Lewis gone!!!

[BleedOrange]

My Internet connect has been out for a few days....I'll have more stuff for you "BGorDeath" and "Tricky", but for now I have more important things to attend to....Lewis' departure.

I agree with hammb's post so much that at first, I thought that I wrote it myself.

HOWEVER, I'm nowhere near as disappointed at Lewis's departure as the rest of you. Personally, I think that Lewis has been the most overrated player that we've had at BG. He's physically talented, but he's mentally absent, especially on defense. Lewis plays in a FOG. During his freshman year, I attributed it to inexperience. Last year, I realized that he's just not a very heads-up player and that he wasn't going to be. He gets his shots and boards (i.e., stats), but he just doesn't have presense on the court. It seemed like he was always having mental lapses on defense that allowed opposing teams to get shots. He was never quick to loose balls, was never quick with a pass to the open man, and he played with no heart (CONTRAST TO FITCH - the difference is like night and day). What hurts most is his timing. It will be very hard to replace him with a decent player at this point (and I have to give DD credit for getting a guy like Robinson so late).

And another thing: Lewis is no point guard. He never will be, not on any level. He doesn't have it upstairs. He doesn't have the instincts. For him to leave for the reasons stated above, well, good riddence to the clueless baby. Over the next few days, I suspect that we'll all come to look back on Lewis' departure with relief.

On that note, given his reasons for leaving, I'd expect many coaches to be reluctant to take him, especially if he'll only be happy playing the point. Winning cannot be "secondary" to playing a position that you're not mentally equiped for. He smells like a problem waiting to happen.

[factman]

After I thought about this for awhile, I wondered whether this might have been the problem with Steve Wright, in that Lewis wanted to play the point and thus causing the internal problems. i.e The team didn't want Wright!
I am now thinking that this may be the best thing for the program, if the freshman and Floyd can handle the point, Wright can move to the two spot, which is more natural for him, and everyone else remains.
I am actually much more positive about this whole deal of people leaving after trying to put the pieces together.

[4th Row]

After I thought about this for awhile, I wondered whether this might have been the problem with Steve Wright, in that Lewis wanted to play the point and thus causing the internal problems. i.e The team didn't want Wright!
I am now thinking that this may be the best thing for the program, if the freshman and Floyd can handle the point, Wright can move to the two spot, which is more natural for him, and everyone else remains.
I am actually much more positive about this whole deal of people leaving after trying to put the pieces together.

This was my reaction as well after listening to Wamer's explanation on the radio and actually thinking about it instead of just going with my gut. Robinson and Floyd can handle the point. I could see last year that Wright had a lot of potential as a player, but I wasn't impressed at all with him playing the point. He was too inconsistent, but he can blossom at the off-guard spot.

One thing is clear: our roster is going to be thin this year, so hopefully Coach D. can get over his reluctance to play freshmen. We're going to need the new guys to step in and contribute right away unless we're going to write this season off from the gun. That wouldn't be fair to Josh, Cory, and John. On the bright side, those guys should provide some solid senior leadership and set the right tone.

[orangeandbrown]

I am now thinking that this may be the best thing for the program, if the freshman and Floyd can handle the point, Wright can move to the two spot, which is more natural for him, and everyone else remains.
I am actually much more positive about this whole deal of people leaving after trying to put the pieces together.

An interesting perspective, Factman. I don't see how a team that was sub .500, and lost Netter and Lewis and replaced them with Perrick Robinson (a guy hanging around in August looking for an offer), Sowel, John Floyd and John Vandermeer and gets better. I just don't see it. Sometime, a program has to stop adding by subtracting.

I was concerned about the program before the off-season, and its only gotten worse.

[Falconfreak90]

For starters, I want to go another direction than what some of you have gone. Speculation has run rampant, and I don't think its fair to the players or coaches. Those of us that are not on the inside cannot, with any reasonable certainty, say why these players are fleeing our program like Russians from Chernobyl. It could be ANYTHING.

That said, I know exactly the same things that you all do: Players are leaving in bunches. This leads one to believe that they are obviously not happy being a part of the Bowling Green basketball program. Whether this is because of inordinate rules, tough practices, or just the recent trend of terrible play I cannot say. What I do know is that this is detrimental to our ability to build a program that can get into postseason play. I also know that we have heard absolutely NOTHING from the one man that might provide some of these answers.

The time has come where I feel it is our right as BGSU Falcon Basketball fans to have answers. I don't want spin from the SID. I don't want to hear rumor and innuendo about possibly bringing in a recruit or what have you. I don't want a press release from the AD. I want to hear, from the coach, exactly what is going on within HIS program. He went into these kids' homes and talked to their parents and, I'm sure, told them that he'd help not only make them better basketball players, but better people. Now he's in the middle of a mass exodus and I think it's time he composed a statement.

If that statement were to be his resignation, I really don't think I'd be crying over it too much right about now, but that is besides the point. I'm not asking for anyone's job. I'm not asking for that much. I just think its our right to have answers; honest answers. The fact remains that BGSU is still a public institution, and Coach Dakich is one of its highest paid employees. In my mind it is about time that he came out with a public statement to let us know what is happening. If our coach is not willing to get up in front of the media and his fans, then I think it is time for us to ask for his job.

This is worse than losing. I can handle losing. In the matter of months we've become the laughing stock of the MAC. We have lost the one player that made BG basketball fun to watch for 2 years. We have lost the young players that made us have hope coming into this new season. More than one player that is still on the roster has been rumored to have left or going to be leaving in the past 2 weeks. Through all this we have been given nothing to base a factual discussion on. That is a problem, to me. Until we get some answers from Coach D he is only further perpetuating the rumor mill. It makes me wonder if he knows the answer, and that may be the scariest thought of all.

I think I can safely say that I will boycot BG hoops until I get some straight answers. One or two players is enough to be a coincidence, but this is an epidemic and will not be easily explained away by homesickness or not fitting into the system. Something more is going on here, and I just think that the community of BG fans has a right to know what that something is. Dan has built a reputation as a community figure, and a great guy. In all the good he was easily seen and approached in the town and on campus. Now, in this time of trouble, I think its Dan's obligation to live up to his reputation as a visible member of the community and speak to us.

Dan, I'm listening, and this better be good.

hammb,

One heck of a post there....I agree. WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING UP THERE???????????

I've always been a Dakich backer but with Lewis leaving, Coach must come forth and let everyone know what is going on. For him to sit by and not say anything doesn't bode well, IMO. Thank God football season is almost here and hockey and women's hoops are right around the corner. To see the men's team falling apart like this is not only depressing but humiliating.

[pardonfan]

I am sure Dakich will comment eventually but Fox 36 said he is currently on vacation and unable to comment.

[Tricky_Falcon]

My Internet connect has been out for a few days....I'll have more stuff for you "BGorDeath" and "Tricky", but for now I have more important things to attend to....

I can hardly wait...I guess it's a good thing that I'm going on vacation tomorrow.

[Warthog]

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... /-1/SPORTS

They have some interesting quotes from Ron's mother. Something to the extent that he wants to better prepare himself for the NBA and thinks that he can do that better at another school. This seems to mesh with what was reported by Norm Wamer that Lewis wants to play the point and Dakich didn't want him to so Lewis decided to leave. Also interesting the she points out how BG never suspected other kids of contacting other schools before leaving. They will be hearing from our lawyer, or something like that. Sounds like an ugly situtaion.

[hammb]

And another thing: Lewis is no point guard. He never will be, not on any level. He doesn't have it upstairs. He doesn't have the instincts. For him to leave for the reasons stated above, well, good riddence to the clueless baby. Over the next few days, I suspect that we'll all come to look back on Lewis' departure with relief.

I still am not backing down from my original reaction that I think we need to hear something from the Coach. I think that he's the only person that can really let us know what's going on within the program. Whether this rumor of PG play or whatever is true, I will not 100% believe it unless I hear it from Dakich. I doubt that this statement will ever come, but I can hope.

As for Lewis playing the point, he'd be terrible there. He was horrible all last year when we had him bringing the ball up, and I see no reason for that to change. Lewis was a scorer who would crash the boards. There is a place for that on the team. He was NOT going to distribute the ball, that just isn't his game. I liked Lewis, he was fun to watch, but if the rumor is true I applaud the coaching staff for letting their best player leave rather than let him run the asylum.

[ZiggyZoomba]

Quotes that stuck out to me....

Hmmmmmmmm...from his mom:

"Ron's decision was based solely upon BG's past history of players and coaches leaving the basketball program and Ron's desire to play in the NBA," Carter said in a statement. "BGSU knew this was a goal of Ronald upon recruiting him and that goal has not detoured. It has increased and it's his desire to do everything the right way to make that dream come true."

From Krebs:

"We don't want to see him leave. If he would express an interest in returning, we would sit down and discuss it with he and his family. We'd be open to it."

Regarding John Floyd:

Another member of the BG men's basketball team, former St. John's Jesuit guard John Floyd, is on crutches from injuries suffered in a car crash one week ago.

Floyd said he will see Dr. Anthony Frogameni today and may need surgery because of an infected cut on his lower right leg.

According to Floyd, the injury occurred while he was helping former St. John's teammate Shane Komives drive his belongings from Denver to Toledo.

"We were near Hugo, Colo., and I swerved to miss an animal on the road," Floyd said.

"I ended up on the right shoulder of the road, lost control and flipped my car three times.

"It was the scariest moment of my life."

Floyd said he doesn't expect the injury to force him to miss any basketball-related activities for the Falcons this season.

[Schadenfreude]

The quote from Ron's mother seems to bear out what Norm was saying on the air. Sure, Ron's mom doesn't specifically talk about playing the point. But she confirms much of what Norm said without contradicting any of it.

[orangeandbrown]

Yes and No. She specifically says that the turmoil in the program is what was causing him to doubt whether he was being prepared for the NBA, its not as if she doesn't address it. There are other explanations, other than corroborating Wamer's account for what she said.

Again, I don't know what's really true, and maybe that was it.

Interesting note on the NBA thing....I once heard Coach Dakich say that one of his requirements for a recruit is that he wants to hear the recruit say their goal is to play in the NBA. Coach feels that reflects the type of goals, even if its unlikely for an individual guy.

[ZiggyZoomba]

She specifically says that the turmoil in the program is what was causing him to doubt whether he was being prepared for the NBA

I'm glad I'm not the only one who read it that way O&B...

[Warthog]

She specifically says that the turmoil in the program is what was causing him to doubt whether he was being prepared for the NBA

I'm glad I'm not the only one who read it that way O&B...

Actually, wouldn't it be easier for him to make it to the NBA if every one left? He would be left here to be the star and could try to carry the team on hiw own. My point is he has a better chance to get noticed by the NBA if he is a superstar on a bad team, than if he is a "team" player on a decent team.

[NWLB]

What I know, is that I haven't been to a BGSU basketball game in over two years now, nor any hockey games for that matter.

I have not followed the team in any detail in most of that time. The only things picked up on from my new and curious perspective are that lots of players are leaving the team, the team isn't winning a lot of games, they team is struggling in ways I'm not used to hear about, and that things just do not seem right. Players don't seem to be developing to their talent limits from what I have read.

I'm not commenting to however much or little truth there is to any of this. However it leaves me wondering what the heck is going on with the program. There seems to be zero buzz about the program in town or on the net. I'm bitterly disapointed in the utter lack of any push for a new facility, and the programs current existence seems only to have hurt that even more.

What I didn't like about coach L's coaching staff, was that they never could seem to sum up why they were not winning, or why they could not seem to get out of the underachieveing rut they were in until his last season here. What I liked about Dakich was that he, and those around him, were plain talking, and blunt. It left me knowing where the team stood and why. I'm left trying to figure out where the program stands now, as I get back into it and hockey, and I'm left hearing a curious lack of anything I was used to in the past.

Lots of stale air hanging about things it seems.