10 Questions for the BE in 2014

[GumbyDamnit!]

Someone asked something similar on the Nova Rivals board, so I thought to shamelessly duplicate it. Here are 10 questions for the BE this year:

1. How many BE teams make the tourney?
2. How many make the Sweet 16?
3. Best chance to surprise (team)?
4. Best chance to disappoint (team)?
5. Opposing player I want on my team? Why?
6. BE player most responsible for a team having success this year?
7. The BE Coach I would want leading my program for the next 10 years (other than yours)?
8. In an ideal (yet realistic) world the first program that I would want the BE to take in expansion?
9. Final RPI of league (rank)?
10. Biggest challenge for the league moving forward?

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My responses:

1. 4 (Nova, X, Gtown, SJU)
2. 1 (not sure who but we're due)
3. Creighton (Butler a close 2nd; one of these 2 finish in the Top 5)
4. Nova - natural pressure being overwhelming favorite
5. Jalen Reynolds - We're good at G, could use a beast up front
6. DSR. Needs to carry that team at G spot. I think as he goes, so go the Hoyas this year (he will be the B. Cotton of this year's BE)
7. Wojo. Like the program or not Duke and Coach K are the gold standard. Seems to be able to recruit; seems intelligent; was a scrappy/heady player which usually translates well for coaches (see: B. Donovan, K. Ollie, Scott Skiles, etc.). If his X's and O's are halfway decent I think MU has a great one.
8. UConn
9. 4 (behind ACC, B1G & Pac12)
10. Tourney success.

[gosports1]

1. 5
2. 1
3. marquette
4. Georgetown
5. Arcidiacono (sp)
6.d'angelo harrison
7. tough between wright and wojo. lets go wright since hes been proven
8. st louis
9. 4
10. proving the so called experts wrong. Getting the respect the BE deserves

[marquette]

1. 4
2. 1
3. Butler
4. Tough one. Nova, maybe? There aren't super high expectations for anybody else this year.
5. Anyone over 6'7''
6. Not sure.
7. Wright
8. SLU (don't see UConn as realistic in the next 3 years).
9. 4
10. Probably tourney success.

[R to the OB]

1. 4
2. 1
3. Creighton... but since it's my team I'll throw out another team (Seton Hall)
4. St. John's
5. Jayvaughn Pinkston. The 4 spot is the weakest for Creighton. Pinkston would be an immediate difference maker there.
6. Josh Smith
7. Wojo
8. SLU
9. 4
10. Getting respect

[stever20]

1. 4
2. 1
3. Marquette
4. Xavier
5. Archy
6. Smith
7. Cooley
8. VCU
9. 5(think Big 12 as well)
10. tourney success(if you have that- you will get respect)

[GoldenWarrior11]

1. 4 (Villanova, Xavier, Georgetown, St. Johns)
2. 2 (Villanova, Georgetown)
3. Butler - Perhaps the new coach can get better results with the group.
4. St. Johns - seems they have usually started off with good momentum under Lavin, then falter later on.
5. LaDonte Hinton - Double-double machine. Could use his senior leadership and height.
6. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera. He's a scorer that will need to probably score even more than last year. I think he can make a big leap this year.
7. Jay Wright. Model of consistency. Ironically, I would want him because he's been at Villanova for so long, and I'm tired of Marquette coaches packing up their bags and leaving.
8. Toss up between Saint Louis (institutional and location fit, basketball program needs to continue its level of success) and VCU (not an institutional fit, but a location fit, basketball program has been consistently competitive under Smart, Capel and Grant. They have also put in a lot of $$$ into their facilities).
9. 5 (behind ACC, B1G, Big 12 & Pac12)
10. The biggest challenge will be to (correct if I'm wrong) being the first league/entity to succeed without be broadcast or promoted (or even acknowledged) on ESPN. I have loved everything on Fox Sports thus far (broadcasts, commentators, coverage, etc.), but let's face it: ESPN is still the top dog in the sports world. It will a challenge to get viewers who are not fans of the schools.

[milksteak]

1. How many BE teams make the tourney? 4
2. How many make the Sweet 16? 1 (Nova)
3. Best chance to surprise (team)? Marquette
4. Best chance to disappoint (team)? SJU
5. Opposing player I want on my team? Why? Stainbrook. No center on roster.
6. BE player most responsible for a team having success this year? DSR
7. The BE Coach I would want leading my program for the next 10 years (other than yours)? Wojo
8. In an ideal (yet realistic) world the first program that I would want the BE to take in expansion? Dayton
9. Final RPI of league (rank)? 6th
10. Biggest challenge for the league moving forward? Tournament legitimacy. Need teams consistently getting to the second weekend.

[SJHooper]

To the fans picking SJ to still go to the tourney, are you aware we lost Thomas and barely escaped with a W vs. Humboldt State today? The upside is that Obekpa is going to be a beast this year. Never seen a player in any sport improve so drastically in such a short period of time. He actually has a nice shot now which he never used to have. So for us to have ANY thought of playing in the tourney he will have to be a monster offensively and defensively and most importantly stay healthy.

I would put SJ's tourney odds after today at about 30%. 70% chance we miss it. I just don't see the chemistry, I see zero front court except Obekpa, and it doesn't look like anyone improved from last year except Obekpa. Like I said, if we somehow sneak in the tourney Lavin deserves coach of the year. My gut is usually pretty accurate and I would be very surprised (pleasantly) if we made it.

[robinreed]

1. 4
2. 1
3. Marquette and XU (XU to the dance is a surprise to some)
4. SJU (but I am pulling for them to succeed)
5. Harrison
6. Smith (?)
7. Wojo (he is not Buzz but he will be good)
8. UConn by a million miles
9. 6th
10. Viewership on FSN and having 3 teams in the top 25. The single most important thing we can and must do this year is significantly improve our ratings on FSN. Failing that a very good league will become unimportant to the public and to all but our alumni, students and the most dedicated of BB fans. We need to be more, especially on TV.

[aughnanure]

1. How many BE teams make the tourney? 4
2. How many make the Sweet 16? 2 (we're due from last year)
3. Best chance to surprise (team)? Xavier (I'm thinking "surprise" as more than just 'hey they made the tourney'...Marq or Prov if it's that)
4. Best chance to disappoint (team)? SJU as always
5. Opposing player I want on my team? Why? Pinkston, Marquette NEEDS the size.
6. BE player most responsible for a team having success this year? DSR or Deonte Burton
7. The BE Coach I would want leading my program for the next 10 years (other than yours)? Wright
8. In an ideal (yet realistic) world the first program that I would want the BE to take in expansion? Gonzaga
9. Final RPI of league (rank)? 4, behind B1G, Big 12, and ACC. If it's 5 it'd be real close to Pac12.
10. Biggest challenge for the league moving forward? Fox Sports and NCAA tourney success.