AAC in 2016-17: A time for Huskies, and a time for regression

[Matrim55]

Every team in the AAC top 7 lost key players. This is significant because 1) the relative strength of the league’s top 7 carried the league (all 7 teams finished in the Kenpom top 85) and 2) there was no middle class, as the bottom 4 all finished 199 or below.

UConn are obviously part of that first group, having lost Miller, Gibbs, Nolan and Calhoun (and hopefully that’s it), which leaves a lot of minutes up for grabs. But we’ll also be returning a natural starting 5 (Adams, Purvis, Hamilton, Facey, Brimah) and a little bit of depth (Enoch, Cassell), as well as one of the best on-paper recruiting classes in school history (Gilbert, Larrier, Jackson, Diarra, Durham).

We are FAR AND AWAY the favorites to win the AAC title next year, and are probably the only team in the top 7 that should expect to be better in 2016/17 than we were in 2015/16. It’s too soon to predict any titles, but… we really should win our first regular season crown in a decade. If we don’t people will be right to bitch.

Obviously, though, our RPI and other metrics will take a hit given the expected regression from teams that were competitive the last couple of years. The good news, though, is that a “middle class” appears to be forming. Three of the bottom four teams should be much better next season based upon returning and incoming talent which, god willing, means fewer sub-200 match-ups to drag down our numbers.

Here’s how it all looks:

The Favorites

UConn
Leaving: Shonn Miller (PF), Sterling Gibbs (PG/SG), Phil Nolan (PF/C), Omar Calhoun (SF)
Coming: Alterique Gilbert (PG), Terry Larrier (SF), Vance Jackson (SF), Mamadou Diarra (PF), Juwan Durham (PF/C)

Probable Starting 5
PG: Jalen Adams (So)
SG: Rodney Purvis (Sr)
SF: Daniel Hamilton (Jr)
PF: Kentan Facey (Sr)
C: Amida Brimah (Sr)

Outlook: Two big question marks are Gilbert’s ability to contribute immediately – he needs to be ready to play significant minutes earlier than Adams was this year – and Facey’s progress defensively. He has the tools to be very good, but he’s still slow to recognize rotations and is often late to provide cover for his guards.

If those two questions are answered in the affirmative, we should be a top 10 team.

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The Second Tier

Cincinnati
Leaving: Octavius Ellis (PF/C), Farad Cobb (SG), Coreonte DeBerry (PF/C), Shaq Thomas (PF)
Coming: A high 4-star SG recruit in Jarron Cumberland, a 3-star center in Nysier Brooks and NC State transfer PF Kyle Anderson

Probable Starting 5:
PG: Troy Caupain (Sr)
SG: Cumberland (Fr)
SF: Jacob Evans (So)
PF: Anderson (Jr)
PF: Gary Clark (Jr)

Outlook: I don’t know – I really thought this would be Cincy’s year. But not only did they largely fail to improve their offense, their defense regressed and they spent their only tournament game failing to come up with big rebounds. They also looked less urgent/engaged than they had in 2014/15, and I suspect Cronin has something to do with that.

That said, I love Caupain, Clark and Evans, and Cumberland should be in the running for conference RoY. Anderson didn’t impress me as a competitor at NC State, but he’s a legit offensive talent at a spot where Cincy’s traditionally only had grinders in the past. They’ll also have a couple of decent players like Justin Jennifer and Kevin Johnson off the bench, so this is the first Cincy team that I look at and think “Jeez, they may be able to outscore you.”

The big issue is their bigs, since as of now their only true center is Brooks (I’m not counting Quadri Moore, who is the dumbest player I’ve ever seen and should never get more than 3 minutes of playing time in a meaningful game).

Nonetheless, Cincy should be good. If we’re a two-bid league next year – and honestly, we might be – they’re probably No. 2 despite their lack of experienced size.

At the moment they have only 10 guys on scholarship, so expect at least one more addition in the coming months.

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SMU
Leaving: Nic Moore (PG), Jordan Tolbert (PF/C), Markus Kennedy (PF/C)
Coming: A collection of mostly 3-star guys, including two guards and two bigs, as well as Duke transfer Semi Ojeleye and the return of Ben Emelogu after missing this year with injury

Probable starting 5:
PG: Shake Milton (So.)
SG: Sterling Brown (Sr.)
SF: Ojeleye (Jr.)
PF: Ben Moore (Sr.)
C: Harry Froling (Fr.)

Outlook: This team will still be good because Larry Brown is a wizard, and because they’ll be long, athletic, active and prepared defensively. But a ton of their best offensive stuff came from Moore’s PG skills and the constant double teams (and subsequent great passing from the post of Tolbert and Kennedy. Those two guys also happened to be their best rebounders.

Milton might not be a true PG, by the way. And while Froling has the size and pedigree to be a very good college player, there’s always an adjustment. Expect some early-season struggles, but this team will be dangerous come March.

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Memphis
Leaving: Shaq Goodwin (PF), Ricky Tarrant (PG), Trashon Burrell (SF)
Coming: 4-star PG Charlie Moore and a 3-star JuCo SF. KJ Lawson should return as well.

Probable Starting 5:
PG: Moore (Fr)
SG: Avery Woodson (Sr)
SF: KJ Lawson (So)
PF: Dedric Lawson (So)
C: Nick Marshall (So)

Outlook: I love the Lawsons, and a competent coach would be able to build a very good team around them. Thus far, Josh Pastner has proved to be a less-than-competent coach. Memphis, every year, is less than the sum of their parts.

They will be, however, the second- or third-most-talented team in the league, and have guys who can win you the game in several spots (Woodson is quietly one of the best shooters in the league, and Marshall will be a force if he gets fit). In the AAC that counts for a lot, and should be enough to get them a top 4 finish.

One big worry is that they’re super thin in the front court, with no true back-up for Marshall and nobody else listed on the PF depth chart after the Lawsons. They have at least two scholarships open, and I’d expect those to be filled with bigs.

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Houston
Leaving: Devonta Pollard (PF), LeRon Barnes (SF)
Coming: A 3-star local SG and a huge, 3-star JuCo center

Probable Starting 5:
PG: Galen Robinson, Jr (So)
SG: Rob Gray, Jr (Jr)
SF: Damyean Dotson (Sr)
PF: Chicken Knowles (Sr)
C: Kyle Meyer (Sr)

Outlook: Pollard was their best scorer and probably their best player, and they’ll miss him. But this team still has a bunch of offensive options, so they should be pretty good on that side of the ball – especially if Robinson can build upon a very promising freshman year, and if senior PG/SG Ronnie Johnson is a good soldier off the bench.

The other keys are Dotson’s comfort in becoming a No. 1 scoring option, and how many minutes Meyer can earn at the 5. He isn’t Amida, but he’s nonetheless a very good defensive presence for a team that often lacked exactly that.

The Cougars are one of the few teams I look at and think “They probably should be better than last year.” But given the way they faceplanted in the NIT, I’m not sure that means all that much.

Worth noting they only have 10 on scholarship at the moment, and are said to have a legit shot at landing 5-star center Jarrett Allen – who would be the highest-rated recruit in the conference. We shall see.

 

[Matrim55]

Falling Back to the Pack

Temple
Leaving: Quentin DeCosey (SF), Devin Coleman (SG), Jaylen Bond (PF)
Coming: A trio of 3-star freshmen, the best of whom is PG Alani Moore from Washington, DC

Probable starting 5:
PG: Josh Brown (Sr.)
SG: Levan Alston (So.)
SF: Trey Lowe (So.)
PF: Obi Enechionya (Jr.)
C: Ernest Aflakpui (So.)

Outlook: They lost three of their four best players, so they might be boned unless Enechionya begins to realize his potential as a No. 1 option. He can be a dominant player with his ability to stretch the floor, facilitate from the elbow and protect the rim, and quite honestly he’ll have to be. The three sophomores in the lineup are all much closer to “legit question mark” than “legit answer,” which is probably true of the team as a whole. One of them must step up for the Owls to be competitive, and Aflakpui has to be a defensive presence.

Even if both those things happen, I’ll be shocked if this is a tournament team next year. And regardless, they’re once again they’re going to take some embarrassing early-season OOC Ls.

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Tulsa
Leaving: Shaq Harrison (SG), James Woodard (SF), Rashad Smith (SF), Brandon Swannegan (PF), Marquel Curtis (SF), D’Andre Wright (PF), Rashad Ray (PG) – basically anybody on the team you’ve ever heard of
Coming: A bunch of transfers, JuCos and 3-star recruits. The best of them is probably Travis Atson, a slashing, scoring swingman from NYC who inexplicably ended up in the middle of Oklahoma

Probable Starting 5:
PG: Sterling Taplin (So)
SG: Corey Henderson, Jr (Jr)
SF: Pat Birt (Sr)
PF: Junior Etou (Jr)
C: Eugene Artison (So)

Outlook: That “probable starting 5” is a total guess – the only ones I’m pretty sure of are Taplin and Birt, and I can be talked out of either. No one can really claim to know what’s up with this team next year because they lost 8 contributors, and because Haith is a clown. It will be considered a victory if he doesn’t have this school getting sanctions slapped on it within the next 24 months.

And so… I’m pretty confident in saying that Tulsa will be garbage in 2016/17. Best-case scenario is that they avoid dropping out of the Kenpom/BPI/RPI top 200 – it’ll be that bad for the Golden Hurricane.

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Coming Up

East Carolina
Leaving: Prince Williams (SF), Michael Zangari (PF), Kanu Aja (PF)
Coming: A couple of 3-star backcourt recruits, and the return of Deng Riak – a 4-star recruit (highest in school history) who redshirted last season after a shoulder injury

Probable Starting 5
PG: BJ Tyson (Jr)
SG: Caleb White (Sr)
SF: Kentrell Barkley (So)
PF: Michael Ofik-Ngeze (Sr)
C: Riak (Fr)

Outlook: They had a ton of bad luck last year, with Whisnant not returning and Guilmette retiring due to injury added to Riak’s shoulder issue. I thought they were going to improve upon a bad 2014/15, but that clearly didn’t happen.

Now… well, I think they should improve upon a bad 2015/16. Tyson, White and Barkley all averaged double digits, and all are good rebounders at their spots. Barkley is a poor man’s DHam with his rebounding & facilitating, and he’ll have to do a lot more of the latter with Prince Williams’s departure.

They’re not going to be good enough to break into the top 5 of the conference, but they should flirt with the top 150 in Kenpom (and hopefully RPI and the rest). That’s the type of progress the bottom of the league needs to make.

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Central Florida
Leaving: Daiquan Walker (PG), Shaheed Davis (PF), Staphon Blair (PF)
Coming: A trio of 3-star backcourt players, and B.J. Taylor will return after redshirting

Probable Starting 5
PG: Taylor (So.)
SG: Adonis Henriquez (Jr)
SF: Matt Williams (Sr)
PF: A.J. Davis (Jr)
C: Tacko Fall (So)

Outlook: Lots of people thought this team should have been good this year. Among them were the folks making the hiring/firing decisions in Orlando, and as such Donnie Jones got his walking papers. The decision to excise him was not a bad one IMO – his team only rarely looked prepared.

Next season’s fortunes will be determined by how much whoever the new coach is able to get the current roster to buy in. If they do, UCF will be a much better team and, like ECU, could climb into the top 150 or so. If they don’t, they’ll continue to be UCF. Either way, they’ll miss the little bit of playmaking Walker brought – that’s the biggest hole they have to fill, especially since Tyson is a shoot-first PG.

ND assistant Martin Inglesby, UK assistant Kenny Payne and former Orlando Magic coach Jacque Vaughn have all been mentioned, but I’m kind of hoping they offer Brad Underwood of Stephen F. Austin.

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South Florida
Leaving: Nehemias Morillo (SG), Angel Nunez (SF), Jaleel Cousins (PF/C)
Coming: A few 3-star HS recruits, a 3-star JuCo, a Penn State transfer, and 4-star PF Troy Baxter. Plus Troy Holston returns after a redshirt year, Tulio Da Silva should be academically eligible, and Roddy Peters hopefully will be recovered from the broken foot that sidelined him for the season’s last 20 games

Probable Starting 5
PG: Peters (Jr)
SG: Jahmal MacMurray (So)
SF: Holston (So)
PF: Baxter (Fr)
C: Ruben Guerrero (Jr)

Outlook: Orlando Antigua continues to be a good recruiter and an embarrassment of a head coach – though perhaps that was due more to last year’s bad luck re: injuries & academics than anything else. I really don’t know, as it’s too small a sample size at this point to say he definitively can’t hack it on the sidelines.

Well, in this coming year there should be no more excuses. USF have more a full roster with depth at each spot, and legitimate balance. Peters was, once upon a time, a borderline 5-star recruit, while Baxter, Da Silva and Holston were all 4-stars. Most of the rest were high 3-star recruits.

Are they going to compete for the top of the league? Almost certainly not. But they should be able to rebound and defend and run a little bit, and – again – this is a team that should legitimately aspire to being somewhere in the top 150. Even if they can’t shoot worth a damn.

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The Dregs

Tulane
Leaving: Louis Dabney (PG), Jernard Jarreau (PF/C), Dylan Ostekowski (PF)
Coming: A trio of 3-star recruits, two in the backcourt and one in the frontcourt

Probable Starting 5
PG: Von Julien (So)
SG: Malik Morgan (Sr)
SG: Melvin Frazier (So)
SF: Cameron Reynolds (Jr)
C: Blake Paul (So)

Outlook: Ed Conroy’s gone, so just as with UCF, it’s tough to predict how this next season will go until we know who the coach is. There are a bunch of names being floated – a couple of NAIA guys, current Tulane assistant Shammond Williams (used to play at UNC), Texas A&M assistant Rick Stansbury, etc etc.

Whoever it is won’t find the cupboard entirely bare, but this is definitely a rebuilding (or maybe just “building”) job. The Green Wave have zero four-star recruits on the roster, and lose their best guard (Dabney), their best rim protector (Jarreau) and their best all-around player (Ostekowski) going into next season. It’s a mess.

And it will continue to be. I think Tulane are no-hopers for next season, and will be hard pressed to finish in the Kenpom top 250 (they were 220th this year).

 

[UConnDan97]

Nice write-up, Matrim.

I've done some thinking about this as well over the last couple of weeks, especially as it relates to SMU. I think you're right that Larry Brown seems to find a way to make his teams play at a high level, but it also seems clear to me that they are going to lose too much to be a top 25 level team (I could be wrong about that). UConn should enter next year as the favorite to take the league...

 

[Blue Blood]

Have to think we go in as heavy favorites next year if everyone comes back legit could have 5 of the 6(caupain) best players in the conference in my opinion shouldn't lose more than one or two conference games

 

[JSM1970]

AAC has 2 tourney wins in last 2 years and the league will be much worse next year if that's possible.

Having said that, UConn needs to dominate, like 1-2 losses and win tourney. If they do that and win some key OOC games they can still get a high seed. If they lose 5-6 or so they will end up with a poor seed and struggle to get to the S16.

 

[Matrim55]

Have to think we go in as heavy favorites next year if everyone comes back legit could have 5 of the 6(caupain) best players in the conference in my opinion shouldn't lose more than one or two conference games

I think 5 of 6 is optimistic. Lawson is legit, and Brown will probably turn Milton into an All-AAC player because that's what he does.

 

[Blue Blood]

I think 5 of 6 is optimistic. Lawson is legit, and Brown will probably turn Milton into an All-AAC player because that's what he does.

It definitely is optimistic and your right I probably overlooked Lawson Milton did little to overly impress me this year I'll be surprised if he makes that type of leap

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

We have to schedule strong OOC to have any chance at the Madison Square Garden regional in the East for 2016-17. Next year there will be tremendous incentive to have a big regular season. If Isaiah Whitehead returns (50/50) you might have to give Seton Hall shot with Duke and Xavier. I expect Reynolds to leave X but they have Rashid Gaston to take his place. Also Trevon Bluiett (Xavier) has a chance to help his draft stock over the next few weeks so he could declare. It seems like Duke, Xavier, UConn and SH will battle for the MSG slots. Probably in that order depending on Whitehead and his decision. Strength of schedule will be key and the AAC will be down next year.

 

[UofCT]

Good write up, thanks for posting @Matrim55 .

 

[Matrim55]

Strength of schedule will be key and the AAC will be down next year.

The top of the AAC will be down, but the bottom should come up quite a bit.

In general I agree, though - no more CCSUs, Maines or UMass-Lowells. If we feel compelled to schedule locally let's get Yale, Fairfield and Northeastern on the docket.

 

[nomar]

Terrific stuff, Matrim.

 

[kelde1wd]

Nice write up. This off-season is going to take forever.

 

[JSM1970]

Why not play Yale every year at say XL, Fairfield or Sacred Heart at Webster and Central or UHa at Gample?

The top of the AAC will be down, but the bottom should come up quite a bit.

In general I agree, though - no more CCSUs, Maines or UMass-Lowells. If we feel compelled to schedule locally let's get Yale, Fairfield and Northeastern on the docket.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Woule love to win the AAC title in Hartford as our swan song to this conference.

 

[Yankees32123]

Thanks for this. We should run away with this conference next year. Cincy will be decent, but other than that we have superior talent than every other team put together. No reason we should lose more than 2 games in conference next year.

 

[Matrim55]

Thanks for this. We should run away with this conference next year. Cincy will be decent, but other than that we have superior talent than every other team put together. No reason we should lose more than 2 games in conference next year.

On paper it's probably Memphis with the second-most talented roster. Both Lawsons, Marshall, Moore and Crawford were all 4-stars (D. Lawson borderline 5-star), which is something the likes of Cincy, SMU & Houston can't match.

Woule love to win the AAC title in Hartford as our swan song to this conference.

From your lips to god's ears.

 

[storrsroars]

Well researched, well reported write up, very nice.

Agree with most of it, but if UCF gets a decent coach - who then hires a big man coach - I think UCF could have KP 100/NIT aspirations next year. There are certainly weaknesses, especially on offense, that they haven't really addressed. AJ was their best scorer in Taylor's absence, but Taylor can score more, so they look OK at guard at least, if not at the 3/4. They do stink at treys and they're losing their one legit outside shooter in Walker, so it would seem their game is still going to be focused on attacking the rim.

My concern is that Tacko finally put together some minutes in the last four games of the season, going 20+ in each. During those four games he averaged a double/double (13ppg/11rbg vs season avg of 7.4/5.9). AJ is also a good rebounder, so if Tacko can learn to avoid Brimah-itis foul trouble, I'm thinking UCF will be getting a lot of second chance opportunities that should boost their offensive production. Anyway, Tacko scares the crap out of me and I hope we get them early on the schedule rather than late.

 

[ctchamps]

Terrific write up. Thank you.
Really like the development of Facey last year to this year. Can he make a similar leap in development? If he does I think he can be an upgrade to Miller. But that is a huge question mark and I'm not underplaying what Shonn did for the team.

 

[FartMan69]

We need the Big 12 to throw us that life saver before analyzing these dregs kills some of our more insightful posters.

 

[Peacefrog]

Terrific write up. Thank you.
Really like the development of Facey last year to this year. Can he make a similar leap in development? If he does I think he can be an upgrade to Miller. But that is a huge question mark and I'm not underplaying what Shonn did for the team.

Boy, I don't know Fleud. Facey seemed like the same player this year as last and I'm not counting on his flat trajectory to change going into his senior year. I think Miller was our most consistent and possibly best player this year. This may also be the toughest hole to fill as it doesn't appear we have a low-post offensive threat (back to the basket) ready to step in. I'm concerned we might be back to having no great offensive post options next season.

 

[ASweet3781]

I think the biggest questions for us heading into next year in order of importance:

1. Does Daniel Hamilton have it in him to be "The guy"? We know he has the talent and can end up with double doubles but can he be the go to scorer? The guy to get us a basket when we need it? When we struggle to start a game, get slogged down on offense, or are hit with a 19-0 run will he be the guy to step up and hit the shots and make the plays? I don't question the talent. But does he have the mentality?

2. How much of a jump does Jalen make? Our 2nd most important player. He was overwhelmed last night similar to how Kemba was against MSU his freshman year. Is he ready next year to be the next great UConn guard after showing the flashes this year.

3. Is there any....any...an ounce of improvement among the big guys? Physically? Mentally? Skill wise? It will need to happen. If the coaches don't think it can, perhaps buy Glen Miller a ticket to Europe to look for a guy?

 

[ctchamps]

Boy, I don't know Fleud. Facey seemed like the same player this year as last and I'm not counting on his flat trajectory to change going into his senior year. I think Miller was our most consistent and possibly best player this year. This may also be the toughest hole to fill as it doesn't appear we have a low-post offensive threat (back to the basket) ready to step in. I'm concerned we might be back to having no great offensive post options next season.

I know it's a stretch but I'm hopeful.

 

[templefan1]

Falling Back to the Pack

Temple
Leaving: Quentin DeCosey (SF), Devin Coleman (SG), Jaylen Bond (PF)
Coming: A trio of 3-star freshmen, the best of whom is PG Alani Moore from Washington, DC

Probable starting 5:
PG: Josh Brown (Sr.)
SG: Levan Alston (So.)
SF: Trey Lowe (So.)
PF: Obi Enechionya (Jr.)
C: Ernest Aflakpui (So.)

Outlook: They lost three of their four best players, so they might be boned unless Enechionya begins to realize his potential as a No. 1 option. He can be a dominant player with his ability to stretch the floor, facilitate from the elbow and protect the rim, and quite honestly he’ll have to be. The three sophomores in the lineup are all much closer to “legit question mark” than “legit answer,” which is probably true of the team as a whole. One of them must step up for the Owls to be competitive, and Aflakpui has to be a defensive presence.

Even if both those things happen, I’ll be shocked if this is a tournament team next year. And regardless, they’re once again they’re going to take some embarrassing early-season OOC Ls.

Overall a fairly good write up. Just some thoughts...not sure where you are getting the "they are once again going to take some embarrassing early-season OOC Ls. Their OOC losses this year were to UNC (#1 seed), Butler (#9 seed), Utah (#3 seed), Wisc (#7 seed), St. Joes (#8 seed) and Villanova (#2 seed). If you want to say they will take some early season OOC Ls I am ok with that but Temple did not have a bad OOC loss. They should have won the ST. Joe's game and the Butler game IMO but there were no bad OOC losses.

Just some thoughts from a Temple fan for next year. I think Temple is a .500 team next year (normally I say a prediction and Dunphy out does it by 3-4 games in the W column). There will just be too much inexperience in the lineup.
Starting Lineup
PG- Josh Brown- May be the best PG in the league next year. Needs to score more next year
SG Levan Alston (SO.)/Ayan Nunez de Carvalho (R.Fr)- Alston should start and play his natural position of SG but don't count out Ayan who played for the Argentinia U17 National Team
SF- Daniel Dingle (R. Sr)- Has shown occasional strong play but really needs to improve shooting
PF- Obi Enechionya (Jr.)- Really needs to start playing with some fire and aggressiveness on the offensive side of the ball. Has a ton of talent.
C- Ernest Aflakpui (So.)- Very raw on the offensive end but can be a defensive and rebounding player next year.

Others-
SG/SF Trey Lowe- (So.)- I would have probably penciled in Trey Lowe as the starting SG next year but he was in a bad car accident a couple weeks ago. He will apparently have no permanent damage but it will definitely slow his off season. Would not be surprised if he red-shirted.
PG Alani Moore (Fr.)- Very good PG prospect who if 2 or 3 inches taller would have been a top 50 recruit IMO. I have been told he is a Nic Moore clone.
Juco PF- TBD- Temple will be pursuing a post player in the spring, most likely a JUCO
SF Quenton Rose- (Fr). Freak athletic wing from Rochester NY. Will probably see time from day 1. I consider him the best recruit in the class and may have the highest ceiling of a Temple player on the roster.
PF Mark Williams (Jr.)- Will be steady backup but isn't athletic enough to play as a starter.
C- Damion Moore (Fr.)- Will see spot time. Athletic but very raw C out of MS.

I am hoping for NIT next year. The 17-18 season is the one I expect big things from. Lots of playing experience by then and Temple is bringing in some very very athletic players.

 

[papreps]

Philadelphia Inquirer:

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/20160320_Temple_sets_sights_on_returning_to_NCAAs.html

http://www.rantsports.com/ncaa-bask...basketball-should-repeat-aac-title-next-year/

 

[tzznandrew]

Overall a fairly good write up. Just some thoughts...not sure where you are getting the "they are once again going to take some embarrassing early-season OOC Ls. Their OOC losses this year were to UNC (#1 seed), Butler (#9 seed), Utah (#3 seed), Wisc (#7 seed), St. Joes (#8 seed) and Villanova (#2 seed). If you want to say they will take some early season OOC Ls I am ok with that but Temple did not have a bad OOC loss. They should have won the ST. Joe's game and the Butler game IMO but there were no bad OOC losses.

Just some thoughts from a Temple fan for next year. I think Temple is a .500 team next year (normally I say a prediction and Dunphy out does it by 3-4 games in the W column). There will just be too much inexperience in the lineup.
Starting Lineup
PG- Josh Brown- May be the best PG in the league next year. Needs to score more next year
SG Levan Alston (SO.)/Ayan Nunez de Carvalho (R.Fr)- Alston should start and play his natural position of SG but don't count out Ayan who played for the Argentinia U17 National Team
SF- Daniel Dingle (R. Sr)- Has shown occasional strong play but really needs to improve shooting
PF- Obi Enechionya (Jr.)- Really needs to start playing with some fire and aggressiveness on the offensive side of the ball. Has a ton of talent.
C- Ernest Aflakpui (So.)- Very raw on the offensive end but can be a defensive and rebounding player next year.

Others-
SG/SF Trey Lowe- (So.)- I would have probably penciled in Trey Lowe as the starting SG next year but he was in a bad car accident a couple weeks ago. He will apparently have no permanent damage but it will definitely slow his off season. Would not be surprised if he red-shirted.
PG Alani Moore (Fr.)- Very good PG prospect who if 2 or 3 inches taller would have been a top 50 recruit IMO. I have been told he is a Nic Moore clone.
Juco PF- TBD- Temple will be pursuing a post player in the spring, most likely a JUCO
SF Quenton Rose- (Fr). Freak athletic wing from Rochester NY. Will probably see time from day 1. I consider him the best recruit in the class and may have the highest ceiling of a Temple player on the roster.
PF Mark Williams (Jr.)- Will be steady backup but isn't athletic enough to play as a starter.
C- Damion Moore (Fr.)- Will see spot time. Athletic but very raw C out of MS.

I am hoping for NIT next year. The 17-18 season is the one I expect big things from. Lots of playing experience by then and Temple is bringing in some very very athletic players.

I like Dunphy, so I think you guys will be better than we think.

The UNC and Villanova losses were disastrous for the league because you guys got your doors blown off. The others were fine, although it would be great to have won a few.