Realistic Goal for Men's Basketball Team

[Panther789]

An important season for a lot of reasons. 3rd year for Coach Jake after inheriting a program at its highest point in school history. 3rd Year for the most highly touted recruiting class in school history. Several Possibilities.


1. UNI finishes in the bottom 4 in the conference and loses both games to Iowa and ISU. In my opinion this is probably the only way that Jake is truly on the hot seat at the end of the year.


2. UNI finishes in the Top 6 in the conference but misses out on post-season play. Unfortunately, this has become the norm the last two years. Big wins scattered throughout the season, but not consistent enough to put it all together, and teams that have struggled the last month of the season.

3. UNI finishes in the Top 3-5 in the Conference and secures a bid in the CBI or the NIT. Injuries or not, in my opinion it is fair to expect this out of our team and our head coach in year three.

4. UNI finishes in the top 3 of the conference, and finds a way to make it back to the NCAA tournament. Probably a lot to ask, but its been done before, and hopefully we will get to the point where this is a realistic goal every year. To have a realistic shot at an at-large, the team probably cant lose more than 1-2 in the non-conference.

[FerociousCat]

Re: Realistic Goal for Men's Basketball Team

I'll go reluctantly with option 2...

this year could be the opposite of last year...no post players.

Hopefully we get healthy & the team gels quickly...this has been the mantra since the trip to Thailand 14 months ago

[clenz]

Re: Realistic Goal for Men's Basketball Team

I would love to say top 3, and I am being optimistic it could be pulled off. However, I'm thinking we finish 4th and get into the NIT or CBI and do well in that tourney.

[9YRPLAN]

Re: Realistic Goal for Men's Basketball Team

i think you will find that the most surprising mid-major success stories have great guard play, not consistent big men.

[06panther10]

Re: Realistic Goal for Men's Basketball Team

National Champs not an option??

[Panther Cat]

Re: Realistic Goal for Men's Basketball Team

If we are healthy we put the second best lineup on the court in the conference in my opinion (behind Creighton). With a few true point guards and arguably 2 of the top post players we have the potential to finnish top three in this conference. Without Jordan healthy for most of the year that will be tough because after Koch there is a pretty good drop off. And we have some decent depth which we haven't had in a while. With that I'm predicting a record of 20-10 and 12-6 in the conference. That is a very realistic goal, and I think 12-6 will have a very good shot at top 3 in the league this year with how much parity there is now. I think Creighton will run away with the title like Drake did last year. They are very deep and very talanted.

[montej]

Re: Realistic Goal for Men's Basketball Team

After watching both exibition games it is obvious if we don't get a healthy Jordan we'll be lucky to finish in the top 6. Moran, Ali, Kwadzo, and Koch will have to carry the load. We saw last night what happens when just one of those four is off. Kwadzo out most of game in foul trouble. We have little rebounding strength and virtually no inside game. Adam is best suited for power forward and taking the ball off the dribble against slower big men. Moran is going to be a really good player and Ali can shoot it. We will need someone to clear the boards and work an inside out game. If Jordan can't go we need Piehl n Rodenberg in the second half to really step up.

[06panther10]

Re: Realistic Goal for Men's Basketball Team

If we are healthy we put the second best lineup on the court in the conference in my opinion (behind Creighton). With a few true point guards and arguably 2 of the top post players we have the potential to finnish top three in this conference. Without Jordan healthy for most of the year that will be tough because after Koch there is a pretty good drop off. And we have some decent depth which we haven't had in a while. With that I'm predicting a record of 20-10 and 12-6 in the conference. That is a very realistic goal, and I think 12-6 will have a very good shot at top 3 in the league this year with how much parity there is now. I think Creighton will run away with the title like Drake did last year. They are very deep and very talanted.

After Koch? What has he done? All he has shown so far is that he can miss plenty of shots right under the basket. He NEEDS to be able to score, and right now he can't make anything.

Other than that, I think your predictions are pretty accurate as far as our record goes. I agree that Creighton will be really good as well.

[Panther Cat]

Re: Realistic Goal for Men's Basketball Team

Well if Koch has to play the true center spot all year he won't be as productive that's true. But he is still a good player and he showed that last year. He averaged just under 10 PPG and just over 5 RBPG. He has missed a few easy shots but he shot over 53% inside of the 3 PT line last year. He can hit the outside shot on occasion but that isn't his strength. His game is taking other big men off the dribble or facing up and hitting a 10-15 foot shot. Koch will be alright by himself, with Jordan he will have a very very big year.

[FerociousCat]

Re: Realistic Goal for Men's Basketball Team

Now, I for one could care less how pretty a win is, but I know some won't watch a 44-27 game and enjoy it. If UNI beats SIU (or Iowa or ISU or Drake) 44-27...could you be happy with the win or would this board be in meltdown mode?

I have to admit that after Iowa/ISU/SIU/Drake/CU... the game that always gets my blood boiling is Wayne St(Neb not Mich)...

[terri]

Re: Realistic Goal for Men's Basketball Team

i think you will find that the most surprising mid-major success stories have great guard play, not consistent big men.

I agree, mainly because mid-majors have such a hard time getting really good big men to come to their schools. There are more good guards out there than there are big men. But if a mid-major school does get a good big man, they can be exponentially better. Just look at what Patrick O'Bryant did for Bradley a couple of seasons ago. His interior presence made all of their guards more effective because they didn't have to carry the load. However O'Bryant's development was a huge credit to the Braves coaching staff because he was a huge project coming out of high school, which is why he didn't go somewhere bigger. It comes down to the coaching staff at UNI being able to develop their players, and while guards have traditionally been successful in developing in the Valley, successful big men are far less commonplace. 1-2-3 GOOO PANTHERS!!!

[Panther Cat]

Re: Realistic Goal for Men's Basketball Team

I agree, mainly because mid-majors have such a hard time getting really good big men to come to their schools. There are more good guards out there than there are big men. But if a mid-major school does get a good big man, they can be exponentially better. Just look at what Patrick O'Bryant did for Bradley a couple of seasons ago. His interior presence made all of their guards more effective because they didn't have to carry the load. However O'Bryant's development was a huge credit to the Braves coaching staff because he was a huge project coming out of high school, which is why he didn't go somewhere bigger. It comes down to the coaching staff at UNI being able to develop their players, and while guards have traditionally been successful in developing in the Valley, successful big men are far less commonplace. 1-2-3 GOOO PANTHERS!!!

I agree the Bradley coaches did a good job with O'Bryant. And he did have a ways to go to be as good as he is. But the reason he wasn't getting recruited harder was because he told everyone he was going to culinary arts school and he wasn't interested in playing basketball. Good work by Bradley to change his mind. Plus he's making a few million dollars now, don't know too many chefs that make that!!!!