What Grade Do You Give the 26-27 Roster?

It is an -

  • Total voters
    99
  • This poll will close: .
Donate To GopherHole
Gopher_In_NYC

Gopher_In_NYC

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
Messages
26,709
Reaction score
18,545
Points
113
As of today, now that it’s full, what do you think of our squad?
 


At this point a B. Multiple contributors returning and a lot of young transfers with several years eligibility left and good potential.
 


Gave a B for today, expecting better for next offseason. Like the size and high major players brought in with high recruiting ranking
 




Gopher_In_NYC said:
Your call, my friend.
Click to expand...
Compared to the rest of the B1G, C (average at best)

Compared to the rest of DI, a B-. If we stay healthy and guys fit into the system and play to their potential, we could be a tournament team.

Compared to recent years, a B. I like how we're constructed. I think we have some positional versatility, which we will need because I don't think we have high-end talent. Honestly, I like that Niko is our coach more than any individual player on the roster.
 

Ski-U-Ham said:
Compared to the rest of the B1G, C (average at best)

Compared to the rest of DI, a B-. If we stay healthy and guys fit into the system and play to their potential, we could be a tournament team.

Compared to recent years, a B. I like how we're constructed. I think we have some positional versatility, which we will need because I don't think we have high-end talent. Honestly, I like that Niko is our coach more than any individual player on the roster.
Click to expand...
Seems like a fair assessment to me.
 



If we can establish a solid defensive effort we’ll do okay if we can develop a high-scoring offense.
 

I give it a B+. You can't compare us to the upper echelon of the Big Ten in terms of portal. One has to compare us to what is possible with where the program is at and with the money we have. On that basis I really like what we were able to do:

- retained our core who know the system- A
- got high end prospects that add size and shooting - A
- got depth- A
- gave ourselves a reasonable chance to move up and grab a tournament bid and finish in the top 10 in the conference.- A
- did not get a sure fire leading scorer. - C
 

bga1 said:
I give it a B+. You can't compare us to the upper echelon of the Big Ten in terms of portal. One has to compare us to what is possible with where the program is at and with the money we have. On that basis I really like what we were able to do:

- retained our core who know the system- A
- got high end prospects that add size and shooting - A
- got depth- A
- gave ourselves a reasonable chance to move up and grab a tournament bid and finish in the top 10 in the conference.- A
- did not get a sure fire leading scorer. - C
Click to expand...
Right on the cusp of the Dean's List...
 

C when comparing to the competition in my opinion.

Some good potential there but it’s not proven at this level.

I believe Niko is a B+/A- coach with C level talent so I wouldn’t be shocked if they perform decently well.
 
Last edited:




I went INC because I don't know how you grade a roster with as many new faces as we have before seeing all of them in action together.

That said, I do like the potential of this squad and really hope we get to see what Niko can do with a full and healthy roster as opposed to what he had to deal with last season.
 


I voted "A."

First off, I think Niko is an "A" coach, and the 'whole' of next year's team will be greater than the sum of its parts.

When I watched games last year, there were a few things I lamented about over and over again that I hoped Niko would address in the offseason. There were also quite a few positives I hoped we could build upon. I feel strongly that Niko "fixed the bad" and "built upon the good."

First - Shooting. We had some good shooters, but not nearly enough. Reynolds playing 35+ minutes per game killed the offense. I loved what he brought in terms of toughness, strength, and defensive prowess, but man, it hurt the offense's flow when the defense could collapse the lane. With the batch of new guards, if you cannot hit an open 3, you won't be playing (barring defensive situations, foul trouble, etc).

We have an abundance of guard options next year (yes, some unproven), and they'll get great looks just by playing in the system. Teams won't be able to defend us like they did last year, and I expect a significant jump in KenPom offensive efficiency rating.

Second - Post Size. I think we did about as well as we could have done playing small ball in a massive Big Ten last year (JCJ and Grove were a big part of that). Niko is also known to play smaller centers; he always has. But the league keeps getting bigger, and I was really happy to see Niko adjust, grab Kordel, and have a true big that'll hopefully be a force against the other notable 7-footers in conference.

Third - Injuries. I have no beef with the hurt guys last year, but I was relieved to see them walk. I don't think that was an easy decision for a coach to make, but it was a necessary one. We saw Willis play some, and it didn't look good (his foot could have been bothering him, idk).

I think trading him for Evans for one year is a massive upgrade. Both are undersized, but Evans is a proven contributor in Niko's system, can shoot the 3, and should acclimate immediately.

Fourth - The Nucleus. The guys that battled every single night and kept us in the games we had no business being in are all back. They'll be as confident as ever and have plenty of reinforcements now, so they won't all need to play 30+ minutes per game.

I really hope we leverage this returning core, play some tough non-conference games, and break the dreaded neutral-court losing streak!
 

Full of potential.. but we are betting on a lot of unproven talent. So I had to give it a c... For now
 

Ski-U-Ham said:
Compared to the rest of the B1G, C (average at best)

Compared to the rest of DI, a B-. If we stay healthy and guys fit into the system and play to their potential, we could be a tournament team.

Compared to recent years, a B. I like how we're constructed. I think we have some positional versatility, which we will need because I don't think we have high-end talent. Honestly, I like that Niko is our coach more than any individual player on the roster.
Click to expand...
Agreed, great breakdown. For me going forward after the 26-27 season, the expectations will increase incrementally and would look for the team to get to .500 in conference in the 27-28 season. Should be fun to watch!
 

I gave them a B, but if there was a B-, that would be the grade I would be giving. Good roster, but a lot of unknowns...
 


topos said:
I voted "A."

First off, I think Niko is an "A" coach, and the 'whole' of next year's team will be greater than the sum of its parts.

When I watched games last year, there were a few things I lamented about over and over again that I hoped Niko would address in the offseason. There were also quite a few positives I hoped we could build upon. I feel strongly that Niko "fixed the bad" and "built upon the good."

First - Shooting. We had some good shooters, but not nearly enough. Reynolds playing 35+ minutes per game killed the offense. I loved what he brought in terms of toughness, strength, and defensive prowess, but man, it hurt the offense's flow when the defense could collapse the lane. With the batch of new guards, if you cannot hit an open 3, you won't be playing (barring defensive situations, foul trouble, etc).

We have an abundance of guard options next year (yes, some unproven), and they'll get great looks just by playing in the system. Teams won't be able to defend us like they did last year, and I expect a significant jump in KenPom offensive efficiency rating.

Second - Post Size. I think we did about as well as we could have done playing small ball in a massive Big Ten last year (JCJ and Grove were a big part of that). Niko is also known to play smaller centers; he always has. But the league keeps getting bigger, and I was really happy to see Niko adjust, grab Kordel, and have a true big that'll hopefully be a force against the other notable 7-footers in conference.

Third - Injuries. I have no beef with the hurt guys last year, but I was relieved to see them walk. I don't think that was an easy decision for a coach to make, but it was a necessary one. We saw Willis play some, and it didn't look good (his foot could have been bothering him, idk).

I think trading him for Evans for one year is a massive upgrade. Both are undersized, but Evans is a proven contributor in Niko's system, can shoot the 3, and should acclimate immediately.

Fourth - The Nucleus. The guys that battled every single night and kept us in the games we had no business being in are all back. They'll be as confident as ever and have plenty of reinforcements now, so they won't all need to play 30+ minutes per game.

I really hope we leverage this returning core, play some tough non-conference games, and break the dreaded neutral-court losing streak!
Click to expand...
Great analysis- thanks
 

Incomplete until we see some results. But they will be bigger and hopefully more athletic. I am more optimistic!
 



A roster full of players with something to prove and Niko's coaching, definitely a B+, maybe even an A-. I voted B just because of the potential for injury history for Winters and the unproven. But he addressed wing size and depth, and front court size and depth as well. I can confidently say we'll have at least 6 more wins that last year, barring injuries
 

what are we comparing it to? our prior rosters, the B10, last year only? the whole NCAA?

Amongst the B10, C+/B- maybe?

Some solid guards and you're hoping Kyan Evans goes back to what he was. Think you lost our best scorer and didn't replace him with the same thing in Tyson and lose some of the physical defending and old man ball Reynolds gave you. I'm a little worried about the F/wing group and that they look fun on paper historically/star rating wise as HS guys, but you're trying to count on them doing things they haven't necessarily done yet at this level

Seems a roster with some strong intrigue, but I don't see it as athletic/talented as the upper crust of the B10, so you're going to be jockeying in the mid-pack range thats always hyper tight. they should have more depth this year though, health willing, and there seems to be less guys who should just not be here other than as warm bodies on the roster. More pieces for Niko to deploy which should be a good start with how good an x's and o's guy he seems to be

went C on roster as you're still counting on Niko to coach them up to be a tournament team
 
Last edited:

upnorthkid said:
what are we comparing it to? our prior rosters, the B10, last year only? the whole NCAA?

Amongst the B10, C+/B- maybe?

Some solid guards and you're hoping Kyan Evans goes back to what he was. Think you lost our best scorer and didn't replace him with the same thing in Tyson and lose some of the physical defending and old man ball Reynolds gave you. I'm a little worried about the F/wing group and that they look fun on paper historically/star rating wise as HS guys, but you're trying to count on them doing things they haven't necessarily done yet at this level

Seems a roster with some strong intrigue, but I don't see it as athletic/talented as the upper crust of the B10, so you're going to be jockeying in the mid-pack range thats always hyper tight. they should have more depth this year though, health willing, and there seems to be less guys who should just not be here other than as warm bodies on the roster. More pieces for Niko to deploy which should be a good start with how good an x's and o's guy he seems to be

went C on roster as you're still counting on Niko to coach them up to be a tournament team
Click to expand...
Our additions at the college level - scoring last season:
Nolan Groves 23 games 0.9 ppg
Winters Grady 9 games 2.9 ppg
Kordel 14 games 1.2 ppg
Evans 33 games 4 ppg
Palmer 33 games 4.6 ppg
 

I went with a B and I do really like what they picked up, but I also really like what we were able to keep and have some stability
 

60's Guy said:
Our additions at the college level - scoring last season:
Nolan Groves 23 games 0.9 ppg
Winters Grady 9 games 2.9 ppg
Kordel 14 games 1.2 ppg
Evans 33 games 4 ppg
Palmer 33 games 4.6 ppg
Click to expand...
If this were a HS recruited class it would be a top 15 class. These are high potential players who have not yet hit their peak- if they had...we couldn't afford them. No one foresaw Cade Tyson scoring 20 per game in the Big Ten after riding the bench at UNC.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom