Mailbag 12.4.23

Time for another edition of the weekly mailbag! You have questions, I have answers. Let’s dive in.

Butler has exceeded many expectations and is now 6-2 with wins over Penn State, Boise State and Texas Tech. Only losses to FAU (by only 5) and in East Lansing to Michigan State. Do you think this group of Dawgs has what it takes to make the NCAA Tournament this year? – @ButlerGuru

Yes! This team is good! I watched their game against Texas Tech the other day and I was thoroughly impressed with the stable of guards and wings Thad Matta pulled from the portal. It’s funny how things work out. Pierre Brooks was a fringe rotation guy for Michigan State last year. Now he’s Butler’s leading scorer and shoots 42% from three. I have to imagine he would’ve had more of a role this year with Sparty, but man sometimes a fresh start is all it takes. I’m also not surprised how well Jahmyl Telfort’s game has translated either. 6′ 7″ buckets don’t grow on trees. And Posh has done exactly what known commodity Posh does. Solid defender and won’t lose you games on the other end.

No big names, no flashy stats, just a bunch of guys that are on their last go around and want to win. The Big East is a gauntlet, but I think they’ll win enough to find themselves on the right side of the bubble.

Which mid or low major coach has seen his #SearchSZN stock rise most thus far this season and why is it Josh Schertz? – @CurryHicksSage

Josh Schertz is awesome. The Indiana State head coach is a great talent evaluator and knows how to recruit to fit his scheme. The result? The Sycamores are 7-1 after winning 23 games last season. I would love to see Schertz get a chance at a high major next season (looking at you, DePaul). Athletic directors please do yourselves a favor and hire guys that have won at any level. Winning is a skill and not everyone has it. Go with the guy with a proven track record instead of some flashy name retread that flamed out at his last job.

Niko Medved is the other easy choice here. Colorado State is a f***ing wagon. Isaiah Stevens is playing like an All-American and this Rams team could really make some noise in the tournament. They’ll probably land on the 5-6 line when it’s all said and done – prime position to make the second weekend. And when Medved eventually gets plucked, my vote is for Ali Farokhmanesh to keep the train rolling in Fort Collins.

Where do our SLU Billikens go from here? Both the rest of the season, and going forward? – @WestPineBills

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the Saint Louis Billikens have looked like the worst team in the A10 the last few weeks. They’ve lost four of their last five and the lone win was a narrow escape of Dartmouth. This team simply cannot guard the ball. They just gave up 101 to Southern Illinois. The AdjD is the lowest it’s ever been in the KenPom era. Yes Sincere Parker is out, but I’m not sure how much of a difference he’s making at this point.

To put it plainly, Travis Ford is in trouble. They haven’t made the tournament in four years and unless they win out against the rest of the non-conference slate, they’ve squandered any chance at an at-large bid. Saint Louis needs to get Parker back and use conference play to improve as much as they can before the big weekend at Barclays in March.

Are the Cincy Bearcats good? – @RyanKin05071122

I think the correct answer is maybe? Cincinnati hasn’t played anyone inside the KenPom 120, but they also haven’t lost – which means more in basketball than it does football. In their only game away from home – at Howard – they struggled and needed OT. Their next three games will tell us all we need to know with matchups against Xavier, Bryant and Dayton. History tells us Bryant is fully capable of sending everyone’s opinions about you into a tailspin.

What I know for certain is getting a waiver for Aziz Bandaogo was the most important victory of the season so far for this group. He gives them a physical presence on the block that will help them adjust to the night in, night out brutality of Big 12 play. Ironically, their first Big 12 game is at BYU – another team that we’re not quite sure what to make of just yet. Get back to me in a few weeks and I’ll give you a better answer.

What are your thoughts on the job Kim English is doing thus far in Friartown? That and how impressed are you with the quality AND quantity of recruits he’s had on PC’s campus for official visits in the last month? – @JohnJMcAleavey

Kim English has exceeded expectations early on in his first season. Their only loss came in overtime to Kansas State, who will likely make the tournament. What I love about this team is their tenacity defensively. They’re 12th in the country in PPP and 1st in PPP at the rim, per synergy. They are getting after it and that shows you how bought in they are to what English is teaching. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but next year could look even better if they bring everyone back.

As for recruiting, the Friars have had a parade of highly-touted recruits come through the building in recent weeks. English is one of those guys that will always be in the mix for big time talent. Can he close them? We’ll find out soon enough, but being in the room is a major first step.

Who are the best new coaches so far? – @RogerJWetlaufer

I’m going to set my own parameters here and go with first-time head coaches. There are some good ones!

We have to give some credit to Red Autry at Syracuse. They’re still figuring out the defensive end, but when you have 40 years of precedent to overcome there will be some growing pains. He managed to put together one of the best backcourts in the country and if he can continue to recruit at a high level, we could see Syracuse back in the national spotlight sooner rather than later.

Ross Hodge at North Texas has also done a fantastic job so far. He was the mastermind behind Grant McCasland’s defenses, so naturally he hasn’t missed a beat stepping into the head chair. The Mean Green’s only losses are to LSU and St. John’s by a combined five points. They’re a few buckets away from being undefeated and likely ranked. The competition will be a little stiffer this year in the AAC, but Hodge has already proven he can hold his own with some of the best coaches in the sport.

Without naming names (duh), are you aware of high major players (good players at that) that are already planning on entering the portal? If you ain’t tampering, you ain’t winning. – @hoosier_sm

I have a list with about 50 names on it already. Lot of high major guys and a few mid-major studs that will get a lot of attention. The portal never stops!

Who’s the best CBB team in the country, why? – @n8ron5369

This question is bait, but I’ll take it anyways. As of today (December, 4 2023) the answer is Arizona. I wrote about their offensive philosophy and how they targeted people in the portal here. There just aren’t any glaring holes on this team. They can score at all three levels with a handful of different weapons. They guard the ball and protect the rim well enough to survive a cold shooting night and they rebound on both ends. They’ve won two close games at Duke and on a neutral floor against Michigan State and they’ve blown everyone else out. The Wildcats are on a mission this year.

What’s the worst refereeing miss of all time and why is it the TCU foot on the line against Georgetown? I’ll hang up and listen. – @hoyadc

I watched this live and it infuriated me. A clear and obvious mistake was made, but we can’t go back and fix it? What’s the point of replay? You really have to feel for Georgetown in this situation. That was a program building win taken from them. As someone who has been on the wrong end of many calls like that, it was painful to watch. The rules committee needs to take a serious look at replay capabilities because this is the second year in a row this has happened.

How many Tourney bids can the AAC realistically get? Long term, can they be a multi-bid league every year? – @AndrewJosupait

The AAC is in that awkward middle of high major and mid-major. It’s not either if that makes sense. This year they’re probably looking at two bids. FAU is getting one, that much we can count on. The other will *probably* go to Memphis. Wichita State, Tulane and North Texas are all capable of making things interesting for that second bid, too. This is a multi-bid league as long as it’s around. I can see them on the same level as the A10 – years where it’s stacked at the top and years where the bottom falls out and we make zero big league jokes.

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