Looking Forward

[DownGoesKansas]

Phyfe wants to play. He has every intention of playing. That's up to the NCAA granting him another year.

Did he ever get cleared?

[Username]

I have a hard time seeing Duax garnering major interest because of his shooting splits(from 3 and FT). Yes he is huge here, but I think he'd have trouble being anything more than an 8 minute defensive piece elsewhere, most p5's aren't looking for these types in the transfer portal.

I could see Wolf as they guy who makes the biggest leap from this season to next. The same way Tytan did this year.

I think there's a lot of potential there and the kid seems to have some red arse in him.

I think it's going to be hard for Wolf to get the minutes he did this year with Heise coming back.

[06panther10]

I have a hard time seeing Duax garnering major interest because of his shooting splits(from 3 and FT). Yes he is huge here, but I think he'd have trouble being anything more than an 8 minute defensive piece elsewhere, most p5's aren't looking for these types in the transfer portal.




I think it's going to be hard for Wolf to get the minutes he did this year with Heise coming back.

Landon will play a lot as long as he defends. He is the best shooter on the team outside of Bowen. There are always minutes for a guy that knocks down threes.

[sevelev711]

Looking forward elsewhere, has anyone paid enough attention to other MVC teams to know if we can expect any good non-conference performances, hopefully at-large level, next season? I didn't realize that Bradley was as young as they were until the announcers brought it up during our game. If they don't lose any pieces, I'd like to think they'd be able to put up a pretty good non-con showing.

[not a drake fan]

It's too early to say anything about next year. Last year the league was kneecapped by the portal and that resulted in the the worst statistical year since Kenpoms website began in 2002.

As it stands now I'd say there is good reason to be optimistic that Bradley, InSU, Belmont, MoSU, and MuSU, and UNI will all be improved. If portal season goes well I'd say all those teams mentioned could be in the top 100. Devries has shown he can turn over a roster quickly and having the POY as a building block is a good start.

[Neighbor]

He looks like he's keeping in good shape based on the sideline visuals this year.

Austin is certainly engaged. Just about every referee pulls him aside to chat with him. Those friendly relationships are very valuable.

[BCPanther]

Looking forward elsewhere, has anyone paid enough attention to other MVC teams to know if we can expect any good non-conference performances, hopefully at-large level, next season? I didn't realize that Bradley was as young as they were until the announcers brought it up during our game. If they don't lose any pieces, I'd like to think they'd be able to put up a pretty good non-con showing.

Mast went through Senior Night and isn't expected back but Leons, Dean, Montgomery and Hickman is a nice core for sure.

[CyCarp]

Austin is certainly engaged. Just about every referee pulls him aside to chat with him. Those friendly relationships are very valuable.

He strikes me as the type that will be a great recruiter and coach someday. He's just so likeable and has a high basketball IQ.

[BrockLesnar]

Completely hypothetical given portal, early departures and retirements, next season.

Belmont
Northern Iowa without Phyfe
SIU
Bradley
Drake with Darren and Tucker
Indiana State
Murray State
Missouri State
Illinois State
Valpo
UIC
Evansville

We will see, two bids to the Big Dance and one to NIT?

[sevelev711]

If we're finishing second without Phyfe, there's no way the Valley is multi-bid lol.

[sivert]

If we're finishing second without Phyfe, there's no way the Valley is multi-bid lol.

Really? I know having Phyfe would be huge, but consider us without Phyfe:
We were competitive in a lot of games that we lost. Lead changes well into the second half, I would call competitive.
Defense will continue to improve as guys get experience in Jake's system. Heise back will help also.
On offense, we had a bunch of Freshmen & Sophomores getting time in games for their first year.
- 78% of our 21-22 minutes were used by guys who didn't play this year.
- Bowen accounted for 11% of total minutes 21-22. Cole and Tytan were 4% each. Daniel, Betz, Krogmann: 1% each. That's freshmen experience for the majority of the team. Remember all the turnovers and missed layups in the first half of the season?
Plus, for the last half of the season, Bowen was playing with a hurt leg (I heard calf and thigh-not sure which). Having Taylor to rest him some will help.

This team (even without Phyfe or Heise) can do a lot more than they did this year, simply with another year of experience and healthy Born.
Henry is figuring out what he can and can't do (JUST GO DUNK IT!).
Tytan and Duax are just beginning to get their offense figured out - both those guys have the athleticism to eurostep around defenses the way Giannis does and I think they need to practice that. I they get comfortable with that, then they can focus on making the layup or passing out - but have to be able to get there first.
Wolf and Campbell learned a ton and should return stronger.
Wolf, Duax, Campbell, and Betz are all guys that have the green light to shoot 3s, but would benefit from a faster release and a better sense of how much space they need to take a three.

Beyond that depth hurt us and with Heise, Taylor, Pock, and Rubin there's going to be a lot of depth.

Add a full-strength Phyfe back and we should be clear Home MVC, but this post was about a no-Phyfe scenario.

[achrist70]

Mast went through Senior Night and isn't expected back but Leons, Dean, Montgomery and Hickman is a nice core for sure.

Leons was at a juco when the covid year was awarded, does he qualify? I am assuming so, but I am not sure. I can't wait until we no longer have to figure out how many years a player has.

[Wxcpanther]

Leons was at a juco when the covid year was awarded, does he qualify? I am assuming so, but I am not sure. I can't wait until we no longer have to figure out how many years a player has.

The story with Leons is he didn't have enough enough credits transfer over from the Juco so he needs to stay another year to graduate, and he does have his COVID year yet so he might as well play while he's there.

['70 Grad]

And Wolf at the end of the year even shot free throws. Went to the basket with authority! If he makes a leap next year to an all-around player, we will be a pretty serious Valley team.

[BrockLesnar]

Really? I know having Phyfe would be huge, but consider us without Phyfe:
We were competitive in a lot of games that we lost. Lead changes well into the second half, I would call competitive.
Defense will continue to improve as guys get experience in Jake's system. Heise back will help also.
On offense, we had a bunch of Freshmen & Sophomores getting time in games for their first year.
- 78% of our 21-22 minutes were used by guys who didn't play this year.
- Bowen accounted for 11% of total minutes 21-22. Cole and Tytan were 4% each. Daniel, Betz, Krogmann: 1% each. That's freshmen experience for the majority of the team. Remember all the turnovers and missed layups in the first half of the season?
Plus, for the last half of the season, Bowen was playing with a hurt leg (I heard calf and thigh-not sure which). Having Taylor to rest him some will help.

This team (even without Phyfe or Heise) can do a lot more than they did this year, simply with another year of experience and healthy Born.
Henry is figuring out what he can and can't do (JUST GO DUNK IT!).
Tytan and Duax are just beginning to get their offense figured out - both those guys have the athleticism to eurostep around defenses the way Giannis does and I think they need to practice that. I they get comfortable with that, then they can focus on making the layup or passing out - but have to be able to get there first.
Wolf and Campbell learned a ton and should return stronger.
Wolf, Duax, Campbell, and Betz are all guys that have the green light to shoot 3s, but would benefit from a faster release and a better sense of how much space they need to take a three.

Beyond that depth hurt us and with Heise, Taylor, Pock, and Rubin there's going to be a lot of depth.

Add a full-strength Phyfe back and we should be clear Home MVC, but this post was about a no-Phyfe scenario.

Overall, very good observation. Yeah, Taylor and Campbell will take the heat off of Born. Betz really improved this season. Anderson and Duax can relax a little. Rubin, Anderson, Pock, and Henry in the low post will make it easier to score in half-court sets. Betz could play more at the 4 spot, now. Heise back adds defense and shooting. Wolf has some guts. Really good bunch of guys. I hope Austin can do it, but he needs to retire if there is substantial doubt.