Official 2011-12 MVCfans.com Prediction - 6th Place

[MSUDuo]

Missouri State returns more than I think I gave them credit for. Evansville and UNI should challenge for this spot.

All I have been trying to say is that 7 of our 10 man rotation this year has D1 experience with 5 of those 7 having starters experience as well. Take a look around the Valley and you won't see much more than that.

However, I am ok with saying we could finish 3rd to 6th when it's all said and done

[TNMSUFAN]

Missouri State returns more than I think I gave them credit for. Evansville and UNI should challenge for this spot.

Bears return some experience but not many points. There is a chance we will start 3 - 5th year seniors in Bizoukas, Weems and Patterson.

Weems 31mpg 16ppg
Scheer 21mpg 4ppg
Pickens 17mpg 4ppg
Bizoukas 16mpg 1ppg - DePaul where he has played around 1400 minutes over 3 years
Patterson 14mpg 6ppg
Rhine 8mpg 2ppg

Add 3 jucos and frosh Christian Kirk and this will pretty much be our rotation.

[BirdmanBB]

Missouri State returns more than I think I gave them credit for. Evansville and UNI should challenge for this spot.

Bears return some experience but not many points. There is a chance we will start 3 - 5th year seniors in Bizoukas, Weems and Patterson.

Weems 31mpg 16ppg
Scheer 21mpg 4ppg
Pickens 17mpg 4ppg
Bizoukas 16mpg 1ppg - DePaul where he has played around 1400 minutes over 3 years
Patterson 14mpg 6ppg
Rhine 8mpg 2ppg

Add 3 jucos and frosh Christian Kirk and this will pretty much be our rotation.

yikes!!! my guess is a finish 5-8. I think that is pretty fair to give them the 5 spot for considerable upside and 8 for downside considering those statistics. This is probably the start of a downslide for MSU. Lusk will have them going in 2-3 years im sure.

[TNMSUFAN]

yikes!!! my guess is a finish 5-8. I think that is pretty fair to give them the 5 spot for considerable upside and 8 for downside considering those statistics. This is probably the start of a downslide for MSU. Lusk will have them going in 2-3 years im sure.

Everyone loses players every year and new players step up all the time. Nobody knew who Jake Odom was this time last year. Anthony James went from 1.7ppg to 12.4ppg in 1 year. Simms-Edwards went from 5ppg to 10ppg. Players step up with expanded roles every year in college basketball plus some frosh or juco guys come in who contribute from day 1...Rice, McDermott, Smith, Ragland, etc. You guys expect Nic Moore and Tyler Brown to contribute just like we expect Jarmar Gulley, Anthony Downing and Corbin Thomas to do the same.

[DoubleJayAlum]

I don't think that people are ripping on MSU. It is just that losing four starters, who played a majority of the minutes last year, is a pretty relevant thing to take into consideration. On top of that, most of those now departed four were pretty key cogs and/or significant match-up problems for other teams in the conference. I know that I found MSU to be a hard team to defend against last year because they had so many weapons.

On top of all of the player losses, you also have the departure of a coaching staff. That is an awful lot to overcome all at once. Maybe MSU can do it, but I don't think it is unfairly critical for people to question the likelihood.

[BirdmanBB]

yikes!!! my guess is a finish 5-8. I think that is pretty fair to give them the 5 spot for considerable upside and 8 for downside considering those statistics. This is probably the start of a downslide for MSU. Lusk will have them going in 2-3 years im sure.

Everyone loses players every year and new players step up all the time. Nobody knew who Jake Odom was this time last year. Anthony James went from 1.7ppg to 12.4ppg in 1 year. Simms-Edwards went from 5ppg to 10ppg. Players step up with expanded roles every year in college basketball plus some frosh or juco guys come in who contribute from day 1...Rice, McDermott, Smith, Ragland, etc. You guys expect Nic Moore and Tyler Brown to contribute just like we expect Jarmar Gulley, Anthony Downing and Corbin Thomas to do the same.

You can't assume that MSU will automatically have a Odom type player or two that will step up. As far as preseason predictions go, you can only go off the information you have available.

If history is telling of anything, we play in a cyclical league. Last year MSU was in the spotlight. This year they lost their coach and 4 starters. It's only natural to assume that they will follow this progression (regression would be more approporiate I would guess). If Lusk is as good as people think he is, he should have MSU back within 2-3 years once his recruits hit their peak. As an ISU fan, this is one thing that we understand. This year we will begin to pull out of the bottom and I fully expect us to be in contention the following year barrign any injuries, transfers or incoming players at which point I will have to re-evaluate my predictions, but at this point in time it is looking that way.

[TNMSUFAN]

I don't think that people are ripping on MSU. It is just that losing four starters, who played a majority of the minutes last year, is a pretty relevant thing to take into consideration. On top of that, most of those now departed four were pretty key cogs and/or significant match-up problems for other teams in the conference. I know that I found MSU to be a hard team to defend against last year because they had so many weapons.

On top of all of the player losses, you also have the departure of a coaching staff. That is an awful lot to overcome all at once. Maybe MSU can do it, but I don't think it is unfairly critical for people to question the likelihood.

I completely understand and figure most will have us 5-7. I am just saying we might lack proven scorers but we don't lack experience.

[DoubleJayAlum]

I don't think that people are ripping on MSU. It is just that losing four starters, who played a majority of the minutes last year, is a pretty relevant thing to take into consideration. On top of that, most of those now departed four were pretty key cogs and/or significant match-up problems for other teams in the conference. I know that I found MSU to be a hard team to defend against last year because they had so many weapons.

On top of all of the player losses, you also have the departure of a coaching staff. That is an awful lot to overcome all at once. Maybe MSU can do it, but I don't think it is unfairly critical for people to question the likelihood.

I completely understand and figure most will have us 5-7. I am just saying we might lack proven scorers but we don't lack experience.

Would it be fair to say that you lack coaching experience?

[TNMSUFAN]

Would it be fair to say that you lack coaching experience?

Yes but one thing about that is the system is pretty much the same since we hired another Purdue assistant. In talking with some of the players one difference is we will push the ball a little more. The other will be our rotations...9-10 instead of 6-7. Still mostly man-to-man with a motion offense but with a few more set plays. We never ran a single play for Kyle last year per Coach Martin and Coach Lusk said they were going to work on some stuff to get him the ball.

I need to add I am not trying to upsell us because I really don't have a clue what to expect. In watching some pick up games we have more talent than we have had in a while but that doesn't always mean much. Last year we were a very gritty efficient team that had defined roles and good chemistry plus could really shoot the ball. This year we have more talent 1-10 but the rest is TBD.

[glm38]

To me MSU and Northern Iowa are the 2 teams that will be the most unpredictable. I think both teams could finish anywhere from #1 to #7. That's because both teams have a large # of talented incoming players. But who knows how well those players will mesh? And how much time they'll need to adjust to the D1 level?

Comparing the 2 Northern Iowa has the advantage of a proven coach. Maybe the best in the MVC. While MSU has the returning POY.

I completely understand why some are picking us #6 too. But I think we'll beat that prediction.