Offseason - Redbirds

by **BirdmanBB** » April 17th, 2012, 7:22 am

Our offseason has been full of speculation. First it was Jank to Tulsa, then Jank to KSU and now Jank to SMU. The outlook for next year is pretty good. Fans expect us to challenge Creighton for an MVC/Tourney title. Most writers will have us projected at 2nd behind them I presume. Lunardi's preseason bracketology has us as an 11 seed with an at-large. I can tell you that we will not be getting an at-large unless we either schedule better or roll through a weak schedule Murray St. style.

As for the team, as of right now we are only losing 1 player (Trey Blue) who was a minor contributor at best. We return everyone to a team that turned it on at the end of the year starting with beating a ranked Wichita St. team and going to overtime with Creighton in the Valley tourney. We then went on the road to beat Ole Miss in OT and eventually lost to NIT champions Stanford in OT. What is getting everyone excited is our hot shooting down the stretch along with the stellar play of freshman guard Nic Moore. We did play the post season without a backup bigman in Jordan Threloff who should return healthy next season.

The redbirds will have plenty of more depth next year as we add redshirt Freshman John Jones (big man) and sharp shooter Nick Zeisloft into the mix along with newcomers Aaron Simpson and Anthony Beane Jr. The two newcomers are considered to be among the top of the class for Illinois prospects entering next season. Aaron Simpson finished 3rd in voting to Jabari Parker for the Illinois Mr. Basketball award. The redbirds will be over the scholarship limit for next year so we are still waiting to hear how this is going to work or if there will be any more departures.

Scheduling with the redbirds has always been a sore issue, but it is essential that the coaching staff come up with a decent schedule worthy of this team for next year. Right now we are scheduled to play in the South Padre Invitational. We will get two teams at home and two on a neutral floor in South Padre. So far the home teams could be Navy, Farleigh Dickinson and 2 TBA's. The neutral teams are UAB, TCU and Northwestern. We also get a return home game from the '10-11 bracketbuster with Western Michigan. We also just found out that we get to host Wyoming for the MWC/MVC challenge. We should be on the road for next years bracketbuster as well so the Redbirds are looking at scheduling 5-6 more games to fill it out.

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by **CaliRdBrd** » April 17th, 2012, 12:36 pm

Great analysis. I haven't been this excited about our potential since 1996/97. That being said, it looks like we are again headed toward the same pathetic OOC that have made us the laughingstock of the MVC.
Honestly, am I supposed to get excited about a third tier team that has never even been to the NCAA just because they're from the Big Ten (Northwestern)?
Lack of challenges during the OOC = lack of much needed toughness come Valley and, hopefully, postseason play.

Again...what a joke.

by **45otseoj** » April 17th, 2012, 1:11 pm

BirdmanBB wrote:Aaron Simpson finished 3rd in voting to Jabari Parker for the Illinois Mr. Basketball award.

Ahead of highly acclaimed Fred Van Vleet

by **BirdmanBB** » April 17th, 2012, 1:14 pm

Jank talked about the schedule again with the Pantagraph beat writer and yet again talked about how hard it is. He knows the importance of getting this team a good schedule. Jank has always been adament about no one and dones or two for ones. When asked again he explained why the valley frowns upon doing them, but did leave the door cracked when he said a small part of him might consider it. He has always been on the record as strongly against them. In my personal opinion if they can't get the games they want to fill out the schedule, the statement he made is setting the stage to consider a one and done or two for one this time.

by **CaliRdBrd** » April 17th, 2012, 3:09 pm

I'm all for the one and dones. Not sure I undersatnd the aversion. It worked for Gonzaga.

by **BirdmanBB** » April 18th, 2012, 7:03 am

CaliRdBrd wrote:I'm all for the one and dones. Not sure I undersatnd the aversion. It worked for Gonzaga.

It's viewed as cheapening our conference. The odds aren't very much in your favor at all for doing a 1 and done. Most valley schools, if not all, do not need the money from a 1 and done which is why other conferences teams play them. They use the cash to sustain their programs.

by **AndShock** » April 18th, 2012, 12:13 pm

If taking one and dones cheapens our conference what does head coaches leaving for assistant jobs do?

by **DoubleJayAlum** » April 18th, 2012, 12:17 pm

AndShock wrote:If taking one and dones cheapens our conference what does head coaches leaving for assistant jobs do?

Ask Indiana St.

by **BirdmanBB** » April 19th, 2012, 7:33 am

AndShock wrote:If taking one and dones cheapens our conference what does head coaches leaving for assistant jobs do?

Big difference in a coach leaving to be an assistant and a coach leaving to be an assistant/coach-in-waiting at a Big East school along with over double what he is making right now at ISU. For Jank to get that offer without having really done anything should say a lot of the valley.

by **CaliRdBrd** » April 19th, 2012, 10:21 am

Take the one and done!! It's hard for me to get fired up about a home and home with another mid major, but I'd find no problem in getting jacked up for a one and done with a major BCS school.