Redbirds picked 10th

[Redbird82]

Drake 1st, Evansville 12th, Birds 10th, I’d go 9th, but nothing unexpected. I think we could win 9-11 games and be middle of the pack, but objective people aren’t picking them there

 

[Adunk33]

Drake Tabbed as MVC Men's Basketball Preseason Favorite

For the second-straight year, Drake has been picked as the preseason favorite in the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball race by a voting panel consisting of coaches, sports information directors, and media.

mvc-sports.com

1. Drake (all but 2 first place votes)
2. Bradley
3. SIU
4. Mo State
5. UNI
6. Belmont
7. INST
8. Murray State
9. Valpo
10. ILST
11. UIC
12. UE

There are way too many unknowns to put any stock in this but maybe it can act as bulletin board material and further juice up the guys. The one thing I find interesting is that Mo State had nearly 100% roster turnover and is tabbed to finish that high? Ford is a suspect HC and has not proven he can win/get teams to really come together. He brings in some of the best talent in the league but has still struggled.

For the Birds, I think people assume with the new system and roster that there will be growing pains. Which sure there will be. Some forget that the roster Pedon has assembled is one that has experience. All but Schmitt have multiple years of D1 experience. I don't think they are all just going to forget how to play basketball. It's possible they actually benefit "starting from scratch" with Pedon's system because everyone is starting at the same place.

This isn't me saying they're going to go out and win the league but finishing around .500 I believe to be in reach. Which I'm guessing would put ISU in the 6th-9th range depending how tie breakers shake out. With 12 teams I see a potential for 1 or 2 to brake away, then a log jam 3-10 and a clear 11&12.

 

[Trey_Guidry4three]

ISU is going to surprise a lot of people this year. I've got to know Mr. Pedon very well over the past few months and I am a firm believer that he lives by the motto of "when life gives you coke, make cocaine". Figuratively speaking, its a joke but you know what I mean! All the players have bought in and I think we could win 18-20 games this year. Awesome event last night! It was my first time meeting Clark Kellogg and he's just as nice in person as he comes across on TV. Such excitement everyone! Glory be to God!

 

[redbirdron1]

I believe most would agree that Pedon/staff have done everything right so far in their roles with Marketing and Building Relationships
to get the Fans back on board. I have always felt the X's and O's of the job are the easiest things they do, meaning like game day. I'm sure
there is a ton of stuff being done right now to enhance skills and development that will pay off under this staff - as the kids themselves seem to
be very confident with their personal improvement.

10th place - what a low bar but what do you expect? I read somewhere this summer we had like the 5th or 6th best rated Portal guys coming in and I was pleased with that subjective viewpoint. But what's that say about the holdovers if they deem us 10th?? That right there is BULLETIN BOARD and Locker Material for guys like McChesney and Lewis to take personally - one of the players in the intro Wednesday said he had a chip on his shoulder well I do
hope the entire roster feels that way with how they are viewed/rated at this point.

Like others have said, I'm hopeful of .500 in conference. An X star player from the 3 year Donewald run told me .500 could be too conservative based
on Portal turnover but nobody knows at this point. Guys, as u all know - we have kicked away so many games in the past few years with silly unforced to's, poor shot selection and seasons where you could drive a small pickup through the lane for lay ins........what if that all was buttomed up and minimized to a significant degree - then, you got yourself a nice turnaround in short order. Go Birds!

 

[Redbirdwarrior]

This will be a learning year to

A- learn what the roster can and can't do
B- learn how Coach develops his team

I honestly don't care if we win 8 total games this season as long as the team is better in March than they were in November. I'd like to see growth and progress in-season.

 

[redbirdron1]

All those learnings will b beneficial to April recruiting of a couple of Portal guys - currently an excess of bigs as all won’t get minutes and choose to leave. Some may choose to graduate and just move on to jobs?? It’ll always b interesting with Portal to fill gaps quickly.
With the way Pedon can sell the University, I’m on board with however it shakes out.
And lastly, call me naive but I believe this staff can get student athletes to stay for 4.

 

[Redbirdwarrior]

All those learnings will b beneficial to April recruiting of a couple of Portal guys - currently an excess of bigs as all won’t get minutes and choose to leave. Some may choose to graduate and just move on to jobs?? It’ll always b interesting with Portal to fill gaps quickly.
With the way Pedon can sell the University, I’m on board with however it shakes out.
And lastly, call me naive but I believe this staff can get student athletes to stay for 4.

unfortunately, not it they are good anymore. The NCAA, by changing transfer penalties, made mid majors feeder programs to big money schools.

 

[Hamdonger]

And lastly, call me naive but I believe this staff can get student athletes to stay for 4.

Well I love your enthusiasm and man I hope you're right but I do believe...that...you are naive. We might get 1 or 2 decent kids to stay for 4 yrs - every 4 yrs - but anybody good to really good - thanks to NIL and instant transfer...sayonara. 50-75% roster change every single year is my bet.. I hope I have to eat crow. The really good players will get gobbled up by the bigger boys and the $$...while the good players will lateral transfer all over the upper mid-major and lower P5 landscape, thinking the grass is greener over there.

Mid major coaches will burn out quickly from the INTENSIFIED nonstop recruiting what-ifs, which is the worst part of the job. That will result in a mafia-style pursuit for better jobs in P5, which will be even harder to come by.

This is not a survivable model. A D1 split is not far away under the current-lack-of-oversight-runaway-train.

Of course, you have to jump in (or get left behind). Problem is...you're jumping right into a gargantuan chaotic cluster-you-know-what.

 

[redbirdron1]

I love the input/feedback and push back - hear the same thing from 4-5 of my pals. I asked Mike M the Chief of Staff this summer how in the world
do you keep kids content in this environment of Portal and NIL - his answer was the expected Pedon coach speak.......by building and maintaining relationships with the kids and their families.
If a student athlete knows he/she is appreciated and valued......will the grass always look greener or can you get through to these young adults that you
got it pretty darn good at Redbird U. What Pedon is pushing is Common Sense but as we've all witnessed in Life, common sense tends not to
be Common Practice.
Most of the proof in the pudding will be what type of background the player comes from.........I'm hedging that Pedon goes for kids from stable environments and logical parents. And, in my estimation these kids tend to be Basketball Players and not just great athletes with dreams of jumping to Kansas/Duke when they get a bit of spotlight. Yes, Reeves comes to mind - good for him and hope he does ok. Did he fit the Pedon mold......I wonder?
Water under the bridge at this point.

If we got a kid on the roster who cares more about designer clothes, fancy cars, jewelry and all the bling that some do........well, we got the wrong
student athlete to begin with. Yes, kids are selfish as are full grown adults - this isn't rocket science so I choose to believe in the Pedon practice
of fostering relationships. And, I believe we got enough NIL in our BN community to make these kids feel special.

 

[Redbird222]

One solution could be make the kids employees and pay them. You could do the following

1. Players/employees can sign 1, 2, 3 or 4 year contracts. The school and player can roll the dice with a 4 year committment. Sign a 1 year deal and you can love on or the school can decide to up it or not. One player is willing to sign a 4 year deal and another only 1 or 2 ... the school can decide.

2. Put 12 month non-compete clause so if they leave they have to sit a year.

3. Make the NCAA students a union and have set wages/benefits across conferences or entire sport.

I am not saying I like it but the sports have been trending towards a business so why not go all in. It would just give the players a prelude to the business and pro sports world

 

[TIMMY]

There's one way and only one way you're going to keep these guys around in the "new world" of college basketball. Hot girlfriends.

 

[Redbird222]

Any news or word on the scrimmage against Duquesne that was held at Cedarville University this past Saturday?

 

[BirdGrad2011]

Any news or word on the scrimmage against Duquesne that was held at Cedarville University this past Saturday?

Haven’t seen anything. Duquesne fans are asking the same question. Appears playing in Cedarville accomplished it being a true secret.