Official 2013-14 MVCfans.com Prediction - 6th Place

[CaseyGarrisonforPrez]

The Bears aren't as young as some think, they will be able to mix a very experienced core with those youngsters who had to play last year.

Exactly we are really undervalued at the moment. But I love the fact that we will sneak up on some people. The closer we get to this season, the more I am liking this group of kids. The scuttlebutt and early returns from the summer and early fall are very positive. I haven't felt this good about a team since the fall of 2010 and we all know what that team eventually achieved.

[BEARZ77]

The Bears aren't as young as some think, they will be able to mix a very experienced core with those youngsters who had to play last year.

Exactly we are really undervalued at the moment. But I love the fact that we will sneak up on some people. The closer we get to this season, the more I am liking this group of kids. The scuttlebutt and early returns from the summer and early fall are very positive. I haven't felt this good about a team since the fall of 2010 and we all know what that team eventually achieved.

I think we have a chance to be much better than some believe, but I think the jury is very much still out on Lusk and therefore I understand some of the skepticism. But I do think some have overlooked the fact we added two players [ Addo/Gulley] who are proven double figure scorers at the D-1 level to other starters like Marcus Marshall and Kirk. Or that we have guys like Scheer/Pickens/ coming off the bench who have played significant minutes in 100 and 92 games respectively, and that even the youngsters like Williams/Thurman have started18 and 12 games resulting in one of the leagues most experienced benches. But we were terrible for much of last year and Lusk is unproven, so people have a basis for their view.

[Wufan]

I think MSU and Bradley do have lots of potential. One or both might have a 20 win season. In fact the likelihood that one ends up in the top half is high. I still believe that both teams are short on depth, and in the end that will be their downfall.

I am aware that MSU feels they have depth. I disagree, but I could be wrong.

[shoxrox]

Exactly we are really undervalued at the moment. But I love the fact that we will sneak up on some people. The closer we get to this season, the more I am liking this group of kids. The scuttlebutt and early returns from the summer and early fall are very positive. I haven't felt this good about a team since the fall of 2010 and we all know what that team eventually achieved.

The Casey Kiss of Death.

You heard it here first.

[agrinut]

Exactly we are really undervalued at the moment. But I love the fact that we will sneak up on some people. The closer we get to this season, the more I am liking this group of kids. The scuttlebutt and early returns from the summer and early fall are very positive. I haven't felt this good about a team since the fall of 2010 and we all know what that team eventually achieved.

The Casey Kiss of Death.

You heard it here first.

He has no clue, he hears no scuttlebutt. Just an embarrassment, MSU should be vastly improved this season, time will tell how much.

[glm38]

Exactly we are really undervalued at the moment. But I love the fact that we will sneak up on some people. The closer we get to this season, the more I am liking this group of kids. The scuttlebutt and early returns from the summer and early fall are very positive. I haven't felt this good about a team since the fall of 2010 and we all know what that team eventually achieved.

The Casey Kiss of Death.

You heard it here first.

Nooooooooooooo!

[havoc]

Evansville has a pretty good core returning in Mockevicius, Sawvell, Wing, and Balentine. However, the question marks start to emerge from there. How good will the frontcourt depth be? Redshirt freshmen David Howard was supposedly the best offensive big-man in practice last year. Jaylon Moore has showed promise. The big question will be who runs the point? Boo Gibson and Jaylon Brown will need to learn quickly in the non-con if UE wants to avoid Thursday for a 4th straight year.

[AngryShock]

I like Marty, but I had UE in 7th so they get the 6th place vote. The question that has to be answered is how do they move forward after Colt? That will dictate where they finish. Can DJ be the man and handle the focus of other teams? Do they have any depth? Other questions that'll need answered before I could pick them any higher.

[MSUDuo]

If Lusk weren't the coach of the Bears, would that change some perceptions?

I'm not buying the young, inexperienced label. Yes, we were putrid in 2012. In 2013 we were remarkably better. 8 conference wins (1 in STL) and 9 total. We gave WSU all it wanted in SPG and STL, even running off 19 straight in SPG. Shoulda, could, woulda against UE and BU on the road as well. We have the FOY back and we only lose 1 player out of a group that made great strides down the stretch.

I'll admit, I don't know a lot about UNI, ISUb, BU, and UE other than what they lost. All 5 of these teams were fairly close last year and MSU easily brings the most back. We also add somethings that we haven't add in few years: a shooter and a legit big man. It's going to be up to Lusk to figure out how to bring this group together (duh!).

I'll defend my team like everyone else but I'm probably on the "glass is half empty" side due to one factor so far: the coach. If he can prove to make that next big step forward, we should be ok. As lousy as our schedule was last year, this year's schedule is worse and really, if we've improved, we should be looking at at least 7 wins heading into conference. With road games against teams like ODU and ORU, may be we can steal one.

I'll probably slide them in at 4th. I think it's fair to see them make that jump. It wouldn't surprise me if we finish 2nd or in the play-in round.

[sixth ace]

I like Marty, but I had UE in 7th so they get the 6th place vote. The question that has to be answered is how do they move forward after Colt? That will dictate where they finish. Can DJ be the man and handle the focus of other teams? Do they have any depth? Other questions that'll need answered before I could pick them any higher.

They move forward without Colt as Colt graduated so did that supporting cast @ him graduated.Taylor, Cox Jones & Ryan,the back court moved on. Marty now has a host of new talent in the back court. The Aces may run the motion offense but I don't believe it will be the offense the MVC saw for the past 4 years. It'll be the offense that Crews ran in Evansville in the late 90's. We all know what Evansville was then and with the 2013-14 non conference schedule the Aces have, what they should be this year.

Go Aces