Next Year

[DownGoesKansas]

I'm bored and frustrated with bad basketball and the debacle this season turned into and am trying to convince myself next year will be better.

Some thoughts:
-We still have 2 spots open I think and based on what we have seen this year we desperately need one of those to be a Juco/grad transfer 4 or 5. I also know that is easier said that done especially at this level, I have extreme confidence in Phyfe to be good but after that we'd probably start Isaiah at the 4? Luke and Dahl appear to be busts at this point. I hope I am wrong.
-IMO, AJ absolutely has to be the starting PG next year.
-Pickford looks to be very good but needs to work on that shot.
-Isaiah has shown a lot of promise lately and hopefully will continue to get more consistent
-Juwan plays good d and shows some good things on offense but man he needs to work on his shot. And I am sure he has done this a lot already so IDK.
- Wyatt just needs to be healthy
-Spencer needs to be more consistent. Hopefully some of his recent woes are injury related?

Lineup (Until we see full roster:
AJ
Wyatt
Pickford
Brown
Phyfe

Bench:
Juwan
Spencer
Luke?
?

Finally, Jake needs to seriously review what the heck is going occurring on the offensive side of the ball. In my opinion UNI basketball will always be driven off the 3 point shot and given the area of the country we are in and the quality of HS basketball in the state I am perfectly fine with. That being said, how did we end up with a starting lineup of no one who can make a shot consistently? Its quite baffling. And part of the reason I want to see the AJ/Wyatt backcourt. Additionally, offenses with Jake are always better with a 4 and/or 5 that can shoot and pass effectively. Luke was supposed to be the ideal fit for this but has not yet. I am not sure where we will this void.

[UNIChippewa]

The regression from what looked like a very solid team during the non-conference that went toe to toe with Top 10 teams like Villanova and Xavier and was getting mentioned as a possible at-large bubble contender to a team that is struggling in the Wichita State-less MVC is very concerning to me, and there is really no good reason for it.

The last couple of years have been interesting, to say the least. Last season we struggled in non-conference play and at the start of MVC, only to pull one of our late season runs to finish in the top half of the conference again. And with the injuries to Wyatt and with a hobbled Jeremy Morgan, I think we actually salvaged something respectable, even though none of us are happy with an overall losing record.

This season, we had a really good non-conference season, but have completely fallen apart in the MVC, which, according to RPI and KenPom numbers, is stronger than expected even after the Shockers left. The most frustrating part of it to me is that we can't blame any poor play on injuries to key players. We just stink, plain and simple.

Certainly we need to get some players in the spring time; JUCO/grad transfers, a late HS bloomer, whatever...we need players. But maybe more than that, we might need better chemistry with the team. I have to wonder how much they really like each other, especially as this mess goes on.

[hoopfan]

I think next year the offense should flow better due to the loss of Klint and Bennett. Both are ball stoppers on the offensive side. When Bennett is in, the team looks to feed the post and the ball stops moving while he tries to get position. Once he does, the ball typically doesn't come back out of post and the results haven't been great. Klint has apparently studied all of Jake Koch's game film and has perfected the catch, shot fake, jab step, jab step, shot fake, jab step, shot fake, jab step and then look to pass or take a harder shot than what was available off the catch move that Jake utilized during his career. During this time the ball is stopped and the defense catches up and resets. It is horribly frustrating to watch. The last 2 years there has been an emphasis on getting Bennett involved and pounding it inside. The W-L record speaks for itself as to how this is working.

I think Phyfe will be really good player here, but the current roster is pretty bare on the interior behind Phyfe based on minute distribution this year. If the half-court scoring issues continue and this team is small next year, hopefully there is a willingness to play more uptempo and look for easier shots early in the shot clock. The team had some success with this against Ill. St., but then reverted to walking the ball up the floor against Loyola with disastrous results.

[DownGoesKansas]

Clearly this season has killed interest in this board... It will be interesting to see how we fill the scholarships.

[CyCarp]

We need a reliable big man. Unless Dahl can play, which I doubt. Jake's real good teams have featured a good big man who can distribute the ball well. Bennett isn't that guy. Phyfe may be, but that a lot to put on a true Sophomore next year. Now the chances of finding an experienced big is probably not good, but that should be our #1 priority.

['70 Grad]

On the call-in show last night, Jake said they are looking for a #4, not a #5 - will use what they have on campus there.

[Neighbor]

On the call-in show last night, Jake said they are looking for a #4, not a #5 - will use what they have on campus there.

I wouldnt put too much on what a coach says to a call in question. I listened last night as well. Not saying you're wrong. But, coaches sometimes guard the cards their holding.

[DownGoesKansas]

On the call-in show last night, Jake said they are looking for a #4, not a #5 - will use what they have on campus there.

Thanks for the info. That’s the obvious beef but I’m glad he said it.

[CyCarp]

On the call-in show last night, Jake said they are looking for a #4, not a #5 - will use what they have on campus there.

Did he comment much after that? I wonder if he thinks Dahl can contribute, because I can't imagine going in to next year with Phyfe as our only #5. I also can't see Dahl contributing much if he doesn't see the floor at all this year.

[Neighbor]

Did he comment much after that?

Coach did add some commentary about Justin. IIRC something to the effect of 'we think Justin has great potential for next couple of years. ' My interpretation is Jake was staying very positive about his current players.