It's too early to tell whether this is a better overall team than the one that had JB on it that won 25 games. We don't have a Jerrelle Benimon or defensive stoppers like Mike Burwell or Marcus Damas. We don't have a guy who can get to the rim and finish under the rim with contact like Guthrie. We don't have a dominant low post guy like Benimon or a defensive big like TJ Parker-Rivera or Bilal Dixon the year before. That team would launch more threes no doubt if they played now. But we do have better shooters, much better passers and a better bench. The bigs are not nearly as good but they can play better and the CAA is not exactly loaded with quality bigs. Beating Kent State and New Mexico away from home is pretty impressive. The Pitt loss was a bad one and Monmouth is really good. They beat Cincinnati. Of course, if we're not behind 24-1, we have a chance there. Sometimes I feel this team plays better on the road and starts out slow at home.
I wish Hicks was a little bigger and had a better shot because he changes the game defensively when he's in, esp. when we press or trap. I think it's pretty obvious we need another transfer PG next season when Nolan moves on. Gibby is fine, but I still like him off the ball.
The bigger question is the CAA. Is it worse than advertised? Better?
When you look at the NET Rankings and they are the ones that matter: (we're 137 on KenPom, Charleson is 179, Hofstra is 143, Delaware is 145, Drexel 178, JMU 166, NE 156)
Kent State is 135 in the NET, Monmouth is 43, NM is 132, UNCG s 222.
Towson 74
74
80
Towson
CAA
7-4
3-2
1-1
3-1
0-2
1-1
1-0
5-1
107
105
Col. of Charleston
CAA
6-3
2-2
0-0
4-1
1-1
0-2
1-0
4-0
119
126
Hofstra
CAA
4-5
1-5
0-0
3-0
0-2
0-1
1-2
3-0
134
128
Delaware
CAA
8-3
2-2
2-1
4-0
0-1
0-1
2-1
6-0
144
141
James Madison
CAA
7-2
2-0
1-2
4-0
0-1
0-0
4-1
3-0
167
164
Northeastern
CAA
6-4
0-3
2-1
4-0
0-1
0-0
3-3
3-0
183
191
Drexel
CAA
3-5
1-3
1-2
1-0
0-0
0-3
1-0
2-2
313
288
UNCW
CAA
2-5
1-3
0-1
1-1
0-0
0-0
0-1
2-4
342
345
Elon
CAA
0-8
0-3
0-3
0-2
0-2
0-1
0-3
0-2
348
347
William & Mary
CAA
0-10
0-5
0-2
0-3
0-2
0-1
0-2
0-5