It appears that Toledo's men's b-ball roster is set for this upcoming season, one scholarship person under the max. If you look closely at the roster, we don't have a lot size and we are expecting a lot from our incoming freshmen.

I was hoping we would add a grad transfer to give us a quality one-year rental of a guys who could play the four or five position but that's not the case.

So unless this team of mid-sized guards can shoot the ball like the Golden State Warriors, we are looking at a .500 season once again sadly


-1980 and counting since our last NCAA, my freshman year in HS-

I'm still hopeful that we can finish a game or 2 over .500 in MAC play. Having said that, we are pretty thin--by various measures--in the paint.

I know it might be asking a lot based on his first 2 years in the program, but the inside play of Taylor Adway could really make a difference in whether or not we see another 500 type record this upcoming season. We need a player or combination of players to step up and duplicate, or come close to duplicate the play of Steve Taylor and Zach Garber. I think Adway has the physical tools to be that type of player, but he is going to have to show a lot of improvement for that to happen. Another player that could help out a lot inside is Luke Knapke if he improved on his physical strength during the offseason. Should be an interesting season coming up and an important one for Coach K!

(06-21-2017 11:03 AM)Nick in Cleveland Wrote:  It appears that Toledo's men's b-ball roster is set for this upcoming season, one scholarship person under the max. If you look closely at the roster, we don't have a lot size and we are expecting a lot from our incoming freshmen.

I was hoping we would add a grad transfer to give us a quality one-year rental of a guys who could play the four or five position but that's not the case.

So unless this team of mid-sized guards can shoot the ball like the Golden State Warriors, we are looking at a .500 season once again sadly


-1980 and counting since our last NCAA, my freshman year in HS-

Take away William's and Taylor's 3 point numbers, the rest of Rockets shot treys 186-467=39.8% Durant shot 3's 37.5% and Curry 41.0% for the 2016-17 regular season. It will be a 20+ win season for the Rockets. Tough OOC. It will be a weaker, younger MAC due to all the defections.

Coaching and teaching is one aspect of the position but I think team management might get a little scrutiny. Hard to imagine a team with UTs resources being so seemingly unbalanced. Might be a case of Coach K having a new approach and vision that might be successful but has to be seen to be believed. Might be a poor management of scholarship resources.

Being under scrutiny; that's why they get the big bucks.

(06-21-2017 11:03 AM)Nick in Cleveland Wrote:  It appears that Toledo's men's b-ball roster is set for this upcoming season, one scholarship person under the max. If you look closely at the roster, we don't have a lot size and we are expecting a lot from our incoming freshmen.

I was hoping we would add a grad transfer to give us a quality one-year rental of a guys who could play the four or five position but that's not the case.

So unless this team of mid-sized guards can shoot the ball like the Golden State Warriors, we are looking at a .500 season once again sadly


-1980 and counting since our last NCAA, my freshman year in HS-

It's a shame we got shut out in our spring recruiting. Unfortunately O'Brien saw fit to sign Coach K through 1920-21, that's four more years. Unless someone comes up with some big cash, we're stuck. Kowalczyk has had 15 years to get a team to the NCAA's and has failed.

(06-21-2017 02:07 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  

(06-21-2017 11:03 AM)Nick in Cleveland Wrote:  It appears that Toledo's men's b-ball roster is set for this upcoming season, one scholarship person under the max. If you look closely at the roster, we don't have a lot size and we are expecting a lot from our incoming freshmen.

I was hoping we would add a grad transfer to give us a quality one-year rental of a guys who could play the four or five position but that's not the case.

So unless this team of mid-sized guards can shoot the ball like the Golden State Warriors, we are looking at a .500 season once again sadly


-1980 and counting since our last NCAA, my freshman year in HS-

It's a shame we got shut out in our spring recruiting. Unfortunately O'Brien saw fit to sign Coach K through 1920-21, that's four more years. Unless someone comes up with some big cash, we're stuck. Kowalczyk has had 15 years to get a team to the NCAA's and has failed.

I must point out that it took Tricia Cullop 17 years to get a team to the NCAA's. Tricia proved that she could do it and TK can still prove it too!

Has anyone talked to Coach K? Maybe there is a currently unknown addition to the squad for this year that he is keeping secret. Or is he keeping one scholarship to give to a midyear transfer like he has done 3 times before? It would be nice to know his strategy.

(06-21-2017 04:00 PM)Rocket75 Wrote:  Has anyone talked to Coach K? Maybe there is a currently unknown addition to the squad for this year that he is keeping secret. Or is he keeping one scholarship to give to a midyear transfer like he has done 3 times before? It would be nice to know his strategy.

According to Verbal Commits he offered a ton of kids, but no takers.

Kinda reminds you of the last couple years of Matta at OSU, and shutout in spring recruiting

(06-21-2017 02:07 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  

(06-21-2017 11:03 AM)Nick in Cleveland Wrote:  It appears that Toledo's men's b-ball roster is set for this upcoming season, one scholarship person under the max. If you look closely at the roster, we don't have a lot size and we are expecting a lot from our incoming freshmen.

I was hoping we would add a grad transfer to give us a quality one-year rental of a guys who could play the four or five position but that's not the case.

So unless this team of mid-sized guards can shoot the ball like the Golden State Warriors, we are looking at a .500 season once again sadly


-1980 and counting since our last NCAA, my freshman year in HS-

It's a shame we got shut out in our spring recruiting. Unfortunately O'Brien saw fit to sign Coach K through 1920-21, that's four more years. Unless someone comes up with some big cash, we're stuck. Kowalczyk has had 15 years to get a team to the NCAA's and has failed.

Amen! Our men's program is going nowhere to under Tod's leadership or really lack thereof. Disappointed that MOB doesn't address.

(06-21-2017 11:03 AM)Nick in Cleveland Wrote:  It appears that Toledo's men's b-ball roster is set for this upcoming season, one scholarship person under the max. If you look closely at the roster, we don't have a lot size and we are expecting a lot from our incoming freshmen.

I was hoping we would add a grad transfer to give us a quality one-year rental of a guys who could play the four or five position but that's not the case.

So unless this team of mid-sized guards can shoot the ball like the Golden State Warriors, we are looking at a .500 season once again sadly


-1980 and counting since our last NCAA, my freshman year in HS-

Sent from my XT1254 using CSNbbs mobile app

Hopefully Coach K gets it turned around. Seems like a good guy, a knowledgeable guy that's elevated some kids' game. Just needs some consistency in the recruiting instead of going all over the place. Football has done well in this regard. Found places others weren't recruiting or looking deeper into programs that were getting their top recruits into P5. We have some of the best ball in the country within a 130 mile radius, hard working kids that know the game.

It is a roster lacking in any true banger or wide body. However, it's not a small roster and will be more athletic than past 2 seasons. I'll guess the rotation will be something like this (and I'll list heights as i see them because a couple of the guys seem inflated by an inch or two. Team will play essentially 2 forwards, 2 wings and a pg

F Knapke 6-11
F Adway 6-8
Interior Backups Navigato 6-7 Hill 6-6
W Fletcher 6-7
W W Jackson 6-6
Wing backups Rose 6-3 Navigato 6-7 here too, Gordon 6-5
PG Sanford 6-3
Backups PG M Jackson 6-0 J Roberts 5-7

So, it's a team with bigger perimeter players but thinner interior guys none of whom are built to defend a good power player. However, last year we had a big guy in Taylor who was great on the boards and in the post but didn't defend worth a damn despite his strength. I think guys like Fletcher and W Jackson and maybe to a degree Hill and Gordon will make up some of the deficit. They are in the 6-6 range, athletic and for the most part very active and aggressive. Guys like that are enough on the boards and d against most college teams today, as few play a pound the post type offense.

The key will be offensive flow. TK is an excellent offensive coach. We might call him deficient in other aspects but he knows how to coach and game manage an offense. He builds his roster largely around guys with offensive versatility, ball handling and shooting talent. Does Fletcher play within the flow and let his talent rise to the moment instead of forcing too much like Jonjon? Does W. Jackson pick up where Lauf left off and give us an athletic hustle guy on both ends as his reputation suggests? Does Adway play like he did down the stretch consistently and be that Weatherspoon type that knows his spots and strengths and sticks to them, while battling hard on the glass? Is Hill ready to give us 12-15 minutes of good interior play as a frosh? Is the backcourt depth better with Rose and Gordon and M Jackson and a more experienced Roberts than last year with DD, frosh Roberts and Antunez?

Can make a case most of those questions will be answered positively, but there's certainly some questions. The team gets an overseas trip this year and extra preseason practices which usually leads to a fast start. Last time we took a summer trip we won the MAC (ok, tied w WMU)

(06-21-2017 11:54 PM)pono Wrote:  It is a roster lacking in any true banger or wide body. However, it's not a small roster and will be more athletic than past 2 seasons. I'll guess the rotation will be something like this (and I'll list heights as i see them because a couple of the guys seem inflated by an inch or two. Team will play essentially 2 forwards, 2 wings and a pg

F Knapke 6-11
F Adway 6-8
Interior Backups Navigato 6-7 Hill 6-6
W Fletcher 6-7
W W Jackson 6-6
Wing backups Rose 6-3 Navigato 6-7 here too, Gordon 6-5
PG Sanford 6-3
Backups PG M Jackson 6-0 J Roberts 5-7

Sure feels small, particularly if Knapke tweeks a muscle but I think I'm reading more concerns about the pipeline. Is that reality or perception? What kind of middle can we expect in two years, based upon actual commitments and presuming they follow through?

Navigato was showing signs of becoming a decent defensive rebounder. An additional year in the gym might make him more of a force there but I think that's wishful thinking on my part. I think pono, as usual, has his finger on the pulse of this team. Backcourt should be MUCH improved-having to rely on Roberts for minutes last year was not comforting. We'll have athletic, versatile wings and a couple guys who may have moved past the "project" phase playing inside. But we are painfully thin in both numbers and bulk there. Equate us to Buffalo who hasn't had a tall team but has had recent success with lightening quick guard play.

Bigs are less and less important these days. Athletic guys that score and pass are a better value. Loved Lauf but athletic he was not... he did hustle. this years squad will be more exciting than anything TK has rolled out yet. Multiple athletes.

(06-22-2017 12:02 PM)UT! Wrote:  Bigs are less and less important these days. Athletic guys that score and pass are a better value. Loved Lauf but athletic he was not... he did hustle. this years squad will be more exciting than anything TK has rolled out yet. Multiple athletes.

Lauf wasn't athletic? Are we talking about a different Lauf? Strength, lateral quickness ("charges" for $200, Alex), hops-looked pretty athletic to me. A scorer? No, but he could have been, I think.

True! Gonzaga only had 43% of their roster 6'8" or bigger and a measly 14% 7' or taller. I hear Kentucky is refusing to offer scholarships to anyone over 6'7."

It's still a tall man's game. Even the women's game is getting taller. Tall kids are so common now, they're actually taught to pass in high school. The Wauseon kid a good example, beefy and mobile. I'd disagree and say the new norm is that bigs are more and more important. They're not the slow plodding kid anymore.

(06-22-2017 02:38 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  True! Gonzaga only had 43% of their roster 6'8" or bigger and a measly 14% 7' or taller. I hear Kentucky is refusing to offer scholarships to anyone over 6'7."

It's still a tall man's game. Even the women's game is getting taller. Tall kids are so common now, they're actually taught to pass in high school. The Wauseon kid a good example, beefy and mobile. I'd disagree and say the new norm is that bigs are more and more important. They're not the slow plodding kid anymore.

The Wauseon kid is neither beefy or that mobile. He will be a good Mac player. If he were more he would have offers from MAC plus. Of course its a tall mans game, but like you said the slower big guy not as desirable.

(06-22-2017 03:54 PM)UT! Wrote:  

(06-22-2017 02:38 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  True! Gonzaga only had 43% of their roster 6'8" or bigger and a measly 14% 7' or taller. I hear Kentucky is refusing to offer scholarships to anyone over 6'7."

It's still a tall man's game. Even the women's game is getting taller. Tall kids are so common now, they're actually taught to pass in high school. The Wauseon kid a good example, beefy and mobile. I'd disagree and say the new norm is that bigs are more and more important. They're not the slow plodding kid anymore.

The Wauseon kid is neither beefy or that mobile. He will be a good Mac player. If he were more he would have offers from MAC plus. Of course its a tall mans game, but like you said the slower big guy not as desirable.

Winning teams in the Mac always have superior guard play we should have 1 of the best guard and wing groups in the MAC so we should contend for the title. Time will tell. I do believe eventually there will be a transfer who will sit out signing hopefully it will be a big.