- We were predicted by most outlets to be a possible-NIT team this year.
- That was before Canty showed that he could be far better than predicted. Also, Tyler Harris probably showed more in our OOC games than experts would've projected. So that takes us from a possible-NIT to a possible-NCAA team.
That was with a nine-man rotation of:
Guards: Canty/Dunans/TSD/Lang/Bryce Brown
Forwards: Bowers/Ty Harris/Purifoy/Spencer
Others: Granger/Waddell/New Williams/Nobody (Nobody is the 13th scholly spot for Reed... who will never play again for us)
- With what we've learned, that looks like a fairly formidable rotation.
Than this happens:
- Purifoy won't play this year
- TSD was always a risk... and the worse occurred. He's out this year.
- Dunans, our 2nd-4th best player, will miss 6-9 of our 18 SEC games
- So we lost 3 of our top-8 (2 for the year) when looking back to preseason.
Our rotation now becomes:
Guards: Canty/Lang/Brown/walk-on to play 4 minutes a game at PG while KC logs 36 per night
Forwards: Bowers/Ty Harris/Spencer/Granger
Others: Waddell/New Williams
- While Dunans is out, we're THIN. Our 4th-6th best players are Spencer/Lang/Brown. That's not a good scenario. Granger is #7 by default and Waddell will have to play some as well, I'd assume.
- With no Purifoy/TSD/Dunans, our team looks similar, talent-wise, to last year's squad. Those are three big pieces.
- The SEC appears to be tougher. We do get Tenn/Bama twice and they're supposed to be in the back-half of the conference. But we get Vandy/UGA/Ole Miss twice.
Prediction
- You almost have to look at the slate as two schedules: Without Dunans, With Dunans
- If we have another key injury, it ain't good. There's no one at the end of the bench.
- Very best case: 11-7 (that's winning EVERY game that is even in the realm of a toss-up)
- Worst case: 3-15 (that's losing EVERY game in the same realm)
- 6-12 is my prediction... 13-17 overall (I think we beat Okla St)
- Had Dunans only been out 1 week as Pearl originally reported, 8-10 in SEC... 15-15 with a probable NIT trip after 1-2 wins in the SEC Tourney.
- Unfortunately, we have some winnable games early that aren't as winnable without him. I think it costs us 2 wins.
Closing
- RPI was #132 last year... our best in a long time. It will be slightly better this year.
- Even if no postseason, if you're improving your RPI every year, eventually you get there. That's progression and is what I'm looking to this season.
- Hope I'm wrong but we're simply too thin and we have 1)some shooters, 2)some guys in the post, 3)really no one who can create that well at this time. Dunans is our best slasher AND finisher.
- Defense is not a positive for us.
- Offense looks to be fairly stagnant with so very few multi-faceted players suiting up. We either shoot 3s or have Bowers/Harris taking contested shots in the paint. Really no in-between.
Or Brown/Spencer continue to improve. Lang/Granger bring more to the table than tall guys who stand at the 3-point line. Bowers makes over 50% of his shots. Dunans only misses the first 6 games (3 weeks) and WE WIN THE WHOLE DAMN THANG!!! WDE!!!!!
- That was before Canty showed that he could be far better than predicted. Also, Tyler Harris probably showed more in our OOC games than experts would've projected. So that takes us from a possible-NIT to a possible-NCAA team.
That was with a nine-man rotation of:
Guards: Canty/Dunans/TSD/Lang/Bryce Brown
Forwards: Bowers/Ty Harris/Purifoy/Spencer
Others: Granger/Waddell/New Williams/Nobody (Nobody is the 13th scholly spot for Reed... who will never play again for us)
- With what we've learned, that looks like a fairly formidable rotation.
Than this happens:
- Purifoy won't play this year
- TSD was always a risk... and the worse occurred. He's out this year.
- Dunans, our 2nd-4th best player, will miss 6-9 of our 18 SEC games
- So we lost 3 of our top-8 (2 for the year) when looking back to preseason.
Our rotation now becomes:
Guards: Canty/Lang/Brown/walk-on to play 4 minutes a game at PG while KC logs 36 per night
Forwards: Bowers/Ty Harris/Spencer/Granger
Others: Waddell/New Williams
- While Dunans is out, we're THIN. Our 4th-6th best players are Spencer/Lang/Brown. That's not a good scenario. Granger is #7 by default and Waddell will have to play some as well, I'd assume.
- With no Purifoy/TSD/Dunans, our team looks similar, talent-wise, to last year's squad. Those are three big pieces.
- The SEC appears to be tougher. We do get Tenn/Bama twice and they're supposed to be in the back-half of the conference. But we get Vandy/UGA/Ole Miss twice.
Prediction
- You almost have to look at the slate as two schedules: Without Dunans, With Dunans
- If we have another key injury, it ain't good. There's no one at the end of the bench.
- Very best case: 11-7 (that's winning EVERY game that is even in the realm of a toss-up)
- Worst case: 3-15 (that's losing EVERY game in the same realm)
- 6-12 is my prediction... 13-17 overall (I think we beat Okla St)
- Had Dunans only been out 1 week as Pearl originally reported, 8-10 in SEC... 15-15 with a probable NIT trip after 1-2 wins in the SEC Tourney.
- Unfortunately, we have some winnable games early that aren't as winnable without him. I think it costs us 2 wins.
Closing
- RPI was #132 last year... our best in a long time. It will be slightly better this year.
- Even if no postseason, if you're improving your RPI every year, eventually you get there. That's progression and is what I'm looking to this season.
- Hope I'm wrong but we're simply too thin and we have 1)some shooters, 2)some guys in the post, 3)really no one who can create that well at this time. Dunans is our best slasher AND finisher.
- Defense is not a positive for us.
- Offense looks to be fairly stagnant with so very few multi-faceted players suiting up. We either shoot 3s or have Bowers/Harris taking contested shots in the paint. Really no in-between.
Or Brown/Spencer continue to improve. Lang/Granger bring more to the table than tall guys who stand at the 3-point line. Bowers makes over 50% of his shots. Dunans only misses the first 6 games (3 weeks) and WE WIN THE WHOLE DAMN THANG!!! WDE!!!!!
