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  1. #21
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    MKE
    Quote Originally Posted by dkbaseball View Post
    No quarrels about how good Purdue might be. As an alum of Duke, Wisconsin and Indiana, I fear them mightily. But I do expect Wisconsin to be at least as good as this year. Every year people talk about what they've lost -- coming into this season they weren't even in the top 40 because the loss of Tucker and Taylor was supposed to be insurmountable -- but I had thought by the end of the season the conventional wisdom had finally caught up to the fact that Bo Ryan runs the ultimate system, and just plugs in new parts every year selected for their suitability to the system.

    Flowers had a great motor that will be hard to replace. Butch was a terrific rebounder and his 3-point shot could be a real equalizer. (Greg) Steimsma could block shots and take up space. But look at what they bring back. Landry and Krabbenhoft will be the most experienced forward tandem in the country with lots of different capabilities between them, some of which they haven't really unwrapped yet. In the backcourt, Flowers is replaced by Jason Bohannon -- the Big Ten sixth man of the year and a better scorer than Flowers, if not quite as athletic. Point guard Trevon Hughes has tremendous talent and played most of this season with a high ankle sprain. In the middle they bring in Keaton Nankivil, a strong power player who didn't play much this past season because Butch and Steimsma were in the way, but supposedly looked great in practice and is ready to go. Another soph, 6-10 Jon Leuer, is quicker than Butch and potentially has at least as good a shooting touch. He dropped in 27 in the first conference game against Michigan, but then his shot went south. The five-man freshman class coming in is supposed to be very competitive.

    I don't see them falling off any.
    I had this exact argument with you at the beginning of last season, and now that the dust is cleared, let's just say I won't ever doubt Bo Ryan's coaching qualifications. If Leuer and Hughes continue to show improvement, I don't expect much drop-off with UW next year. Just sad I won't get to wear my JJ jersey to the Kohl Center in the fall (although I may be relocated to Durham by that time anyway).

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    New Orleans
    Quote Originally Posted by phaedrus View Post
    I had this exact argument with you at the beginning of last season, and now that the dust is cleared, let's just say I won't ever doubt Bo Ryan's coaching qualifications. If Leuer and Hughes continue to show improvement, I don't expect much drop-off with UW next year. Just sad I won't get to wear my JJ jersey to the Kohl Center in the fall (although I may be relocated to Durham by that time anyway).
    Thanks, Phaedrus. You've given me an opening to pat myself on the back at a moment when my prognosticative powers have been called into question.

    In that exchange last November I said:

    Wisconsin is ridiculously underrated, and when they found their confidence they would be a solid top ten unit. Rankings going into the NCAA tournament -- 5th and 6th.

    That they would be the best defensive team Duke faced all year. Led the nation in scoring defense.

    The day after Duke clobbered them, I said they would probably be Big Ten champs. Won the regular season and BTT.

    You could look it up.

    It's hard to imagine them being as good defensively next year without Flowers, but I think they'll be better offensively. I'm eager to see this freshman guard, Jordan Taylor. Looks like he could step right into the rotation.

  3. #23

    challenge matchup

    While I don't expect Wisconsin to be bad or even mediocre next season -- Ryan is an excellent coach and he does have a nice core back -- but I feel safe in predicting that Purdue will be picked higher in the preseason polls and in the Big Ten.

    Matt Painter has done a great job -- Purdue was last in the Big Ten two years ago, made the NCAA in 2007 (losing to eventual champ Florida in the second round) and challenged for the Big Ten title last season, finishing No. 15 in the final AP poll.

    That was with a freshman dominated team -- 6-8 Robbie Hummell was one of the nation's most effective freshmen ... 6-3 E'twaun Moore has a ton of potential. They have two big-time recruits, especially speedy point guard Lewis Jackson. The biggest concern is the loss of Martin, their best inside scorer (although he averaged just 8.8 points a game). The hope is that slender 6-10 JaJaun Johnson steps it up.

    Interesting matchup with Duke -- two teams that are very strong on the perimeter and very good defensively, but with question marks in the post position. The one big difference is that Purdue will try and play at a much slower tempo than Duke.

    I think Purdue and Michigan State will be the preseason favorites in the league. It's easy to overlook the Spartans because they lose Nietzel, but they have a bunch of solid players coming back, plus the Big Ten's top recruiting class (headed by Delvon Roe and Korie Lucious). The combination of Walton at guard with sophs Kahlin Lucas and Chris Allen at guard; plus a frontcourt loaded with Suton and Gray, plus Roe should make them pretty strong.

    Ohio State could also be a contender, but must replace guard James Butler and center Othello Hunter -- two keys to their NIT title run. They also add some big-time recruits -- big man BJ Mullens and wing guard William Buford, but their recruiting class took a hit when Luke Babbitt reneged on his commitment and signed at Nevada.

    I suspect Indiana is the Big Ten team that will drop off the face of the earth, not only losing White and Gordon and their coach, but also almost everybody else that contributed last season.

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    MKE
    In my defense, our argument was largely about the Duke-Wisconsin game, and I was right about that one. So I think we both win.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Texas/NC
    Quote Originally Posted by dkbaseball View Post
    No quarrels about how good Purdue might be. As an alum of Duke, Wisconsin and Indiana, I fear them mightily. But I do expect Wisconsin to be at least as good as this year. Every year people talk about what they've lost -- coming into this season they weren't even in the top 40 because the loss of Tucker and Taylor was supposed to be insurmountable -- but I had thought by the end of the season the conventional wisdom had finally caught up to the fact that Bo Ryan runs the ultimate system, and just plugs in new parts every year selected for their suitability to the system.

    Flowers had a great motor that will be hard to replace. Butch was a terrific rebounder and his 3-point shot could be a real equalizer. (Greg) Steimsma could block shots and take up space. But look at what they bring back. Landry and Krabbenhoft will be the most experienced forward tandem in the country with lots of different capabilities between them, some of which they haven't really unwrapped yet. In the backcourt, Flowers is replaced by Jason Bohannon -- the Big Ten sixth man of the year and a better scorer than Flowers, if not quite as athletic. Point guard Trevon Hughes has tremendous talent and played most of this season with a high ankle sprain. In the middle they bring in Keaton Nankivil, a strong power player who didn't play much this past season because Butch and Steimsma were in the way, but supposedly looked great in practice and is ready to go. Another soph, 6-10 Jon Leuer, is quicker than Butch and potentially has at least as good a shooting touch. He dropped in 27 in the first conference game against Michigan, but then his shot went south. The five-man freshman class coming in is supposed to be very competitive.

    I don't see them falling off any.
    second that-- hence the consistency... especially at home. THIS is why I think a game @ wisconsin is the only better early season matchup. Shame we couldn't finish the series.

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    New Orleans
    Quote Originally Posted by phaedrus View Post
    In my defense, our argument was largely about the Duke-Wisconsin game, and I was right about that one. So I think we both win.
    Oh, I'm not claiming any sort of victory over you. You correctly predicted a Duke blowout. I didn't make any prediction about the game -- though I certainly thought it would be closer -- I was just arguing that this Wisconsin team was definitely going to be up to Ryan standards, and maybe his best.

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