IMO it's the same **** every year. Analysts know a little bit about the McDonald's All Americans and what not, but they don't know much else. To them, yeah there's Abdel Nader who averaged 14 points/game at NIU for one year. They have no clue if and how good he is. Same with McKay and whomever else.
I honestly almost never listen to pre-season talk for that type of **** because most of the stuff they say is off. They do get a few teams right, but outside of a team being stacked like Kentucky - they haven't a ******* clue IMO.
This. I think the analysts sometimes think these transfer players are just going to class for a year, getting out of shape, having a few beers, whatever. They seem to forget that these players are growing a year physically, and are getting a year to learn the ISU offense and defense with no real game pressure on them. I think that is part of the reason that opposing coaches each year seem to keep making comments about "playing against men" when you play ISU. These transfers that sit out a year mature, and become better players who are familiar and ready with Hoiberg's offensive system.
I think CFH will always go for the best talent available through the transfer system, if there is a player there that can fill an immediate or future need. Eventually though, I think he will move to a more conventional system of recruiting high school players that he can red-shirt and develop for a year. Either way, he is going to put a talented group of players on the floor that will continue to surprise the analysts and writers each year until they finally figure it out.
I was a little concerned with what this season just ended might be this year because ISU did not have any players "joining" the team that had sat out for a year, except for a red-shirt freshman in SDW. Instead ISU had a bunch of newbies in Jucos, true freshmen and a fifth-year transfer. Look how that worked out.
