I'll tag @OliverLBaltz in here if you guys have any questions regarding this year's squad. What are your thoughts and expectations on the team? Thoughts on conference and OOC slate? What's the floor for this team and what's the ceiling?
BASKETBALL 2022-2023 Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Matt Dossett
- Start date
Great excitement for this year's team. Will share a couple of anticipations & concerns for the year ahead. One of the biggest wins was the fact no one was lost to the portal. Unheard of these days. Lenard, Weston, Millin, & Lawrence amongst others are all fantastic athletic talents. Also great to have Coleman-Jones back in the 5 spot, & wise decision to add a couple newcomers to guard positions with Donovan's departure. The 2 concerns I have are Jalen Jordan's recovery from injury, & coach Turner Battle's departure. Prior to coach Battle's arrival last year the team's development offensively, defensively, & in transition was lacking to say the least. Then last year when Battle arrived the overall play was completely different. If I remember correctly we were the 14th rated preseason conference pick, then out of the blue end up winning the East division! Coach Battle had some nice coaching pedigree, but hopefully this was coincidental to team's overall success, we'll see. Overall I feel very high on the team, & look forward to seeing these high flyers in action. Especially hoping to see Lenard's next evolution in player development.
I'd be more concerned with the departure of Sean Dixon to Clemson- you know the Associate coach who'd been with MTSU for several years but perhaps that just me.. so while the player roster has been remained stable there certainly is some transition in the coaching dynamics with Eric Wilson joining the staff and Logan Johnson sliding into an assistant role from the Ops position- Logan has been at MTSU for several years and was an assistant for CNM at Avl with Long so I can't imagine it's much of a ripple in terms of identifying roles.. Where did Battle go anywhere? I never heard or saw a landing announcement elsewhere...
The team had depth for the first time ever in CNM's tenure last year and winning provides a very different level of attention to detail- so I think health is always the most critical factor as we saw late in the year..
Personally I'm most interested in Camryn Weston's development.. when he's locked in, under-control, and attacking downhill he's unguardable as he can be effective at all 3 levels (perimeter, mid-range, around the basket).. I'm looking forward to the year.
Schedule wise- it's a very even/solid schedule- not a big fan of the early Nov conference game with Rice but otherwise it's a solid slate although I'm sure many here wanted more wow factor..
The team had depth for the first time ever in CNM's tenure last year and winning provides a very different level of attention to detail- so I think health is always the most critical factor as we saw late in the year..
Personally I'm most interested in Camryn Weston's development.. when he's locked in, under-control, and attacking downhill he's unguardable as he can be effective at all 3 levels (perimeter, mid-range, around the basket).. I'm looking forward to the year.
Schedule wise- it's a very even/solid schedule- not a big fan of the early Nov conference game with Rice but otherwise it's a solid slate although I'm sure many here wanted more wow factor..
Definitely the most excited I have been for men's basketball in a while. Have they released the preseason poll for the upcoming year? We won't be last place like last year; I would put us around the 3-4 spot in conference, but think we could win the conference this year as well.
Nice analysis, forgot about Sean moving to Clemson. Believe I read that Turner was tired of moving from location to location every few years with a young & growing family. Wanted more roots & took an administrative teaching job. Agree about Weston's athleticism. With a bit more control in his game could be super dangerous to opponents
As a follow up, any word on Jalen Jordan's reported MRI from a couple weeks ago? Sounded like it was a continuation of same medical problem from last year. Was hoping for his manned assistance at the point
I posted this article earlier in the year about Battle
buffalonews.com
Park hires former UB basketball star Turner Battle as athletic director
Turner Battle was conflicted. Continue coaching college basketball, a job he’s done for the last 15 seasons, or take a leap of faith. He had conversations with his wife and
Regarding Jalen Jordan...
Not sure what has been reported. The rumblings I have heard indicate bad news. For now I am not expecting him to be available on the court this year.
In my brief interactions with him along with other accounts I have spoken with over the years, he is a GREAT kid. Truly heartbroken he has had so much trouble staying healthy in his time in Murfreesboro.
As MTFAN61 indicated, it was a mystery how much he would be able to take on this year given the unknowns on his last recovery, so I guess you could say we don't know what we would be missing out on. That said, his quality guard skills had definite potential to alleviate the loss of Jefferson's shooting and Sims' shooting/ball-handling. You will certainly see more of JuCo transfers Jestin Porter and TreVon Smith if Jordan misses significant time.
Regarding the assistant coaches...
Battle's loss intrigues me more than Dixon's, personally. Assistant coach Wes Long is has a strong resume and his promotion to Associate HC was very deserved. I had heard Battle did have an impact in the offense changing (and significantly improving) last year, but common sense suggests CNM *should* have an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindstate given the circumstances.
Regarding Weston...
Kingaling is right on the money. I have considered writing a "Top 5 Players of Importance" type column for the upcoming season. Spoiler alert: Weston would be 1. Floor general is the most important role in college basketball and no other returnee can do it close to the level Cam can (I haven't seen Porter play so he may have some potential there). While Weston needs to learn how to play more in control, he has some special gifts that you don't want to hinder, so it's a thin line on how aggressive/conservative you can coach him to be. If they can find that balance, Middle can reach a high potential this season.
Regarding preseason rankings...
I reckon the official poll will be out soon. I would rank them at 4 behind UAB, North Texas, and WKU, but others I have seen have them a spot or two lower. I think WKU will be a paper tiger once again, UTEP and FAU will be improved but don't scare me. UAB might be sweet 16 good IMO, and North Texas has somehow quietly owned the league the last few seasons.
I think Middle will be better this year but I also think the top of the league is better. To me, it is going to come down to if Lenard and Weston can live up to the star potential that they possess. They definitely have the depth and ample high quality role players.
Not sure what has been reported. The rumblings I have heard indicate bad news. For now I am not expecting him to be available on the court this year.
In my brief interactions with him along with other accounts I have spoken with over the years, he is a GREAT kid. Truly heartbroken he has had so much trouble staying healthy in his time in Murfreesboro.
As MTFAN61 indicated, it was a mystery how much he would be able to take on this year given the unknowns on his last recovery, so I guess you could say we don't know what we would be missing out on. That said, his quality guard skills had definite potential to alleviate the loss of Jefferson's shooting and Sims' shooting/ball-handling. You will certainly see more of JuCo transfers Jestin Porter and TreVon Smith if Jordan misses significant time.
Regarding the assistant coaches...
Battle's loss intrigues me more than Dixon's, personally. Assistant coach Wes Long is has a strong resume and his promotion to Associate HC was very deserved. I had heard Battle did have an impact in the offense changing (and significantly improving) last year, but common sense suggests CNM *should* have an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindstate given the circumstances.
Regarding Weston...
Kingaling is right on the money. I have considered writing a "Top 5 Players of Importance" type column for the upcoming season. Spoiler alert: Weston would be 1. Floor general is the most important role in college basketball and no other returnee can do it close to the level Cam can (I haven't seen Porter play so he may have some potential there). While Weston needs to learn how to play more in control, he has some special gifts that you don't want to hinder, so it's a thin line on how aggressive/conservative you can coach him to be. If they can find that balance, Middle can reach a high potential this season.
Regarding preseason rankings...
I reckon the official poll will be out soon. I would rank them at 4 behind UAB, North Texas, and WKU, but others I have seen have them a spot or two lower. I think WKU will be a paper tiger once again, UTEP and FAU will be improved but don't scare me. UAB might be sweet 16 good IMO, and North Texas has somehow quietly owned the league the last few seasons.
I think Middle will be better this year but I also think the top of the league is better. To me, it is going to come down to if Lenard and Weston can live up to the star potential that they possess. They definitely have the depth and ample high quality role players.
Great info Oliver, thanks for update! Like you said, sad to hear about the young man's injury & wish him all the best. Nevertheless, still plenty to be pumped about for the upcoming season. Look forward to possible updates on the 2 upcoming scrimmages
Good to see you posting again.
Keep us informed!
Do you think the loss of Sims and Josh Jefferson is going to hurt more than people realize?
I think so. Sims was very clutch for us at times last year and Jefferson had nights where he couldn't miss. Two good to great college guards that I believe will be difficult to replace. I could see us taking a step back this year, especially if Jalen Jordan cannot go. The team is still very young overall, with Dishman being the only senior on the roster.
I may be a in a minority on this one but while Sims will be missed he will be somewhat replaceable with his inconsistencies.
Betting Weston and Lenard show out as playmakers.
Betting Weston and Lenard show out as playmakers.
Thanks sWiley. Gonna try to incorporate checking the boards in my daily routine more this year but yall feel free to tag me if you ever have a specific question or comment. Always happy to share my thoughts.
The biggest concern I have with this team is perimeter shooting, and yes a big part of that is Jordan's absence along with Jefferson and Sims' departure. Jordan's numbers at St. Francis Brooklyn suggested he couldve taken on a portion of Sims and Jefferson's void, but the team is going to be forced to depend on improvements from Lawrence, King, Bufford, Lenard, Millin, Weston (who have all show evidence of being able to hit, but will need to with better volume and efficiency this year).
Will mention that JuCo transfer TreVon Smith averaged over two 3's per game at 38% in his two years at Wabash Valley. Obviously cant bank on him being a marksman yet but those numbers are pretty good. Might be something there.
Also will say, given Sims and Jordan's absence, you lose shooting but you should gain defense. Sims was manageable by year 5, but was never exactly an asset on that side. Jordan has the motor and will-power but is still somewhat limited by a small frame. More Weston, Bufford, Lawrence, Lenard at the 2 or 3 spot adds strength, length, lateral quickness really encourages me about the defensive potential for the 22-23 team.
Yea I can agree, sort of with what I mentioned above. I will say while Cam is a more talented playmaker, Don was a very good floor general for last year's team. Not necessarily passing, but orchestrating the offense: knowing when to break, when to slow down, when to run a set, when to give it to a microwave scorer, etc... Cam is an immensely impressive player but we all know he had tendencies of playing out of control last year. It's imperative he can learn to balance being a floor general AND an uber talented playmaker.
I too agree that the perimeter game will be of concern this year. When Jefferson was healthy last year his perimeter shooting was close to Jelly's at UAB. That shooting will be missed. The one player mentioned rarely, but could hopefully take that next big step is Elias King. He started to show out from the perimeter in the conference tournament, after being relatively silent most of the year. If he, along with his 6' 8" length & original 4 star rating could carry that over to this year, then look for him as an added bonus to our outside shooting this fall.
Exactly my thoughts. I, too, thought King finally started to show some flashes of the talent and abilities that had made him a very highly touted recruit. Hopefully he is just a late bloomer that is now starting to show signs of actually performing at a level commensurate with his potential.
Obviously, this is based on some limited observations and a strong dose of hope, but I am pulling for that young man. If he can start to perform at a high level on a consistent basis, he really could be a big factor in bolstering the team from the wing. King starting to realize his potential could make him a big solution to the G/F question for this year's team.
Obviously, this is based on some limited observations and a strong dose of hope, but I am pulling for that young man. If he can start to perform at a high level on a consistent basis, he really could be a big factor in bolstering the team from the wing. King starting to realize his potential could make him a big solution to the G/F question for this year's team.
I'm excited for basketball this season. Traditionally more of a baseball/football guy, but went to 6-7 games lst year and this team is just so much fun to watch. They play hard and had next to zero drop off between the 1st and 2nd units. I purchased 2 season tickets for MBB last week just to show my appreciation for Making Basketball Fun Again. Now, if football could make a similar turn around, I would gladly go back to buying season tix for them as well 
Off from work & just flipped over to catch end of Judy's preseason basketball speech on ESPN PLUS. Did not appear to have any interest or desire to be there. Her eyes were everywhere but looking straight ahead. Good grief what a disappointment as your conferences figurehead!
Incredible to see everyone still together and nobody transferring out. Especially when you consider the assistant coaching turnover we had. The team must have a good atmosphere and camaraderie. Kudos to them. I hope it pays big dividends for them on the court this year. They deserve it.
Matt or Oliver, look forward to seeing if you can provide some inside scoop on the results of today's scrimmage with UT-Martin. Even though we beat them twice last year in competitive matches, & Martin won just 8 games total, there is some size & talent there for an early test. Would like to know how Coleman-Jones knee looks in transition, & how Cam handles the 1 spot at point
Nothing so far. I know these scrimmages are closed to public, this may include on staff press members as well. When reviewing "not so secret scrimmages" I saw 5-6 other conference teams were having scrimmages on Oct 22 & 29 as well. Looks like coaches are keeping things very tight lipped, probably due to ncaa regulations. If so, too bad for the interested fan bases
UAB message board had a quality breakdown of their scrimmage against Auburn. Auburn won 83 - 69. Big takeaway was Morehead St transfer Johni Broome dominated the interior for Auburn against UAB's big men.
The reason for posting this is how the addition of Coleman-Jones back into the lineup could significantly help our interior presence against quality opponents. A stronger interior could help our guards to defend better against guards like Jelly, & hopefully cut down on those 40 point onslaughts like occurred last year.
The reason for posting this is how the addition of Coleman-Jones back into the lineup could significantly help our interior presence against quality opponents. A stronger interior could help our guards to defend better against guards like Jelly, & hopefully cut down on those 40 point onslaughts like occurred last year.
When a guard gets crazy hot from 35 feet out I'm not sure what an interior presence is gonna do to prevent that... perimeter defense closes and gets blown by then your BIG is gonna be in chronic foul trouble.. sometimes a guy just gets hot- it happens..
As an example Jefferson's best game last year was at WKU- they had a 7' 3" kid...
Unfortunately I have not been able to see this squad yet in person.. hopefully very soon though
Realistically speaking,
after seeing last year's last place prediction blow up in smoke with the East division championship I won't go too crazy & will stay in the predicted 4th place range. I believe if certain things fall into place, meaning overcoming the loss of Jefferson & Jordan we could certainly climb higher on the pecking order. I could see MT having a few growing pains early on incorporating the new guards during a tougher than last year pre-conference schedule, however come the Jan & Feb time frame I look to see the team jell more with Green, Smith, & Porter at guard positions. If we peak at the right time come March I see the Raiders being a hard out come tournament time. That being said, these guys have pretty much been practicing together since the summer, & would be really pleased to see a nice team blend from the start, if that's the case I could see the Raiders a couple notches higher, in the 2-3 range. Would be disappointed with a 5th place or lower spot by end of year. If things fall right, I can realistically see this being an NCAA team capable of picking up a tournament win. We have that kind of talent!
Realistic to me is a 20 win regular season and in a position to go dancing. This is a deep conference so I’m not going to say it’s tourney or bust but I do expect this team to have a good season in terms of W-L.
Hopes are different than expectations. I think we will have some growing pains early due to the fact we don’t have a proven 3pt threat who is fully integrated. We have great athleticism and will be really good at the rim. I think offensively there needs to be that guy who can stretch defenses. Defensively we may be more dynamic than last year with switching and flying on the court. Regardless of the record… it should be a good product on the floor. Eli and T are worth the price of admission with their acrobatics!
