Prediction on next season

[BUfan14]

If they do, they signed to a school for the wrong reason.

I hate this logic.....these players signed with a coach they could match up with personality and believe wise. If another coach did not put as much emphasis on morals and classroom activity or whatever a kid wants that, should parents and kids be forced to stay there? What if Bruce Pearl is hired, should kids be forced to play for him against their beliefs? This is their education and life, they should do what they believe in. They only get 4 years of it forever.

If a new boss is a complete jerk to you or does things in a way you don't believe in, are you just going to stick around when you have other options because you signed up to work for a company? If you did leave for other options, maybe where you are more appreciated, would you have signed up for the wrong reasons? No, it's all trying to create the best future for yourself, just like these kids are. They don't sign up for a school, they sign up for a set of circumstances with which they feel comfortable, a part of which is the school AND the coach. That way they can develop into the people they want to be. Give me a break man.

[shaunguth]

I think a Les return means the team should/must finish top 3 and get an NCAA berth. Should be a strong lineup with a decent bench.

Without Les, I think it's armageddon for a couple of years, because I don't really think we'll make the kind of hire that would keep players and recruits here.

+1

[shaunguth]

I know, i'm just frustrated with the coaching talk going on everywhere on this board. I will feel much better after the season is over and we know what's going on. If Les leaves, I don't think big players (TB, SM, WE, etc.) will leave with him. If they do, they signed to a school for the wrong reason. I personally hope Les goes, but I should be far away in Norman watching on Channelsurfing by then hahaha. I think the idea of this thread was to predict what it would be based on Les coming back and all players being healthy to take a break from all the animosity of the other threads.

On top of everything BUfan14 said (which I completely agree with), why is this only true for the "big players (TB, SM, WE, etc.)"? In fact, two of those three will be finished with their four years of school, right? And yet, they signed to a school for the wrong reason if they choose to move on?

As for the idea of this thread.....nowhere in the original post did it say anything about assuming Les is coming back. In fact, the word printed in the local paper is that "likely" won't happen.

[AZ BU Fan]

Well,

BU had SM,TB, and AW, WE, and CR but no DD or JP, in the 2009-10 season and finished 5th in the Valley.

BU was picked 5th this year with SM, TB, AW, JP, WE, DSE, and DD and finished 10th without SM and TB.

I suppose it would make sense for BU to finish 5th next season with SM/TB but without AW and DD (and possibly lower if AT/WE/TB/SM don't or can't return in 2011-12)....

If BU had managed to finish at .500 or higher in the MVC this season, it would have been much easier to envision how the team could go higher next season with SM and TB back and a hot shot freshman shooting guard. Finishing last with ISU R this season indicates to me the problems with BU go much deeper than just missing SM and TB this year.

As I have noted before, large jumps in productivity per minute played for players year over year in the program have happened only four seasons to four players in the JL era. Three of those players with big jumps in productivity per minute played happened in the same year.

Just my opinion, to each their own.

Hope all the "BU Kool Aid Kids" are right next year.

[ph]

We struggled this year in good part due to JP, DSE and JE having slow starts. If DSE and JE were due to their injuries, and JP just needed the experience, I could see us being a better team.
But making the jump into contention would take some exceptional improvements. I guess its possible that a SM with a fixed ankle becomes scary good, or Remy or Harris come in as great players, but that is a lot of what ifs...

[houstontxbrave]

With Les - 5th in MVC
Without Les - 5th in MVC

With Les and same players - 5th in MVC
Without Les and same players - 5th in MVC

With Les but not same players - 5th in MVC
Without Les and not same players - 5th in MVC

[TheAsianSensation]

With Les/Maniscalco/Brown: 2nd place MVC, at large bid

Without Les, With Maniscalco/Brown: 4th place MVC, NIT

Without Les, mass player exodus: 10th place MVC

I still continue to believe with those top 2 players this is an NCAA-caliber team. It's a highly optimistic view.

[LittleBrave]

What happened to THIS season? I didn't get the memo that we're done.
I'm not gonna' be too critical because it's fun to speculate and predict what will happen on this board

But I will be much more inclined to discuss this AFTER St. Louis. We have all spring & summer to talk about next season.

I don't care if we're the #10 seed. We have a little more basketball to play this season. We have a good chance to advance to Friday's game, which is unusual for a #10 team.

Like someone said earlier in this thread, there are way too many variables for next season...more than any other year I can remember.

[Braves4Life]

I still continue to believe with those top 2 players this is an NCAA-caliber team. It's a highly optimistic view.

I agree TAS. Most really good mid-major teams are led by two studs and one complementary player. I hope that's us next year.

[thefish7]

With Les/Maniscalco/Brown: 2nd place MVC, at large bid

Without Les, With Maniscalco/Brown: 4th place MVC, NIT

Without Les, mass player exodus: 10th place MVC

I still continue to believe with those top 2 players this is an NCAA-caliber team. It's a highly optimistic view.

That's about how I feel. I don't think the middle option is very likely but if it came to pass I think 4th is a reasonable projection.

[BUFanatic]

Ack! I'm through speculating till the season is OFFICIALLY over. Making me insane My only speculation is that we beat Drake! After seeing what Canton did to my East Peoria last night, I believe in literally ANYTHING! Hahaha. Let's go win out and get that berth!!!

-Any given team can beat any given team on any given day!

[real fan]

With Les/Maniscalco/Brown: 2nd place MVC, at large bid

Without Les, With Maniscalco/Brown: 4th place MVC, NIT

Without Les, mass player exodus: 10th place MVC

I still continue to believe with those top 2 players this is an NCAA-caliber team. It's a highly optimistic view.

With Brown and Sam this team had a chance to compete for a championship because Prosser would have been the wild card in this and he has rapidly improved this season, DSE and Andrew are the great players that I thought they were, Egolf and Dunson would have been more consistent in that they would not of had to play so many minutes.
Forecasting next season is impossible because there are way too many variables, lets just say that if all our players do come back including Taylor then there is no reason why they should not compete for a championship because it has the potential to be one the deepest teams as far as talent in a long time.

[bugregshu]

In my opinion, anyone who thinks that we're going to go from 10th place this year, to competing for a championship or an at-large bid next year is COMPLETELY off their rocker! We finished in last place with the best player in the valley this year. Next year we lose AW and DD, and even if SM and TB come back healthy and ready to play, there's no way we leapfrog 9 teams. Best case scenario is the 4-5 game, worst case is another last place finish. Simple as that.

[MikeCash]

In my opinion, anyone who thinks that we're going to go from 10th place this year, to competing for a championship or an at-large bid next year is COMPLETELY off their rocker! We finished in last place with the best player in the valley this year. Next year we lose AW and DD, and even if SM and TB come back healthy and ready to play, there's no way we leapfrog 9 teams. Best case scenario is the 4-5 game, worst case is another last place finish. Simple as that.

That's an extremely watery argument. Let's not forget that...even after losing the roster's centerpiece on the eve of the season...the team started 4-0 with Maniscalco. After he went down, it took a long time for DSE to reach full strength. Once that happened, the team went 5-3 in February (and even the three losses consisted of a healthy halftime lead against UNI, a lead down the stretch AT conference champs MSU, and leading almost the entire way on the road on ILSU's senior night).

That's a completely different team than the one who went through the 0-11 stretch trying to find themselves.

[Beninator]

I predict that Donivine Stewart will state in a newspaper article that he will want to play at BU next year regardless of the coaching situation. Oh wait... That already happened.