Outlook for next year (long)

[cyismydog]

Well, I'm home sick, and I'm bored out of my mind, so I thought I would write this up
Next year's outlook
PG-
Diante Garret, JR- Diante will bring a lot of experience to the table next year. Right now, I think there's a good chance he will play about half and half between the 1 and the 2. He can break down a lot of people off the dribble, but he really needs to improve his shooting. Give Diante a jump-shot, and he has a huge ceiling. Hopefully he spends a lot of time in the gym working on his shot, and time in the weight-room wouldn't hurt either
Dominique Buckley Soph-Dominique has been earning more and more playing time of late. He is a very good ball handler, and a distributor type. He'll probably never average more than 7 points a game, but he'll put up gaudy assist and assist to turnover ratios. The biggest thing holding Buck back right now is his defense....he's still got a lot to learn, but once he masters the concepts of man to man defense, I think he'll earn quite a bit of playing time.
Chris Colvin FR-Right now, Colvin is a big wild-card. He has the potential to be an All Big 12 performer eventually, but how he'll do as a freshman is really hard to predict. The thing's he has going for him right now are his size, strenth and athleticism, not to mention his ability to really create off the dribble. Right now, he's a very solid defender, but you never can tell how that will transfer to the Big 12. (For instance, Buck was his team's stopper.)
2-guard
Diante Garret-I think Diante will get some time at the 2 if he can improve his shooting. A Diante and Buckley/Colvin backcourt will really give us a lot of options, since all three have a great penetration ability
Lucca Staiger- He obviously needs to get quicker, and work on his ball handling and conditioning, but with his shooting ability, when our point guards penetrate and draw help, Lucca will be able to take the kick-out and make them pay for helping on our penetrators
Scott Christopherson- A good three point shooter, Christopherson isn't overly quick, but is quicker than Lucca. He is strong, and has a very good mid-range game, though he usually wont' take it all the way to the hole
Wes Eikmeier- He's going to be a good one before he's done at ISU. Right now, he just really needs to hit the weight room hard. It would have been good if he could have red-shirted, but we don't have enough depth in the back-court for that. I think next year, Wes will be a lot better, adn by his senior year he will be an outstanding player for us, since he can shoot it from deep, and is a great ball-handler and penetrator, and is also pretty quick. His biggest limitation right now is the fact that he doesn't have anywhere near a Big 12 body.
Charles Boozer-I see a big drop in Booze's playing time next year. We will have a good option at the three in Gilstrap, and the team is really deep at the 2. Booze will really have to improve his ball-handling to get a chance at much playing time at all. He may get some minutes to get Gilstrap a rest
SF- Marquis Gilstrap-SR Gilstrap is exactly what this team needs. He is a major upgrade at the three position. He is strong, quick, and athletic. He is shooting 44% from three range this year, has a deadly mid range game, and can drive to the hole. He can also throw down some ridiculous dunks, and with his frame, can play inside if the need arises. Gilstrap will probably play 35-38 minutes a night. He is really good at scoring from anywhere on the floor. He's an average defender, but could become really good at defense if he focuses more on theh defensive end of the court. He has all the tools to be a great defender, but from what I've heard he goes for the steal or the block a lot instead of playing good solid defense, but I think his Defense will really improve under the tutelage of our coaching staff
Lucca and Booze will probably get spot minutes here if Gilstrap is in foul trouble, or needs a rest
PF
Craig Brackins-JR Craig will be a viable player of the year candidate next year if he can improve even half as much from his sophomore to junior year as he did from his freshman to sophomore year. He is a great scorer, and if he gets a little stronger, he has the potential to be even better. He's an okay defender, but can't do some of the thing he'd like to do because this year our team is screwed if he gets in foul trouble. With Gilstrap next year, teams will be forced to pick their poision, because if they double Craig like they do this year, Gilstrap can hit the outside shots, and he can penetrate too.
LA Pomlee-LA's 6'7, but he's extremely long, and has put on a ton of weight in the weight room. LA's also extremely athletic, probably the best athlete on our team. I think LA will get some minutes at the 4 this year, and he will greatly improve our team on the defensive end, as he's a great shot blocker, and in the rebounding department
C
Jaime Vanderbeken-Jaime will get a lot of pt to make people pay for Double teaming Craig, and if he continues to shoot the ball like he did last night, we will be a really dangerous team. JVB really does need to improve on the defensive end next year though.
Justin Hamilton-Justin continues to improve, and next year he will be a lot better. He is continually working to develop new post moves, and also will get a lot of garbage points on put-backs, etc.
Craig also might play the 5 if we decide to go with a small athletic line-up, such as
Buckley/Colvin
DG
Gilstrap/Lucca
Gilstrap/ Pomlee
Craig
In closing, I think we will be an NCAA team for sure next year. We will have upgrades at every position, whether it be through off-season improvement, or through new guys. Gilstrap will bring the extra dimension that this team is sorely lacking, and we will be a new team next year. I know I'm a glass half-full kind of guy, but with the way this is stacking up, we are a potention top 4 Big 12 finisher, depending on several factors, but we will be much improved from last year, and should be an NCAA tournament team.

[Al_4_State]

Well, I'm home sick, and I'm bored out of my mind, so I thought I would write this up
Next year's outlook
PG-
Diante Garret, JR- Diante will bring a lot of experience to the table next year. Right now, I think there's a good chance he will play about half and half between the 1 and the 2. He can break down a lot of people off the dribble, but he really needs to improve his shooting. Give Diante a jump-shot, and he has a huge ceiling. Hopefully he spends a lot of time in the gym working on his shot, and time in the weight-room wouldn't hurt either
Dominique Buckley Soph-Dominique has been earning more and more playing time of late. He is a very good ball handler, and a distributor type. He'll probably never average more than 7 points a game, but he'll put up gaudy assist and assist to turnover ratios. The biggest thing holding Buck back right now is his defense....he's still got a lot to learn, but once he masters the concepts of man to man defense, I think he'll earn quite a bit of playing time.
Chris Colvin FR-Right now, Colvin is a big wild-card. He has the potential to be an All Big 12 performer eventually, but how he'll do as a freshman is really hard to predict. The thing's he has going for him right now are his size, strenth and athleticism, not to mention his ability to really create off the dribble. Right now, he's a very solid defender, but you never can tell how that will transfer to the Big 12. (For instance, Buck was his team's stopper.)
2-guard
Diante Garret-I think Diante will get some time at the 2 if he can improve his shooting. A Diante and Buckley/Colvin backcourt will really give us a lot of options, since all three have a great penetration ability
Lucca Staiger- He obviously needs to get quicker, and work on his ball handling and conditioning, but with his shooting ability, when our point guards penetrate and draw help, Lucca will be able to take the kick-out and make them pay for helping on our penetrators
Scott Christopherson- A good three point shooter, Christopherson isn't overly quick, but is quicker than Lucca. He is strong, and has a very good mid-range game, though he usually wont' take it all the way to the hole
Wes Eikmeier- He's going to be a good one before he's done at ISU. Right now, he just really needs to hit the weight room hard. It would have been good if he could have red-shirted, but we don't have enough depth in the back-court for that. I think next year, Wes will be a lot better, adn by his senior year he will be an outstanding player for us, since he can shoot it from deep, and is a great ball-handler and penetrator, and is also pretty quick. His biggest limitation right now is the fact that he doesn't have anywhere near a Big 12 body.
Charles Boozer-I see a big drop in Booze's playing time next year. We will have a good option at the three in Gilstrap, and the team is really deep at the 2. Booze will really have to improve his ball-handling to get a chance at much playing time at all. He may get some minutes to get Gilstrap a rest
SF- Marquis Gilstrap-SR Gilstrap is exactly what this team needs. He is a major upgrade at the three position. He is strong, quick, and athletic. He is shooting 44% from three range this year, has a deadly mid range game, and can drive to the hole. He can also throw down some ridiculous dunks, and with his frame, can play inside if the need arises. Gilstrap will probably play 35-38 minutes a night. He is really good at scoring from anywhere on the floor. He's an average defender, but could become really good at defense if he focuses more on theh defensive end of the court. He has all the tools to be a great defender, but from what I've heard he goes for the steal or the block a lot instead of playing good solid defense, but I think his Defense will really improve under the tutelage of our coaching staff
Lucca and Booze will probably get spot minutes here if Gilstrap is in foul trouble, or needs a rest
PF
Craig Brackins-JR Craig will be a viable player of the year candidate next year if he can improve even has as much from his sophomore to junior year as he did from his freshman to sophomore year. He is a great scorer, and if he gets a little stronger, he has the potential to be even better. He's an okay defender, but can't do some of the thing he'd like to do because this year our team is screwed if he gets in foul trouble. With Gilstrap next year, teams will be forced to pick their poision, because if they double Craig like they do this year, Gilstrap can hit the outside shots, and he can penetrate too.
LA Pomlee-LA's 6'7, but he's extremely long, and has put on a ton of weight in the weight room. LA's also extremely athletic, probably the best athlete on our team. I think LA will get some minutes at the 4 this year, and he will greatly improve our team on the defensive end, as he's a great shot blocker, and in the rebounding department
C
Jaime Vanderbeken-Jaime will get a lot of pt to make people pay for Double teaming Craig, and if he continues to shoot the ball like he did last night, we will be a really dangerous team
Justin Hamilton-Justin continues to improve, and next year he will be a lot better. He is continually working to develop new post moves, and also will get a lot of garbage points on put-backs, etc.
Craig also might play the 5 if we decide to go with a small athletic line-up, such as
Buckley/Colvin
DG
Gilstrap/Lucca
Gilstrap/ Pomlee
Craig
In closing, I think we will be an NCAA team for sure next year. We will have upgrades at every position, whether it be through off-season improvement, or through new guys. Gilstrap will bring the extra dimension that this team is sorely lacking, and we will be a new team next year. I know I'm a glass half-full kind of guy, but with the way this is stacking up, we are a potention top 4 Big 12 finisher, depending on several factors, but we will be much improved from last year, and should be an NCAA tournament team.

Did you mean "stoned"? I'd give my right nut for that result, but right now I think I have a better chance to go home and find Saquatch in my living room than we have of making the tournament. That's great that you have that kind of optimism, but I just can't buy it....

[d4nim4l]

What do you think about the potential for Eik to redshirt next year? Or would we still not have the depth at guard to justify it?

[madcityCY]

Well written, thanks for the thoughts- always appreciate.

ps: tutelage - good word.

[cyismydog]

What do you think about the potential for Eik to redshirt next year? Or would we still not have the depth at guard to justify it?

JMO, it's definitely an option, with our depth. He needed a rs this year, plus his hip and back are bothering him, though I don't know what the prognosis is for recover time.

[nickwc]

deep at the 2???? not sure where you get that idea. just because we have a lot of people who play the 2 does not mean we are deep.

[kg-cyclone]

JMO, it's definitely an option, with our depth. He needed a rs this year, plus his hip and back are bothering him.

I would also like to see him redshirt...he's not a pro player obviously, but has a chance to be a very solid college player...

[ISUonthemove]

We are not a Tournament team next year. That would mean Gilstrap, Colvin, Christopherson and Pomlee are all GREAT. I'm not sure we will make the move from bottom dweller to the top half of the conference in one year. What really scares me is that Gilstrap and possibly Craig will be gone after next year. Which means it will be tough to go Dancing in GMac's 5th year.

[kg-cyclone]

deep at the 2???? not sure where you get that idea. just because we have a lot of people who play the 2 does not mean we are deep.

Eik, Lucca, Christopherson, Boozer, DG/Buckley/Colvin(one will be at the 2), and Lee...6 players for 1 spot.

[Landshark]

Love the optimism, we (I) need more of that. I should print this off and keep it in my wallet this offseason.

Aahh to be young and full of idealism, I miss that...good job out of you young cyismydog!!!! Goodluck with your studies!!!!

[mt85]

If CB comes back next year, I agree that this will be an NCAA team.

[madcityCY]

What Big 12 players will be gone after this year, (subsequently teams may decline). I'll start the list:

Blake Griffin - OU
?? Collins ?? - KU
AJ Abrams - UT
DeMarre Carroll - MU
Matt Lawrence - MU
Byron Eaton - OSU
Terrell Harris - OSU
Dagundaro - kNU
Carter - aTm

[CloneIce]

I think we can forget the pipe dream of Garrett becoming a good jump-shooter. Its extremely rare for a player with no jump shot to develop one for the first time at the age of 20. But, I do think he can improve his finishing ability on layups (seems to be improving the last few games) and become a better floor general. I would also really like to see Garrett improve his ability to run a fast break effectively.

I still think we can be an NCAA team if Brackins returns. We are not that far away from several more wins this year, and if the returning players make natural progressions in their game and Gilstrap is the type of player he looks to be, we can make the leap. Obviously its dependent on CB coming back.

[kg-cyclone]

What Big 12 players will be gone after this year, (subsequently teams may decline). I'll start the list:

Blake Griffin - OU
AJ Abrams - UT
DeMarre Carroll - MU
Matt Lawrence - MU

Are you talking top of the Big 12 or Big 12 is general?

Baylor loses senior gaurds

Will Collins go pro? KU is totally different team without him.

[nickwc]

Eik, Lucca, Christopherson, Boozer, DG/Buckley/Colvin(one will be at the 2), and Lee...6 players for 1 spot.

IMO just because you have a lot of players at the 2 it doesn't mean that you are deep. what i see out of that list of players between eik lucca, christopherson, and Lee are all average at best. To be deep you need guys who can come off the bench and make an impact..I haven't seen that out of any of those guys.