(03-20-2017 12:00 AM)Wadszip Wrote: This. The run of 21 wins seems like a safe bet to come to an end. The backcourt will have talent (though due to height will still be a liability on defense). The front court ????
Dambrot will get this team to 17-18 wins, but this will be the first true "rebuild" he has had to experience ... and if nobody steps up in the front court, 2018-19 could be abysmal.
GoZips (R.I.P.) would kindly ask you to turn in your Zips card.
18 wins? Please. Things will adjust and the looks will be different, but the Zips will be fine and come mid-February they'll be squarely in the hunt for yet another bye to the quarterfinals in Cleveland.
Utomi will step right into the role vacated by Kwan. He's a different player, but provides the same outside shooting in a big body to stretch the floor. I expect that Daniel will be the next All-MAC player on the Zips. With 3 years left, and all the experience from this year .. he doesn't need to take a huge unexpected leap .. just continue the progress from the last 2 years.
The ball action will be a little different without Big Dog to drop it into. I'll expect more drive and kick from Noah, Antino and Tavian. And with the younger bigs near the rim, it's not hard to imagine that the Zips defense will be better next year.
It's absolutely tough to lose 2 All Mac guys and the POY. But the roster is very stable and experienced, and that will yield similar results. We all wanted to light our hair on fire when Jeremiah Wood graduated after winning a little in the NIT and losing 3 KEY seniors (Wood, Dials and Middleton) at the end of 07-08, yet the very next year the Zips won the MAC tournament and went dancing.
It's all good.
As for the rest of the league .. I find it hard not to be optimistic. I think Carter at OU is going to be a VERY special player, and something about Ball State fascinates me. Huger is trending BG in the right direction, and Rob can take a deep breath now and do things his way at Kent. Tom Crean will need a season or two to turn the Redskins around.
Go Zips.
MAC Tourney Squares FTW!