2015-2016 Early Big Sky rankings

[Da Bears]

I wish this was the direct opposite and Weber was predicted to come in last! Let the hype start!

@bigskybball: In case you're interested, I've got some early @BigSkyMBB rankings for next year. Fun stuff, as always #BigSkyMBB - http://t.co/k9QIThsvWw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Back2WSU]

WILDCATS GO UNDEFEATED! BOLOMBOY NAMED GREATEST COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYER EVER!

 

[Midmajor??]

Weber's problem is in the Front Court!

We got abused in the paint last year and I'm not feeling like Joel has the skill to fix our issues next season?
I'm glad that we are ranked to win it all, but this is still a very flawed team.

I like the bigs at EWU and Montana..... They made a difference last year and We just couldn't handle them. I have Weber at 3rd place for next year! Hope we do better, but Im not sure of our inside game.

I hope I'm wrong, joel has the summer to work on being a 5. He has the talent. We should have the guards to compete!

 

[Cats meow!]

I wish this was the direct opposite and Weber was predicted to come in last! Let the hype start!

@bigskybball: In case you're interested, I've got some early @BigSkyMBB rankings for next year. Fun stuff, as always #BigSkyMBB - http://t.co/k9QIThsvWw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I agree with the article and think we're primed for a great season. I'm not a coach, I'm a fan, but follow the Ins and outs of basketball at the collegiate level!

I find it hard to understand why we redshirted two players who could've made a difference. I know, the season is over, but I don't get it? We got sliced, abused and pushed around in the paint last season. If we had a good big, why did Rahe risk the season and his reputation by not putting him on the court? I also hear that Jefferson is a game changer. Did we redshirt Jefferson and Braxton because the players in front of them were better? Were Golden and Costen brought in to give the Freshmen a year to grow up? I'm looking forward to next season, but having a hard time understanding what happened last season.

 

[Itiger]

I wish this was the direct opposite and Weber was predicted to come in last! Let the hype start!

@bigskybball: In case you're interested, I've got some early @BigSkyMBB rankings for next year. Fun stuff, as always #BigSkyMBB - http://t.co/k9QIThsvWw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I agree with the article and think we're primed for a great season. I'm not a coach, I'm a fan, but follow the Ins and outs of basketball at the collegiate level!

I find it hard to understand why we redshirted two players who could've made a difference. I know, the season is over, but I don't get it? We got sliced, abused and pushed around in the paint last season. If we had a good big, why did Rahe risk the season and his reputation by not putting him on the court? I also hear that Jefferson is a game changer. Did we redshirt Jefferson and Braxton because the players in front of them were better? Were Golden and Costen brought in to give the Freshmen a year to grow up? I'm looking forward to next season, but having a hard time understanding what happened last season.

Meow! Let it go! The season is over and we will have 5-6 new players on campus in July! I'm not sure what happened last year, but it's a whole new ballgame with all the recruits and two redshirts joining the roster. Let's hope this summer is the start to a great season. :notworthy:

 

[Webergrad02]

At one of the luncheons coach was asked point blank why Braxton and Jefferson were red-shirting. He said that Jefferson was not ready to play at this level but Braxton probably was good enough to play but James as a loyal senior deserved what minutes were left in the post. That was pretty early in the season. I am not sure I agree with that logic but it is what it is. Do you think Braxton would have been a huge improvement over Hajek? I totally agree with the Jefferson redshirt.

I look at this season as an experiment in small ball that went horribly wrong. I think by the time it became clear to a stubborn coach that it wasn't working it was too late to pull a redshirt. Again, my question is how did we not realize in the recruiting process that a 6'3 kid was too small to play the 4 at our level.

 

[Da Bears]

At one of the luncheons coach was asked point blank why Braxton and Jefferson were red-shirting. He said that Jefferson was not ready to play at this level but Braxton probably was good enough to play but James as a loyal senior deserved what minutes were left in the post. That was pretty early in the season. I am not sure I agree with that logic but it is what it is. Do you think Braxton would have been a huge improvement over Hajek? I totally agree with the Jefferson redshirt.

I look at this season as an experiment in small ball that went horribly wrong. I think by the time it became clear to a stubborn coach that it wasn't working it was too late to pull a redshirt. Again, my question is how did we not realize in the recruiting process that a 6'3 kid was too small to play the 4 at our level.

Doesn't matter..... Both kids got redshirted, but you can't help but wonder if having a physical big with offensive skills could've made a difference. Not to mention having some D1 experience for next season. I grew up with the mantra that you have to play your talent. There will be no excuses next year....... We have enough returning talent to be very good. The question is what will Rahe do...... Will Braxton or Dallas be our 5 or is he sacrificing Joel for another season? Joel is a 4...... Forget the delusional crap that all the bigs are the same in Rahe's system. YOU HAVE A CHANCE IF YOU WIN IN THE PAINT !

 

[sacstateman]

At one of the luncheons coach was asked point blank why Braxton and Jefferson were red-shirting. He said that Jefferson was not ready to play at this level but Braxton probably was good enough to play but James as a loyal senior deserved what minutes were left in the post. That was pretty early in the season. I am not sure I agree with that logic but it is what it is. Do you think Braxton would have been a huge improvement over Hajek? I totally agree with the Jefferson redshirt.

I look at this season as an experiment in small ball that went horribly wrong. I think by the time it became clear to a stubborn coach that it wasn't working it was too late to pull a redshirt. Again, my question is how did we not realize in the recruiting process that a 6'3 kid was too small to play the 4 at our level.

I agree with you grad02......the only guy I think could play the 4 at 6'3" was Solarin at Idaho St.....but even then he would have to defend a 4 which is pretty tough....

 

[weberwildcat]

can we call braxton a wildcard or x-factor in that if he can be a trez like player as fresh we really would contend if harvey is gone? :mrgreen:

 

[Midmajor??]

It's hard to play 4 when you're only 6'4".... It was obvious that Costen brought energy, but didn't have the skill. I'm not sure he played enought to waste a redshirt year for Braxton. He did us a favor by filling in last season. Let's hope that our redshirts developed and are ready for a bigger role next year.

I hope that our Freshmen can contribute...... Rahe will probably go with his 8-9 man rotation, hoping Cannon returns ready to contribute, but we have some new comers who should fit in quickly! I'm intrigued by what Baker can bring...... Really need the leadership and a glue guy.

 

[oldrunner]

You can never trust the posted height of a player. It is more often inaccurate than accurate. The first time I saw Coston, I didn't believe he was 6'6''. I asked one of the assistant coaches about it and was told that he measured out at 6'4''. The one seen most often is the 6' guard. Whenever you see that, you can bet he is somewhere between 5'9'' and 5'11''. If he is truly 6' they will list him as 6'1'' or 6'2''. When you see them listed as 6'10'' in HS, it usually means that they are 6''8'' or 6'9''. More important than any of that is how big they play. :twocents:

There is no way that Weber will be picked first by the coaches or media. My guess is 6th or 7th. With that said, and if Harvey actually does leave, it is really wide, wide open.

 

[Cats meow!]

You can never trust the posted height of a player. It is more often inaccurate than accurate. The first time I saw Coston, I didn't believe he was 6'6''. I asked one of the assistant coaches about it and was told that he measured out at 6'4''. The one seen most often is the 6' guard. Whenever you see that, you can bet he is somewhere between 5'9'' and 5'11''. If he is truly 6' they will list him as 6'1'' or 6'2''. When you see them listed as 6'10'' in HS, it usually means that they are 6''8'' or 6'9''. More important than any of that is how big they play. :twocents:

There is now way that Weber will be picked first by the coaches or media. My guess is 6th or 7th. With that said, and if Harvey actually does leave, it is really wide, wide open.

Olds, I know our coaches are short..... But you can stand next to a recruit and approximate their height. The coaches missed this one and I hope he finds a program. It was a huge move to come to Utah from New York. He might've not succeeded at Weber, but the school failed him too!

Still lots of comings and goings with transfers...... It's way early to predict next year, but Weber is well positioned for the next 4 years. Although I don't get why we redshirted a talented big in a year where it could've made a difference..... At least that 4 more years he will be at weber. I'm looking forward to seeing him play. As of today, he's a big unknown. I like what I'm hearing.... But like to see him on the court!

 

[oldrunner]

I know exactly why our two red shirts were set up this year. They both had physical limitations when they arrived on campus. One was not in full basketball shape and one was suffering from the extended effects of an injury and surgery. Yes, Braxton might have helped a little bit as he got himself in shape. It might have made the difference of being the 6th seed instead of 8th. In my opinion, if either one of them had played, it would have been a total waste of their eligibility. I am really glad that they did not play and waste their eligibility on our wasted year. Now, we can, hopefully, have 4 years of them contributing highly to our success. They have great potential, but it is just that for now. I hope that they both work hard this off season, and come into the fall ready to hit the ground running. If all of our guys do that, we just might be able to live up to that ranking.

 

[n.ogdencat]

I agree with Youngs on this one...the 2014-2015 season is over. Only thing that really matters now is if the coaches actually learned anything from this season.

The small ball experiment did not work. It ended up being a total travesty. Frankly, the Cats got out toughed all season long and never really learned how to play as a team. I really didn't understand red shirting Braxton in favor of playing Hajek, when James was only getting 8-10 mins a game. I think we can all agree that once Hajek started getting more time the Wildcats started improving and became a far more consistent team. I know the Oklahoma loss was humbling, but that wasn't a reason to go back to a starting lineup that wasn't getting the job done. Rahe should have stuck with Hajek at the 5 and Bolomboy at the 4. Hajek was never going to be a superstar, but he at least was able to provide a anchor in the middle which allowed Joel to play his natural position. Hajek, as a starter, I think, averaged 7ppg and 6rpg.

As for next season...well, we all know we have the talent to compete for the crown. Braxton has had a year to become accustomed to the college game and will really be depended upon. I think he is up to the challenge. He is going to be a 20-25min a game guy, with Bolomboy and perhaps Dallas making up the remaining mins at the 5. Joel, as we all know, will play around 35 a game. I really hope he can be a 15/12 guy next season. In the backcourt...we are deep. Senglin, Gittens, Richardson, Baker, Jefferson, Cannon, John, Hunter, and Williams. I'm pretty sure that the Cats can get away with red shirting two of these guys. I don't know if it will happen, but I'm sure they can get away with it. Biggest issue is getting everyone on the same page. Have them playing as a team and developing good team chemistry.

There are question marks about the 1 and whether or not Senglin is the guy that can facilitate the teams offense. He is a hell of a scorer and can really handle the ball, but he needs to become better at passing the ball and getting his teammates involved. He should average 5-8 assists a game. I know Rahe has said that he has made some great progress over the past two seasons and is primed for a breakout year at the point. I am apprehensive yet hopeful that this prognosis will happen.

Finally...nice write up by Jon. I always appreciate what he has to say and add.

My opinion on next season now (teams are still having guys come and go, there are a lot of changes still to happen in the Sky).

Montana
Weber
Eastern
NAU
SUU
UNCO
Idaho
Sac
MSU
PSU
UND
ISU

 

[PURPLEFORLIFE]

I don't even understand how anyone can rate teams when three or four of the teams don't even have full rosters yet. Portland State, North Dakota, Montana State, and Idaho State still have on average 2 or 3 scholarships left to give out. Based on who is left around, yes, it makes the most sense to put Weber at the top, but do we really want Weber at the top? Do they deserve to be at the top?

 

[SWeberCat02]

Eastern losing another starter. Miljkovic is transferring. That's four starters they lose, with Jois the only returning.

 

[Da Bears]

That's a major loss..... Seems like a strange time to transfer. He's a starter on a team that already lost 3 starters. He's not transferring for more playing time!

 

[n.ogdencat]

That's a major loss..... Seems like a strange time to transfer. He's a starter on a team that already lost 3 starters. He's not transferring for more playing time!

This could be a reason...

http://verbalcommits.com/players/geremy-mckay" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[sacstateman]

I don't even understand how anyone can rate teams when three or four of the teams don't even have full rosters yet. Portland State, North Dakota, Montana State, and Idaho State still have on average 2 or 3 scholarships left to give out. Based on who is left around, yes, it makes the most sense to put Weber at the top, but do we really want Weber at the top? Do they deserve to be at the top?

I agree completely PFL.....should at least wait until July to see who signs, transfers, etc.....

 

[Webergrad02]

You guys really think the 2 or 3 rosters spots left at some of these schools are going make a difference?

1. You get the late Spring signings that shouldn't be in D1 (see the multiple threads on Ian Fox)
2. You can bring in two JC All Americans and they can hurt your chemistry and toughness (Golden & Coston)
3. Any transfer you bring in has to sit unless they are one of the few that have graduated,
4. We all like to make wild ass guesses so we can look stupid next season.

Once again Weber, is the trend setter. All of the other coaches saw how well the young and inexperienced excuses were gobbled up by the local media that they decided to follow suit. The Big Sky is not going to be very good next season. We could be back to the days of Montana, Weber and everyone else. However, I think we have better coaching than we have had in years past. I think NAU will still be toward the top. I think SUU will be up in the top four or five. I am not sure that Baby Hayford and his side kick Venky can recover from losing 4 starters.