Big Ten Power Rankings: Offseason edition

Eric May is in no way the key to the season. But I like your enthusiasm.
I disagree, a healthy May could have a huge impact on the season.

a healthy may would have a big impact but i would say marble and white will be more important to iowa's success or failure this yr. at this point may isnt a deciding factor as without him i think they can do very well. but with him he could add some good things that they will lack (perimeter defense and rebounding).
 


a healthy may would have a big impact but i would say marble and white will be more important to iowa's success or failure this yr. at this point may isnt a deciding factor as without him i think they can do very well. but with him he could add some good things that they will lack (perimeter defense and rebounding).

But I think what the poster was getting at was....we know what we're getting with Marble, White, Basabe and McCabe. And to a certain extent we know what to expect with some of the freshman. Eric has the ability to be an outstanding defender and an offensive spark when healthy. But since he's been injured for the better part of two years, it's been difficult to expect anything from him. If he's fully healthy and plays with a sense of urgency in his senior year, he does have the potential to propel us to a certain extent.
 




Eric May is in no way the key to the season. But I like your enthusiasm.

I disagree, I too think that May will be a big x factor. Obviously he isn't as good and won't have the impact that white or marble will, but that's not the point.

The point is that him playing either really well or really poorly could swing things in that direction. He has a very positive Beta, so to speak.

I think he can bring a lot to the team as a leader, a veteran of the conference and big 10 road trips, as a versatile defender, and let's not forget his ridiculous athleticism. Very few guys on this roster can run the wing and finish at the rim (on a fast break) like he can
 
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a healthy may would have a big impact but i would say marble and white will be more important to iowa's success or failure this yr. at this point may isnt a deciding factor as without him i think they can do very well. but with him he could add some good things that they will lack (perimeter defense and rebounding).
But I think what the poster was getting at was....we know what we're getting with Marble, White, Basabe and McCabe. And to a certain extent we know what to expect with some of the freshman. Eric has the ability to be an outstanding defender and an offensive spark when healthy. But since he's been injured for the better part of two years, it's been difficult to expect anything from him. If he's fully healthy and plays with a sense of urgency in his senior year, he does have the potential to propel us to a certain extent.

i get what you are saying but i took him as saying that may would be the key to success...he would put the team over the top but i think they could be successful if he doesnt play at all...therefore i disagree with his statement...maybe i took it wrong.
 


a healthy may would have a big impact but i would say marble and white will be more important to iowa's success or failure this yr. at this point may isnt a deciding factor as without him i think they can do very well. but with him he could add some good things that they will lack (perimeter defense and rebounding).

So basically you are agreeing with me. I was responding to someone that said May is "no way the key". People tend to forget May was hurt last year and tend to write him off. I hope he can provide senior leadership and contribute to help the team win. I agree, Marble and White are going to determine Iowa's success or failure this year but I also think the rest of the team is just as important. This may sound strange but I believe the more shots Marble has to take the less successful Iowa will be. I hope Iowa will be good enough to where other teams just do not have to stop 1 or 2 in order to shut Iowa down offensively. Instead of Iowa having to overcome matchup problems they are creating some of their own.
 


Purdue is overrated. They lost Hummel, who was it, and their best athlete Barlow is kicked off the team. I think they will struggle.
 


a healthy may would have a big impact but i would say marble and white will be more important to iowa's success or failure this yr. at this point may isnt a deciding factor as without him i think they can do very well. but with him he could add some good things that they will lack (perimeter defense and rebounding).
So basically you are agreeing with me. I was responding to someone that said May is "no way the key". People tend to forget May was hurt last year and tend to write him off. I hope he can provide senior leadership and contribute to help the team win. I agree, Marble and White are going to determine Iowa's success or failure this year but I also think the rest of the team is just as important. This may sound strange but I believe the more shots Marble has to take the less successful Iowa will be. I hope Iowa will be good enough to where other teams just do not have to stop 1 or 2 in order to shut Iowa down offensively. Instead of Iowa having to overcome matchup problems they are creating some of their own.

i believe he can have a positive impact. eric may is in no way the "key" to the season.

if eric may doesnt play a single minute i think iowa could make the ncaa (long shot but could).

if eric may has a good season i think iowa could make the ncaa (pretty much still a long shot).

i dont think his success or failure affects it a lot. he brings 2 things that marble doesnt better rebounding and defense. well if white plays more time at the 3 so mccabe and basabe play more time then the rebounding thing is there and defense in mccaffery's style is not about shutting people out as much as making them go so fast they screw up...i think others could learn to do this.

most impact on the yr in order (imo)
1a) marble
1b) white
2) basabe
3) gesell
4) ogelsby
5) mccabe
6) clemmons
7) woodbury
8) olaseni
9) may
10) ingram
11) meyer
 


Purdue is overrated. They lost Hummel, who was it, and their best athlete Barlow is kicked off the team. I think they will struggle.


I agree. IU and Indiana fans hate PU but tend to overrate their talent because they are Indiana preps. Purdue lost 4 of the top 6 scorers...and will be very young.

My picks:

1. IU
2.Mich
3. MSU
4. OSU
5. Wis
6. Iowa
7. Minny....this is the cutoff for making the NCAA tourny and Iowa and Minny could be flipped.
8. NW
9. Ill.
10. PU- cutoff for NIT....Big Ten will be best league,and put 10 in postseason.
11. PSU
12 Neb.

This league will be brutal,and only a good schedule gives the Hawks the edge to stay in the top 7. NW,Ill,and PU could threaten for that spot.
 


I think Illinois might be better than people are giving credit for. They return a couple of good senior scorers, and if Egwu makes a big-man leap between is Freshman and Sophomore seasons, they could do some damage.
 


We went a combined 6-5 against the teams that they have listed ahead of us (and the two games Purdue won we had the lead in the 2nd half) and only 2-5 against the teams listed behind us. Lots of room for improvement, for sure.

That is an interesting note. It would be nice to do that against the top teams again. Plus reverse the bottom half and sweep PU.... Wait, that would be 13 B1G wins. Not sure that will happen...but I do see us doing better record wise, against an improved conference.
 
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Minnesotas power forward can't be the same player after hurting his knee in such a short time. I hope the best for the guy, but he will miss a lot of developmental time and the knee might be healed, but its hard to believe it will be the same after only a year of rehabbing.
The way things work in college ball, drastic violent competition and all, I will be surprised to see Minny's power forward finishing the season unhurt. Tough business.....
 


1a. Indiana
1b. Michigan
3. MSU
4. OSU
5. Iowa
6. Wisconsin
7. Minnesota
8. Purdue
9. Illinois
10. Northwestern
11. PSU
12. Nebraska

OSU with the development of Thomas and emergence of their sophomore class may be a sleeper this year. The loss of Sullinger may help them offensively as crazy as it sounds. Amir Williams will be the BIG defensive POY, he can be that good on the defensive end and a year behind Sullinger had to help him develop offensively...remember, he turned down Duke to go to OSU.
I agree with this with the possibility of Minny and Wisconsin fighting to get ahead of us, but we are no longer patsies.....

:D
 
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LMAO. "Fighting to get ahead of you"? Dude, you're Iowa!!

Dude you are Wisconsin...it has been good run for you, but before you know it, Wiscy will be back to an average at best program.

Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Iowa will be ahead of Wisconsin sooner rather than later for a sustained period of time. That doesn't count OSU and MSU who are already better than Wisconsin.

Enjoy your false "elitist" status while you can...;)
 


Actually I think they have them ranked too low. I think they're closer to #4.
What in Minnesota's track record under Smith leads you to think they should be #4 in the Big Ten going into the season? Personally, I could see us being better than Minnesota, Purdue and Wisconsin. But I can see why someone would have those last two ahead of us going into the season. But not Minnesota.
 




Eric May is in no way the key to the season. But I like your enthusiasm.
"if may has a great season..." is like saying "If Iowa's Walton leads the conference in scoring and rebounding..." It is not gong to happen and it isn't even close to happening. I can't even imagine why anyone would think that it would happen until there is a reason to think he might do something BASED UPON AN ACTUAL SEVERAL GAME PERFORMANCE ONCE THE SEASON STARTS.

Is that clear enough for anyone that thinks May might be a big time contributor this year?
 


"if may has a great season..." is like saying "If Iowa's Walton leads the conference in scoring and rebounding..." It is not gong to happen and it isn't even close to happening. I can't even imagine why anyone would think that it would happen until there is a reason to think he might do something BASED UPON AN ACTUAL SEVERAL GAME PERFORMANCE ONCE THE SEASON STARTS.

Is that clear enough for anyone that thinks May might be a big time contributor this year?


Walton?
 




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