1/3 perspective

[quote="austour" post=315848][quote="Beast of the East" post=315752][quote="OLV72" post=315718][quote="Marillac" post=315611][quote="Amaseinyourface" post=315604][quote="Marillac" post=315603][quote="MarkRedman" post=315598][quote="mjmaherjr" post=315592]I think we sweep providence[/quote]

I hope so, Mike, but they are always underrated and Cooley is a very good coach
Besides, my former neighbor is a Friar so there's always a wager on these games
He always brags about having been Jimmy Walker's roommate at Providence
We need to shut him up once and for all!!
GO ST JOHN'S!!![/quote]

I haven't seen Providence but they are a bad matchup for us on paper. They are always loaded with rugged 6'6-6'10 guys. Posters on here are acting like a marginal Big East player like Femi Olujobi is a beast...wait until they see some of the guys on Providence.

And as is our luck, AJ Reeves will be active for them in the next ten days or so and ready to play against us.[/quote]

Fact is, no player we’ve seen has abused us the way Femi did. You don’t have to go down swinging with that one. He killed us and it hurt.[/quote]

I didn't watch the game after Ponds was ruled out. I knew the outcome. IMO, we would have beat them by around 20 with Ponds, and the two guys that had to pick up the slack from Ponds were he two guys that could have helped neutralize Femi had they been able to concentrate on that aspect.

Ponds affects everything from thee point shooting % to how we defend. There hasn't been a more important player to a team than I've witnessed in my lifetime of watching college basketball.[/quote]

Did you miss the Larry Bird show?[/quote]

Ok, you named one.[/quote]

To be fair most folks don't remember many teams that rely on a single player to that extent (cough, cough Steph Curry), because most folks only remember teams that make it far in the dance. That's why we all remember Steph's jr year and not his Senior year NIT appearance and 2nd round exit. Others fade from memory just like that. This team is unlikely to make the sweet sixteen so Shamorie's exploits will never reverberate like Bird's or Curry's. Kemba's last year was similar, at least in the post season though his supporting cast was better than both Bird's and Curry's. Dwyane Wade and David Robinson also come to mind.[/quote]

I was thinking the opposite tho. On many many college teams, especially mid majors that have a future NBA player, if that guy goes down, so does the season, and in horrible fashion.
 
[quote="austour" post=315848]That's why we all remember Steph's jr year and not his Senior year NIT appearance and 2nd round exit. . . . Dwyane Wade.[/quote]

There's a reason no one remember's Curry's senior year -- there wasn't one. ;)

I thought Wade had a really good supporting cast. Had a talented big in Jackson and heady PG in Diener. Novak was also on that team.
 
[quote="L J S A" post=315878][quote="austour" post=315848]That's why we all remember Steph's jr year and not his Senior year NIT appearance and 2nd round exit. . . . Dwyane Wade.[/quote]

There's a reason no one remember's Curry's senior year -- there wasn't one. ;)

I thought Wade had a really good supporting cast. Had a talented big in Jackson and heady PG in Diener. Novak was also on that team.[/quote]

Listen, as far as I'm concerned Jr years are Sr years. And soph years are Jr years. LOL Second time I've done that this week, but you know what I mean.
 
[quote="austour" post=315890][quote="L J S A" post=315878][quote="austour" post=315848]That's why we all remember Steph's jr year and not his Senior year NIT appearance and 2nd round exit. . . . Dwyane Wade.[/quote]

There's a reason no one remember's Curry's senior year -- there wasn't one. ;)

I thought Wade had a really good supporting cast. Had a talented big in Jackson and heady PG in Diener. Novak was also on that team.[/quote]

Listen, as far as I'm concerned Jr years are Sr years. And soph years are Jr years. LOL Second time I've done that this week, but you know what I mean.[/quote]


I think this team also has a strong set of players around Ponds. The DePaul game is a pretty small sample size. Ponds is the star and has bailed them out of key games and takes over - but that is what league mvp's do.
 
[quote="OLV72" post=316004][quote="austour" post=315890][quote="L J S A" post=315878][quote="austour" post=315848]That's why we all remember Steph's jr year and not his Senior year NIT appearance and 2nd round exit. . . . Dwyane Wade.[/quote]

There's a reason no one remember's Curry's senior year -- there wasn't one. ;)

I thought Wade had a really good supporting cast. Had a talented big in Jackson and heady PG in Diener. Novak was also on that team.[/quote]

Listen, as far as I'm concerned Jr years are Sr years. And soph years are Jr years. LOL Second time I've done that this week, but you know what I mean.[/quote]


I think this team also has a strong set of players around Ponds. The DePaul game is a pretty small sample size. Ponds is the star and has bailed them out of key games and takes over - but that is what league mvp's do.[/quote] We have 2 5 stars plus Clark and Figgy. Not a bad lineup. Our problem is the bench. And w 1 injury a bench player has to be a starter.
 
[quote="richard A Steinfeld" post=316012][quote="OLV72" post=316004][quote="austour" post=315890][quote="L J S A" post=315878][quote="austour" post=315848]That's why we all remember Steph's jr year and not his Senior year NIT appearance and 2nd round exit. . . . Dwyane Wade.[/quote]

There's a reason no one remember's Curry's senior year -- there wasn't one. ;)

I thought Wade had a really good supporting cast. Had a talented big in Jackson and heady PG in Diener. Novak was also on that team.[/quote]

Listen, as far as I'm concerned Jr years are Sr years. And soph years are Jr years. LOL Second time I've done that this week, but you know what I mean.[/quote]


I think this team also has a strong set of players around Ponds. The DePaul game is a pretty small sample size. Ponds is the star and has bailed them out of key games and takes over - but that is what league mvp's do.[/quote] We have 2 5 stars plus Clark and Figgy. Not a bad lineup. Our problem is the bench. And w 1 injury a bench player has to be a starter.[/quote]


Agree, but same could be said for our best teams in the past. Have to stay healthy
 
Predictions:

1. We go 5-2 over our next seven games

2. We lose again to DePaul

3. We do dance with a high seed and a tough assignment

4. We lose in the 1st round on a horrible call by an official

5. Mullin leaves at season's end sighting an admiral reason, but truthfully he's just not continuing w/o Ponds.

6. St. Jean is our next coach. Matt stays on with a raise and we hire a solid experienced assistant

7. Simon stays and we have a decent 19-20 season

*I don't necessarily want all of these things to happen. Just fun predictions.
 
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I think we’ll rebound from our 3-4 BE start and go 8 & 3 in regular season play IF Ponds is healthy the remainder of the season, win 2 in the BET and dance with a 25-9 record ( Feb loss to Duke by 15).
We get to the Sweet 16 and lose.
Precious chooses UNC.
Mullin, Mitch, St. Jean & Matt leave.
Cragg hires a new staff.
We face a soap opera of coaching choices, amid crazy debates on the Board, and mad-worry about which recruits we’ll lose in the transition.
The tea leaves too murky to gauge next year’s record, but the program rebounds in ensuing years.
 
[quote="Chicago Days" post=316607]I think we’ll rebound from our 3-4 BE start and go 8 & 3 in regular season play IF Ponds is healthy the remainder of the season, win 2 in the BET and dance with a 25-9 record ( Feb loss to Duke by 15).
We get to the Sweet 16 and lose.
Precious chooses UNC.
Mullin, Mitch, St. Jean & Matt leave.
Cragg hires a new staff.
We face a soap opera of coaching choices, amid crazy debates on the Board, and mad-worry about which recruits we’ll lose in the transition.
The tea leaves too murky to gauge next year’s record, but the program rebounds in ensuing years.[/quote]

And please no big name coaches, where if they come here, they'll feel very comfortable and won't go all out recruiting like the last 2 coaches. Get me a hungry up and comer, please.
 
[quote="oldschool Redmen" post=316610][quote="Chicago Days" post=316607]I think we’ll rebound from our 3-4 BE start and go 8 & 3 in regular season play IF Ponds is healthy the remainder of the season, win 2 in the BET and dance with a 25-9 record ( Feb loss to Duke by 15).
We get to the Sweet 16 and lose.
Precious chooses UNC.
Mullin, Mitch, St. Jean & Matt leave.
Cragg hires a new staff.
We face a soap opera of coaching choices, amid crazy debates on the Board, and mad-worry about which recruits we’ll lose in the transition.
The tea leaves too murky to gauge next year’s record, but the program rebounds in ensuing years.[/quote]

And please no big name coaches, where if they come here, they'll feel very comfortable and won't go all out recruiting like the last 2 coaches. Get me a hungry up and comer, please.[/quote]

Like Norm?
 
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[quote="fuchsia" post=316611][quote="oldschool Redmen" post=316610][quote="Chicago Days" post=316607]I think we’ll rebound from our 3-4 BE start and go 8 & 3 in regular season play IF Ponds is healthy the remainder of the season, win 2 in the BET and dance with a 25-9 record ( Feb loss to Duke by 15).
We get to the Sweet 16 and lose.
Precious chooses UNC.
Mullin, Mitch, St. Jean & Matt leave.
Cragg hires a new staff.
We face a soap opera of coaching choices, amid crazy debates on the Board, and mad-worry about which recruits we’ll lose in the transition.
The tea leaves too murky to gauge next year’s record, but the program rebounds in ensuing years.[/quote]

And please no big name coaches, where if they come here, they'll feel very comfortable and won't go all out recruiting like the last 2 coaches. Get me a hungry up and comer, please.[/quote]

Like Norm?[/quote]

Oh good lord, noooooooo. Maybe Nate Oats?
Maybe it will take a former Duke guy to hire a good coach, he worked with one of the best.
 
Not writing off Mullin completely yet...I'm alarmed and his back is up against the wall but if he resigns or is let go, I would think Oats is a very obvious choice. Some say he won't want to come here, holding out for bigger programs. Not so sure about that. He's making 600k this year...Mullin is making almost double. His team at Buffalo plays disciplined, smart, and they look like they have a clear understanding of what the plan is each game. He develops his players. It would be so refreshing to get a coach who maximizes the potential of recruits and knows how to blend them to form a team. Too many of our teams under Mullin/Lavin have featured very good to great individual players, but the cohesion was rarely there. My only concern with him would be recruiting, but I think he can hire a solid guy for that. He has to prove himself at the Big East type level first before he can seriously look at blue bloods IMO. Right now his conference is not legit.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=316714]Not writing off Mullin completely yet...I'm alarmed and his back is up against the wall but if he resigns or is let go, I would think Oats is a very obvious choice. Some say he won't want to come here, holding out for bigger programs. Not so sure about that. He's making 600k this year...Mullin is making almost double. His team at Buffalo plays disciplined, smart, and they look like they have a clear understanding of what the plan is each game. He develops his players. It would be so refreshing to get a coach who maximizes the potential of recruits and knows how to blend them to form a team. Too many of our teams under Mullin/Lavin have featured very good to great individual players, but the cohesion was rarely there. My only concern with him would be recruiting, but I think he can hire a solid guy for that. He has to prove himself at the Big East type level first before he can seriously look at blue bloods IMO. Right now his conference is not legit.[/quote]

Just as an aside, but I thought Mullin makes $2mm/yr?
Listen, I’m not bailing on the year yet.
It’s very possible that IF Ponds’ back heals, he’ll lead us safely through the thicket of these final regular season conference games and we dance.
That said, I think Mike Cragg will realize we need another recruiter on the Staff and will urge Chris to hire a solid guy.
I never figured out whether Chris opposes hiring a second recruiter or not.
But that might be an interesting script to follow in the off-season...after a couple wins in the Dance.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=316714]Not writing off Mullin completely yet...I'm alarmed and his back is up against the wall but if he resigns or is let go, I would think Oats is a very obvious choice. Some say he won't want to come here, holding out for bigger programs. Not so sure about that. He's making 600k this year...Mullin is making almost double. His team at Buffalo plays disciplined, smart, and they look like they have a clear understanding of what the plan is each game. He develops his players. It would be so refreshing to get a coach who maximizes the potential of recruits and knows how to blend them to form a team. Too many of our teams under Mullin/Lavin have featured very good to great individual players, but the cohesion was rarely there. My only concern with him would be recruiting, but I think he can hire a solid guy for that. He has to prove himself at the Big East type level first before he can seriously look at blue bloods IMO. Right now his conference is not legit.[/quote]

Talking about this now is absolutely ridiculous. It's the same pattern we've repeated since Louie left. The more crap we talk about a coach the harder it becomes for them to recruit and then they are done.

Our fans are insane.
 
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[quote="Chicago Days" post=316717][quote="Mike Zaun" post=316714]Not writing off Mullin completely yet...I'm alarmed and his back is up against the wall but if he resigns or is let go, I would think Oats is a very obvious choice. Some say he won't want to come here, holding out for bigger programs. Not so sure about that. He's making 600k this year...Mullin is making almost double. His team at Buffalo plays disciplined, smart, and they look like they have a clear understanding of what the plan is each game. He develops his players. It would be so refreshing to get a coach who maximizes the potential of recruits and knows how to blend them to form a team. Too many of our teams under Mullin/Lavin have featured very good to great individual players, but the cohesion was rarely there. My only concern with him would be recruiting, but I think he can hire a solid guy for that. He has to prove himself at the Big East type level first before he can seriously look at blue bloods IMO. Right now his conference is not legit.[/quote]

Just as an aside, but I thought Mullin makes $2mm/yr?[/quote]

That's about almost double in MZ world.
 
I don't think Mullin will be here if we miss tournament with this talent . . . but right now we are 15-4.

There will be plenty of time to talk about Oats, etc. come season's end if we end up with results that we weren't expecting.

We've had disjointed teams before that pieced it all together, and I'd rather that this team do it later than do it too early and run out of steam.
 
[quote="L J S A" post=316723]I don't think Mullin will be here if we miss tournament with this talent . . . but right now we are 15-4.

There will be plenty of time to talk about Oats, etc. come season's end if we end up with results that we weren't expecting.

We've had disjointed teams before that pieced it all together, and I'd rather that this team do it later than do it too early and run out of steam.[/quote]

Plenty of time to think next season. Without a bid not sure Ponds would leave since his stock would be lower. Roster could actually be better next year.

Mullin isn't resigning and Bobby G. loves him and isn't going to eat rest of contract
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=316730][quote="L J S A" post=316723]I don't think Mullin will be here if we miss tournament with this talent . . . but right now we are 15-4.

There will be plenty of time to talk about Oats, etc. come season's end if we end up with results that we weren't expecting.

We've had disjointed teams before that pieced it all together, and I'd rather that this team do it later than do it too early and run out of steam.[/quote]

Plenty of time to think next season. Without a bid not sure Ponds would leave since his stock would be lower. Roster could actually be better next year.

Mullin isn't resigning and Bobby G. loves him and isn't going to eat rest of contract[/quote]. Agree completely . Let’s finish this season and not start on the “ What If,” chants yet . Ponds needs to be Ponds , without being restricted by injury . He is also trying too hard to get the other guys involved and it’s not working . I would not be unhappy if Ponds shot 30 times a game . But, it would have to be when his J from outside is on . If he hits the long bombs early , it gives him a better opportunity to drive past his defender for the lay in or foul . His foul shooting is a little off so far this year . Our best plan is for teams to worry about him so much , they forget about our other guys . He needs to be a force from the opening whistle , not wait .
 
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When is the last time we were 15 and 4? Yet some posters are throwing in the towel as if we were 0 and 19. Yes, a slower than desired start in Big East with lone home loss without Ponds and one loss due to referee ball. A lot of ball left to play. If anyone thinks that a revolving door of coaches will do this program any good, they haven't been paying attention.
 
[quote="Ray Morgan" post=316748]When is the last time we were 15 and 4? Yet some posters are throwing in the towel as if we were 0 and 19. Yes, a slower than desired start in Big East with lone home loss without Ponds and one loss due to referee ball. A lot of ball left to play. If anyone thinks that a revolving door of coaches will do this program any good, they haven't been paying attention.[/quote]

I think most are viewing our record as 3-4. The polls and pundits discounted our 12-0 start & did not give us respect until we beat Marquette and Georgetown. No easy games the rest of the way. If we are to dance we will have to earn it.
 
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