Obviously with the quality recruits & guys sitting out, the team will improve. Duh! That said, I strongly feel next season will be one with ups & downs. Fifteen wins or so would be a fair expectation in my opinion. The unanswered question is can this staff become proficient in X&O and game preparation areas? If we give them a pass with current team, it seems fair to judge their results next season.
On the X&O side, assuming St. Jean is the main cog there, I still wonder whether this is a lot to expect from a 23 year old guy without much experience. I had hoped CM would would add a guy with that background to help him get acclimated to coaching. As much as I appreciate having Slice, IMO that is not his forte. Kudos on the recruiting front, but jury is out on coaching in my opinion. Still keeping the faith, but keeping my expectations in some perspective.
I think the promise of a 15 win season will keep the Alkins/Makers of the world looking elsewhere. Everyone pretty knows, I'm no pollyanna...but with the players we've recruited so far along with what we return should bring us at least 20 wins.
Right now, the team has no point guard. That's like a football team with no quarterback. Next year, we'll have a decent point guard.
I'm also reading the players who are coming can hit shots. We're missing players who can hit shots. We're missing players who can hit free throws.
I'm up in the air about the coaching. I don't think we'd have this record if Larry Brown or Bobby Knight were here. I'm not advocating them, but I'm addressing the coaching. We run plays and get good shots. The shots don't fall because most of the players we have can't shoot. That's not Mullin's fault...I don't think.
The bottom line is for the most part, the team with the better players come out on top.
Would agree a 20 win team would be possible with Alkins & Maker, but I don't expect either.
How about a 6'8 - 6" 10 , 250 - 270, 3 star power forward / center type. A bruising rebounding maniac type ( Rico Gathers ). I 'd gladly go to war with 1 of those, rather then Alkins and Maker. Anyone on the horizon ? Maybe a JUCO off of Ahmed's team. I'd settle for what Thomas was supposed to be.
Ahmed's team is very small...he plays a lot of four for them and appears to be doing well according to stats and articles. Obviously, I am a huge fan of playing stretches with a smaller forward at the four that can hold his own on d and the glass and hurt the opposition more on the other end...so that is good news. RF also figures to play this role so there will be good versatility from those two.
The team really doesn't have that one space eater most fans crave. I've always been partial to the Maryland combo of Baxter and Wilcox...one wide body to box out and own position with a long athletic big to sky in while the other bigs dig in to battle Baxter.
Strength training has really been lacking at St. John's for a long time. Obekpa is the only guy who visibly added muscle from the last squad while there are a half-dozen players on seemingly every other high-major roster that look like they live in the weight room.