Michigan at No. 18
The list kind of loses any credibility by considering Wisconsin a top 25 team next season. Still cool to see Michigan back on a ranking list.
UM has some good potential and depth since this years freshmen got some experience that they normally wouldn't have had. But it seems like there are still too many question marks to call us a top 25 team yet. I'd say top 50, top half big ten, but not top 25.
Agreed, need clarity on Levert and/or Brown. If neither, I think it would be a stretch to call us a top 25 team. No doubt better than last year, but not worthy of top 25 in my mind.
UM has some good potential and depth since this years freshmen got some experience that they normally wouldn’t have had. But it seems like there are still too many question marks to call us a top 25 team yet.
I’d say top 50, top half big ten, but not top 25.
From Matt D’s link:
Will be a lot of variation in these early polls as teams that had good finishes to the season are fresh in our mind and teams that got upset early but had good seasons are considered overrated or disappointing. Players are sometimes overrated/underrated based on how they performed in their most visible games.
Surprised not to see Ohio St in there at all.
ESPN way too early top 25 doesn’t include UM…can’t say that I disagree until we know about Levert/Brown. I’m more in line with ESPN, don’t think the B10 will be a great conference next year by any means, but think they will be better than this year. Also think OSU should be in there as well.
I think Eron Harris will =/= Trice. Davis and the improvement from the rest of the team, could offset the Dawson loss. The more interesting thing is that MSU really wasn’t all that impressive this year. They peaked at the right time and kudos to Izzo for his post-season brilliance, but State left much to be desired during the Big Ten regular season.
I like this from the perspective that its shows our potential is being recognized.
I’m interested to see how State makes things work next year without Dawson and Trice, who had a great final third of the year.
Matt hits the nail on the head here. MAAR and Dawkins are serviceable starters, but their role should really be coming off the bench. A healthy Walton and LeVert always Dawkins to be the 2013/2014 Zak Irvin role and allows MAAR to be a change of pace PG when the offense needs a spark. They can excel in these roles, IMO, and anything extra (in terms of development) would just be gravy.
Agreed. I’m excited about the possibility of having some proven depth on the bench some years down the line. Depending on recruiting, they can fill starting roles as more experienced players somewhat like a Douglass or Novak (note, not trying to draw a comparison in skill, just experience/leadership) after next season. If they embrace their roles on the team coming off the bench for 2015-2016, they will spell the starters very adequately as pieces around a Walton, LeVert, Irvin next year.
EDIT: some grammar and clarity I hope.
A healthy Levert and Walton allows the other dominos to fall where they are most comfortable as opposed to placing them in positions that perhaps their skillsets are not prepared for. That is huge. Assuming Caris returns I think we are an above average team that can possibly be good, but lack the top end talent to be good/great. Throw Brown in the equation and we are good and possibly great dependent on Doyle as a rebounder.
Matt hits the nail on the head here. MAAR and Dawkins are serviceable starters, but their role should really be coming off the bench. A healthy Walton and LeVert always Dawkins to be the 2013/2014 Zak Irvin role and allows MAAR to be a change of pace PG when the offense needs a spark. They can excel in these roles, IMO, and anything extra (in terms of development) would just be gravy.
Oh, I forgot about probably the best team next year, Maryland. Just can’t get used to them being in the Big Ten.
they must laugh when they put Villanova in the preseason Top 10.
Cause we all know they don’t have a post season (haha!)
I think Indiana is looking good for next year. Yogi, Blackmon, and Williams plus the 5 Star center coming in to help much needed inside. They seem like a Notre Dame 2014-2015 type team next year.
Are Wisconsin and Michigan the two waiting for the biggest decisions still?
Purdue should be solid with their whole roster coming back.
MSU will have a solid crew as well.
@LAW, I feel like Irvin already took that next step. I’d be more worried that we saw a mirage than I would be concerned about further incremental progression. Obviously the best scenario is the player we saw at the end of the year WITH further incremental progression.
Similar story for Dawkins and his end of the year run.
But (as you can probably tell) I frankly don’t think this team requires a bunch of guys to disproportionately improve. Simply adding LeVert (assuming he comes back), Walton, Robinson, and potentially Wilson into last year’s depth chart is already a full makeover. Obviously having everyone a year older and more experienced in the system will make a big impact (especially defensively), I just don’t think we NEED huge “sophomore leaps” to be a Sweet 16 kind of team. And hopefully we get that anyway, particularly out of Chatman and Doyle.
All of it is useless until rosters are set. Just something fun to pass time
I would agree that with Brown and Levert, we could be a Final Four contender. But I don’t think we get Brown.
If just Levert returns, who knows? If everything breaks right, I could see a top 15-20 ranking, maybe a 4-5 seed, and a couple tourney wins. But I could easily see a 7-9 type seed, too. A lot will depend on the ability of guys like Doyle, Chatman, Irvin, Dawkins, and MAAR to take that next step, and the ability of Walton and Levert to return healthy and productive. It would also help to know what we have with Robinson, Wagner and Wilson.
I do think the Big Ten will be pretty strong. I’d say Michigan, Michigan State, OSU, IU, Purdue, Wisconsin, and potentially Illinois are all tourney teams.
Lunardi has us as an 11 seed in a play in game.
I think it’s important that everyone realizes it’s not just Michigan “homers” and Beilein-fanatics that think Michigan could be solid next year.
I think it's important that everyone realizes it's not just Michigan "homers" and Beilein-fanatics that think Michigan could be solid next year.
I don’t think there’s any doubt we’ll be solid, but whether we’re solid, good, or elite is predicated upon Levert and/or Brown in my opinion.