nustudent

Stars would be aligning with that

Seems like its been said the last few years but it's been 20 years since we had a team with this type of talent from top to bottom on it.

Our defense last year contradicts this.

Red but aa others have mentioned, pretty even

You really believe that's what I'm saying?

White average 26 points a game as a junior. Petteway was a freshman at a power five conference school, those situations where a little bit different. I'm not saying guys can't take a step up. It happens all the time. But it's usually guys who excel, not marginal contributors. You don't generally see guys who are benchwarmers move up a level and all of a sudden become superstars. And Duby was a fourth-year Junior last year

I don't think there is a lot about Duby we don't know. We aren't talking about a freshmen here. We're talking about a 4th year junior. I suppose it's not impossible that he all of a sudden overnight resembles a skilled offensive player. I also suppose it's also not impossible Charlotte McKinney and Lindsey Pelas will show up on my doorstep tonight. Point being....neither are realistic or likely. And while I will give you he is athletic, and can have a role on the team, you are still talking about a jump from the Big South to the Big Ten. Role players on Big South teams don't all of a sudden breakout by moving to the Big 10. And while I was pleased with Taylor's contributions last year, let's also not paint a picture that he was anything more than an average Big 10 player fitting a role (with some help from a Gill injury). I think Duby's size and athleticsm give him a role. I do. Don't take this as taking that away from him. But I don't believe tiger's change their stripes. This isn't a kid who is transferring after his freshman year because of an odd fit. This is more of a finish product. You have 4 years of criteria here, not one or even two. He was a role player in the Big South. I think it's a bit foolish and naïve to realistically expect he would be anything above that by stepping up several levels in competition. IMO, he is who he is. A role guy. Jordy has the potential to be so much more than that. Which is why I say, it's not a good thing if he is starting over Jordy.

I'd be disappointed. Just not likely that Duby all of a sudden becomes a guy with skill and scoring potential. Jordy showed enough potential that we dismissed the departures of Ed and Jacobson. He's been labeled by some as the next big (pun not intended) thing in the Big 10. Jordy, Jacobson and Ed were all more productive as freshmen and sophomores against Big 10 teams than Duby was as a 4th year player at Winthrop. And I don't buy the style of play angle either. Duby was a nice pickup in the sense we had open scholies and needed 5 fouls behind Jordy. I suppose it's possible that he all of a sudden becomes a different player. It's also possible I win the lottery this weekend. I'm not counting on either happening. If Duby is playing over Jordy...it's likely that something bad happened.

I can see Copeland going to the 5 in situational lineups. Not full time though. I don't see anyway that Jordy doesn't start either. If Duby beats him out, my hopes/expectations for Jordy go down dramatically. The questions are how the 2/3/4 positons shake out. And that's both somewhat intriguing and somewhat concerning as well because there are a lot of different ways they could shake out.

I think this is the lineup we all want to see and offers the most upside. knowing our luck and past it's more than likely though that Taylor or McVeigh is going to take a spot

Agreed. I think Miles job will ride on it. With Copeland immediately eligibile, I think we can be at worst, an NIT team. And I think that is a must. Without Copeland...I can see an extra 2-3 non-con losses and which will change that and the outlook of the program.

We've had some pretty solid back court players and wings. Front court was real tough outside of Shields. No one who has set the world on fire or really played more than one Big 10 season.

Some of that is my point though. There was a level of check out. Did our talent equate to a 12-win team? I'll give our talent was better than that. But there is the mental aspect too...and we didn't have that. As you said...there was a level of check out. Good teams don't do it. It'd also be easier to accept if it was a fluke deal or a one time occurrence. It wasn't. There were many striking similarities to the last 3 seasons. Let's just end this in agreement that the team we can potentially put on the floor this year will be the most talented from top to bottom or 1-11, that Miles has had.

Seems like we've been saying we were better than a 12-win or 15-win or 13-win team for forever. At some point in time, you are who you are. That being said....I'll agree that if everyone is healthy and eligible, we should be better. If not....happy hunting.

I would hope so. We won 12 games

Holy crap

I have a feeling Miles will play him quite a bit. I just hope the 3 balls come with it, more so than the past. I think he has a roll on this team. With his length, he can occasionally play the stretch 4 as we'll need the bodies (especially in lieu of Copeland's uncertainty) but not sure 19 minutes per game will be justified. If it is, it means he has either improved a lot, or probably more realistically, someone else is hurt or not living up to expectations.

If everyone pans out, don't see mcveigh getting 19mpg. That's a guy who hill can take minutes from. He won't play the 3 but palmer can

Think this is a great matchup for us. Game against a power 5 team at home. Granted, they aren't very good, but it is still likely to be a 100-175 RPI rated team. Gives us an extremely winnable game early on, when we are learning to play together with the new faces and possibly without Copeland.

Same here. After the last 3 finishes to the year, can't set it lower than that.

My reference to Watson isn't to set the expectation for Roby to become a 40% 3pt shooter as much as it was that Roby, like Watson as a freshman, has shown that he's an elite level athlete and talented basketball player. AFAIC, Roby's issues were more mental than physical. I'm sure being stronger and more prepared physically could have helped, but from what I saw, it was his hesitation or apprehension that held him back more than any physical issues. IMO, a lot of those issues will not be relevant in the coming year. He may not be a lock to start, but IYAM, I don't see a lot of other guys who can bring the upside that he can. So they better be able to deliver at a very high level a skill he doesn't (i.e. shooting). And until I see Nana or Allen doing that, it's hard for me to see someone replacing him in the lineup.

Agreed. Will also say that we don't need Roby to be a great shooter. A little improvement will be fine (and I have a feeling that will happen naturally anyways as the game slows down for him-similar to Watson). We've had some pretty mediocre shooters manning the 1,2 and 3 positions at times in the last few years and they didn't offer the natural upside that Roby does. Having an improved shooter at the two (Allen or Palmer) and at the 4 (Roby) and a true 5 in Jordy, should alleviate some of the need to be a great perimeter shooter, especially if he is as good all around as his potential indicates he can be

Im hung up on this one too. The potential of this lineup is truly great.

Taylor is nothing more than average. There's nothing wrong with that. But if Taylor is getting big minutes, then someone else is either hurt or not living up to their rankings. There are only so many minutes to go around. I definitely see some roles for him. But if he is playing upper teens to lower 20s in minutes...that means one, or two of Gill/Palmer/Allen/Nana is probably hurt or not cutting it.

NCAA