Another 8th place prediciton, BUT...

[tropicalshox]

we are the sleeper.

http://northwesternwins.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/missouri-valley-preview/

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

drake 3rd??

[Bigshotmaker]

We are inexeprienced compared to everybody else the compliment is they predicted us to be the sleeper.

[C0|dB|00ded]

To be predicted to finish at the bottom of the Valley in HCGM's second year should be quite the tell tale sign that more people than just I lost a bit of faith in him with last year's debacle. He lost his "golden boy" status and now has a bit to prove.. which may not be a bad thing considering his personality. I think when he came here he thought it would be a bit easier to win than it actually is...

I'm no fan of the Valley but the Big South, the Valley is not..


T


...8)

[Hotel Paper]

To be predicted to finish at the bottom of the Valley in HCGM's second year should be quite the tell tale sign that more people than just I lost a bit of faith in him with last year's debacle. He lost his "golden boy" status and now has a bit to prove.. which may not be a bad thing considering his personality. I think when he came here he thought it would be a bit easier to win than it actually is...

I'm no fan of the Valley but the Big South, the Valley is not..


T


...8)

it was based of last year and that we have so many new people, it's hard to predict where this team is going. We are getting better day by day. we'll finish at least .500

[Bigshotmaker]

Sleeper status should net more than an 8th place prediction.If you are the sleeper and you finish 8th out of 10 teams then you were not the sleeper.The sleeper team should challenge for a top spot.Well OK,I guess we have to keep in mind that it's just a preseason prediction.This team will do much better than that.

[shockmonster]

You are very forgetful Cold or just a poor analyzer of the facts. Anyone looking on from the outside sees a poor team last year and only one returning starter. Marshall got a late start last year and injuries, the death of a promising signee, and bad luck followed. With so few returning players from last year, what is an onlooker supposed to think. Your lack of patience, and/or poor understanding of the facts wear thin.

[kcshocker11]

Gottem where we want em!

[The Mad Hatter]

You are very forgetful Cold or just a poor analyzer of the facts. Anyone looking on from the outside sees a poor team last year and only one returning starter. Marshall got a late start last year and injuries, the death of a promising signee, and bad luck followed. With so few returning players from last year, what is an onlooker supposed to think. Your lack of patience, and/or poor understanding of the facts wear thin.

Not to mention the fact that a large number of our losses were extremely close (a number of other Valley fans last year even mentioned that they thought we were a much better team than our record reflected).

[C0|dB|00ded]

You are very forgetful Cold or just a poor analyzer of the facts. Anyone looking on from the outside sees a poor team last year and only one returning starter. Marshall got a late start last year and injuries, the death of a promising signee, and bad luck followed. With so few returning players from last year, what is an onlooker supposed to think. Your lack of patience, and/or poor understanding of the facts wear thin.

If you only knew how much I care about what wears you thin...

HCGM walked into a Winthrop program and won right away (they must have been pure geniuses)...

Most predicted that he would do no worse than .500 in the Valley his first year...

We recently learned that HCGM teaches a system that requires rocket scientists to understand...

We also learned that HCGM has a slight problem getting along with people when things don't go swimingly...

Now HCGM's team is predicted to be a cellar-dweller his second year in the Valley...

What we need is some talent like Drake had last year...

Here's to HCGM surprising on the upside this year...

I will be watching closely...


T


...8)

[Shirley Schmidt]

I would be happy to beat Northern Iowa a couple of times next season.

[Zardoz]

I can see this years team being harm to figure out for an outsider or even those somewhat familar with the MVC or even us fans who eagarly gobble up ever piece of Shocker news we can find. Last year we found about every way possible to lose games. Then the injury bug hit including the one player we could least afford to lose, our senior PG. Some players were slow coming around and then some of them suffered season ending injuries or it was just to late for it to make any real difference.

I can see us being a sleeper pick, but I do think 8th is a bit low. We have more depth and more talent, at least on paper, than we have seen in sometime. At least one of the two Juco PGs appears to be in the right place at the right time. The two freshman combo guards are talented but freshmen. Hatch finally able to at least concentrate somewhat, with being a newlywed and all, on basketball appears to be much improved on the physical side and has a year in Marshall's system. Hawkins has proved himself on the D1 level at St. Bonnys and has a year practicing with Marshall. Durley appears to have overcome his self admitted lazy streak. Gris and Ellis are also back and Gris and Durley look to be well on the mend. Gris was just "getting it" when his season got cut short. Ellis was also making strides as the season ended. If Durley can play defense can be a force in the Valley. Clemente was a force on the boards all year and was also providing punch on the offensive towards the end of the season. That just leaves Stutz and he has the one thing you can't teach, being 7 foot tall. How quick he can progress on the D1 level and under Marshall's system is anybody's guess.

I think we have talent and depth this year. Marshall is a very good coach how quick he can put it all together is the only question. I think we will surprise some people this year heading into the Valley and be very good in the 09-10 season.

[Dan]

I think it will all hinge on how quickly our guards pick up the system. All our experience is in the front court + Hatch. The guards have to orchestrate the system, which has already proven to be complex. Hopefully these guys will pick it up quickly otherwise it might be until next year before we see noticeable improvement.

[Hotel Paper]

keep this in mind too: Matt lived it and breathed it last year and has first hand experience with it. that'll help alot with helping the new guards understanding it

[tropicalshox]

From Paul S's blog it appears Clevin is picking it up.