Sam Cassell, Jr. named 1st Team NJCAA All-American

[August_West]

IMO, keeping Boat = NC#5.

So doomed.

Don't want to be Debbie downer here, but we have a pretty good historical sample of what happens after losing leaders/ veteran game changers immediately following NC/FF runs.

2000 we brought back a terrific team that might have even been ranked preseason #1, can't remember but it was at least top 5. We list Hamilton and Ricky Moore. Added ajou deng who was rumored to be better than anyone on 99 team.

Result : loss in round of 32 vs Tennessee in a 4/5 game

2005- we lost mek, Gordon, tailek. Brought in Rudy gay, CV was a sophomore, Marcus Williams Eligible. Boone, Hilton rashad, denham Stacked team on paper.

Result: round of 32 loss to NC State

2010- returned pretty much everyone from 2009 FF team minus thabeet. Lost AJ . We were top 5 early in season. Lost a toughie in big east opener at cincinatti and imploded

Result : team fell apart, didn't make the tourney

2012 - lost Kemba, brought in Drummond and boat. Top 5 preseason rank, people thought we'd be better than 2011

Result: $hitshow season
9 seed lost in round of 64 I'm NCAA tourney.


Anyone see a pattern here? In each case we list tough minded upperclassmen point guards who defined our team ( Ricky,plus rip tailek plus Ben) AJ plus thabeet, Kemba)

Be very interesting to see if KO can break that cycle. If I believe anyone can it's KO.

 

[I Bleed Blue]

That wouldn't be fair to the rest of the country. Our bench would be a tournament team.

No joke.

PG- T. Sam.
PG2/SG- Cassell
SF- Calhoun, Tolksdorf
PF- Facey, Lubin
C- Nolan

That lineup could definitely win some games.

 

[7774]

So doomed.

Don't want to be Debbie downer here, but we have a pretty good historical sample of what happens after losing leaders/ veteran game changers immediately following NC/FF runs.

2000 we brought back a terrific team that might have even been ranked preseason #1, can't remember but it was at least top 5. We list Hamilton and Ricky Moore. Added ajou deng who was rumored to be better than anyone on 99 team.

Result : loss in round of 32 vs Tennessee in a 4/5 game

2005- we lost mek, Gordon, tailek. Brought in Rudy gay, CV was a sophomore, Marcus Williams Eligible. Boone, Hilton rashad, denham Stacked team on paper.

Result: round of 32 loss to NC State

2010- returned pretty much everyone from 2009 FF team minus thabeet. Lost AJ . We were top 5 early in season. Lost a toughie in big east opener at cincinatti and imploded

Result : team fell apart, didn't make the tourney

2012 - lost Kemba, brought in Drummond and boat. Top 5 preseason rank, people thought we'd be better than 2011

Result: $hitshow season
9 seed lost in round of 64 I'm NCAA tourney.


Anyone see a pattern here? In each case we list tough minded upperclassmen point guards who defined our team ( Ricky,plus rip tailek plus Ben) AJ plus thabeet, Kemba)

Be very interesting to see if KO can break that cycle. If I believe anyone can it's KO.

I've been thinking about this a lot. The change in player roles and team dynamics is just so extreme when you lose great players. And you don't win NC's without great players, so the following years teams almost always have to deal with this.

It's one of the reasons I think it would be great for Daniels to return. Life is a lot easier when the entire opposing team's gameplan has to revolve around Shabazz Napier. Unfortunately that's also one of the reasons why it might be best to go before he gets picked apart.

Either way, it's unreal that we get a 4th shot at putting together a great season as defending national champions.

 

[DogMania]

4/18

Thanks

 

[David 76]

I'm hoping Boat is longing for the chance to call this team his. With all the talk of being brothers, his relationship with Shabazz had to be tough at times for a proud guy like Boat.

 

[caw]

So doomed.

Don't want to be Debbie downer here, but we have a pretty good historical sample of what happens after losing leaders/ veteran game changers immediately following NC/FF runs.

2000 we brought back a terrific team that might have even been ranked preseason #1, can't remember but it was at least top 5. We list Hamilton and Ricky Moore. Added ajou deng who was rumored to be better than anyone on 99 team.

Result : loss in round of 32 vs Tennessee in a 4/5 game

2005- we lost mek, Gordon, tailek. Brought in Rudy gay, CV was a sophomore, Marcus Williams Eligible. Boone, Hilton rashad, denham Stacked team on paper.

Result: round of 32 loss to NC State

2010- returned pretty much everyone from 2009 FF team minus thabeet. Lost AJ . We were top 5 early in season. Lost a toughie in big east opener at cincinatti and imploded

Result : team fell apart, didn't make the tourney

2012 - lost Kemba, brought in Drummond and boat. Top 5 preseason rank, people thought we'd be better than 2011

Result: $hitshow season
9 seed lost in round of 64 I'm NCAA tourney.


Anyone see a pattern here? In each case we list tough minded upperclassmen point guards who defined our team ( Ricky,plus rip tailek plus Ben) AJ plus thabeet, Kemba)

Be very interesting to see if KO can break that cycle. If I believe anyone can it's KO.

You are severely overestimating who returned from 2009 for 2010.

Lost 4 key players:
Starting PG: AJ Price
Starting PF: Jeff Adrien
Starting Center: Hasheem Thabeet
3rd or 4th guard Craig Austrie 6-7 man.


Also 2000 was when KEA got injured. He's healthy and that's a sweet sixteen team at least.

 

[champs99and04]

I don't know how we'll manage to replace Napier's skill, but one thing I can assure you is that leadership will not be a problem with Boatright running the team. Maybe Shabazz was the lead dog this season, but in many ways the two were co-captains and I'd be willing to bet equally vocal during practice. Ryan is a kid with natural leadership tendencies, and I expect him to thrive if given that role.

Of course, that doesn't mean everything will go according to plan. As west points out, the changing of roles following a championship can really mess with the calibration of a team, and, let's not forget, these are 19 and 20 year old kids - success can get to their heads, and it has in the past. Human nature is human nature, and when you win a championship your freshman season - like Samuel, Brimah, and Facey just did - it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking it is going to be that way the rest of your career.

My hunch is that if Daniels and Boatright return, they'll provide us with the two veteran pillars some of our other title defendants have lacked. The 2012 and 2005 team were filled with underclassman playing prominent roles for the first time, and in 2000, our most indispensable player got hurt and that kind of disrupted everything. Replacing Napier is going to be difficult regardless of how loaded the roster is, and guys like Kromah and Giffey (Giffey especially) are going to be appreciated more in absence than they were while they were here, IMO. That being said, I'm confident that Daniels and Boatright will steer the rest of the young guys in the right direction as the season progresses, and those two, combined with all the talent we'll be bringing in, will have us positioned for another postseason run.

 

[intlzncster]

So doomed.

Don't want to be Debbie downer here, but we have a pretty good historical sample of what happens after losing leaders/ veteran game changers immediately following NC/FF runs.

2000 we brought back a terrific team that might have even been ranked preseason #1, can't remember but it was at least top 5. We list Hamilton and Ricky Moore. Added ajou deng who was rumored to be better than anyone on 99 team.

Result : loss in round of 32 vs Tennessee in a 4/5 game

2005- we lost mek, Gordon, tailek. Brought in Rudy gay, CV was a sophomore, Marcus Williams Eligible. Boone, Hilton rashad, denham Stacked team on paper.

Result: round of 32 loss to NC State

2010- returned pretty much everyone from 2009 FF team minus thabeet. Lost AJ . We were top 5 early in season. Lost a toughie in big east opener at cincinatti and imploded

Result : team fell apart, didn't make the tourney

2012 - lost Kemba, brought in Drummond and boat. Top 5 preseason rank, people thought we'd be better than 2011

Result: $hitshow season
9 seed lost in round of 64 I'm NCAA tourney.


Anyone see a pattern here? In each case we list tough minded upperclassmen point guards who defined our team ( Ricky,plus rip tailek plus Ben) AJ plus thabeet, Kemba)

Be very interesting to see if KO can break that cycle. If I believe anyone can it's KO.

One of the big differentiating factors is that we'd return a top shelf senior point guard, who started and played a huge role in an national championship, and had the advantage of learning from another stud.

 

[MGD15]

Are we recruiting jalen adams? Looking like we should be. I know Ollie has said he likes big guards that can make plays, while 6'2 I think he fits the mold.

 

[August_West]

You are severely overestimating who returned from 2009 for 2010. Lost 4 key players: Starting PG: AJ Price Starting PF: Jeff Adrien Starting Center: Hasheem Thabeet 3rd or 4th guard Craig Austrie 6-7 man. Also 2000 was when KEA got injured. He's healthy and that's a sweet sixteen team at least.

It's a good point. Forgot about JA. But we were still top 5 into the new year. Team absolutely should have made tournament

 

[Sportsman5]

Are we recruiting jalen adams? Looking like we should be. I know Ollie has said he likes big guards that can make plays, while 6'2 I think he fits the mold.

The people in the know who post on the board seem to think he is the number one target at the point guard spot. Maybe one of those people can chime in to confirm this.