2012-2013 A10 pre-season thread

[SquidLegs]

Originally Posted by Blue Blobster

Xavier HAS the better/best recruiting class.

C'mon now. Some X fan pipes up about having the best recruiting class in the A10 each year. Let's look at the guys who Chris Mack has brought in since he was head coach:

2009: Jeff Robinson

2010: Jay Canty, Jordan Latham, Justin Martin, Griffin McKenzie, Travis Taylor

2011: Dee Davis, Dezmine Wells, Andre Walker

Dezmine Wells is probably the best recruit of the lot. What other player in the last three recruiting classes is worthy of all the X hype over recruiting? Certainly there have been better recruiting classes than these in the A10. So can't we be at least a little bit skeptical about another "best recruiting class"?

[A10fan2]

Do you really call Taylor and Walker recruits? WOW

You can are are always trying to be skeptical. The problem for you is that Xavier ALWAYS comes out ahead at the end of the season. Those S16 appearances aren't by accident. Talent wins and this years edition has plenty of talent to win again.

[MudFlap]

Geesh. How did we get to 4/5 Sweet 16's with those bums.

[xavierhoops]

Yea, I've never really understood UD fans, particularly Squid's, obsession with trying to disect individual Xavier recruiting classes and Squid always calling Mack out as a crappy recruiter and all his flopped recruiting classes.

As long as Xavier keeps winning conference championships and advancing to Sweet 16s/Elite 8s, I'd love to see Squid keep saying every highly-rated Xavier class is a flop and his continued "skepticism" about our #16 class this year. Carry on Squid, the NIT is calling your team's name yet again.

[JHG722]

Originally Posted by stophorseabuse

I don't take prediction stabs too often, but here we go.
Temple and X don't bring a ton back

Khalif Wyatt
Scootie Randall healthy and in the best shape of his life
Dalton Pepper
Anthony Lee, stronger and more confident after playing a ton as a R-Fr.
Will Cummings who barely played
Rahlir Jefferson who should be a double figures scorer as a senior
Daniel Dingle, who was a top 150 recruit and one of the 5 best players in NY
Quenton Decosey who was one of the top 3 players in NJ

We have a lot more firepower than we had last year.

[X-man47]

Elvis, of course it's only "on paper" at this point. And if you bother to read the very next sentence in my post, you'll see that I said that Xavier could be very good or very average depending upon how quickly this "paper" talent develops.

JHG, I thought about including Temple in my list of possible top A10 teams next year, and probably should have done so. Temple is well-coached, with some terrific talent, and frankly should never be counted out of the league's best...until the 2013-2014 season, of course, when they leave the league.

As I said in my earlier post, this is a tough year to predict the league because there is a lot of talent among the traditionally top teams plus a lot of improvement in talent among some of the others. In other words, we will have more parity than usual in the upcoming season. And that makes for an exciting and interesting league, especially with the addition of VCU and Butler.

[Knobby]

Originally Posted by Flyer75

Really no way to accurately predict this upcoming season but like in all seasons...someone (or two) will disappoint, someone (or two) will surprise.

Actually the annual "dissapointment" team is an easy one to predict....

[njlsufan]

I'm just shocked that Muddy hasn't jumped into this thread and declared Dayton the pre-season champs. He's been reinstated for a few days now.

[Blue Blobster]

Originally Posted by njlsufan

I'm just shocked that Muddy hasn't jumped into this thread and declared Dayton the pre-season champs. He's been reinstated for a few days now.

He is busy putting together a monster sized post that addresses everything that he missed.

[AdamtheFlyer]

VCU will be the best team in the league.

People continue to overlook Temple because they aren't bringing in flashy new pieces. But like the old dude in the pickup game, people will look up as we get to February and see them near the top and wonder "how did that happen? He doesn't even have the new Jordans?!?!"

The "Tiger Woods clothes wearing, 300 yard drive storytelling, $2000 worth of clubs owning, swing tip giving, 8 practice swing taking, yet he shoots 97, roots for the Cowboys, Yankees, and either the Heat or Lakers depending on who goes further" award will belong to UMass. Oh, it will be fun to read this board. Boy, they love their 8-8 team. There are fans who get over their skis, but I haven't seen anything like the barrage of UMass fans. The fall will be hard.

[A10fan2]

Couldn't agree more Adam except that I don't think VCU is the best team.

BTW, you forgot about the guy that takes 6'ers as gimmees to keep that score low.

[Bill Russell]

Originally Posted by AdamtheFlyer

The "Tiger Woods clothes wearing, 300 yard drive storytelling, $2000 worth of clubs owning, swing tip giving, 8 practice swing taking, yet he shoots 97, roots for the Cowboys, Yankees, and either the Heat or Lakers depending on who goes further" award will belong to UMass. Oh, it will be fun to read this board. Boy, they love their 8-8 team. There are fans who get over their skis, but I haven't seen anything like the barrage of UMass fans. The fall will be hard.

This might be the best/funniest post on this board I've read.

[Knobby]

Originally Posted by AdamtheFlyer

VCU will be the best team in the league.

People continue to overlook Temple because they aren't bringing in flashy new pieces. But like the old dude in the pickup game, people will look up as we get to February and see them near the top and wonder "how did that happen? He doesn't even have the new Jordans?!?!"

The "Tiger Woods clothes wearing, 300 yard drive storytelling, $2000 worth of clubs owning, swing tip giving, 8 practice swing taking, yet he shoots 97, roots for the Cowboys, Yankees, and either the Heat or Lakers depending on who goes further" award will belong to UMass. Oh, it will be fun to read this board. Boy, they love their 8-8 team. There are fans who get over their skis, but I haven't seen anything like the barrage of UMass fans. The fall will be hard.

I am certainly not on the Umass National Championship bandwagon, but I do think 10 conference wins is likely and that will probably end up being the average preseason prediction of most services. I can also (very much) appreciate the the sudden negative fandom for Umass with the recent infusion of our own Muddy-like posters. Band wagons are funny like that. It must be nice for you guys to have some of the negative mojo taken off the Flyers.... Of course your Muddy-like poster is actually Muddy and he is a "schidt flame-thrower" under all circumstances, so for that you should be proud...

I find it amusing how many of you redsweater wearing type are fighting the lower predictions for the Flyers in the upcoming season. You should be reveling in the opportunity to actually exceed expectations for a change.

[Twister]

Umass looks like the best team this Year in th A-10 by far. I see them going all the way to the Elite Eight or Final Four this season. and in 2013-2014 Umass will be one of the favorites to win the Championship.

[e-parade]

Originally Posted by Twister

Umass looks like the best team this Year in th A-10 by far. I see them going all the way to the Elite Eight or Final Four this season. and in 2013-2014 Umass will be one of the favorites to win the Championship.

By far? Why do you do this? It's great to support the team...but christ man, set some realistic expectations.