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Ya know for all the love pundits give HCGM, his teams never seem to get much of a benefit of the doubt.
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True, ShockTalk, but let's also not forget that these same national pundits over rank and over hype the chickenhawks, Duke, Kentucky, and Michigan State every freeking year.Comment
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I'll give you that on 1 of those teams, but on the other 3, the pundits are going to be right a whole lot more often than wrong.
Better examples would be comparing how the Shocks are projected versus other non-P5 leading schools.Comment
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"American Athletic Conference Offseason Reset: What does all the turnover mean for the league?" - NBC Sports
By Rob Dauster
Posted: Jul 18, 2019, 10:00 AM EDT
"The grad transfer market is still in full swing, but for the most part, we know what the meaningful parts for the majority of the teams around the country will be. That means that it is time to start talking about what is coming instead of what was. With that in mind, let’s take a look at key personnel changes, the impact of the coaching carousel and the most important storylines heading into the 2019-20 season for each of college basketball’s top seven conferences.
Today, we are talking the American.
KEY OFFSEASON STORYLINES...
HOW LONG WILL IT BE BEFORE WICHITA STATE IS BACK?: Gregg Marshall is one of the best coaches in all of college basketball, and the fact that he took last year’s roster and got them to 10-8 in the AAC and into the NIT should be proof of that. But the Shockers are losing Markis McDuffie and Samajae Haynes-Jones, their two leading scorers from last season, and dismissed Teddy Allen, who was supposed to be the leading scorer this year, last month.
Wichita State went 14-4 in the final two months of the 2018-19 season, including a stretch where they won 11 of 13 games against AAC opponents. They’ll win because Marshall is really good at his job. But as more time passes, it gets harder and harder to ignore the fact that in his last five years in the Missouri Valley, Marshall coached four NBA players – Cleanthony Early, Ron Baker, Fred VanVleet and Landry Shamet....
TEDDY ALLEN, Wichita State: For my money, Allen getting dismissed is a bigger loss either McDuffie or Haynes-Jones. Marshall planned to lose his seniors, and part of that plan was having Allen’s scoring pop to replace them....
WAY-TOO-EARLY POWER RANKINGS
1. MEMPHIS: We talked more in-depth about the Tigers earlier, but I will say this: They are far and away the most talented team in the league, and they are also far and away the youngest relevant team in the league. How that translates into wins in a conference where the rest of their title competition have more experience and/or are built on toughness and physicality is going to be interesting to watch.
2. HOUSTON: I trust Kelvin Sampson as much as I trust any coach in college basketball to be able to find a way to make his pieces work. Losing Armoni Brooks hurts, but with Nate Hinton and DeJon Jarreau in the backcourt, there is some talent. There’s a possibility Quentin Grimes may find his way into playing this season, too. Throw in some size and depth in the frontcourt, and the Cougars look like they are going to be heading back to the tournament.
3. CINCINNATI: The Bearcats have the guy that very well could end up being the best player in the league on their roster in Jarron Cumberland. He looks like a linebacker, but he managed to put up 18.8 points, 4.4 boards and 3.6 assists while shooting 39 percent from three last season. He can hoop. Cincinnati also returns Keith Williams and Tre Scott while adding Jaevin Cumberland, Jarron’s cousin, a grad transfer from Oakland. The big question with this group is going to be how the adjust to new head coach John Brannen. With Mick Cronin back, I would probably slot Cincinnati second.
4. WICHITA STATE: For my money, the Shockers are the most interesting team in this conference. Yes, they lost their top two scorers from last season – not to mention the guy they thought was going to be their top scorer this season – but this was a deep team last season that really came on strong down the stretch. They won 11 out of 13 down the stretch of the AAC season, and then proceeded to beat Furman, Clemson and Indiana on the road in the NIT to get to that tournament’s Final Four. Jaime Echenique is one of the best bigs in the league while Dexter Dennis and Erik Stevenson look ready for big sophomore seasons. They’re tough, they’re battle-tested and they have arguably the best coach in the league. We’ll see.
5. TEMPLE: The Aaron McKie era at Temple will begin with a team capable of getting back to the NCAA tournament if things break right. Shizz Alston is gone, and that hurts, but the Owls will bring back both Quinton Rose and Nate Pierre-Louis. That will be enough to keep them in the top half of the league.
6. UCONN: Losing Jalen Adams is going to hurt, but beyond that, the Huskies bring back a lot of important pieces from last season. They should have plenty of perimeter depth even if Alterique Gilbert’s health struggles continue, as they add James Bouknight and Jalen Gaffney to a rotation that already includes Christian Vital. Josh Carlton and Tyler Polley will provide some continuity in the frontcourt, but I think Danny Hurley’s second season in Storrs is going to come down to how well Sidney Wilson and Akok Akok perform in their second year on campus.
7. UCF: The Knights are a tough team to project this season. On the one hand, they lost all of their dudes – B.J. Taylor and Tacko Fall graduated while Aubrey Dawkins turned pro. On the other hand, they have a number of really good transfers getting eligible this year (Dazon Ingram, Matt Milon, Yuat Alok, Ibrahim Doumbia) while Collin Smith looks like he’ll be ready for a big year. They’ve got a chance to sneak up on some people.
8. SOUTH FLORIDA: The Bulls are the sleeper in the American, and they have a chance to be really, really good. David Collins and LaQuincy Rideau give them one of the best backcourts in the league, and they return basically everyone from last season, when they finished 24-14 overall and 8-10 in the league. I’m not sure they have the ceiling to crack the top three in the league, but if you were to tell me that they can finish above Wichita State, Temple, UConn and UCF, I wouldn’t call you crazy.
9. TULSA: Losing DaQuan Jeffries, Sterling Taplin and Curran Scott will hurt, but Frank Haith will have some bodies coming back. Martins Igabnu and Jeriah Horne. The young Tulsa guards are going to need to step up.
10. SMU: The Larry Brown era seems so long ago. The Mustangs are now losing their two best guards off of a team that went just 3-15 in the AAC last season.
11. EAST CAROLINA: The good news is that ECU brings back Jayden Gardner, who averaged 16.3 points and 8.5 boards as a freshman. The bad news is that he is the only one of their top seven scorers to return.
12. TULANE: Tulane won four games last season and lost their top three players. new head coach Ron Hunter has some talent and transfers coming into the program, but they have a long way to go."
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UPDATED: "...Too Early Top 25 Rankings" - ESPN
Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
Posted: 08/14/19, 7:00am cst
"We're now inside 100 days until the start of the college basketball season, and most of the pieces are in place around the country. This version of the Way-Too-Early Preseason Top 25 underwent the fewest changes from the previous month....Given the nature of college basketball, there are bound to be a few more twists and turns before we get to the start of fall practice -- but the national picture is essentially set in stone right now....
13. Memphis Tigers (Previous: 13)
We should get some insight into how Penny Hardaway plans to fit all the pieces together soon, as Memphis will travel to the Bahamas to play four games in less than a week. The final scores won't be as important as getting a feel for potential lineups and combinations. The big question: Will Hardaway start five freshmen? Boogie Ellis, Lester Quinones, D.J. Jeffries, Precious Achiuwa and James Wiseman would be the most talented lineup possible, and it will fit fairly well if Ellis can run the point and there's enough perimeter shooting.
Next in line:
#28. VCU (previous: 27)
#30. Cincinnati (previous: 30)..."Comment
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College Basketball 2019-2020 Preseason Top 25 - NBC Sports
By Rob Dauster
Posted: Aug 27, 2019, 11:00 AM EDT
"There is so much that is going to happen between now and the time that next season starts that it almost seems foolish to publish a preseason top 25 today.
But we’re doing it anyway!
A couple of notes: Who is going to head to the NBA is very much in the air right now. There are still a number of freshmen that have yet to announce where they are playing their college ball. The transfer market has barely heated up. For decisions that are up in the air, you’ll see an asterisk next to their name. We’re making predictions on what certain players will do and ranking based off of them.
So with all that said, here is the preseason top 25....
21. MEMPHIS
WHO’S GONE: Jeremiah Martin, Kyvon Davenport, Mike Parks Jr., Raynere Thornton, Kareem Brewton, Antwann Jones Jr.
WHO’S BACK: Tyler Harris, Alex Lomax, Isaiah Maurice
WHO’S COMING IN: James Wiseman, D.J. Jeffries, Lester Quinones, Malcolm Dandridge, Damian Baugh, Lance Thomas, Precious Achiuwa, Boogie Ellis
PROJECTED STARTERS: Tyler Harris, Boogie Ellis, D.J. Jeffries, Precious Achiuwa, James Wiseman
24. VCU
WHO’S GONE: Michael Gilmore
WHO’S BACK: Marcus Evans, Isaac Vann, Deriante Jenkins, Marcus Santos-Silva, Vince Williams, Mike’L Simms, P.J. Byrd, Malik Crawford
WHO’S COMING IN: Jarren McAlister
PROJECTED STARTERS: Marcus Evans, Isaac Vann, Vince Williams, Deriante Jenkins, Marcus Santos-Silva..."Comment
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We will be better than Cincinnati this year. Book it.Comment
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I like your optimism, but not a chance. Not to say we can’t knock them off once.Originally posted by WichitaStateGuy View PostComment
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If we can find a go to scorer to go with Dex and JE, or if Dex can become a go to scorer and a third can get 10 per game, then we will be tough to beat!Livin the dreamComment
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"College basketball rankings: Andy Katz's Power 36 with 200 days until Selection Sunday" - NCAA
By ANDY KATZ, NCAA.COM CORRESPONDENT
Posted: AUGUST 28, 2019
"We are officially 200 days out from Selection Sunday for the 2020 NCAA tournament. With that, it’s time for another preseason Power 36 rankings.
Listed next to the team is the previous ranking, plus one thing to like about each team....
13. Memphis (11): The Tigers will still need to prove they can handle the spotlight once it starts to shine.
33. VCU (25): The Rams will be right there with Davidson. This squad is experienced and won’t get rattled.
34. Houston (28): Dejon Jarreau was the leader the Cougars need on their trip to Italy.
In the mix: Arizona, Tennessee, NC State, South Florida, Cincinnati, Creighton, Florida State, South Carolina, Wichita State, Michigan, Iowa, Arizona State, New Mexico State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, TCU, Notre Dame, Harvard, Mississippi State, Pepperdine."Comment
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ACC, Big East, Pac-12 place four each in Way-Too-Early Top 25 - ESPN
by Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
posted: 09/12/19, 6:15am cst
"Despite the headline, it's no longer Way-Too-Early. College basketball games start in less than two months, and practices begin in less than two weeks -- meaning the season is basically here. We've done monthly Way-Too-Early Preseason Top 25 rankings since the night Virginia beat Texas Tech in Minneapolis to win the national championship, but now it's real.
So this is going to operate as the Top 25 until the next update ... after the season begins. Feels good to say that....
14. Memphis Tigers, Previous: 13
The most intriguing team in the country heading into the season. Penny Hardaway is bringing in the No. 1 recruiting class and essentially turning over the roster for his second year at the helm, leading to extremely high expectations for Memphis. There are five ESPN 100 prospects entering the fold -- including three five-stars -- but unranked four-star Damian Baugh is receiving rave reviews in the offseason. It will be interesting to see how Hardaway fits all his pieces together, but it appears likely he'll start five freshmen. James Wiseman, Precious Achiuwa and D.J. Jeffries should lead the way up front, while Baugh, Boogie Ellis and Lester Quinones will battle returnees Tyler Harris and Alex Lomax in the backcourt. A Nov. 12 showdown with Oregon should be awfully telling -- for both teams....
Next in line:
28. VCU (previous: #28)
30 .Cincinnati (previous: #30)"
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NCAA Men’s Basketball Preview (2019-2020) - SB Nation
By Sam Tyler - TilltheBitterEnd
posted: Oct 2, 2019, 9:00am CDT
Opening statement:
Hey gang, after a crazy summer and start to the fall, I am back to darken your doorways (or gateways, or web-browsers, or... whatever). I am gonna keep doing my basketball related stuff, and will hopefully do it better than ever!...
Teams of Interest:
#17 Memphis
1 - Harris, Lomax
2 - Ellis, Quinones
3 - Jeffries, Baugh
4 - Achiuwa, Thomas
5 - Wiseman, Maurice, Dandridge
This team has absurd talent, almost no returning experience (outside of Harris and Lomax, quite possibly the two least talented players on the team, who will also be expected to run the point), a likely straight-foward regular season, tons of expectations, and future in which they can expect to lose probably 4-6 players to the NBA draft after this season. It’s gonna be weird, fun, and fraught for Penny. The AAC is no joke with Cincinnati, Houston, and Wichita State to deal with, but Memphis should win their conference and look like a juggernaut heading into the NCAA tourney. Will Wiseman, Achiuwa, and Jeffries be tough enough and disciplined enough in big games? Will Ellis, Quinones, and Baugh provide enough consistent shooting? Will Harris and Lomax distribute the ball well-enough? Will the NBA distract? Will egoes get in the way of team success? It’s gonna be interesting to watch.
#27 Cincinnati
1 - Cumberland, McNeal
2 - Cumberland, Harvey, Adams-Woods
3 - Williams, Moore, Davenport
4 - Scott, Toyambi
5 - Diarra
This Cincinnati team should be outstanding. Jaevin Cumberland, the Oakland transfer, should start with Chris McNeal, another grad transfer, as the back up at the point, and if those two solidify the point guard position, then Jarron Cumberland (Jaevin’s cousin) should handle the rest. He is a terrific scorer and ideal focal point of a team. Other returners Williams, Scott, Toyambi, and Diarra should play great supporting roles, with the real jolt from the reserves likely coming from Zach Harvey (a top-50 recruit; long, lean, and a scorer) and Mika Adams-Woods another quality freshman who is better than his ranking. They should finish right near the top of the AAC and will have the goods for a potential tourney run.
#37 Oklahoma
1 - Bieniemy, Harmon
2 - Williams
3 - Reaves, Hill, Garang
4 - Doolittle, Iquakor, Kur
5 - Manek, Merritt, Issanza
Oklahoma lost a ton of seniors after last season. But Bieniemy is a delight and a budding star, Manek should be their focal point (and he can really play), and the guys they bring in (including Reaves, a Wichita State transfer) can all shoot it a bit, score a bit, and bring some toughness. Kruger is a solid coach, and I just can’t see this team fading.
#44 VCU
1 - Evans, Hyland, Clark III
2 - Jenkins, Crowfield, McAllister
3 - Vann, Simms, Curry
4 - Williams, Douglas
5 - Santos-Silva, Ward
If Dayton doesn’t win the A-10, it will be VCU again. They return 5 seniors in Evans, Jenkins, Vann, Crowfield, and Simms who will take the bulk of the perimeter minutes, with freshmen Hyland, Clark III, and McAllister all competing to join the rotation in some capacity. Williams, Santos-Silva, and Douglas also return as veteran front-court members. But VCU’s struggles last year (#332 in 3pt%!!!) will return unless some of these veterans spent all summer learning how to shoot the 3-ball. I think Dayton has a higher ceiling, but VCU’s floor is about as good as it gets.
#50 Wichita State
1 - Sherfield, Etienne, Fernandes
2 - Stevenson, Burton
3 - Dennis, Wade
4 - Bilau, Gordon, Udeze
5 - Echenique, Midtgaard, Bear-Chandler
Wichita State lost McDuffie and Haynes-Jones, big-time seniors from last year, but I believe in Greg Marshall in a big way. He is going to get every last ounce out of these kids. Wichita State was #66 last year in Kenpom and was on the wrong side of a lot of close games. All three freshmen in the point-guard rotation will play, and some may play off-ball, and Stevenson, Burton, and Dennis are all sophmores who will stand to improve off of their solid freshmen seasons (yes, in a year or 2 this back-court will be unreal and might just lead Wichita State on another Final Four run). The trick is the front court - none are proven commodities other than the rock-solid Echenique - if Marshall can find another one or two guys to do the dirty-work every night, then this Wichita State team could bloody the noses of the presumptive AAC front-runners in Memphis, Cincinnati, and Houston.
For reference: Rough rankings of major conferences:
1. Atlantic Coast
2. Big 10
3. Big East
4. Big 12
5. Southeastern
6. Pacific Coast
7. Others:Memphis, Gonzaga, Cincinnati, St Mary’s, Utah State, Dayton, VCU, Davidson, Wichita State
Comment: Really interested to see what happens with this loaded Memphis team, Gonzaga too (they have like 7 bigs and 4 guards). Dayton and Wichita State are my real soft-spots - they are gonna be super fun!!!"Comment
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Rather uninformed analysis.Originally posted by WuShock Reaper View PostNCAA Men’s Basketball Preview (2019-2020) - SB Nation
By Sam Tyler - TilltheBitterEnd
posted: Oct 2, 2019, 9:00am CDT
Opening statement:
Hey gang, after a crazy summer and start to the fall, I am back to darken your doorways (or gateways, or web-browsers, or... whatever). I am gonna keep doing my basketball related stuff, and will hopefully do it better than ever!...
Teams of Interest:
#17 Memphis
1 - Harris, Lomax
2 - Ellis, Quinones
3 - Jeffries, Baugh
4 - Achiuwa, Thomas
5 - Wiseman, Maurice, Dandridge
This team has absurd talent, almost no returning experience (outside of Harris and Lomax, quite possibly the two least talented players on the team, who will also be expected to run the point), a likely straight-foward regular season, tons of expectations, and future in which they can expect to lose probably 4-6 players to the NBA draft after this season. It’s gonna be weird, fun, and fraught for Penny. The AAC is no joke with Cincinnati, Houston, and Wichita State to deal with, but Memphis should win their conference and look like a juggernaut heading into the NCAA tourney. Will Wiseman, Achiuwa, and Jeffries be tough enough and disciplined enough in big games? Will Ellis, Quinones, and Baugh provide enough consistent shooting? Will Harris and Lomax distribute the ball well-enough? Will the NBA distract? Will egoes get in the way of team success? It’s gonna be interesting to watch.
#27 Cincinnati
1 - Cumberland, McNeal
2 - Cumberland, Harvey, Adams-Woods
3 - Williams, Moore, Davenport
4 - Scott, Toyambi
5 - Diarra
This Cincinnati team should be outstanding. Jaevin Cumberland, the Oakland transfer, should start with Chris McNeal, another grad transfer, as the back up at the point, and if those two solidify the point guard position, then Jarron Cumberland (Jaevin’s cousin) should handle the rest. He is a terrific scorer and ideal focal point of a team. Other returners Williams, Scott, Toyambi, and Diarra should play great supporting roles, with the real jolt from the reserves likely coming from Zach Harvey (a top-50 recruit; long, lean, and a scorer) and Mika Adams-Woods another quality freshman who is better than his ranking. They should finish right near the top of the AAC and will have the goods for a potential tourney run.
#37 Oklahoma
1 - Bieniemy, Harmon
2 - Williams
3 - Reaves, Hill, Garang
4 - Doolittle, Iquakor, Kur
5 - Manek, Merritt, Issanza
Oklahoma lost a ton of seniors after last season. But Bieniemy is a delight and a budding star, Manek should be their focal point (and he can really play), and the guys they bring in (including Reaves, a Wichita State transfer) can all shoot it a bit, score a bit, and bring some toughness. Kruger is a solid coach, and I just can’t see this team fading.
#44 VCU
1 - Evans, Hyland, Clark III
2 - Jenkins, Crowfield, McAllister
3 - Vann, Simms, Curry
4 - Williams, Douglas
5 - Santos-Silva, Ward
If Dayton doesn’t win the A-10, it will be VCU again. They return 5 seniors in Evans, Jenkins, Vann, Crowfield, and Simms who will take the bulk of the perimeter minutes, with freshmen Hyland, Clark III, and McAllister all competing to join the rotation in some capacity. Williams, Santos-Silva, and Douglas also return as veteran front-court members. But VCU’s struggles last year (#332 in 3pt%!!!) will return unless some of these veterans spent all summer learning how to shoot the 3-ball. I think Dayton has a higher ceiling, but VCU’s floor is about as good as it gets.
#50 Wichita State
1 - Sherfield, Etienne, Fernandes
2 - Stevenson, Burton
3 - Dennis, Wade
4 - Bilau, Gordon, Udeze
5 - Echenique, Midtgaard, Bear-Chandler
Wichita State lost McDuffie and Haynes-Jones, big-time seniors from last year, but I believe in Greg Marshall in a big way. He is going to get every last ounce out of these kids. Wichita State was #66 last year in Kenpom and was on the wrong side of a lot of close games. All three freshmen in the point-guard rotation will play, and some may play off-ball, and Stevenson, Burton, and Dennis are all sophmores who will stand to improve off of their solid freshmen seasons (yes, in a year or 2 this back-court will be unreal and might just lead Wichita State on another Final Four run). The trick is the front court - none are proven commodities other than the rock-solid Echenique - if Marshall can find another one or two guys to do the dirty-work every night, then this Wichita State team could bloody the noses of the presumptive AAC front-runners in Memphis, Cincinnati, and Houston.
For reference: Rough rankings of major conferences:
1. Atlantic Coast
2. Big 10
3. Big East
4. Big 12
5. Southeastern
6. Pacific Coast
7. Others:Memphis, Gonzaga, Cincinnati, St Mary’s, Utah State, Dayton, VCU, Davidson, Wichita State
Comment: Really interested to see what happens with this loaded Memphis team, Gonzaga too (they have like 7 bigs and 4 guards). Dayton and Wichita State are my real soft-spots - they are gonna be super fun!!!"The future's so bright - I gotta wear shades.
We like to cut down nets and get sized for championship rings.Comment
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I agree. He ascribes position by height without consideration for skill. Burton is a PG/SF. Etienne and Sheffield will not BOTH be PGs. Wade will get the starting nod at PF.Originally posted by Aargh View PostLivin the dreamComment
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Noticed Reaves is now a small forwardComment
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