I don't think this is news or unexpected...there really has to be an overview of what teams are bringing in and what teams are losing from their rotations.
Media members usually make the mistake of just assuming that a returning starter
means success and a new starter does not.
It's not a "deep dive" into recruiting rankings or actually knowing the players but RU (in my opinion) should be better because their players should improve from April to October. But there has to be at least 2 quality additions on top of Young and Mulcahy for 19-20, to be a post season contender or team that is over .500.
A) what's the schedule in the OOC beyond the Seton Hall game and game at UMass, that was supposed to be on this year's schedule??
B) Will everyone be healthy?? I asked someone who has the potential knee injury that Eugene likely has and it's really only corrected with surgery. How many months of time off does that mean??
C) How many key players leave the B1G, in what has to be considered a significantly better league than what we had in the 1st 2 seasons under Pike??
Off the top of my head, here are the names that likely depart for the next level or graduate.
Purdue....Carsen Edwards?? Ryan Kline....there should be a dip from the Top 4 of the league, if Edwards leaves for the NBA as expected.....a typical Purdue class coming in....one 4* & 2 good 3* kids....
Minnesota....Jordan Murphy, Dupree McBrayer....i think there are 2 starting caliber guards sitting out via transfer this year from Pitt and another school that will immediately be ready to go....
Maryland.....Bruno Fernando is a likely departure, but MD adds a 4* & 2 very good 3* kids (Donta Scott from Philly is a player I liked at an event a couple of years ago)....Maryland has players on their bench that would start on more than half of the 2nd half of the B1G rosters like RU, Northwestern, Nebraska, Minnesota next year.
Iowa.....no major departures......add Fran Mccaffrey's son, whose considered a Top 75 to 100 kid nationally in the front court.
Illinois....5* frosh Dosunmu could depart, but Illinois is bringing in a top class, including regional 4* post player, eraser, Kofi Cockburn, whose should make Illinois better defensively. They're looking to add this spring as well.
Northwestern.....loses Dererk Pardon, Vic Law, and grad transfer Ryan Taylor....those 3 starters are being replaced by a high caliber group of freshman....Robbie Beran is Top 100 PF who should play immediately for Pardons spot....RU should be better than NW, while they retool and get younger.
Nebraska.....loses Copeland, Watson and Palmer....Roby will be a senior and a couple of incoming players are expected to step right in for the seniors. Will they be better than the 3 seniors immediately?? The media isn't going to evaluate the incoming recruits, they will just assume losing 3 seniors equates to a drop in rankings....this is another program, where despite the loss to Nebraska, RU should be better than the Huskers next year.
Penn State.....Lamar Stevens should be back for his senior season, i don't think he's a definite departure....they lose Reaves, an excellent defender and scorer. Watkins is going be a senior.....I like their incoming kid, Lundy to immediately start in Reaves spot as a Top 150 range, high 3* player. This is the other opportunity where if RU adds another piece or 2 this spring, to replace Thiam, RU should be on par or better than PSU next year. I definitely see RU as equal now into 2019-2020.
Wisconsin loses Ethan Happ, who was a unique player which accounted for a lot. But they landed an Ohio State transfer, Micah Potter, who will not be as good as Happ, but should be more explosive and a better athlete. Wisconsin is the classic program that is either going to definitely slip a bit OR has the track record of playing good enough to stay in the top half of the league standings.
Ohio State brings in an excellent class of freshman with 3 Top 50 nationally ranked kida and loses a grad transfer in Woods and guard CJ Jackson....i don't expect Ohio State to be worse next year, they will be better next year.
I am leaving Michigan and Michigan State out of the discussion since they're recruiting at a high level for their programs, are so well organized and coached. They're penciled in for the top half of the standings, unless something drastically changed that I'm not aware of with either coach.
Indiana is a variable that has talent, but may have a departing lottery pick in Langford and Juwan Morgan....they have a 5* center coming in to replace Morgan up front, so it's just a matter of finding another guard to replace Langford.
If the league is a Top 2 or at worse 3 league in all of college basketball, there's no automatic jump up from 10th place to 7th. It doesn't automatically happen in the ACC and I don't see it as an exception for the B1G....it's not going to go from all 14 teams in the Top 80 in a ranking system like KenPom to having 4 teams suddenly falling into the 100s.
The argument that RU is a scraped 3 pointer off the backboard vs Iowa at home and a poorly played home game vs Northwestern from already being 8th in the standings this year is valid.....or how healthy or better is RU with a 100% Omoruyi all year???
RU needs to replace Thiam's now open scholarship spot, with a legitimate defensive front court or a complete defensive player who can be a eraser at the basket OR has to land a clear cut 3 point shooter and player that projects to be better than Eugene, to take the next step up the standings.
