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Hey everybody. In the middle of a very surprising year I just have a few questions for you all. I am a Bengals fan and years of being in hte cellar has left me with a mindset of thinking offseason a bit prematurely so please forgive me. I have had the misfortune of not being able to see but a few moments of BG basketball this year so the question is posed to those who have seen far more. How has Vandermere played? I saw his stat line early hnd saw he has what seems like shot blocking ability and outwardly wondered why he didnt play more. Now I woncder how he has looked in his time recently. With Eyink and Almanson leaving due to graduation Vandermeer will have to play a very important role on this team next year. Why you are at it can you give a grade card on the rest of he players who will see expanded roles next season and the new and newer faces. Robinson, Soler, Montgomery and Lefeld?

Just a little guesttimate on next years roster look. I would gamble we start an undersized lineup. I would then gamble that Wilson leads us in scoring followed by a Frosh and then Flyd and then Vandermeer.

1 Floyd 6-2 JR. -- Robinson 5-9 So.
2 Wright 6-3 Sr(JR?) -- Montgomery 6-4 Jr. -- Wilson 6-4 Fr.
3 Soler 6-5 Sr -- Sullivan 6-6 Fr. Marschall 6-7 Fr.
4 Fitch 6-4 Sr. -- Holland 6-8 Fr.
5 Vandermeer 6-11 So. -- Lefeld 6-11 Jr.

And to go a step fursther I would like to predict a MAC champinship the year after next. I think basketball teams are built with solid Guard play and big men that let scorers flourish like football teams with the Lines.

And think here we may have right if what we discussed about him graduating and getting another year of eligibility is true.

1 Floyd 6-2 SR. -- Robinson 5-9 Jr.
2 Montgomery 6-4 SR. -- Wilson 6-4 So.
3 Sullivan 6-6 So. Marschall 6-7 So.
4 Holland 6-8 So.
5 Vandermeer 6-11 Jr. -- Lefeld 6-11 Sr.

"Just a little guesttimate on next years roster look. I would gamble we start an undersized lineup. I would then gamble that Wilson leads us in scoring followed by a Frosh and then Flyd and then Vandermeer.

1 Floyd 6-2 JR. -- Robinson 5-9 So.
2 Wright 6-3 Sr(JR?) -- Montgomery 6-4 Jr. -- Wilson 6-4 Fr.
3 Soler 6-5 Sr -- Sullivan 6-6 Fr. Marschall 6-7 Fr.
4 Fitch 6-4 Sr. -- Holland 6-8 Fr.
5 Vandermeer 6-11 So. -- Lefeld 6-11 Jr. "

Alright, I should be sleeping, but here it goes.
Grades for the players who will be back next year:
Floyd: Sometimes C, sometimes B, sometimes A. The main thing he lacks is consistency. With summer workouts and the rest of the season before the start of next season, I believe this will be fixed. I can see him averaging 10 ppg, 6 apg next year. Thus far, though, I would say he has a solid B.

Robinson: He has split time with Floyd at the point, but has had the fewer minutes. I think this kid is special. His energy and attitude can be felt in the stands and he is , by far, the quickest player on the team. He lacks an ability to score and has not demonstrated shooting talent, so his level of offensive threat leaves much to be desired for a truly good point guard. That said, he is only a freshman, and he will get MUCH better. This kid is going to be a team leader and a fan favorite. Thus far, I would give him a B+.

Wright: During his redshirt season, Coach Pepela told me Steven would end up being better than Mcleod. While that is a stretch, next season will be his to shine. He, in my opinion, has the talent to be POY, but that talent is still quite raw. Two guard is a much better position for him, as he can now concentrate on his scoring development. Besides his on-the-court play, Wright is one of the nicer people I have met. The kid has a mean guy persona on the court, but everywhere else he is just known to be everybody's friend. I think most of us misjudged him last year, comparing his attitude to that of Lewis, but I think he has proven us all wrong. Thus far, I give him an A-.

Montgomery: If there is a disappointment on this team, it is Austin's development. He lacks a great deal of confidence, which leads to poor performance in games. He is going to have to step up next year as the long-range shooter, as he has shown the ability before. I have no reason to believe his work ethic is lacking, I just would go out on a limb and say his problems are of the mental variety, much like Matela experienced during the early part of his career. Thus far, he gets a D from me.

Soler: Without Mawi, we just wouldn't be where we are today. His acquisition was brilliant on the part of Dakich, even as most of us had no idea what to expect from him. He seems to have great work ethic and his shooting is coming along. On the boards, it seems as though he is always around the ball. His foul shooting frankly sucks, as we saw on Saturday, but that can be fixed in the summer. Thus far into the season I give him an A+.

Fitch: Germain is awesome. Need I say more? He will average around 8-10 ppg next season as he will be looked to to add some offense. Grade: A.

Vandermeer: He has potential written all over him. His versitality is obvious in his mop-up work and he has had the opportunity to learn from Almanson. I expect him to be one of the better players in the conference by the time he graduates. Grade: B-.

Lefeld: I, like many others on this board, expected more out of Matt this season during the summer. His play may have not been that great, but I don't contribute it to Matt, the person. I blame it on his body. He is STILL growing into his very large shoes and this results in an inability to effectively control his body movements. You won't meet a nicer guy, nor will we see a brighter guy come through this system. Matt is a prototype Dakich player; the big, hardworking, smart farmboy. He needs to learn to be aggressive and get pissed. He won't be all-MAC, but does he have to be? This season I give him a C-, only because of the high expectations I had before the season.

Please comment on these observations....I could just be talking out of my a$$, I don't even know these days.

ialone82 wrote: Montgomery:... Thus far, he gets a D from me.

Please comment on these observations....I could just be talking out of my a$$, I don't even know these days.

Your comments make sense, but judging by your grade for Austin I would impose the "Orange Glasses Curve" Montgomery is the definition of an F, if you were grading anyone. So if I knock everyone down a letter grade, I agree with your grades

None of the players returning next year are really playing at what I would deem, an "A" level. What they are doing is making solid contributions to a team that is playing at an "A" level, and THAT is what is important. Wright is loaded with talent, but is not yet playing up to that level. However, is doing plenty to help us win. The same goes for Floyd, Soler, and Fitch.

I'm really loving watching this team this year too much to really concentrate on the future too much. Dakich teams have a way of having new players step up every year. So while certain players may be non factors this year who knows what's gonna happen next season? They're going to need someone to step up too. Many of the guys you mention are playing well, but Almanson & Reimold are carrying this team for the most part.

hammb wrote:Wright is loaded with talent, but is not yet playing up to that level. However, is doing plenty to help us win.

He is a little rusty on the shooting. He could be our teams high scorer if he worked on that a little more. I think the farther we get into the season, the better he will get and by next year this problem won't be a problem!

hammb wrote:Many of the guys you mention are playing well, but Almanson & Reimold are carrying this team for the most part.

I hate to be a downer, but for this thread and topic I will have to be. I don't see where we will get scoring at next year. Yes Wright is coming back and has skills, but I can see him pulling a Lewis and trying to do too much on his own, to the detriment of the team. We have some good role players coming back, but no scorers.

If next year's team is going to win, some of the FR are going to have to contribute right away, which does happen in college basketball. The recruits do look good, but time will tell. We need them to step up and contribute right out of the box.

Bump: Just wondering if anyone has changed their grades?

Wright: If you missed it, Wright played an EXCELLENT game against Kent. I think it was the most mature that I've ever seen him play. I think Wright has MORE natural ability than McLeod, but is more raw at the same point in his career. Next year, 38mpg, 21ppg, 4apg, 4rpg, 1st team all-MAC. Wright really needs to hit it in the weight room this summer.

Vandermeer: SV will be the main starter on the front line next year. SV is still raw and shows greenness, but he'll come around quick with more minutes. Next year: 28mpg, 9ppg, 7rpg, 3bpg. He'll be a defensive presence like we haven't had in AA since the JFK administration.

Fitch: It kills me to say this, but to be real, anything we get from GBitch next year is gravy. He's hurt his ACL 4 times now. However, all a guy like GBitch needs to do to contribute is be present in the lockerroom. Team captian. Future coach?

Monty lacks the physical strength to be a factor in D1. He doesn't look like he spent a minute in the weight room in the off season and hasn't improved. In fact, he's gone down hill. When he first arrived, I saw much in him that I liked. He has court savy, good ball skills, and a good shot. It doesn't seem like he's made any progress at BG at all, and deservedly hasn't seen any PT as a result. Frankly, I'm hoping and expecting him to leave the program to free up a scholarship for someone who deserves it.

Floyd: There's much to like and not like about him, and I think that he's been a pleasant surprise. He plays with balls and makes tough, big plays. He's a "closer" - the type of guy who's on the court at the END of a game. He's a good shooter and a good passer, usually. As has been well documented, he's speed-challanged, and he hasn't yet learned to adjust for it well. He commits errors of commission, which comes hand-in-hand with so many of his great plays. All in all, I like him. I doubt that he'll get much better than he is now, aside from cutting down on the turnovers. He'll be a solid, contributing backup when Robinson comes into his own and assumes the main role at the point.

Robinson: Perrick is an extremely solid all-round freshman point guard who'll give us excellent all-round floor leadership next year. He has no weaknesses except his height.

Lefeld: I'm completely floored by how Lefeld and Vandermeer have sat behind Eyink. It makes absolutely, positively NO sense to me whatsoever. I'm very glad SV is seeing the court recently. I wish ML would too. While Matt has a very different game than Scott, he has skills that can definitely help us now and in the future. I hope he doesn't get mad and leave, and I hope DD wakes up and gets him in the rotation.

Soler: We'll depend on Mawel almost as much as Wright for an overall contribution. We'll NEED him to take on more scoring responsibility next year. He's an all-round contributer, but somehow I sense that he's still very much in the process of developing confidence as a D1 player. We'll need him to be more consistent, and I expect him to get 25-30 mpg next year unless one of our signees is a blue-chipper. Next year: 25pmg, 8pg, 4.5 rpg, 3apg, good defense, few mistakes, good attitude.