Pick the 2016-17 MVC

[tornado]

Anyone want to guess how this coming season will go??
A few teams lose a bunch...some return a lot...


Here's what I think...

Predicted finish....and I think it could be wide open....but things could change such as late transfer-additions, injuries, etc..

1- Wichita State - sure, they lose a lot (Van Vleet, Baker..) but until someone knocks them off...
2- Indiana State - some good young guys, so I am giving them the "surprise team" nod
3- ISU - they return a lot of good players if they can stay on the court
4- UNI also loses a bunch (Washpun, Bohannon, Jesperson..)
5- BU - poised for a much better year
6- SIU - they lose a team leader
7- Loyola - restocking but have Doyle
8- Evansville - they lose the most & Marty tried hard to get out and interviewed elsewhere
9- Drake- as before
10- Missouri State - seat will get hotter

[Art Haines is God]

Anyone want to guess how this coming season will go??
A few teams lose a bunch...some return a lot...


Here's what I think...

Predicted finish....and I think it could be wide open....but things could change such as late transfer-additions, injuries, etc..

1- Wichita State - sure, they lose a lot (Van Vleet, Baker..) but until someone knocks them off...
2- Indiana State - some good young guys, so I am giving them the "surprise team" nod
3- ISU - they return a lot of good players if they can stay on the court
4- UNI also loses a bunch (Washpun, Bohannon, Jesperson..)
5- BU - poised for a much better year
6- SIU - they lose a team leader
7- Loyola - restocking but have Doyle
8- Evansville - they lose the most & Marty tried hard to get out and interviewed elsewhere
9- Drake- as before
10- Missouri State - seat will get hotter

If the Bears finish tenth, Lusk won't finish the season.

1. Wichita - Least talent they have had in several seasons.
2. Indiana State - Most underated group in the league.
3. ILST - Talented but lack discipline and strategy
4. Loyola - Their one two punch of Doyle and Ingram, is Valley's best one/two.
5. MSU - Top 100 freshman, two top 50 JUCOs added to decent returning group, but lack discipline and strategy.
6. SIU - They were decent with Beane, not sure they are anywhere near without him.
7. UNI - I think talent wise they are really bad next year, but they have discipline and strategy.
8. Evansville - Too much out, too little in.
9. Bradley - Coach Wardle seesm to be building for the long term, which is smart, but another rocky season likely before Braves return to prominence.
10. Drake - Reed Timmer and some odd pieces.

[tornado]

MSU's Greg Williams might have been a Top 100 at some point early during the recruiting process, but all his bigger offers got yanked after last spring & summer AAU due to some issues...
I know the MSU site touted a #92 ESPN rating but that cannot be found now and his rating is currently 73 and #49 by position - well outside Top 100 overall
Anyway with the Bears' Dixon, Ruder & Miller returning - where's he gonna play?

Also - do you have the link to the Top Juco rankings?

[Art Haines is God]

MSU's Greg Williams might have been a Top 100 at some point early during the recruiting process, but all his bigger offers got yanked after last spring & summer AAU due to some issues...
I know the MSU site touted a #92 ESPN rating but that cannot be found now and his rating is currently 73 and #49 by position - well outside Top 100 overall
Anyway with the Bears' Dixon, Ruder & Miller returning - where's he gonna play?

Also - do you have the link to the Top Juco rankings?

As you well know, as soon as a player signs with an MVC team their ranking usually drops. Both Ronnie Rosseau III and Alize Johnson have been in the top 50 JUCO players on random sites over the last couple of years. They were highly touted JUCOs along with a 3rd JUCO Jarrid Rhodes. Rosseau finished the season as a 2nd team All-American.

Williams is a guy they took a risk on, he has had multiple surgeries, and frankly may not be the player they hope due to some reoccuring stuff, but on paper is what we are discussing.

As for the three guards you mentioned, we finished with the third most losses in our program history, so I would assume all spots are up for competition.

Ruder hasn't been healthy in 2-years.

I will look for a link, but my point was more to give you a feel for how our fanbase is looking at the season. We have been told to be patient for quite a few years now, and this team is billed as one with no holes, straight from Lusk's mouth.

6/15 the Springfield area summer league starts and we will get a good look at some of the Bears, as they play with local stars, including appearances by some former SWMO HS players who played with the Braves.

I think anything less than challenging for an MVC title will be a huge dissapointment.

We also have been told this is the best recruiting class in Lusk's tenure.

I would be very dissapointed with any finish below 4th, but I don't trust Lusk's decision making, and I think this will be his last season in town.

[Stickboy46]

As you well know, as soon as a player signs with an MVC team their ranking usually drops.

I'm going to comment on this. This happend with CJ Keyser and WSU. He was a 4-star according to ESPN up until the day he signed with WSU. Then he immediately dropped to a 3-star.

[tornado]

SIU writer Todd Hefferman picks the upcoming MVC season this way...

http://thesouthern.com/sports/hefferman-a-way-too-early-mvc-basketball-forecast/article_7ad23ee7-89e6-5fdc-bf5f-ff021b9a0b3e.html

1- Wichita

2- UNI

3- SIU - hard to figure why he pcks them to be so uch better when they lose a lot of production and their best player

4- ISU - he makes a big deal out of the two DI transfers but neither one can play this year

5- Missouri State

6- Indiana State - as always the bottom five from 6th-10th are somewhat interchangeable and can beat each other..

7- Evansville - but I think Aces slip farther - not much scoring left..

8- Loyola - talks about how much talent they have then drops them to 8th

9- Bradley - at least he doesn't have us last

10- Drake

[tornado]

a couple hours after it was known that their leading rebounder Bola Olaniyan was leaving, the SIU writer updates his prediction for the MVC race in 2016-17
He has SIU 3rd...and appears to have updated before he knew this.

http://thesouthern.com/sports/hefferman-a-way-too-early-mvc-basketball-forecast/article_7ad23ee7-89e6-5fdc-bf5f-ff021b9a0b3e.html

[Serbiansniper34]

There is a 0% chance that Missouri State finishes in last place. They are a top 5 Valley team this season.

[tornado]

things can change- they were picked 3rd in 14-15 then finished at the bottom - only 2 games ahead of a woeful 3-15 Bradley squad..

[SubGod22]

There is a 0% chance that Missouri State finishes in last place. They are a top 5 Valley team this season.

Unless Lusk holds them back. But after Wichita, UNI and ISUr I think there's a lot of room for competition between the rest.

I am interested to see how much progress your young guys make. I like your talent but you're still probably a Thursday team this year with Drake and Evansville, but I like the next couple years after that with the right additions. I look forward to seeing Bradley back in the mix in the upper half on a regular basis where you belong.

[tornado]

uh oh - a couple setbacks happening already at Missouri State...(per Paul Lusk's teleconference comments)

Austin Ruder - a couple of nagging injuries plus major surgery for torn labrum in hip (in February) and still no-contact work at all until fall - talks like he might not be back this year

Tyler McCullough - multiple serious injuries and surgeries - shoulder x 2, ankle....- two labrum surgeries - still uncertain - no-contact at all until fall...hopefully ready by fall practice but will miss all summer.

Greg Williams - a couple more health-related setbacks - and they sounds pretty danged serious - even being labelled "NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE" in the 3rd link below.
... post-op complications, wound infections, unable to eat for long periods and was very frail and weight dropped to 130 lbs!!! (he's reportedly 6-6)
...and then, just had repeat hernia surgery. Is not on campus yet and not expected until fall. Hasn't been healthy in over year, throw in a serious achilles injury as well that caused all the bigger schools to pull their scholarship offers, and he has not been playing ball in most of that span from last summer 'til now. There definitely have to be a few question marks.

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=825123073#post825123073

http://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/2016/06/28/bears-mailbag-fans-have-no-reason-worry-greg-williams/86465992/

http://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/college/msu/2015/11/03/bears-newest-point-guard-picked-msu-after-near-death-experience/75099878/

[tornado]

The largest benefactor to Missouri State, the guy whose donations virtually built their arena and is named after him....John Q. Hammons Arena or JQH Arena..
and also so is their Hammons Student Center, their baseball field Hammons Field, pool is Hammons Pool...

John Q. Hammons - his hotel chain just filed bankruptcy for his entire chain - including the Embassy Suites right across the river from the Peoria Civic Center.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/john-q-hammons-hotels-file-for-bankruptcy-protection-1467113148?mod=e2tw

http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article86371772.html

a pledge of $22 million to Missouri State is "up in the air"..

http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/education/2016/06/27/hammons-bankruptcy-22-million-promise-missouri-state-jqh-arena-up-air/86431218/

[tornado]

we've seen with Fred Van Vleet & Wes Washpun how really valuable a good point guard is in Valley play...

this may be the very first year in a while that we have real depth at the POINT GUARD position!
Not saying we have a lot of experience but that will come with time....
however, we have five guys who have played and can play the PG position.

we have both DLO and Ronnie Suggs who played a lot at PG last year...
but I have a feeling we will go with one of our new guys - either Jayden Hodgson or Darrell Brown, Jr....
Then - in a pinch we also have Antoine Pittman who played a little at PG, plus Lou Griffith & Nate Kennell - both of whom played PG last year in high school - but I suspect neither will this year (LG planning to RS)


As I look at the rest of the MVC - nobody is really DEEP at point guard...

On paper, ISU probably has the best returning, experienced PG in Paris Lee - but that's about all they have - nobody else on the roster has played much point guard. Keywhawn Evans is listed as a PG but he barely played after Christmas.

Missouri State returns Dequon Miller - who averaged 13.4 ppg and 2.8 assists, but have very little depth at PG - they do bring in a juco kid Rousseau.

Then Wichita (Fred Van Vleet), UNI (Wes Washpun), and Evansville (DJ Balentine) all lost their assists-leaders & point guards.

Drake (CJ Rivers), Evansville (Jaylon Brown), InSU (Scott), SIU (Vincent/Rodriguez) all return someone with experience.
...And Loyola, UNI, Wichita are rebuilds at that position...and none of these teams have much depth if injuries occur at PG.

[SubGod22]

we've seen with Fred Van Vleet & Wes Washpun how really valuable a good point guard is in Valley play...

this may be the very first year in a while that we have real depth at the POINT GUARD position!
Not saying we have a lot of experience but that will come with time....
however, we have five guys who have played and can play the PG position.

we have both DLO and Ronnie Suggs who played a lot at PG last year...
but I have a feeling we will go with one of our new guys - either Jayden Hodgson or Darrell Brown, Jr....
Then - in a pinch we also have Antoine Pittman who played a little at PG, plus Lou Griffith & Nate Kennell - both of whom played PG last year in high school - but I suspect neither will this year (LG planning to RS)


As I look at the rest of the MVC - nobody is really DEEP at point guard...

On paper, ISU probably has the best returning, experienced PG in Paris Lee - but that's about all they have - nobody else on the roster has played much point guard. Keywhawn Evans is listed as a PG but he barely played after Christmas.

Missouri State returns Dequon Miller - who averaged 13.4 ppg and 2.8 assists, but have very little depth at PG - they do bring in a juco kid Rousseau.

Then Wichita (Fred Van Vleet), UNI (Wes Washpun), and Evansville (DJ Balentine) all lost their assists-leaders & point guards.

Drake (CJ Rivers), Evansville (Jaylon Brown), InSU (Scott), SIU (Vincent/Rodriguez) all return someone with experience.
...And Loyola, UNI, Wichita are rebuilds at that position...and none of these teams have much depth if injuries occur at PG.

I'm not sure I'd say Wichita doesn't have depth there. They just don't have much experience. I'm guessing that Landry Shamet starts for us there. Others that have/will/can play there are Daishon Smith (JUCO), Connor Frankamp, CJ Keyser (Prep), Austin Reeves (might RS), JR Simon (Walk-on who has gotten decent minutes in the past).

Only Shamet and Frankamp have any D1 experience there (outside of Simon), and Shamet only 3 games, but we should have at least 3 if not 4 active that can play PG respectively on some level. New guys have to learn and adjust but depth is there. Shamet, Frankamp and Keyser are also capable of playing off ball and I expect Frankamp to do that most of the time. Though some people disagree with me and think Frankamp will spend a lot of time at the point.

None of them will be Fred by any means, but few ever will.

[Da Coach]

I'm not sure I'd say Wichita doesn't have depth there. They just don't have much experience. I'm guessing that Landry Shamet starts for us there....

None of them will be Fred by any means, but few ever will.

Looks like the WSU coaching staff thinks "Landry Shamet will be better than Fred Van Vleet"!

https://twitter.com/klehmansports/status/752263524135559169