We spit the bit last night. I’d say it’s pretty obvious WKU is the team to beat. NT looks very good as well.
Marshall could be a threat, we’ll have shoot the ball better and continue to improve on defense

(12-17-2020 11:39 AM)Dowless Wrote:  Here is how I think teams will end up

Marshall - Strong returning team and good incoming class
North Texas - No bad losses, but no good wins either
WKU - Strong post presence. Could end up #1.
La Tech - They always seem to play well
Charlotte - Lost some good players and brought in some good players.
UTSA - Returning a lot of players, but yet to win over a D1 team
ODU - No bad losses so far
UAB - Started strong, but teams that don't play anyone will do that
FAU - Returning a lot of scorers, but it won't be enough
FIU - Lost a lot of players from last season
UTEP - Big win last night. Could be the sleeper team of the year
MT - MT going to sneak into the tournament
Rice - As with UAB they have played a weak schedule so far. Weakest in CUSA so far.
Southern Miss - It is not looking like a good year for you guys.

I understand having Southern Miss at the bottom currently based on results, but I think this team has a decent ceiling and will get better and better as the year goes. Lots of new pieces that are learning where and how they fit on the team and how to play together. It has been frustrating to watch at times, but then you see a hint or glimmer of what this team can be. And the entire rotation has not yet been together for a game. I'm still hopeful.

clt says Charlotte is starting to gel

(12-17-2020 01:53 PM)Eagleholic Wrote:  

(12-17-2020 11:39 AM)Dowless Wrote:  Here is how I think teams will end up

Marshall - Strong returning team and good incoming class
North Texas - No bad losses, but no good wins either
WKU - Strong post presence. Could end up #1.
La Tech - They always seem to play well
Charlotte - Lost some good players and brought in some good players.
UTSA - Returning a lot of players, but yet to win over a D1 team
ODU - No bad losses so far
UAB - Started strong, but teams that don't play anyone will do that
FAU - Returning a lot of scorers, but it won't be enough
FIU - Lost a lot of players from last season
UTEP - Big win last night. Could be the sleeper team of the year
MT - MT going to sneak into the tournament
Rice - As with UAB they have played a weak schedule so far. Weakest in CUSA so far.
Southern Miss - It is not looking like a good year for you guys.

I understand having Southern Miss at the bottom currently based on results, but I think this team has a decent ceiling and will get better and better as the year goes. Lots of new pieces that are learning where and how they fit on the team and how to play together. It has been frustrating to watch at times, but then you see a hint or glimmer of what this team can be. And the entire rotation has not yet been together for a game. I'm still hopeful.

I hope you guys do ok unless you play us. When we make predictions we can only go from what we've seen and what we know. With almost a complete team turnover it is tough to tell how well you will do. Right now your best win is 287th and worst loss is 263rd. Still early, but you haven't proven anything yet.

The top 2 teams in the current standings have 2 of the 3 weakest schedules so far in the conference. I expect those standings to change once conference play starts. You can only play the schedule though so kudos to them for winning those games.

(12-17-2020 11:39 AM)Dowless Wrote:  Here is how I think teams will end up

Marshall - Strong returning team and good incoming class
North Texas - No bad losses, but no good wins either
WKU - Strong post presence. Could end up #1.
La Tech - They always seem to play well
Charlotte - Lost some good players and brought in some good players.
UTSA - Returning a lot of players, but yet to win over a D1 team
ODU - No bad losses so far
UAB - Started strong, but teams that don't play anyone will do that
FAU - Returning a lot of scorers, but it won't be enough
FIU - Lost a lot of players from last season
UTEP - Big win last night. Could be the sleeper team of the year
MT - MT going to sneak into the tournament
Rice - As with UAB they have played a weak schedule so far. Weakest in CUSA so far.
Southern Miss - It is not looking like a good year for you guys.

I don’t know exactly where UAB will finish this year, but I will be extremely disappointed if it’s 8th. We have played a weak schedule to this point, but we also basically had a new team this year. The one good thing we have this year that we haven’t in recent years is we are beating bad teams by large amounts. I still have concerns about our 3 point shooting, but we have a lot of experienced players, and we play solid defense.

NT has been blowing out the little guys and keeping competitive playing at 3 SEC schools (still losses). We are going to be in the mix once conference play starts. But, I agree WKU s/b the class of the league as long as they can keep their roster intact.

(12-17-2020 07:20 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  

(12-17-2020 11:39 AM)Dowless Wrote:  Here is how I think teams will end up

Marshall - Strong returning team and good incoming class
North Texas - No bad losses, but no good wins either
WKU - Strong post presence. Could end up #1.
La Tech - They always seem to play well
Charlotte - Lost some good players and brought in some good players.
UTSA - Returning a lot of players, but yet to win over a D1 team
ODU - No bad losses so far
UAB - Started strong, but teams that don't play anyone will do that
FAU - Returning a lot of scorers, but it won't be enough
FIU - Lost a lot of players from last season
UTEP - Big win last night. Could be the sleeper team of the year
MT - MT going to sneak into the tournament
Rice - As with UAB they have played a weak schedule so far. Weakest in CUSA so far.
Southern Miss - It is not looking like a good year for you guys.

I don’t know exactly where UAB will finish this year, but I will be extremely disappointed if it’s 8th. We have played a weak schedule to this point, but we also basically had a new team this year. The one good thing we have this year that we haven’t in recent years is we are beating bad teams by large amounts. I still have concerns about our 3 point shooting, but we have a lot of experienced players, and we play solid defense.

Sometimes a weak schedule is whats needed because it makes no sense to play a schedule full of good teams when you dont know what you have. It can kill confidence. The key in a weak schedule is not lose those games and UAB hasnt.

Will it payoff in the long run? Yet to be seen. But building confidence and players learning their roles...while winning is no worse than losing and not building a bench while going .500 or worse.

My number 1 saying in basketball...schedule to the talent level you have coming back. If its experience and known talent and you are picked to be 1st or 2nd in the conference. Schedule for a chance at an at large. Other wise schedule for the most possible wins with a one or two games vs tough known teams

I think it's tough to predict conference results since we have no idea what Covid will do to a team. As an example, top-10 ranked Houston has had every one of its players test positive for Covid! They're getting some back bit by bit, but they're going to play Alcorn State today with a much smaller roster than normal. And you just don't know if some players who test positive might have lingering issues.

Also the schedules are terribly unbalanced this year. Rice has probably the toughest schedule in the league. We're better than I expected with our transfer losses (we have some decent transfers that we added - plus Quincy Olivari is looking like he's going to be our best scoring guard since Marcus Evans), but I suspect we'll struggle in conference play (unless we get the Texas Tech transfer playing, but that sounds iffy).

WKU is the team to beat. They already have 3 wins against top 100 teams on KenPom. UTEP, Charlotte, and Middle Tennessee have 1 top 100 victory respectively. That’s it.

(12-18-2020 01:08 AM)WKUYG Wrote:  My number 1 saying in basketball...schedule to the talent level you have coming back. If its experience and known talent and you are picked to be 1st or 2nd in the conference. Schedule for a chance at an at large. Other wise schedule for the most possible wins with a one or two games vs tough known teams

YES. This is so correct. Too many teams schedule money games or make a difficult schedule as a grindstone to sharpen their sword for the conference tournament. But the best thing for the conference would be exactly what you said.

(12-17-2020 11:48 PM)ClaudeFunston Wrote:  NT has been blowing out the little guys and keeping competitive playing at 3 SEC schools (still losses). We are going to be in the mix once conference play starts. But, I agree WKU s/b the class of the league as long as they can keep their roster intact.

North Texas is the team to beat. Defending regular season champions. Returned pretty much everybody.

(12-19-2020 03:45 PM)Hilltopper2K Wrote:  

(12-17-2020 11:48 PM)ClaudeFunston Wrote:  NT has been blowing out the little guys and keeping competitive playing at 3 SEC schools (still losses). We are going to be in the mix once conference play starts. But, I agree WKU s/b the class of the league as long as they can keep their roster intact.

North Texas is the team to beat. Defending regular season champions. Returned pretty much everybody.

Sandbagging?

(12-19-2020 03:45 PM)Hilltopper2K Wrote:  

(12-17-2020 11:48 PM)ClaudeFunston Wrote:  NT has been blowing out the little guys and keeping competitive playing at 3 SEC schools (still losses). We are going to be in the mix once conference play starts. But, I agree WKU s/b the class of the league as long as they can keep their roster intact.

North Texas is the team to beat. Defending regular season champions. Returned pretty much everybody.

Ah, no. The team to beat resides in Bowling Green. End of story.

(12-19-2020 01:44 PM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  WKU is the team to beat. They already have 3 wins against top 100 teams on KenPom. UTEP, Charlotte, and Middle Tennessee have 1 top 100 victory respectively. That’s it.

Make that 4 now. Beat a tough defensively active Alabama team on the road plus a biased referee crew today.
Bassey--27pts--11reb. 1block I believe.
Good win for sure.

clt says Jahmir Young enters the chat

(12-19-2020 07:57 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I think it's tough to predict conference results since we have no idea what Covid will do to a team. As an example, top-10 ranked Houston has had every one of its players test positive for Covid! They're getting some back bit by bit, but they're going to play Alcorn State today with a much smaller roster than normal. And you just don't know if some players who test positive might have lingering issues.

Also the schedules are terribly unbalanced this year. Rice has probably the toughest schedule in the league. We're better than I expected with our transfer losses (we have some decent transfers that we added - plus Quincy Olivari is looking like he's going to be our best scoring guard since Marcus Evans), but I suspect we'll struggle in conference play (unless we get the Texas Tech transfer playing, but that sounds iffy).

This has to be a typo or sarcasm. Edit: I wrote that earlier thinking you meant Non-Conf. to date, but now I assume you mean conference schedule and you do have the toughest. Last year your SOS was 12th in Conference play.

Rice had the same record this season as last at this point, but your average opponent was ranked 186 last year compared to 330 this season. This is why I had you guys down one spot from last season to 13th in the league.

Dec. 21 numbers:

78 WKU
82 Marshall
97 UAB
104 North Texas
119 Old Dominion
121 La Tech
158 UTEP
169 Charlotte
183 FIU
184 UTSA
198 MTSU
214 FAU
261 Rice
281 Southern Miss

(12-21-2020 10:43 AM)Hilltopper413 Wrote:  Dec. 21 numbers:

78 WKU
82 Marshall
97 UAB
104 North Texas
119 Old Dominion
121 La Tech
158 UTEP
169 Charlotte
183 FIU
184 UTSA
198 MTSU
214 FAU
261 Rice
281 Southern Miss

Thanks! +2.

Here are the weekly +/- standings from Dec 14 to Dec 21:

WKU +4
Marshall -5
UAB -1
North Texas +2
Old Dominion -6
La Tech +7
UTEP +31
Charlotte +24
FIU +8
UTSA -9
MTSU -1
FAU -7
Rice -15
Southern Miss +27

Overall, CUSA had a good week with a cumulative +59 in the Ken Pomeroy rankings.

The teams in the top 150 are perfectly split east/west