Why will your team win the Valley?

[bigdawg]

SIU wins the valley if

1) The Brazilian national team shows up in Carbondale and enrolls
2) The other nine MVC teams boycott the regular season because Sycs have proven all that matters is three days in March to be considered successful.

This post would get my vote for an STD. Nicely done, sir.

An STD? Is that a good thing?

[Chuck]

All this crying and moaning over Indiana State winning the valley tourney last year really makes me laugh. I didn't realize anyone cried and moaned over them being third place in the valley, just when they won something. Once again, I graduated from the university of Evansville but don't bitch about the fact that they won the title as the three seed, it's not THAT big of surprise. Their non-con wasn't good granted but come on people, that team came together and is something to be celebrated not smashed.

[Khan4Cats]

UNI will win the Valley if they get the veteran leadership that is expected from the returning core players. The anticipated starting line-up of G Johnny Moran (Sr) G Anthony James (Jr) G Marc Sonnen (Jr) F Jake Koch (Jr) and C Austin Pehl (Jr) has big-game experience with the exception of Pehl. Sophomore F Chip Rank has also had a season of Valley play to lend to the mix. After that is an exciting group of nine (9) true and/or redshirt freshman that will be counted on to provide depth, athleticism, energy, and flexibility. UNI wins the Valley if they can get meaninful contributions from 3-4 of those youngsters.

A key to watch will be play in the middle. If Austin Pehl is able to give good minutes inside as a big man that allows Jake Koch to stay at the 4 where his versatility is more dangerous, that improves the whole team. After Pehl, taking time in the middle will be Rank, redshirt sophomore Tyler Lange, and true freshman Seth Tuttle, Marvin Singleton, and Chris Olivier. Olivier is recovering from a foot injury and may not be ready to play in the early season which makes hims a redshirt possibility but he was brought in as a true center (6'8" 260lbs-a more mobile Gene Teague-like player). Lange was Lucas O'Rear's protege the last couple years but is a walk-on and not expected to do much. Tuttle is 6'8" and very effective inside and out but could use some weight. Singleton has a college-ready body and a nose for the basketball but may be more of a 3/4 player at 6'6" (though he is similar to Eric Coleman in many ways-including intensity). I would expect to see Jake Koch at the 5 some, as we do have some depth at the 3 and 4 positions, but the 4 is where he is more comfortable.

The second key to watch will be the team cohesion. This has become a hallmark of Jacobson's teams, making the sum greater than the parts by building a unity within the whole. If they can learn to work together and play the intense team defense that has been a staple, they will keep themselves in most games and give themselves a chance to win at the end. I will take our chances with a one-possesion ballgame and Jake calling the shots coming into crunch time.

The last key will be point guard. I know most people will point to the loss of Kwadzo Ahelgbe as a big loss for UNI but guard play is where we are deepest with experience. Johnny Moran is a three-year starter, Anthony James showed what he can do last year and Marc Sonnen has been a very good reserve for two years. I look for Sonnen to break out this year. He comes from the same high school as Ahelgbe (and Erik Crawford and Eric Coleman) and his high school coach made the statement that Marc was the best of the 4. After that experience we have talent and will have to see how it shakes out. RS Sophomore Matt Morrison got some playing time last year and is more likely a Brooks McKowen type of guard (solid and smart if unspectacular), RS Fr Max Martino is a presidential-scholar walk-on who was a 4-sport athlete in HS and likely to play very much like Kerwin Dunham but can run the point and is 6'5", then true Fr Deon Mitchell (All-State Texas, Central Texas Player of the Year) comes in with a lot of hype and lastly true Fr Jevon Lyle has been compared to former Panther John Little as a defensive minded guard.


As for why UNI will not win the Valley? That's an easier response. Either the freshman don't perform as well as hoped for or we drop to Division-III and have to forfeit the season because the Board of Regents feels a need to funnel the limited state-resources to cash-strapped U of I or Iowa State.

[Aargh]

WSU wins it all - and here's why

Word out of pickup games is that now when someone throws the ball to Orukpe - he CATCHES it. We've been waiting years to hear of progress like that.

There's even a link, so it's got to be true. After all it's in the Internet - even though I guess it's not really "official" unless it's in a tweet.

http://blogs.kansas.com/shockwaves/#ixzz1a6WKriMa

[ShockValue]

Why? Because we're better than you

[pawball]

WSU wins it all - and here's why

Word out of pickup games is that now when someone throws the ball to Orukpe - he CATCHES it. We've been waiting years to hear of progress like that.

There's even a link, so it's got to be true. After all it's in the Internet - even though I guess it's not really "official" unless it's in a tweet.

http://blogs.kansas.com/shockwaves/#ixzz1a6WKriMa

That is very good news for all the other Valley teams, whether untweetish or no. I'm just trying ta figure out how to get out of the Internet, it's a heck of a net, having the inter thingamagig with it. If I was on the Internet I could jump off, a much simpler task. I think.

[pawball]

Why? Because we're better than you

This poster needs to be domed, eeer............shellacked..........for being so predictably, unequivocally atonally schlockish.

[Aargh]

WSU wins it all - and here's why

Word out of pickup games is that now when someone throws the ball to Orukpe - he CATCHES it. We've been waiting years to hear of progress like that.

There's even a link, so it's got to be true. After all it's in the Internet - even though I guess it's not really "official" unless it's in a tweet.

http://blogs.kansas.com/shockwaves/#ixzz1a6WKriMa

That is very good news for all the other Valley teams, whether untweetish or no. I'm just trying ta figure out how to get out of the Internet, it's a heck of a net, having the inter thingamagig with it. If I was on the Internet I could jump off, a much simpler task. I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6xscuS9H8U

[pawball]

WSU wins it all - and here's why

Word out of pickup games is that now when someone throws the ball to Orukpe - he CATCHES it. We've been waiting years to hear of progress like that.

There's even a link, so it's got to be true. After all it's in the Internet - even though I guess it's not really "official" unless it's in a tweet.

http://blogs.kansas.com/shockwaves/#ixzz1a6WKriMa

That is very good news for all the other Valley teams, whether untweetish or no. I'm just trying ta figure out how to get out of the Internet, it's a heck of a net, having the inter thingamagig with it. If I was on the Internet I could jump off, a much simpler task. I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6xscuS9H8U

As you might guess, we were unable to abide by your request(s).

[pawball]

OK...here's go Bears:

PG Either transfer from DePaul, 5th year senior, Bikoukis, or Downing, Juco. Either way, new team, new process, new everything. Scale of 1-10: 5 (cause Bikoukis is the Adam's Apple).

SG Some choices here: Nathan Scheer, soph, who got great minutes last year, good D, outside shooter; or, Keith Pickens, soph who missed last year to injury....when healthy, very quick, can take you off your dribble, likes to shoot from corner, will score without apology unexpectedly;

, Juco, who supposedly can score at will on anyone (don't they say this about all those Juco's?). Score: 6, 'cause Bears don't know what they don't know, and some of that could be very good.

3 Spot I think Weems when I think this....for good reason. Kyle is the ideal 3. Can bomb from outside (which he is wont to do), but can also drive and dish. Don't see much backup for him, which means he needs to stay out of foul trouble. Can see Gulley moving over to the 3 spot if Weems did get in foul trouble. Score: 9

The 4 Here the Bears have Corbin, a Juco strongman, or Wilson, a frosh who appears
to be wingy and athletic and Christian Kirk, 6'7 skyman who can provide on offense, but the big D may suffer. Score: 4

Finally, the 5: Caleb Patterson, 6'10, can nail shot after shot from 20' on in. Question is, will he be able to do that during real games? The jury is out until he does it. Backup, Isaiah Rhine, is better on defense than Patterson, but nowhere near the same on offense. Score: 5


Aggregate Scoer: 5.9, above average.