RE: pre-season polls

[Keith Wedinger]

Preseason polls for the most part aren't worth the weight in the pixels
used to display them on your computer screen.  Will Xavier be good?
Well, when you return 4 starters and 80% of your scoring and you return
a potential 1st team All-American, you better be.  Regarding UC, one
really cannot guess how the returning players will make up for the loss
of the top offensive and the top defensive players on the team (Lo and
IMac).  Plus, I think UC will miss Jamaal Davis more than some people
think.  Huggins often referred to him as the smartest player on the
floor, always knowing where to go and where others should go.

Next season will certainly be fun because I think the team has more raw
talent.  The keys will be:
1.  Will Stokes step up and take the leadership mantle.  He cannot pour
in 30+ points one game and then, disappear the next.
2.  How will Mad Max improve?  He needs to be DOMINANT in the paint.
3.  Who plays point guard and can steady the team from that position.
Barker is probably the lead candidate.
4.  How will Field improve?  His scoring output needs to be more
consistent.
5.  What production will we get from the incoming recruits?

J. Keith Wedinger
Senior Software Developer
Sterling Commerce
address@hidden


-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Ray [mailto:address@hidden 
Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2002 10:46 AM
To: address@hidden
Subject: RE: [UC Basketball] pre-season polls


> -----Original Message-----
> From: meg [mailto:address@hidden
> Subject: RE: [UC Basketball] pre-season polls
>
> BTW - how does Xavier deserve such a high preseason ranking and UC is 
> unranked???

Because its an 'easy' pick for the media.

Xavier returns with their All-American C (West) and their starting
backcourt intact.

UC returns minus their All-American (Logan), without the C-USA defensive
player of the year (McElroy), and no McDonalds All-Americans in their
recruiting class.  The Bearcats are going to have an inexperienced PG
and no 'go to' scorer at the outset of the season.  I can certainly
understand why the national media thinks the Bearcats will be down.

That said, I think the Bearcats will prove 'em wrong .... again!



--------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: address@hidden
For additional commands, e-mail: address@hidden






--------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: address@hidden
For additional commands, e-mail: address@hidden