Blue Ribbon Basketball Preview

[Goose]

Every year, it's my favorite. And it's finally out. The PDF copies are available now, hard copies ship the first week of October. I got the combo pack because I'm pathologically insane. Some random notes:

* Spencer Dinwiddie is 3rd team All American and first team All-Pac-12. The only other Pac-12 players on All-American teams are Jahii Carson (ASU, 2nd team) and Aaron Gordon (Zona, 4th team).
* The All-Pac-12 team is The Mayor, Carson, Gordon, Powell (Stanford) and Adams (UCLA)
* CU is the #23 team in the nation. The only other Pac-12 team is Arizona at #5.
* CU opponents in the top 25 - Kansas (#6), Okie Light (#12) and **** Baylor (#22).
* CU opponents on All-America teams - Andrew Wiggins (Kansas, 1st team), Marcus Smart (Okie Light, 1st team) and Jefferson (Baylor, 3rd team)
* Best backcourt in the P12 (in order) - Oregon, Arizona, ASU
* Best frontcourt in the P12 (in order) - Arizona, UCLA, Stanford
* P12 Player of Year - Carson.
* P12 Newcomer of Year - Gordon

Pac-12 Predictions
* Arizona
* Colorado
* Oregon
* UCLA
* Cal
* Stanford
* ASU
* Washington
* Oregon State
* Utah
* Washington State
* USC

The CU preview alone is almost 2.5 full pages. Seriously, it's worth the money.

http://t.co/Nm5Azzyafd

 

[Darth Snow]

huh. #2 in the conference, but we don't have either a top 3 backcourt or a top 3 frontcourt. stupid.

 

[Goose]

huh. #2 in the conference, but we don't have either a top 3 backcourt or a top 3 frontcourt. stupid.

Just shows how balanced we are.

Honestly, if DT is as good as we expect, and Gordon plays like he can, we'll have a top frontcourt next year. Jelly, Gordon, XJ & DT - that's a group of bad men...

 

[Darth Snow]

I would think having one of the top 3 PG in the country plus a very experienced sometimes prolific scorer would put CU in the top 3 back court as well.

But hey, guess they will just have to recognize.

 

[torero]

I know Andrew Wiggins is supposed to be the #1 overall pick next year, and is supposedly a soon to be super duper star, but I always find it incredibly stupid that Freshman get chosen for pre-season all American. I guess you could say I'm in the "show me" camp. Shabazz and Ben Mclemore come to mind from last year.

 

[prf]

Ben McLemore? He was the 9th ranked shooting guard in his class. Even if he'd been eligible, he wasn't showing up on any preseason All American lists

 

[Goose]

Back to the "best backcourt" discussion, one team that I don't think is getting enough love in that regard is Cal. I, personally, am not wild about Cobbs, but he's a solid PG. My love for Ty Wallace is well known, and they're bringing in Jabari Bird. Those three will easily start. Add in Krekow (who should finally be healthy) and two new recruits in Jordan Matthews and Sam Singer, and they're pretty stacked back there.

 

[tante]

So what is the prediction on numbers of PAC:12 teams that make the dance? Are we going to be better this year than last year. Will we see six teams this year?

 

[Goose]

So what is the prediction on numbers of PAC:12 teams that make the dance? Are we going to be better this year than last year. Will we see six teams this year?

I think a lot of people are saying 6-7. Most have Zona, CU, Oregon and UCLA as locks. Cal, Furd, ASU & Washington are all possibilities too.

 

[tante]

I think a lot of people are saying 6-7. Most have Zona, CU, Oregon and UCLA as locks. Cal, Furd, ASU & Washington are all possibilities too.

Just realized Washington is really low. 6-7 would be absolutely amazing. It sounds like getting #2 in the PAC next season is going to be tough.

 

[Goose]

Just realized Washington is really low. 6-7 would be absolutely amazing. It sounds like getting #2 in the PAC next season is going to be tough.

It's going to be harder than people think.

 

[Buffnik]

My sights are set on Top 4 for the Pac-12 regular season. That should get us a Dance card along with a 1st round bye in the P-12 Tourney.

 

[Buffenuf]

Just shows how balanced we are.

Honestly, if DT is as good as we expect, and Gordon plays like he can, we'll have a top frontcourt next year. Jelly, Gordon, XJ & DT - that's a group of bad men...

Presuming XJ and Jelly are still in Boulder! I just hope so. Could be a huge break-out year for XJ and I can't wait to see what Jelly can do now, with his new 30 lbs of muscle.

 

[CVilleBuff]

Alright. I'm in basketball mode. Let's get this going. 2nd in the Pac-12 and #23 overall is very fair. Let's prove we're a consistent top 25 team -- it's far harder than it sounds.

 

[Hoops Fan]

Alright. I'm in basketball mode. Let's get this going. 2nd in the Pac-12 and #23 overall is very fair. Let's prove we're a consistent top 25 team -- it's far harder than it sounds.

Amen! if there is any doubt about the magnitude of the challenge of being there every year, ask Roy Williams.

 

[shang]

Amen! if there is any doubt about the magnitude of the challenge of being there every year, ask Roy Williams.

"same as it ever was".... to stay top 25, Tad and co. have got to win the must wins... regardless of how young we are...last year, the losses at WY, ASU, UW and Utah clearly had everyone scratching their heads... as did the loss to harvard 2 years earlier....

 

[jgisland]

Reading through this tonight and working on projections and season win totals. I've got to say, there may not be a bigger impact player coming into the P12 this year than Penn State transfer Jermaine Marshall joining Jahii Carson in the backcourt at ASU. You're mixing a penetrating PG in Jahii with a true Shooting guard with a nice mid-range and 3pt game in Jermaine, ASU is going to see a lot of zone and half court press this year, trying to slow down that offense.

 

[CVilleBuff]

Reading through this tonight and working on projections and season win totals. I've got to say, there may not be a bigger impact player coming into the P12 this year than Penn State transfer Jermaine Marshall joining Jahii Carson in the backcourt at ASU. You're mixing a penetrating PG in Jahii with a true Shooting guard with a nice mid-range and 3pt game in Jermaine, ASU is going to see a lot of zone and half court press this year, trying to slow down that offense.

It'll be interesting to see how Sendek manages it with his philosophy on offense. Should suit him well.

 

[jgisland]

It'll be interesting to see how Sendek manages it with his philosophy on offense. Should suit him well.

I'm not much of a Sendek fan, but this seems like a great idea - from the Blue Ribbon preview

In the two years before Carson’s debut, the Sun Devils averaged 0.99 and 0.96 points per possession, but last season they were at 1.05, which tied for second in the Pac-12. Their 71.8 points per game were the most in the Sendek era, and with the program itching for its first NCAA tournament appearance since James Harden left campus, Sendek wants his point guard on the accelerator.
To help, he is emphasizing three numbers: 3, 12 and 24. The three represents the seconds in which Arizona State wants to cross midcourt. The 12 is the time in which Arizona State wants to get up a good shot. And the 24 represents the NBA shot clock, which the Sun Devils will use in practice to put everything in motion.
“It is more to create a mindset than anything else,” Sendek said. “Is it absolute? Of course not. But at least it’s a way to describe our style of play. ... Does that mean we’re going to take a bad shot within 12 seconds? No. That wouldn’t make any sense on any level, but it does foster an attack mentality. It amps up what we did last year. It takes it to another level.”

 

[CVilleBuff]

I'm not much of a Sendek fan, but this seems like a great idea - from the Blue Ribbon preview

In the two years before Carson’s debut, the Sun Devils averaged 0.99 and 0.96 points per possession, but last season they were at 1.05, which tied for second in the Pac-12. Their 71.8 points per game were the most in the Sendek era, and with the program itching for its first NCAA tournament appearance since James Harden left campus, Sendek wants his point guard on the accelerator.
To help, he is emphasizing three numbers: 3, 12 and 24. The three represents the seconds in which Arizona State wants to cross midcourt. The 12 is the time in which Arizona State wants to get up a good shot. And the 24 represents the NBA shot clock, which the Sun Devils will use in practice to put everything in motion.
“It is more to create a mindset than anything else,” Sendek said. “Is it absolute? Of course not. But at least it’s a way to describe our style of play. ... Does that mean we’re going to take a bad shot within 12 seconds? No. That wouldn’t make any sense on any level, but it does foster an attack mentality. It amps up what we did last year. It takes it to another level.”

I'm a little higher on Sendek than most. By no means a huge fan, but I think he did a better job at NCSU than he gets credit for. He had a knack there for winning road games in difficult environments (ACC at its peak, not the watered down version of the last few years) and making deep runs at the ACC Tournament. Sounds like his squad this year could be a bit of a throwback to his days with Julius Hodge & Co.