cc66
Postdoc
Posts: 2203
Reg: 10-09-09
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03-12-18 12:55 PM - Post#252391
In response to Columbia 37P6
Actually, I am kind of an agnostic on these issues. I see talent, but I oscillate between thinking we have exaggerated the potential of our recruits and blaming Engles for the failure to realize that supposed potential. Dr.V is absolutely right about all our injuries--C.J. Davis for the whole season, Killingsworth for something like 25 of 27 games, Castlin for two-thirds of the season, and Meisner when we most needed him. If any of the latter three had been available, we would have won 3 or 4 more games, lost to Harvard in the tournament by less than Cornell, and established a better foundation for next season.
2018-2019 is really a fork in the road for Engles' and the whole Columbia program. We have three players whose starting role is pretty much a given--Smith, Meisner, and Adlesh. The offseason will determine who starts at center, in particular, by whether Tape or Faulds become more of an offensive threat and learn to pass better out of the high post. The position that is obviously most up for grabs is SF: it could be Killingsworth if he comes back strong, Ellis if he is as good as reputed, or even Hunter if after three years, he ever displays an offensive game. We will certainly be better. The problem is, of course, that with no seniors on any of the All-Ivy squads, an awful lot of very good players are returning, so that we could have a higher KenPom rating and still finish lower down in the IL.
In sum, as I have said elsewhere, I hope 8-19 is our version of Engles' 1-30 his first year at NJIT. If everyone develops and remains healthy, we could make the conference tournament. It is just as likely, however, that we will rise in KenPom and end up somewhere between 5th and 7th in the league.
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