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summertime blues
Joined: 16 Apr 2013
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ArtBest23
Joined: 02 Jul 2013
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 Posted: 01/25/16 8:11 pm ::: |
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Purdue and Arizona St are the clear 1 and 2 to me.
And I'll add Marquette.
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patsweetpat
Joined: 14 Jul 2010
Posts: 2313
Location: Culver City, CA
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| Posted: 01/25/16 8:34 pm ::: |
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Kudos to you, summertime blues, for kicking off a positive thread!
Out here in the Pac-12, while ASU is definitely a strong candidate, I give the nod to Utah. They were picked-- by both media and coaches-- to finish 11th. They're currently dead-middle, 6th, with a 4-4 conference record, 57 RPI, and wins over Washington, WSU, Cal and 'Zona, with a home stand coming in which to make some even louder noise against USC and my Bruins. Whether the Utes win or lose this week, Lynne Roberts seems to have gotten 'em pointed in the right direction, and quicker than expected!
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Marquette Fan
Joined: 06 Mar 2005
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IM in OC
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
Posts: 999
Location: Orange County, CA
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| Posted: 01/25/16 9:52 pm ::: |
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Santa Clara currently at 13-5 and an RPI around 68.
Last season finished 10-18 with an RPI around 224.
Only losses this year are to Washington 15-4
USC 15-5
Gonzaga 14-7
BYU 15-4
San Diego 17-2
Beat Stanford 15-5, when Stanford was still thought to be good(coming off 18 point wins over Gonzaga and 21 point win over George Washington.)
Beat St. Marys 15-4
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taropatch
Joined: 24 Feb 2009
Posts: 814
Location: Kau Rubbish Dump
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| Posted: 01/25/16 11:22 pm ::: |
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| West Virginia looked very good against Baylor. Few go into Waco and lose by "only" 5. They will be looking for an upset this Saturday in Morgantown against this same team. The four losses are -11 -11 -5 -5 all to good programs including future #1 or #2 seeds in March (Texas and Baylor).
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FS02
Joined: 19 Jul 2006
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Location: Husky (west coast) Country
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PrideFan
Joined: 28 Jul 2014
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| Posted: 01/26/16 8:45 am ::: |
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| Obviously I'm a homer, but Hofstra has been a pleasant surprise. I knew they'd be good, but I didn't expect 15-3. And 2 losses have been by 1 point each, so they're 2 points away from being 17-1. They have the best overall record in the CAA, and they're the alone at the top of the conference because JMU has played one less game. They have the best defense in the conference, only allowing 55.8 points a game, and they've blown out several teams, including teams that were perceived as being good.
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
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| Posted: 01/26/16 11:25 am ::: |
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| Even though the preseason record is padded, Oregon has taken a step forward as well.
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ripleydc
Joined: 17 Nov 2004
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Location: Washington, DC
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| Posted: 01/26/16 11:37 am ::: |
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| In the B1G, definitely Purdue.
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22
Joined: 31 Mar 2015
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| Posted: 01/26/16 11:02 pm ::: |
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| ClayK wrote: |
| Even though the preseason record is padded, Oregon has taken a step forward as well. |
How about UCSB, who is 4-2 and in 3d place in their conf after being picked to finish last?...
Their overall record is still pretty weak - but still way ahead of last year's, and the new coach seems to have them moving in the right direction
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PUmatty
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
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Location: Chicago
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| Posted: 01/26/16 11:16 pm ::: |
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| ripleydc wrote: |
| In the B1G, definitely Purdue. |
As a Purdue fan, I am certainly pleasantly surprised.
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
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| Posted: 01/27/16 12:00 pm ::: |
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| 22 wrote: |
| ClayK wrote: |
| Even though the preseason record is padded, Oregon has taken a step forward as well. |
How about UCSB, who is 4-2 and in 3d place in their conf after being picked to finish last?...
Their overall record is still pretty weak - but still way ahead of last year's, and the new coach seems to have them moving in the right direction |
Always glad to boost my alma mater ... Bonnie Henricksen should do well there, though it will take time.
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myrtle
Joined: 02 May 2008
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| Posted: 01/27/16 12:33 pm ::: |
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| ClayK wrote: |
| 22 wrote: |
| ClayK wrote: |
| Even though the preseason record is padded, Oregon has taken a step forward as well. |
How about UCSB, who is 4-2 and in 3d place in their conf after being picked to finish last?...
Their overall record is still pretty weak - but still way ahead of last year's, and the new coach seems to have them moving in the right direction |
Always glad to boost my alma mater ... Bonnie Henricksen should do well there, though it will take time. |
UCSB can't be the most difficult place to recruit!
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if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
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purduefanatic
Joined: 10 Aug 2011
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Location: Indiana
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| Posted: 01/27/16 1:09 pm ::: |
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| myrtle wrote: |
| UCSB can't be the most difficult place to recruit! |
I will never forget when I was coaching in the NCAA's and we got sent to UCSB...right after practice the day before, our team ran out of the gym, across the road and dove in the water. I have often joked to friends that if I had attending UCSB, I probably wouldn't have graduated as there were just too many "distractions". It is beautiful there...and the prices on real estate sure do prove it lol.
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ArtBest23
Joined: 02 Jul 2013
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| Posted: 01/27/16 1:45 pm ::: |
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| purduefanatic wrote: |
| myrtle wrote: |
| UCSB can't be the most difficult place to recruit! |
I will never forget when I was coaching in the NCAA's and we got sent to UCSB...right after practice the day before, our team ran out of the gym, across the road and dove in the water. I have often joked to friends that if I had attending UCSB, I probably wouldn't have graduated as there were just too many "distractions". It is beautiful there...and the prices on real estate sure do prove it lol. |
After your swim you need to wander over to The Beachside, right on the beach just down the hill from UCSB, and have a beer and grilled fresh fish on the patio.
Although for favorite campus, I'll still take Pepperdine over UCSB, but its close.
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patsweetpat
Joined: 14 Jul 2010
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Location: Culver City, CA
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| Posted: 01/27/16 2:36 pm ::: |
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| ArtBest23 wrote: |
| purduefanatic wrote: |
| myrtle wrote: |
| UCSB can't be the most difficult place to recruit! |
I will never forget when I was coaching in the NCAA's and we got sent to UCSB...right after practice the day before, our team ran out of the gym, across the road and dove in the water. I have often joked to friends that if I had attending UCSB, I probably wouldn't have graduated as there were just too many "distractions". It is beautiful there...and the prices on real estate sure do prove it lol. |
After your swim you need to wander over to The Beachside, right on the beach just down the hill from UCSB, and have a beer and grilled fresh fish on the patio.
Although for favorite campus, I'll still take Pepperdine over UCSB, but its close. |
You ain't lyin'. Like purduefanatic, I doubt I could've made it to graduation at *either* Pepperdine or UCSB.
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
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| Posted: 01/28/16 10:34 am ::: |
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And no one has even talked about life in Isla Vista ...
I never lived more than three blocks from the ocean in my time there.
Yes, recruiting to UCSB can be pretty easy, plus it's within relatively easy driving distance of both LA and the Bay Area.
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Howee
Joined: 27 Nov 2009
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Location: OREGON (in my heart)
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summertime blues
Joined: 16 Apr 2013
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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Location: Where the action is
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| Posted: 01/28/16 7:06 pm ::: |
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| ClayK wrote: |
And no one has even talked about life in Isla Vista ...
I never lived more than three blocks from the ocean in my time there.
Yes, recruiting to UCSB can be pretty easy, plus it's within relatively easy driving distance of both LA and the Bay Area. |
Recruiting kids who will stay in the gym and work might be more difficult. Maybe UConn has some advantages after all...
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I ain't got a home
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Queenie
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
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Location: Queens
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| Posted: 01/28/16 7:31 pm ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
| ClayK wrote: |
And no one has even talked about life in Isla Vista ...
I never lived more than three blocks from the ocean in my time there.
Yes, recruiting to UCSB can be pretty easy, plus it's within relatively easy driving distance of both LA and the Bay Area. |
Recruiting kids who will stay in the gym and work might be more difficult. Maybe UConn has some advantages after all... |
Yeah, but you have to be able to get to the gym, and the Sherpas have started charging surge pricing during the winter.
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GEF34
Joined: 23 Jul 2008
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GEF34
Joined: 23 Jul 2008
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| Posted: 01/31/16 11:57 pm ::: |
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| myrtle wrote: |
| ClayK wrote: |
| 22 wrote: |
| ClayK wrote: |
| Even though the preseason record is padded, Oregon has taken a step forward as well. |
How about UCSB, who is 4-2 and in 3d place in their conf after being picked to finish last?...
Their overall record is still pretty weak - but still way ahead of last year's, and the new coach seems to have them moving in the right direction |
Always glad to boost my alma mater ... Bonnie Henricksen should do well there, though it will take time. |
UCSB can't be the most difficult place to recruit! |
The Big West isn't exactly the land of opportunity, and with other programs in the conference playing better I could see players opting to go to programs where they have a much better opportunity to win the conference and advance to the NCAA Tournament and the WNIT. Another thing that I think is key to the success of UC Santa Barbara is the community support, when I was in the Big West UC Santa Barbara would have a big following of fans travel to away games and the Big West Tournament which was held in Anaheim, with the previous coaching staff that fan support began to disappear due to a variety of factors, hopefully this new coaching staff and help bring the community back to the Thunder Dome and the rest of the Big West and bring in better players to get UC Santa Barbara back in contention for the Big West title where they were for some many years.
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summertime blues
Joined: 16 Apr 2013
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Location: Shenandoah Valley
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| Posted: 02/01/16 11:06 am ::: |
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| GEF34 wrote: |
| summertime blues wrote: |
They don't have to be leading the conference or anything, just doing better than you expected and maybe looking like they might be on an up cycle. Mine are probably, in no particular order
Arkansas
Georgia
JMU
Auburn
Missouri State
I don't see as many games as I'd like outside of SEC and CAA.  |
As I posted last season I was not expecting James Madison to do well because I thought they had a lot of question marks in the post. The freshmen, while having made a lot of mistakes which is understandable, have really stepped up and filled the void left by the departing seniors and I have been impressed with their play, from what I have seen and read. You seemed to have a much higher opinion of the team going into the off-season so I'm curious what in your eyes has been the biggest pleasant surprise? |
Kayla Cooper-Williams. She is an amazing freshman center with an ability to block (has already set the JMU frosh record with 5 more conference games to go on the season) *and* score, even throwing in some 3-point bombs on occasion, but more than that, can move really well for a big girl. She's been the best surprise.
Savannah Felgemacher. Now being played at PF, she also moves well for a big girl. She was barely recruited out of HS, but Coach Brooks saw something he liked in her. She is still raw but showing flashes of what she'll be around the basket.
Logan Reynolds. Quick little guard out of the coal country of Wise County, VA. Possibly a replacement for Mickens down the road,
And I can't leave out Hailee Barron. She shoots, she bombs them in from 3 point land, she plays the point when Mickens takes a rest, she plays more minutes than just about anyone. She's a workhorse. Love her.
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It takes 3 years to build a team and 7 to build a program.--Conventional Wisdom
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. Last season it was kind of depressing to go to games but the games are fun again this season. And they've already matched last season's overall and BE win totals and there are 9 league games left to play. Seeing them do better than expected with so much youth (8 frosh, 1 soph and 1 junior) makes me very excited for the future.
