Season projections for Hoops

[GTJT622]

As practice officially begins tomorrow (welcome college hoops!), here's my admittedly gloomy projection to which I hope I am very wrong - but, being objective...

Overall = 13-18
ACC = 4-14

November = 5-1
December = 4-3 (3-game losing streak at Tulane, vs VCU, at Cesspool)
January = 1-7 (lone win home vs Va Tech...what an incredibly difficult beginning to the ACC schedule...yikes!)
February = 2-6 (wins home against Wake and Clemson)
March = 1-1 (win finale against Pitt at home)

Either 14- or 15-seed at ACCT. One and done in D.C.

What can make this projection much better?
The influence of Adam Smith being a consistent outside shooter and ability to put the team on his back down the stretch to get over the hump of losing close games.

Ceiling for this team?
This projected 13-18/4-14 record could be as high as 20-11/9-9 and a bubble NCAAT or likely NIT team. This depends on improved play at point guard, Smith (see above), significant improvement by Tadric Jackson, MGH having his best season in his last campaign, and consistent performance by post players where they don't disappear.

Could it be worse?
Just when someone says "it can't be worse" they quickly regret saying that because it can. Since my expectations are already pretty low, not sure just how much worse it can get. But, games like Wofford and Tennessee at home - which I am projecting as W's - or a win I've projected in Brooklyn could easily be L's. I've got us getting off to a wretched 1-9 start to the ACC schedule. Hopefully, we will do better than that, but the schedule in January is just brutal. Then, you enter February with the national champs at home and a strong Miami team coming in right behind them. Will the team throw in the towel or keep driving through February if they get off to that bad of a start to the ACC schedule? IOW, it *can* get worse than I'm projecting. Hopefully not though of course.

I wish I was more optimistic. I'll follow the team like I always do and as November 13th approaches the anticipation of another season will grow. Go Jackets! Please prove this old farteker very very wrong. Please?

 

[Buzzforlife]

GTJT622, you are a true longtime fan filled with passion, optimism and always fair with your perspective. I read your posts for years, along with some other gents. before ever responding or posting. To say that you are usually on the mark, is an understatement!

All that being said, in the name of the French, or the Dublin Georgia Shriners, please be a little off on those ACC game predictions. I can't take another losing season, especially that conference record and placement at the bottom. You are probably on the mark, but here is my heart-not my head speaking:

17-14, 8-10 in league play. Surprisingly we tie for 7th. Win one tourney game. No NCAA, so I stop at that point.

Now you may commit me or send CT Moore to come have lunch with me. I will eat quickly before the former might occur also!

 

[GTJT622]

Projections for the Lady J's...

Overall = 20-9
ACC = 8-8

November = 6-1 (lone loss unfortuantely at Hell)
December = 6-1/0-1 (opening the ACC schedule at ND will be a wake up call considering how relatively easy the pre-ACC schedule appears)
January = 4-4
February = 4-3

8-seed at the ACCT. Will go 1-1 in Greensboro. Will make the NCAAT as an 11-seed and will be knocked out in 1st round. Coach Jo will record another 20+ win season for the 8th time in the last 10 seasons (and last year we wound up 1 win short of 20).

As posted in another thread earlier this summer, I think the Lady J's will be better this upcoming season and will play more as a team without Kaela Davis. The ACC is of course just flat out brutal. 8-8 is in fact a pretty good season considering 8-9 teams from the conference will make the NCAAT.

What can make this projection much better?
Staying healthy for starters. We can't afford losing any time from Whiteside, Rogers or O'Neil in particular. Peresson becoming a nice 3-pt threat at the 2 will be a huge boost for this team. Tilford needs to capitalize on her improved play we saw towards the end of her frosh season last year and Cryor needs to come in and play steady as a true frosh. Can someone among Fortune, Guimaraes, Garner and Gari be difference makers? I expect Coach Jo to get back to improved defensive play (something that has been severely lacking the last 3 years, IMO) with lots of hustle and lots of different players rotated in throughout games. And as stated in another thread, I think the time is now for Katarina V to become a big time player in the ACC.

Ceiling for this team?
Certainly with improved defense and winning some close games that we gave away last year (lost 4 games by 5 pts or less and 2 others in OT), this team could be more like a 22-7/10-6 kind of team. But, there is just as likely a 17-12/5-11 kind of finish too if things don't go our way and considering how tough the ACC is.

Key pre-ACC games will be at the Cesspool, at Indiana and home vs Bama. Those should be good tests to tell us about our chances once ACC play begins. Like the men, I expect we will get off to a rough ACC start. I think we'll go 0-4 in our first 4 games. Schedule makers in Greensboro just were not kind to either team this year to start out. Then again, both men and women's hoops in the ACC are just loaded these days top to bottom - especially the women - and it appears that will only strengthen or stay the same at minimum moving forward.

 

[Buzzforlife]

I had us 20-10, must have been counting a tourney win. With you on the conference mark and the difficulty in the league again. Can totally see your best/worst case scenerios as well.

Can we get Stech81 out to a game this season? He is a football guy, a beer guy, a football guy, a beer guy, a Sofia guy, a beer guy, a football guy....well you get my point!

 

[stech81]

We have a basketball team ? What would be next a baseball team ?

 

[GTJT622]

stech81 has no time for hoops. He will be building statues during those critical winter months.

And, of course, fattening up for the upcoming foosball season. Plus, with all his hot wives to take care of...well, you know.

 

[Buzzforlife]

Shoot, you mean he has a life? And here I thought I could take one of those hotties out of his beer tent.

Guess it's time to buy one of those pink dresses that UNC$, might be hawking down around 7th St. Time to dress up my manakin. Call her Swaffie!

 

[BornAJacket]

I guess you saw this from the CBS sports prognosticators, it's a somewhat more rosey prediction. GT a surprise NCAA bubble team...

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...ieve-in-2015-16-oklahoma-state-could-surprise

Frankly I don't know where they will be.

I did receive a call from the ticket office the other day, talking about basketball tickets. Mentioned to me there would be an ACC game ticket and a 4 game pack available this year. I'll probably get that package. I split some season tickets with a friend a few years ago, but with the lack of demand, we've been able to get seats just about any game we wanted.

 

[GTJT622]

Thanks for posting that. I am up for any optimistic views.

 

[BornAJacket]

Thanks for posting that. I am up for any optimistic views.

Who knows, maybe this is a year when the ball bounces Tech's way

The early ACC schedule is brutal