Official 2016-17 MVCfans.com Prediction - 3rd Place

[MVCfans]

Each week we will open a poll for users to predict the end of season finish for the MVC 2016-17 basketball season. We will work in reverse order, concluding with the predicted MVC champion chosen by our users between the last two teams remaining in week 9.

Missouri State was recently selected as the likely 4th place finisher (results: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4525 )

Week 8 - Who will finish in 3rd place during the 2016-17 MVC mens basketball season?
-You are choosing the team that you believe will finish in 3rd place for this regular season. Poll open until Thursday, October 13.


Official MVCfans.com - Predictions:
10th Place - Drake
9th Place - Evansville
8th Place - Bradley
7th Place - Loyola
6th Place - Southern Illinois
5th Place - Indiana State
4th Place - Missouri State
3rd Place .....

[LanceShock]

I'm going with IlSU due to coaching, but it could be any of these three. Too many unknowns to know for sure.

[BirdsEyeView]

Illinois State will go as Paris Lee go's.

Top 3 is a crap shoot. Popularity contest at this point.

[Cdizzle]

Serious question, as I have no idea (I also don't know for my own team).

Who is going to initiate the offense for UNI this year?

[WSUShox88]

Illinois State is the default pick here based on suspect coaching.

[uniftw]

Serious question, as I have no idea (I also don't know for my own team).

Who is going to initiate the offense for UNI this year?

True freshman Juwan McCloud. He is likely the best recruit to sign and enroll at UNI. How he got out of Wisconsin without Marquette or Wisconsin grabbing him is a bit of a coup, likely related to his size. He's 5'11 175lbs. As a snior averaged 24 ppg and 5 assists. From all the tape I've watched and what I've read about what AAU coaches, and Jake, have said about him he is going to start from day 1 and is going to be really damn good before his career is over.

Behind him will be redshirt freshman Spencer Haldeman. He was thought to be the heir apparent to the starting role but McLoud is too good. He was the POY in Iowa his senior season with 24.3 ppg 5.1 apg and 2.2 spg. He was borderline not red-shirting last year.

This could be a "rough" year at the start for UNI. There are just 2 seniors on the roster, and only 1 was on the roster coming into this year (the other a grad transfer from Iowa State) 11 of 16 players on the roster have next to no game experience at UNI.

It's a young team with 3 freshman (2 will play as true freshman), 4 redshirt freshman, 2 sophomores (both will red-shirt this year), 3 redshirt juniors and 2 "true" juniors.


I think the rotation will be
PG: Juwan McCloud, Hunter Rhodes, Spencer Haldeman/Wyatt Lohous in some cases
SG: Wyatt Lohous, Spencer Haldeman, Jordan Ashton, Isaiah Brown maybe depending line up
W: Jeremy Morgan, Klint Carlson, Isaiah Brown
PF: Klint Carlson, Luke McDonnell
C: Bennett Koch, Justin Dahl, Ted Freidman

Supposedly Dahl is at/over 7' now. From media day photos he is signifncantly taller than Bennett Koch, Ted Freidman and Luke McDonnell - all 6'9-6'10

The freshman class (combined RS and true) is the most talented class I think UNI has ever had. There will be a learning curve this year to start but once the stride hits it's going to be a fun ride.

[uniftw]

Fittingly on that topic - an article from UNI's beat writter today

http://wcfcourier.com/sports/college/un ... 3c853.html

CEDAR FALLS — It wasn’t difficult to get a smile out of the University of Northern Iowa’s five returning basketball veterans or head coach Ben Jacobson during media day Tuesday.

All it took was a question about one of the four transfers, four redshirt freshmen or three true freshmen trying to crack the rotation this season.

Rather than lamenting the loss of 67 percent of their 3-point baskets, 59 percent of their assists and 53 percent of their scoring from last season with the graduation of Wes Washpun, Matt Bohannon and Paul Jesperson, the Panthers are looking forward to what their new teammates bring to the court.

One focal point for the coming season is the point guard position. UNI has plenty of candidates ranging from returning veteran Wyatt Lohaus to redshirt freshman Spencer Haldeman to Kirkwood Community College transfer Hunter Rhodes to first-year freshman Juwan McCloud of Germantown, Wis.

“With Juwan, with Hunter Rhodes, we get two different types of players,” said Jacobson. “Juwan is a tremendously talented young guy. As soon as he gets that ball in his hands, at least for me, it immediately feels like something good is about to happen, something fun is about to happen.

“He’s just got a little bounce in his step. He’s got a great feel. He understands where guys are. His timing, in terms of passing, is really good. He’s going to have an impact immediately on what we do.

“And then Hunter Rhodes, he’s got a couple years of experience, so you’ve got a guy who’s a little bit older. Hunter’s tough. As we’ve gone along ... he’s taken on a little more responsibility and gotten a little more comfortable. You’re starting to see why he led his team to a national championship last year.”

Haldeman is more of a combo guard and a dangerous 3-point shooter.

“He can play with the ball in his hands,” said Jacobson. “He can play off the ball. He can really get going, can really shoot the basketball, and obviously we’re going to need that with Paul and with Bo having graduated. Those two guys made a lot of 3s and a lot of very important ones.”

As one of just two seniors on the roster, it’s up to Jeremy Morgan to point all the newcomers in the right direction. It’s a responsibility that makes him smile, too.

“Energy,” he said when asked for his early impressions. “They’re all eager to get in there. Obviously, they’re going to make some mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes, and as young guys you make a lot of them. If you can keep their minds focused on just playing as hard as you can, you’ll make mistakes but just make sure you learn from them.”

Klint Carlson, another returning starter and a hard-nosed 6-7 forward for UNI, is also enjoying the youthful enthusiasm he sees in practice.

“It’s a little different than high school, so I’m trying to toughen them up a little bit,” he says with a laugh. “Just getting in the gym every day is really one of the toughest things. There are days you don’t want to work out. You’re tired after three or four days of lifting in a row, and that’s just what it takes.”

So far, the new additions to the roster have been good fits.

“I have to step back sometimes and realize I was once in their shoes not knowing what to do or where to go or what to say,” Carlson added. “When we’re in practice, we have to step back and teach these guys what to do.

“They’re taking it really well, and they’re learning really quick. I’m looking forward to having these guys on the court.”

[ACECARD]

I absolutely cannot see WSU finishing 3rd, and I think that UNI's coach might be the best coach in the Valley, so who is left. ILL. St. for 3rd.

[Old School MVC]

I absolutely cannot see WSU finishing 3rd, and I think that UNI's coach might be the best coach in the Valley, so who is left. ILL. St. for 3rd.

My EXACT Thoughts! I was trying to think of how to word it, and I can not say it any better than this.

[Blers]

Given all they hype surrounding McCloud is size really the only thing that kept him being so under recruited? And does he have the body to stay healthy for a season in the Valley yet? I feel like expectations for him as a true freshmen point guard are absurdly high from some. Especially when factored in that he's been practicing against a lot of other relatively inexperienced guards on UNI's roster (though I've read he's performed well in local summer leagues; idk how much defense is played there though).

I'm sure he's got a great offensive game and that he'll be a big time player come his sophomore/junior year; but it seems the talk for him is HUGE. I suppose one could attribute him being under the radar to playing in Germantown, Wisconsin. Living in Chicago there's always hype around at least 2-3 short guards at any given time, and it usually doesn't hurt their interest too much (see: Marcus Lovett, Charlie Moore, Evan Gilyard).

That said I do love what UNI has. They have some great big men and I love what Jeremy Morgan brings. From the two games against Loyola I didn't see much out of Lohaus, but that's a small sample size and he's had another year. If he and McCloud live up to the hype some have put out for him UNI will be a force. I think with more resources Jacobson could run this league, UNI got a steal with him (and even more so keeping him!).

That all said i think if there's going to be a year Illinois State makes it's run, it's gotta be now. So I have UNI 3, but I would never sleep on the panthers.