Brackets and Rankings: 2024-2025

[Xuperman]

Wouldn't it be nice if Trump would get real and just step aside? I mean, do the right thing and remove the "butt plug" from this perverse pornographic comedy of politics. Otherwise, we are totally fucked here people. We are on a straight path to SOCIALISM, or worse, with this O'Biden agenda.

TRUMP, the man, is so toxic that it is going to hand these America killers 4 more years.

[XUGRAD80]

Wouldn't it be nice if Trump would get real and just step aside? I mean, do the right thing and remove the "butt plug" from this perverse pornographic comedy of politics. Otherwise, we are totally fucked here people. We are on a straight path to SOCIALISM, or worse, with this O'Biden agenda.

TRUMP, the man, is so toxic that it is going to hand these America killers 4 more years.

Me thinks thou has posted on the wrong thread….

[94GRAD]

Wouldn't it be nice if Trump would get real and just step aside? I mean, do the right thing and remove the "butt plug" from this perverse pornographic comedy of politics. Otherwise, we are totally fucked here people. We are on a straight path to SOCIALISM, or worse, with this O'Biden agenda.

TRUMP, the man, is so toxic that it is going to hand these America killers 4 more years.

Me thinks thou has posted on the wrong thread….

Posting that close to midnight is never a good thing

[X-band '01]

I miss Snipe's legendary 3 AM rants.

[paulxu]

Down another spot, so Go can watch them in person.

https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/st...ld-predictions

[GoMuskies]

I would like that.

[xukeith]

The seeds of these early brackets don't show it but I bet they would like to put Miller's X vs Mack's Charleston squad.

[paulxu]

Down again. What's going on? Now in Raleigh.

https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/st...ld-predictions

[MHettel]

Down again. What's going on? Now in Raleigh.

https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/st...ld-predictions

I'm not surprised at all by this. If I look at this team in isolation, it could be the deepest most experienced XU team ever. Even our very best teams were usually only 7 deep, with a dropoff once the starters came out or with huys having to play a bit out of position. But next years team is loaded, with the possible reality that previous starters might not be playing AT ALL.

In a "normal" year, this would be a preseason top 10, if not top 5 team. But there is nothing normal about what happened during the portal season. As predicted, the talent across the D1 landscape has continued to migrate UP the ranks and into a smaller set of the "haves." I know we think we had a "haul" when it comes to new portal players, and we certainly did get ALOT (7) of them, but honestly they were mostly ranked in in the 100-200 range. So you literally have about 190 other guys who are arguably of the same caliber or better that also improved some other teams.

Add in the fact that this is the last year for 5th year COVID guys and I think you will see the MOST LOADED rosters ever in college basketball, and likely never to be matched. I think the quality of basketball will be outstanding and we will actually see a noticeable drop off next year when the 5th year and 4th year guys step away, which will lead to an abnormally high number of freshmen coming in to fill the rosters. I expect a huge drop off in the 25-26 season and then a gradual return to "normal" rosters.

In any case, i do think this XU team is more like a 4-6 seed and therefore us currently overlooked. but this season will be epic, and a dogfight.

As an aside, and I've mentioned it before, but I think its very possible that XU could roll out the MOST EXPERIENCED college basketball team EVER next year. In terms of games played, our roster has played a combined like almost 1000 games or something crazy like that. With the 5th year players going away, it will never be possible to assemble a roster like this again. Most experienced team ever....forever?

[xudash]

I'm not surprised at all by this. If I look at this team in isolation, it could be the deepest most experienced XU team ever. Even our very best teams were usually only 7 deep, with a dropoff once the starters came out or with huys having to play a bit out of position. But next years team is loaded, with the possible reality that previous starters might not be playing AT ALL.

In a "normal" year, this would be a preseason top 10, if not top 5 team. But there is nothing normal about what happened during the portal season. As predicted, the talent across the D1 landscape has continued to migrate UP the ranks and into a smaller set of the "haves." I know we think we had a "haul" when it comes to new portal players, and we certainly did get ALOT (7) of them, but honestly they were mostly ranked in in the 100-200 range. So you literally have about 190 other guys who are arguably of the same caliber or better that also improved some other teams.

Add in the fact that this is the last year for 5th year COVID guys and I think you will see the MOST LOADED rosters ever in college basketball, and likely never to be matched. I think the quality of basketball will be outstanding and we will actually see a noticeable drop off next year when the 5th year and 4th year guys step away, which will lead to an abnormally high number of freshmen coming in to fill the rosters. I expect a huge drop off in the 25-26 season and then a gradual return to "normal" rosters.

In any case, i do think this XU team is more like a 4-6 seed and therefore us currently overlooked. but this season will be epic, and a dogfight.

As an aside, and I've mentioned it before, but I think its very possible that XU could roll out the MOST EXPERIENCED college basketball team EVER next year. In terms of games played, our roster has played a combined like almost 1000 games or something crazy like that. With the 5th year players going away, it will never be possible to assemble a roster like this again. Most experienced team ever....forever?

It may sound stupid, probably because it is at least somewhat nuts, but this coming season more than any other season in our history is THE season for receiving a very generous spray of pixie dust in the NCAAT. We need to receive what UCONN seems to receive all too frequently in the tournament - some good luck coupled with some advantageous match ups and our guys playing lights out once they get there.

To your point, notwithstanding the experience we just hauled in, I keep pondering Freemantle AND Hunter down low. If our new centers deliver, and if they all stay healthy, watch out.