BOLD Predictions for the 17/18 Season
- Thread starter Ish0522
- Start date
Looking at the Big 10 rosters, iMHO, NU has the no. 1 or 2 PG (McIntosh and Nate Mason) and SG (Lindsey and Tony Carr) in the league. Vic Law is the no. 3, 4 SF (Miles Bridges, Justin Jackson and Vince Edwards) and no. 6 Center in Pardon (Happ, Wagner, Haas, Lynch, Watkins). Next season, if Pardon continues to develop, he could be the no. 1 or 2 Center in the lesgue. The Falzon/Skelly duo looks to be the no. 8 PF in the Big 10 and could move up if Falzon emerges and gets back to his FR form. Then our bench is as solid as ever with Skelly, Gaines, Bensen, Brown, Rap and Ash. MSU and Minny will get all the pub but NU’s roster ranks with anyone in the Big 10.
NU definitely isn't getting short changed on the preseason publicity front. And MSU is absolutely loaded this season.
MSU has high expectations but Cassius Winston and Josh Langford did not impress my last season and I thought Bridges was solid but I thought Nick Ward was more productive last season. I saw Izzo many times acting like the petulant child and shaking his head and yelling at Bridges. Now he is the no. 1 player in the nation per many preseason mags. Expectations will be very high for MSU and will be tough to achieve. They do have the most physical talent in the Big 10.
Honestly there is so much hype around this team that it's hard to make any bold optimistic predictions.
The best thing we all can hope for is for the injury bug to STAY AWAY and just let this talented group of guys show their stuff on the court.
The best thing we all can hope for is for the injury bug to STAY AWAY and just let this talented group of guys show their stuff on the court.
Now THAT'S bold. Swanigan was the only B1G player to do so last season. Draymond Green was the last player to do it before Caleb, in 2011-12. Pretty rare.
On the one hand, yes. On the other - he was 8.6/8.0 last year - it seems attainable.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/dererk-pardon-1/gamelog/
At least 8 different players will be our individual game high scorer over the course of the season.
I hope this (Law primary 4) is not the case. I think the Cats project to be a stronger team overall if one or more of Falzon, Skelly, or Rap step up to be a significant positive contributor allowing Gaines to be a true Wing coming off the bench. Lindsey and Law will need the rest to still have their legs late in games and deep into tournaments where there are fewer rest days between games. This is a solhorter, packed season. Rest will be key. I really hope that BMac plays just under 30 mpg spelled by Brown and Ash. In my on-paper ideal world, Lindsey and Law play closer to 25 mpg. Rotations and average minutes looking like:
Lead Guard / 1 (40 mins)
BMac - 30
Brown - 5
Ash - 5
Wings / 2&3 (80 mins)
Lindsey - 25
Law - 20
Gaines - 20
Brown - 10
Ash - 5
PF / 4 (40 mins)
Falzon - 15
Skelly - 10
Rap - 10
Law - 5
C / 5 (40 mins)
Pardon - 20
Benson - 10
Skelly - 10
Fun to speculate! Will be more fun to see what actually transpires. So much depends on health.
Should cruise to big ten regulare season champs. 28 wins. Lindsey 20ppg. Pardon 12 rpg. Mac 8 apg.
I am boldly predicting that Gaines will assert himself and *take* the minutes - that he'll be too productive to justify even 20 minutes on the bench.
With Law having earned 28-32 mpg, many of those will have to come at the four. It's modern hoop.
Gaines owned a scrimmage, didja hear?
Good to see you back on the bball board, Lansing. Hope you stick around!
Don't know how bold these are, but here goes:
* First season ever with single-digit losses
* Ish leads team in scoring in at least two Big Ten wins.
* Pardon has at least five games with at least 15 rebounds. At least two over 20.
* NU reaches top 10 for at least part of the season
* B-Mac is third on the team in scoring for the year, but leads Big 10 in assists/game
* NU gets another crack at Gonzaga, this time in the third round of the tourney. NU students will have shirts printed with a picture of CCC making the hand-through-the-basket gesture and will be wearing them during the game.
* Dick Vitale will come to Evanston for at least one game. He may even refer to Gaines as a "Diaper Dandy". We'll roll our eyes, while secretly thinking it's cool, we've arrived.
* At least two players on the Cats score over 30 in a game this year.
* First season ever with single-digit losses
* Ish leads team in scoring in at least two Big Ten wins.
* Pardon has at least five games with at least 15 rebounds. At least two over 20.
* NU reaches top 10 for at least part of the season
* B-Mac is third on the team in scoring for the year, but leads Big 10 in assists/game
* NU gets another crack at Gonzaga, this time in the third round of the tourney. NU students will have shirts printed with a picture of CCC making the hand-through-the-basket gesture and will be wearing them during the game.
* Dick Vitale will come to Evanston for at least one game. He may even refer to Gaines as a "Diaper Dandy". We'll roll our eyes, while secretly thinking it's cool, we've arrived.
* At least two players on the Cats score over 30 in a game this year.
I went to a basketball "midnight madness" type event for the start of a season many moons ago, and Dickie was the host. He really did a good job and made the event fun.
That said, I'm sick of his schtick and don't really care if he does an NU game. And if he comes to Evanston he'll miss a good game in Allstate Arena!
Ok... I'm a lifelong Northwestern fan. Pessimism is ingrained in me to my core. All of these positive predictions are freaking me out. My bold predictions are:
1. We surprisingly struggle to find a replacement for Lumpkin at the 4
2. BMac and Lindsay struggle from three-point range
3. Pardon emerges to be an all conference type player (even the pessimistic me sees Pardon stardom as a lock)
4. This team takes a step back and misses the NCAAs
Now, I will go and pray that 3 of these 4 predictions never come true.
1. We surprisingly struggle to find a replacement for Lumpkin at the 4
2. BMac and Lindsay struggle from three-point range
3. Pardon emerges to be an all conference type player (even the pessimistic me sees Pardon stardom as a lock)
4. This team takes a step back and misses the NCAAs
Now, I will go and pray that 3 of these 4 predictions never come true.
What a downer! But I share your fears on Nos. 1 and 4. I think BMac and Lindsay will be around the same as they were last year, and Pardon will get better this year. But I'm pessimistic about Falzon, Skelly, and Rap being able to replace the production of Lumpkin and Taphorn. Allstate Arena could also cost us 1 or 2 games. I do think we'll get into the tournament, but it'll be as close as last year.
Will start games with:
McIntosh
Lindsey
Law
Skelly
Pardon
Will end games with:
McIntosh
Gaines
Lindsey
Law
Pardon
*subject to matchup adjustments
McIntosh
Lindsey
Law
Skelly
Pardon
Will end games with:
McIntosh
Gaines
Lindsey
Law
Pardon
*subject to matchup adjustments
Anything less than BT Defensive MVP for Ash would be a disappointment! I see Ash leading a stout defense and we hold most teams to less than 10 first downs a game!
...falling precipitously out of the first round the day of the draft as the media reports all of his bow ties are fake (pre-tied).