Which Surprise Tourney Team Do You...

[Muskie]

Expect to contend for a National Title next year?

[xubrew]

Was Michigan really a surprise?? They were ranked #1 for part of the year, and were one missed layup away against Indiana from being a likely #2 seed.

Anyway, depending on who comes back, Michigan will be a title contender. If they only lose Burke, they may start off ranked in the top five...or higher.

Wichita returns most of its team as well, and will likely be ranked high. They may not be to start the season because the voters typically ignore teams from non-major conferences, even if they've been to the FF, but they'll be up there soon enough.

Gulf Coast loses Sherwood Brown and their coach, but they return a lot. It will be interesting to see what they do. Mercer finished ahead of Gulf Coast. Mercer also has four starters back. Mercer also beat Tennessee at Tennessee in the NIT, which wasn't nearly as noticeable or as surprising as what Gulf Coast did, but it was still noteworthy. Mercer will push Gulf Coast in the Atlantic Sun, and if it turns out to be a one bid league (which it may not necessarily be depending on how everyone does in Nov and Dec), Gulf Coast may not even get back to the dance, much less contend for a title.

[Muskie]

UM: Probably not. But I don't think many people had them in the final game, so that was somewhat of a surprise.

[GoMuskies]

Wichita State will be better next year than they were this past year. But they were also better in 2011-12 and lost in the first round to VCU. I don't see them as a serious contender for the national title, though.

[PMI]

Even if that baller hadn't taken his smoke show of a wife to LA, Florida Gulf Coast still wouldn't have been shit next year, or probably ever again.

[GoMuskies]

Michigan currently leads the poll, and they'll probably be the worst team on this list next year. OK, they'll be better the FGCU (who I voted for based on the sheer ridiculousness of them being on this list).

[xubrew]

Even if that baller hadn't taken his smoke show of a wife to LA, Florida Gulf Coast still wouldn't have been shit next year, or probably ever again.

It depends on how you're measuring them.

FGCU in the top 25?? No.

FGCU in the top 100?? Maybe. For an ASun team, that's pretty good.

The Atlantic Sun will likely be a two horse race next year, and FGCU will be one of the horses. So, in that regard, they're still a good program. As far as being a national title contender, or even an NIT at-large contender.....probably not. In fact being in a position to earn a bid to the NIT as an at-large team would be performing way above what the ASun is typically used to. Well, at least since Belmont left.

[ammtd34]

FGCU is trying to figure out how to raise money.

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/apr/08/money-rules-in-push-to-build-fgcu-basketball/

[Muskie]

It depends on how you're measuring them.

FGCU in the top 25?? No.

FGCU in the top 100?? Maybe. For an ASun team, that's pretty good.

The Atlantic Sun will likely be a two horse race next year, and FGCU will be one of the horses. So, in that regard, they're still a good program. As far as being a national title contender, or even an NIT at-large contender.....probably not. In fact being in a position to earn a bid to the NIT as an at-large team would be performing way above what the ASun is typically used to. Well, at least since Belmont left.

Do you think that level of play (style?) is sustainable down there? Isn't it really an updated version of Loyola Maramount from the late 80's/ early 90's? Lot's of fun to watch... but meh on results.

[xubrew]

Do you think that level of play (style?) is sustainable down there? Isn't it really an updated version of Loyola Maramount from the late 80's/ early 90's? Lot's of fun to watch... but meh on results.


To be honest, FGCU made virtually no impression on me when I watched them during the year. My impression of FGCU was that I thought it was remarkable that they completed the transitional phase, and then managed a second place finish and a winning record in just their second year of postseason eligibility. I thought it was remarkable that they made the championship game a year ago despite having a lackluster season. That's it. They weren't exactly a dunking machine, or even that fast of a team. As far as being a legitimate at-large caliber team, they weren't. They lost to Maine. They barely beat Alcorn State. They won against a beat up Miami team early in the year, and that was about it. They lost to Lipscomb twice, and didn't finish first in the Atlantic Sun.

So, while I thought it was impressive that they were able to put together a winning record and finish near the top of the league, I was not at all expecting what happened. Nothing that had occurred during the season offered any evidence that they would play that way. Winning at Mercer was a surprise. Putting on a dunk clinic and running Georgetown and San Diego State off the court was an utter bombshell. Literally, the biggest surprise EVER. I don't knwo what else to equate it to. Northern Kentucky finished .500 in the Atlantic Sun. That's pretty good for a team who's in its first season of dv1. If they complete the transtional phase and end up with a winning record, you'll probably sit up and take note of how well they've done being so new to the game. What would comipletely blow you away is if from out of nowhere, they ran two top 25 teams off the court and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. That's literally what FGCU did. The style of play, the quality of play, the swagger, and virtually everything about it literally came out of nowhere.

....so, to answer you question, I don't think they can sustain something that they really never came close to exhibiting before the NCAA Tournament. They were a #15 seed for a reason. LMU was surprising, but they had been ranked at one point during the year and were safely in the tournamnet with or without the automatic bid. FGCU would have missed the NIT had they not won the title game at Mercer.

....but I do think they'll continue to be a force in the Atlantic Sun.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Anyone going to go watch FGCU at NKU next year?

[ballyhoohoo]

Anyone going to go watch FGCU at NKU next year?

I just had that convo with a co worker

[xu95]

The real answer is probably "none", but that wasn't an option.

[Kahns Krazy]

FGCU is trying to figure out how to raise money.

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/apr/08/money-rules-in-push-to-build-fgcu-basketball/

We spend time with family in Naples every year. The letters to the editor section of the naples news is one of the highlights of my trip. DC thinks the white people here are crazy....

[gladdenguy]

Michigan currently leads the poll, and they'll probably be the worst team on this list next year. OK, they'll be better the FGCU (who I voted for based on the sheer ridiculousness of them being on this list).

If McGary and one of Robinson III/Hardaway come back they will be a top 10/15 team. They have another good recruiting class with three 4-star guys including Zak Irvin, Derrick Walton, and Mark Donnal. The only team that might be better than Michigan on this list is Syracuse, but they also lose 2 starting guards. Worse than Oregon and Wichita St......not happening.

[GoMuskies]

And if they lose all three of those guys they might struggle to be better than FGCU.

[gladdenguy]

They won't lose all three.