Mornin Mates...
Today's Topic = Too Pessimistic ?
That's what I'm asking myself this fine morning in the desert regarding our upcoming Sun Devil football and basketball seasons...
If you remember, I was very optimistic about last football season since we had a new, young, genius coach, a rebuilt roster and eight home games, etc....
Boy was I wrong, since we only won three games, for the second year in a row, and we weren't even competitive against Utah, Oregon and UA...
The media is already building a case for another dreadful ASU season that is just reinforcing my pessimism...
On3 recently had an online article "Predicting Ceiling, Floor for ASU in 2024" and the picture it painted wasn't pretty...
They had one of their analysts and a guy from Big 12 radio tell us that the Floor = 2-10 record, while the Ceiling = 5-7 record...
They based their analysis on these three key things...1) continuing roster overhaul..2) dicey QB situation...3) tough schedule that includes all of the top teams in the Big 12 and a non-conference slate that doesn't have any cream puffs on it...
Additionally, Lindy's Sports preseason magazine has us only winning three games while finishing 15th in the 16 team Big 12, only ahead of Cincinnati...
They pick Oklahoma St to finish first followed by Utah, Kansas, K-State and UA and we don't miss any of those teams...
They also have Wyoming finishing 7th in the MWC, MIss St finishing 15th in the SEC, and Texas St finishing first in the Sun Belt West Division...
Wyoming has been bowl eligible for seven straight years but has a new coach, while Miss St also has a new coach but one who doesn't have the talent of top SEC teams, and Texas State has a veteran team with a top flight QB transfer running their offense...
I think they make some good, valid points about our opponents but are they discounting the Devils too much in their analysis of our potential..??
Is only five wins the true ceiling for this team..??
Changing sports for the moment, what about our men's BB team under Bobby Hurley...will his team be seen too pessimistically by the preseason media..??
The Athletic wonders if fans will not recognize the promise of a star center like Jayden Quaintance who they think may be wearing superman's cape as a Sun Devil this season...
Doug Haller thinks maybe so in his Athletic article "The promise of five star center Jayden Q and how he can help elevate ASU"...
The kid is only 16 and doesn't lift weights but has no peers in what he brings to the game for someone his age according to the article...
And, he wonders what will happen when Bobby starts developing him to help him reach his full NBA potential...
Some may perceive that as a "red flag" but I don't want to digress with any negativity, since the article is so upbeat about Bobby and his recruiting class that features Q, etc...
In conclusion, I think our football ceiling may be more in the neighborhood of six or seven wins, if some pieces fall in place for Dilly and his team...
And, if "Q" is as good as advertised, our BB team, under Bobby, may surprise everyone with lots of wins this next season, our first in the Big 12...
Is it possible that our football team can win enough games to go bowling this year and will our BB team win enough to make March Madness next year..??
Are those aspirations too optimistic or not in your opinion..??
At the very least, we don't have the NCAA hanging over our football heads these days and both Dilly and Bobby appear to have recruited really well during their respective off-seasons...
G'day Mates and Go Devils!!!
Today's Topic = Too Pessimistic ?
That's what I'm asking myself this fine morning in the desert regarding our upcoming Sun Devil football and basketball seasons...
If you remember, I was very optimistic about last football season since we had a new, young, genius coach, a rebuilt roster and eight home games, etc....
Boy was I wrong, since we only won three games, for the second year in a row, and we weren't even competitive against Utah, Oregon and UA...
The media is already building a case for another dreadful ASU season that is just reinforcing my pessimism...
On3 recently had an online article "Predicting Ceiling, Floor for ASU in 2024" and the picture it painted wasn't pretty...
They had one of their analysts and a guy from Big 12 radio tell us that the Floor = 2-10 record, while the Ceiling = 5-7 record...
They based their analysis on these three key things...1) continuing roster overhaul..2) dicey QB situation...3) tough schedule that includes all of the top teams in the Big 12 and a non-conference slate that doesn't have any cream puffs on it...
Additionally, Lindy's Sports preseason magazine has us only winning three games while finishing 15th in the 16 team Big 12, only ahead of Cincinnati...
They pick Oklahoma St to finish first followed by Utah, Kansas, K-State and UA and we don't miss any of those teams...
They also have Wyoming finishing 7th in the MWC, MIss St finishing 15th in the SEC, and Texas St finishing first in the Sun Belt West Division...
Wyoming has been bowl eligible for seven straight years but has a new coach, while Miss St also has a new coach but one who doesn't have the talent of top SEC teams, and Texas State has a veteran team with a top flight QB transfer running their offense...
I think they make some good, valid points about our opponents but are they discounting the Devils too much in their analysis of our potential..??
Is only five wins the true ceiling for this team..??
Changing sports for the moment, what about our men's BB team under Bobby Hurley...will his team be seen too pessimistically by the preseason media..??
The Athletic wonders if fans will not recognize the promise of a star center like Jayden Quaintance who they think may be wearing superman's cape as a Sun Devil this season...
Doug Haller thinks maybe so in his Athletic article "The promise of five star center Jayden Q and how he can help elevate ASU"...
The kid is only 16 and doesn't lift weights but has no peers in what he brings to the game for someone his age according to the article...
And, he wonders what will happen when Bobby starts developing him to help him reach his full NBA potential...
Some may perceive that as a "red flag" but I don't want to digress with any negativity, since the article is so upbeat about Bobby and his recruiting class that features Q, etc...
In conclusion, I think our football ceiling may be more in the neighborhood of six or seven wins, if some pieces fall in place for Dilly and his team...
And, if "Q" is as good as advertised, our BB team, under Bobby, may surprise everyone with lots of wins this next season, our first in the Big 12...
Is it possible that our football team can win enough games to go bowling this year and will our BB team win enough to make March Madness next year..??
Are those aspirations too optimistic or not in your opinion..??
At the very least, we don't have the NCAA hanging over our football heads these days and both Dilly and Bobby appear to have recruited really well during their respective off-seasons...
G'day Mates and Go Devils!!!
