Way Too Early BigTen Predictions 🏀
- Thread starter Tango Two
- Start date
There is just so much variance this year in the Big Ten. From a preseason outlook, there’s not much separating 1 and 18. I’m sure some teams will emerge and some will fall, hopefully we will emerge
did you mean for football or hoops? 8th is good for former--hoping top 5 for latter...
I expected around 9th or 10th (middle of the pack). Hopefully, we are better than that, but I’m really worried about our frontcourt and rebounding... particularly our 4 and 5 and depth and size at those positions.
This season will be a big disappointment for Rutgers finishing 8th or worse with Bailey and Harper the star players who can make baskets at crunch time.The team has enough scoring threats to average over 70 points a game which is a marked improvement from previous seasons.The ability to win games on the road will decide Rutgers league ranking.
1 thing entering a season with uncertainty, which we have given the amount of B1G minutes the roster has played. We now add not knowing if our schedule is going to be too easy, too hard, or just right.
I imagine is Rutgers finishes 8th, barely makes the tournament and has a 1st weekend exit there will be a lot of "Even Duke doesn't win every year, can't win with just freshman, Top 5 picks doesn't guarantee anything, we were 13th in conference last year."
Note: this will likely be from the same people who call Duke, Kentucky and Michigan/HC Howard failures for not winning it all with multiple 1st round picks.
I am pretty much saying that now, but I won't call those other coaches not failures for winning with those rosters.
The big thig that has now changed is there is very few teams that will probably have senior laden teams with guys who have played with each other for a few years.
Maybe not as drastic, but most teams are going to be dealing with rosters with a ton of turnover having new faces being important parts of teams.
I feel very strong that NBA talent doesn't necessarily equate more wins. So much of this comes down to efficiency. I have SERIOUS concerns about Harper and Bailey as freshman playing both sides of the court shooting with the %s that significantly move the needle to where it needs to be. So much of basketball today is making 3 point shots. I put the O/u at 30% for Harper/Bailey combined from 3.
Even though we haven’t seen them play in college yet, I say with complete confidence that I would rather see Dylan and Ace shooting 3s than anyone from last year’s roster. Also, the threat of them shooting 3s opens up the court for them to take advantage of defenders who try come out to guard them on the perimeter to blow by and get to the hoop, and either score, get fouled, or pass to an open teammate if the defense tries to collapse on them. As Pike said on the interview, last year he didn’t have guys who could finish at the rim, and these guys can.
Last year's team should be left out of any conversation as a bar to get over. We were ranked 300th offensively which for a major conference school is Chicago White Sox 2024 bad.
I posted awhile back the shooting percentages of freshman in the Pikiell era. Yes we have had many bad shooters. Ron Harper Jr was terrible as a freshman shooting. It is a HUGE adjustment playing both ends of the floor.
I think if they combine under 30% it is going to be VERY VERY difficult for us to be a top 30 offense.
I always respect your analysis, and I know you've conceded this before, but these guys are truly a different caliber of talent than anything we've experienced before. It seems hard to fathom but I think both have the potential to be the best players in college basketball, IMO Harper has a pretty decent chance to . It is not crazy for freshmen of this high a rating and pedigree to perform well. There might be an adjustment, but I'll bet teams are going to be adjusting to them more than they will be adjusting to the game.
An 8th place finish in conference would be a slight disappointment presuming no significant injuries etc.
8th place would in essence signify a middle of the pack (10-11 wins in conference) conference team given the current 18 team conference
/ 20 game conference schedule.
I’m hoping and am optimistic for a top 5-6 conference finish ( 12-13 wins) as I feel this squad could be / should be an upper third echelon team in the conference.
I get the uncertainty at Center / star power being embedded with freshman ( albeit quite talented ) and a massive personnel roster turnover however I am confident / hopeful that Pike and Staff ( with special guest star Jay Young )coaching prowess and the leadership of upper classmen with Jeremiah and Martini should be adequate to over compensate for these specific weaknesses.
Approx 70 days to Wagner but who’s counting !
8th place would in essence signify a middle of the pack (10-11 wins in conference) conference team given the current 18 team conference
/ 20 game conference schedule.
I’m hoping and am optimistic for a top 5-6 conference finish ( 12-13 wins) as I feel this squad could be / should be an upper third echelon team in the conference.
I get the uncertainty at Center / star power being embedded with freshman ( albeit quite talented ) and a massive personnel roster turnover however I am confident / hopeful that Pike and Staff ( with special guest star Jay Young )coaching prowess and the leadership of upper classmen with Jeremiah and Martini should be adequate to over compensate for these specific weaknesses.
Approx 70 days to Wagner but who’s counting !
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