pre season BOLD predictions

[the addict]

Well we do it in football


Curious to see what people think in hoops

Who will be the top 4 seeds come tourny time?

Biggest suprise?

Biggest letdown?


Top 4 end of year:

1. Louisville

2. Mich st

3. Florida

4. Unc



Biggest suprise- penn state. Don't think they are cinderella story or anything, but do think they are much better then advertised. Possible B10 player of year ???


Biggest letdown- kansas. See kentucky past few years. Only thing bigger then the wiggins hype is the KU faithful's heads. Still think they are a top 25 team but they will lose when shouldn't and I doubt they are an elite 8 team thanks to the youth



National champ- florida. They are very hard to defend when they are shooting well, and have the talent to make a run deeeeep. Beat lville and spoil their chances to repeat


Disclaimer: I go PSU alum. Transfered there after football career ended at D3 level....so possibly wishing on this team...but honestly they have enough talent.

 

[lowell]

I would be shocked if UNC is top 4 team. Lack of production at the center position along with small point guards will be factors.

 

[airportis]

Biggest letdown- kansas. See kentucky past few years. Only thing bigger then the wiggins hype is the KU faithful's heads. Still think they are a top 25 team but they will lose when shouldn't and I doubt they are an elite 8 team thanks to the youth

nailed it.

 

[Hashish]

Addict, all I an do is :facepalm: at your basketball predictions.

I do like to hear another voice in the chorus dismissing KU though. Interesting to hear you compare this KU team to Kentucky. I would say you are right on the mark. They have a similar talent level to the Kentucky team that steamrolled the competition just two years ago.

I would love to hear your explanation for how KU will not be in the top four at the end of the regular season. I can understand saying they will fail in the tournament. They have had some bad tourney losses in the past. However, they have been a regular-season machine. Nine straight Big 12 titles is a quality of regular-season excellence that no other program can begin to match. If they add their tenth as expected, how exactly do your figure they won't be in the top four?

KU fans have every reason to be excited about this coming season. This is the most talented team we have ever had, and Wiggins is widely considered to be the best player to come out of high school since LeBron. It is hard to win with a young team, but that Kentucky team of two years ago proved that overwhelming talent can be a legitimate trump card.

UNC will not be a factor in the tourney. No way will Florida win the title. I would be shocked if they make the Final Four. Michigan State I can definitely be down with. They are the only team that I fear in the tourney. Their experience combined with Izzo's coaching will make them very dangerous. I hope we get to play them in the title game.

 

[the addict]

Addict, all I an do is :facepalm: at your basketball predictions.

I do like to hear another voice in the chorus dismissing KU though. Interesting to hear you compare this KU team to Kentucky. I would say you are right on the mark. They have a similar talent level to the Kentucky team that steamrolled the competition just two years ago.

I would love to hear your explanation for how KU will not be in the top four at the end of the regular season. I can understand saying they will fail in the tournament. They have had some bad tourney losses in the past. However, they have been a regular-season machine. Nine straight Big 12 titles is a quality of regular-season excellence that no other program can begin to match. If they add their tenth as expected, how exactly do your figure they won't be in the top four?

KU fans have every reason to be excited about this coming season. This is the most talented team we have ever had, and Wiggins is widely considered to be the best player to come out of high school since LeBron. It is hard to win with a young team, but that Kentucky team of two years ago proved that overwhelming talent can be a legitimate trump card.

UNC will not be a factor in the tourney. No way will Florida win the title. I would be shocked if they make the Final Four. Michigan State I can definitely be down with. They are the only team that I fear in the tourney. Their experience combined with Izzo's coaching will make them very dangerous. I hope we get to play them in the title game.

cool man

just my opinion



hope they do great so all your big predictions hold true. lots can happen in any season to keep a team from finishing in the top 4 of their conference, let alone in the country.

basketball is the most wideopn sport in college so I honestly think anyone predicting a top 4 could be argued by another...


we shall see

 

[Full court press]

On a smaller stage, my Zips are loaded by MAC standards and should have little trouble dispatching the rest of the mediocre teams of this conference.

I've been to a couple open gyms and practice sessions, one of which where Lebron James was playing and they look good. A couple of the freshmen look really good and will probably avoid redshirting and get some considerable minutes.

The area of some concern is the point. If you recall, last year our point got busted for selling weed. So we are young back there but 6'6 Quincy Diggs is back this year and he can play all three of the 1-2-3 spots.

This will be a solid club that could make a little noise in March.


bold prediction; Zips make the round of 32


http://instagram.com/p/cxOESTG4no/

 

[Full court press]

A little more open gym at the University of Akron. The level of competition ain't too shabby. Mr James is a nice little recruiting chip for the Zips to play He's around often in the off season

http://instagram.com/p/cxQj-2G568/



Just a bit of a mismatch:

 

[airportis]

nice info FCP. always appreciate an unbiased report of ones team.

Akron will be quite good I think. Losing Zeke hurts though. Someone will need to step up to fill that presence in the middle. Not so much the scoring, but the one man block party Zeke hosted nearly every game.

Good thing is they have plenty of games before conference play starts to iron out all the kinks.

Diggs could really cause some matchup problems if he can manage the ball at point too.

 

[Mr. Poon]

Someone tell King Jams to stop camping out in the lane.

 

[Full court press]

nice info FCP. always appreciate an unbiased report of ones team.

Akron will be quite good I think. Losing Zeke hurts though. Someone will need to step up to fill that presence in the middle. Not so much the scoring, but the one man block party Zeke hosted nearly every game.

Good thing is they have plenty of games before conference play starts to iron out all the kinks.

Diggs could really cause some matchup problems if he can manage the ball at point too.

You are right, Diggs will be a major headache for foes if he runs the point. Word is that he has really improved his J and will mostly be used at the 2. If so he'll be one of the quickest 2s around. I think he'll get time at the point but mostly as a change of pace type thing to exploit defensive woes.

Zeke will be missed, not only for his blocks but I can't tell you how many times a guard started to drive and thought better of it to kick out for an ill advised 3. It's the shots they didn't get that made the huge difference.

They still have considerable size and Treadwell's substantial muscle in the paint. He's just a beast and has a decent shot to get to the next level. Newcomer Johnson a frosh from Cincy is 6'10 285 lbs and has an nice stroke from a guy his size. Dambrot has liked him from the get go. Also back is the 6'11 transfer from W Va Forsythe so the zips can still match up with just about anybody. The three/ wing position is exceptionally deep with a couple 6'7 guys that can stroke it.


The only team that can sniff their shorts would be Toledo because with their transfers and freshmen class they finally have some talent to put around Pierson out there.

The MAC added two more cross divisional games this year randomly scheduled but the zips did not draw the Rockets at their place, just one game here at the Jar. This makes Akron an attractive future play IMO and especially if the Rockets get a lot of ink and get bet.


Treadwell

 

[bjfinste]

Did Lebron play HS ball for Akron's coach?

 

[Full court press]

Did Lebron play HS ball for Akron's coach?

correct

 

[WildBillPicks7]

Who will be the top 4 seeds come tourny time?

Biggest suprise? Creighton into the Elite 8, secondly, U Conn, another who should quickly move up after a year out of post-season due to academic stuff the No-Class-Administration-Assholes put in place.

Biggest letdown? Syracuse


Top 4 end of year:

1. Michigan St

2. Duke

3. Kansas

4. Kentucky

 

[airportis]

Iowa wins 30 games. They can easily split with some of the Big 10 big boys like Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State. This will be a dangerous team in March.

Creighton will be a big let down. They have big expectations as a mid-major and will not deliver. They will still be damn good but there will be no deep tourney run and they'll still lose about 5 conference games.

Boise State....this is the team to watch. Will crack the top 25 at some point and win 25+ games. Mark down Dec 10th because this is going to be a dog worth a huge consideration when they go to Kentucky. They should be 8-0 rolling into UK and having not played much, should be getting a very favorable amount of points.

 

[Mr. Poon]

Creighton is a good squad, but is going to face much tougher defense on a consistent basis in the Big East. That said, the Big East will be a very top heavy conference. There will be a clear distinction between the top half and bottom half of the conference.

 

[BuddyWright]

TOP 4

LOUISVILLE
MICHIGAN
DUKE
SYRACUSE

GoodLuck

 

[WildBillPicks7]

Iowa wins 30 games. They can easily split with some of the Big 10 big boys like Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State. This will be a dangerous team in March.

Creighton will be a big let down. They have big expectations as a mid-major and will not deliver. They will still be damn good but there will be no deep tourney run and they'll still lose about 5 conference games.

Boise State....this is the team to watch. Will crack the top 25 at some point and win 25+ games. Mark down Dec 10th because this is going to be a dog worth a huge consideration when they go to Kentucky. They should be 8-0 rolling into UK and having not played much, should be getting a very favorable amount of points.

Iowa win 30? Okey dokey. Creighton moves into the new conference however they return 5th year man Gibbs, also McD and a talented group from last year. Boise I think too will be a good team, not that good however. No name players and no name coach in a conference that has teams with more notoriety.

Reason I feel Iowa won't even come close to 30, Marble is injury prone, academics at Iowa are a joke, several players are just so-so talent wise and their HC is good, but playing in the Big10 is a lot different this year and the big boys got better and Iowa stayed status quo. Michigan St, Michigan, Ohio St and Indiana top 4 in Big10 and they will sweep Iowa, let alone Illinois will be changed over talent wise losing Paul and N'western should have 7 players back that were out with injuries last season. Oh and Nebraska has a team too, I doublt Iowa will sweep any of these teams this year unless they put together a healthy season and can hit jumpers in the lane. The big red head for them is eratic, Marble again is injury prone and the other 3 guys need to put it fast forward or it's just another 20-12 year for the Hawkeyes imho!

 

[airportis]

Iowa win 30? Okey dokey. Creighton moves into the new conference however they return 5th year man Gibbs, also McD and a talented group from last year. Boise I think too will be a good team, not that good however. No name players and no name coach in a conference that has teams with more notoriety.

Reason I feel Iowa won't even come close to 30, Marble is injury prone, academics at Iowa are a joke, several players are just so-so talent wise and their HC is good, but playing in the Big10 is a lot different this year and the big boys got better and Iowa stayed status quo. Michigan St, Michigan, Ohio St and Indiana top 4 in Big10 and they will sweep Iowa, let alone Illinois will be changed over talent wise losing Paul and N'western should have 7 players back that were out with injuries last season. Oh and Nebraska has a team too, I doublt Iowa will sweep any of these teams this year unless they put together a healthy season and can hit jumpers in the lane. The big red head for them is eratic, Marble again is injury prone and the other 3 guys need to put it fast forward or it's just another 20-12 year for the Hawkeyes imho!

these are bold predictions after all, not realistic expectations. I do feel like Iowa can win 30 with some good play and breaks going their way.

They won 20 regular season games last year, and that was going 9-9 in conference play. An improvement on that plus the Big 10 conference tourney and whatever post season tourney they get into, and they can creep up very close to 30 games.

McCaff is an awesome coach and his team has gotten better each year. they are an experienced group and have great length. Marble isnt the driving force for that team. they have a number of big contributors. the biggest problem for them is they will need to find an outside shot from somewhere because last year it wasnt very good.

they played Mich St twice last year and lost by a combined 6 points. one game of which Marble didnt even play in. the other he only contributed 8 points.

if there were a prop bet on Iowas win total over or under 20, I would absolutely unload on the over.

 

[WildBillPicks7]

these are bold predictions after all, not realistic expectations. I do feel like Iowa can win 30 with some good play and breaks going their way.

They won 20 regular season games last year, and that was going 9-9 in conference play. An improvement on that plus the Big 10 conference tourney and whatever post season tourney they get into, and they can creep up very close to 30 games.

McCaff is an awesome coach and his team has gotten better each year. they are an experienced group and have great length. Marble isnt the driving force for that team. they have a number of big contributors. the biggest problem for them is they will need to find an outside shot from somewhere because last year it wasnt very good.

they played Mich St twice last year and lost by a combined 6 points. one game of which Marble didnt even play in. the other he only contributed 8 points.

if there were a prop bet on Iowas win total over or under 20, I would absolutely unload on the over.

If Uthoff makes a major contribution, this team could be a force to be reckoned with, 30 wins would be an improvement by 5 games over last year, which is attainable, however, tough tough league the Big10 is and Fran, he's always been a fav of mine, since his playing days and he won me some caysh while he was at Siena, this team will have to play well on the road and that will be the key to this year's Hawkeye squad.

Good stuff, airportis! :

Their national rank in Lindy's is 17, Indiana is 20? So Iowa is getting some good ink, the rest will be how they play and stay healthy.

GL!

 

[WildBillPicks7]

Central Florida, 20-11 last year has 5 starters back and could be a sleeper this season. Averaged 71 ppg and allowed 67 ppg.