2015-16 Lineup

[MustangIcon]

- Difficult to create a true depth chart because many players can play many positions
- LB's actions/words indicate to me that he will play Nic with another PG on the floor as much as possible, so expect Shake/Sed to be 1st player off the bench (or one could likely start)
- Semi isn't eligible until second semester, so will likely start out coming off the bench

G - Nic, Sed/Shake
G - Keith, Sed/Shake
G - Sterling, Emelogu, Foster
F - Tolbert, Semi
F - Kennedy, Ben Moore

[03Mustang]

Can we really assume Kennedy will be back?

[East Coast Mustang]

I think it was promising that Markus was talking about school and writing a paper on Twitter the other day. If he was planning on leaving after this year for D-League or overseas he probably wouldn't be too concerned with his second semester classes.

Hopefully sitting out first semester this year was a wakeup call for him and he will have his academics in order and ready to go for a promising senior season. He and Tolbert together in the frontcourt would be a handful for opposing teams

[EastStang]

So, I guess the answer is to win the whole thing this year.

[ojaipony]

G - Nic, Sed, Shake
G - Shake, Sed, Nic
G - Sterling, Emelogu, Foster (B Moore in a pinch)
F - Tolbert, B Moore (Semi when eligible)
F - Kennedy, New Guy

I'm leaving out KF for now. And I also think we pick up another. If that's true (and KF does indeed come back), this roster is nasty. It's going to be hard to replace all that experience and length no doubt but I think we'll score more with this group (it's just do we net out ahead for what we give up on defense).

[PonyFan32]

So, I guess the answer is to win the whole thing this year.

Seconded. I find myself looking ahead to next year too much, and there's some good basketball yet to be played this year. Love our team, and anything can happen in a 6 game stretch at tourney time.

[hoopmanx]

Let's see. Stay and play for a hall of fame coach your last year where you are the man, unquestioned. Or gamble and go to a program where you will have to establish yourself within the team and learn to function in a different system with a different coach - in your last year. The highway is littered with kids who transferred and it didn't work out - Justin Martin comes to mind.......

He isn't going anywhere so quit being chicken littles............

I'm not saying he is going anywhere, I'm saying coaches are definitively in his ear. Beyond that, your first paragraph makes sense if you're a middle-aged white guy. If you're Nic Moore, you think you're the man and starting anywhere, no matter what. If you're being told that SMU can't go postseason in your last season and you want the tournament, that starts the thought process. We just need to show him it's not going to be that big a deal. I'm sure he'll figure it all out

Sorry hoop, yes you are saying it. You have been beating this drum for weeks. If he does have a decision to make, I am confident he will listen to the right people and make the right decision.

Where have I said he's going anywhere? Where? I've merely reported that many schools are contacting the kid. Whether you want to bury your head in the sand or not, we do have to re-recruit Nic for next year and that starts and ends w/him knowing the actual terms of the sanctions. Again, not saying he's leaving but he is being contacted by other programs

[hoopmanx]

There actually is a obstacle that will apply to Nic Moore utilizing the graduate transfer rule since Nic Moore has already transferred once from Illinois St. He's going to have to get a consent/waiver from SMU. And Hoop stop saying Head Coach are talking to Nic Moore. No coach is going to be that stupid to talk to a kid during the season who has not gotten his release. If its through other channels then say it accurately

http://www.athleticscholarships.net/201 ... waiver.htm

Shut it, everyone knows exactly what I meant. Its irrelevant if a coach contacts Nic or his people, the programs still want him. You really are a letter of the law d.. Ask his parents if they are taking any potential sanctions seriously..

[ojaipony]

Hoopman knows his stuff but he also likes to stir things up a little.

[Stallion]

There actually is a obstacle that will apply to Nic Moore utilizing the graduate transfer rule since Nic Moore has already transferred once from Illinois St. He's going to have to get a consent/waiver from SMU. And Hoop stop saying Head Coach are talking to Nic Moore. No coach is going to be that stupid to talk to a kid during the season who has not gotten his release. If its through other channels then say it accurately

http://www.athleticscholarships.net/201 ... waiver.htm

Shut it, everyone knows exactly what I meant. Its irrelevant if a coach contacts Nic or his people, the programs still want him. You really are a letter of the law d.. Ask his parents if they are taking any potential sanctions seriously..

Well based upon your reputation on the internet you ought to look into hiring a good "letter of the law" attorney

[ojaipony]

I think Nic and MK will be back next year (I used to be on the fence about it and definitely thought MK is GONE). But, now (barring a crazy NCAA penalty and the whole thing imploding), I think they both come back and we will be a rock solid team again next year. The AAC will be a tad better, but I think we still are a top 4 AAC and NCAA tourney bound team. (And I hope we sign a monster 2017 class).

[ojaipony]

This thread got me interested in taking a look at our hoops recruiting pipeline.

I decided to use ESPN top 100/60. Here's what I found:

ESPN Top 100 on current roster/signed NLI:
Semi - #40
Shake - 74 (#1 in OK)

*MK had a 92 rating, but I couldn't figure out what his ranking was.

2016 TX Offers

T Ferg - 9th
Fox - 13th
Bolden - 20th
Allen - 38th

2017 TX Offers

Washington - 14th

[Top Twenty]

Nic isn't going anywhere, despite Maryland's best efforts. There are numerous reasons for this, not the least of which is that you have to graduate in order to be able to move for your post-graduate year. That's not in the cards.

[friarwolf]

Here is how I see it…

Nic/Sed
Keith/Shake
Sterling/Ben E
Ben M/ Semi
MK/Tolbert


We are undersized but have both muscle and jump under the boards. We make do if we don't get a JC or transfer big. That's a pretty nice 10. By the time we get to the conference tourney those freshmen are essentially sophs and Semi should be up on the LB system. I like this team a whole bunch.

Tough to break down by position as most of the backcourt can play on or off ball and Keith can swing up and Ben E can swing down. Ben can play down too. All that said, that's the 10 right there w/Foster as a wildcard.

Unfortunately, tons of if's as other teams are killing Nic about SMU sanctions and the 5th year transfer rule. I've heard more than 1 coach say he's heading to the Big 10 next year. The key to this offseason is getting the penalty portion done and over so we can retain everyone

Hoop,

Here is one example of your banging the drum that he is leaving. Just own it, that's all. Stop playing your semantics. You are an interesting read for the most part. Most of us enjoy your insight but on this topic, let's just see where everything eventually falls.

[Blvd_Stang]

Hoop isn't stirring anything. Simply saying it's a possibility.

Enjoy the inside information, and don't shoot the messenger.