MVC Basketball - Outlook for Next Year

[1972Shocker]

I did not want to highjack Capital Shock's very fine post in his "Glass Half Full" thread.

However, he did finish by saying the MVC should be "much improved" next year. I am not sure I am seeing that at this point.

A lot of seniors will be moving on:

Shocks: Durley, Blair, Ellis and Hatch

Bears: Mallet, Ricks, Leonard and Creekmore

Panthers: Ahelegbe, O'Rear and Dunham

Bluejays: Lawson, Korver, Runnels and Ashford

Aces: van Tongeren, Hopf and Lacey

Sycamores: Kelly, Carter and Martin

Salukis: Fay, Crowder, Freeman, Mitchell and Bocot

Redbirds: Hill, Lewis, Rubin and Mishler

Braves: Warren and Dunson

Drake: Wedel

A lot of key components will need to be filled for next year just to be as strong as this year let alone much improved.

A number of solid players returning, but not an over-abundance of outstanding talent. Here is a look at the returning talent that played 10 MPG or more:

Shocks: Murry, Kyles, Stutz, Smith, Ragland, Williams

Bears: Weems, Patterson, Scheer

Panthers: Koch, James, Moran, Sonnen, Bank, Pehl

Bluejays: McDermott, Young, Echinique, Manigat, Jones, Wragge

Aces: Ryan, Harris, Cox, Holmes, Jahr, Jones, Taylor

Sycamores: Lathan, Richard, Odum, Walker, Printy, Mahurin, McWhorter

Salukis: Seck, Teague, Brown-Surles, Cleveland, Long, Taylor, Drinkard

Redbirds: Carmichael, Willkins, Cousin, Blue, Ekey, Clark

Braves: Maniscalco (?), Brown (?), Simms-Edwards, Egolf, Lemon, Prosser, Eastman

Drake: Rice, Van Deest, Simons, Hawley, Alexander, Woods, Clark, Wiseler, Uhlenhopp

Impossible to know how much impact redshirts, transfers and incoming freshman will have.

I really I am not seeing where the league will be much improved. I'm thinking we may see more balance in the league but that will be due to compression. The top of the league maybe not quite as strong and the bottom of the league will be better. I see a dogfight with perhaps 5 or 6 losses winning the league. Unfortunately, that spells 1-bid league.

Am I missing something or underestimating the returning and/or incoming talent?

[KC Shox]

I'm just going to go out on a limb and say it can't get any worse than what this crap conference is displaying this season.

[RoyalShock]

72, I agree with your assessment and have said as much in a couple threads the past two weeks.

There will definitely be "compression" as you put it. From a conference RPI standpoint that may be a good thing, considering how the top tier this year under-performed in the OOC.

I think WSU will still be the favorite since we're bringing in arguably one of, if not the best juco big men in the country to fill in where we lose the most. Our depth will surely suffer and point distribution will need to shift a little more to the guards. But I like the potential of next year's team.

I don't see any team, with the possible exception of Indiana State and Creighton, bringing back enough talent to contend. Of course, this is on paper, but that's what we have to work with.

Very few freshmen or transfers make big impacts. McDermott and Rice have done it this year, but even Echenique didn't make the splash most of us thought he would.

[AndShock]

Really the only team I see having a huge drop-off is SWOMO. UNI is sort of a question mark.

The conference definitely won't be strong next year, but it will be better than this year.

[Aargh]

I'm just going to go out on a limb and say it can't get any worse than what this crap conference is displaying this season.

How does one say that KCShox is too optimistic? Every time I try to put "KCShox" in the same sentence as "giving too much credit" or "overly optimistic", something happens and my keyboard locks up.