Lets look to the future and not the past...what are the expectations

[Where'sWaldo]

for our basketball team next year assuming Malik leaves. I think we are going to struggle pretty bad with a team full of Freshman. The guys we are bringing in are good players but not first year impact type guys. IMO an NIT appearance next season is the goal with NCAA or bust the year after.

[msstate7]

With no Malik, my goal is .500. With Malik, nit

[HoopsDawg]

for our basketball team next year assuming Malik leaves. I think we are going to struggle pretty bad with a team full of Freshman. The guys we are bringing in are good players but not first year impact type guys. IMO an NIT appearance next season is the goal with NCAA or bust the year after.

Expecting the NIT may even be a stretch. I'm worried about PG. Lamar Peters is an outstanding high school player, but we need a distributor and a great defender. I worry about all young guys and their defense. Keglar got suspended a couple of times this year so he's got to grow up too. Howland is going to have to coach his ass off to get us in the NIT.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

We'll have NIT & bubble NCAA talent next year. The problem is with or without Malik 95% of our roster is underclassmen. That's going to call for some growing pains. This team is going to have to grow up & gel quickly. Going to Italy in August is bigger than we can ever imagine. Ready, Q, Holman, Stapleton, & hopefully a grad transfer are going to have to really up their leadership skills & hold the young guys accountable. It should be excited & nerve wracking at the same time.

[jumbo]

NITish

[maroonmania]

We'll have NIT & bubble NCAA talent next year. The problem is with or without Malik 95% of our roster is underclassmen. That's going to call for some growing pains. This team is going to have to grow up & gel quickly. Going to Italy in August is bigger than we can ever imagine. Ready, Q, Holman, Stapleton, & hopefully a grad transfer are going to have to really up their leadership skills & hold the young guys accountable. It should be excited & nerve wracking at the same time.

Yep, we can't win for losing. This year the veteran players didn't know how to win and were entrenched in bad habits already formed. Next year we have growing pains and inexperience to deal with. Woe is us. :(

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Yep, we can't win for losing. This year the veteran players didn't know how to win and were entrenched in bad habits already formed. Next year we have growing pains and inexperience to deal with. Woe is us. :(

I wouldn't go that far but we'll have an extremely young team. Really talented but really young.

[Eric Nies Grind Time]

So has Newman given any sort of date on his announcement? I am guessing he is going to go pro still.

[Johnson85]

for our basketball team next year assuming Malik leaves. I think we are going to struggle pretty bad with a team full of Freshman. The guys we are bringing in are good players but not first year impact type guys. IMO an NIT appearance next season is the goal with NCAA or bust the year after.

All depends on the freshman post players. I think Ready (if he comes back), Malik (if he comes back), and Q will be good enough that if our freshmen post players are serviceable from the get go, we'll do well enough in the first part of the year that we can keep post season hopes alive until all the second half of SEC play, when hopefully all our younger guys getting playing time will have adjusted.

If one of Herard and Ado isn't ready to be a starter from teh get go, I'm thinking next year will look like this year. Lots of good progress, but enough pain early on that we won't be able to develop a post season quality resume.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

So has Newman given any sort of date on his announcement? I am guessing he is going to go pro still.

It's going to be a while before we know for certain. Here are some key dates

April 24th - Deadline to Enter Draft

May 11th - 15th - NBA Combine

June 13th - Withdrawal Deadline

[jumbo]

So has Newman given any sort of date on his announcement? I am guessing he is going to go pro still.


Only thing I've seen is that Howland said Malik would discuss with his family over spring break

[mic]

If we have a Verando type 5 that's can defend the paint and rebound our D will be 100x better...
If the Frosh are as advertised will we be a good basketball team next year.

The NIT isn't as easy or a lock with 17-20 wins to get into as it was 3-4 years ago...
UMiss with 20 wins this year won't make nit...

[sleepy dawg]

If we have a Verando type 5 that's can defend the paint and rebound our D will be 100x better...
If the Frosh are as advertised will we be a good basketball team next year.

The NIT isn't as easy or a lock with 17-20 wins to get into as it was 3-4 years ago...
UMiss with 20 wins this year won't make nit...

It's kind of hard to get the best shot blocker of all time...

[maroonmania]

I wouldn't go that far but we'll have an extremely young team. Really talented but really young.

Yea, I was being more sarcastic than anything but we always seem to have excuses ready for why we shouldn't set our goals very high.

[maroonmania]

It's going to be a while before we know for certain. Here are some key dates

April 24th - Deadline to Enter Draft

May 11th - 15th - NBA Combine

June 13th - Withdrawal Deadline

So its pretty much guaranteed that we won't know until sometime after May 15th.

[mic]

It's kind of hard to get the best shot blocker of all time...

I said Verando type... Just someone who can defend the paint...
And taking nothing away from Swat , but one reason he had as many blocks as he did was because our guards couldn't defend they had JV to clean up for them..

[Big4Dawg]

If we have a Verando type 5 that's can defend the paint and rebound our D will be 100x better...
If the Frosh are as advertised will we be a good basketball team next year.

The NIT isn't as easy or a lock with 17-20 wins to get into as it was 3-4 years ago...
UMiss with 20 wins this year won't make nit...

Speaking of Varnado, I wish we offered his brother. Would have been better than Shrugg.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3906609/jordon-varnado

13 points, 7 reb as a freshmen at Troy.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Speaking of Varnado, I wish we offered his brother. Would have been better than Shrugg.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3906609/jordon-varnado

13 points, 7 reb as a freshmen at Troy.

Question is would he be better than Q, Stapleton, & Kegler who will be our 3/Stretch 4's for the next few years.

[Liverpooldawg]

I have no idea. Why don't we wait and see them on a college floor before setting expectations.

[HancockCountyDog]

These threads depress me. 20-52 over the last four years, and we are staring at another season where we might not be a bubble team?

[coastratdog]

So has Newman given any sort of date on his announcement? I am guessing he is going to go pro still.

Can Malik come back next year and then turn pro or does he have to wait a certain period of time?

[smootness]

I have no idea. Why don't we wait and see them on a college floor before setting expectations.

This. I have no expectations next year and certainly won't attempt to set expectations for players I've never seen before.

My expectations are to be in the Tournament and dangerous by Year 3, because Howland should be able to produce that by his 3rd year. I have no expectations for next year, I'm just excited to see the young guys.

[smootness]

Can Malik come back next year and then turn pro or does he have to wait a certain period of time?

Basketball players can go pro at any time after their freshman year, so long as they're at least 19 by the time of the draft.

[shannondawg]

I may be weird, but I enjoy watching players progress individually and well as the team. So I don't get my panties in a wad after every game win or lose, just looking for improvement individually and as a team.

[Coach34]

Different expectations for 2017 than we had this past season. Very talented but young team. Lots of ups and downs- but an NIT bid at worst. That should be our expectations moving forward. We expect to go to bowl games in football, we expect to go to the NCAA's in baseball....NIT at worst in basketball.

[smootness]

Different expectations for 2017 than we had this past season. Very talented but young team. Lots of ups and downs- but an NIT bid at worst. That should be our expectations moving forward. We expect to go to bowl games in football, we expect to go to the NCAA's in baseball....NIT at worst in basketball.

And if we don't meet those expectations.....then what?

[Coach34]

And if we don't meet those expectations.....then what?

Then that will be 2 years straight into a 4 year contract. Meaning the next 2 years better see some better results

[smootness]

Then that will be 2 years straight into a 4 year contract. Meaning the next 2 years better see some better results

Well, as I've said, my expectations start in year 3. So it seems like we basically agree.

[Coach34]

Well, as I've said, my expectations start in year 3. So it seems like we basically agree.

Just because his 1st season was a failure doesnt mean he will be in his tenure. Everybody is excited about the future right now.

[smootness]

Just because his 1st season was a failure doesnt mean he will be in his tenure. Everybody is excited about the future right now.

But you have agreed that 'failure to meet expectations' in years 1 and 2 would only mean that we wait to see what happens in years 3 and 4. So in other words, there are no real expectations for years 1 and 2.

[HSVDawg]

So its pretty much guaranteed that we won't know until sometime after May 15th.

Correct. Whether he actually goes pro or not in the end, he's definitely going to declare and probably keep his name in the hat up until June 13th. Nobody should freak out about that, but I'm sure that they will regardless.

[TheRef]

I'm willing to put money down that Malik will be back next season. In fact, I'll go ahead and put all my vCash on it. Malik will be back in Maroon and White next season.

[smootness]

Correct. Whether he actually goes pro or not in the end, he's definitely going to declare and probably keep his name in the hat up until June 13th. Nobody should freak out about that, but I'm sure that they will regardless.

I don't think it's out of the question that he decides early he's coming back. I don't think there's a great chance of that happening, but I do think it's possible that he realizes he needs another year, and it's likely he already understands where his draft stock is. He may decide to initially declare and work out in the hopes teams see him healthy and bump him up, but he might also decide that's unlikely.

[msstate7]

Well, as I've said, my expectations start in year 3. So it seems like we basically agree.

Smoot, '18 is shaping up to be a nice sports year for us... Basketball and the braves should be strong contenders

[smootness]

Smoot, '18 is shaping up to be a nice sports year for us... Basketball and the braves should be strong contenders

Indeed it is. Our basketball team will have two Weatherspoons, Herard, Kegler, Carter, Wright, Peters, Ado, and Brooks. And the Braves will have Swanson, Albies, Newcomb, Blair, Sims, Mallex, hopefully Kyle Lewis, and maybe Riley, Allard, Touki, Fried, or Davidson as well. With Maitan scorching the minor league system. One can dream.

[Dawg61]

Just because his 1st season was a failure doesnt mean he will be in his tenure. Everybody is excited about the future right now.

Failure is way too negative a word for a team that battled in every game. You forget Vandy, Mizzou, Texas & UNC beating us by 40 points 3 years ago? Those are failures. This season is not that.

[sleepy dawg]

I know it doesn't feel like we're making a lot of progress, but I believe we are. I'm a big believer in stats, and the numbers show we were way better this year than the past few years. Here are the Sagarin ratings of our basketball team over the past few years:
year - rank
2013 - 187
2014 - 153
2015 - 83

Despite only winning a couple of more games this year than last, we made huge strides in our game overall. We still lost a lot of games, but we were much more competitive overall. I feel this year was kind of like Mullen's first year... we only won 5 games that year, but huge strides were made and he hasn't finished that bad since that first year. I expect the same with Howland.

I know we'll be a young team next year, but I believe Howland can continue to build on his first year success, and I think an NIT bid is a very real possibility next year with or without Malik. I wouldn't say I'm expecting an NIT bid per say, because I really don't know what to expect, but I do believe Howland has us on the right track.

[parabrave]

Smoot, '18 is shaping up to be a nice sports year for us... Basketball and the braves should be strong contenders

How do you know that Fredi G will not be the manager?

[msstate7]

How do you know that Fredi G will not be the manager?

He'll be gm by then**

[Bothrops]

We will have a couple of impact freshman. That will be enough to exceed this year's team with Q and Ready returning.

[Political Hack]

for our basketball team next year assuming Malik leaves. I think we are going to struggle pretty bad with a team full of Freshman. The guys we are bringing in are good players but not first year impact type guys. IMO an NIT appearance next season is the goal with NCAA or bust the year after.

the guys like Kegler who everyone expects to be 1st year impact players won't be huge stars right away, but we've got one or two that are under the radar a little that could contribute very quickly in a big way. We get an immediate injection on big man defense, more ball handlers, will have better shooters on the floor, and will have guys that should be able to rebound... and every single one of them can run the floor. We're going 90 to nothing next year and will probably run some early non-conference opponents straight out the gym. we'll be good. I expect to have a big OOC run and a winning record in the SEC, which should get us in the tournament has a 7-12 seed type team with an outside shot to upset some people in the dance.

[JohnnyQuid]

The NIT isn't as easy or a lock with 17-20 wins to get into as it was 3-4 years ago...
UMiss with 20 wins this year won't make nit...

this is true and I don't follow college bball as much as I did 5 yrs ago but what's changed from when 20 wins was damn near a ncaa tourny lock to now? just more good teams?

[smootness]

this is true and I don't follow college bball as much as I did 5 yrs ago but what's changed from when 20 wins was damn near a ncaa tourny lock to now? just more good teams?

20 wins was not a lock 5 years ago. It's still in bubble territory, as it should be, since if you just win 20 then you have about 12-13 losses as well.

The reason the NIT is tougher now is because they changed their selection process. It used to just be basically every major conference team who was at least .500. Now they take any conference regular season champ who didn't win their conference tourney and didn't get in, plus they look more at RPI and take more mid-majors in general.

[Dawg61]

this is true and I don't follow college bball as much as I did 5 yrs ago but what's changed from when 20 wins was damn near a ncaa tourny lock to now? just more good teams?

There's 347 D1 teams now. That's what's changed. The tournament expansion of 64 to 68 hasn't kept up with the much larger expansion of D1 teams. The tourney really needs to absorb the NIT and become 96 teams and let the CBI be the new NIT.