(06-30-2017 06:54 AM)ThreeifbyLightning Wrote: (06-29-2017 11:04 PM)Hilltopper2K Wrote: (06-29-2017 03:15 PM)MT FAN Wrote: 1. MT I know it looks like a homer pick but I think we will repeat again this season. We will, however, lose more than one conference game. Brandon Walters will be huge for us this season and so will Nick King. Giddy Potts will have his best season this year. Kermit's tough defensive playing teams continue to stifle the conference It will be tougher this season but we will come out on top
2. UAB UAB will be in the mix to the very end. Nick Norton will return to shore up the PG duties and it will be Cokley and Lee's final season so they should be better. Eshan will have another year under his belt.
3. Marshall Marshall will add a little more size to this year's team to go with Elmore which will make them more dangerous and not so one dimensional.
4. WKU Added a lot of "stars" to their roster but they will be young and not well coached. I'm not buying the hype this year for WKU, maybe next year.
5. ODU Will be a tough defensive team like MT but will still be plagued with very little offense. They loss several guys to graduation but our gaining a few good guys coming in. ODU reminds of Kermit Davis team's of the early 2000's. Tough defense but atrocious offense. Maybe Jeff will be able to turn things around like Kermit did.
6. La Tech Has a talented roster and should be able to play with anyone on a given night but will drop a few too many games to keep them in contention.
7. UTEP Loss a few guards to graduation but still have some big men.
8. North Texas Should be much improved in the post Benford era.
9. Charlotte Mark Price needs to get things rolling at Charlotte
10. Rice Devastated by loss of players and coach, Starting from scratch again.
11. UTSA
12. Southern MIss
13. FIU
14. FAU
I think you have things generally right. There could be some shift in your top 4, but I think those are the right 4.
Giddy Potts will make MTSU a contender. A talented 4 year point guard is so huge. One with the experience he has is downright rare. The frog added a nice transfer or two to go with his returning players. A brutal non-conference schedule will prepare them.
The sheer quantity and quality of talent that WKU has added is unbelievable. Uncharted waters and hard to say how good we will be but I am fairly certain we will be better than last year. I've seen Mitchell Robinson play. He is raw, but he is a special, special talent. He threw down a behind the back slam dunk that is maybe the best in game dunk I have ever seen. Oh and he shoots threes pretty well too. Beardon is probably the most important add. A former 4 star point guard that has actually led a division 1 team to the tournament. More talent, depth and athleticsm that we have had in a while.
Feels like Marshall and UAB have been building to this a little bit. I could see either actually winning it if MTSU's losses hurt them more than expected or if WKU does not quite gel this season.
Can't wait to tip off and see what happens.
Do you guys think Mitchell will be one and done? Seems to be the trend for the top basketball players.
He will almost be certainly one and done and I think we have a couple of other players who want to be one and done as well, jury will remain out on those players.
My order:
1. WKU-bumpy non conf. will finally get it going during conf. play and "out Talent" most of these teams in CUSA
2. ODU-regardless of scoring, defense will still have them a tough matchup most nights
3. La. Tech-any season I try to blow off La. Tech, they prove me wrong, expect no difference this season
4. UAB-PG back with some talent around him, but I am not impressed with your coach, maybe he learned from this past season?
5. Marshall-Not quite the offensive power they had last season but will still have talented players who can put the ball in the basket
6. MTSU-losing 2 players who carried team will be hard to overcome
7. UTEP-Always have the talent to do well but never seems to materialize
8. Southern Miss-Will be much improved this season I feel
9. Charlotte-losing to many transfer under Price, might be a rough season for them
10. UTSA-Steve Henson has at least given Roadrunners a pulse
11. North Texas-big question mark here
12. Rice-lost more than any of us, complete redo
13. FIU and FAU-norm