Frank has gone 10-6, 9-7, 11-5, 10-6

[SlamSam]

Is it an option to have a really balanced team? Having a few guys in the lower double digits. I feel like that's what is going to happen. We know McGrudes can hit the double digit pretty consistently. JamSam could easily become a double digit contributor. JHR has potential. Doc is already pretty close to that point. I see our team being extremely balanced next year, with one or two different guys stepping up every game and hitting the upper double digits to give us the advantage. When those guys aren't able to step up will be our off nights.

[WildCatzPhreak]

I have no idea what the team's going to look like next year.  I have no idea if we'll be running the same offense, what players will transfer in, what players will transfer out, or even who our starting 5 will be outside of Rodney.

I didn't know any of those things in 08 either though, and things worked out alright.  Until we actually see the team next year, I'm setting my expectations tentatively at .500 in conference.

[AbeFroman]

Jake

Denis?
Beasley?

We need to get used to losing good players, because we are going to continue to have good players.

[CNS]

Jake

Denis?
Beasley?

We need to get used to losing good players, because we are going to continue to have good players.

My point is that Jake was there every one of those seasons.  Jake is the constant as much as Frank at this point. 

You are correct, though.  The system has to be bigger than any one player. 

[EMAWzified]

My predictions. We'll play tough defensive but suck at pressing. We'll rebound well. We'll have drama with fans upset players are sitting. We'll win road games nobody thinks we'll win and lose home games we all put in the win column. We'll get better in February.

[bigwillie20]

Want to see Jamar start dunkin on bitches again 

[CNS]

Want to see Jamar start dunkin on bitches again 

Yep, been too long.

[Joker]

Want to see Jamar start dunkin on bitches again 

Yep, been too long.

Speaking of dunking on bitches, I'm really looking forward to watching "Enrique's" progression.  Would be nice if he could develop some post moves to go along with dunking on bitches and swatting bitches shots.

[bradleigh]

9-9 next year.   NCAA bubble team.

I want to believe that as our program progresses the proposition of being a bubble team is continually becoming more favorable.

[SwiftCat]

10-8 would be a solid season. Anything less than .500 would be disappointing.

[kougar24]

9-9 next year.   NCAA bubble team.

I will likely consider that a success, based on what I think our roster will be.

[CNS]

9-9 next year.   NCAA bubble team.

I will likely consider that a success, based on what I think our roster will be.

All depends on who stays/leaves for other teams too, as well as who gets hired/fired and who just leaves as far as coaching positions go in the league.

[joda]

I predict we start out the season getting picked around 6 or 7 in the BXII preseason polls. We have an up and down preaseason, winning most of the games we should, but not by as much as we should, and going about .500 in the games that we're predicted to lose/toss up types. Once BXII play rolls around we lose a couple early games we probably should win, then about February the team really starts to pull together and we pick up a big time upset (KU or UT?) and see the media start to climb back on our nuts due to our all around adorableness. With our surprising 4/5 place finish we become the bubble darling and either sneak into the tourney or are the Colorado of this years tourney.

McGruds starts to become a consistent scorer (ala Jake as a Jr.), JO starts and takes over CK's roll in dominating half the game and dissapearing the other half. Sprads starts at pg and is Bobby Knight's viagra whenever he does our games.

Now my hopes for other players next year. Southwell develops a scoring touch. Gipson comes on strong and ends the season as a 6pt/6reb/1block a game type. Samuels continues to play the Lu role, but scores a little more. Angel shows some handles and plays about 20-25 min/gm not scoring much, but setting up sprads and mcgruds to rain 3's. Nino, 95, Nick?, Diaz, Irving, and Canada all provide solid minutes off the bench.

[JavaCat]

What are people expecting out of Nino? Was it really concussion issues that kept him out this year?

[Ira Hayes]

I think you've already seen our team for next year.  Any hope that guys who aren't already here are going to help is a dream.  We have 2 bigs.  That is a big problem, but both are good.  We have a lot of quality guards and regardless of what they did against Wisconsin, you can count on them being solid next year.  It really sucks, but Jamar and JHR are going to have to scale back their defensive effort to avoid foul trouble. We may have to play zone.

Of the newcomers, Omari is a wildcard.  But if Diaz or AR or Gipson were going to be ready to contribute in a big way next year it would be very apparent by now.  They would have dominated their state HS tournaments.  They may turn into very good players, but I don't expect any of them to contribute even as much as Spradling or Southwell did this year.

Having said that, a lot of good teams have gone far with only two good bigs.  The expectation that we would have 4 this year is one of the big reasons we were the preseason #3.

[EMAWzified]

Rodriquez didn't have a chance to play in his state tournament. Diaz and Gipson didn't play some chump change state where one player can make a difference. Both carried teams in post season. I haven't seen either play but think both will get a chance to contribute.

[michigancat]

Of the newcomers, Omari is a wildcard.  But if Diaz or AR or Gipson were going to be ready to contribute in a big way next year it would be very apparent by now.  They would have dominated their state HS tournaments.  They may turn into very good players, but I don't expect any of them to contribute even as much as Spradling or Southwell did this year.

Why would you not expect them to contribute similarly to Spradling and Southwell? They are all similarly ranked.

[Ira Hayes]

Of the newcomers, Omari is a wildcard.  But if Diaz or AR or Gipson were going to be ready to contribute in a big way next year it would be very apparent by now.  They would have dominated their state HS tournaments.  They may turn into very good players, but I don't expect any of them to contribute even as much as Spradling or Southwell did this year.

Why would you not expect them to contribute similarly to Spradling and Southwell? They are all similarly ranked.

I don't expect AR to contribute because I can't imagine him stepping in his first year and being better than Spradling, Canada, or Nick.  If he was better than those guys right now he would be a top 5 PG in high school.

Maybe Diaz or Gipson can give us a Spradling/Southwell type contribution.  They will have the chance. I just refuse to get my hopes up.

[kso_FAN]

Sprads is a nice complimentary point guard, but I think we've seen enough to know he's not Pullen or Clemente.  We need either a top flight transfer or Angel to be the guy to fill that role for us, because I don't see it on the roster.  That's not to say it won't happen, because if one thing has been consistent is that Frank finds a way to address needs.

He's not Pullen or Clemente, but I think he can put up numbers similar to Pullen's sophomore season next year. He just won't get them the same way Pullen did, just like Pullen didn't put up numbers the same way Clemente did. chum has a great point - every FM team has been wildly different, but have all been pretty successful.

I could not care less about "leadership".

I agree with your take on Sprads.

I don't want to overvalue a subjective characteristic, I just feel better if Frank has a guy like Clemente/Jake to push/lean on and I think he's grooming Sprads (or McGruds) to be that guy.

[kougar24]

Spradling, Canada, or Nick.  If he was better than those guys right now he would be a top 5 PG in high school.

[CNS]

To be fair, wasn't Angel ranked something like the 2nd best PG in FL for his class?

[Ira Hayes]

Spradling, Canada, or Nick.  If he was better than those guys right now he would be a top 5 PG in high school.

All of those three would absolutely destroy it if they were still playing high school ball right now.

The point is that nobody like Mike Beasley, Bill Walker, or Josh Selby are going to be walking through our door before next fall.  Don't get your hopes up.  Our team is already here.

[kougar24]

Spradling, Canada, or Nick.  If he was better than those guys right now he would be a top 5 PG in high school.

All of those three would absolutely destroy it if they were still playing high school ball right now.

The point is that nobody like Mike Beasley, Bill Walker, or Josh Selby are going to be walking through our door before next fall.  Don't get your hopes up.  Our team is already here.

You just compounded your original mistake by bringing Beasley, Walker, and Selby into this mess.

[Ira Hayes]

Spradling, Canada, or Nick.  If he was better than those guys right now he would be a top 5 PG in high school.

All of those three would absolutely destroy it if they were still playing high school ball right now.

The point is that nobody like Mike Beasley, Bill Walker, or Josh Selby are going to be walking through our door before next fall.  Don't get your hopes up.  Our team is already here.

You just compounded your original mistake by bringing Beasley, Walker, and Selby into this mess.

elaborate.  Please.  I don't mind being made a fool. 

[CatsFan_58]

So... When is the latest Angel can sign his LOI?