Post by GBPhoenix1 on Oct 13, 2013 13:07:55 GMT -6
We have all read a lot of other experts predictions but it seems like it is time to post our own. Here are mine.
1. CSU: I am putting a lot of faith in a team that wasn't very good last year. I think having Forbes and Lee back with the mix of Grady, Harris and Trey Lewis is probably enough to get the job done. I don't like their bigs much but I think Gary Waters is the best coach in the league and has enough talent here to win.
2. GB: I love the physical tools of this team. If I was picking on that alone I would say this is the best team in the league by a lot. I love that the skills of these players fit the defense and running offense style. I am hopeful for big things and I want to believe this is a 14-2 in league play and big dance kind of year. However, they haven't proven they can win the big game and Coach Wardle and Co. don't have the track record that Waters has. I hope to be proven wrong by year end.
3. WSU: I like that they play their game. I like a few of their individual players. I don't see this as the most talented team and I think a lot of the hype is based on having everyone back. Yet that isn't always a good thing. Except for better health or growth of a player what moves them from 3rd to 1st when I can see other teams that should be improved? I think they are a tough out for any HL team but I don't see them as a consensus favorite to win the league.
4. Valpo: They lost a ton of good players. The returners like Capobianco, Dorrity and Coleman on their own probably aren't good enough to be higher than this or even this high to begin with. However, they add a lot of other guys who can add to the mix. I think this is a case of Valpo taking a backwards step while they wait for someone to emerge as a great player. However, I think they have enough good players to compete.
5. uwm: I wonder about the mix of their players. They have some up tempo guys and they have some half court guys, so I am not sure they have a true style like CSU, GB or WSU has. I wonder if some of their new guys are any good as they didn't do much at previous stops. However, they have enough new guys that I think they will be much better. Jeter has proven to me that he isn't able to get a lot of good high school guys but he retools with juco and d1 transfers. That is a recipe to compete quickly but in my opinion probably not win big. I am out on a limb here compared to most but that recipe looks good enough to be mid pack this year with a few other teams taking really big backwards steps.
6. Oakland: They have 3 guys in Bader, Petros and Mondy who are getting a lot of attention and it appears to be well deserved. I don't believe all of the hype on this program though. They have some nice non con wins but getting waxed most of the time by high majors doesn't prove much to me. Plus they don't have a great record against the HL over the last few years. Also, I think the good defensive teams in this league will slow them down. Lastly they lost 2 or 3 guys already this year that they expected to play. That is hard to replace in season. I think they are a good addition to the league but I don't see them being as good as the media predictions think.
7. YSU: They have Perry, Belin and not much else in my mind. They lost two of their three best guys on a team that was 7-9 in league play and went 4-6 down the stretch. I don't see a lot of fresh talent to replace that. Plus Perry gets a lot of attention for his overall game and his advanced stats but in 3 years in he hasn't won much, that has to count for something. I certainly don't think he is better than Sykes as an example. I think this is a team destined to remain average to below average in this league for a long time to come.
8. UIC: They lost their three best scorers and some of their best overall players. I don't think Barlow comes in to this league and lights it up that much. It wasn't like he was that good at Purdue. I see a lot of young faces on this team and the older guys look just ok to me. I have a hard time putting them higher when they went 7-9 in the league and lost more talent than they bring in.
9. Detroit: They lost so much and a lot of the hope is on complimentary players like Howard and Bruinsma take a step up a long with Brundridge being a player. I am not buying that. I don't see a lot of good bigs and I don't see a lot of good guards. Even if Brundridge is good, it takes more than one guy to win this league. I think Detroit will be bad and may be set up to be bad for a while.
Player of the Year: Sykes
1st team:
Sykes
Alec Brown
Anton Grady
Kendrick Perry
Travis Bader
New Comer of the year: Keith Carter from Valpo (Kind of wild card, I think they are the team with enough new guys who can play and could make an impact. I also like McKinnie from GB here.)
Defensive player of the year: Jordan Fouse
Coach of the year: Gary Waters
1. CSU: I am putting a lot of faith in a team that wasn't very good last year. I think having Forbes and Lee back with the mix of Grady, Harris and Trey Lewis is probably enough to get the job done. I don't like their bigs much but I think Gary Waters is the best coach in the league and has enough talent here to win.
2. GB: I love the physical tools of this team. If I was picking on that alone I would say this is the best team in the league by a lot. I love that the skills of these players fit the defense and running offense style. I am hopeful for big things and I want to believe this is a 14-2 in league play and big dance kind of year. However, they haven't proven they can win the big game and Coach Wardle and Co. don't have the track record that Waters has. I hope to be proven wrong by year end.
3. WSU: I like that they play their game. I like a few of their individual players. I don't see this as the most talented team and I think a lot of the hype is based on having everyone back. Yet that isn't always a good thing. Except for better health or growth of a player what moves them from 3rd to 1st when I can see other teams that should be improved? I think they are a tough out for any HL team but I don't see them as a consensus favorite to win the league.
4. Valpo: They lost a ton of good players. The returners like Capobianco, Dorrity and Coleman on their own probably aren't good enough to be higher than this or even this high to begin with. However, they add a lot of other guys who can add to the mix. I think this is a case of Valpo taking a backwards step while they wait for someone to emerge as a great player. However, I think they have enough good players to compete.
5. uwm: I wonder about the mix of their players. They have some up tempo guys and they have some half court guys, so I am not sure they have a true style like CSU, GB or WSU has. I wonder if some of their new guys are any good as they didn't do much at previous stops. However, they have enough new guys that I think they will be much better. Jeter has proven to me that he isn't able to get a lot of good high school guys but he retools with juco and d1 transfers. That is a recipe to compete quickly but in my opinion probably not win big. I am out on a limb here compared to most but that recipe looks good enough to be mid pack this year with a few other teams taking really big backwards steps.
6. Oakland: They have 3 guys in Bader, Petros and Mondy who are getting a lot of attention and it appears to be well deserved. I don't believe all of the hype on this program though. They have some nice non con wins but getting waxed most of the time by high majors doesn't prove much to me. Plus they don't have a great record against the HL over the last few years. Also, I think the good defensive teams in this league will slow them down. Lastly they lost 2 or 3 guys already this year that they expected to play. That is hard to replace in season. I think they are a good addition to the league but I don't see them being as good as the media predictions think.
7. YSU: They have Perry, Belin and not much else in my mind. They lost two of their three best guys on a team that was 7-9 in league play and went 4-6 down the stretch. I don't see a lot of fresh talent to replace that. Plus Perry gets a lot of attention for his overall game and his advanced stats but in 3 years in he hasn't won much, that has to count for something. I certainly don't think he is better than Sykes as an example. I think this is a team destined to remain average to below average in this league for a long time to come.
8. UIC: They lost their three best scorers and some of their best overall players. I don't think Barlow comes in to this league and lights it up that much. It wasn't like he was that good at Purdue. I see a lot of young faces on this team and the older guys look just ok to me. I have a hard time putting them higher when they went 7-9 in the league and lost more talent than they bring in.
9. Detroit: They lost so much and a lot of the hope is on complimentary players like Howard and Bruinsma take a step up a long with Brundridge being a player. I am not buying that. I don't see a lot of good bigs and I don't see a lot of good guards. Even if Brundridge is good, it takes more than one guy to win this league. I think Detroit will be bad and may be set up to be bad for a while.
Player of the Year: Sykes
1st team:
Sykes
Alec Brown
Anton Grady
Kendrick Perry
Travis Bader
New Comer of the year: Keith Carter from Valpo (Kind of wild card, I think they are the team with enough new guys who can play and could make an impact. I also like McKinnie from GB here.)
Defensive player of the year: Jordan Fouse
Coach of the year: Gary Waters