2017-18 Season Expectations

[Yogi's Picnic Basket]

The 3 years to learn his defense was probably hyperbole. It's just basketball so I doubt his defense is that complex to figure out. If he was being serious then he needs to find an easier way to teach it because expecting it to take 3 years to learn is unrealistic. 

I say he gets a free pass from ANY criticism this year, but next year we should be able to gripe if we under achieve. Year 3 is when I will start to judge him from stretches of the season. Regardless he is the guy I want for a long time so unless we miss the tourney the next 3 years I want him to have at least 5 years before even considering a change.

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[Josh]

 
I think if this season is a relative bust, the blame will fall on the players mostly for just not being good enough (which is very possible).
 
Archie will then have a window of time to get his guys together and win.
 
 
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Please no. We have the talent and senior leadership to get us to the top 5 in the conference. If we don't, I'm not blaming the players.

[mdn82]

 

Please no. We have the talent and senior leadership to get us to the top 5 in the conference. If we don't, I'm not blaming the players.

Right or wrong people don't blame the players. I am sure a few people will gripe if we finish top 5 and not higher. Just the same as if we end up Sweet 16 we should have went further. I believe our best player ranking wise is 41 with Deron Davis. When you have 4 classes on a team and your best ranked player is 41 that is not good enough here imo. This team needs to be a foundation team to improve talent over the coming seasons. Next year I have high hopes for two burger boys. This team needs to learn fundamentals forgotten under Crean.

 

 

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[Hoosier Guy]

4 minutes ago, mdn82 said:

Right or wrong people don't blame the players. I am sure a few people will gripe if we finish top 5 and not higher. Just the same as if we end up Sweet 16 we should have went further. I believe our best player ranking wise is 41 with Deron Davis. When you have 4 classes on a team and your best ranked player is 41 that is not good enough here imo. This team needs to be a foundation team to improve talent over the coming seasons. Next year I have high hopes for two burger boys. This team needs to learn fundamentals forgotten under Crean.

 

 

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That's gonna be the biggest difference in 17-18. IU will be a fundamentally sound basketball team. That I can assure you

[Stuhoo]

9-9 in conference. Sneak into the tournament.

And that would make the year a big big success!

 

 

[HoosierX]

1 hour ago, Hoosier Guy said:

That's gonna be the biggest difference in 17-18. IU will be a fundamentally sound basketball team. That I can assure you

I can assure you that years of bad habits are not going to be undone overnight.

[Uspshoosier]

8-8 in conference. Sneak into the tournament.
And that would make the year a big big success!

It would have to be 9-9


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[HoosierAloha]

We are not devoid of talent.
All rankings from 247 composite.

Hartman: 214
McSwain: 25 (JUCO)
Newkirk: 124
Johnson: 49
Priller: 436 (MSB: -1)
Morgan: 110
Davis: 41
Jones: 74
Green: 241
Smith: 94
Moore: 152
Durham: 228

That's not a roster that will be on a talent level of a puke or Duke but has talent and experience.

[KingPG21]

10-8, but I wouldn't be surprised by 9-9 in conference. I think we'll make the tourney, but be an early exit. I'm not expecting a ton of big time success until year three, expecting a sweet sixteen run next year. Not expecting anything big his first year, maybe a big upset or two. 

These aren't Archie's kids. They aren't the dumpster fire that Crean walked into character wise when he had to clean house, but they've still been coached by a poor coaching staff that emphasized different things from what Archie presumably will. Outside of the freshmen at least. 

[Old Friend]

We're going to be better than people think.   Experience counts, and we have lots of it.   We have a solid point guard, we have a big man who can get things done, we have leaders, we have two experienced shooters, we have a deep back court, we're athletic, and should be able to guard people.   Not expecting miracles, but I do expect 18-20 wins and a tournament appearance. Indiana has enough to have a decent season.   And I don't think we need much from the freshmen to do it.  

I see Hartman, Johnson, Newkirk, Davis, Morgan as a decent starting 5.  No all stars and no highlights, but no weak links, and a solid group top to bottom.  Jones, Green, and McSwain all need to have solid seasons, but I think they can.  Miller's not going to play more than 8 guys extended minutes, so there's your team.  We need someone to step up and play in the paint when Davis is out, but I still think we're better than people think.   

[Hoosier Guy]

6 hours ago, HoosierX said:

I can assure you that years of bad habits are not going to be undone overnight.

Prepare to be surprised

[mdn82]

We are not devoid of talent.
All rankings from 247 composite.

Hartman: 214
McSwain: 25 (JUCO)
Newkirk: 124
Johnson: 49
Priller: 436 (MSB: -1)
Morgan: 110
Davis: 41
Jones: 74
Green: 241
Smith: 94
Moore: 152
Durham: 228

That's not a roster that will be on a talent level of a puke or Duke but has talent and experience.

That is typically the type of talent you will see at Illinois. I am not saying it is bad or we can't surprise. I think we will be fine. I just disagree with the notion we have talent and should expect a top 5. This isn't the type of collective talent anyone should expect a top 5 in the BIG.


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[Uspshoosier]

That is typically the type of talent you will see at Illinois. I am not saying it is bad or we can't surprise. I think we will be fine. I just disagree with the notion we have talent and should expect a top 5. This isn't the type of collective talent anyone should expect a top 5 in the BIG.

 

 

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Unless you are Wisky who finishes in the top 4 every year with what looks like on paper less talented and less ranked players

Surely this is the year they finish outside the top 4

 

 

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[Stuhoo]

7 hours ago, Old Friend said:

We're going to be better than people think.   Experience counts, and we have lots of it.   We have a solid point guard, we have a big man who can get things done, we have leaders, we have two experienced shooters, we have a deep back court, we're athletic, and should be able to guard people.   Not expecting miracles, but I do expect 18-20 wins and a tournament appearance. Indiana has enough to have a decent season.   And I don't think we need much from the freshmen to do it.  

I see Hartman, Johnson, Newkirk, Davis, Morgan as a decent starting 5.  No all stars and no highlights, but no weak links, and a solid group top to bottom.  Jones, Green, and McSwain all need to have solid seasons, but I think they can.  Miller's not going to play more than 8 guys extended minutes, so there's your team.  We need someone to step up and play in the paint when Davis is out, but I still think we're better than people think.   

 

Agreed that our biggest positive attribute (by far) is experience, and that's a good one to have.

However, I strongly suspect that with all of that experience already on the floor, we will have one of the three freshmen rise into a real, substantive role. It could be Justin Smith, but I'm betting it's Durham, because unlike our other guards, that kid can get around people, play through contact, and finish at the bucket. 

 

[bigrod]

Don't forget, as bad as last year was, we were expected and had the talent to be much better than we were. Yes, we lost a lot of talent, but as has already been stated, we are not exactly starting over. There is plenty of talent and experience on this roster. Are we a top 25 team? Maybe, maybe not. I think we are a team that lurks around in that area where we get into the poll, but maybe hang around at the bottom and are in and out as the season progresses. I think we make the tournament, but I'm not expecting to make a lot of noise.

If you look at the talent we had last year and we didn't even make the tourney, that alone is improvement. I certainly don't expect that guys are going to undo years of bad habits immediately, but progress is really what we are looking for this year. Personally, I'm looking for a team that I can easily see is much better in March than November or December.

[mark1981]

Is it fair to say that this will be the most talented team CAM every coached?

[bigrod]

2 minutes ago, mark1981 said:

Is it fair to say that this will be the most talented team CAM every coached?

Probably strictly talent-wise. That doesn't necessarily convert to the best team though.

[HoosierCoop]

...to be better than that miserable season last year

• The return of team basketball
• Actual in-game coaching
• Motion offense
• Consistent play
• Competitive games
• Taking care of business against lesser teams
• DEFENSE!
• LEADERSHIP!
• Sophomore development
• Re-creating a national image that was diminishing
• Making the tournament would be nice
• Being the "surprise" team in the B1G

These bulletpoints and a decent record and that would be a happy expectation.

[Str8Hoosiers]

I guess I am an outlier but I don't see a deficit in talent....

I have HUGE expectations for Davis, Morgan, & Green.

I have High expectations for Johnson, Hartman, & Jones (and maybe Newkirk)

I have expectations for Durham, Smith, & McSwain (and maybe Newkirk) to play really good occasionally but not consistently

I think we have the offensive firepower to compete and the possibility of a Defense to keep us in games regardless, I know it will take some time for everybody to buy in to Miller's defensive philosophy and gameplan but I think we have guys who are capable of playing tough D.

On Offense I see guys that are capable of hitting the knockdown jumper (Jones, Hartman) consistently, guys that can play big (Davis, Morgan, Smith), and guys that can get to the Rim (Newkirk, Johnson, Green, Durham)

I will be very disappointed if we are outside the Top 5 in Conference. We should win at least 1 or 2 of our bigger non-con games, all the gimmies (no WTF losses this year) and be a solid 6/7 seed in the Dance....

[HoosierAloha]

That is typically the type of talent you will see at Illinois. I am not saying it is bad or we can't surprise. I think we will be fine. I just disagree with the notion we have talent and should expect a top 5. This isn't the type of collective talent anyone should expect a top 5 in the BIG.


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How many teams in the B1G do you think have more talent and experience?
I can't image us being in the bottom half of the league. I know MSU is loaded but other than that nobody sticks out.
I haven't looked it up yet but might put something very basic together later in the day.