College Basketball 2007-2008

[Andy]

Who's your team? What'd they do last year? Where are they headed? Who are the key players?

[TruffleShuffle]

holy cross, patriot league champs, picked to win the league again this year (though it will be close, having lost our two best players), and our most important players this year are tim clifford and alex vander baan

[Flames24Rulz]

SIU. Regular season MVC champions, 29-7 record, and 4 points away from an Elite 8 berth. We are predicted to win the Valley again this year and many publications have us in the top 25 (around the 21-25 area). We also lost two of our best players in Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young. Best players on this years team are Randal Falker (who should win MVC Player of the Year), Matt Shaw, and Brian Mullins.

 

Our frontcourt is going to carry us this year with Falker and Shaw starting and freshman Carlton Fay coming off the bench. I'm very excited about this years team. College Gameday is going to be here January 26th for our tilt against Creighton. And we have OOC games against Indiana and Butler at home. Regular season opener is November 17th against NIU.

[hawkcub]

Iowa Hawkeyes-Big Ten

 

We will suck.

 

Although now that Alford's gone people might actually go to the games.

[Andy]

Notre Dame - Big East - finished 4th in the conference, fell just one point short of beating Georgetown and getting a berth in the Big East title game. As it turned out it gave the selection committee the chance to screw us into traveling to Spokane as the 6 seed against the best double-digit seed (coming into the tournament). Then Winthrop beat the Irish in a terribly officiated game. Ok, I digress.

 

Needless to say the Irish have a chip on their shoulder this season, one that won't be lightened any by being picked to finish an absurd 9th in the Big East this season. The team lost their two star seniors, Russell Carter and Colin Falls, but have a strong core coming back, including forward Rob Kurz, sophomore sensation PG Tory Jackson, and the long-awaited return of Kyle McAlarney from his absurd one-semester suspension from Notre Dame. The incompetent athletic director, Kevin White, is not happy with just trying to water down the Irish football schedule, but now has set his sights on making the basketball schedule as ridiculously unchallenging as possible. Kansas State is ND's only remotely challenging out of conference game, in NYC at the Jimmy V Classic. ND does not have a road non-conference game. There is frankly no excuse not to be 13-0 going into Big East play.

 

Ball State - MAC - The Cardinals are at about as low a point as you can reach as a basketball program barring some Baylor fiasco. The Cards had their fewest wins and most losses in program history last year, then coach Ronny Thompson - a noted bigot who fired every white person in the basketball department upon arrival - decided to plant racist notes in his own offices to give himself an excuse to resign from the university, and not only that, but to resign in fricking July when it was already too late for a new coach to recruit.

 

Billy Taylor is the new man, fresh from four years at Lehigh, one of which ended in an NCAA berth. Taylor is a Notre Dame man, having played and coached under John MacLeod, and has been the anti-Ronny since arriving, being open and welcoming to everyone, and best of all, is not telling anyone on the team not to trust white people, unlike Thompson.

 

The Cardinals will not win many games this year. Their tallest player, as it stands right now, is 6'5" Anthony Newell. Four players have been kicked off or left the team since Taylor's arrival, at least three of which for drug or rule violation-related reasons. The team faces a fairly taxing out of conference schedule, including an opening game against Butler, who only went to the Sweet 16 last year, and most notably a home game against Georgetown, which might result in the most ridiculously over-the-top atmosphere in Ball State athletic history.

[Derwood]

DePaul. Haven't heard much, but losing Mejia and Richardson can't help

[TruffleShuffle]

DePaul. Haven't heard much, but losing Mejia and Richardson can't help

 

how about PENN STATE??? are YOU in?

[Derwood]

DePaul. Haven't heard much, but losing Mejia and Richardson can't help

 

how about PENN STATE??? are YOU in?

 

Nittany Lion Basketball: We have JuCo Transfers!

[TruffleShuffle]

DePaul. Haven't heard much, but losing Mejia and Richardson can't help

 

how about PENN STATE??? are YOU in?

 

Nittany Lion Basketball: We have JuCo Transfers!

 

Nittany Lion Basketball: Hey we play good teams like Illinois and Ohio State! Come see their talented players!

[ISUCubsFan]

Iowa State - Big XII

 

Last year was a complete overhaul for ISU, with only 4 scholarship players returning after Wayne Morgan was fired as coach. ISU got Greg McDermott away from UNI to try to throw together a basketball team, and he had decent success, signing guard Mike Taylor and forward Wesley Johnson among others. Teamed with returning C Juri Hubalek and F Rahshon Clark, they managed to finish 15-16 (6-10).

 

The only offseason losses were in the backcourt, where Corey McIntosh and Dodie Dunson left due to personal/academic reasons (no big loss). Leading scorer Mike Taylor was dismissed for two separate run ins with the law (vandalism and stealing cough medicine).

 

This year looks to be a baby step forward. The backcourt has been shored up with an incoming class of several 3-star guards, including Carlos' smaller brother Charles. At forward, Clark and Johnson provide athleticism, experience, and ridiculous jumping ability. Johnson is also a threat to score. Down low, Hubalek returns as a scoring threat with poor defense. The Cyclones also added Alex Thompson (transfer from Iowa) and Craig Brackins (4/5 star recruit) to provide depth.

 

I expect this team to make baby steps back to a legitimate threat in the conference, but a NIT trip would be a wild success in my eyes. The front court should be one of the best in the conference, but a young backcourt will have to mature quickly for them to have a chance. Coach Mac seems to be doing the right things so far though, and I'm excited for the season to start, though that's probably because I've had to watch our football "team" the whole year.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Missouri Tigers

 

-G Stefhon Hannah - complete stud

-G Keon Lawrence - almost a complete stud

-C Kalen Grimes - kicked off team for hitting someone with a shotgun in STL

-F Darryl Butterfield - probably gonna be kicked off team; got arrested last week for punching his girlfriend

-F Matt Lawrence - 3 point machine, I expect even more improvement this year

-F DeMarre Carroll - Vandy transfer finally eligible. he's my favorite player and he hasn't even played a game yet; got shot in the foot this past summer but he's fine

-G Mike Anderson Jr. - got arrested for DUI in the spring, won't play much

-G Nick Berardini - same as above, minus the DUI

-G JT Tiller - very solid player, i expect a lot of improvement

-F Leo Lyons - need him to step up inside

 

theres other guys, but no one is nearly as exciting as the thugs on our team.

[SouthSideRyan]

DePaul. Haven't heard much, but losing Mejia and Richardson can't help

 

how about PENN STATE??? are YOU in?

 

Nittany Lion Basketball: We have JuCo Transfers!

 

Nittany Lion Basketball: Hey we play good teams like Illinois and Ohio State! Come see their talented players!

 

And this is the nicest thing that will be said about U of I basketball in this thread over the next couple of months. At which point some IU fan will get under illiniguy's collar and he'll go off and we'll all have as much fun with IU/UI as we did last year.

 

And you forgot Wilson Chandler Derwood. DePaul's gonna be in a world of hurt :(

 

I think Illinois squeaks into the tourney again. (God help me I've got us 22-9 heading into the BTT) It'd be nice to not choke away a 10 point lead with 4 minutes left this time.

 

There will be a bunch of hype surrounding the UI/Mizzou game on here. Missouri will be undefeated at the time and talking about how they'll finally snap the streak against a 3 loss Illini team. Illinois will up it's winning streak against Mizzou to 48 consecutive games.

 

UI/IU #1 will be overexposed before their first matchup in Bloomington. Gordon will score 28 and IU wins by 11. IU fans around here get real obnoxious.

 

IU/UI #2 will be overexposed before their 2nd matchup in Champaign. Chester Frazier holds Gordon to 13. Orange Krush plays their cell phone ringtones at every IU free throw, Gordon is booed every time he touches the ball. Illinois wins by 6. UI fans around here get real obnoxious.

 

Shaun Pruitt is 1st team all Big 10.

Randle 2nd team.

Frazier 3rd.

 

The Big 10 is wayyy down this year. You've got 4 at the top(OSU, MSU, IU, Wisky) 2 question marks in the middle (UI, PU), some teams that need a year(Minnesota, UM, PSU??), and dreck(Iowa, NU)

 

I think the Big 10 gets 5 teams, and I think we're better than Purdue, to the point that we could slide in to the 4 spot.

 

Oh and every talking head will talk about what a down year it is for the big 10 for the 19th consecutive season. At least one team will again make the Final 4, and it won't be IU.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I think I'd take Mizzou losing to U of I if it meant we were undefeated going in. That'd mean wins @ Arkansas, @ Cal, v. Michigan State and UCLA/Maryland in KC, and Purdue at home.

 

And Cubbies75 forgot that Leo Lyons is an aspiring rapper, with such recording hits as "I'll bust ya head". I wish I was kidding.

[FloridaCubbie]

Florida.

We have lots of young talent, the junior lefty Walter Hodge is our veteran leadership from the point, Ma-REESE SPATES is our inside man. Nick Calathes heads up our Talented Freshman Class along with the tall (but still quite skinny) Parsons and Jai Lucas, The Next recruiting class is looking really good aswell. It's probaby a rebuilding year, but they still have a chance to be pretty good.

 

Billy DEEE is back after an...interesting offseason. I'm expecting a 6-7 seed in the dance and hopefully a sweet sixteen, but I'd be plenty happy with a fourth consecutive SEC tounament championship.

[Guest]

UC Davis. We sucked last year. We'll probably suck a little bit less this year. It's going to be a long year.

[snoodmonger]

KU

 

Returns everyone except for lottery pick Julian Wright.

 

Keys to success:

Darrell Arthur and Sherron Collins need to make the "sophomore leap."

Brandon Rush's recovery from knee surgery.

Will Freshman C Cole Aldrich contribute?

 

Should be preseason top 5, possibly as high as #2. A final four and championship are possible. Should win the Big XII.

[Butterscup1679666578]

I think I'd take Mizzou losing to U of I if it meant we were undefeated going in. That'd mean wins @ Arkansas, @ Cal, v. Michigan State and UCLA/Maryland in KC, and Purdue at home.

 

And Cubbies75 forgot that Leo Lyons is an aspiring rapper, with such recording hits as "I'll bust ya head". I wish I was kidding.

 

Oh that's right. He goes by "Six Plus."

[seanimal]

SIU. Regular season MVC champions, 29-7 record, and 4 points away from an Elite 8 berth. We are predicted to win the Valley again this year and many publications have us in the top 25 (around the 21-25 area). We also lost two of our best players in Jamaal Tatum and Tony Young. Best players on this years team are Randal Falker (who should win MVC Player of the Year), Matt Shaw, and Brian Mullins.

 

Our frontcourt is going to carry us this year with Falker and Shaw starting and freshman Carlton Fay coming off the bench. I'm very excited about this years team. College Gameday is going to be here January 26th for our tilt against Creighton. And we have OOC games against Indiana and Butler at home. Regular season opener is November 17th against NIU.

 

That Gameday game is going to be so awesome. I can't wait.

[rawaction]

INDIANA! 3rd in BigTen last year. Eliminated in 2nd round of NCAAs against the eventual Final 4 UCLA Bruins. This year, return 5 players who started games from last year's team. DJ White a year further removed from 2 broken feet. Bring in a top 3 recruit in the nation. Bring in a top 3 JUCO transfer. 2 potential 1st team All-Americans. Top 10 team in the country. Picked to finish 2nd the BigTen. One of the easier schedules in recent school history. Potential Final 4 team if it all comes together quickly, especially on the defensive end.

[SouthSideRyan]

I think I'd take Mizzou losing to U of I if it meant we were undefeated going in. That'd mean wins @ Arkansas, @ Cal, v. Michigan State and UCLA/Maryland in KC, and Purdue at home.

 

And Cubbies75 forgot that Leo Lyons is an aspiring rapper, with such recording hits as "I'll bust ya head". I wish I was kidding.

 

Whoops missed MSU and UCLA/MD on there somehow. Pretty sure you'll lose one of those.

[Rusch33]

Iowa Hawkeyes-Big Ten

 

We will suck.

 

Although now that Alford's gone people might actually go to the games.

 

Pretty much nailed that.

[inari]

Iowa Hawkeyes-Big Ten

 

We will suck.

 

Although now that Alford's gone people might actually go to the games.

 

Pretty much nailed that.

 

Yep.

 

Keys to success: The rest of the Big Ten has to get riddled with injuries.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I think I'd take Mizzou losing to U of I if it meant we were undefeated going in. That'd mean wins @ Arkansas, @ Cal, v. Michigan State and UCLA/Maryland in KC, and Purdue at home.

 

And Cubbies75 forgot that Leo Lyons is an aspiring rapper, with such recording hits as "I'll bust ya head". I wish I was kidding.

 

Whoops missed MSU and UCLA/MD on there somehow. Pretty sure you'll lose one of those.

 

They aren't listed because they aren't guaranteed, part of that CBE tournament. So I guess it could be someone besides them if they got knocked off(or Mizzou could do something stupid like lose to Fordham at home), but I'm reasonably confident we can make it to KC for that game against MSU.

[Butterscup1679666578]

I think I'd take Mizzou losing to U of I if it meant we were undefeated going in. That'd mean wins @ Arkansas, @ Cal, v. Michigan State and UCLA/Maryland in KC, and Purdue at home.

 

And Cubbies75 forgot that Leo Lyons is an aspiring rapper, with such recording hits as "I'll bust ya head". I wish I was kidding.

 

Whoops missed MSU and UCLA/MD on there somehow. Pretty sure you'll lose one of those.

 

They aren't listed because they aren't guaranteed, part of that CBE tournament. So I guess it could be someone besides them if they got knocked off(or Mizzou could do something stupid like lose to Fordham at home), but I'm reasonably confident we can make it to KC for that game against MSU.

 

Probably likely.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Iowa Hawkeyes-Big Ten

 

We will suck.

 

Although now that Alford's gone people might actually go to the games.

 

Pretty much nailed that.

 

Yep.

 

Keys to success: The rest of the Big Ten has to get riddled with injuries.

 

it's wrestling season