2021-2022 Predictions

[bball_craz_31]

Is it too Early for predictions on the season? I think there is a lot of POTENTIAL with this team. However, I will say there are red flags that they either need to address, have improvement in or try and negate with the other positives. This is also my predictions with a healthy team this season.

Positives (at this time)

-Guard Scoring
-Depth (hopefully an 8-9 player rotation)
- Speed out on the perimeter
- returning 12 players from last year

Red Flags (at this time)

-Center position still in question/scoring from 5-position
-rebounding- guards expected to rebound a large amount
-defense consistently


My predictions on the season:

Non-Conference Record: 8-4
Conference Record: 10-8
Overall Record: 18-12



Key:

*-Conference game
Neu-Neutral site
@-Road Game


Jacksonville- Win (double-digit win)

@Arizona State- Loss (early season tough road single digit loss)

George Washington- Win (single digit win)

American- Win (double-digit win)

Neu-UConn- Loss (yikes)

Neu-South Florida/Syracuse- Loss (single-digit back and forth loss)

Neu-*likely Oklahoma or Buffalo- Win (single digit back and forth win)

Bradley- Win (single digit tough/physical win)

UTSA- Win (Double Digit Win)

North Carolina- Win (Whalen usually gets one surprising or shocking non-conference win/by 1-4 points)

*Nebraska- Win (single digit win/homecourt advantage helps)

*@Michigan- Loss (double digit loss)

Ohio- Win (double digit win)

@Drake- Loss (I say single digits but still loss)

*Northwestern- Loss (single digit hard-fought loss)

*@Rutgers- Win (single digit win that will be tougher than should be)

*Maryland- Loss (20+ point loss, we don’t have the game on either side of the ball to keep close)

*@Wisconsin- Win (double digit win)

*Ohio St- Win (I say a knock-down drag out 1-5-point close win)

*Iowa- Loss (close single digit loss that Clark will decide the outcome late)

*@Michigan State- Loss (double digit loss)

*@Purdue- Win (double digit win)

*Wisconsin- Win (double digit win)

*@ Indiana- Loss (double digit loss)

*Michigan State- Loss (single digit close loss)

*@Iowa- Loss (double digit loss)

*Rutgers- Win (double digit win)

*@Nebraska- Win (this is truly a 50/50 call, but I’ll go tight 1-3-point win)

*Illinois- Win (For some reason they have been the gophers thorn, but I say double-digit win)

*@Penn State-Win (close/possibly come from behind single digit win)

 

[samloupete]

20-10

 

[tripledouble]

Although I won't offer the in-depth predictions that bball did, I am hoping that this team can earn an NCAA tournament bid. I think that's realistic. I think that Maryland, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and probably Ohio State, will be the top teams in the conference. Wisconsin, Purdue, Illinois and maybe Penn State will be near the bottom. In the middle will be Minnesota, Northwestern, Rutgers, Nebraska, and Michigan State. It's my pre-season guess that maybe 7 BIG teams will earn NCAA berths. I'm hoping the Gophers can earn one of these spots. That's the progress I'm hoping for and expecting.

In order for this to happen, Sissoko is going to have to take her game to the next level and Sconiers and the other post players are going to have to hold their own. The conference is going to be very tough this year, but most of the best players seem to be guards or forwards.

And bball is absolutely correct in pointing out that this team is going to have to play much better defense to be successful.

The Gophers started very slowly in conference play last year. I'm willing to give the team a partial pass on that, as COVID issues and early season injury issues were so predominant that the team barely had enough players to conduct practices. However those players eventually got healthy and got some valuable experience in the second half of the season. If most of the players can show improvement this year, I'm optimistic that they can earn an NCAA berth.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

As usual, I Ilke the Hubbard, Powell, Scalia and Sissoko core. Yes, Sissoko needs to play at an honorable mention All-American level and one of the guards needs to play at an All Big Ten level. The top B1G teams have those kind of players. If we don’t. Then we won’t compete.


Non-Conference: 11-1

Where do I find the loss? UConn.

Our non-conference schedule is not particularly formidable. Most of our opponents have either recently changed coaches or they’ve been struggling or both since those two items are related.


B1G Play: 9-9

The biggest question in league play is when do we lose 7 of 8?

We’ve lost 7 of 8 for three straight seasons. It’s a real season killer. I’m guessing this run: we lose to Maryland, @Wisconsin, Ohio State, Iowa, @ Michigan State, @ Purdue, defeat the visiting Badgers and then lose @ Indiana. If we avoid this annoying streak, then Lindsay will have her first solid season.

 

[MNGirlsHoops]

We are not going to lose to Drake... Their head coach, who I thought was a top 5 coach is now at Oklahoma, and they have nice players, but I feel the first year after a coach leaves has some bumps