A few questions about next year for everyone to answer about mens basketball…
What is the key to us suceeding next season?
Inside-outisde offense. Get Iti and Withers the ball more inside and it will open up the outside and allow Plavich to take wide open jumpers. [/B]
What player has to step it up next season?
Mitchell. He has to be the PG for us and be able to get the ball inside to Withers and Iti and be able to give us some points. If he does that I like our chances next season.
How many wins do you expect us to have for the regular season?
22. I really like our chances for next year. I EXPECT us to win C-USA.
how far will we go in the tournament?
I think the Sweet 16. For me, barring major injuries, anything less then the sweet 16 next year would be a disapointment.
The keys to a very successful season will be everyone progressing in their play as they should from year to year, practicing defense, defense, defense, and MAKING FREE THROWS!!! If the guys improve defensively and improve significantly and become consistent (not consistent bricks) at the free throw line, we will do very well. We have a majority of players returning and if the flaws from last year are improved upon, we should be good to go.
I think that Iti needs to step up and be a major presence on the inside. He needs to make other teams/players rethink taking anything down low. If we force teams to the outside shutting down their inside offense and get Basden and Drayton playing tight defense I think that we’re set. Plus, Iti getting better will only help Withers, Basden, et al, get better going to the inside against a presence during practice.
I’m not going to predict wins until I see the schedule - I want to see how many Syracuse’s and NC A&T’s we get first. However, I will say, over 20… furthermore, I hope we don’t begin the season ranked. I would like to begin the season without being a target so that our guys get confidence and earn the ranking.
My hopes for the tournament are, as with anyone’s, as far as possible. However, I will be dissappointed not with anything less than Sweet 16, but another loss in the first round. I’d also like to see anything better than the 8-9 match-up - I hope that they earn it.
And I’m going to add a question, what game on our preliminary schedule for next year do you want the “W” the most?
I’m going to have to go with UAB - just to shut UABpikapp up!! Man, he’s annoying!!
[b]And I'm going to add a question, what game on our preliminary schedule for next year do you want the "W" the most?[/b]
I want to beat Indiana, provided that deal is still in the works. I know it has no conference significance, but we choked away the first two games of the three earlier series games against them when we should have put them away.
The key to the season to me will be our point guard, whoever that winds up being. We have to have another three-point shooter on the floor with Plav. Eddie was off and on last year and Mitchell was non existant from beyond the arc. We have the weapons we need at every other position. If Mitchell can’t shoot the three, any decent big team that zones us will beat us. Whoever plays the point has to be a well-rounded scorer.
I think Iti is the player that has to step up. He thinks he is NBA material, so in the words of Coach Norman Dale, “I want to see it on the court”!!! If he gets in foul trouble like he did last year, the clamps come down on Curtis and he won’t be as effective on either end. Iti needs to improve his defense as well. I wasn’t expecting much offense from him last year, but his lack of blocked shots last year is what disappointed me most about the “7-footer”. If the opponent fears coming inside against the big fella, then your defense gets a whole grade better.
If our non-conference schedule turns out to be as tough as it appears, we will be lucky to win 20 games. We also play most of the tough conference teams on the road. Without looking at the schedule, I predict 18 wins. With the schedule we have, that will easily get us in the Dance. I, like others, hope for better than the 8-9 game.
Unlike previous years, I don’t dread us possibly getting in the 8-9 game next season. I can’t think of a team right now that we will not be able to beat on a good night. UAB and Alabama both knocked off the #1 seeds from the 8-9 game last year, and I think we can do it next year should we be cast into that game yet again.
The key to our season is simple, DEFENSE. First, as long as Lutz is the coach we will never have an inside/outside game. We will live and die by the three. So our defense must improve and it should. Mitchell is a ball hawk, Iti must be dominant on defense, Basden is the defensive player of the year, and Withers is a rebounding machine. We need to hide Plavich as much as we can.
Iti must step it up, especially on the defensive end. He needs to be dominant and play 35 - 40 minutes a game. A little offense would help too.
Sadly, I don’t think we will improve our defense or foul shooting enough to win more than 18 games plus one or two in the C-USA tourney.
We will again earn a nine seed and I hope we will play better than we did against Notre Dame and Texas Tech. I will predict a second round exit.
Also, an absolute no-brainer… #2. No one remembers the regular season and an elite 8 loss means we play on the second Saturday or Sunday, plenty of time for publicity for the program.
I believe the Pt position is key-> it doesn’t matter what style you play, the pt is key IMHO. Whether the Niners get over the hump or not most depends on the pt.
[i]Originally posted by TheReal49er[/i]@Jun 22 2004, 04:30 PM
[b] Is he available for a halftime show? :P :wacko: [/b]
Healthy Choice can't afford him for a halftime promo, Real. On the other hand, as one person has suggested to me, there should be a "[b]Bob[/b]weiser" event outside of the Barnhardt Center prior to the Cincinnati game.
iti and withers are both important. Our biggest key though is PG play. I don’t care how good our big men might be. If we do not get good PG play we are in trouble. I think Mitch can be the man. I just hope he works hard this off season. Also, I think Eddie is going to have a major break out year. He has been a good player for us but I am thinking he is Gaylon Young for us next year.
By the way - foget the 3 pointer unless it is open next year. Drive and dish is the way to go. ATTACK THE FREAKIN BASKET!!!
[b]By the way - foget the 3 pointer unless it is open next year. Drive and dish is the way to go. ATTACK THE FREAKIN BASKET!!!! [/b]
MinerNiner, you may have been on vacation for the last couple of months but our coach is still Bobby Lutz. The three point shot is our offense, we just have to accept that.
I bet Bobby is smiling, bigtime. This is his ideal team, except for the pg position which is up in the air until Mitchell claims it for good.
The offense will run through Withers and Plavich. Iti, Basden and Drayton will all average about 10 per game. We’ve got a lot of weapons. Teams will have to be aware of 4 of 5 on the court.
[b]The offense will run through Withers and Plavich. Iti, Basden and Drayton will all average about 10 per game. We've got a lot of weapons. Teams will have to be aware of 4 of 5 on the court. [/b]
That scares me! What did Brendan do over the course of the WHOLE season and in the NCAA to justify him being anything more than a second option!?
[i]Originally posted by BobbyLutz[/i]@Jun 24 2004, 09:02 PM
[b]
[b] What did Brendan do over the course of the WHOLE season and in the NCAA to justify him being anything more than a second option!?[/b]
Is there a more debated topic then this one?
Get used to it Niner fans. Lutz loves Plavich. Hopefully Plavich will continue to drive and attack as he did late in the year. [/b]
Sources on campus indicate Plavich has already slimmed down quite a bit. Look for a lean, mean, shooting machine next season. Yes, I’ve been listening to way too much Stephen A Smith or whatever his name is. B) Plavich will get more open, often in 2004-2005.
Realizing that Curtis Withers is an All-American. I don’t see any excuse why he shouldn’t touch the ball every half court set we run. We can deal with any other player having an off night, but if Withers isn’t involved on a given night, it will be very difficult to overcome and get a W.
Step Up Player:
Iti. Mitch doesn’t need to step up, because stepping up would imply he didn’t meet expectations last year. Mitch was brilliant in his only start, he just needs to continue his play, not step up. Iti, on the other hand, was a great disappointment. He needs to step up, the points aren’t that important, but he needs to double his rebounding output which is directly related to him staying out of foul trouble, which means he needs to play better defense.
Regular Season Wins:
Need to see the schedule, but assuming last year’s 27 game schd., I will agree with 22. Will will probably loose to Cincy once, @ Lousiville will be tough, as will @ Marquette, will will loose a non-conference game and will will give away at least one game we should have won.
Tournament:
Elite 8. Expecting a reasonably easy 1st round as a 4 or 5 seed. Round two will see us playing a lower seed coming off an upset. And Plavich will hit 12 three’s in the 3rd round to get us to the Elite 8.(of course this isn’t based on any actual information, just my personal hopes).
[b] I don't see any excuse why he shouldn't touch the ball every half court set we run. [/b]
I do. This is Lutz’s offense and Withers doesn’t shoot the three. Come on guys, it’s not like Lutz was just hired, he has been here for more than five years. Our offense does not run through the post, never has under Lutz. We run Diego, Demon, Jobey, Plavich, (Insert name here) around staggered screens on the baseline and force threes. We don’t utilize post players effectively or often. It’s not going to happen under Lutz.
