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Post by thx4leavinjimlynam on May 3, 2014 1:04:38 GMT -5
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Post by ALioninWinter on May 3, 2014 10:18:32 GMT -5
So far it's looking like the same ol' WCC. Gonzaga is loading up what may be their best roster yet. St. Mary's is getting players that gives them a team who can beat everyone except Gonzaga. USF has some strength. BYU has some strength. Portland has a good nucleus returning. Then there is everyone else. None of the other teams have any eyebrow-raising recruits coming.
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Post by LIONS90045 on May 3, 2014 12:10:04 GMT -5
Winter - you got it right.
The longer we wait to hear about new players, the less optimistic I become (hope to be proven wrong).
Any word on why Brooks left Pepperdine - is he hoping to play for a higher-profile team?
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Post by slblions08 on May 4, 2014 18:13:27 GMT -5
So far it's looking like the same ol' WCC. Gonzaga is loading up what may be their best roster yet. St. Mary's is getting players that gives them a team who can beat everyone except Gonzaga. USF has some strength. BYU has some strength. Portland has a good nucleus returning. Then there is everyone else. None of the other teams have any eyebrow-raising recruits coming. BYU is always a mixed bag because they have guys coming and going based on their Mormon missions. I'm not sure who they will have on thei team next season, but I believe Erik Mika is gone, Collinsworth tore his ACL, so who knows what they'll be. They tend to be good one year, and then shaky the next. However, Tyler Haws brings in his little brother to play the same position but I just checked and saw that he's leaving for his mission this year. They have Noah Hartsock coming back and Jordan Chatam a new kid coming in. St. Mary's is continuing the Australian pipeline despite their recruiting violations. They have 7-footer and a PG, both from down under. In addition, they have a solidly ranked 6-11 guy from San Diego coming in. They'll add a ton of size and will pair that up with a slightly more seasoned backcourt minus Stephen Holt. And Gonzaga brings in Josh Perkins who I think could step in right away and play big minutes at PG. Pangos, Bell and Coleman are an excellent backcourt with Dranginis and Angel Nunez on the wing. Up front they'll have Karnowski, mini-Sabonis and the guy I think poised to shake things up, former Kentucky Wildcat Kyle Wiltjer. They'll be a very athletic team this season with a ton of flexible pieces. They're going to a lose a big post-scoring presence in Sam Dower, so Mark Few will have to figure out a different offensive style then he has the past two years when he had Olynik, Dower and Harris. They're good enough to be top-15 all season long. If Payne and Levin are used in a pick-and-roll type offense, and Levin is in the gym practicing his jump shot, then they will be a very solid 1-2 punch capable of winning 2 or 3 games on their own. If Siame is even 75% of the recruit he was touted as, he could be one of the best big men in the conference. He could be a difference maker against Santa Clara, San Diego, Pepperdine and Pacific. He'll help ups match up against Portland. Between those 3, they have the potential to drag us to 5-6 wins on their own. If Dunlap is as good as a coach he thinks he is, and he brings some schemes on defense or offense, he can add us a win or two. I think based on what we're seeing at the moment, we should be ecstatic to finish near .500 in conference. I think that's basically our ceiling for next season. It's just difficult to tell what Dunlap's vision is at the moment. Is he looking for long term success and development? Or is it winning the short term? If you want to win right now, he should be getting a JUCO pg or a very experienced International to run the offense to free up Payne and find a big guy like Siame inside. This PG should also be able to play defense and not be so undersized since we'll have a short perimeter with 2 SGs. Instead of an older SG, I would love to see us developing a wing off the bench that has high upside. I'd also like to see us add some guys to play defense without fouling. I guess the silence is just killing us at the moment. |
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Post by longtimelionfan on May 4, 2014 18:49:08 GMT -5
slb,
If fryer is correct, the silence you mention in your last sentence is intentional. A few things seem undisputed: (1) Dunlap is intelligent, (2) well respected by knowledgeable basketball people, (3) intentional, and (4) very competitive. If three new players are signed and LMU hasn't officially acknowledged any of them that is not by happenstance. Knowledge is power and my guess is Dunlap doesn't want anyone to know what he's got until he's done. Recently, you were, I hope, sarcastically suggesting that tryouts from the general student body were going to be necessary to find a point guard and fill out a starting five. Until the leak last night about David Humphries, none of us other than, apparently fryer and to a limited extent Aussie Lion, knew of any signings. Now we have a report that three are in the bag including a PG, SF and Humphries. My guess from reading fryer's clues -1 or 2 more - is that we're still in the market for another PG and a front court/wing. I, like you and others on this board, would love to know who we've signed and what's going on but counting on those four undisputed facts above I also must admit I'm intrigued as are, I suspect, our WCC conference mates are too. Dunlap didn't return to LMU to sully a reputation as a master coach built over 30+ years. My guess is Dunlap wants both of your goals - to plant the seeds of a sustainable program and to win now. As an old guy, I'm greedy and want both too! Intrigue can be fun too. Maybe, just maybe, it will be time for the WCC to again fear the Lion! I sure as hell hope so.
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Post by thx4leavinjimlynam on May 4, 2014 21:40:14 GMT -5
Extremely well said, longtimelionfan! I agree. Dunlap has a plan. He isn't going to "punt" this upcoming season. He's 55 years old, has two fantastic rising sophomores, three experienced seniors (Flint, Deji, Okonji) along with Mornar and Siame, I think Dunlap will find a role for each player (and the 2015 offers are available because we will at least have three scholarships available).
It is no secret we need a second point guard, and any JUCO's we get could be looked to make an immediate impact.
I, too, anxiously look forward to the announcement of talented signees.
Go Lions!
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Post by LIONS90045 on May 4, 2014 21:40:31 GMT -5
longtime - good comments - I agree. And don't neglect that fact that Dunlap could be looking for another big who can dominate at Center regardless of Siame's eventual status. That's what I would do in his position if I knew a good big out there to sign, including international, which may be his forte right now.
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Post by slblions08 on May 18, 2014 20:59:15 GMT -5
Byron Wesley committed to Gonzaga today. What what a starting 5 they could roll out. They are definitely a top 12 team on paper. Of course, I've read that Wesley is a ball-hog or a malcontent so he could ruin the chemistry, so it will be up to Mark Few to turn this collection of players into a well-oiled machine. I never saw a team dominate so much in person more than that day a season ago when Gonzaga beat us by like 50 points.
Anyhow, this team could be more talented than their number 1 team from a year ago. As a fan of the WCC, I just hope Few finally puts it together and takes this team at least to the Elite 8. When you look at their starting 5 PG Pangos SG Wesley G Bell Jr F Wiltjer and C Karnowski, there's no excuse to think they couldn't contend for a Pac-12 or Mountain West title . The gap between the 'Zags and the rest of the league will be huge again. If you put up their bench starting 5 (PG Perkins, G Melson F Dranginis F Nunez C Sabonis) that squad would be top 3-4 on its own.
I hope one day we can roll out a team like that! Maybe one day Dunlap will be able to recruit from the Spanish ACB instead of their prep schools.
Unfortunately next season might just be a 1-bid conference for the NCAA tournament since BYU will be battling injuries and departures for the LDS, St. Mary's suspect recruiting and San Fran's loss of Avry Holmes and Cole Dickerson. Well maybe Joe Coleman and Desmond Simmons can be impact for the Gaels. Not too sure about Aaron Bright, since he messed up his shoulder. Either way, I'm still looking forward to see how the WCC looks next year. There's always one team that surprises us. I'm looking at Portland or Santa Clara to make a jump into the top 4.
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Post by ALioninWinter on May 18, 2014 21:58:11 GMT -5
It really is up to the rest of the league to catch up to Gonzaga. I'm happy for the Zags because SLB is right. They look absolutely loaded. But it's distressing to look at the rest of the league. The rest of the league is better than it was a few years ago but it still looks like "Snow White and the seven dwarves."
At this point Portland looks like they might be the second best team. I don't see Santa Clara. They have Brownridge but lost several key players and were already very weak inside. Randy B is a strong coach and will probably put together an effective team. Rex W lost his two best players but usually seems to find the parts he needs to compete for a top-half finish. BYU is one year away. I think the rest of the league looks pretty soft.
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Post by craft on May 19, 2014 22:56:36 GMT -5
In response to the Gonzaga comments, I've always heard that a tide lifts all boats.
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