Lack of Triple Threat Players

[BLT]

Next year is a rebuilding year. There is talent there to build barring transition churn. Fisher comes in after Finals to improve the outlook but MU needs a soft out of conference schedule as the Old Spice will be fugly.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Old Spice may still be manageable. I don't expect us to win it, but Rider, Georgia Tech, and Santa Clara aren't exactly belles of the ball. Most likely we will be on the opposite side of the bracket from Xavier, which means our first game will be against one of those three or Tennessee. The Vols graduate three of their top four players and could lose Stokes to the draft as well, so the first game will be winnable. I don't expect we'd beat Kansas or Michigan State, but could still come out of that tournament 2-1.

Getting Wisconsin and Arizona State at home is a big boost. I don't think we'll beat the Badgers next year, especially if Dekker stays (if he does, they may be Bo's first legit NC threat) but Carson already announced he's going to the Draft and ASU also loses Bachynski and Marshall. I expect we'll lose at OSU.

I just posted in the other forum how important scheduling will be for next year. If we can go 3-3 in those 6 games, I'd consider that successful, and 2-4 wouldn't be that bad. We need as many 100-250 RPI teams for the other games if we want any shot at the tourney, and I have to admit I'd love to see an 18 game home schedule next year. If I'm Broeker, I'd be trying to get buy games with as many Horizon, WCC, and Missouri Valley opponents as I can get, then fill out the schedule with low-major contenders.

Teams like High Point, Stony Brook, Eastern Washington, St. Francis (NY), American, and Louisiana-Lafayette are all teams I'd love to see play here next year. Those teams would provide a challenge (unlike the Gramblings and IUPUIs of the world) without being overwhelming like our losses this year were.