sjc88 post=452478 said:
My problem is, I like Mike Anderson. I think he is a good person and a good representative of the University.
But here’s the bigger problem. Where’s the accountability? Yesterday, after the game, he stated that the team is “not as far along” as it should be. The obvious question is why not? Who needs to make that happen? Him? The Assistant Coaches? Who? During the game St. John’s players threw the ball up numerous times at the basket with zero chance of going in! They are not shots. They’re the equivalent of a turnover. Even the guy announcing the game mentioned this. Yet, if this upset Anderson I couldn’t tell. The same players remained in the game and in the rotation. I could target other areas like the non existent interior defense including the repeated failure to take away the baseline. How many times can we give up wide open 3s? We did this right before the half, coming out of a timeout (!). Who got lost? Surely the coaches talked about switching off a quick screen?
Maybe this is happening and I just don’t see it. However, the same mistakes are happening over and over again. Improvements? Lessons learned? If anything the team is regressing.
I never understand what fans expect a coaches to say after a loss. He has two choices, he can start throwing players under the bus or he can make excuses. Most coaches go with excuse route. CMA excuse is he has 9 new players and they aren't where he wants them to be. Is it bullshit? Absolutely, it's January, but the only other thing he could do is start arguing with the media (see Penny Hardaway) or start throwing his players under the bus, but that's just a bad look, only slimballs like Calapari and Bruce Pearl throw kids under the bus after losses.
For all the talk of what ain't going right and why they aren't where they need to be, if they just simply make wide open layups yesterday they win this game by a healthy margin. I counted Wusu missing 6 layups, Champ missing 2 layups, Posh missing 3 layups, Soriano missing 1 layup, and Wheeler missing 2 layups. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong on those numbers, but I'm pretty sure my count is close. Wusu may have broken a record of most shots missed at the rim in a single game, and like 3 of those weren't even contested.
Also, this is premature, but for those that are saying CMA can't be fired, they said the same thing at Arkansas. He signed an extension the year before he was fired. Those extensions don't mean crap, they are mostly for recruiting purposes, it's hard for coaches to recruit if they are operating with only 1 or 2 years left on their contract. If a school really wants to make a change they'll find the buyout money and most of the time they know with a coach like CMA he'll find another job, so they won't even end up having to come off that much. No coach is ever safe. No tournament this year or next year and he'll be gone, and I say that as a supporter of CMA. This is a win now business.
Actually there is a third choice…he can say this is on ME..not the players. I did a poor job preparing, poor job coaching…he can take the blame and stop making EXCUSES. Every program has Covid absences, every program has injuries, every program has to deal with the portal and transfers, every program has travel problems with weather and equipment. At least Lavin and Mullin took the blame themselves many times after defeats.
If he can take the credit for last season and his COY, then he can take some of these Losses we are seeing.
