SI - Top 32 squads heading into the 2012-2013 season

[lobo21]

http://ncaa-tournament.si.com/2012/0...2-for-2012-13/

[COLOLOBO]

Hey we are there at thirty! That sounds about right we lost our most dominate player, only finished in the top 32 schools in the NCAA tourney this year, and the only significant player being added to the team will be Kirk. Of course I expect to see the coaching staff to add a hidden gem in the next couple of weeks and the underclassmen we have already signed I believe are under the radar as well. By the time the season rolls around that preverbal chip will be squarely on the Lobos shoulder just like we like it!!!!!

[judas_priest]

It's not just the Drew was a dominant player - it's also that a lot of our offense was built around his presence - a lot of 3 pointers were set up by passing inside and having him kick it back out. AK has a better jump shot than Drew, but isn't (at least yet) anywhere close to him in posting up - we will likely have to change style, which takes quite a bit of adjusting.

[JulieG]

No doubt, no matter if we go with what we have or we get a couple of new bigs will our game be the same as it was with Drew. However, Alford and his staff will make the adjustments. it isn't often that you have the kind of post player that Drew was. Even if we got Pelle, it would be different. I think that Alex could give us a dimension that if it is utilized would create an interesting and difficult to defend team.

[NMStorm]

It's not just the Drew was a dominant player - it's also that a lot of our offense was built around his presence - a lot of 3 pointers were set up by passing inside and having him kick it back out. AK has a better jump shot than Drew, but isn't (at least yet) anywhere close to him in posting up - we will likely have to change style, which takes quite a bit of adjusting.

I think we will change our style a bit but I guess I don't see Drew in the same way as you did. Most of his scoring was on put backs and dish and dunks. He didn't score THAT much on the block, at least not most of the year. I think Alex and Cam can make up for his low post scoring pretty easily. The issue will be rebounding. Drew grabbed EVERY rebound within his reach. This could be very difficult to replace...although...I did notice many times that players would defer to Drew in the rebounding department because he was such an animal. AJ even mentioned that they had to sometimes fight drew for rebounds. Perhaps his departure will really allow for others to step up and rebound and it won't be such a loss?

I think the key to our season is our guards willingness and ability to get into the lane. I have no doubt that we will be able to shoot the three but we really need consistant penetration by our guards. I think Kendall, Jamal (to an extent) and D. Walk are already there and will only improve on that but we need more out of Hugh and Tony. Tony showed flashes of driving brilliance but they were only flashes. While getting the ball into the post does open up outside shots, penetrating the defense does the same thing.

[KingNoodles]

5 years, three conference titles, one second and still so much doubt and so many inferiority complexes ???

Be it JR, Hobson, Drew, Coach aways finds a way/tactics to dominate the rebounding, and though no individual will likely get as many as Drew as a team we still will dominate rebounding. Drew a big big loss but we have more experienced high quality guard and perimeter play and still great depth, and now a lot more depth in size with at least 3 new additions there, plus a 4th in Kirk who many seem to have forgotten had some real quality play at times his freshman year and was a top 100 recruit himself. ( http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75...=1&nid=3926999 )

Drew a special irreplaceable Lobo and his explosiveness and heart won't be duplicated, this year anyway ;) but Kirk adds a different approach and range of offensive skills all his own, and some may mock my wild-eyed kool-aid drinking like last summer or after the first two conference games when they talked about UNLV and SDSU needing not to lose anymore conference games but I mixed my kool-aid with Tequila to celebrate the Conference title sweep by the way.

We will be very very good next season, we will be in the top 25 and we will win the regular season conference and go to the NCAA's again and I will enjoy again my kool-aid all year but more so in March.

[wowzers]

[QUOTE=COLOLOBO;466723]the only significant player being added to the team will be Kirk. QUOTE]

wow, talk about a slap in the face to our incoming class.

[COLOLOBO]

[QUOTE=wowzers;466792]

the only significant player being added to the team will be Kirk. QUOTE]

wow, talk about a slap in the face to our incoming class.

It is what it is these recruits are what they are and frankly with very few exceptions there isn’t a lot of gloating regarding the recruiting class. Now as I said, I believe that this class may be a little under the radar and Alford’s staff knows talent so only time will tell how successful this class will be.

[JulieG]

It also seems that a lot of writers that write about the lobos tend to be a bit light on much about us. From what I have seen they are a bit light on most teams that are not BCS or storied.

[Rebelworks]

Lobos will surprise many next year, much like SDSU did this year. With the emergence of Demetrius Walker and Kirk coming back you guys will be good. You guys have some size coming in with Aget and a few other guys..but I think the Lobos will be more of a guard oriented team next year. Snell showed flashes of a 1st-Team All-conference performer this year, just needs to step into the role as "the man"..Also Kendall will be better after his Sophomore slump. It also can't hurt that Greenwood will have another offseason to improve.

Call me crazy but I think SDSU won't be as good as many think. They played with a big chip on their shoulder this year, and way over their heads until they fell back to earth towards the end of the season. Franklin will be great, Tapley will be good..But they won't be anywhere near as hungry. Winston Shepard wants to be a "point forward" type at SDSU and while hes a lockdown defender, doesn't have those skills. He's got an average handle for a big-guy, but if anyone sees him lead a break/dribble through traffic he's staring at the floor slapping the ball and relies on his height and athleticism against inferior highschool athletes to get by..Not gonna happen in D-1 ball...If Fisher actually let him play "Point forward" UNM's defense would pick that apart..UNLV would have a field day with the fastbreaks off picking his pocket too. They also have a great recruiting classes on paper but WAY to many cooks in the kitchen at SF/PF.

I also think UNLV will improve, but not as much as many Rebel fans are expecting. Bryce Jones will be the best player on the team, and Moser coming back will be enough to keep them in the Top-25..But UNLV has problems at PG and you guys above all can see what happens after losing a 4-year starter at PG. UNLV will miss Bellfield, Massamba, and Stanback more than they realize now. Especially Bellfield. UNLV relying on a big recruiting class to fix all their woes of last year, whether it be shooting, toughness, or lackadaisical defense. Rice will need to improve as a head-coach..Can't let this team get-by on talent alone again..actually going to need to learn how to run a few halfcourt sets.

[AztecBill]

Lobos will surprise many next year, much like SDSU did this year. With the emergence of Demetrius Walker and Kirk coming back you guys will be good. You guys have some size coming in with Aget and a few other guys..but I think the Lobos will be more of a guard oriented team next year. Snell showed flashes of a 1st-Team All-conference performer this year, just needs to step into the role as "the man"..Also Kendall will be better after his Sophomore slump. It also can't hurt that Greenwood will have another offseason to improve.

Call me crazy but I think SDSU won't be as good as many think. They played with a big chip on their shoulder this year, and way over their heads until they fell back to earth towards the end of the season. Franklin will be great, Tapley will be good..But they won't be anywhere near as hungry. Winston Shepard wants to be a "point forward" type at SDSU and while hes a lockdown defender, doesn't have those skills. He's got an average handle for a big-guy, but if anyone sees him lead a break/dribble through traffic he's staring at the floor slapping the ball and relies on his height and athleticism against inferior highschool athletes to get by..Not gonna happen in D-1 ball...If Fisher actually let him play "Point forward" UNM's defense would pick that apart..UNLV would have a field day with the fastbreaks off picking his pocket too. They also have a great recruiting classes on paper but WAY to many cooks in the kitchen at SF/PF.

I also think UNLV will improve, but not as much as many Rebel fans are expecting. Bryce Jones will be the best player on the team, and Moser coming back will be enough to keep them in the Top-25..But UNLV has problems at PG and you guys above all can see what happens after losing a 4-year starter at PG. UNLV will miss Bellfield, Massamba, and Stanback more than they realize now. Especially Bellfield. UNLV relying on a big recruiting class to fix all their woes of last year, whether it be shooting, toughness, or lackadaisical defense. Rice will need to improve as a head-coach..Can't let this team get-by on talent alone again..actually going to need to learn how to run a few halfcourt sets.

One thing about SDSU next year is X Thames and James Rahon both played hurt all conference. X Thames injured his knee in late December and was never the same. Jame Rahon sprained his ankle and was much less the dead-eye shooter he was in the past. Rahon will be coming off the bench, most likely, next year and Franklin playing the 3rd guard instead of the 4th guard (PF). This will be real interesting to watch. How does Franklin adjust to playing SF and Rahon to coming off the bench to fill in at SG and SF. We could still see some 4 guard lineups but also some 3 big lineups. SDSU will have a lot of depth and be able to play lineups to create matchup problems. Fisher in the past also liked to press full court, full time, when he had the depth to do it. Next year I expect that too. It will be an interesting year. The Aztecs will win, if they do, mostly via defense.

New Mexico being next year's SDSU is a good call. They will have to change what they have been doing and come out as a different team - just like the Aztecs had to.

UNLV will be stacked. The only question is how the new pieces fit and can Bellfield be replaced.

All 3 teams will win with defense. That is the key for each.

[RustyTX]

Kirk is going to be a lot more of a dominating presence in the post that he is being given credit for. His natural ability to hit the 3 and to post up makes him a lot like Dirk. With the rest of the team around him and the talent level this team has I can see us in the top 15 by the start of conference play and top ten when we reach the MWCtournamnet.