Are we a NCAA Tournament team next year?

[CL82]

So assuming that we only add Bouknight, Gaffney and Akok, would we be an NCAA Tourney team? I think we'd will be better but I'm not convinced that we have enough tools to get there.

Just curious where everyone thinks we stand at this point.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I doubt it. CV, Vital, Carlton and freshman should be another middling AAC team.

 

[Kenny11]

We better be. Vital will be a senior, Carlton will be a year better, Sid and Polley will have time to get their stuff together and Gilbert Should be first team all conference.

I’m kind of tired of losing close games and seeing it presented as moral victories. This conference is solid but we aren’t playing the most elite talent every night. We should be winning some of these close games against solid conference teams This season, not to mention next season.

 

[jibsey]

Are we getting a decent big man to go with Carlton (not counting Akok)?

 

[Rico444]

The key is going to be Alterique: can he stay healthy? If he does, I think Hurley will coach these guys up enough (along with the incoming talent) to make us a bubble team.

 

[businesslawyer]

A lot of question marks and too early to answer. Not worried about the guard play, and assume we'll see continuing but not fast enough improvement from Carlton. So:

Will Sid Wilson be able to help a basketball team win games, as opposed to just show the athletic potential to get there eventually?

Will Akok play like a top 30 freshman who has NBA potential, or will it take more time for him to achieve what many think he ultimately will?

I have no friggin idea.

 

[ChocRaisins]

I don't think so. After Jalen leaves, there is no one to create their own shot. Who comes off that second screen looking to drive or and create? AG will be running the offense, Polley has a two dribble max, Wilson has a lot of work to do on the defensive end before he can think of offense, Vital is a spot shooter, not a creator. There is going to be a huge void when Jalen leaves and unless Bouknight and Gaffney walk in ready to average 10ppg, I don't see a huge improvement. Year 3 under Hurley will be the turning point.

 

[80shusky]

Lots of question marks but I would say no.

 

[Marat]

Jalen will be a bigger loss next season, then some will care to admit. Its hard to say what contributions the freshman will make, so it rests on the current players improving, quite a bit.

 

[Excalibur]

No. Better defensively, but a big drop on offense.

 

[JimHurley]

Tough to say. If we get Precious, absolutely. If not, questionable. We’ll have a good backcourt in AG+CV that should combine for 30+ PPG next season. The question marks are Sid and the freshmen.

 

[superjohn]

I doubt it. CV, Vital, Carlton and freshman should be another middling AAC team.

Alterique misses one game and you already forgot about him?

 

[Excalibur]

Alterique misses one game and you already forgot about him?

Relax. No Gilbert, but Vital will apparently clone himself in the offseason, so we're all good . . .

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Alterique misses one game and you already forgot about him?

Whoops. I suppose CV and Vital meant to be CV and Gilbert.

 

[superjohn]

Jalen will be a bigger loss next season, then some will care to admit. Its hard to say what contributions the freshman will make, so it rests on the current players improving, quite a bit.

Disagree, you look at the scoring and think it's irreplaceable but I don't think he has a good effect on the team overall.

 

[CL82]

Disagree, you look at the scoring and think it's irreplaceable but I don't think he has a good effect on the team overall.

I don't like thinking this, but I'm inclined to agree.

 

[August_West]

Disagree, you look at the scoring and think it's irreplaceable but I don't think he has a good effect on the team overall.

we said that about Daniel hamilton too.

We sure couldve used him 16-17

 

[Danzz]

So assuming that we only add Bouknight, Gaffney and Akok, would we be an NCAA Tourney team? I think we'd will be better but I'm not convinced that we have enough tools to get there.

Just curious where everyone thinks we stand at this point.

Freshmen won't lead the team to the promised land. I actually think we will be worse with Jalen gone but we are moving in the right direction.

 

[ChocRaisins]

Is anyone expecting a big jump from Brendan Adams next year? Maybe a whole summer learning defense and working on specific things with coaching staff....maybe

 

[UofCT]

If we get Precious then yes.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

ask me next year

 

[upstater]

I think Bouknight will eventually be the big scoring option we need. But it is unrealistic to expect that kind of impact from a freshman. Even our greatest freshman took awhile to make that kind of mark on the team. So, losing Jalen is going to hurt on offense. Defenders will crowd Alterique and Vital and force Polley and Bouknight to do the scoring.

 

[tcf15]

Yeah, I think so.

Alterique and CV will be a good enough back court, and they depth behind them will be better than this year.

I like Carlton's progression so far this year and hopefully he'll be more consistent out the gate next year.

I think Bouknight is capable of an Omar Calhoun type freshman season.

If we can get double-digit points from Alterique, CV, Carlton and Bouknight I think we'll have a chance next year.

 

[imno1]

Hopefully Akok looks at Sid and sees what happens when you have a year off but don’t spend time on your game.

 

[superjohn]

Why do we have such low expectations for our incoming freshmen? It does seem like in the past our freshmen seem to take longer to be big time producers on the whole but when I look around the country there are freshmen doing big things all over the place and a bunch of them weren't highly ranked.