2015-16 Sporting News College Basketball Magazine

[Cats Gone Wild]

Sporting News Preseason Top 10

1. Kansas
2. Kentucky
3. Maryland
4. North Carolina
5. Duke
6. Virginia
7. Iowa St.
8. Arizona
9. Wichita St.
10. Gonzaga

 

[KnowsAllTellsAll]

Sporting News Preseason Top 10

1. Kansas
2. Kentucky
3. Maryland
4. North Carolina
5. Duke
6. Virginia
7. Iowa St.
8. Arizona
9. Wichita St.
10. Gonzaga

I would say the top 7 could each make an argument for pre-season #1. Each team has a mix of proven and unproven incoming talent to various extents. Some have the leverage of proven coaching: Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Duke.

 

[Aike]

Question for the Kansas fans:

Why should we expect your backcourt to be substantially better than the one that was handled by Wichita last March?

GO.

 

[KnowsAllTellsAll]

Question for the Kansas fans:

Why should we expect your backcourt to be substantially better than the one that was handled by Wichita last March?

GO.

Improvement from freshman to sophomore seasons from: Graham and Svi. Both showed flashes last season, with Graham missing a chunk of the season with a foot injury.

Greene played the last half of the season injured, he'll be 100% and began to emerge last season as a deadly shooter.

Mason was dominant last season and was our go to scorer on the perimeter. Another year of experience in his back pocket.

Selden can now move to play at the 3 and won't have to worry about being a primary ball handler. Averaged 19ppg in the WUG.

Also excited to see what Vick adds, though there may be too much talent ahead of him.

 

[Aike]

Mason was dominant last season and was our go to scorer on the perimeter. Another year of experience in his back pocket.

Selden can now move to play at the 3 and won't have to worry about being a primary ball handler. Averaged 19ppg in the WUG.

Also excited to see what Vick adds, though there may be too much talent ahead of him.

Define dominant.

 

[KnowsAllTellsAll]

Define dominant.

44% fg
43% 3 pt fg
79% FT
3.9 rpg
4 apg
2 to
1.6 spg
12.6 ppg

 

[Blueblood22]

Sounds like another year of the media circle jerking over KU and the Big XII, only for them to flame out in the tournament early, as UK marches on despite "not being tested in the inferior SEC".

 

[bucsrule8872]

People like to talk about proven talent.

But what has KU proven?

They have proven they can lose in the second round.

They have proven they can beat college players from other countries (players that would probably struggle to make low D-1 teams in the U.S.).

Poythress, Ulis, and Lee have all three proven that they are talented enough to play in the Final Four.

Murray has proven that he can play against pros and top college players in the Pan Am Games.

So who really has the proven talent?

 

[Jkwo]

44% fg
43% 3 pt fg
79% FT
3.9 rpg
4 apg
2 to
1.6 spg
12.6 ppg

That's a fantastic season, but it's better to undersell, because when you say "dominant", then people expect eye-popping numbers as opposed to merely a very well rounded and efficient statline.

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

It amazes me that UK lost 7 players to the pros and could possibly be preseason #1 the very next season.

Enjoy it because if they are #1 (AP) after losing 7 to Pros it may be the most mindboggling happening in the history of college athletics.

 

[KnowsAllTellsAll]

People like to talk about proven talent.

But what has KU proven?

They have proven they can lose in the second round.

They have proven they can beat college players from other countries (players that would probably struggle to make low D-1 teams in the U.S.).

Poythress, Ulis, and Lee have all three proven that they are talented enough to play in the Final Four.

Murray has proven that he can play against pros and top college players in the Pan Am Games.

So who really has the proven talent?

Poythress was injured last season, so really hasn't proven anything. Lee has proved he is talented enough to be a role player on a team a team with 3 NBA centers and an NBA PF who dominated on defense allowing Kentucky to win games when the perimeter players were struggling to score, which was pretty frequent. This team does not have the 7 players who entered the NBA draft last season and has much to prove.

Edit to remove Ulis from the unproven.

 

[crawfords corner]

The Alexander circus is gone. Diallo will be eligible. KU is going to be very good. Still don't see them winning it all with a mediocre(dominant? you're on crack) point guard. 12.9 for that offense last year is unimpressive. But, seeing as you KU fans are almost as delusional as UL fans I'm not surprised someone would say he was dominant

 

[stoneycat_20]

Poythress was injured last season, so really hasn't proven anything. Lee has proved he is talented enough to be a role player on a team a team with 3 NBA centers and an NBA PF who dominated on defense allowing Kentucky to win games when the perimeter players were struggling to score, which was pretty frequent. This team does not have the 7 players who entered the NBA draft last season and has much to prove.

Edit to remove Ulis from the unproven.

Maybe you missed the 2014 F4 Alex played in? UK has several players with F4 experience ..Don't underestimate that..

 

[KnowsAllTellsAll]

Maybe you missed the 2014 F4 Alex played in? UK has several players with F4 experience ..Don't underestimate that..

Good point.

 

[Aike]

That's a fantastic season, but it's better to undersell, because when you say "dominant", then people expect eye-popping numbers as opposed to merely a very well rounded and efficient statline.

Yeah, I would have gone with solid. If Mason is dominant, I'm not sure how you would describe guys like John Wall or Anthony Davis.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Maybe you missed the 2014 F4 Alex played in? UK has several players with F4 experience ..Don't underestimate that..

This.

Poy played in the 2014 Final Four. The KU fan must have missed it, since the Jayhawks weren't playing in that event.

 

[KnowsAllTellsAll]

The Alexander circus is gone. Diallo will be eligible. KU is going to be very good. Still don't see them winning it all with a mediocre(dominant? you're on crack) point guard. 12.9 for that offense last year is unimpressive. But, seeing as you KU fans are almost as delusional as UL fans I'm not surprised someone would say he was dominant

Back your statement with facts, not biases. Maybe point to some point guards last year who had a better overall stat line (that means top to bottom, not one arbitrary stat).

Besides, Graham is our point guard. Mason is more of a scoring guard forced into a point guard role.

 

[Dakota25]

It amazes me that UK lost 7 players to the pros and could possibly be preseason #1 the very next season.

Enjoy it because if they are #1 (AP) after losing 7 to Pros it may be the most mindboggling happening in the history of college athletics.

People keep acting like teams should only be ranked on what they lost and return from last season. UK has a roster of Ulis, Poythress, Lee, Briscoe, Murray, Labissiere, Mulder, and Mathews. That is a top five roster. So even though UK lost a lot they still return three elite players and bring in the best recruiting class.
I mean NJIT returns their top six players from a 21 win team so does that mean they are really good just because they return a lot? No, they are NJIT. My point is it doesn't matter how much you return or lost from last season it only matters what your current roster is.

 

[Aike]

Back your statement with facts, not biases. Maybe point to some point guards last year who had a better overall stat line (that means top to bottom, not one arbitrary stat).

Besides, Graham is our point guard. Mason is more of a scoring guard forced into a point guard role.

Throw a rock at last year's draft board and you can find a dozen pgs who had better seasons than Mason. I wouldn't even call some of those guys dominant.

Mason is a nice player, but stop exaggerating.

 

[crawfords corner]

Back my opinion with facts and not biases? OK, here it goes.

44% fg
43% 3 pt fg
79% FT
3.9 rpg
4 apg
2 to
1.6 spg
12.6 ppg

Those aren't dominant stats unless you're high as a kite. Mediocre stats, for a mediocre player, on a mediocre team last year, in a mediocre 1 team league.

 

[BurpinTurpin]

Back your statement with facts, not biases. Maybe point to some point guards last year who had a better overall stat line (that means top to bottom, not one arbitrary stat).

Not quite what you're asking for, but here's the well-rounded stat line of a certain point guard from a certain game last year:

MIN 32
PTS 7
FG/A 1/10
3PT/A 0/1
FT/A 5/6
REB 1
AST 0
TO 0
BLK 0
STL 1

He shot free throws well...

 

[KnowsAllTellsAll]

Back my opinion with facts and not biases? OK, here it goes.

44% fg
43% 3 pt fg
79% FT
3.9 rpg
4 apg
2 to
1.6 spg
12.6 ppg

Those aren't dominant stats unless you're high as a kite. Mediocre stats, for a mediocre player, on a mediocre team last year, in a mediocre 1 team league.

Okay, how about: Those are very good stats for a sophomore.

 

[crawfords corner]

I like the kid. You're a KU fan so I have to bust your balls. He didn't exactly have a great surrounding cast mainly because of inconsistency and a big man last year.

 

[Dakota25]

Speaking of Kansas it looks like their football season is already over. Guess they are already looking ahead to November. I'm hoping to be looking forward to both football and basketball in November. I think this will be a great year for UK fans in both sports.

 

[kentucky_wildcat_#1]

I will not be sold on KU until they are in the elite 8. Until then, I'm thinking they will flame out earlier than expected. I'm not sold on their pgs. I know KU fans are expecting big things from that spot on the floor. I'll have to see the improvement before I believe it. We will have the 2 best players on the floor when we play the jayhawks. I guess I just don't see the talent on KU as these experts. When Ellis is your go to player, I think your expectations are a lil high when you're thinking final four. He's a solid player, but not elite. He is too easily Shut down by a guy like Poythress. When you're still expecting a guy like Seldom to Break out, I think you're Screwed. After 3 or 4 years, you are what you are. Not sure if the kid was just overrated coming out of highschool or not delevoped. It's hard to say either way.

 

[KnowsAllTellsAll]

I will not be sold on KU until they are in the elite 8. Until then, I'm thinking they will flame out earlier than expected. I'm not sold on their pgs. I know KU fans are expecting big things from that spot on the floor. I'll have to see the improvement before I believe it. We will have the 2 best players on the floor when we play the jayhawks. I guess I just don't see the talent on KU as these experts. When Ellis is your go to player, I think your expectations are a lil high when you're thinking final four. He's a solid player, but not elite. He is too easily Shut down by a guy like Poythress. When you're still expecting a guy like Seldom to Break out, I think you're Screwed. After 3 or 4 years, you are what you are. Not sure if the kid was just overrated coming out of highschool or not delevoped. It's hard to say either way.

We were in the title game in 2012. 2014 Embiid goes down entering the tournament. 2015 Greene gets injured late in the season and Alexander is held out due to NCAA issues. How did Kentucky do when Noel went down to injury?

Agree to disagree on point guard spot. Ellis was shut down by a committee of 7 footers. Selden has only played 2 years, not "3 or 4" and it takes some players longer to adjust to college and as already stated and completely ignored in your argument is that he's moving to the 3, the lane won't be clogged because we also now have more than one player who can score in the post.

 

[Aike]

We were in the title game in 2012. 2014 Embiid goes down entering the tournament. 2015 Greene gets injured late in the season and Alexander is held out due to NCAA issues. How did Kentucky do when Noel went down to injury?

Agree to disagree on point guard spot. Ellis was shut down by a committee of 7 footers. Selden has only played 2 years, not "3 or 4" and it takes some players longer to adjust to college and as already stated and completely ignored in your argument is that he's moving to the 3, the lane won't be clogged because we also now have more than one player who can score in the post.

All I know is, in the 6 years that Cal has been at Kentucky, you guys have gotten bounced in the second round 3 times.

You have only 1 other Elite Eight to go with your nice runner up season.

I know it's frustrating. I get the renewed sense of hope and optimism every October. But I'll believe it when I see it.

The expectation should be somewhere around the Sweet Sixteen. That 2nd round game should be your Super Bowl.

It's nothing to be ashamed of. Plenty of teams would be tickled to death to make the Sweet 16. Sure made Wichita State's year.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

"Sure made Wichita State's year."

LMAO. That had to leave a mark.

 

[Aike]

In all seriousness, Kansas next year reminds me of some of our teams under Tubby.

Some decent experience, and just enough talent to give you hope. Teams like that occasionally make a run to the Final Four, but they usually run up against a buzz saw a game or two short.

But if history tells us anything, another Big 12 regular season title should be theirs for the taking.

 

[UK till Death]

The only fanbase more deluded when it comes to evaluating their players than the Choke Hawks are the Tards.

 

[Willy4UK]

Ha, Perry Ellis

AARP --------> NBA.

 

[hoodro]

Maybe you missed the 2014 F4 Alex played in? UK has several players with F4 experience ..Don't underestimate that..

And Lee's Elite 8 game vs Michigan. Lee has already proven that he is talented enough to be a very good player, not just a role player as implied. Now he just has to prove he can do it consistently.

 

[ThroughBlue]

If we didn't prove to Kansas fans last year that size kills Kansas then I guess it cannot be done

 

[JustthefaxMa'am]

How can any player be dominant their sophomore year and not go to the NBA? Doesn't happen. There's your answer in a nutshell.

 

[Aike]

How can any player be dominant their sophomore year and not go to the NBA? Doesn't happen. There's your answer in a nutshell.

Maybe he's K1J4.

 

[W_Heisenberg]

I love how you all ask a KU fan to give reasons, and one actually does and uses facts, and you sh*t all over him. He's remained extremely classy, which is more than I cans say for a few posters in this thread.

Give me reasons!! I don't like those reasons give me more! Nope, still not there I need different reasons!! Ha ha you suck!!

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

Kansas #1?

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

I love how you all ask a KU fan to give reasons, and one actually does and uses facts, and you sh*t all over him. He's remained extremely classy, which is more than I cans say for a few posters in this thread.

Give me reasons!! I don't like those reasons give me more! Nope, still not there I need different reasons!! Ha ha you suck!!

Calling out UK fans again? Shocker.

 

[Hoskins91]

We were in the title game in 2012. 2014 Embiid goes down entering the tournament. 2015 Greene gets injured late in the season and Alexander is held out due to NCAA issues. How did Kentucky do when Noel went down to injury?

Agree to disagree on point guard spot. Ellis was shut down by a committee of 7 footers. Selden has only played 2 years, not "3 or 4" and it takes some players longer to adjust to college and as already stated and completely ignored in your argument is that he's moving to the 3, the lane won't be clogged because we also now have more than one player who can score in the post.

You're comparing losing two backups to losing our best player. The equivalent would be you guys losing Mason or Ellis.

I think it is safe to say that a guy like Selden is what he is at this point. Not that he won't improve, but he is not a huge difference maker. Mason and Ellis are solid, but if they were on our team, they certainly wouldn't be guaranteed starters. Mason starting would come down to how good Briscoe and Murray are. He definitely is not starting at point guard. Ellis starting would come down to how quickly Poythress gets back to full form and how much he has improved.

They might beat us this year, but I'd say it is more likely due to our incoming players being disappointing more so than KU being all that special.

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

Obviously the sexy #1 pick is anyone not named Kentucky.
Kansas
Maryland
North Carolina
Ball St.
Just not Kentucky.
Dim witted haters gonna look stupid.