There has been a lot on here about Coach and his shortcomings (and a lot of that from me) but I have to put a lot on this senior class too. They just seem to lack "something" (besides just shooting ability). I can't put my finger on exactly what it is but I still see it and sense it. Its not heart because I think they certainly play hard and care etc. I can tell you whenever it is it shows up and it does so again and again and that is in the face of adversity. We have these bad runs and we simply don't seem to be able to make plays to stop them or come back from them often enough and as others have said, these guys seem to waiting for someone else to do it all the time. I don't want to beat on what are good kids, but as the leaders of this program, they have disappointed and there is no getting around that. That hurts CM because I think he has certainly counted on them and believed in them to a fault and now I think he's actually taking some bullets for them too quite frankly. Yes its his job to develop them etc. but after seeing this group just struggle to find any consistent level since the day Ced went down I can't ignore the fact we might be better off once we move on from this group and the whole team dynamic just gets shaken up a little bit.
Seniors
- Thread starter PhillySpider
- Start date
Its more and different than that in my view. More like "when the going gets tough the tough get going" mental outlook is the opposite of what we get. They shrink not rise - - but its not an effort or heart thing. I think its just personality to some extent and now its been negatively reinforced so many times, its even tougher to rise above!
I see what you are saying, kind of how we fans feel. Always waiting for the other shoe to drop, because it usually does.
Philly, well thought out post. Terry did not have a good game today, but he has delivered night in and night out for us, so it is really difficult for me to say anything negative at all about him. He is not a vocal leader though, its just not in his DNA.
Trey and Deion, those guys bust there butts everyday, never take a play off. But they just don't have the basketball skills necessary to be a court leader. Good leaders need to make plays and big plays at timely moment and they just can't.
This to me is SDJ's team. He is our leader but I think because he has 3 seniors starting ahead of him it is tough for him to full embrace and take on that mantle.
Trey and Deion, those guys bust there butts everyday, never take a play off. But they just don't have the basketball skills necessary to be a court leader. Good leaders need to make plays and big plays at timely moment and they just can't.
This to me is SDJ's team. He is our leader but I think because he has 3 seniors starting ahead of him it is tough for him to full embrace and take on that mantle.
Agree 97, think I would go with TJ as my leader, since he seems to direct the current offense. I would be fine with SDJ, both are smart kids. Exactly right about the seniors, it's just not in them.
I agree with you 97. So CM needs to sit those guys (at least 2) down and turn it over to SDJ It takes time to learn to be that guy and time for others to learn how to follow and effectively support a leader. No time like the present to start! But I dont see that happening.
I just think we don't have good defensive players other than Khwan. SDJ is pretty bad, Terry has been really bad lately, and compounds it with dumb reach-in fouls, TJ tries really hard, and works on positioning, but is just slow, Marshall can't stop a dribble drive to save his life, Deion is a wing forward guarding centers most of the time, and Trey is really, really overrated on D and always seems to be the guy (not) covering the person getting offensive stick-backs. Mooney hasn't taught them fundamentals very well, so no matter how much tweaking they do to scheme, they will still be poor in execution.
I like the these guys they work hard and are playing to the best of their abilities. This was the big recruiting class after out last run of back to back year run of the NCAAs. it was a huge time to capitalize on the run. I know we went down swinging trying to go after some higher profile guys and missing but this has to be a disappointment after five years and no NCAAs.
The bottom line is we were close last year but really the pieces are not at the same level across the board with a KA Harp Gonzo etc team.
I would have to think this is Mooneys last chance to really put it together with the next class. Like others have mentioned way too many recruiting misses over the last few years. Some of the players Mooney has gone after have been very questionable talent wise and looking for diamonds in the rough has ended up empty handed.
I know recruiting isn't easy when you step in with the big boys but we have to find a way to get it done. We have a good history with guards and I give credit to Mooney for that. We just need to get the right other pieces together.
The bottom line is we were close last year but really the pieces are not at the same level across the board with a KA Harp Gonzo etc team.
I would have to think this is Mooneys last chance to really put it together with the next class. Like others have mentioned way too many recruiting misses over the last few years. Some of the players Mooney has gone after have been very questionable talent wise and looking for diamonds in the rough has ended up empty handed.
I know recruiting isn't easy when you step in with the big boys but we have to find a way to get it done. We have a good history with guards and I give credit to Mooney for that. We just need to get the right other pieces together.
I noticed when Terry fouled out at GW, he was yelling encouragement from the bench. Of course he is not on bench much, but that was a side I had not noticed.
I think Coach has never made these players to account for lack of offense and praise them for average play.. I think we see this before with other players he has..everyone looks but litte understand this kind of coach thought that to me i just say to me is some kind of magic thinking of keep close to maybe win. Coach now plays for end of season tournament and for next year player rotations with transfers going
I wish I could see what some of you guys see of the players expressions and reactions on the bench. I sit behind them so it's hard to tell until there is a time out. Kids don't hide their emotions very well, you can tell a lot. I can see Coach very well, and he is definitely different this year. Maybe he is looking forward to next year like the rest of us.
I could see the team when they left the Davison game through the tunnel and they looked whipped. I could see in their faces they knew the NCAA's were gone.
Similar threads
