It's been 8 months since I last updated the Pan Sports Power Rankings in terms of how likely I think each of our teams are to winning their next championship. I've included the previous rankings plus my guess as to how long it will be for each team until they win their next championship. In italics are my thoughts from the last post.
1. Detroit Redwings (Previous: 1) Projection: 1-3 years
-Front office leadership will ensure that they will continue to win the Championship every few years.
I like Jimmy Howard. Last season was the official transition to the Jimmy Howard era. Since the goaltending hierarchy is clear and with the potential retirement of Sidney Crosby, the Redwings solidify the top spot.
2. Detroit Tigers (Previous: 3) Projection: 1-5 years
-Making more intelligent roster moves than unintelligent ones.
-Bigger hump is to actually make the playoffs than to advance and win them. There should be a DQ if the Twins continue to make the playoffs and lose before the Series.
I take a long term approach to analyzing the teams, so I didn't bump up the Tigers because of their AL Central crown. I moved them to two because Verlander and Cabrera proved to be a solid foundation for years to come. The addition of Fister proves that the front office can identify solutions without mortgaging the team. The rest of the AL Central teams appear to be in disarray.
3. Michigan State Basketball (Previous: 2) Projection: 3-5 years
-Leadership is there for a team that could get it done in the next few years.
I specified 3-5 years because I don't see Tom Izzo in the head coaching role longer than that. North Carolina proved that even the elite programs can't sustain themselves without a top coach during the Matt Dougherty era. I am nervous about who will eventually take the helm for Izzo.
4. Detroit Lions (Previous: 4) Projection: 4-10 years
-New front office appears to know what they are doing
-The NFL is a league of parity
The Lions now have the star power to win. They appear to be eliminating the culture of losing and that is a HUGE first step. If they continue to address their needs intelligently, it's only a matter of time... right?
5. Michigan State Hockey (Previous: 5) Too many unknowns
-MSU Hockey program now seems stagnant.
-They have struggled to make the NCAA tournament
The addition of Tom Anastos (I impressed myself without having to look that up) seems like it could be a good one. There is a limited number of good programs in college hockey, so we can make a quick comeback. The formation of the Big 10 hockey conference should only make it easier because we will no longer have to worry about teams like Miami OH.
6. Detroit Pistons (Previous: 7) 10-15 years
-The franchise, hindered by their impending sale, is headed nowhere.
-The talent in the NBA is currently concentrated among 4-5 teams
There really isn't much else to say about the Pistons. The players have all the power right now and are deciding who the best teams are going to be by consolidating the talent. The Pistons aren't one of them. That could all change once the Association signs a new deal.
7. Michigan State Football (Previous: 6) Possibly never?
-Too competitive of a division in Big 10
-Too much of a disparity between the elite 10 programs and everyone else.
-Nebraska joining the conference and a likely Michigan resurgence on the horizon
I promise that my pessimism for the future of Spartan football is not predicated on the horrendous game they just lost. It is based on the quick success that Brady Hoke has enjoyed. Everyone connected to the Michigan program is drinking the Kool Aid and he enjoyed a great 2012 recruiting class as a result. In college football, you must have 2-4 first/second round draft picks on your team to win it all and Michigan State can't attract that level of talent away from OSU and U-M. I think their best chance to improve their lot comes with the dramatic overhaul of NCAA football that is possible in the next couple of years. Our denied Rose Bowl trip is an example that, even with a standout year, a team cannot earn the respect it takes to be voted to a BCS game. Teams must be successful for a sustained period of time to gain the respect to get votes (see Boise State, 2003 USC, 2004 Auburn...)
4 comments:
I don't disagree with this list at all. The only one I might argue is MSU Hockey should be higher than Lions football.
The Tigers made ZERO splashy moves, but every move they made was an excellent one. Wilson Bettimet (I know I butchered his name, sorry), Delmon Young, Doug Fister...we gave up NOTHING for those guys. Fister is filthy, and Young and Wilson are .300 hitters. Awesome moves. Hey, we could make a run at this thing...
Dane Fife is the guy to replace Izzo, IMO. Love him. Great midwest ties, very personable, recruits the midwest and beyond extremely well. Izzo is actually handing a lot of the recruiting responsibilities over to him. Plus he already has a little head coaching experience in him, and was a player in the Big Ten. He gets it I think. Hopefully he'll be around when Izzo retires. And then Draymond Green becomes an assistant coach on his staff, and eventually succeeds Fife. Yep, how it's going down.
...then I am VERY nervous about who will take over when Izzo leaves. I want a proven coach that can recruit his ass off. Like Jamie Dixon or Brad Stevens. I don't want someone to be promoted within the program.
Dane Fife is proven. He's been a head coach for 6 years at IPFW. The dude is born and bread midwest- he knows how to recruit this area, which is why Izzo is letting him handle a lot of the recruiting responsibilities.
Plus he's a young guy, and would have a chance to be a "legacy" coach...the other two you mentioned, by the time they take over, probably not.
I'm not sure what you mean by "legacy" - whether it's that he's with us for a long time or whether he's known ONLY for coaching us (if it's the latter, no known coach would fill that criteria). Hers's some data that I think kills your argument that neither Dixon or Stevens could coach for MSU for a long time.
Age when taking over current program:
Mike Kryzewski 33
Brad Stevens (current age) 34
Dane Fife (current age) 34
Tom Izzo 40
Bill Self 40
Jamie Dixon 45
Jim Calhoun 45
Roy Williams 53
Taking a 10-18 team to 18-12 in 6 seasons isn't proven. They went from 5th in the Summit League in 07-08 to 4th in 10-11. Proven is the most wins in the first seven seasons of ANY career and back-to-back National Championship games.
MSU wants to be like Kansas and UNC. Kansas and UNC don't promote Assistants with potential. They hire really good coaches at lesser programs. I want to treat Pitt and Butler like they're lesser programs :)
Post a Comment