HoustonFalcon wrote: But with all of the new blood on this team, the transfers that are gone, he should be given one more year, in my opinion. Let's all be honest with ourselves, NO ONE expected this team to compete for an NCAA berth. So I'm not sure how this would be another throw away year when everyone realistically new that this team would be up and down with growing pains.That's what is happening right now. I have said, that I am willing to give him the whole MAC season to see how this thing goes.
When I step back, what I see is perhaps the continuation of a pattern. Again, young players are not developing. Again, we throw the ball around the perimeter on offense and rely on our main scorer to make baskets however possible. Again, just like each of the past 5 years, NO ONE expects this team to make the NCAA tournament. Again, we're a team of "newcomers" to the system so we should expect growing pains. At what point do you say, ENOUGH! Develop players, play with passion, improve, keep your guys, build a damned program with continuity, and win the MAC tournament once in the while.
To take the a darker point of view: Frankly, our bubble teams hadn't proven enough to be selected. That's my honest opinion. Furthermore, both of those teams had the opportunity to win the MAC tournament but didn't. Both of those teams were carried by extraodinarily clutch play by their captains. Stacey and McLeod had two of the best clutch season that I've ever seen when they were seniors. Even AD didn't deliver in the clutch like those guys. The 18-10 team ran out of gas and returned nobody that went on to do anything significant. While that was a winning year, it didn't give the program anything to build on and fell flat on its face in the MAC tournament.
There are some things that must occur for this not to be a throw-away year:
- we come within few games of .500, which isn't asking much in a down year.
- PT for players like Polk, Sims, Larson, Clements, and Moten should stabilize. They should steadily improve and become consistent, meaningful, known contributors in February, even if their roles are limited. They must acquire confidence. So far, none of them have.
- The team should still have desire and energy at the end of the year. They should still be fighting during the MAC tournament. Last year, the team gave up early and went through the motions hating life and waiting for the season to end.
- We must not lose another batch of transfers.
- Miller and Marcshall should establish themselves as consistently strong players. Miller is well on his way. Marcshall has shown remarkable flashes of brilliance but disappears sometimes.
None of our losing or mediocre teams have gotten better during season. None of these bad finishes seasons have at left us with hope of better things to come later. Perhaps I'm rushing to negative conclusions, but I just can't watch it happen again. I really see potential with these guys, but it's hard to reconcile with 20 point poundings and the fact that none of our OOC wins against D1 teams have been compelling.
