Culture

I

IDRAFT

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A big thing holding this program back since Mullin became coach is the revolving door culture. There is either an inability to convince players of the value of staying in the program or a very bad job is being done in who is targeted and recruited. In four years the following players have joined and left the program before their senior campaign:

Mussini
Jones
Yakwe
Williams
Lovett
Ellison
Owens
Sima
Freudenberg
Dixon

That's an entire roster of players. Now, this year it is always reported as a lock that Ponds and Heron will leave without playing as seniors, even if they have no chance of being drafted. Now, I understand that transfers are up everywhere and also that more kids leave early then ever before. But not like this, just look at the other teams in the conference. I don't know how the team ever really gets cooking if no stability continues with the roster.
 
The two are related. Kids leave because they lose faith in staff. Sometimes it's because of little PT of course which is typical, but even with plenty of PT we are seeing kids jump ship. Owens is an example...left for TT and immediately put on way more muscle, became a defensive POY candidate, and is playing less but is happy because he has a much better staff that is competent. Get a good coach and kids will want to stay and kids will have faith. That's why they stay for guys like Wright. They completely trust that they can develop them gradually over 4 years and get them drafted as stars when they become seniors.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=318125]The two are related. Kids leave because they lose faith in staff. Sometimes it's because of little PT of course which is typical, but even with plenty of PT we are seeing kids jump ship. Owens is an example...left for TT and immediately put on way more muscle, became a defensive POY candidate, and is playing less but is happy because he has a much better staff that is competent. Get a good coach and kids will want to stay and kids will have faith. That's why they stay for guys like Wright. They completely trust that they can develop them gradually over 4 years and get them drafted as stars when they become seniors.[/quote]

I agree 100% but would add that it is also a recruiting failure. Vetting kids is part of the process. I don't think Dixon, for instance, bailed because of development issues. We wasted a scholarship last year on a kid who left the first time things weren't going his way. That's bad recruiting.
 
Also interesting to note:

Owens is averaging 6 less minutes than he was with us. Since going to TT, his 2 PT % has gone from 54% to 62%. FT improved from 69% to 77%. He also put on like 20 lbs of muscle immediately. Just goes to show...
 
[quote="IDRAFT" post=318124]A big thing holding this program back since Mullin became coach is the revolving door culture. There is either an inability to convince players of the value of staying in the program or a very bad job is being done in who is targeted and recruited. In four years the following players have joined and left the program before their senior campaign:

Mussini
Jones
Yakwe
Williams
Lovett
Ellison
Owens
Sima
Freudenberg
Dixon
lovett , owens, and Dixon are the only ones out of that crowd that are worthy of ships. Owens is a huge loss, dixon and lovett are quitters so ill say only ones is a tough loss
That's an entire roster of players. Now, this year it is always reported as a lock that Ponds and Heron will leave without playing as seniors, even if they have no chance of being drafted. Now, I understand that transfers are up everywhere and also that more kids leave early then ever before. But not like this, just look at the other teams in the conference. I don't know how the team ever really gets cooking if no stability continues with the roster.[/quote]
 
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