Expectations for 2015-16

[HoosierCat]

I agree with L-T, expectation should be Elite 8 next year. Hopefully the rest of the conference has a better year next year as well

 

[Bulldog01]

I disagree fully. That team was probably the most disapointing team to me in Mick's tenure as head coach. Lots of good pieces that never came together. This years team struggled to score, but they actually played as a unit. Also, look at a lot of the teams from the old big east and see how their seasons went. Many of them had very disapointing seasons. Pitt, Cuse, Marquette

Lol, put this team in big east when lance was here not now

 

[Bulldog01]

LT if we didn't crack top 25 why is next year so much better?

 

[#BearcatNation]

LT if we didn't crack top 25 why is next year so much better?

Do you not understand player development and improvement? Only losing one player, and having it be a backup no less, is always a good thing.

 

[HoosierCat]

Do you not understand player development and improvement? Only losing one player, and having it be a backup no less, is always a good thing.

Along with all the new players having a year in the system under their belt and a whole offseason

 

[KJ's#1Supporter]

Do you not understand player development and improvement? Only losing one player, and having it be a backup no less, is always a good thing.

First, he was asking L-T. Second, not a single week in the Top 25 to Elite 8 is a huge jump. No matter who you bring back. I think we can do it, but that's hardly an illegitimate question.

 

[Bulldog01]

Do you not understand player development and improvement? Only losing one player, and having it be a backup no less, is always a good thing.

Every team players develop and improve. Unless you have all Americans coming in its hard as hell to from top 40 to top 10.

Ellis
Clark
Shaq
Cobb
tc

Isn't close to being top 10

 

[jds513]

Lol, put this team in big east when lance was here not now

I don't understand your point. Lance's team was in the big east and faultered.

Actually I do understand. And maybe you're right, we will never know.

 

[TheLongHaul]

First, he was asking L-T. Second, not a single week in the Top 25 to Elite 8 is a huge jump. No matter who you bring back. I think we can do it, but that's hardly an illegitimate question.

So he can't respond because he wasn't specifically asked?

 

[KJ's#1Supporter]

So he can't respond because he wasn't specifically asked?

No in such a condescending way. There's no need for that.

 

[TheLongHaul]

No in such a condescending way. There's no need for that.

Oh please.

 

[KJ's#1Supporter]

Oh please.

There is a need for that?

 

[Bulldog01]

Oh please.

You the one called boeheim a baller. He barely can walk

 

[TheLongHaul]

There is a need for that?

For what? A question? Seemed like a simple question to me.

You the one called boeheim a baller. He barely can walk

Where did I call him a baller? I'll wait. Not to mention your point is ridiculously absurd and beyond stupid. You don't need to be able to currently "ball" to coach.

 

[HoosierCat]

You the one called boeheim a baller. He barely can walk

He actually said that he doesn't look like a baller, which was also in a completely different thread

 

[L-T]

I see your point, but we've also had far more talented teams fall by the wayside in the round of 32. It goes both ways, because the tourney is such a crapshoot. It sucks that you remember the success your team had solely based on the tournament. You can have a hell of a season, yet shoot 2/19 from three one game, and all of the sudden, it's over. Nova and Virginia still had remarkable seasons. Don't tell me UCLA or Xavier were more successful than them.

Anyway, I certainly think we're capable of an Elite Eight run next year, but a lot of it is luck of the draw, so I can't really sit here and say "Elite Eight or bust." If we earn a 4 seed, and beat #13, #5, and lose to #1 in a nail-biter, I'll have a hard time not calling that season successful.

I've had this argument with Jeff many times....just what you've said above. Jeff downplays the regular season and league tournament success under Huggs, and claims it's only about the NCAA. I have always argued "exactly" like what you said in your post. We had one hell of a program in those years regardless of the crappy luck (and an awful lot of it was, in fact, luck) in the NCAA. In my mind, there are three pieces to every season.....regular season, league tournament, NCAA. They all have a lot to do with how your program is viewed nationally. When we were number one most of the season with Kenyon, and then lost quickly in the NCAA, the nation still viewed us as one of the elite programs in the country, regardless of the disapointing NCAA.

 

[cincrulz11]

You can have a hell of a season, yet shoot 2/19 from three one game, and all of the sudden, it's over. Nova and Virginia still had remarkable seasons. Don't tell me UCLA or Xavier were more successful than them.

But at the end of the day everybody would rather be NC State today than Nova. There probably aren't many Nova fans at all that consider this year a success. It was trending towards a successful year and then crashed down.


As a fan base, we know all to well what Nova feels like right now.

 

[L-T]

LT if we didn't crack top 25 why is next year so much better?

Bulldog, I've been around a long time and have watched these kinds of things develop and build many times. I'm going to Elite 8 because we have a coach that's been here 10 years and I want to see him take us to the next level for once. It's the best group we've ever had coming back, and we're adding some strong pieces to the puzzle. When your whole team is back, and you're pretty strong both inside and out, and you already have two pretty good point guards and are adding a third, all the pieces are there to make a run to at least the Elite 8.....as long as both the coaches, and the players, take care of business in the next six months. Nobody would have dreamed that Huggs, coming off a losing season and a barely .500 season, and a very underwhelming recruiting class, could be sitting in the Sweet 16....and deserving to be there. He has been building this, and Mick has been doing the same. It's time for us to make a "big" splash and get the momentum really moving.

Listen, I know the draw and luck and every other excuse is possible, and the probability of getting there is not great even if you're a highly ranked team (ask Villinove and Virginia), but it'll be 10 years, and in my mind....it's time. The chance may never be better than next year. Hey, I'm easy, I think Waterhead said Final Four. Will I be disappointed if it's only Sweet 16? I will be disappointed because I'll know that it'll be a while to wait again before we have this much depth and experience, because that's what it'll take at UC since Mick doesn't recruit players good enough to make a big splash in their first year or two.

 

[JumpinJack5]

But at the end of the day everybody would rather be NC State today than Nova. There probably aren't many Nova fans at all that consider this year a success. It was trending towards a successful year and then crashed down.


As a fan base, we know all to well what Nova feels like right now.

I disagree. Nova was down for a few years and now they finally returned to the tourney. With how high their seed was, yes, it was probably a little disappointing. But to struggle for a few years and then make the tourney, I think most fan bases would consider it a success.

Edit: Just saw they were a two seed last year. I know they haven't been as good since Reynolds left, but forgot they were good last season. Yeah, if I was a Nova fan, I would've been disappointed in less than a Sweet 16 or Elite 8.

 

[waterhead]

Every team players develop and improve. Unless you have all Americans coming in its hard as hell to from top 40 to top 10.

Ellis
Clark
Shaq
Cobb
tc

Isn't close to being top 10

We lost 3 games that we could have won by making 1 more shot. Several other games that were lost by 6 or less. I think next year we will have the type of team that will be a little better and have learned a lot about how to win those close games. Imagine what just winning 4 of those 6 would have done to our ranking?

We probably have 7 of 8 of our best players returning...and all of the KEY figures. We didn't get the right starting lineup figured out until WAY late in the season. Add in the recruits. Add in some off season things to work on. Add in getting our head coach back. Add in a year of experience playing with each other.

I am not going to predict what happens in next year's NCAA tourney but I think we may have a top 15 team next year give or take 5 spots. The final rank will depend on how good the current and potential future recruits are coming in...and which of our suspended players rise to the challenge.