winnings in Vegas this season.

Last year Rice went 6-6 against the spread (ATS), covering the last 3.

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-foot...marsh-rice

Of course, this is Pera's first year, but last year Rice basketball was 13-14 ATS.

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-bask...he-spread/

I doubt you beat the vig.

(07-10-2017 07:23 AM)odu09 Wrote:  Updated CUSAbbs Composite MBB Rankings:

1. MTSU 362 (10)
2. UAB 342 (8)
3. WKU 323 (4)
4. LT 300 (2)
5. ODU 298 (1)
6. Mars 293 (1)
7. UTEP 275 (3)
8. Char 206
9. USM 142
10. UTSA 142
11. Rice 125
12. NT 119
13. FAU 64
14. FIU 54

Tier 1: MTSU, UAB, WKU
Tier 2: LT, ODU, Marshall, UTEP
Tier 3: Charlotte
Tier 4: USM, UTSA, Rice, NT
Tier 5: F_U

Voters: MT Fan, HerdZoned, odu09, WKUFan518, mturn017, ODUi, inutech, Rojogrande, AdoptedMonarch, Noodles, blazerguy, ODU AGGIE, MarshallHerdFanz, ATTALLABLAZE, ThreeifbyLightning, elw4796, Eagleholic, JCMiner, Stick4489, Jack Bauer, MinerInWisconsin, SpaceRaider, UABallin, Herd2believe, picks up, Blueraider11, IoncemetJonVoight, Hilltopper2k, owl at the moon

This looks pretty good once everyone has voted. I see UAB and WKU moving up and MTSU moving back but I think the tiers are accurate based on what everyone has returning.

That second tier if I had to chose anyone surprising and jumping up it would be LT. The first three tiers can beat anyone on any given day.

My preseason guess at the conference standings for Men's Basketball come conference tournament time -

1. MTSU
2. UAB
3. WKU
4. UTEP
5. ODU
6. Marshall
7. LA Tech
8. Charlotte
9. S. Miss
10. UTSA
11. N. Texas
12. Rice
13. FAU
14. FIU

I have to side with history on this one, Tech previous reg season finishes (seed):
2014 - 1st
2015 - 1st
2016 - 4th
2017 - 2nd


1. Marshall
2. Tech
3. WKU
4. MTSU
5. UTEP
6. UAB
7. Charlotte
8. ODU
9. FIU
10. USM
11. UTSA
12. Rice
13. FAU
14. UNT

(07-11-2017 02:16 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  I have to side with history on this one, Tech previous reg season finishes (seed):
2014 - 1st
2015 - 1st
2016 - 4th
2017 - 2nd


1. Marshall
2. Tech
3. WKU
4. MTSU
5. UAB
6. Charlotte
7. ODU
8. FIU
9. USM
10. UTSA
11. Rice
12. FAU
13. UNT

I like the way you think! I think Marshall has some to prove this year with many new roles in their system, but I would still rank them in the top 3. They fell off in the second part of the conference season last year do to injuries and illness but showed their true colors in the tournament. If Bennett (baby shaq) is eligible, we will finally have a dominant inside game.

(07-11-2017 02:16 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  I have to side with history on this one, Tech previous reg season finishes (seed):
2014 - 1st
2015 - 1st
2016 - 4th
2017 - 2nd


1. Marshall
2. Tech
3. WKU
4. MTSU
5. UAB
6. Charlotte
7. ODU
8. FIU
9. USM
10. UTSA
11. Rice
12. FAU
13. UNT

That's cool and all but what about us?

(07-11-2017 02:42 PM)JCMiner Wrote:  

(07-11-2017 02:16 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  I have to side with history on this one, Tech previous reg season finishes (seed):
2014 - 1st
2015 - 1st
2016 - 4th
2017 - 2nd


1. Marshall
2. Tech
3. WKU
4. MTSU
5. UTEP
6. UAB
7. Charlotte
8. ODU
9. FIU
10. USM
11. UTSA
12. Rice
13. FAU
14. UNT

That's cool and all but what about us?

How could I forget about UTEP?!?! Tech and UTEP games are always fun watch especially when Floyd gets heated!

UTEP at #5

(07-11-2017 02:42 PM)JCMiner Wrote:  

(07-11-2017 02:16 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  I have to side with history on this one, Tech previous reg season finishes (seed):
2014 - 1st
2015 - 1st
2016 - 4th
2017 - 2nd


1. Marshall
2. Tech
3. WKU
4. MTSU
5. UAB
6. Charlotte
7. ODU
8. FIU
9. USM
10. UTSA
11. Rice
12. FAU
13. UNT

That's cool and all but what about us?

(07-11-2017 02:16 PM)Dawgxas Wrote:  I have to side with history on this one, Tech previous reg season finishes (seed):
2014 - 1st
2015 - 1st
2016 - 4th
2017 - 2nd


1. Marshall
2. Tech
3. WKU
4. MTSU
5. UTEP
6. UAB
7. Charlotte
8. ODU
9. FIU
10. USM
11. UTSA
12. Rice
13. FAU
14. UNT

Apparently you have limited yourself to just Louisiana history when making your selections.