(10-30-2019 11:23 AM)StillJonesing Wrote: (10-30-2019 10:08 AM)pesik Wrote: those are 300 rpi teams..except liberty.. if 2 injuries equate to losses vs those teams, you were never going to be a good then..
I think you have to consider the position. Any other position I would agree, heck I think we could overcome Gardner being out early more than Robinson at Point. Good PG play was always going to be the key early for a team with 11 new players.
After researching these teams they aren't 300 ranked. They all early at least pretty much look improved, it's the set up this schedule with a lot of road games and Liberty really early is pure $hit and works against a team with 11 new players much less point guard injuries. Dooley really should have planned the schedule better knowing he'd have a new team that needed some reps. The NBA calls the "scheduling losses" when the league off screws them with the schedule, and we basically did it to ourselfs.
App was #206 last year from memory and returns their 4 best players, including a 16ppg scorer, some size, and added a freshman with P5 offers that should be the 5th starter. They also have a new coach that had a pretty good rebuild at Presbyterian. That's game 3 on the road.
Game 4 is our toughest OOC game in Liberty who is a 12 seed projected, and then game 5 in the Bahamas Evansville . I just learned Evansville has an Arizona St transfer that average 9.5ppg and 4.5rpg as a freshman, and then transferred to Kansas and played 15 games there before transferring to Evansville and sitting out last year. They could be a lot better than last year for sure. Another transfer from Coastal Carolina that averaged 11ppg too.
you dont need an elite pg play to win.. you brought it like 8 guards, and one of the 2 injured wasn't a true pg by the words of your coach..like i said if one of 6 can't run an offense (even from a 2 or 3) vs these teams the bar was going to be low
if logan/newton aren't ready..just have them bring the ball down and immediately pass it to a better guard (which was what wichita did last year with a non dynamic true freshman pg and they made the NIT)
as far as schedule no one expected you to beat liberty even at full strength..so losing that game won't be a big deal especially when you have a chance to play them twice
also from reports ive read, jackson is expected back way before evansville
the rest of schedule :
you think gardner is a top 3 player in the conference
you think leday is a top 15 player in the conference
you are very high on baruti
you are high on jj miles
you are high on miles james
you think Tristen Newton is vastly underrated
you are very high on tyrie (who at most likely misses 3/4 games- potentially none)
you either believe these things or you don't ...
if you are worried about 11-21 app state/Evansville in the sunbelt/mvc getting better.. because you are down 1 player did you really believe those things you said about those players?