Regular season grades

W

we are sju

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Hopefully we have at least 4 games left, but just in case we lose Wed and I go on my off season hiatus, here is one man's wrap up for the past season.

Owens-C+
Great help defender and rim protector. He could play the same exact role on a good team. With that being said he is not a great post defender on his own man or rebounder and despite not having a bad touch is inconsistent from the outside. No interior moves to speak off and simply must improve his Olive Oyl physique. Hope he comes back as even with his flaws he would be greatly missed.

Clark-B
Thought we were getting Lamont Middleton / Anthony Glover and instead got Ron Rowan. Not complaining as he is a solid player but does need to improve his "motor". Simply did not go after rebounds on defensive end hard enough. Also might be the worst player to throw an entry pass to as he NEVER comes to the ball. Chalk up 2 TO's a game that go to Ponds or Simon on Clark. Again flaws and all Clark is just the solid mid major type guy that all good programs seem to have.

Ahmed-C
In a perfect world he is your energy guy off the bench. If he is scoring he plays if he is missing shots then he is a hot mess and sits. Despite never knowing where his man is on D he does play hard if hardly ever smart. No matter what he will always have the Duke game.

Simon-B+
Will never be a decent shooter. But he does know his limitations. Should not be primary ball handler but as a secondary ball handler from the 3 or 2 he has a unique skillset. I am biased I love his game. Going to give him the ultimate compliment, he would have fit in perfectly on Elite 8 team. Has to do a better job with to's and like everyone else on this team has to do better job of closing out on shooters.

Ponds-A+
Needs to have better shot selection from 3. Does not have 30 foot range and he shoots better off the dribble. Absolute must that he stays not only for us but for him. NCAA tourney selection and BE POY would go a long way for him to sneak into backend of the 1st round of NBA draft. I think with more options and a deeper team his shot selection improves and he is a willing / good passer. Terrible closeout defender on shooters. Seems to be a theme.

Trimble.-C-
Started to show promise of being more than a guy who stands around waiting to hit one out of three threes. Not sure what is going on but he is simply not good enough to pout about coming out of games or PT. If true.

Alibegovic-B
Always played hard. Would be world's greatest 12th man. Simply not his fault two different coach's recruited soo poorly that he was forced into bigger role than he had talent. Good teammate and every once in awhile flashes something or has a game where some on these boards then expect more of him. He will always have the Cuse game.

Yakwe-F-
After promising frosh year he was bitten by a Zombie and came back as Walking Dead Yakwe. That explanation is more plausible than any other explanation. Never saw a guy forget how to catch the ball. Who knows, Justin Burrell regressed every year and then had a real solid Senior year. Yakwe probably not going to get or want that chance here though.

Lovett-F
My hand got a cramp typing so I quit typing his review.

Mullin-C
During 10-2 start I thought we were right on track and he deserved a solid B.
During 0-11 stretch I don't think he did enough or showed enough urgency and kind of just went with the flow. In fairness Lovett thing I think took all the wind out but still. Would give him an F for that stretch.
During 5-3 stretch w/o Ponds for 2 of the games I would give him a B+.
Like it or not has shown improvement every year but still needs a big year next year in what will probably be Ponds last year. Needs NCAA next year IMO.
 
Generally agree. Maybe AA would get a C+-C; Ponds an A; Lovett, Incomplete.
 
Mostly fair. I think Amar's grades are mostly if not entirely on heart and being a good teammate. If it's on basketball skill, obviously he's much better suited for a low major team or maybe D2. Not a slight on him, just realistic. Great kid, always cheers on his teammates and had a few classic games we will all remember especially Cuse. Mullin with a C, ehh honestly I'd have to say D because LoVett's loss alone cannot be seen as solely responsible for 0-11. If we went something like 4-7 then fine that's more understandable...but 0-11 is quite hard to do and I don't think it can be reduced to one variable, especially not including coaching. I really believe that without another legitimate big and a veteran assistant coach for next year, Mullin will have his hands full again and might be over his head. If we get both, we have a chance to do damage. My hope is they learned their lesson...the current staff is not effective (not for a lack of effort, some have it and some don't). I'm not in the camp of moving the goalpost for Mullin because he's Mullin. We all love the guy...he's a walking legend. But if we don't make the NCAA tourney next year in his 4th year, you'd have to think it will likely never work. 4 years is fair to judge even with some injuries. Teams like Xavier and Creighton move right along with injuries to key players because they have the depth and they have good coaching, so the next guy steps up.
 
Mike , you make some valid points expressing your opinion . I disagree with several .. Mullin doesn’t deserve the D grade . Losing Lovett , before Conference play was a Dagger to the heart . Marcus was a lock for a minimum of 15-18 points a game , several steals , a relentless harasser on Defense and whirling dervish on Offense . And , with him we were projected to a 5-6 th place finish and 9-9 Record in pre season polls . The Whole dynamics of the Team, already shy of capable bench players , changed immediately when he went down . How’s that Mullin’s fault ? Would you apply the same criteria to Mike Brey of ND when Bonzie Colson went down in December ?Blame Mike for ND having a losing record the rest of the their season ? Give him a D too? This Year’s Team was built to have Ponds and Lovett score between 40-50 points a game and , likely be the top scoring duo in the Country . If you pulled Ponds instead of Lovett , our results might have been even worse . It’s only my opinion but, I think we go 9-9 or 10-8 with a healthy Lovett. It also took time for Simon and Clarke to adjust on the Court too. No, Mullin and staff don’t deserve a D for the season . And , the team did rally in February to finish nearly as well as they could . If Ponds is healthy and close to 100 percent , we can win a game in the BE tourney, perhaps compete against Xavier or Nova and maybe , get a NIT berth ? As for those who lambast Mullin for in game or overall Coaching , I say , too much is put on the Coach for player performance . Swap Mullin to Nova and have Wright Coach here and doubtful results change much , if at all . We have match up problems with nearly all BE opponents in the front court. We don’t have the Big Man who can play in the post . Owens is not a post player and neither Clarke or Ahmed are real Rim crashers . We lose a lot every game in rebounding and our put backs and bunnies as a result . That’s a function of our Players styles and skills , not Mullins Coaching . Fault him for not getting or building a BE physical Front Court but, not the getting the most of the 5 players we put on the Court since February .
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=275073]Mostly fair. I think Amar's grades are mostly if not entirely on heart and being a good teammate. If it's on basketball skill, obviously he's much better suited for a low major team or maybe D2. Not a slight on him, just realistic. Great kid, always cheers on his teammates and had a few classic games we will all remember especially Cuse. Mullin with a C, ehh honestly I'd have to say D because LoVett's loss alone cannot be seen as solely responsible for 0-11. If we went something like 4-7 then fine that's more understandable...but 0-11 is quite hard to do and I don't think it can be reduced to one variable, especially not including coaching. I really believe that without another legitimate big and a veteran assistant coach for next year, Mullin will have his hands full again and might be over his head. If we get both, we have a chance to do damage. My hope is they learned their lesson...the current staff is not effective (not for a lack of effort, some have it and some don't). I'm not in the camp of moving the goalpost for Mullin because he's Mullin. We all love the guy...he's a walking legend. But if we don't make the NCAA tourney next year in his 4th year, you'd have to think it will likely never work. 4 years is fair to judge even with some injuries. Teams like Xavier and Creighton move right along with injuries to key players because they have the depth and they have good coaching, so the next guy steps up.[/quote]

As far as Alibegovic is concerned he should be the 12th man. 11th and 12th man rarely play. It is Lavin and Mullin's fault he has has a big enough role where people complain about him. He has played to the best of his ability. Blame Mullin, Lavin and God I guess if you don't like the results.
 
[quote="SLYFOXX1968" post=275088]Mike , you make some valid points expressing your opinion . I disagree with several .. Mullin doesn’t deserve the D grade . Losing Lovett , before Conference play was a Dagger to the heart . Marcus was a lock for a minimum of 15-18 points a game , several steals , a relentless harasser on Defense and whirling dervish on Offense . And , with him we were projected to a 5-6 th place finish and 9-9 Record in pre season polls . The Whole dynamics of the Team, already shy of capable bench players , changed immediately when he went down . How’s that Mullin’s fault ? Would you apply the same criteria to Mike Brey of ND when Bonzie Colson went down in December ?Blame Mike for ND having a losing record the rest of the their season ? Give him a D too? This Year’s Team was built to have Ponds and Lovett score between 40-50 points a game and , likely be the top scoring duo in the Country . If you pulled Ponds instead of Lovett , our results might have been even worse . It’s only my opinion but, I think we go 9-9 or 10-8 with a healthy Lovett. It also took time for Simon and Clarke to adjust on the Court too. No, Mullin and staff don’t deserve a D for the season . And , the team did rally in February to finish nearly as well as they could . If Ponds is healthy and close to 100 percent , we can win a game in the BE tourney, perhaps compete against Xavier or Nova and maybe , get a NIT berth ? As for those who lambast Mullin for in game or overall Coaching , I say , too much is put on the Coach for player performance . Swap Mullin to Nova and have Wright Coach here and doubtful results change much , if at all . We have match up problems with nearly all BE opponents in the front court. We don’t have the Big Man who can play in the post . Owens is not a post player and neither Clarke or Ahmed are real Rim crashers . We lose a lot every game in rebounding and our put backs and bunnies as a result . That’s a function of our Players styles and skills , not Mullins Coaching . Fault him for not getting or building a BE physical Front Court but, not the getting the most of the 5 players we put on the Court since February .[/quote]

I hope you are aware Notre Dame is on the NCAA Tournament bubble. A win or two in the ACC Tournament may well punch their ticket to the dance.

LoVett's defense is being overrated by a few on here. It was decent, but too often he gambled for steals and gave up open treys on a few possessions during Mizzou's final scouting run to beat us in Orlando. Mizzou ran the same action to his side, as he constantly doubled and left his man in the corner for wide open treys. It happened at least three possessions.
 
Mostly OK, but:

Clark, right grade but the "solid mid major type guy" characterization unfair
Ponds, (sorry in advance), A-, his defensive lapses are too glaring and fixable
Alibegovic, (sorry again) the late praise is justifiable, and the team spirit is great, but his grade can be no better than a D due to his inability to play at this level, turnover machine status, unwise shot selection and stubborn refusal to play low and rebound; nice kid tho
 
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[quote="redmanwest" post=275093]Mostly OK, but:

Clark, right grade but the "solid mid major type guy" characterization unfair
Ponds, (sorry in advance), A-, his defensive lapses are too glaring and fixable
Alibegovic, (sorry again) the late praise is justifiable, and the team spirit is great, but his grade can be no better than a D due to his inability to play at this level, turnover machine status, unwise shot selection and stubborn refusal to play low and rebound; nice kid tho[/quote]

I doubt Amar is actually refusing to play down low. He's doing what he's instructed to do.
 
[quote="redmanwest" post=275093]Mostly OK, but:

Clark, right grade but the "solid mid major type guy" characterization unfair
Ponds, (sorry in advance), A-, his defensive lapses are too glaring and fixable
Alibegovic, (sorry again) the late praise is justifiable, and the team spirit is great, but his grade can be no better than a D due to his inability to play at this level, turnover machine status, unwise shot selection and stubborn refusal to play low and rebound; nice kid tho[/quote]

just meant that mid majors always seem to have 6-6 guys that play the 4 that can knock down threes.
 
Agree with most grades but Ahmed gets a B in my book. Shamorie gets a B+ because he was part of the 0-11 streak. Mullin coached the shortest bench in college ball to 15 wins with huge wins over the #1 and #3 teams. He is not the rookie coach anymore and gets a B from me because he managed to hold the players together. Could have easily won 18 or more games with a complete roster.
 
Simon, Clark, and Owens were warriors this year. Never gave up or missed a minute. Cant fault them for anything. Mullin coached better but he and his staff are to blame for us being shorthanded all year. Ponds- when on...arguably the best player in college, when off, tunnel vision and erratic. Ahmed- solid, but up and down too. AA- please, nice guy and great teammate but he is Marco Baldi 2.0. Yakwe- gets incomplete because really had no mins. LoVett- sorry but in my mind, a quitter. The truth hurts fellas.
 
[quote="Class of 72" post=275185]Agree with most grades but Ahmed gets a B in my book. Shamorie gets a B+ because he was part of the 0-11 streak. Mullin coached the shortest bench in college ball to 15 wins with huge wins over the #1 and #3 teams. He is not the rookie coach anymore and gets a B from me because he managed to hold the players together. Could have easily won 18 or more games with a complete roster.[/quote]

Ponds 1/2 letter grade better than ahmad? Yikes
 
[quote="Amaseinyourface" post=275198][quote="Class of 72" post=275185]Agree with most grades but Ahmed gets a B in my book. Shamorie gets a B+ because he was part of the 0-11 streak. Mullin coached the shortest bench in college ball to 15 wins with huge wins over the #1 and #3 teams. He is not the rookie coach anymore and gets a B from me because he managed to hold the players together. Could have easily won 18 or more games with a complete roster.[/quote]

Ponds 1/2 letter grade better than ahmad? Yikes[/quote]

Don't be fooled by his points per game average. Ponds took over 200 more field goal attempts than Bashir Ahmed but both their overall shooting % is 41%. Ponds also took 172 to Bashir's 126 three point shots but Ponds shot a poor 26% to Bashir’s 34%. Both were average defenders while Bashir was a poor rebounder while Ponds was an excellent rebounding guard with a better nose for the ball. Ponds drops from an A because he had some really bad games during the losing streak that had a big impact in the losses aND the season. A B grade is good and Bashir was a good player. Shamorie was above average but could have been more consistent which leads me to his flirtation with the NBA. He is just an average defender and passer but he was a below average 3 point shooter. Just don't see him being drafted this year.
 
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[quote="Class of 72" post=275204][quote="Amaseinyourface" post=275198][quote="Class of 72" post=275185]Agree with most grades but Ahmed gets a B in my book. Shamorie gets a B+ because he was part of the 0-11 streak. Mullin coached the shortest bench in college ball to 15 wins with huge wins over the #1 and #3 teams. He is not the rookie coach anymore and gets a B from me because he managed to hold the players together. Could have easily won 18 or more games with a complete roster.[/quote]

Ponds 1/2 letter grade better than ahmad? Yikes[/quote]

Don't be fooled by his points per game average. Ponds took over 200 more field goal attempts than Bashir Ahmed but both their overall shooting % is 41%. Ponds also took 172 to Bashir's 126 three point shots but Ponds shot a poor 26% to Bashir’s 34%. Both were average defenders while Bashir was a poor rebounder while Ponds was an excellent rebounding guard with a better nose for the ball. Ponds drops from an A because he had some really bad games during the losing streak that had a big impact in the losses aND the season. A B grade is good and Bashir was a good player. Shamorie was above average but could have been more consistent which leads me to his flirtation with the NBA. He is just an average defender and passer but he was a below average 3 point shooter. Just don't see him being drafted this year.[/quote]

Yikes! All Big East gets a B+? You will never survive as a teacher today. :)
 
I hope you are aware that ND needed a very questionable foul call to beat a ACC winless Pitt team yesterday by 3 points . And , that was with Colson playing . You are Nit Picking on Lovett’s Defense for a few possessions in a game early in the season vs Missouri . Lovett’s defensive style was pressure all the time and take risk and gamble to create a steal or turnover . He could do that as he had Owens to bail him out in with a block . Lovett’s game was constant energy all the time . He went all out , pretty much every play . Rarely walked the ball upcourt . Had some turnovers but, again his style made up for the miscues . I think you missed the whole point though about Brey being held accountable for a losing record after Colson went down . Yet, many here , like you , hold Mullin accountable for the adverse impact of losing Lovett , first to injury , then to whatever his decision was to not return . Stay with that if you like but, there are other opinions just as valid as yours . Maybe more so .
 
A-
Ponds (On Jan. 31st, would have given him a C.)
Simon (super athlete, needs to reduce turnovers)
Clark (strong leadership intangibles, has brought both shooting and rebounding to the table)

*In the analysis, I think you have to consider that Simon & Clark were a full year removed from competitive basketball

B+
Owens (high energy, heart and soul of the team, improved his shot. Still no low post moves. Needs help in the paint)
Ahmed (great effort every game, hit many big 3's, played more under control, not clutch on the line. We will miss him)

B-
Trimble (Impressive shooter, smart player with low turnover rate. Needs to get in better shape and atone for last week's issue)

C
Amar (brought passion and performed to his capabilities. Johnny for life)

C-
Yakwe (Total head scratcher. A lot of untapped talent and size. What the heck happen to the aggressiveness he showed as a freshman???)

D
Lovett (Appreciate that he came here, so won't give him a F)

As far as the coaches......it all comes down to retaining the Ponds, Clark, Simon and Owens. Nothing else matters.
 
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[quote="Class of 72" post=275204][quote="Amaseinyourface" post=275198][quote="Class of 72" post=275185]Agree with most grades but Ahmed gets a B in my book. Shamorie gets a B+ because he was part of the 0-11 streak. Mullin coached the shortest bench in college ball to 15 wins with huge wins over the #1 and #3 teams. He is not the rookie coach anymore and gets a B from me because he managed to hold the players together. Could have easily won 18 or more games with a complete roster.[/quote]

Ponds 1/2 letter grade better than ahmad? Yikes[/quote]

Don't be fooled by his points per game average. Ponds took over 200 more field goal attempts than Bashir Ahmed but both their overall shooting % is 41%. Ponds also took 172 to Bashir's 126 three point shots but Ponds shot a poor 26% to Bashir’s 34%. Both were average defenders while Bashir was a poor rebounder while Ponds was an excellent rebounding guard with a better nose for the ball. Ponds drops from an A because he had some really bad games during the losing streak that had a big impact in the losses aND the season. A B grade is good and Bashir was a good player. Shamorie was above average but could have been more consistent which leads me to his flirtation with the NBA. He is just an average defender and passer but he was a below average 3 point shooter. Just don't see him being drafted this year.[/quote]

To say ponds is just an average passer is also unfair IMO. Thought Ahmed played better last season, but has had some really good games to finish the year. Hopefully that carries into the BE tourney.
 
[quote="JohnnyFan" post=275225]A-
Ponds (On Jan. 31st, would have given him a C.)
[/quote]

Wow, what were your expectations for him this year? 30 & 10?
 
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