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Win the conference and the tournament. We haven't done both and the boys should be hungry for that. As far as at large goes, it really depends on scheduling. I'm unaware of any p5 teams we have scheduled other than at USF. Obviously we will encounter one in Destin.

To answer the original question, our goals should be regular season conference championship and contention for an at-large spot.

Scheduling, injuries, and more. To coin a phrase, we don't know what we don't know yet.

I think that the conference championship, another conference tournament, and making the dance again are all within reach, but a lot can go wrong along the way.

(03-25-2015 09:49 AM)HSV_BLAZER Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 09:05 AM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  Charlotte: 2 Srs; transferring players may return w/Price as coach;2 very good Fr guards
FIU: 3 Srs(inc Mavin); C Diaz returns
FAU: 4 Srs;
LaTech: 3Srs(3 best players-Kyser, Smith, Appleby); may lose coach; good returning group
Marshal: 3 Srs; return Taylor, Boykins, Manning
MTSU: 2 Srs, Richmond transferring; returns 4 starters
North Texas: 4 Srs
ODU: 3 Srs(1 starter); returns G Trey Freeman
Rice: 3 Srs(2 starters-Peera & Geerhart); returns Guercy and Jackson
SMiss: 1 Sr(Armelin); other than that who the hell knows?
UTEP: 5 Srs(3 starters-Lang, Washburn, Cooper?); returns Hunter, Harris, Morris
UTSA: 3 Sr starters(3 best players-Hill, Lewis, Sherman); 7 Fr
WKU: 3 Sr Starters(3 best players-Fant, Price,Jackson);

I saw a tweet yesterday saying Hayes and Millinghaus are transferring from Southern Miss. I didn't know about Richmond transferring from MTSU.

SMiss had 2-3 players ruled ineligible at start of season & a couple more left during the season. In one game this year they had 6 scholly players available and actually ended the game with 4 guys on the court after 2 fouled out...

Fr PG DJ Jones, who lit up UAB at Bartow, stepped into the prominent PG role toward the end of the season and is obviously the starter going into next year. Richmond, also PG, saw the writing on the wall..

(03-25-2015 09:55 AM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 09:49 AM)HSV_BLAZER Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 09:05 AM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  Charlotte: 2 Srs; transferring players may return w/Price as coach;2 very good Fr guards
FIU: 3 Srs(inc Mavin); C Diaz returns
FAU: 4 Srs;
LaTech: 3Srs(3 best players-Kyser, Smith, Appleby); may lose coach; good returning group
Marshal: 3 Srs; return Taylor, Boykins, Manning
MTSU: 2 Srs, Richmond transferring; returns 4 starters
North Texas: 4 Srs
ODU: 3 Srs(1 starter); returns G Trey Freeman
Rice: 3 Srs(2 starters-Peera & Geerhart); returns Guercy and Jackson
SMiss: 1 Sr(Armelin); other than that who the hell knows?
UTEP: 5 Srs(3 starters-Lang, Washburn, Cooper?); returns Hunter, Harris, Morris
UTSA: 3 Sr starters(3 best players-Hill, Lewis, Sherman); 7 Fr
WKU: 3 Sr Starters(3 best players-Fant, Price,Jackson);

I saw a tweet yesterday saying Hayes and Millinghaus are transferring from Southern Miss. I didn't know about Richmond transferring from MTSU.

SMiss had 2-3 players ruled ineligible at start of season & a couple more left during the season. In one game this year they had 6 scholly players available and actually ended the game with 4 guys on the court after 2 fouled out...

Fr PG DJ Jones, who lit up UAB at Bartow, stepped into the prominent PG role toward the end of the season and is obviously the starter going into next year. Richmond, also PG, saw the writing on the wall..

UTEP's Hunter may go pro...

DJ Jones was a juco xfer. He was a junior this year.

(03-25-2015 10:03 AM)HSV_BLAZER Wrote:  DJ Jones was a juco xfer. He was a junior this year.

Yep. My mistake...

Next season, we should be able to avoid all the WTF losses of this year, which should raise our profile as a team.

We need some top 50 wins.

Win the CUSA regular season.

We need to win the CUSA tourney again. Even though I'd like to think we'll be worthy of an at-large bid, it's always going to be a struggle in CUSA. However, if we're close to the bubble, I think we'd get the benefit of the doubt bid just because of our tourney success this year, and the fact that we're returning everyone.

Once we're in the NCAA tourney, success is a toss-up, but given the right match-up, I think Sweet Sixteen is not unexpected.

(03-25-2015 09:53 AM)HSV_BLAZER Wrote:  To answer the original question, our goals should be regular season conference championship and contention for an at-large spot.

The original question regarded expectations, not goals. They aren't the same.

The goal is to win the national championship. The expectation is something lower.

I agree with that

(03-25-2015 10:19 AM)jthrashr Wrote:  Next season, we should be able to avoid all the WTF losses of this year, which should raise our profile as a team.

We need some top 50 wins.

Win the CUSA regular season.

We need to win the CUSA tourney again. Even though I'd like to think we'll be worthy of an at-large bid, it's always going to be a struggle in CUSA. However, if we're close to the bubble, I think we'd get the benefit of the doubt bid just because of our tourney success this year, and the fact that we're returning everyone.

Once we're in the NCAA tourney, success is a toss-up, but given the right match-up, I think Sweet Sixteen is not unexpected.

Well said. Right on.

Could a match up with Auburn be put together as soon as this next season?

(03-25-2015 10:22 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 09:53 AM)HSV_BLAZER Wrote:  To answer the original question, our goals should be regular season conference championship and contention for an at-large spot.

The original question regarded expectations, not goals. They aren't the same.

The goal is to win the national championship. The expectation is something lower.

Let me revise.

Realistic expectations: Top 4 in conference standings. Single digit losses. Top 75 RPI. Appearance in FN Bubble Watch.

Realistic goals: Regular season conference championship. At-large worthy profile. Conference tournament championship. .500 or better road record. Win a tournament game.

Stretch goals: Sweet Sixteen to National Championship.

I expect it's gonna be a rough transition year, having to break in a new coach, once Haase leaves for greener pastures.

(03-25-2015 10:19 AM)jthrashr Wrote:  Next season, we should be able to avoid all the WTF losses of this year, which should raise our profile as a team.

We need some top 50 wins.

Agree. Change our 5 WTF losses to wins, and our RPI jumps from 130 to 63. Right around where La Tech finished. Not quite at-large worthy, but in the discussion. To get an at-large, we will need to pick up more quality wins.

I think
1. win conference regular season
2. NCAA tounament
3. with a decent draw Sweet 16-

IMHO we need a 6'4" or taller point and a big man who can thunder inside. maybe the classic basketball unicorn-6'8" 255 mean and quick

(03-25-2015 10:38 AM)HSV_BLAZER Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 10:22 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 09:53 AM)HSV_BLAZER Wrote:  To answer the original question, our goals should be regular season conference championship and contention for an at-large spot.

The original question regarded expectations, not goals. They aren't the same.

The goal is to win the national championship. The expectation is something lower.

Let me revise.

Realistic expectations: Top 4 in conference standings. Single digit losses. Top 75 RPI. Appearance in FN Bubble Watch.

Realistic goals: Regular season conference championship. At-large worthy profile. Conference tournament championship. .500 or better road record. Win a tournament game.

Stretch goals: Sweet Sixteen to National Championship.

I agree with that.

I'm game.

We should be in contention for the conference regular season and tournament titles again. Obviously, we would want the tournament more. Depending on how this schedule fills out, we may have enough to draw at large consideration with a finish of 14-4 or better in conference.

I always thought next year would be the year we turn the corner and the year after would be the one to look out for. It appears we have arrived a little sooner than I thought. That being said, I don't want to get to crazy with my predictions. Until we see something else we have the following lingering issues:

Road games. Enough said.
Size/depth in the post. We have 3 good 4s on the roster. One plays center. Foul trouble could really hurt us. I like what Sullivan does, but I feel like he's more of a 3 than a 4.
Another pure scorer. I'm hoping dirk steps into this role, but we don't know yet. Lee and Brown are a great 1-2 punch. If we get a third scorer out there, Norton becomes a lot more dangerous.
the of situation. I think Norton can be the answer here, but if not we need a good alternative.

We will see what the complete roster is, but my expectations are strong consideration for the NCAA tournament. If we miss and get a good seed in the nit I'm not going to throw a fit. It's still early to answer this question though bc we don't know what out pieces are yet.

(03-25-2015 12:22 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  We should be in contention for the conference regular season and tournament titles again. Obviously, we would want the tournament more. Depending on how this schedule fills out, we may have enough to draw at large consideration with a finish of 14-4 or better in conference.

I always thought next year would be the year we turn the corner and the year after would be the one to look out for. It appears we have arrived a little sooner than I thought. That being said, I don't want to get to crazy with my predictions. Until we see something else we have the following lingering issues:

Road games. Enough said.
Size/depth in the post. We have 3 good 4s on the roster. One plays center. Foul trouble could really hurt us. I like what Sullivan does, but I feel like he's more of a 3 than a 4.
Another pure scorer. I'm hoping dirk steps into this role, but we don't know yet. Lee and Brown are a great 1-2 punch. If we get a third scorer out there, Norton becomes a lot more dangerous.
the of situation. I think Norton can be the answer here, but if not we need a good alternative.

We will see what the complete roster is, but my expectations are strong consideration for the NCAA tournament. If we miss and get a good seed in the nit I'm not going to throw a fit. It's still early to answer this question though bc we don't know what out pieces are yet.

I agree. I know there are a ton of unknowns obviously, but assuming everything I said in the original question, I will be disappointed if we don't make the NCAAs next year.

If we just cut out the WTF losses (1 or 2 max are most likely acceptable, but no more than that), the road losses, and play a good schedule with some resume-building wins, we should be in solid consideration for an at large. I think we should win the conference in the regular season. The post season tourney we should also win, IMO, but tough to say you expect them to win it this early.

I think we have a sweet sixteen caliber team potentially, but it's way too hard to say I "expect" that. There's too much luck and matchups involved after you just get into the dang tournament.

Bottom line my expectations: at large worthy resume, conference regular season champs, strong performance in the conference tourney, get in the NCAAs, and win 1-2 there (again tough to expect the last one, but I'm putting it out there)