Everything Jakolby Long thread

[heitclone]

Fred didn't set Prohm up very well beyond this year but look at the guys Fred replaced every year, he still got it done. Prohm shouldn't get any excuses or leeway. That said, IMO all we'll need to be a tourney team next year is for the young bigs to step up. Between Ernst, Carter, Young, Malou and Lard, I'd say we have potential at those spots. The other possibility is that we see more CSP's "small ball". I know he was quoted saying that in the big 12 we will need to be big and physical but remember the Mizzou teams from a few years back? They played 5 wings a lot of the time and won the league.

 

[twincyties]

In fairness, I said that if Monte leaves. I think next year hinges a lot on that. Having one of the best - if not the best - PG in cbb makes a huge difference.

 

[Cytasticlone]

This is rubbish. It's Fred's fault? Look, every team, including Kentucky has rebuilding years. Fred set this team up to be his best yet and left it into Prohm's hands. We will obviously take a step back after losing McKay, Nader, Niang, Long, and possibly Monte. But to think a team with Jackson, Cooke, Thomas, Babb, Malou, Burton among others and players yet to be named is not going to make the tourney is pessimistic IMO.

Let Prohm fill out the class before we just dismiss next years team as a bottom half big 12 team as one poster suggested.

Oh, and how bout this Long kid?

Yep. Even though it was the right thing to do, to tell recruits that he couldn't guarantee that he would be here, it's still his fault. Btw, I fully support him leaving and doing it the way he did. Short of lying there wasn't another choice. I hope you're right about making the tourney next year. Prohm did a great job of recruiting with the time and stituation he was given.

 

[CyHans]

This is rubbish. It's Fred's fault? Look, every team, including Kentucky has rebuilding years. Fred set this team up to be his best yet and left it into Prohm's hands. We will obviously take a step back after losing McKay, Nader, Niang, Long, and possibly Monte. But to think a team with Jackson, Cooke, Thomas, Babb, Malou, Burton among others and players yet to be named is not going to make the tourney is pessimistic IMO.

Let Prohm fill out the class before we just dismiss next years team as a bottom half big 12 team as one poster suggested.

Oh, and how bout this Long kid?

Agreed. I don't think we should discount next years team just yet. We're just plain stacked this year and we should savor every moment. It may take some time for next years team to gel being such a turnover in players but there appears to be a lot of talent waiting in the wings. And an added plus is CSP should be able to recruit 2017 pretty darn good off of this years success.

 

[Triggermv]

The drop off next year is inevitable and is Fred's fault, not Prohm's. If we make the NCAAs that will be a nice accomplishment and will be quite impressive.

Totally agree with this. There is no doubt CFH was struggling towards the end of his tenure in back-filling this team with new recruits. Lots of swings and misses, which I truly believe had nearly nothing to due with his lack of recruiting ability, and pretty much all to do with his inability to commit to being at ISU for a recruits tenure (which people has said he did earlier on in his tenure here). With that said, not only was he hurting his own abilities by not committing, but it wasn't a secret out there that other coaches were strongly using it against us as well. I don't blame Fred for this, but it is what it is. I also don't blame the recruits for not wanting to come here either. Happy for Fred, but it is just too bad overall because I can only dream of some of the recruits I believe CFH truly would have landed in these last years if he wasn't looking to move to the next level.

Again, not knocking anyone, it just is what it is. With that said, I'm with Cydkar. None of us are knocking next year's team by calling them a bubble team (with no Morris of course). I love our new recruiting class (keeping TJ on staff had a MAJOR part in this), which I truly believe could easily be the foundation of something truly special down the road. Nevertheless, to expect a team filled nearly with all underclassman to be much more than a bubble team is expecting just a little too much. Yes, I'll call it a rebuilding year, but that is ok. Everyone has them and at least we are doing it with one of our best recruiting classes ever. The future is bright and while we likely won't have a top 10 team, I think next year's team will still be a ton of fun watching them build back up.

Watch now. I'll say all of this and not only will Morris come back, but Prohm will pull a CFH-type rabbit out of his hat by landing the best graduate-transfer in a decade which then leads us onto our first National Championship. In that case, screw my thoughts... go ISU.

 

[Cydkar]

Link?

How 'bout we just make a wager?

 

[Cydkar]

Fred didn't set Prohm up very well beyond this year but look at the guys Fred replaced every year, he still got it done. Prohm shouldn't get any excuses or leeway. That said, IMO all we'll need to be a tourney team next year is for the young bigs to step up. Between Ernst, Carter, Young, Malou and Lard, I'd say we have potential at those spots. The other possibility is that we see more CSP's "small ball". I know he was quoted saying that in the big 12 we will need to be big and physical but remember the Mizzou teams from a few years back? They played 5 wings a lot of the time and won the league.

I knew there would be some.

 

[CyTwins]

How 'bout we just make a wager?

I think ISU makes the tournament next year but I'm not confident enough to bet on it at the moment. Without knowing who we're adding I do think saying "we're a bubble team at best" is pretty crazy to say. I think many said that going into the 2013-14 season and we ended up getting Kane and got a 3 seed.

 

[Cydkar]

I think ISU makes the tournament next year but I'm not confident enough to bet on it at the moment. Without knowing who we're adding I do think saying "we're a bubble team at best" is pretty crazy to say. I think many said that going into the 2013-14 season and we ended up getting Kane and got a 3 seed.

That's fair. If we make the tournament without having to sweat I will make a small donation to the AD in honor of our near wager.

 

[allfourcy]

I think ISU makes the tournament next year but I'm not confident enough to bet on it at the moment. Without knowing who we're adding I do think saying "we're a bubble team at best" is pretty crazy to say. I think many said that going into the 2013-14 season and we ended up getting Kane and got a 3 seed.

Well, yeah....that's the point, we got Kane! And we had Niang, Ejim, Hogue, Monte, and Hogue. Don't feel next year's rebuild compares to 2013 team at all. I don't think saying "we're a bubble team at best" is a guarantee but nor is it crazy at all. Unless of course we get an impact transfer like Kane in a big.

 

[CyTwins]

Well, yeah....that's the point, we got Kane! And we had Niang, Ejim, Hogue, Monte, and Hogue. Don't feel next year's rebuild compares to 2013 team at all. I don't think saying "we're a bubble team at best" is a guarantee but nor is it crazy at all. Unless of course we get an impact transfer like Kane in a big.

Without Kane a lot of people thought we were a bubble team at best. Even if we didn't get Kane we were better than a bubble team. Hogue/Monte/Matt were all newcomers that year just like we'll have a lot of newcomers next year. I just think it's too early to think we'll be great or average

 

[allfourcy]

Fred didn't set Prohm up very well beyond this year but look at the guys Fred replaced every year, he still got it done. Prohm shouldn't get any excuses or leeway. That said, IMO all we'll need to be a tourney team next year is for the young bigs to step up. Between Ernst, Carter, Young, Malou and Lard, I'd say we have potential at those spots. The other possibility is that we see more CSP's "small ball". I know he was quoted saying that in the big 12 we will need to be big and physical but remember the Mizzou teams from a few years back? They played 5 wings a lot of the time and won the league.

Oh boy. Seriously, Prohm gets hired in June, having had no previous relationships built with new recruits, had to take some marginal guys just to fill up a roster, will lose an entire starting lineup, and he's supposed to easily reload? Lets be fair here.

 

[acgclone]

In fairness, I said that if Monte leaves. I think next year hinges a lot on that. Having one of the best - if not the best - PG in cbb makes a huge difference.

There are two big unknown factors that will influence how good we are next year:

1. Does Monte stay or go? This is huge and probably about 50/50.
2. Do we land any immediate transfers?

Without adding any more impact transfers and if Monte leaves, I'd say bubble team is likely.

If Monte stays, we will be a solid tourney team.

If Monte stays and we add one more impact guy, then we could be a top 15-25 team again.

 

[NATEizKING]

We'll have more frontcourt depth than we ever had under Fred but it will all be young. I think it's safe to assume Malou will be good. Step back next year and solid a year after that, need to get a good PG for the future though. I think it's more bubble team at worst next year, Hilton Magic will keep us in the top 6 of the conference and that is normally enough to get in. We get the return game from Cinci and probably a home game in the SEC challenge and also have Drake which is easier than UNI and should be a W. Home schedule sets up nicely next year, and going to Iowa where they will be down as well losing 4 of their 5 starters is a good chance to pick up a respectable road win.

 

[mdk2isu]

Totally agree with this. There is no doubt CFH was struggling towards the end of his tenure in back-filling this team with new recruits. Lots of swings and misses, which I truly believe had nearly nothing to due with his lack of recruiting ability, and pretty much all to do with his inability to commit to being at ISU for a recruits tenure (which people has said he did earlier on in his tenure here). With that said, not only was he hurting his own abilities by not committing, but it wasn't a secret out there that other coaches were strongly using it against us as well. I don't blame Fred for this, but it is what it is. I also don't blame the recruits for not wanting to come here either. Happy for Fred, but it is just too bad overall because I can only dream of some of the recruits I believe CFH truly would have landed in these last years if he wasn't looking to move to the next level.

Again, not knocking anyone, it just is what it is. With that said, I'm with Cydkar. None of us are knocking next year's team by calling them a bubble team (with no Morris of course). I love our new recruiting class (keeping TJ on staff had a MAJOR part in this), which I truly believe could easily be the foundation of something truly special down the road. Nevertheless, to expect a team filled nearly with all underclassman to be much more than a bubble team is expecting just a little too much. Yes, I'll call it a rebuilding year, but that is ok. Everyone has them and at least we are doing it with one of our best recruiting classes ever. The future is bright and while we likely won't have a top 10 team, I think next year's team will still be a ton of fun watching them build back up.

Watch now. I'll say all of this and not only will Morris come back, but Prohm will pull a CFH-type rabbit out of his hat by landing the best graduate-transfer in a decade which then leads us onto our first National Championship. In that case, screw my thoughts... go ISU.

You mean 2nd National Championship. 1st time repeating though. :spinny:

 

[ISUCY23]

Well, yeah....that's the point, we got Kane! And we had Niang, Ejim, Hogue, Monte, and Hogue. Don't feel next year's rebuild compares to 2013 team at all. I don't think saying "we're a bubble team at best" is a guarantee but nor is it crazy at all. Unless of course we get an impact transfer like Kane in a big.

There were a lot of questions going into that year. The only known commodities were Ejim and Niang. We all figured Kane would be good but he wasn't proven at this level yet and he actually exceeded expectations.

 

[501Clone]

Malik Monk is insane.

 

[LLCoolCY]

There are two big unknown factors that will influence how good we are next year:

1. Does Monte stay or go? This is huge and probably about 50/50.
2. Do we land any immediate transfers?

Without adding any more impact transfers and if Monte leaves, I'd say bubble team is likely.

If Monte stays, we will be a solid tourney team.

If Monte stays and we add one more impact guy, then we could be a top 15-25 team again.

There are a lot of factors playing into how the team will perform next year. It is really early in my mind to predict how Burton, Jackson, and Malou will produce against Big 12 competition untill we get them complete their play this year. Really excited to see Burton in a few games. Add them to Monte, Cooke, Thomas and Babb and it is a competitive team. Add an impact Center/PF transfer and the bar is raised. The key to next season at this point rests on Monte's decision in my mind though. Fun as it is to debate next years potential none of us will get a good feel until next summer when th roster is set.

As for Long, Lard, and Young I like their potential long term but projecting an immediate impact from any of them as freshman seems unlikely at this point IMO.

Back to the OP. great to see Long performing well against good HS competiton really think the staff found a good prospect late in the process. He was always viewed as a defensive ready prospect if he can increase his scoring he'll accelerate his contribution once he arrives in Ames. Promising.

 

[isutrevman]

We'll have more frontcourt depth than we ever had under Fred but it will all be young. I think it's safe to assume Malou will be good. Step back next year and solid a year after that, need to get a good PG for the future though. I think it's more bubble team at worst next year, Hilton Magic will keep us in the top 6 of the conference and that is normally enough to get in. We get the return game from Cinci and probably a home game in the SEC challenge and also have Drake which is easier than UNI and should be a W. Home schedule sets up nicely next year, and going to Iowa where they will be down as well losing 4 of their 5 starters is a good chance to pick up a respectable road win.

You know strength of schedule matter is basketball unlike football right? Having a weaker schedule does not help our chances of being a tournament team any more than having a strong schedule hurts it.

 

[ajk4st8]

There are two big unknown factors that will influence how good we are next year:

1. Does Monte stay or go? This is huge and probably about 50/50.
2. Do we land any immediate transfers?

Without adding any more impact transfers and if Monte leaves, I'd say bubble team is likely.

If Monte stays, we will be a solid tourney team.

If Monte stays and we add one more impact guy, then we could be a top 15-25 team again.

Disagree. We will be a tournament team no matter if Monte stays or not. We were so bad for so long that people forget how average you can be and make the field of 64.