UNI Next Year

[2livewu]

Odum and Marshall combined won't play in 5 NCAA games over their careers. I'm a homer as well.

I'll take Fred.

Somehow we got off the UNI Next Year theme.

Jake is a really good coach, but talent always trumps coaching. I'll take the better talent over the better coach every day of the week and twice on Sunday and so will every coach, including Jake. And the rest of the league has coaches that are closing the gap between themselves and Jake. I don't think he has the advantage he's enjoyed in some previous years, and I know he doesn't have the size or talent of his best teams.

If this UNI team finishes 3rd or better I'll be surprised. It's not impossible, due to overall weaknesses, but I just don't see it.

[valleychamp]

I'm am utterly shocked that Drwu isn't high on UNI's prospects. Shocked.

[jackwagon]

I think UNI's success or lack thereof relies on 1 thing, not 3:

1. Ben Jacobsen

This is a down year for the Valley. I'm projecting UNI to be in the top half of the league. Even if this was an up year for the Valley, I'd be projecting UNI to be in the top half of the league.

UNI doesn't appear to have the talent to be a top-half Valley team in a "typical" Valley year. I think Jacobsen could take a team with virtually no talent and find a way to finish in the top half of the league.

The competition for 3rd in the league this year appears to be BU, MSU and UNI. I've been projecting UNI round 5th, but I think I'm going to have to change that to 3rd. I don't think UNI can take 2nd away from InSU. The perceived talent difference between UNI and InSU (in the off season) give 2nd to InSU. Not even Jacobsen as the coach can make up for the difference in talent.

I'm not convinced I'm right. If I'm not, I'd like to hear the arguments the other way, and I'd like for them to start at PG. There's going to have to be some major differences in talent at other positions, cause InSU has THE PG.

I'm a huge WSU homer and I think Fred VanVleet will be among the best PG's in WSU's history -= which goes back 60 years. Jake Odum is THE PG in the Valley next year.

I'll take Marshall over Odum for best PG in the league.... FVV grew up a lot in the NCAA tourney but still think he is behind Marshall. Yes I am also a homer.

Oh wow. Marshall has yet to prove anything in this league. He had a very nice FR year but he has done nothing in this league. What big games did he win last year? Odum has proved he is a stone cold killer. Give me Odum next year every day and twice on Sunday.

[Wufan]

I will also take Odum….

[rlh04d]

Odum vs Marshall:
FG%: 47.6% vs 40.9%
PPG: 13.6 vs 11.5
3%: 37.3% vs 31.4%
FT%: 77.1% vs 80%
APG: 4.6 vs 2.1
REB: 4.5 vs 3.0
STL: 1.5 vs .6
BLK: .3 vs .1

Marshall wins one category. Free throw percentage. And he has less turnovers per game.

Odum has had three straight seasons better as a PG than Marshall's only season.

At least he acknowledged he's a homer, because saying that with a straight face must be VERY hard.

[agrinut]

Odum vs Marshall:
FG%: 47.6% vs 40.9%
PPG: 13.6 vs 11.5
3%: 37.3% vs 31.4%
FT%: 77.1% vs 80%
APG: 4.6 vs 2.1
REB: 4.5 vs 3.0
STL: 1.5 vs .6
BLK: .3 vs .1

Marshall wins one category. Free throw percentage. And he has less turnovers per game.

Odum has had three straight seasons better as a PG than Marshall's only season.

At least he acknowledged he's a homer, because saying that with a straight face must be VERY hard.

I will still take a freshman with those numbers, I would also like to see what the MVC stats are.

[rlh04d]

Odum vs Marshall:
FG%: 47.6% vs 40.9%
PPG: 13.6 vs 11.5
3%: 37.3% vs 31.4%
FT%: 77.1% vs 80%
APG: 4.6 vs 2.1
REB: 4.5 vs 3.0
STL: 1.5 vs .6
BLK: .3 vs .1

Marshall wins one category. Free throw percentage. And he has less turnovers per game.

Odum has had three straight seasons better as a PG than Marshall's only season.

At least he acknowledged he's a homer, because saying that with a straight face must be VERY hard.

I will still take a freshman with those numbers, I would also like to see what the MVC stats are.

Odum's freshman stats were better than Marshall's as well:

FG%: 47.7% vs 40.9%
PPG: 9.3 vs 11.5
3%: 32.1% vs 31.4%
FT%: 73% vs 80%
APG: 4.1 vs 2.1
REB: 3.9 vs 3.0
STL: 1.8 vs .6
BLK: .3 vs .1

Marhshall now wins two whole categories ... points per game and free throw percentage. Meanwhile Odum has a huge lead in FG%, assists, steals, and a sizable lead in rebounds.

You can keep doubling down if you want, but I don't think there is a single way you can spin the numbers to make Marshall look better. Feel free to keep trying, though.

[Redbird Recon]

You can argue stats all day.
Odum went dancing as a freshman.
Marshall was watching the semis at home.

[glm38]

I actually thought Marshall proved quite a bit last year. He didn't win any big games for us because we weren't very good and therefore didn't have any games of that type. But he did definitely won some games for msu and he was a big part of us turning it around from historically wretched to semi respectable in the conference.

He also proved he can score and play at a high level against just about anyone by virtue of a game or two vs WSU. Shox went through several defenders trying to guard him. It doesn't get much tougher than that.

No doubt Odum was better last year. This year I think Marshall could possibly overtake him. But I'm a homer too.