08-09 Big Ten Basketball Season

[crazybuckfan40]

Scott Martin is leaving Purdue...

This is a lose for Purdue...He was turning into a really solid player and a very tough matchup at 6'8'' SF, no reasons sighted...

 

[Bernini]

Scott Martin is leaving Purdue...

This is a lose for Purdue...He was turning into a really solid player and a very tough matchup at 6'8'' SF, no reasons sighted...

As I said in this thread before the Martin transfer, he would have been a pivotal player for Purdue going forward. The news takes me aback and is a blow for the Boilers. I trust BoilersFan will agree based on his positivity towards Martin when he was still a member of his team.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

As I said in this thread before the Martin transfer, he would have been a pivotal player for Purdue going forward. The news takes me aback and is a blow for the Boilers. I trust BoilersFan will agree based on his positivity towards Martin when he was still a member of his team.

Martin had his best game of the season against us, and his game was effortless, but got great results...I always thought that he was their most steady player in the minutes that he got even know they have Hummell and Moore that get the press...

Talk is that he wants to be at the hometown school Valpo...

 

[Bernini]

Martin had his best game of the season against us, and his game was effortless, but got great results...I always thought that he was their most steady player in the minutes that he got even know they have Hummell and Moore that get the press...

Talk is that he wants to be at the hometown school Valpo...

Valpo huh? Now he can give my alma mater (UW-Milwaukee) fits in the Horizon League too.

If he was insisting on being the #1 option, he could have achieved it at a lower level high major program or at least in the Missouri Valley. He's WAY too good for the Horizon League quite frankly.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Valpo huh? Now he can give my alma mater (UW-Milwaukee) fits in the Horizon League too.

If he was insisting on being the #1 option, he could have achieved it at a lower level high major program or at least in the Missouri Valley. He's WAY too good for the Horizon League quite frankly.

Agreed...he will only get better with a year off and then 3 years to play...

 

[Boilers Fan]

As I said in this thread before the Martin transfer, he would have been a pivotal player for Purdue going forward. The news takes me aback and is a blow for the Boilers. I trust BoilersFan will agree based on his positivity towards Martin when he was still a member of his team.

Oh I agree, I think he would have only gotten better and been a big factor for us in the next couple years. It's unfortunate that he's leaving, but it's the kid's decision and I won't worry about it too much. The speculation is many things: He was homesick (although West Lafayette is only an hour from Valpo), he wanted to quit 2 times during the season but coaches talked him back into it, and he wanted to be "THE guy" and was unhappy with playing time. Others have said that possibly all the hype that Hummel was getting, and Johnson toward the end of the season, may have upset him. It's a pretty big decision to make after his freshman year, I'm just curious why he's so pessimistic after only one year, instead of hanging in there for a little longer and seeing how things work out. But it is what it is, this opens up another scholly and hopefully we can land someone. And if the kid doesn't want to be in West Lafayette, I'd rather have him be gone than drag the team down.

As far as what effect it will have on next year's team, I'm sure that we will be fine and others will be able to fill in. So I still think we'll be a top 3 B10 team next year.

 

[LitlBuck]

As far as what effect it will have on next year's team, I'm that we will be fine and others will be able to fill in. So I still think we'll be a top 3 B10 team next year.

I don't think that there is any question that you will be in the top 3 in the Big 10 next season but I think the loss of Martin will hurt you. I know you guys have shooters but when Martin was in the game defenses had to be very aware about him.

When things like this happen and the proximities of the two schools are so close only one thing comes to my mind and that is a female.

 

[Boilers Fan]

I don't think that there is any question that you will be in the top 3 in the Big 10 next season but I think the loss of Martin will hurt you. I know you guys have shooters but when Martin was in the game defenses had to be very aware about him.

When things like this happen and the proximities of the two schools are so close only one thing comes to my mind and that is a female.

No doubt, that's also the word... that he has a girl back in Valpo. I say MAN UP Scott, he must be whipped! But whatever, if he wants to leave a NCAA tourney bound, Big 10 title contending school for Valpa-frickin-raiso, then it's his loss. He better not come crying back when he's watching us play in the tourney while he's sitting on his couch, or watching us play on national tv while he's playing in front of 500 fans.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Link

Wisky @ Va Tech

Duke @ Purdue

Clemson @ Illinois

tOSU @ Miami

Virginia @ Minny

Iowa @ BC

UNC vs MSU (Ford Field)

IU @ Wake

Michigan @ Maryland

Florida St @ NW

Penn State @ Ga Tech

I haven't really taken a look at the ACC, there are still guys left to commit and Indiana really doesn't have a full squad right now...But and early look...

I like Wisky, Purdue, Clemson, tOSU, Minny, BC, UNC, Wake, Maryland, FSU, Ga Tech...

So that would leave us on the short side once again...But Illinois is always tough at home and not real sure on what Clemson has, Iowa won't be a great team, but not sure on BC, MSU has a chance, but UNC will be very very good if everyone comes back, If IU could nab some players and bring everyone back they could have a chance, but Wake has a great class coming in, not sure about Maryland, but it is tough to win there, NW will be improved, but have to figure FSU will have better talent, and not sure what Ga Tech has really...

On a side note, I really like the Minny team next year...They have some solid returners, and really like the incoming class...DeVoe Joseph is a 6'3'' SG coming in from Canada, and he looked good in the hoop summit over the weekend, and they have Ralph Sampson III who is a 6'11'' big man that Tubby got and a couple jucos...

 

[HailToMichigan]

Link

Wisky @ Va Tech

Duke @ Purdue

Clemson @ Illinois

tOSU @ Miami

Virginia @ Minny

Iowa @ BC

UNC vs MSU (Ford Field)

IU @ Wake

Michigan @ Maryland

Florida St @ NW

Penn State @ Ga Tech

I haven't really taken a look at the ACC, there are still guys left to commit and Indiana really doesn't have a full squad right now...But and early look...

I like Wisky, Purdue, Clemson, tOSU, Minny, BC, UNC, Wake, Maryland, FSU, Ga Tech...

So that would leave us on the short side once again...But Illinois is always tough at home and not real sure on what Clemson has, Iowa won't be a great team, but not sure on BC, MSU has a chance, but UNC will be very very good if everyone comes back, If IU could nab some players and bring everyone back they could have a chance, but Wake has a great class coming in, not sure about Maryland, but it is tough to win there, NW will be improved, but have to figure FSU will have better talent, and not sure what Ga Tech has really...

On a side note, I really like the Minny team next year...They have some solid returners, and really like the incoming class...DeVoe Joseph is a 6'3'' SG coming in from Canada, and he looked good in the hoop summit over the weekend, and they have Ralph Sampson III who is a 6'11'' big man that Tubby got and a couple jucos...

I think all your picks are on, except Georgia Tech. They lose their leading scorer Morrow, leading rebounder and second leading scorer Jeremis Smith, and glue guy Matt Causey. On the plus side for them they bring in Iman Shumpert and they should be getting Ra'Sean Dickey back, but they don't really have a supporting cast. I think Penn State beats them.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

I think all your picks are on, except Georgia Tech. They lose their leading scorer Morrow, leading rebounder and second leading scorer Jeremis Smith, and glue guy Matt Causey. On the plus side for them they bring in Iman Shumpert and they should be getting Ra'Sean Dickey back, but they don't really have a supporting cast. I think Penn State beats them.

Thanks for the heads up...Like I said I don't know much about the ACC at the moment...Really wasn't too enamored with Shumpert and most Illinois guys think that he was overrated to be in the AA game...

Also curious what Virginia brings back?

 

[HailToMichigan]

Thanks for the heads up...Like I said I don't know much about the ACC at the moment...Really wasn't too enamored with Shumpert and most Illinois guys think that he was overrated to be in the AA game...

Also curious what Virginia brings back?

Haha you done asked for it. Settle in......

First, what we lose. Only the single greatest point guard ever to put on our jersey. Sean Singletary was the best player at UVA since Ralph Sampson. HUGE HUGE HUGE hole to fill. There'll be a few games where we're wishing we had #44 back because there's just no go-to player in the crunch. Someone's going to have to step up. Won't be leading rebounder and third-leading scorer Adrian Joseph. He graduates too. We also lose space-eater Ryan Pettinella.

My un-educated (read: no fall practice yet) guess on the starting lineup would look like this:

1 - Calvin Baker (Jr.)
2 - Jeff Jones (So.)
3 - Mamadi Diane (Sr.)
4 - Mike Scott (So.)
5 - Laurynas Mikalauskas (Sr.)

- Baker played his way into the rotation and is our leading returning assist man.
- Jones was our top '07 recruit and also appears to be a steady member of the rotation.
- Scott is the leading returning rebounder - he will be cleaning up the glass for sure.
- Lars will really be the heart and soul of the team with Singletary gone. He hurt his shoulder last year and missed most of the middle of the year, and that was really what did us in. He rebounds, defends (Tyler Hansbrough has never figured Lars out) and chips in with points in the paint. Fierce competitor.
- Diane (that's dee-AH-nay in case you're wondering) will have to step it up and be the go-to scorer. He was a 41% 3-point shooter last year and had 5 20-point games.

Off the bench there's guard Will Harris and forward Jamil Tucker. These guys came in as very highly touted recruits but they really haven't lived up, especially Harris. Tucker started to find his consistency at the end of the season and earned solid minutes off the bench, so I look for him to be the sixth man this year and bring solid scoring off the bench. Harris found the doghouse last year. Needs to play his way out.

I'm psyched about the recruiting class. Sylven Landesberg is a highly-ranked scorer and could easily crack the top-seven. John Brandenburg should compete with Jerome Meyinsse to be first big man off the bench, and I think Brandenburg will get solid minutes in that role. He's practically seven feet. Assane Sene is a seven foot beanpole who won't see many minutes this year but I see him developing into a shot-blocking defensive specialist like Tunji Soroye was for us. (Soroye was another frontcourt injury last year that killed all our depth there.) And Wesley Witherspoon will decide maybe as soon as tomorrow (spring signing day) between UVA, Memphis, Texas, Florida, and Colorado. I say he chooses Memphis, but if he picks UVA the recruiting class will provide a LOT of really excellent depth. It already does, just, you know, even more.

This will be an up-and-down year. The team isn't quite ready. The guard play will be on and off and there really is no depth up front. That's where losing Pettinella hurts. Tucker's the only frontcourt dependable bench option at this point. The only true centers are Lars, who went under shoulder surgery at the end of the season and won't be able to play until September, and Brandenburg, the true freshman. Meyinsse's too short to be a proper center. The team will be tournament-bound if the guards are consistently good, and if Brandenburg and Meyinsse show some big leaps forward in their development. But the ACC is a cutthroat conference every single year. This looks like a 6-10 in-conference team whose best bet for the postseason is a 3-seed in the NIT.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Thanks for the writeup...

This leads to my belief that Minny will be the better team in the challenge...Especially at Minny...

 

[HailToMichigan]

Thanks for the writeup...

This leads to my belief that Minny will be the better team in the challenge...Especially at Minny...

Yeah, the sum and gist of all of that is....yeah, you're probably right. Minny's got an up-and-coming team. Tubby Smith was a real stroke of luck for them. I think simply having Kentucky on his resume is a big plus in recruiting. Plus, you know, the man can coach. I wouldn't be surprised to see Minnesota earn a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Link

Here is some talk about Minny's incoming class which I mentioned that I really like...Devoe Joseph is a top 50 player IMO...

Top 20 class? Do you consider Minnesota's recruiting class for 2008 to be a "top-20 class." And, will they add any additional recruits to it.
-- Tom from Minneapolis
-----
Minnesota's 2008 class is presently ranked No. 20 in the Rivals.com team recruiting rankings. Two four-star prospects - Devoe Joseph and Ralph Sampson III - headline the class. Colton Iverson is a ranked three-star prospect who provides size, and junior college prospects Devron Bostick and Paul Carter round out the class.
There very well could be a late addition to the class. Minnesota is involved with point guard Verdell Jones. And for a while it looked like the Gophers would add post player Krystopher Faber of Los Angeles, but he opted for DePaul instead.