BTN's Tom Dienhart: My early 2014-15 hoops predictions (NIT Teams, Minnesota)

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I think most of the experts will pick us between 7th and 9th. Very important Coach P. and staff snag an experienced wing to solidify the 3. I really like what they have done for 2015/2016, but we need one more solid signing to get off the bubble next season. I have no idea how the unbalanced schedule will come into play, but I don't expect the B1G will be down two years in a row.
 

Predictors of the future often make asses of themselves.

I am looking forward to wren's diatribe on this.
 


Goldy Gopher said:
Is this the same guy who picked the Gophers to finish 12th last season? If it is that just gives me more confidence we will make the NCAA tournament.
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Just about everyone predicted us to be #12 last year.

And Howieanna, calling the B1G down last year is kind of silly. B1G had 3 teams in the elite 8, its all relative. B1G might have been down by B1G standards, it was still a dominant league in the NCAA which is weaker overall by most accounts.
 

Good. I hope everyone predicts us to make the NIT. Will make recruiting easier after we exceed expectations and win a game or two in the NCAA tournament.
 

Winasota Gopher said:
Just about everyone predicted us to be #12 last year.

And Howieanna, calling the B1G down last year is kind of silly. B1G had 3 teams in the elite 8, its all relative. B1G might have been down by B1G standards, it was still a dominant league in the NCAA which is weaker overall by most accounts.
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Boo-Boo, you just made my point.
 

howieramone said:
Boo-Boo, you just made my point.
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Maybe.

I guess I didn't make my point clear enough. The NCAA is down overall, so the B1G is just down relative to the rest of the league. I don't anticipate the quality of college basketball to take a great leap forward next year, and nor do I think the B1G will either.

So I'm saying that calling the B1G down means you think it may come back up. I don't think we are going to see the kind of basketball some of us consider B1G 10 style ball again because of the distribution of overall talent and the lack of collegiate players staying in school.
 



howieramone said:
I think most of the experts will pick us between 7th and 9th. Very important Coach P. and staff snag an experienced wing to solidify the 3. I really like what they have done for 2015/2016, but we need one more solid signing to get off the bubble next season. I have no idea how the unbalanced schedule will come into play, but I don't expect the B1G will be down two years in a row.
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That doesn't make sense since we finished 7th this year then why would we finish 7-9 next year with 4 returning guys plus a lot of momentum and a down Big ten. Anytime you return more then 3 starters you should expect to get better and less then that expect to take a step back. Also we already are a tourney team and another experienced wing would solidify us as a top 32 team expecting to win a game, not just get us in. Some experts already have us in the top 4 or 5 of the conference while USA Today expected us to finish second in the entire conference and 18th in the country.
 

Winasota Gopher said:
Just about everyone predicted us to be #12 last year.

And Howieanna, calling the B1G down last year is kind of silly. B1G had 3 teams in the elite 8, its all relative. B1G might have been down by B1G standards, it was still a dominant league in the NCAA which is weaker overall by most accounts.
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Actually most picked us around 9th.
 

I don't see how you could believe the Big Ten had a down year last season, especially when compared to the mid-2000s. Six teams in the NCAA tournament, three in the Elite 8 and one in the F4 - those are all good marks for a year for the Big Ten. They tied the ACC in the Challenge while the ACC was able to avoid having two or three of their worst teams even have to play in the Challenge. Look at 2006, the B1G had zero teams even make the Sweet 16 that year, and only one the next year (2007) - now those were years when the B1G was down.
 

Dienhart obviously isn't taking into consideration all the momentum we have after winning the NIT crown. :cool02:
 



OSUfan said:
I don't see how you could believe the Big Ten had a down year last season, especially when compared to the mid-2000s. Six teams in the NCAA tournament, three in the Elite 8 and one in the F4 - those are all good marks for a year for the Big Ten. They tied the ACC in the Challenge while the ACC was able to avoid having two or three of their worst teams even have to play in the Challenge. Look at 2006, the B1G had zero teams even make the Sweet 16 that year, and only one the next year (2007) - now those were years when the B1G was down.
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Agreed. The Big Ten was pretty unexceptional during the middle years of the last decade despite having one very good team in both 2005 and 2007. Still, this past season did seem a lot like the football season - the big three and the little nine.
 

This is his prediction from 2013-14.

TOM DIENHART, BTN.com senior writer

FIRST TEAM: Aaron Craft, Ohio State; Gary Harris, Michigan State; LaQuinton Ross, Ohio State; Mitch McGary, Michigan; Adreian Payne, Michigan State.

SECOND TEAM: Keith Appling, Michigan State; Yogi Ferrell, Indiana; Tim Frazier, Penn State; Glenn Robinson III, Michigan; Sam Dekker, Wisconsin.

THIRD TEAM: Andre Hollins, Minnesota; Branden Dawson, Michigan State; Aaron White, Iowa; Noah Vonleh, Indiana; A.J. Hammons, Purdue.

B1G STANDINGS: 1. Michigan State; 2. Ohio State; 3. Michigan; 4. Wisconsin; 5. Indiana; 6. Iowa; 7. Purdue; 8. Illinois; 9. Minnesota; 10. Penn State; 11. Northwestern; 12. Nebraska.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Gary Harris, Michigan State

BOLD PREDICTION: Iowa will make a run to the Sweet 16. The Hawkeyes are loaded with veteran talent like Aaron White and Roy Devyn Marble. Iowa hasn’t made the Big Dance since 2006, and it hasn’t been to the Sweet 16 since 1999. But it all will come together in Fran McCaffrey’s fourth season in Iowa City.

BREAKOUT PLAYER: Ronnie Johnson, Purdue. Johnson will emerge as one of the Big Ten’s top point guards. The diminutive Johnson showed flashes last season as a true freshman, doing most of his damage as a penetrator. He will add a steady outside shot to become a true lead guard force.
 

fan of Ray Williams said:
This is his prediction from 2013-14.

TOM DIENHART, BTN.com senior writer

FIRST TEAM: Aaron Craft, Ohio State; Gary Harris, Michigan State; LaQuinton Ross, Ohio State; Mitch McGary, Michigan; Adreian Payne, Michigan State.

SECOND TEAM: Keith Appling, Michigan State; Yogi Ferrell, Indiana; Tim Frazier, Penn State; Glenn Robinson III, Michigan; Sam Dekker, Wisconsin.

THIRD TEAM: Andre Hollins, Minnesota; Branden Dawson, Michigan State; Aaron White, Iowa; Noah Vonleh, Indiana; A.J. Hammons, Purdue.

B1G STANDINGS: 1. Michigan State; 2. Ohio State; 3. Michigan; 4. Wisconsin; 5. Indiana; 6. Iowa; 7. Purdue; 8. Illinois; 9. Minnesota; 10. Penn State; 11. Northwestern; 12. Nebraska.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Gary Harris, Michigan State

BOLD PREDICTION: Iowa will make a run to the Sweet 16. The Hawkeyes are loaded with veteran talent like Aaron White and Roy Devyn Marble. Iowa hasn’t made the Big Dance since 2006, and it hasn’t been to the Sweet 16 since 1999. But it all will come together in Fran McCaffrey’s fourth season in Iowa City.

BREAKOUT PLAYER: Ronnie Johnson, Purdue. Johnson will emerge as one of the Big Ten’s top point guards. The diminutive Johnson showed flashes last season as a true freshman, doing most of his damage as a penetrator. He will add a steady outside shot to become a true lead guard force.
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He was just a bit off with that Nebraska prediction.
 




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