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2011-2012 Redux

brooklyn brownstone

Graduate Assistant
Oct 31, 2007
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Have felt for a bit that this feels like the 2011-2012 season. Quick comparison:

Graduated a big class of prominent players - KA, Harper, Geriot, K. Smith.

Plenty of returning and young players that seem to have great individual skills, including at least 1 Spider all timer (KA0): Brothers, Lindsay, Garrett, Martel, Robbins, D. Williams, Duinker, newcomer K. Anthony.

Couldn't win on road.

Lost a couple baffling OOC games.

In an OOC tourney, lose what seems like a winnable game (vs Illinois) before winning consolation game in an ugly game (vs. Rutgers.)

Get to 11-7 with a nice early conference win vs. Temple to raise hopes of things coming together but then lost 5 of 6 and 7 of 9 to fall to 4-8 in conference.

Finished that season 16-16, 7-9 and 10th in the A10.

Currently 11-11, 4-5 and 10th in the A10.
 
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I would say we are pretty close to that team, but the difference being - I think the expectation was the transfers - a top shooter from the Citadel and all-Patriot league 7 footer - were going to step right in and be difference makers that would help us "reload" more than "rebuild". But its clear that, while I think Roche and Quinn are both good players - they still need time to develop and get used to A10 play. Bigelow is in that mix as well - but I think the expectations were lower on him because of his injury and lack of stats. But he has proven to be a good piece off the bench.
 
Looking at that team 11 years ago, the strength clearly is in the backcourt trio of Ced, Brothers and KA0. FCM and Robbins as glue guys on wing who could also score a bit. Unproven frontcourt, with Garrett being primarily a shot blocker, DWill an unknown that year and Duinker never being able to put up consistent numbers - and none of the frontcourt could shoot from outside. Mostly it's tough to look at it in hindsight bc we remember the highs of someone like Ced's career but this season was his first as a starter, so I'm sure he was probably more inconsistent that year than I remember. But yeah, talent is there - whether the talent was all clicking that year is a question and one that Moon has had issues with - getting a team to gel as one. Usually, it's guys being great as upperclassmen but not polished enough as underclassmen, which is the issue many. have with the system in today's game.
 
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I would say we are pretty close to that team, but the difference being - I think the expectation was the transfers - a top shooter from the Citadel and all-Patriot league 7 footer - were going to step right in and be difference makers that would help us "reload" more than "rebuild". But its clear that, while I think Roche and Quinn are both good players - they still need time to develop and get used to A10 play. Bigelow is in that mix as well - but I think the expectations were lower on him because of his injury and lack of stats. But he has proven to be a good piece off the bench.
I would offer that needing time to develop (skill level of the portal transfers) is not the issue. Coach skill, or lack thereof, is the problem. In-game coaching decisions, and the management of personnel have always been terrible weaknesses for Mooney. Because of this, a number of us on this board had a STRONG suspicion that this year's team was destined to be exactly where it is. There was even some discussion about this point in pre-season threads.

Hope springs eternal for all fans, therefore every year we hope (get suckered into believing) that something will be different this time. But, the reality for this team, next year's team, the one referenced in this post, and most Mooney coached teams that are not top heavy with 4-5 year veterans, end up nearly identical. This is a coach problem, not a player problem.
 
I can't argue with you on that Homer. The 5 best seasons in the Mooney era, by wins, were all tilted to / led by longtime starters who had all been in the program 3+ years, the lone exception being Francis who was in his 2nd year in the program having sat out a redshirt year first. 16-17 is the only one that really added significant new contributions by Buckingham and Sherod, but was also the least winningest of these five teams and top 2 scorers by a lot were the seniors.

21-22 - Golden (6th), Sherod (5th), Gilyard (5th), Cayo (5th), Gustavson (4th), Grace (4th). 24 wins.
19-20 - Golden (4th), Sherod (4th), Francis (4th), Gilyard (3rd), Cayo (3rd). 24 wins
16-17 - Cline (5th), Wood (5th), Jones (4th), Fore (3rd). 22 wins
10-11 - Geriot (5th), Anderson (4th), Harper (4th), Smith (4th). 29 wins.
09-10 - Butler (5th), Gonzalvez (4th), Geriot (4th), Anderson (3rd), Harper (3rd), Smith (3rd). 26 wins.
 
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So then following this pattern, we’re back in the dance in 2033?
In all honesty, I think it’s 2025 until we are on the bubble, with us probably making the NIT (based on historic Mooney trends).

And I also think the university will give him that much rope. Whether that’s right or wrong, that’s the reality we live in as Spider fans…
 
Was that the team that got bounced by LaSalle in the first round of the A10s and didn't even make it to AC?
 
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