Hogs in 2015/2016

[hogwild6700]

I would like to know what everyone's opinion is with our team in 2015/2016. I know everyone has high expectations for this upcoming season, as do I. What about the year after that? Madden will be gone and Portis will have likely entered the draft.

I'm not trying to be a buzz kill and look too deep into the future to where I don't enjoy this upcoming year. But did we go through 3 seasons under CMA just to get to the big dance once (assuming we go this year)?

I would love to hear some well thought out answers along with supporting your case.

Thanks!

[nextlevel]

I would like to know what everyone's opinion is with our team in 2015/2016. I know everyone has high expectations for this upcoming season, as do I. What about the year after that? Madden will be gone and Portis will have likely entered the draft.

I'm not trying to be a buzz kill and look too deep into the future to where I don't enjoy this upcoming year. But did we go through 3 seasons under CMA just to get to the big dance once (assuming we go this year)?

I would love to hear some well thought out answers along with supporting your case.

Thanks!

The program isn't going to collapse from the loss/possible loss of these two.

Losing Clarke for this year would be an equal loss to Madden next, both fill/filled their role on the team well, both are replaceable from the tangible aspect of their games, its the intangible leadership role that is and will be the question mark. Madden will not be replaced by a freshmen, there will be seniors, juniors, and sophs behind him to make up the loss of his production.

Portis will be drafted based on his potential, which has a high ceiling, it will be interesting to see how much he improves from last year to next, but he will likely continue to improve once he reaches the NBA no matter if he declares this year, next year or the next. There will be two big men who will have at least one year in the program to pick up his minutes, I'm sure their will be a freshman and or JUCO who will be fighting those two for the minutes left behind from Portis and Harris at the forward position.

Both are very good players, but neither one is "the program" type players like Bird at Indiana St., McDermott at Creighton, Curry at Davidson, etc where you see/expect a huge drop off when they leave.

[Danny J]

Hard to say without knowing what Portis will do, the addition of players like Whitt, Beard, Babb, etc....and how they will contribute over this year and the 2015 season. This time next year will likely be the best time to ask the same exact question as we will have a better idea of what they roster will look like and progress expected from the freshman this year.

[poloprince]

We should bery very good. Portis stays 3 years.

[-Blu]

I would like to know what everyone's opinion is with our team in 2015/2016. I know everyone has high expectations for this upcoming season, as do I. What about the year after that? Madden will be gone and Portis will have likely entered the draft.

I'm not trying to be a buzz kill and look too deep into the future to where I don't enjoy this upcoming year. But did we go through 3 seasons under CMA just to get to the big dance once (assuming we go this year)?

I would love to hear some well thought out answers along with supporting your case.

Thanks!

I wouldn't put Portis out of the door just yet, It's really hard to say at this point what he will or won't do, but I agree with you that we have to recruit as if he was leaving, and looks like the staff is doing just that.  We are currently recruiting Malik Dime really hard, we also been linked to another JUCO C who's name I'm forgetting at the moment, and Tuesday we went see visit a prep school F/C JohnCarlos Reyes, so we will have a serviceable replacement for Portis if he does leave.

But, if Portis does leave, our lineup will look like this next year....

Durham/Beard
Bell/Whitt/Hannahs/Watkins
Qualls/Babb
Miles/Williams
Kingsley/Thompson/(2015 F/C)

That would be a very solid senior laden team.  Only weakness I would see would be interior scoring, but if Kingsley and Thompson progress like we think they should, that shouldn't even be a problem.  And if we get Malik Dime, I would assume he would slide into that second Center spot behind Kingsley, and we may see some bigger lineups where they are both in at the same time.

[RazorAg]

I expect significant offensive development from Kingsley. I don't see a drop-off between the two years.

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

I thought we would see a drop off last year with Young and Powell leaving. I hadn't seen anything from anyone else on the roster that had proven they could be a consistent scoring threat to pick up the slack.

But the player development of Qualls and Madden was very impressive. This staff has a plan.

[mhuff]

I expect significant offensive development from Kingsley. I don't see a drop-off between the two years.

Totally agree. He has been improving each year. I would like to see FT % improve. I project about 75% this year.

Good to hear from you. I have been missing your comments. Busy with family?

I hope that I have been selling Miles short. Do you have an opinion on his capabilities? I just feel he might be better than I have thought. Plus, he has had a year to improve.

[RazorAg]

Good to hear from you. I have been missing your comments. Busy with family?

Mostly work.  Thanks for asking.

[root_hawg]

Final 4