Basketball Season Now and the Rest of the Way

[kingcy]

I didn’t watch the Vegas games but it sounds like the offense is coming around for this team. The starting 5 is hitting their shots and working with-in the system. Mac has settled in playing 8 players a lot with others mixed in lightly. The players that are getting the mins are the ones that deserve the mins. There is no reason come conference time this team shouldn’t have 10 wins. Looking at the losses there are really no bad losses, every team they lost to will be in the NCAA tourney picture come March. The staff put together a tough pre-conference schedule that was set up nicely and it may not have paid off in the win column, but it has paid off in this team getting better. They have made big leaps of improvement since the Drake game.

It will take 10 to 12 conference wins to make the tourney it could happen but I wouldn’t plan on it. It would be nice to see Jiri and Clark make the tourny in their Sr year, but the rest of the team needs to step up big to make this happen.



Breaking down the conference (optimistic predictions):



Fore sure losses (0-3)

Kansas- (0-2) Could be the best KU team in years.

Texas- (0-1) Could be the best Texas team in years.



Probable losses (0-3)

Texas A&M-(0-1) Mac does know MTs system and had success s against him before

KSU-(0-2) They have too much talent to beat this year



Toss ups (5-3)

Baylor-(1-0) Impressive record this far, still don’t know much about them

OU- (0-1) Have had some good wins but still not sold on the coaching

OSU-(1-0) They are not an outstanding team but they are streaky

Tech-(1-0) Not very good but coached by Bobby Knight so anything can happen

Nebraska- (1-1) has a few good wins but it still is Nebraska

Missouri- (1-1) Good preseason record but they had that last year



Wins (2-0)

Colorado- (2-0) Program is way down and not very good





Conference record of 7-9. To get to the NCAA they will have to get 20 wins and finish 5th or 6th in the conference, for that to happen they will need to get some upsets, and continue to improve. It can happen; really we don’t know much about any of these teams. Spots 5-11 in the conference will be a dog fight and good battle to watch. The Big 12-Pac 10 challenge was the best thing to happen to this conference and will help the Big 12 to get teams into the dance.



Look for the team to win one in KC, finish 18-15, and accept a bid to the NIT.

 

[brianhos]

I think you are getting pretty excited over a few wins over some really really bad teams and 1 win against a mediocre Purdue team. We still have no guards and will get eaten alive when we face good guard play.

 

[kingcy]

I think you are getting pretty excited over a few wins over some really really bad teams and 1 win against a mediocre Purdue team. We still have no guards and will get eaten alive when we face good guard play.

Well why not you W-L it. Its not like every team in the Big 12 is a world beater. The team is getting open shots and working the ball to find those shots. I thought the gaurd play is getting much better and the 2 PG system is working well, each brings differnt things to the table. This team did stay with a good, big, physical, Bama team until Wes and Jiri ran out of gas from not being in shape due to eariler injuries and playing back to back nights and 4 games in 6 days.

 

[BryceC]

I have us pretty much the same thing, except I have us losing @TT. I hope we finish 6-10 but I could easily see less.

 

[CyCy]

The next big step we have to take is to start beating some good teams.

Last year we had a record of 1-13 against teams ranked 1-100 in RPI and 13-3 against teams over 100 RPI. This year we are 0-4 against the top 100 and 7-1 against the rest.

So far this year our RPI is 110 which ranks us 11th in the league ahead of Colorado at 119. We are ranked fairly close to several other conference teams - Oklahoma State 92, Kansas State 98, Nebraska 99, Missouri 103. All of those teams should be good possibilities for wins if we keep improving.

 

[ISUonthemove]

I don't think they go over .500

It will be close but I would guess 13-14 wins. There is going to be more downs than ups. I like the fact that we're getting some points on the board but we need more production out of our guards. They're doing well not turning the ball over lately but they need to knock down a couple more shots from outside.

 

[MJAnderson]

I would have to agree that our guards are getting a lot better. I watched both of the games in Vegas and they really pushed the ball, made good decisions, and played within themselves. They actually kind of looked like a different team. If our guards as well as the whole team continue to improve, I think we'll see a few more wins than expected in the Big 12.

 

[BryceC]

I don't think they go over .500

It will be close but I would guess 13-14 wins. There is going to be more downs than ups. I like the fact that we're getting some points on the board but we need more production out of our guards. They're doing well not turning the ball over lately but they need to knock down a couple more shots from outside.

We have 3 gimmies for the rest of the noncon. If we only get 13 or 14 wins that means we'll be 3-13 or 4-12 in the Big 12. I really don't think we're THAT bad.

 

[Gordyo5]

It will take 10 to 12 conference wins to make the tourney it could happen but I wouldn’t plan on it. It would be nice to see Jiri and Clark make the tourny in their Sr year, but the rest of the team needs to step up big to make this happen.

I think with losses to 3 mid major teams all but eliminates our chance of a tourny bid, barring winning 12 or more confrence game or winning the confrence tourny. The teams we lost to will be on the bubble and will be taken before we would if it comes down to it.

 

[isuno1fan]

We never win at Colorado. I'd chalk that up as a loss no matter how bad they are. I think we win 5-6 games tops in conference and end up pretty much like last year at right around .500.

 

[EggMcClone]

It's fine to be optimistic but why set yourself up for disappointment by talking about NCAA tournament and NIT? I just don't see it.

I don't think you can chalk up wins against teams like Nebraska or Baylor just because "they're still Nebraska." Baylor has won 5 road games already and their only loss is by 3 to a top 10 team and Nebraska has some good wins too.

I see it:
Should win: CU, OSU
Tossups: MU, @Tech, Nebraska, @CU
Could win: KSU, @MU, @KSU, @NU, @OU, @Baylor
Would take a miracle or the return of Hilton Magic: KUx2, A&M, UT

Tech is possibly the least consistent team in the Big 12 under Knight so who knows with them. I think KSU will be up and down but I can't help but think they'll have it figured out when we get them at home towards the end of the year.

Nightmare scenario 2-14
My not-so-realistic dream scenario 7-9
My pick 5-11 if we continue to make progress

 

[bos]

A championship matchup between North Carolina and ISU.

Now back to reality:

I see us sneaking up on a top 25 team but I have very little optimism about most of the B12 play. I see alot of improvement as the year goes on with some close games, but a W is going to be tough to attain even more so on the road. Colorado is a should win, but with those guys we never know. Even with some of our better teams, Colorado has punched us in the gut.

 

[clonomaniac]

This will be another 16-15 season for us, just watch

 

[MJAnderson]

Considering all of the players that were lost from last years team I don't think a 16-15 season is that bad.

 

[brianhos]

A championship matchup between North Carolina and ISU.

That is nuts? Everyone knows Memphis will be in the championship and not NC.

 

[BryceC]

Considering all of the players that were lost from last years team I don't think a 16-15 season is that bad.

I'd be very happy with 16-15.

 

[CTTB78]

I think it is telling when we talk about not having any bad losses vs. how many great wins we've had (O).

The Drake game was not a bad loss, it was a terrible loss. Yes, Drake has a good team (not great) but if we are to play winning BB in the Big 12, we don't get beat by 35 by Duke in Cameron, let alone Drake.

 

[cloneoeoeo]

I see us finishing 9-7 and squarely on the bubble.

 

[BD4CY]

That is nuts? Everyone knows Memphis will be in the championship and not NC.

:biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:

 

[cyclone14]

I see us finishing 9-7 and squarely on the bubble.

You mean the NIT bubble? 19 wins is not enough anymore for an at-large bid to the NCAAs.