Who Stays and Who Goes? 2015-16 Big 12 Season Lookahead (Part 2)
Fans of the Kansas Jayhawks love Big 12 championships, and fresh after winning an 11th straight crown, people are already looking ahead to the 2015-16 season. The Big 12 was one of the best conferences in college basketball this year. Loaded from top to bottom, the league was rewarded with an astounding 70% NCAA tournament rate, and it figures to be very competitive again next season.
Using information put together from user nallen34 on the Iowa State fan site Cyclone Fanatics, let’s take an expanded look at the impending personnel changes for each of Big 12 schools. Today, we’ll run through three teams that all had bright moments, but ultimately placed 7th, 6th, and 5th in the 2014-15 Big 12 standings: Texas, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia.
Texas Longhorns
2015 finish: 20-14 overall, 8-10 conference (7th)
Players Leaving/Potentially Leaving:
Myles Turner, freshman, 6’11” PF/C – NBA Draft (Projected #11 overall on DraftExpress.com, and #14 overall on NBADraft.net)
10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 22.2 minutes per game
Jonathan Holmes, senior, 6’8″ F – Graduating
10.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 26.1 minutes per game
Adding:
Kerwin Roach, 6’3″ SG – #36 overall on Rivals, #34 overall on ESPN, #51 overall on 247 Sports
Eric Davis, 6’3″ SG – #54 overall on Rivals, #45 overall on ESPN, #48 overall on 247 Sports
Shaquille Cleare, 6’8″ RS Jr. C – Transfer from Maryland
3.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 13.8 minutes for Maryland in 2013-14 season
Analysis:
The Longhorns were ranked in the Top 10 at Christmas, but had fallen out of the polls by Valentine’s Day. A season that began with Final Four aspirations concluded in another early tournament exit, and it ultimately cost Rick Barnes his job. He had been the longest tenured-coach in the Big 12, and he’s not the only man leaving the basketball program. Texas will lose its best NBA prospect in Myles Turner, a horribly underused talent who was the #2 overall recruit on ESPN and didn’t even start for the majority of Texas’ games. However, new coach Shaka Smart will take over a talented roster that could compete for the Big 12 crown in 2016.
Texas’ leading scorer, sophomore point guard Isaiah Taylor, appears to be a safe bet to return to Austin after appearing in various NBA mock drafts earlier in the season. He averaged 13.1 points and 4.6 assists per contest in 2015, and will likely be named to the 2015-16 preseason All Big 12 team. Texas will lose its top two scorers in Turner and Holmes, but 6’9″ center Cameron Ridley will return for his senior season. The big man’s numbers and playing time decreased this past year partially due to Turner’s role with the team, but he figures to be the centerpiece in a frontcourt that will also feature seniors Connor Lammert and Prince Ibeh.
The key to whatever success the Longhorns accomplish next season could be in the play of 6’3″ junior guard Kendal Yancy, who showed occasional brilliance this last year. Yancy only averaged six points and nearly two assists per game, but he moved into the starting lineup and is expected to keep his place alongside Taylor, Lammert, Ridley, and DeMarcus Holland. Javan Felix will return for his senior season and play a large role off the bench. Texas has a pair of top-50 ESPN recruits already committed to the school, and it expects to be a factor in other high school seniors’ decisions in the coming weeks.
Rick Barnes won’t get an 18th season, but it’ll be a boom-or-bust season for the Longhorns and Shaka Smart. Texas boasts arguably the league’s top point guard, and their pair of 6’9″ starting forwards bring height that few teams can match. Formerly, a lack of cohesiveness and progress throughout the season plagued Texas through years of underachievement. The Longhorns could quickly become one of the powerhouses of college basketball.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
2015 finish: 18-14 overall, 8-10 conference (6th)
Players Leaving/Potentially Leaving:
Le’Bryan Nash, senior, 6’7″ PF – Graduating
17.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 31.7 minutes per game
Anthony Hickey Jr., senior, 5’11” PG – Graduating
9.8 points, 3.4 assists, 29.8 minutes per game
Michael Cobbins, senior, 6’8″ C – Graduating
6.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 27.3 minutes per game
Marek Soucek, senior, 7’0″ C – Graduating
0.4 points, 0.1 rebounds, 2.6 minutes per game
Adding:
Jawun Evans, 6’0″ PG – #28 overall on Rivals, #36 overall on ESPN, #15 overall on 247 Sports
Igor Ibaka, 6’9″ RS sophomore PF – Juco Transfer
Analysis:
The Cowboys predictably regressed in 2015 after losing Marcus Smart and Markel Brown the previous year, and that trend figures to continue next season. Oklahoma State will lose three starters, most notably Le’Bryan Nash, who was one of the best players in the conference and leaves the Cowboys as a top-ten scorer in school history. Travis Ford’s job appears safe, at least for another season, though his Cowboys began the year 17-7 before finishing 1-7 down the stretch. The Pokes had a five-game stretch against Top 25 teams, and after they won four of those games, they appeared to be well on their way to a high NCAA tournament seed and a top-four conference finish. A disappointing ending to 2014-15 combined with a trio of crucial departures will leave Ford with some major holes to fill.
Oklahoma State returns All-Big 12 second-team guard Phil Forte, who was third last season in the Big 12 in scoring with 15.1 points per game. Jeff Newberry returns for his sophomore season to play the third guard in Ford’s backcourt-heavy system, but he averaged less than seven points in 21 minutes this year. Freshman point guard Juwan Evans, a five-star recruit according to 247 Sports, figures to immediately step in and start as the floor general.
The frontcourt for the Cowboys will be full of unfamiliar faces. Mitchell Solomon will be thrust into the lineup after averaging 11 minutes per game in his freshman season. The 6’9″ center is talented but raw, and was often out-muscled while fighting for rebounds. The power forward position, at least at the beginning of the year, will likely be covered mostly by sophomore Tavarious Shine. He averaged over 13 minutes and has a bright future, though he struggled shooting the ball. Jeffery Carroll and Leyton Hammonds are also expected to contribute, but the loss of Nash will definitely hurt the Cowboys when they face physical teams.
Forte will score his points and have a terrific season, and Evans could be a sleeper for Big 12 freshman of the year, but an inexperienced group of forwards and centers will likely keep the Cowboys from contending atop the league in 2016. What will make Oklahoma State dangerous is Forte’s ability to be completely explosive at times, and it will likely play spoiler to several teams when they travel down to Gallagher-Iba Arena.
West Virginia Mountaineers
2015 finish: 25-10 overall, 11-7 conference (5th)
Players Leaving/Potentially Leaving:
Juwan Staten, senior, 6’1″ PG – Graduating
14.2 points, 4.6 assists, 31.3 minutes per game
Gary Browne, senior, 6’1″ G – Graduating
7.0 points, 1.4 assists, 20.1 minutes per game
Kevin Noreen, senior, 6’10” C – Graduating
2.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 15.5 minutes per game
Adding:
Esa Ahmad, 6’8″ PF – #71 overall on Rivals, #46 overall on ESPN, #71 overall on 247 Sports
Teyvon Myers, 6’3″ RS junior SG – junior college transfer
James Bolden, 6’0″ PG – #206 overall on 247 Sports
Analysis:
When the embarrassment of the Kentucky drubbing wears off, 2015 will be remembered as a season where the Mountaineers tip-toed their way to an unexpected Sweet 16 appearance. West Virginia will essentially undergo the opposite scenario of Oklahoma State: its backcourt will be shelled while the major frontcourt pieces return.
Senior point guard Juwan Staten’s career concludes after consecutive All-Big 12 first-team honors. West Virginia’s starting shooting guard, Gary Browne, also leaves by way of graduation. Their respective replacements will be Daxter Miles Jr. (averaging 7.3 points in 20.5 minutes per game last season) and Jevon Carter (8.1 points in 23.8 minutes), who will both only be sophomores but have potential to become terrific players. Their effort defensively was very good in 2015, and in Bob Huggins’ aggressive press defense, that’s exactly what young players need to do to get playing time for the Mountaineers, especially as freshmen.
6’9″ forward Devin Williams will return for his junior season after averaging 11.6 points and a team-best 8.1 rebounds last year. He will likely find his way on one of the end-of-season All-Big 12 teams, but it’s the progression of senior Jonathan Holton and sophomore Elijah Macon that will be pivotal for the Mountaineers moving forward. Top-100 recruit Esa Ahmad should also see plenty of playing time as a freshman.
West Virginia is losing its two top guards, but the team played through a stretch at the end of the regular season without either Staten or Browne. Despite those absences, the Mountaineers took Kansas to overtime in Allen Fieldhouse and played well down the stretch. They’ll certainly be ranked in the preseason AP poll, and as long as they continue to successfully execute a maddeningly frustrating and effective style of defensive play, they’ll contend in a stacked Big 12 conference.
Pingback: 2015-16 Big 12 Season Lookahead (Part 1)Rock Chalk Blog
Pingback: 2015-16 Big 12 Season Lookahead (Part 3)Rock Chalk Blog
Pingback: 2015-16 Big 12 Season Lookahead Part 4 - Kansas JayhawksRock Chalk Blog
tadalafil for sale online – purchase generic cialis buy cialis from canada
best online thai pharmacy – legitimate online pharmacy where to buy cialis in usa
ivermectin 200 – ivermectin 1 cream stromectol without prescription
live casino slots online – slots online online casino gambling
ed medications online – cheap erectile dysfunction pills erectile dysfunction treatment
prednisone 20mg online – deltasone 5mg cost prednisone oral
where to buy sildenafil usa – male viagra buy 1 viagra pill
where can i buy cialis without a presc – Cialis daily cialis tadalafil 40mg
ivermectin gel – cost of ivermectin stromectol cost
ed pills online – erectal disfunction ed cures
buying cytotec online – cytotec tablets for sale uk misoprostol over the counter
doxycycline brand name – doxycycline price australia doxycycline 200 mg
neurontin without prescription – gnsynthroid cost of levothyroxine brand name
purchase female viagra online – best viagra pills in india
best prices for cialis – where can i order cialis generic daily cialis
vardenafil for sale – vardenafil 20 mg price vardenafil 20mg
stromectol 12mg online – ivermectin medication
prednisone 10mg cost – prednisone pharmacy prices prednisone buy canada
buy accutane cheap – accutane 40mg accutane pills for sale
generic amoxicillin 500mg – amoxil 500 mg amoxicillin without dr script
methylprednisolone 16 mg 1mg – medicine medrol lyrica generic
edit my paper – help 123 essay term papers for sale
History Of Cephalexin
viagra for sale online in canada – Buy cheap viagra best female viagra pills in india
cialis online europe – 10mg cialis cialis online in india
ivermectina 6mg – ivermectin tablets order cost of ivermectin medicine
prednisone coupon – prednisone 5mg pills prednisone 1 mg price
buy generic lasix online – furosemide lasix furosemide 20mg uk
ventolin medication – buy Albuterol ventolin cost uk
cost of cytotec tablet in india – cytotexr cytotec uk
order doxycycline no prescription – doxycyclinex prednisolone sodium phosphate
ivermectin dose for covid – ivermectin buy online cost of ivermectin
ivermectin without a doctor prescription – fda ivermectin where can i buy oral ivermectin
online sildenafil – sildenafil price sildenafil cost
Nonprescription Levitra
tadalafil citrate – tadalafil online pharmacy tadalafil professional
write paper online – buy an essay cheap write my paper for me
ivermectin 12 – buy stromectol canada buy ivermectin stromectol
sildenafil 200mg price – Best way to take cialis cialis 4 mg
buy vardenafil with paypal – levitra pill erectile dysfunction drugs over the counter
side effects of plaquenil – plaquenil hydroxychloroquine buy deltasone pills in united state online
malegra 200 usa and uk – cenforce cenforce 150mg
xenical med – orlistat con carnitina plm orlistat medication price
https://buyneurontine.com/ – lyrica vs gabapentin
stromectol uk buy – stromectol canada ivermectin 3mg dosage
how to buy generic viagra safely online – guaranteed viagra overnight delivery usa viagra citrate 130mg
tadalafil tablets 20 mg price in india – cialis 20 mg film-coated tablets tadalafil cialis for sale india
order prednisone without prescription fast shipping – buy prednisone tablets online buy prednisone without a prescription best price
tadalafil uk – tadalafil usa cialis pharmacy uk
ivermectine – purchase stromectol india ivermectin
ivermectin 1 cream – stromectol oral ivermectin for covid 19
sildenafil 100mg price australia – buy viagra kentucky viagra over the counter europe
sildenafil online singapore – sildenafil dosage viagra Los Angeles
over the counter cialis 2018 – cialis 20 mg cialis 1 mg
otc generic cialis – Fda approved cialis cialis 5mg online uk
ivermectin where to buy for humans – stromectol price comparison stromectol xl
stromectol 6 mg tablet – stromectol usa ivermectin 3mg for humans
real money online casino – casirealgam casino moons online casino
research paper help online – eassy writing buy an assignment
viagra order online usa – Buy generic viagra cheap over the counter viagra
ivermectin 5 mg price – buy ivermectin price of ivermectin tablets
canadian pharmacy ltd – canada drugs direct india pharmacy
prednisone 8 mg – prednisone 20mg for sale where can you get prednisone
buy prednisone 5mg canada – buy prednisone online 1 mg prednisone daily
accutane buy – accutanplus.com accutane south africa
buy amoxicillin 250mg – buy amoxil 250mg canada buy amoxicilin noscript
buy ivermectin nz – generic stromectol generic ivermectin cream
vegas casino online – real casino slots play casino online
ivermectin generic name – stromectol cost canada ivermectin generic name
generic cialis no prescription paypal dapoxetine and cialis
canadian pharmacy online cialis – legit canadian online pharmacy online pharmacy india
viagra without a doctor prescription canada real life experiences viagra
cheapest ed pills online – ed remedies cheap erectile dysfunction pills online
Priligy
deltasone without rx script online – prednisone 20mg pills prednisone 250
overnight canadian pharmacy fred’s dollar store pharmacy
prednisone 5 tablets – prednisone 10mg no prescription prednisolone vs prednisone
ivermectin for heartworms in dogs ivermectin sheep drench for goats
mailing prescription drugs from canada to usa india pharmacy
Zentel Worms Without Dr Approval
accutane 80 mg daily – accutane for sale accutane 60 mg daily
buy ivermectin online ivermectin for maggots
amoxilin – kroger amoxicillin price amoxicillin pill
online casinos usa – real money slot machines online casino games for real money
buy tadalafil online canada tadalafil 2.5 mg
buy ivermectin 6mg – stromectol uk covid ivermectin
tadalafil patent expiry peptide tadalafil