Full basketball schedule is out

[MSUDC11]

http://hailstate.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball

The conference schedule is brutal. Have to play at Kentucky and Florida, have to play a Final Four team twice, have to play Vandy, Bama, and Mizzou twice (all expected to be NCAA tourney teams).

On one hand I understand an easier OOC schedule with those SEC games, but on the flip side, our early season games aren't going to prepare us at all for what we have to face come January and February.

Thoughts?

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

15 Wins max...

 

[PineGroveBully]

I'd like to see some home and homes with some middle of the pack P5 schools, maybe the Illini, NC State or Texas Tech, or even a Florida St or Miami, I think any of those would be attractive for both sides, especially for recruiting purposes.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

You know what else makes for a brutal schedule? Not being very good.

 

[Wizard.sixpack]

We will have to win 25 to even be considered for the Tourney. I think that the NIT is the realistic goal this year.

 

[MSUDC11]

I don't think we're an NCAA team at all. And that conference schedule makes me really skeptical about even getting in the NIT.

 

[philduckworth]

I don't think we're an NCAA team at all. And that conference schedule makes me really skeptical about even getting in the NIT.

I agree, I think the NIT is the goal this year.

 

[philduckworth]

For what it's worth, my starting 5 by the end of the season:

G: Nick Spoon
G: Lamar Peters
W: Q
F: Holman
C: Ado

I love the toughness that Nick and Ado bring to the starting lineup plus I love having 2 good ball handlers in the game. Nick is just a competitor and I think we need him on the floor as much as possible.

I really like the energy that X and Eli can bring off the bench. I think X will play a lot at the stretch 4. Carter will be our shooting specialist. He has gotten stronger but still can't put on any weight. Herard will play the 5 with Ado. He may even play a little at the 4 against big teams.

To me, that's our 9 man rotation. I don't see a lot of minutes for Feazell or Hatcher-who has had some injury issues with a shoulder and a hamstring.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

In all seriousness, the conference schedule is what it is. Would we beat UK or UF if they were at home? It would be more likely, but still not even probable. Take those two road losses and hope for winnable games at home. Playing South Carolina twice? Meh. Yes, they pulled off a miraculous run to the Final Four last year. The heart and soul of that team is gone in Thornwell and Notice. Dozier declared and wasn't drafted so he gone to. Felder is suspended aGAIN. They just aren't scary at all. Vandy? Guards are pretty good, but they seem thin up front, although the have Herard's Haitian friend on the roster. Bama's Bama and getting better, much to my chagrin. Mizzou should be good for at least one year but having the #1 player didn't work out so great for LSU, granted they had Johnny Jones to offset any talent they had. I'm at "show me" status with basketball. Until we show that we can consistently be average, then I'll view us as the bottom third SEC team that we've been since Stans left.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Yeah, I think we have the ability to play a lot of combinations this year which can be good and bad. Good because you are more flexible and able to work around fouls or injuries, bad because it might be hard to find the right combo on any given night.

PG: Lamar and Nick (maybe Tyson in a pinch)
SG: Lamar, Nick, Q, Tyson, Eli
SF: Q, Eli, X
PF: Q (if needed), X, Holman, Herard
C: Holman, Herard, Ado

 

[philduckworth]

Yeah, I think we have the ability to play a lot of combinations this year which can be good and bad. Good because you are more flexible and able to work around fouls or injuries, bad because it might be hard to find the right combo on any given night.

PG: Lamar and Nick (maybe Tyson in a pinch)
SG: Lamar, Nick, Q, Tyson, Eli
SF: Q, Eli, X
PF: Q (if needed), X, Holman, Herard
C: Holman, Herard, Ado

I know what you mean about flexibility, but Howland has said that Holman probably won't play any at the 5 this year. I can't ever see Q at the 4 either.

Losing Kegler hurt b/c we lost a talented player, but it does shorten up the rotation a bit and free up minutes for guys that bring different things to the table. I think we will see a big jump from all of the sophomores and from X.

 

[Shamoan]

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/5DlwRpCbY156w/giphy.gif" alt="" border="0">

 

[jakldawg]

Purely a technicality

But the Cincinnati game is in Highland Heights, KY