The Upcoming 2015-16 Season!

RF1 · Unread post by **RF1** » 8 years ago

reckless jake wrote:I know Shaka left for Texas, and they took some offseason roster hits, but if VCU finishes 6th in the A10 then this is going to be one very tough league this upcoming season.

Its actually just one spot back from where VCU finished last year with Smart as coach. They were the #5 seed in the A-10 Tournament in 2015.

theblueram · Unread post by **theblueram** » 8 years ago

Here is a write-up on the Cancn Challenge from CBSSports. I like that Rhody is considered critical along with Maryland.

Cancun Challenge

Held at the Maya Convention Center in Cancun, Mexico on Nov. 24 and 25. This bracket has a two-tiered approach, a la the Hall of Fame Tipoff. The Mayan Division features South Dakota State vs. Houston Baptist and Rider vs. Cleveland State. Those are the small schools. The bigger ones? The Riviera Division: Maryland -Illinois State and Rhode Island-TCU.

Last year's champion: Northern Iowa

Grade: B-. Getting Maryland, who could be the No. 1 team in the country at the time of this event, is a biggie. Rhode Island should be the Atlantic 10 favorite. So those two are most critical. Illinois State will be a top-three or top-four team in the Valley and is always well-coached.

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 8 years ago

Nice one-handed finish on the alley-oop

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 8 years ago

Hot take: looks slimmer.

**not sure he can work harder on that body of his.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 8 years ago

We need more strong finishes from #32 this season.

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 8 years ago

Seawrightspostgame wrote:Hot take: looks slimmer.

**not sure he can work harder on that body of his.

I've thought the same thing. I wonder if that he got so bulked up that he lost just a little bit of his athleticism. He still looks incredibly strong, but a few pounds lighter. Could explain his recent 40 something vertical.

eli#10 · Unread post by **eli#10** » 8 years ago

I recall DH saying earlier this summer (maybe late spring) that JT actually was not in tip top shape last season. He now is a little lighter with an improved shot and will be in better shape. LOOK OUT--better things are coming!!!!

bigappleram · Unread post by **bigappleram** » 8 years ago

Him and Jarvis are going to have monster years.

He is not a quick leaper, a la Hassan, he is an explosive one. When he gets it all moving he can get up, but is too stocky to elevate quickly without the runway....in those cases needs to get better at using his body to shield off defenders, absorb contact, and finish. Not many that will be stronger than him at the rim, no matter how tall.

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 8 years ago

Thoughts from some good basketball people. I agree that the conference as a whole can't be considered more than a mid-major if the primary criteria is budget, but certain teams can compare favorably to those in better conferences. In the end, all that matters is winning and making the tournament.

reckless jake · Unread post by **reckless jake** » 8 years ago

The article is a good read; DiSano, Finklestein & Parise all make valid points.

IMPO, the A10 --in general-- is a lesser LEAGUE top to bittom than the Big East and will be as long as bottom feeders such Fordham, LaSalle, Duquesne and, to a lesser extent even St Bona, are allowed to have a marginal comittment to basketball.

The specific discussion about Fordham's commitment to basketball has been churned here --and on every other member message board-- for years. Until there is a true comttment from their institutional hierarchy they will never be competitive in this league. And that means more effort than firing coaches every 4 years and then saying the future will be brighter with a new coach in place.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 8 years ago

When talking about the Big East, I think it is important to weigh the residual effect of what that league was and how that is still impacting things. Why did Xavier and Butler leave? Money. The Big East as a conference is better positioned financially for the short term, but as the legacy of the old Big East wears off I would expect that to start to shift a bit.

ramster · Unread post by **ramster** » 8 years ago

The shift has already started and well on its way. Very noticeable in the reduced number of Top 100 commitments the past two years plus transfers out. Your not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 8 years ago

I don't care what they call us. Just win baby.

The argument for what URI "is" I think is nuanced. To say URI was something and is now something else is correct. The problem for me is where people ignore its potential. It was hardly taping into its potential.

I don't think DH has had URI perform above its head in terms of on-court success yet. Everything else he is certainly above avg or what could have been expected. But I would like to see the team elbow its way up and that is Sweet Sixteen and beyond.

Being considered a possible A10 winner or contender has been done by less talented coaches/admins.

bressler3south · Unread post by **bressler3south** » 8 years ago

Seawrightspostgame wrote:I don't care what they call us. Just win baby……..

Being considered a possible A10 winner or contender has been done by less talented coaches/admins.

Just how old are you, SPG???

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 8 years ago

The only good raiders I've seen were QB by Rich Gannon. And I grew up watching 90s Rhody Rams.

Ramulous · Unread post by **Ramulous** » 8 years ago

If you don't have BCS football you are a mid-major....

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 8 years ago

Where have I heard that before????

I really think that in terms of D1 hoops, that's not the best cutoff point.

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 8 years ago

LSU .. BCS football.. Rhody gets the win on the bball court!

Dre3000 · Unread post by **Dre3000** » 8 years ago

Ramulous wrote:If you don't have BCS football you are a mid-major....

I actually am closer to this line of thinking. For multiple reasons. Mainly the fact that it is extremely hard to fund an athletic program off of the budget of a basketball team. Already as it is, there are very few Universities that operate in the black as far as their athletics department is concerned. Take away the huge revenue produced by having a BCS football team and you are really behind other schools funding wise.
While there are plenty of mid major teams that can compete with high major programs; their resources, facilities, etc. aren't very close. A lot of that has to do with the lack of football revenue which gets put back into the entire athletic department.
While I wish it wasn't so, these things matter to recruits when they are translated into newer locker rooms, dorm rooms, athlete cafeteria's and so on.

860_rhody · Unread post by **860_rhody** » 8 years ago

Ramulous wrote:If you don't have BCS football you are a mid-major....

Agreed. Like dre said, schools with big time football revenues generally have better facilities. But more importantly, BCS schools can pluck coaches from mid-majors, and use their success at said mid-major as a recruiting pitch (ex. Shaka). Even though VCU will still be okay in the long run, it is the type of step back that BCS schools never have to take.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 8 years ago

There is something to that way of thinking. Clearly P5 football schools have an economic advantage. But there is also a huge difference between VCU, Gonzga, Wichita St., Xavier, etc., and true mid-majors as the term is commonly used.

Dre3000 · Unread post by **Dre3000** » 8 years ago

TruePoint wrote:There is something to that way of thinking. Clearly P5 football schools have an economic advantage. But there is also a huge difference between VCU, Gonzga, Wichita St., Xavier, etc., and true mid-majors as the term is commonly used.

Couldn't the same be said of Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and any other school in the "blue blood" grouping? They are all very different from the average high major. I see those schools you mentioned as the cream of the crop of the mid-majors, but mid-majors nonetheless

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 8 years ago

There are so many factors that level the playing field.

The money disparity in terms of support doesn't necessarily translate into a team's ability when you factor in attrition. Also the fact that there isn't a billion dollars difference between the skill level of the #20 guy and #103 guy.

Like they only play with one ball. 200 million dollar facility doesn't allow you to play with 6 players. A 22 year old EC Matthews is going to beat up on a freshman Shabazz Muhammed. 22 yr old Hassan Martin has no problem against a freshman Jared Sullinger.

Ramulous · Unread post by **Ramulous** » 8 years ago

The BCS schools dictate scheduling even in basketball......look at how hard it is to get one to come to Ryan...

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 8 years ago

As this is already off-topic, here's a clip from when the Big East was still the Big East

Ramulous · Unread post by **Ramulous** » 8 years ago

I hated the big east then....I hate them now....

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 8 years ago

Ramulous wrote:I hated the big east then....I hate them now....

Hate on, my friend. Nobody can take that from you. Just try not to hate that point guard, and we'll be cool.

Unread post by **SGreenwell** » 8 years ago

I've always liked the distinction the old NCAA basketball games made for conferences - Power for the traditional BCS conferences, major for conferences that send two to four teams yearly, mid-major for conferences that get one or two, and minor for one-bid leagues.

Shaolin Swat · Unread post by **Shaolin Swat** » 8 years ago

SGreenwell wrote:I've always liked the distinction the old NCAA basketball games made for conferences - Power for the traditional BCS conferences, major for conferences that send two to four teams yearly, mid-major for conferences that get one or two, and minor for one-bid leagues.

That's the same way that I think of the conferences, always thought that it made more sense that way

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 8 years ago

New numbers:

Four- 4 (obviously)
Robinson- 13
Iverson- 23
Thompson- 25 (wears 25 as a tribute to his dad, who passed away when Christion was very young)
Berry-34
Akele- 45

http://gorhody.com/sports/m-baskbl/2015-16/roster

(heights/weights, as with ALL teams- no comment)

9 states (10 if you include walk-ons), 3 countries represented

RhowdyRam02 · Unread post by **RhowdyRam02** » 8 years ago

ace wrote:http://gorhody.com/sports/m-baskbl/2015-16/roster

(heights/weights, as with ALL teams- no comment)

I'll never understand why teams do it and why it's so common. If the players could somehow magically be their listed height and weight when they were on the court as opposed to what their true numbers were it would make sense, but here in the real world I don't know what's accomplished by doing this.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 8 years ago

Ace, thanks for sharing that tweet. Too bad they didn't get Dan's twitter handle correct.

Unread post by **TruePoint** » 8 years ago

RhowdyRam02 wrote:
ace wrote:http://gorhody.com/sports/m-baskbl/2015-16/roster

(heights/weights, as with ALL teams- no comment)
I'll never understand why teams do it and why it's so common. If the players could somehow magically be their listed height and weight when they were on the court as opposed to what their true numbers were it would make sense, but here in the real world I don't know what's accomplished by doing this.

I like it because it's Belichickian.

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 8 years ago

I like this view of the court (pic posted by Stanford Robinson)-

Rhodymob05 · Unread post by **Rhodymob05** » 8 years ago

Season starts next week right? rightttt?? right???

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 8 years ago

I would pay to watch 3 basketball games being played simultaneously with those 3 pairs of hoops.

Kind of like those crazy figure-eight auto races! YEEEEEEE HAAAAAWWWW!

Billyboy78 · Unread post by **Billyboy78** » 8 years ago

GM's top recruit...

8/29/2015 - 2014 SF Therence Mayimba (6-7, 199, 3.3★) has been ruled academically ineligible for the season. - Per ESPN - See more at: http://verbalcommits.com/schools/george ... Hwj1v.dpuf

BornNBred33 · Unread post by **BornNBred33** » 8 years ago

I know this is a very un important aspect of the upcoming season, but I hope they can step up their uniform game. I will say, they were a lot better last season.

860_rhody · Unread post by **860_rhody** » 8 years ago

B/R has us as the third most "under-the-radar" team in CBB.

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 8 years ago

I don't see Rhody in that list. Where are they hiding??

twisted3829 · Unread post by **twisted3829** » 8 years ago

that's the wrong link, below is the right one (that's last year)

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2559 ... in-2015-16

Rhody15 · Unread post by **Rhody15** » 8 years ago

They obviously haven't done their research, with the article citing Owens for PC as a key reserve, along with Butts for us. Nonetheless, good publicity once again for us.

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 8 years ago

Well it is Bleacher Report, so no real surprise there.

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 8 years ago

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 8 years ago

I wonder how EC's health is.. Foot/hand all good? back in the gym? Looks like?

adam914 · Unread post by **adam914** » 8 years ago

Seawrightspostgame wrote:I wonder how EC's health is.. Foot/hand all good? back in the gym? Looks like?

Yeah, seems like all indications are he is good to go.

ace · Unread post by **ace** » 8 years ago

Seawrightspostgame wrote:I wonder how EC's health is.. Foot/hand all good? back in the gym? Looks like?

Seawrightspostgame · Unread post by **Seawrightspostgame** » 8 years ago

That made me laugh he looks so good. That's what I was looking for. Cant wait for November.

Tom98 · Unread post by **Tom98** » 8 years ago

Looks good to me

Unread post by **ATPTourFan** » 8 years ago

I can do that! Pssh

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