I wasn't expecting much out of GW2. He has to be 40 some years old, right? 😀😀
Mens: Belmont @ RC - Sat 12/14 6pm ESPN+
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I like what Dusan has shown at times. He has had some impressive drives to the basket, and seems to be the only guy with any size who can drive to the basket. He just can't get his 3s to fall, and we desperate need him and others to start making them.
The reality is that we (and Moon) GROSSLY overated the transfers. Its happened for awhile (Roche being a prime recent example) but King was the tonic that cured all ills. Just like the once in a while tourney appearances fool us on Moon.
But back specifically to the transfers. GW3 and AP literally played zero so there was no reason to have the unbridled enthusiasm we had for them. Dusan was a scorer (and not much else) for a VERY bad IVY league team (#336 in net). No real reason to EXPECT he could be a major player for a team with much higher ambitions. B Artis was similarly a decent (only decent, not great by a long shot) player also on a VERY bad team. And Beagle was decent (only decent) on a pretty bad team. Importantly, they were players on bad (2 out of 3 were net 300+ and the other around 250) teams. As we have now learned, its bad business to assume that major players on these teams weren't in part the reason the teams were bad. Its irrational to assume that our transfer was/is great but everyone around him was the problem.
Hope for any/all of these guys was fine. But we confuse hope with expectation. And we were bitten in the ass big time this year. We had no basis to expect anyone in this group would be "King-like" . King's profile was much better and in the end he exceeded even our wildest HOPES. Thats just not going to happen every year (or maybe ever again) unless you somehow believe that Moon has somehow acquired the portal Midas touch. And its clear now that isn't the case!
Portal reliance is a very dangerous game for mid-majors and we are solidly there, which scares the crap out of me because Moon's one strength in my mind is his ability to build loyalty from his players and get them to buy into his systems - - - given time to that!! The state of the game and our decision to play along doesn't bode well! I am thinking we zigged to playing along when we should have zagged to building with HS recruiting. Especially if Moon is going to be our guy!
Bottom line - way too much hype and expectations during offseason. People want to be optimistic, but reality set in quickly. And the reality is too many standard deviations from hype and expectations. Folks - this ain’t Houston, but we have a real problem in our men’s bb program. That shouldn’t surprise anyone.
I would have to go back and listen to the interview again to confirm, but I believe Walz comments were directed both at others but there was also a hefty dose of personal accountability. I'm a returning player, I need to be a leader, I need to step up is that I heard from him as well.
I found the accountability refreshing. It wasn't coming from the head coach, it never comes from the head coach, it wasn't going to come from the media because they never dare ask Mooney a real question that literally every other major D-1 coach is asked when a team is struggling, so it was good to hear one of his player publicly admit he is pissed/embarrassed with how we are playing.
Now the reality is, this team is not good, Mooney is not an adaptable coach, so it's not like this is going to change results on the court. But maybe, it upsets Mooney's little cult of comfortability that insulates him and that in my mind is a good thing. Maybe, JOC or some other media starts to question Mooney a bit more on Walz's comments. Maybe one of our NIL guys in one of their Zoom chats with Mooney starts asking some more pointed questions. Maybe, it creates some uncomfortably in practice, among players, among his assistant coaches.
Good question. I don't know. It is noted that the one poster who claimed to have connections with the NIL, UR80's, has disappeared once the season started. One would hope that means there is some soul searching going on, but somehow I doubt that. The few people I know who contribute to the NIL are unabashed Mooney guys, but there are a lot of names I don't know, so perhaps some of them actually want the money they are investing to lead to really good outcomes and I would assume fun and enjoyment for them as a fans/investors in the team. I wonder how much enjoyment any of them are getting out of this year?
Believe he posted the Auburn game info way before it was confirmed, and then disappeared along with that post. But I may easily have missed some posts.
8legs1dream
Graduate Assistant
This is his most recent post: https://richmond.forums.rivals.com/threads/secret-scrimmage-vs-ecu-90-90.15547/post-429575
Oct 23 when all was merry and bright:
"The coaching staff believes we should have pretty good defense this year, although we might give up more points, because we are going to play at a faster pace than we have in recent years."
Oct 23 when all was merry and bright:
"The coaching staff believes we should have pretty good defense this year, although we might give up more points, because we are going to play at a faster pace than we have in recent years."
I don't blame him for disappearing. He gets relentlessly attacked on here. I appreciated the information he would give us. Just because you are a positive supporter of the program shouldn’t mean you have to deal with so much crap every time you post.
We are all positive supporters of the program, and some of us are season ticket holders. We wouldn’t be here if we weren’t so to speak. However that doesn’t mean we suppress reality. It also doesn’t mean one has to be a Mooney and Hardt sycophant.
Well said Guy. I was a big Mooney fan the first few years. After the first two NCAA years when getting some interest I was actually one who was excited for the next coach. But Mooney never got the big offers, and was probably wise to shy away from BC, that would have likely not ended well. So he made a good career choice to keep getting the big check. I was still a supporter following those seasons but more luke warm. I don't understand the blind support and loyalty when he has been really mediocre. But hey, that's everyone's choice. If Mooney had gone to 8 NCAA's - I would probably be defending him. But he has not, and has shown flaws so I am ready for the next guy. But, even if he were to leave, would really need a new AD in place to have confidence.
