Season Prediction

[gobirds85]

Been a fan for a long time. But I call it as I see it. I think we will have trouble having a 10-8 record in conference. Too many mistakes, bad passes, weak defense, poor shooting on 3s, etc. and nothing changes! Two seniors have regressed terribly and the juco transfers are still adjusting. It is incredible, and especially this year, that so many other teams are more competitive than we are.

The best thing we have going is that the rest of the conference sucks bigly. We aren’t good, but either is the valley. The battle for the 14th seed is on.

 

[FriscoBird90]

Prediction: Pain.

 

[bawhale88]

Watching Indiana State play UNLV right now, they are the clear favorite to win the valley.

 

[Brick]

Watching Indiana State play UNLV right now, they are the clear favorite to win the valley.

They sure look good. Nice balance!

 

[V Boy]

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-state/redbirds-try-to-pick-themselves-up-for-mvc-after-stumbling/article_f49cf6c8-21e9-50ad-b228-311cda77cd1f.html

This has got to be the softest article I’ve ever read. It ignores the most obvious problems for the Redbirds, which are attitudinal and communication between key players and coaches. Pretty weak reporting in my opinion.

 

[Brick]

Watching Indiana State play UNLV right now, they are the clear favorite to win the valley.

They sure look good. Nice balance!

Jordan Barnes best player in the conference and Indy Blue best team in MVC that I have seen so far. They absolutely got hosed the last 5 minutes and still won!

 

[ISU FAN 1]

Indiana State is the favorite to win the tallest midget award (i.e. - MVC crown)

 

[SgtHulka]

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-state/redbirds-try-to-pick-themselves-up-for-mvc-after-stumbling/article_f49cf6c8-21e9-50ad-b228-311cda77cd1f.html

This has got to be the softest article I’ve ever read. It ignores the most obvious problems for the Redbirds, which are attitudinal and communication between key players and coaches. Pretty weak reporting in my opinion.

Well it's kind of an equal scenario to the prez getting interviewed on FOX. Not exactly a hostile relationship

 

[ricohill]

So, I have taken a couple days to cool off after UCF game before posting because I probably would have been hitting the exits with jashbe324234 and whatever names he has made up.

After watching all the MVC games this weekend and having seen most the entire season, it breaks my heart to see the league so bad. We've fallen to 13th in the RPI rankings as a league and it hasn't been this bad since maybe early Stallings or Bender.

What disappoints me is watching a team like Drake play better basketball than ISU.They run an offense and play solid defense. Are they as athletic or as talented as ISU? Not at all, but I would say much better coached. I think Indy State is the most talented team.


This may be off topic-

One thing I notice is those teams play with passion and have enthusiasm. I felt like this season was lost in the pre-season. Dan has killed this team (don't take this as anti-dan overall). Before the season guys were exhausted and tired of the two a days. They have no legs and lost their joy to play the game. Now the cycle continues as Dan runs them into the ground.

Also, I was skeptical in October when I heard the offense was handed over to Duhon. We've never been good under Dan offensively and don't think what we run works for our team.

I don't see us having enough toughness or grit to win the league. I'm more worried we end up on Thursday.

 

[V Boy]

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-state/redbirds-try-to-pick-themselves-up-for-mvc-after-stumbling/article_f49cf6c8-21e9-50ad-b228-311cda77cd1f.html

This has got to be the softest article I’ve ever read. It ignores the most obvious problems for the Redbirds, which are attitudinal and communication between key players and coaches. Pretty weak reporting in my opinion.

Well it's kind of an equal scenario to the prez getting interviewed on FOX. Not exactly a hostile relationship

Yeah I get the obviousness of that.....and it's a fair callout.....but it's borderline misleading.

Benson is analyzing this situation from a technical standpoint. The team doesn't guard well. The shot selection isn't good.

These technical weaknesses are mainly outputs of the real issues on this team......that the head coach can't rally his team around common goals or get them to buy into what should be simple basketball principles. And if he can't accomplish this, then everything goes right out the window (effort level, attitude issues, body language issues, consistency, teamwork, personal accountability, and generally speaking the team's belief that it will compete and win).

And so if the attitudinal and communication problems are the real issue, then why would anyone in their right mind expect us to guard well, stop dribble penetration or take good shots? I mean, why should William Tinsley care if he takes 3 or 4 terrible threes per game with a guy right in his face if Yarbrough is going to get himself benched anyway? Why should Jefferson care if BJ Taylor blows by him if Tinsley is going to just jack threes? And so on and so forth.

No one on ISU's team believes they are going to win. Nobody. And they don't believe this because some of the most talented players who they need to perform at peak level and have an attitude that they will buy into and execute on simple basketball principles cannot be counted on night in and night out.

And this article doesn't address any of that, even when it is basically common sense to the average fan.

So.....my ask is......if you're going to write these mid-season articles and try to set the stage for what needs to be addressed for ISU's team to have even a remote chance of being competitive in the conference, then at least have the guts to raise the real issues and hold Dan Muller accountable.

It's funny thinking about this. I recall last year after ISU beat Indiana St. in a close quarterfinal game that Greg Lansing was feeling borderline depressed because he knew all 4 Illinois schools had most of their key pieces back. And yet....poof....here we are and Indy St. looks like it could be the front-runner. Why? Because Greg Lansing can motivate a talented group of kids to rally around a common goal.

Why can't our coach do this?

 

[SgtHulka]

Bottom line. 2 people have led the trees to any level.of success. Bird and Lansing. Lansing is a really good coach. Terra Haught is a ridiculously hard place to succeed. Surprised he hasn't been snatched up yet. Muller is an OK coach. The MYs in his life confound him. i know some think he's just too nice I think his public persona is, but his actions in dealing with troubled players shows me he got a dose of The Stallings hard ass over The decades under him. He's a tough lover. His other issue. The little in game nuances that make an OK coach really good seem somewhat elusive to him at times.

 

[Redbird222]

Bottom line. 2 people have led the trees to any level.of success. Bird and Lansing. Lansing is a really good coach. Terra Haught is a ridiculously hard place to succeed. Surprised he hasn't been snatched up yet. Muller is an OK coach. The MYs in his life confound him. i know some think he's just too nice I think his public persona is, but his actions in dealing with troubled players shows me he got a dose of The Stallings hard ass over The decades under him. He's a tough lover. His other issue. The little in game nuances that make an OK coach really good seem somewhat elusive to him at times.

Agree on Muller comments and he under values bigs. I think he values a PG but we have just had some bad luck with Claranace injury/departure and Copeland ineligible last year.

 

[DWRedbird]

Bottom line. 2 people have led the trees to any level.of success. Bird and Lansing. Lansing is a really good coach. Terra Haught is a ridiculously hard place to succeed. Surprised he hasn't been snatched up yet. Muller is an OK coach. The MYs in his life confound him. i know some think he's just too nice I think his public persona is, but his actions in dealing with troubled players shows me he got a dose of The Stallings hard ass over The decades under him. He's a tough lover. His other issue. The little in game nuances that make an OK coach really good seem somewhat elusive to him at times.

Agree on Muller comments and he under values bigs. I think he values a PG but we have just had some bad luck with Claranace injury/departure and Copeland ineligible last year.

I agree 100% with him undervaluing bigs. I think he would rather have a tall (6'6 or taller) wing than a true big, and I think it continuously keeps biting us in the rumpus. Were I him I'd use at least one or two of our remaining schollies for next year on a big who can defend and rebound. I think we should also recruit some pure shooters if our offense is going to be predominantly jumpers and 3s.

I'm also in the camp that doesn't think Muller is too nice. I do think he is a tough love kind of guy, I think we are seeing more of it this year in public, as he is really laying into guys during games (I agree with some, don't agree with other times he's done it). But, from what I hear the guys genuinely like him.

I was hesitant most of the year on this, but I'm going to agree with all that INSU is the favorite in the league right now. They have probably the best PG in the Valley in Barnes (rivaled only by Custer), and shoot exceedingly well, and are playing tough on both ends of the floor at all times. With the way the shoot the 3 (they were number 1 in the nation going into last night's game), I think this team could not only win the Valley/Valley tourney, but also make some noise in the tourney.

I also think that INSU is playing the way that Muller wants ISU to play.

 

[Bird Friend]

Need a juco big, ready to play. And a juco PG ready to play.

 

[RBFANTOO]

Need a juco big, ready to play. And a juco PG ready to play.

We need another Reggie Lynch (but without all the stuff that came with him). I just mean a true shot blocker, rebounder and defensive force that changes a players shot angle. Like UCF's Fall.
Right now an opposing player has no fears driving the lane against ISU.

 

[Redbird222]

Need a juco big, ready to play. And a juco PG ready to play.

We need another Reggie Lynch (but without all the stuff that came with him). I just mean a true shot blocker, rebounder and defensive force that changes a players shot angle. Like UCF's Fall.
Right now an opposing player has no fears driving the lane against ISU.

:text-+1:

 

[Adunk33]

Updated predictions

1- INST - Williams and Neese appear to be fitting in seamlessly. I'm not sure they will have the first seed headed into STL but they could very well be playing Sunday. They've surely impressed me in the noncon.
2- Drake - Wow, who saw this coming. Nick Norton, a native of Bloomington IL, has been exactly what the Dr. ordered for the dogs.
3- Loyola - Despite some struggles and games they should have one, they still went to the Final 4 last year. The key for them will be to see Krutwig take that next step. He has not regressed at all but I'd like to see some progression from the young fella and I'm sure we will.
4- SIU - Hung around Buffalo twice, Kentucky, and Murray State, took down SLU, but lost to Winthrop at home. They've show flashes of being able to hang with some good teams, but haven't gotten over the hump.
5- Redbirds- There may be some bias in this pick. The Redbirds have been horrible this noncon. They have shown zero signs of playing defense and seem to really lack "give a sh*t" mentality. Into the last game of the noncon at UCF, Muller has had to "play guys that wanted to be in there." In the past when coach has done that with this team, the attitude has seemed to be not "Man, I let my team down," and more of "See, you can't win without me." I hold out some hope because Muller teams tend to get it together a few games into conference season. They will not be a Thursday night team.
6- Bradley - They looked pretty good at the start of the noncon with the wins against Penn State and SMU, but the loss to IUPUI, Eastern Illinois, and the slide by of SE LA they were trending downward.
7- Missouri State - Dana Ford has done some great things there in his short time. He's recruiting well, like he does everywhere and I wouldn't be surprised for them to stay off Thursday.
8- UNI - PIG
9- Evansville-PIG
10- Valpo. PIG

So here's the thing, no one knows what is going to happen. Regardless of where the teams finish I think this is going to a really close race and tiebreakers will be relevant once again.
1- +1 game
2- minus 1 game (all from first)
3- minus 2 games
4- minus 2 games
5- minus 3 games
6- minus 3 games
7- minus 3 games
8- minus 5 games
9- minus 6 games
10- minus 8 games

 

[birdsflyhigh]

I wholeheartedly agree with Bird friend that HC Muller really/direly needs to bring in a juco big man and a differencemaker juco PG that can run the team. Put those 2 players together with what's returning and newly eligible for next season (plus get back to tough nosed defense), and the Birds could right the ship.

Right now it completely feels like a "lost" season, but I've been watching a ton of the other MVC teams play in non-con, and each and every one has more than a few chinks in their armor. The Birds need to take it up at least a couple notches going into Valley play, or this truly will be a "lost" season. It starts with Valpo on Wednesday in a very important game. Come out of the gate blazing and get a roadie W.... or earn a piss poor loss and go behind the eight ball playing catch up in MVC action. You know Valpo will be ready to kick the Birds, but will ISU instead show up, battle and get the W?

I think people are sleeping on UE, and I'm not on the DU Bulldogs and ISU Trees bandwagons as many others are. Think both the Bulldogs and Trees are going to struggle like all the MVC teams because it's going to be dog-eat-dog every night when the ball gets tipped.

Alright, enough of my rambling, go get 'em ISU Redbirds !! :character-mario:

 

[Redbird222]

Here's my prediction although I think there is not much separation between many of these teams

Loyola 14- 4 ....still play defense and Williamson will return shortly
Indiana St 12 - 6 additions of transfers positive but still weak inside
Illinois State 11 - 7 I still think there is potential and valley is weak
SIU 11- 7 is Fletcher going to play well they may finish better. If he doesn't perhaps worse
Drake 10-8 I have not seen them play yet
Bradley 9-9 they still are bad on offense
Valpo 7 -11
Evansville 7 - 11
Missouri State 5 - 13 teams stats are really bad
UNI 4 - 14 I have seen several of their games