Jeff Goodman Projects Next Year
- Thread starter HoraceGrant
- Start date
This is completely hypothetical, because you're always going to have a few downer games and you're not going to win all your close ones. Then again, only three times this year did I feel we were just beaten by a better team on a good night for them and a not-so-good night for us...
Maryland (who is now a Top 10 squad and #2/#3 seed)
Kansas in Lawrence
Oklahoma in Norman
That team would have been 27-3, probably #2 in the rankings behind UK (maybe 3 or 4 after UVA and Nova/Duke, but definitely top five), and a sure #1 seed without some stupidity in KC, and winning the Big 12 outright at 16-2. Easily the best season we've had since '99-'00 if that happened.
Lots of people had those expectations this year. We didn't quite live up to THAT, but, hey, still had a great year overall.
But, yeah, you're right, just clean up the "whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" loses and things look great.
Yes, this isn't how reality works, but, yeah, we're on quite a cusp here. Having 4/5 starters back, 2/3 bench rotational guys, and some new studs coming in... win the ones we "should," and we look gooddddddddddddd.
@Baylor would have been a steal, not a game we shouldn't lose IMO.
Imo it is about talent. Realistically there will be fluctuations in quality of play, and the more talented you are the less it matters how that lines up. It is way KU is KU, whereas ISU has to play closer to it's best every night, which is a lot to ask of young players and newcomers. It is also fatiguing and at a certain point potentially counterproductive to preparing for March IMO.
You're going to have a bad time being a fan of any CBB team sans Kantuckie with this mindset. You lose some you shouldn't, you win some you shouldn't, you just hope it comes out in your favor at the end.
What's promising for next year is that it will be similar to the 2013-14 team where we pretty much know immediately going into the year what the team is going to be. Niang, Morris. And McKay are our big three that we ride to victory and everybody else slots in around them. No more of this moving around or adding guys as the season goes on like this year.
Burton is eligible in Dec. but, yes, although I think he'll be playing significant minutes by the end of conference season, it won't be as disruptive as McKay moving into the starting lineup.
Yea, I figured someone would mention Burton. Like you touched on, I don't picture him being the same kind of "just wait until this guy is eligible" huge game changer that McKay has been.
Am I the only one who doesn't like this? The prestige is nice, but I love the "chip on the shoulder" attitude that makes the Cyclones play better.
Pre-season #5 Iowa State Cyclones
PG Monte Morris
F Jameel McKay
F Cheick Diallo
F Georges Niang
G Naz Long
Now - someone else put our bench together... This team is going to look incredible!
PG Monte Morris
F Jameel McKay
F Cheick Diallo
F Georges Niang
G Naz Long
Now - someone else put our bench together... This team is going to look incredible!
I'd have to assess other teams nationally, which players return (or at least "might return"), plus how everyone finishes this season, of course, to assess where we might start in the rankings for 2015-16.
For sake of argument, suppose ISU holds serve in Big 12 tournament (advances to at least semifinal) and locks a 3 seed. Play to expectations (Sweet 16 -- then "gravy" if we advance over a 2) -- losing Hogue & BDJ can't be ignored, but there are still major contributors with experience, and decent depth.
That's usually a recipe for top-10 preseason ranking for a power-conference team that has proven, consistent success over consecutive seasons.
Then the next challenge is backing it up on the court.
For sake of argument, suppose ISU holds serve in Big 12 tournament (advances to at least semifinal) and locks a 3 seed. Play to expectations (Sweet 16 -- then "gravy" if we advance over a 2) -- losing Hogue & BDJ can't be ignored, but there are still major contributors with experience, and decent depth.
That's usually a recipe for top-10 preseason ranking for a power-conference team that has proven, consistent success over consecutive seasons.
Then the next challenge is backing it up on the court.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
You should be. That attitude thing is a myth.
To be the program we want to be, living in the top 10 is part of the deal.
I think he might be, because hogue as it stands now is the only clear loss without someone to backfill him. That guy is burton.
However i would consider doing a UK, have Diallo come off the bench and put Williams or Nadar on the Cardinal team
How demoralizing would it be for teams to chase McKay up and down the court non-stop for the first 6 min, then replace him with Diallo and let him do the same thing for the next 6 minutes.
Possibly. My thought was just that you can roll out Niang/McKay/Morris and two shooters and still be pretty happy if Burton just slots in as a good bench option when he becomes eligible. With McKay it always felt like we weren't going to get cooking until he was integrated in a big way.
Of course, Burton could come on in December and turn out to be such a force that he makes it an issue, which would be awesome, so let's all hope I'm wrong about everything.
