I believe someone earlier posted Tulsa was rated at #126 by this service for the coming year. Actually for a team coming off a 9-20 record, #126 isn't bad at all, it's actually pretty high. Then I looked at the teams right ahead of Tulsa and right below them. You know your in trouble when the teams ahead of you are, Lehigh, Vermont, Liberty and Buffalo and the one's right behing you are Monmonth and Texas Southern. I don't think this is a great college basketball service but just the thought of anyone dealing with college basketball would lump us in with teams of that category shows us how far and fast you can fall in peoples minds. If it's any consulation, as mentioned earlier also-ORU was rated #132?????

I think this will be an interesting year. It will be the make or brake year for Coach Phillips. He has to have at least a close to .500 season. Considering the players that we have lost, it will be a true test. I don't expect to be winning and National Championships, but I am confident of a well coached team on the court.

Ten years of success. Two Sweet Sixteens and an Elite Eight. One point away from another Sweet Sixteen just the year before last. First losing season in more than a decade. And we fall completely off the radar?

I'm ready to kick some azz in hoops, y'all. :mad:

I'm not sure I would agree with a close to .500 record being acceptable. If the fans expectations are that low, we are really in trouble. Good teams, as we have been for more than 10 years, a bad team was an NIT bid, don't have sub .500 seasons. They may have , and that's a big may have, one 16-12 season followed by a big year and NCAA tourney bid. I just can't imagine in my wildest imagination the Gonzaga fans saying two .500 or worst seasons are just fine!! I think the season will speak for itself and that will determine if any actions are needed. I still have some hope, not enough to bet my house on, that either the WAC will have a down year or somehow everything clicks and we do really good!! If you think our recruiting hasn't been stellar recently, just wait and see what it's like if we have another .500 or worse season!!

We have to win the conference for JP to keep his job. If we don't, we're basically in a Dave Rader position for basketball. With no proven scorer, I would think it's safe to say we'll have a new coach next year.

Without Kelley, it does make JP's job a lot harder!! McDade could be a big time scorer, but I don't know for sure if that's what we want or expect out of our PG. I still think he will avg about 15 ppg. Collins could be a big time scorer also. Outside of those two possibilities, we better hope we have about 5 guys that avg 10 points a game at least and some major bench support too!! I still think it boils down to who plays and the style of basketball JP decides to play. There were some people knocking Kelley on the other board but he is a big time player and it wouldn't surprise to see him turn up somewhere, D1, and avg 20 pts a game. We get some good players but we never really turn them loose recently. We bring in some race horses and then want them to be trotters. The players today don't really care for that!!

<<We have to win the conference for JP to keep his job. If we don't, we're basically in a Dave Rader position for basketball. With no proven scorer, I would think it's safe to say we'll have a new coach next year. >>


Sorry, I definately disagree. With Baker and Hanson next year, as long as the team shows some improvement JP will be back.

Clarence Iba Wrote:We have to win the conference for JP to keep his job.&nbsp; If we don't, we're basically in a Dave Rader position for basketball.&nbsp; With no proven scorer, I would think it's safe to say we'll have a new coach next year.

IIRC, we had "proven scorer" last year who took 25% of the teams shots and hit 38.9% of them.

Of the returning players, only one shoots a worse percentage than him at 35.1 and he is being heralded as the person whose shot improved the most of the summer, Wallace.

IMO, A true scorer should hit a high percentage of shots.

Here are some stats from the projected starters in another thread.

PG: Did not play last year
SG: 40.8
SF: 51.4
PF: 53.9
C: Did not play last year.

Remainder of returning players:
41.3%
39.6%
60.4%
35.1%
45.0%

Now distribute those 15 shots per game around to the rest of these guys at 45.9% average, you actually pick up 2 PPG from last year.

While that would not have won us any more games, the improved rebounding will allow for more, high percentage shots and fastbreak oppurtunities which in turn should improve the offensive output by another 8-10 PPG minimum.

So, 12 more PPG theorically would equal 13 more wins.

How's that for spinning some shiat around!

EDIT:
The Radar comparison is short sighted, unfair, and premature at this point.

I'm with CI-- There's going to have to be a big improvement for JP to stay. Even then, I think a one year extension is all he'd get. Scorer or not.

pinaction Wrote:Sorry, I definately disagree. With Baker and Hanson next year, as long as the team shows some improvement JP will be back.

I hope Baker and Hanson are here. Baker being here is not a given. They will help the new coach.

Talk all the optimism you want, but if JP doesn't win he's is long gone. They can't take another year of shrinking ticket sales. :bang: