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sivert wrote:I would ask how Drake has zero votes. Penn and Sturtz were both all-time Drake greats. They both have some significant all-time records. The transfers look good, but it's hard for me to believe they won't be a downgrade for those 60 min/gm.

Coach DD has been super impressive in his ability to bring in guys and meld them into a great team. Maybe that's it.

(This is so difficult with the transfer - so many new players every year!)

You're right that Sturtz and Penn are huge holes to fill. Bulldogs also lost DJ Wilkins, a 5 year starter. But, I think his 8 ppg 2 rpg, 1.5 apg will be easily replaced. While no one player will replace Penn or Sturtz, the Bulldogs have a whole lot of guys who can contribute this season. Probably DD's deepest team- at Drake.

To replace Penn, Bulldogs have 3 point guards in Enright, Kyron Gibson and freshman Colby Garland. Enright played very well last season, splitting his time between the 1 and the 2. Gibson is a former juco All-American who averaged 11 ppg and 4 rpg at UTA last season. Don't sleep on Garland. People who have been to practices say he might start. Lefty who has unlimited range, has very good quickness, and can distribute.

To replace Sturtz, Drake brought in Ethan Roberts (Patriot League FOY last season at Army. Shot better than 40% from 3. Also Carlos Rosario, a 6'7" transfer from Washington State, who had 3 injury filled seasons at WSU. Had mutliple P5 offers out of high school. If he's healthy, he has a high ceiling. They also brought in Kevin Overton, a 6'5" wing from Sunrise Christian who lead Sunrise in scoring. Like Garland, he's a lefty, and, like Garland, I wouldn't be suprised if he starts.

At the 2, Bulldogs brought in Atin Wright, a transfer from CSU-Northridge, where he averaged 17 ppg. He's small ffor a 2, but he can absolutely fill it up.

There's 2 other newcomers who have skills, but will likely redshirt (Chico Johnson and Elijah Price). Also, a 6'9" walk-on in Patrick Bath,who had multiple D1 offers, including one MVC school.

BCPanther wrote:I'm enjoying the irrational Indiana State love.

People are banking heavily on their newcomers, who are nice players...but the Trees lost their top three scorers. That's a tough group to replace no matter how you slice it. Those guys were dogs.

The great thing about the offseason is that it's entertainingly irrational. Heck, I think Belmont is going to be top three after losing the best player in the league (Sorry, Drake fans).

I'm of the belief that UNI and Drake are the two best teams and it's not particularly close. I think both are at large good.

UNI is experienced, Drake is deep. Both are very talented and they happen to have the two best coaches in the league on the sideline.

From a UNI perspective, people want to pull the 'Jake has had two losing seasons in his last four'. The problem with that logic is that injuries killed him. Losing AJ Green for the first one and then Heise and Phyfe last year. In the other two years, he won outright league titles.

For Drake, I've learned to trust Darian's roster construction even if it seems odd from the outside. He's able to get older guys to play harder than they have at other stops and seems to capitalize on guy's strengths by putting them in positions to succeed. Garrett Sturtz had no business being the player he ended up being but Darian never put him in a spot where he was asked to do more than he was capable of.

Yep, it's almost as if voters are assuming UNI will get bit by injuries again this year - which given our recent history is not hard to imagine.

BCPanther wrote:I'm of the belief that UNI and Drake are the two best teams and it's not particularly close. I think both are at large good.

UNI is experienced, Drake is deep. Both are very talented and they happen to have the two best coaches in the league on the sideline.

From a UNI perspective, people want to pull the 'Jake has had two losing seasons in his last four'. The problem with that logic is that injuries killed him. Losing AJ Green for the first one and then Heise and Phyfe last year. In the other two years, he won outright league titles.

For Drake, I've learned to trust Darian's roster construction even if it seems odd from the outside. He's able to get older guys to play harder than they have at other stops and seems to capitalize on guy's strengths by putting them in positions to succeed. Garrett Sturtz had no business being the player he ended up being but Darian never put him in a spot where he was asked to do more than he was capable of.

To be fair, it's been worse than that for UNI. Those two winning seasons are the only two he's had in the past seven seasons. Both were good, regular-season champ seasons, but still the only two winning seasons in the last seven.

I don't have a problem with picking UNI to finish at or near the top because I do think Jake is a good coach who has had some injuries to key guys during that stretch and because they have their key guys back, but it's also not unreasonable to have cooled on him a bit.

I also am a believer in DeVries. He's been spectacular at Drake. He's objectively been the best coach they've ever had who has been there for more than one season.

I'm interested to see what Bradley looks like this year. I still don't think Wardle can coach offense and the lost Mast, but he seems to be getting into a groove of putting together competitive, top-half squads.

sivert wrote:I would ask how Drake has zero votes. Penn and Sturtz were both all-time Drake greats. They both have some significant all-time records. The transfers look good, but it's hard for me to believe they won't be a downgrade for those 60 min/gm.

Coach DD has been super impressive in his ability to bring in guys and meld them into a great team. Maybe that's it.

(This is so difficult with the transfer - so many new players every year!)

I've got you. Drake loses its all time leader in assists, rebounds and three pointers. Those three guys started an absurd 335 games for Drake. Bradley gets knocked for losing Mast and I get that and Tucker is really good and I get that but for the life of me I don't understand how Drake can lose that kind of production after finishing "second" behind Bradley in the regular season last year and just expect them to pick up where they left off.

Can they still finish first? Absolutely. But I've gotta see it first with all of the newcomers.

BCPanther wrote:I'm of the belief that UNI and Drake are the two best teams and it's not particularly close

Wow, disrespect for the rest of the league from the 8th place finisher. Got no problem with being confident about your own team, but didn't realize UNI was the only team who's players improve in the off season. Hope you're good early, so that it benefits the league as well.

BEARZ77 wrote:

BCPanther wrote:I'm of the belief that UNI and Drake are the two best teams and it's not particularly close

Wow, disrespect for the rest of the league from the 8th place finisher. Got no problem with being confident about your own team, but didn't realize UNI was the only team who's players improve in the off season. Hope you're good early, so that it benefits the league as well.

We certainly scheduled well enough to find out...

TylerDurden wrote:To be fair, it's been worse than that for UNI. Those two winning seasons are the only two he's had in the past seven seasons. Both were good, regular-season champ seasons, but still the only two winning seasons in the last seven.

Only twice in his 16 year career has he finished lower than 5th in the conference standings. It's been an up and down last few years, but stability over time still counts for something in my opinion.

unipanther99 wrote:

TylerDurden wrote:To be fair, it's been worse than that for UNI. Those two winning seasons are the only two he's had in the past seven seasons. Both were good, regular-season champ seasons, but still the only two winning seasons in the last seven.

Only twice in his 16 year career has he finished lower than 5th in the conference standings. It's been an up and down last few years, but stability over time still counts for something in my opinion.

Which is why I think UNI is getting top 4 mentions;but based on most recent performance trends and coming off a bad year , not many teams would be given upper half consideration . 7 years is an extended period when judging the course of a program; I think if the two championships in that time hadn't been so "Green" dominant and if the team hadn't been as inept the other 5 years it wouldn't be as much a question as to has the program declined. But beauty of college sports is you're only as good as the next game you play. UNI has a nice chance to show everyone quickly how good they can be with their schedule.