Who is next year's favorite?

[oneNEIGHBOR]

[quote="MoValley John"
My guess, and this is a dartboard type guess:
1. Wichita State
2. Creighton
3. Indiana State
4. Missouri State
5. Evansville
6. SIU
7. UNI
8. ISU
9. Drake
10. Bradley

Wichita State, Creighton and possibly Indiana State in the dance, Missouri State and one other in the NIT. The Valley finishes the season as the sixth highes conference in the RPI. Too Optimistic?[/quote]
I would be happy with that. I dont see Bradley getting last if they can get Manisgalco and Brown back. Even Drake could be a very dangerous team. It could be a very very good conference from top to bottom next year.

[Bearvision]

3. CU- The big 3 should dominate but dont see a lot around them. Added another big in the recruiting game, but thats not really what they need.

I posted this in the CU-DU thread, but I guess it applies here as well:

Creighton absolutely must improve play on the wings next year or it will be another disappointing season. It pains me to say it, but we may have the worst wings in the entire league.

We signed two wing players in the fall (one was recruited by WSU and one by MSU) and I suspect we'll add a JuCo wing in the spring (maybe even two...). Hopefully, two of the signees can play immediately next fall.

Dingman was recruited by MSU, I'll give you that, and he'll be a nice complimentary player, I wouldn't be counting on him for next year. At the risk of sounding callous, I hope MSU gets a more athletic kid for one of their wing spots (would love that to be Josh Richardson).

My picks for next year are WSU and Creighton.

[Bearvision]

Where is this talk of Weems leaving coming from? He's not even a thought of leaving.

Weems is definitely going to be back with the team next year.

The three schollies need to go to athletic kids who can score. Patterson/Rhine/Kirk should be able to give us roughly what we're getting this year at the 5, and Scheer should give us a similar net as Leonard. Pickens being back is big due to his athleticism and defensive ability.

Ricks and Mallett are what we need to replace. Josh Richardson plus Pickens should replace Mallett if we could land Richardson. Cooper hasn't shown he can reach Ricks, and Copeland has a long way to go. PG probably holds us back next year and relegated us to that 4-5 area.

If they don't land Richardson, I hope they go for a Juco scoring point guard or high school player Wesley Washpun, a Juco wing, and an athletic Juco 4/5. The offense will be down next year, but the defense will be much improved. It will look more like what Zo wants them to look like I believe, but too inexperienced in the system to contend for a title most likely.

[MoValley John]

[quote="Bearvision"]Where is this talk of Weems leaving coming from? He's not even a thought of leaving.

Weems is definitely going to be back with the team next year.

The three schollies need to go to athletic kids who can score. Patterson/Rhine/Kirk should be able to give us roughly what we're getting this year at the 5, and Scheer should give us a similar net as Leonard. Pickens being back is big due to his athleticism and defensive ability.

Ricks and Mallett are what we need to replace. Josh Richardson plus Pickens should replace Mallett if we could land Richardson. Cooper hasn't shown he can reach Ricks, and Copeland has a long way to go. PG probably holds us back next year and relegated us to that 4-5 area.

If they don't land Richardson, I hope they go for a Juco scoring point guard or high school player Wesley Washpun, a Juco wing, and an athletic Juco 4/5. The offense will be down next year, but the defense will be much improved. It will look more like what Zo wants them to look like I believe, but too inexperienced in the system to contend for a title most likely.[/quote]

Weems will more than likely be back, but I have read in a few places (not just Valley boards) that he "could" go after this season. My money would say that he definately will be back. I would bet he puts his name in for the draft simply to evaluate where he would be projected. That said, in my humble opinion, Weems is probably the Valley player with the most "NBA" potential. With that, and a weak draft this year, Martin has to be concerned as any head coach would.

Also, I believe you omitted Creekmore as someone that you need to replace. Creekmore plays 25 minutes a game, so he, along with Mallett and Ricks are huge holes to fill.

[dgreenwell3]

I agree for the most part with MVJ...pretty even headed look at it takinginto account the youth that the Trees have, I am pretty excited about the next few years in the forest lol

[LJay]

I hope Carl Hall pans out, but you never know about jucos or transfers (see Echenique).

I guess it depends on your perspective here about panning out. As a way of comparison, WSU fans have been happy with Durley (a senior) over his career (and should be) and his numbers versus Echineque (as a soph) are:

Durley, 11.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg
GE 10.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.8 bpg

He has turned it over too much but is a superior defensive player IMO and a player that other teams scheme for with double and triple teams because our wings SUCK so bad. If CU gets some wings who can shoot and pass they will punish teams for those double teams.

As someone else said, it doesn't matter how many you have coming back if they are not good players. Never more true than this year's CU team. It's hard to count on freshmen so I won't but I trust that GMac will pull in a decent juco, Gonzaga transfer Grant Gibbs becomes eligible (we'll see how the knee holds) and Wragge will be back (punish those double teams) along with AY, Baby Mac and GE.

Basically, CU has 9 scholarship players suited up and the worst 4 graduate (debatable with the loss of Lawson versus Manigat and Jones). It could be a good year next year. We'll see.

[MSUDuo]

Weems is not a NBA player after this year or next year. He will make some nice change in Europe if he wants to though. At 6-6 he would have to play the 2/SG and he is not nearly fast/quick enough to pull that off.

I love Kyle to death, but come on.

MVJ, I would be interested in what sites you have read where Weems is considering leaving

[shockem]

I hope Carl Hall pans out, but you never know about jucos or transfers (see Echenique).

I guess it depends on your perspective here about panning out. As a way of comparison, WSU fans have been happy with Durley (a senior) over his career (and should be) and his numbers versus Echineque (as a soph) are:

Durley, 11.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg
GE 10.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.8 bpg

I like Echenique and would take him in a heartbeat. What I meant was that in their first year they probably won't put up the stats that everyone thinks or hopes. A lot of people on here acted like Echenique would dominate the league and he's not doing that right now, in his first year. Next year might be different. Carl Hall is putting up ridiculous numbers in Juco and will probably not do half that at WSU.

[TNMSUFAN]

Weems is not a NBA player after this year or next year. He will make some nice change in Europe if he wants to though. At 6-6 he would have to play the 2/SG and he is not nearly fast/quick enough to pull that off.

I love Kyle to death, but come on.

MVJ, I would be interested in what sites you have read where Weems is considering leaving

Zo and the NBA scouts seem to think he has a chance. Zo said the other day that several NBA scouts have asked for info and attended our last few home games. He also said the staff is considering moving Kyle to the 3 next year for that very reason so he can show more perimeter stuff and help his stock. I am not saying he is an NBA player but you are selling him short because he will get a least get into a camp and have a chance to make a squad.

[BEELINE]

I understand why people would see the Bears as falling off next year with 4 senior starters departing, but I flat don't see it happening to much extent. While more inexperienced, the Bears will athletically look much more like the team Zo envisions putting on the court nightly, and the inexperience is deceiving. Weems of course WILL RETURN as the Valleys best player, Scheer has been playing close to starters minutes and he is a bigger stronger, better defender/rebounder 2 guard than Leonard who I think will shoot well enough to make that an upgrade. A big if is Pickens, who started most of his frosh year, returning to full health which if he does,gives us a plus athlete with experience to replace Mallett.The post has 6'10 & 6'11 experienced seniors to at least fill most of the minutes, and our top recruits to date are a pair of athletic 6'7 forwards, giving us versatility across the front line we don't have this year. We have 4 guards in tow in sophs to be Copeland/Cooper/Valla and frosh Williams, but still need some help there out of 3 open scholys. I like the kids we're in on, a combination of some excellent HS and juco guards, wings, and one big guy. Just have to seal the deal. I think we will be bigger,longer on the wings, deeper and more versatile along the frontline and a better defensive team. Point guard & who steps forward as a consistent scorer behind Weems will determine whether we are middle of the pack or in the race for the top. I don't see anything lower.