Way Too Early Top 25s

Cougar Basketball
102

Idk, I thought we were pretty deep last year. We started the season with Mills, Chaney, Mark, and Roberts coming off the bench. Mills was a preseason all-conference player. Cheney was an athletic experienced transfer from Arkansas. Mark was highly touted and started the season strong, and Roberts showed promise as a rebounding machine. Although Mills left we got Fabian back before the tournament and that gave us another experienced PF to man the middle. At that point we had White, Gresham (one of the best shot blockers in the conference), and Mark coming off the bench. All three of those guys gave us a lift more often than not.

I guess from my perspective I saw a pretty deep bench. Not to take anything away from our players but we all know Baylor was at another level talent-wise.

Regardless, I’m excited to see how this years team develops. We have a lot of young promising players, and the potential is there to be better than last year’s team depending on how fast the young players develop and whether Mark takes a leap forward. I’m particularly interested to how Shead is progressing.

103

Talent wise Texas is top 3. The question with Texas is can Coach Beard handle the egos? Lot of players that were all conference last year coming in as transfers being asked to accept a bench role. Make no mistake Texas is loaded. When you land 6 of the top 30 basketball transfers (3 out of the top 5 according to espn) and bring back 2 all conference players you’re going to be ranked top 5/10 regardless of what school you are.

104

Texas’ problem has always been alumni sticking their noses into athletics because they think they know best.

Heck
look at our football board
there’s a few hundred “experts” over there that obviously know waaaay better than Renu, Pez and Dana. Fortunately, most do not carry a big enough stick that their gameday opinions matter. With Texas, the alumni do carry enough weight to affect the program. Moving forward, I hope UH never reaches that level alumni jackassery.

2 Likes
105

I think this year’s Texas team will be like last year’s Tech team. Very talented but destined to underachieve because of a lack of chemistry and coaching. Beard’s teams choke and fold under pressure. Overrated imo.

106

Edit: They fold unless they are making a run to the national championship game.

107

Folded in the title game

108

In the coming years, the Big12 is going to brutally tough. We may supplant the Big10 as the conference that the talking-heads all think every team should go to the Tournament from.

109

On the future Big 12:

*Kansas: Bill Self, only 58 yrs old, elite program. Will continue to be

*Baylor: they had 2 great seasons because of Mitchell, Teague and Butler. Can they continue that excellence? Very good program, recruit well.

*Oklahoma St: Mike Boyton, good recruiter, has the program in the right direction. Could he be drawn to a bigger job in the future?

*West Virginia: Bob Huggins, 68 years old. How many more years for Huggy. Roy, and Coach K are retiring. Very good program, but if Huggins leaves, will there be a drop off

*Texas Tech: Mark Adams, former Beard Assistant. Big year for him. They have a talented roster this year. Terrance Shannon and Kevin Obanor. This will be a good gauge of how good Mark Adams. The talent is there for them to return to the Tournament

*TCU: Jaime Dixon, going into 6th season as HC. Has only made the tournament 1 time. Average program

*Kansas St: Bruce Weber as coach, if he has another poor season, I see him being fired. Program not in a great place

*Iowa State: when Fred Hoiberg was there, they were a very good program. Steve Prohm, came in and won with Hoibergs guys. But once those guys left, the program sank. Program not in a good spot.

*BYU: if Mark Pope stays at BYU, I see them being a very competitive program going forward. He coaches offense well, which will attract talented players.

*UCF: Johnny Dawkins, I see them struggling in the Big 12. Only made the tournament 1 time in 5 seasons. They’re AAC record is close to .500. Just not a consistent program. Could Dawkins be let go?

*Cincinnati: the John Brannen situation was a disaster. I feel bad for him cause i know he lost his Dad last year. But obviously wasn’t a good coach. Cincinnati has lost their identity. They played tough, gritty basketball for 20 years. Wes Miller as head coach, he’s had 5 straight solid seasons at UNC Greensboro. He better get off to a good start in his tenure, or else he won’t be here long

1 Like
110

Rankings the programs (editted/revised):

  1. KANSAS

2.BAYLOR

  1. HOUSTON

4.OKLAHOMA ST

  1. TEXAS TECH

  2. WEST VIRGINIA (moved West Virginia down cause once Huggins retires, which will be in the next 5 years, whos chomping at the bit for this job? Not so easy to recruit there either. But still a winning program)

  3. BYU

8a.TCU

8b. KANSAS ST

8c. IOWA ST

  1. CINCINNATI

  2. UCF

111

We should definitely be tied for second or just second. Don’t really know what you’re basing that ranking on and having us as a final four team behind WVU who got eliminated round of 32


112

West Virginia has played the tough Big 12 schedule. They usually are a Sweet 16 contender most years.

If we jumped into the Big 12 right now, it would be a culture shock. Instead of Tulane, Tulsa, ECU, we’re playing legit P5 teams every night. Would we have a .500 conference record? No, but @KU, @Baylor, @West Virginia, @Texas Tech, @ Ok St, @TCU. Those would be tough games

Thats why I give West Virginia the edge over us right now. They know how to win on the road in that conference

Final Four run was great. But we’ve also lost to Tulsa twice and ECU in the past 2 years.

I love the Coogs, but our offense definitely struggles on the road. At Home, I feel like we can beat anybody.

West Virginia has been down a little these last 2-3 years. So you may be right about us being higher than them. Higher than Baylor? Probably not. #3 is fair

4 Likes
113

I would put us third. We don’t have a problem with culture in our program. So, there won’t be any shock, I assure you.

2 Likes
114

Culture shock was the wrong word. What I meant was the grind of playing higher level talent every night of the week, will not be easy for our team.

In the AAC, Tulane, ECU, South Florida, Temple. We can play average and still beat those teams.

In the Big 12, you play average on the road, you lose.

Our recruiting will get better by joining this conference. It already has come along way.

But, this season with full arenas, packed crowds, let’s see how we play on the road.

Last Season, with Covid, barely any fans. Lost @Tulsa, @Wichita, @ECU. Didn’t play @Memphis or @cincy

The 19-20 season, losses @SMU, @Cincy, @UCONN, @Memphis, @Tulsa.

New team, I get it. So we’ll see this year

115

Almost everyone loses games on the road in every conference. It’s normal and to be expected. UH has become a very good team, but we’re not going to be a dominant team in any conference.

3 Likes
116

What will change in a P5 conference is that you will be able to tolerate more losses and still get in the NCAA tourney.

In our league you better have fewer losses or it is the NIT.

5 Likes
117
1 Like
118

I mean we’re dominant in the American so


119

Huh? What makes you think that?

I can recall a time when I saw Memphis (w/Coach John Calipari) being dominant in C-USA, but I’ve yet to see UH or anyone else being dominant in the AAC.

120

Do you actually watch the games?

121

We have been best program but agree I wouldn’t say dominant. We have only won the conference tourney once and didn’t win the conference last year and were in a 3 way tie for first in COVID canceled season.

Kansas run in Big 12 and Memphis in CUSA was dominant in my mind where you are win the league numerous years in a row.

1 Like