2018-19 Expectations for Shocker Basketball – “Falltime Edition”

[WuShock Reaper]

Summer is over, classes are in full session, and practices have finally begun. We now know a lot more for the upcoming season. The coaching staff has been completed, all scholarships have been filled, all non-conference games have been identified/scheduled, and the AAC Front Office has released the pairings so we know who and when we will play.

So what kind of expectations can you see at 45 days out?

[WuShock Reaper]

I think we go 7-5 in our non-conference schedule, with 1 win and 2 losses in Charleston (winners bracket). In conference play, i think we go 13- 5 and finish in 3rd place.

Overall, i think we finish 20 wins and 10 losses.

Here are my individual game predictions which would get us to 20 wins:

Likely Wins -
vs Louisiana Tech at Koch Arena
vs Rice at Koch Arena
vs Baylor at Charles Koch Arena
vs Jacksonville State at Charles Koch Arena
vs Southern Mississippi at Intrust Bank Arena
vs Oral Roberts at Koch Arena
vs Temple at Koch Arena
at South Florida in Tampa
vs Tulsa at Koch Arena
vs East Carolina at Koch Arena
vs Tulane at Koch Arena

Maybe Wins -
vs Davidson (1st game Charleston Classic in South Carolina)
vs Central Florida at Koch Arena
vs Cincinnati at Koch Arena
vs Southern Methodist at Koch Arena
at Tulsa in Tulsa
vs Memphis at Koch Arena
vs Connecticut at Koch Arena
at East Carolina in Greenville
at Tulane in New Orleans

Maybe Losses -
vs Providence in Annapolis, Maryland
vs Ball State/Virginia Tech/Alabama/Northeastern (3rd game Charleston Classic in South Carolina)
at Oklahoma in Oklahoma City
at VCU in Richmond, Virginia
at Memphis in Memphis
at Connecticut in Storrs
at Southern Methodist in Dallas

Likely Losses -
vs Purdue/Appalachian State (2nd game Charleston Classic in South Carolina)
at Houston in Houston
at Cincinnati in Cincinnati

[SHOXAAC]

I think we go 7-5 in our non-conference schedule, with 1 win and 2 losses in Charleston (winners bracket). In conference play, i think we go 13- 5 and finish in 3rd place.

Overall, i think we finish 20 wins and 10 losses.

Here are my individual game predictions which would get us to 20 wins:

Likely Wins -
vs Louisiana Tech at Koch Arena
vs Rice at Koch Arena
vs Baylor at Charles Koch Arena
vs Jacksonville State at Charles Koch Arena
vs Southern Mississippi at Intrust Bank Arena
vs Oral Roberts at Koch Arena
vs Temple at Koch Arena
at South Florida in Tampa
vs Tulsa at Koch Arena
vs East Carolina at Koch Arena
vs Tulane at Koch Arena

Maybe Wins -
vs Davidson (1st game Charleston Classic in South Carolina)
vs Central Florida at Koch Arena
vs Cincinnati at Koch Arena
vs Southern Methodist at Koch Arena
at Tulsa in Tulsa
vs Memphis at Koch Arena
vs Connecticut at Koch Arena
at East Carolina in Greenville
at Tulane in New Orleans

Maybe Losses -
vs Providence in Annapolis, Maryland
vs Ball State/Virginia Tech/Alabama/Northeastern (3rd game Charleston Classic in South Carolina)
at Oklahoma in Oklahoma City
at VCU in Richmond, Virginia
at Memphis in Memphis
at Connecticut in Storrs
at Southern Methodist in Dallas

Likely Losses -
vs Purdue/Appalachian State (2nd game Charleston Classic in South Carolina)
at Houston in Houston
at Cincinnati in Cincinnati

I think this is very likely. I will not be upset with an NIT bid. I am excited about watching the incredible journey this season, but watch out for 2019-20!!!

[wichshock65]

It will be interesting to see what Mary Johnson has to say.

[Shocker1976]

Sixty-two (62) responders with no SN poster choosing 14 or fewer victories; I wonder how many of these 62 hope/pray the Shockers win 14 games?

IMO only four (4) home games (Tulane, Memphis, UCONN and ECU) are hopeful victories; Tulane away on March 9th is a possibility. Praying for some surprises!

[Shock Top]

If we finished with 14 wins, I will be shocked at this point.

I believe, and I can only speak with certainty for myself here, that we placed too much stock in a (supposed) super-improve level of recruits in the first year of the AAC and Marshall's ability to get them playing well from the start.

It is starting to look like some of us fell victim to the classic "everyone looks great on YouTube" blunder, and it is now obvious that NO COACH or God himself, could get all the young bucks on this roster prepared for the huge jump tho highly competitive D1 basketball this early on.
- One or two, absolutely.
- three or four, sure
- nine or ten, lol

I do believe most are step above MVC level recruiting, and Marshall is still on of the best at getting the most out of players ability/talent; so the future is not complete lost. However, the bitter truth is, unless you program is named Duke or Kentucky (and you basically have a rookie NBA team), you are just not going to have a lot of success playing mostly freshman.

[ShockTalk]

To be around the top of the American, we are going to need to regularly get as many 4* players as 3* and that doesn't mean a 4* by only one service. Also, not have so badly unbalanced classes that a transfer or draft player makes it unbelievably bad.

[Shock Top]

YES!!

For 2020, if we don’t have more 4* guys than not, I will be disappointed.