Miner MBB will be as tall and athletic as 10' and 14'

[axingfools1]

2010 displayed a big an athletic team that was experienced and dominated a better CUSA and was our last NCAA tourney team.

In 2014, we had 2 athletic guys at 6'8 (that had to play out of position) and one strong center in Lang. Omega and E. Morris were athletic but new to D1. Willms was injured. Had McKenzie Moore not gotten in trouble the previous year we are in the tourney again IMO.

In 2017, we will have again a big athletic team with some good experience all around. We have some decent out of conference games and there are really only 4 teams that can produce a regular season or tournament championship this year (ODU, WKU, UAB and UTEP). I don't think CTFs 1st NCAA appearance with miners is unfeasable this year. I know there is a lot of skepticism (me too), but I haven't felt this positive since 2014. If one of the PGs turns out to be a sparkplug then look out.

 

[unihorn]

It's not unfeasible, but are you saying it's likely? I say it's unlikely with so many new pieces.

 

[utep2step]

Caracter was a game changer for just that one semester in '10. He was a beast in the paint that helped UTEP get past a very good UAB squad at the time. Butler's excellent perimeter offense basically negated Caracter in the first round of the NCAA because he was too much for their big man.

 

[EPTUTEP]

This years team is nowhere near as athletic as the 2010 team.

Once again, we are going to rely on players who have never played one second of college basketball to take us somewhere.

 

[FiliUTEP]

This years team is nowhere near as athletic as the 2010 team.

Once again, we are going to rely on players who have never played one second of college basketball to take us somewhere.

You are wrong. This team does have experience coming back. Also some of the new players do have college experience. Isiah Osborne played college ball in Canada.

 

[utep2step]

You are wrong. This team does have experience coming back. Also some of the new players do have college experience. Isiah Osborne played college ball in Canada.

Don't take this the wrong way but Isiah better be worth the hype and hope because Floyd made some enemies by legally, and perhaps not ethically (open to interpretation but for sure not morally) stealing away Osborne. What goes around, comes around and while Floyd may be a pool hustler at recruiting, his tenure at UTEP reeks of desperation as UTEP literally fought off some hostile fans and boosters (mainly your non-country club boosters).

"CANHoops questions the ethical process that UTEP went about recruiting Osborne, claiming a UTEP assistant coach contacted Osborne, who was committed and played in an exhibition game ahead of this season for Windsor, and initiated the initial contact.

UTEP center Matt Willms saw Osborne drop 35 points in a recent intentional exhibition, and a few days later Osborne committed to UTEP per the article.


Tim Floyd acknowledged that Willms “recommended him to the coaching staff.”


They mention Tim Floyd’s past, and the current state of UTEP hoops, calling UTEP’s recruitment of Osborne desperate, and seemingly try to label Floyd and UTEP as American villains." -[source: https://www.minerrush.com/2016/9/2/...ch-blast-utep-s-recruitment-of-isiah-osborne]

 

[RanDaddyBinks]

Yep. Better worry about karma. Wouldn't want to sign an All American blue chip athlete and then lose him. We better behave. We don't want to create bad karma and have something like that happen to us.

 

[axingfools1]

This years team is nowhere near as athletic as the 2010 team.

Once again, we are going to rely on players who have never played one second of college basketball to take us somewhere.

You are right. 2010 may go down as one of the most athletic UTEP teams ever.

As far as relying on new players that is not true. We have 5 starters with at least 2 years experience in Touchet, Omega, Flaggert, PT and Willms. Jones will be better, stronger and more experienced. Osborne practiced with the team all of last year. Williams is D1 ready. The only inexperience is at backup PG and wing. Wade is pretty athletic (to say the least). I'm gonna say our chances are pretty good right now especially since CTF has given in and allowed a zone defense (point zone) to go with his man and junk stuff. Best team since 14' only bigger and deeper IMO.

 

[Lil_Train]

I thought Bill Knight had a pretty nice article in the Times this morning. It echoed much of what has been discussed here on the board. I did like Floyd's comments on R. Williams. I agree he will get to the line a bunch, and is a natural scorer. He will need to pick up his FT percentage from JC, but his scoring could make up some of that lost from Artis graduating.