Run49er

Southern Miss was pretty much an automatic W back in the day, as the Niners are 26-4 all-time against the Golden Eagles, including 11-1 in Hattiesburg! Tulane a little less one-sided, as the Niners lead that one 15-8, including a 7-game Charlotte winning streak in that series.

TheCobra

All good points, Free Quebec. STL is efficient and they don't beat themselves. They also finished 2nd last year, with the rest of the top 4 losing considerable talent. But they lost their emotional leader (Conklin) and the brains behind it all in Majerus.

I also agree that the league will be deep and that good teams will finish in the bottom half of the league. In this year especially, after gaining VCU and Butler but before losing Charlotte and Temple, someone has to finish low. That said, I don't see UD's experienced core finishing 11th. Dillard is the most well-rounded point guard in the league and is primed for an even better season than last year.

BrownIndians85

ace93, between your avatar and your dry posts on FU basketball, I picture the most down to earth, but resigned fan on this board. I can just picture you during a game.. "welp that sucks... guess I'll have another."

Everyone is so quick to assume Duquesne will be last place. I don't see it. There are teams in the league with recent track records of failure, and I can't see them 16th. Probably not top 12 though.

I think the Bonnies wind up fighting it out in the 9th-12th range, it will depend on the coaching staff finding a lineup and placing their confidence in it. I don't have much faith in that regard because a team with all-awesome Andrew Nicholson last year couldn't find their way until midway through the conference slate. Which was unacceptable. If the team gels early, they could be 7/8/9.. if they have a rough start, 11/12/13. There's talent on this team.. last season wasn't Andrew and 4 random guys from a dormitory - the returnees on the team also know what it takes to win, which can't be underestimated.

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Bona84

Good post '85.

ace 93, I agree. When the Bonnies return to Rose Hill (unfortunately, not this upcoming season) I'd like to have a beer with you.

'85, I think your assessment of where the Bonnies may end up is reasonable, although I might hope for a top half finish if things go right. And, it was frustrating how long it took them to gel last year. Losing Simmons and then Davenport likely contributed to that, and AN's illness perhaps contributed to them not playing all that well early on. But, from an optimistic perspective, maybe all that was a blessing. The new guys were thrown into the fire, and perhaps developed sooner. When they went on the run in February/March, two first year guys made up the starting backcourt (Kloof, technically a Soph, and Gathers, a freshman). Time will tell, but It will be interesting to see how play without Nicholson.

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SpiderDave19

If Duquesne isnt last, who is? Best argument to be made right now is for the Mighty Dukes.

Bona Wolf for Pope

Arguments could be made (I don't necessarily agree with any of these) for several teams:

Fordham - why pick against recent tradition?
URI - New coach, substantial roster turnover. What if Hurley brain freezes this year?
Xavier - a couple injuries and all the ineligible rumors come to pass and they've got 6 guys suiting up. (I know, Xavier posters, I know)
Bonnies - Every player is affected by the "What do we do with out Nicholsons" that the media seems to think is the worlds most not made up story line.
UMass - Chaz Williams wakes up legless.
Charlotte - They forget to play their A-10 schedule.

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SpiderDave19

URI is the other team, I believe, with a good chance at the cellar.

BrownIndians85

URI and Fordham should definitely be right up there in the Battle for the Basement.

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SpiderDave19

Could be. I'm guessing Fordham wins 5 or 6 and is a step ahead of those 2. I don't see the Bonnies in the mix down there, too much talent returning and injured guys coming back. They'll win enough at home to stay out of the basement. They get DUkes twice, too.

ace93

My demeanor during games tends to be a bit different. I yell at the referees a lot, sometimes at the coaches, but never at the players. Maybe not so much these days or at least not as much as I used to. If there is beer available, I usually do have another though.

I have run into some very nice Bonnies fans on the Metro-North heading to games in the past. I think we could develop a good rivalry if we got good.

A beer with you, Bona84, BWFP or any other Bonnies fan would be good next time you guys visit RHG. Or maybe someday I'll make it up to Olean, trouble is I can never convince other Rams fans to make the trip with me.

Getting more back on topic, I think that URI and Fordham need to prove they don't belong in the basement before being proclaimed to be out of it. That said, with the basement being bigger this season (and I'll call missing Brooklyn "the basement") there will be four teams in there this season which in my opinion means at least two decent teams will be left out.

SpiderDave19

I will be very surprised if Duquesne and URI are in Brooklyn. Fordham is a prime candidate for one of the other two basement spots, but I don't see a ton of difference between them and Charlotte, GW.....and as you say, a couple teams like Richmond or Xavier or Dayton are just the wrong injury away from trouble....

SpiderInTheMixingBowl

12 teams make it to Brooklyn right?

If so, I'm pretty confident that Richmond will make it to Brooklyn even with a couple of injuries.

But some decent teams are bound not to make it. URI and Duquesne I think are locks for not making it. It's a bad year to have that much roster upheaval and a new coach who is unfamiliar with the A-10.

I would be shocked if Xavier doesn't make it to Brooklyn but man their roster is thin. I think it's Gaston's senior season and Pecora has had time to get a system in place. I could see Fordham challenging GW and Charlotte (although they both should be improved as well).

I'm of the opinion that the Bonnies have a fair amount of cohesive talent despite losing Nicholson. Also, I'm more impressed with the coaching of Schmidt than Major.

SpiderDave19

I agree, but SOMEONE is going to be very disappointed. Maybe sometwo or somethree.

e-parade

How cruel...he's short enough with his legs.

Bona Wolf for Pope

He could add the "between the legs dribble" to his arsenal.

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