Can’t resist … New thread dedicated to our serious worries about the slow but steady decline of our RVA brother
thanks to our Drunk AD for posting the below …
thanks to our Drunk AD for posting the below …
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The Decline of the Lambs
- Thread starter Section9.RowD
- Start date
We ended their season and any hope of a tournament bid in March, then claimed one for ourselves, and they've been in a free-fall ever since and now want their coach fired. I love everything about this.
I do actually like Coach Rhoades and feel a touch sorry for him and the fact that some of the Lamb community would prefer a return to free or incarcerated Will Wade.
I also like him very much, and I think he should be rewarded with a lifetime contract for $5 million a year.
I watched the end of their Radford conquest and while they ended up winning of course, it was full of sloppiness.
Paywall link I realize
Paywall link I realize
I do like Rhoades and actually think he is a good fit for VCU. They have been bitten by injuries the last few years, but I think he and his group have done a good job treading water and keeping them relevant. BUT - this is part of the expectation when you coach a team that now EXPECTS NCAA Bids every year. They went to 7-8 in a row at one point, including the final four run.
Look at their time under Rhodes.
2018 - 17-14 - No postseason.
2019 - 25-8 - NCAA
2020 - 18-13 - No postseason
2021 - 19-7 - NCAA (think they had to drop because of COVID, but they did make it)
2022 - 22-10 - NIT
Look at Mooney in same time frame.
2018 - 12-20
2019 - 13-20
2020 - 24-7 (Postseason cancelled COVID)
2021 - 14-9 - NIT
2022 - NCAA
Expectations are different at each school, but my point is - I don't think VCU is getting rid of their coach just yet. They are 7-4, play next 2 at home vs. Northern Illinois and Navy - assume they win those, they enter A10 at 9-4. There is no reason to panic at that. And they always seem to find a way to the top 5 of the A10. So I see them as an NIT team this year, and if they catch fire in the A10 or A10 tourney, possible NCAA bid.
Look at their time under Rhodes.
2018 - 17-14 - No postseason.
2019 - 25-8 - NCAA
2020 - 18-13 - No postseason
2021 - 19-7 - NCAA (think they had to drop because of COVID, but they did make it)
2022 - 22-10 - NIT
Look at Mooney in same time frame.
2018 - 12-20
2019 - 13-20
2020 - 24-7 (Postseason cancelled COVID)
2021 - 14-9 - NIT
2022 - NCAA
Expectations are different at each school, but my point is - I don't think VCU is getting rid of their coach just yet. They are 7-4, play next 2 at home vs. Northern Illinois and Navy - assume they win those, they enter A10 at 9-4. There is no reason to panic at that. And they always seem to find a way to the top 5 of the A10. So I see them as an NIT team this year, and if they catch fire in the A10 or A10 tourney, possible NCAA bid.
This is at least year 15 of the 'VCU is in decline' posts on Spiderfans
Just enjoy that their own fans are jumping ship, their arena is half empty every night, and their team sucks.
If you aren't giving UR credit for the dance in 2020, then I'm not giving VCU credit in 2021!
they didn't play in the tournament!
Just too bad that the Against the Spread record and real record are not the same!
I am sure you are joking. They made the field, travelled to the venue, and had to forfeit. A unique situation that will likely never be duplicated.
As current President of the VCU haters club - Richmond Chapter, I see it a bit different.
Like herpes, VDU never truly goes away. Although I do think this form of it is a little less aggressive and is more treatable. The key is to not allow it to incubate by having crippling losses to Jacksonville where they aren't as motivated to show up for the next fight.
One thing VCU did over the years was price out all the townies ability to go there as students. For years, most of the student base were commuters from the counties with nothing better to do or no where to go after they turned 18. That was the base of their stew in the siegel center experience and its gone. Walk the campus now and the demographics aren't too terribly different than looking than URs.
Since a large chunk of VCU's endowment is tied to downtown real estate, they worked with the city to help make sure a college education wasn't affordable to local residents as rents skyrocketed and priced them out. VCU traded warehousing them for warehousing kids from NOVA who spends daddys money riding around downtown on a crotch rocket.
Totally different - they were selected and made it. Then COVID bug wiped them out.
I am fine with giving UR credit for tourney in 2020, but then you can't give credit for last year. Because if the tourney happened, and COVID never became an issue - we don't have Gilyard, Cayo, Sherod, or Grant. SO we basically have this year's team - minus the transfers.
If they miss the NCAA this year and fire Rhodes, which I don't think would happen - but if it did - that sends a clear message from the President and AD of VCU - that NCAA bids are the expectation. But again - I don't see this happening.
VCU screwed the league out of more potential unit money by failing to keep its players covid-free during the tournament that year and should have been booted from the league as a result and banned from all further tournament play in perpetuity...
I am giving Credit to the team. But you have to admit, if COVID doesn't happen, and we make the tourney in 2020 - then you don't get the extra years that made our 2022 team. SO - by having the tourney cancelled in 2020, the TEAM was able to come back for an extra year and make the 2022 run.
It is almost certain, if the tourney had happened in 2020, then the extra year would not have been given to every athlete. Maybe they give it because of the shortened year next year, but even then - I think the NCAA would say - you got to play for NCAA championships, maybe less games, but no need for extra year. I think by not having championships - they felt the need to step in and allow players back.
Not Mooney based at all - simply based on the fact that 2022 doesn't happen unless COVID cancels the tourney. You can't have it both ways. I will give credit to 2020 have a very good year. No doubt. They played very well. And I think they had a chance at the dance, and likely would have made it. But you to be realistic enough to understand the correlation between the two years.
It is almost certain, if the tourney had happened in 2020, then the extra year would not have been given to every athlete. Maybe they give it because of the shortened year next year, but even then - I think the NCAA would say - you got to play for NCAA championships, maybe less games, but no need for extra year. I think by not having championships - they felt the need to step in and allow players back.
Not Mooney based at all - simply based on the fact that 2022 doesn't happen unless COVID cancels the tourney. You can't have it both ways. I will give credit to 2020 have a very good year. No doubt. They played very well. And I think they had a chance at the dance, and likely would have made it. But you to be realistic enough to understand the correlation between the two years.
It's all what-ifs though. Without COVID, maybe we also have a normal 2020-21 season and the guys make the tourney that year too.
Very valid point. Unfair to say what would have happened had the 2020 NCAA tournament happened.
per the NCAA:
Who is eligible for an extra year of eligibility?
In response to the impact COVID-19 had on college athletics during the 2020-2021 season, the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to spring, fall and winter sport athletes.---------------------------------------
so both years count. 20-21 was the year that if we didn't have Covid our guys wouldn't have come back.
Very possible - but everyone knew the circumstance going into that season. And that season - our team had every opportunity to make the tourney. Even with a shortened schedule - remember - we did beat Kentucky, but then ended up losing to teams like Hofstra. St. Joes, LaSalle, and Duquesne in A10 tourney at home. So we had our opportunities that season and didn't earn it. And everyone - even our opponents had to deal with testing, postpone games, quarantines, etc. So I see what your saying, but that team had the opportunity like everyone else to make the tourney and didn't. Why? Who knows. It just didn't happen.
And I still believe - had the NCAA tourney taken place in 20, even with COVID shortening the next season - I don't think they grant the extra years. I think the lack of championships and tourney's for multiple sports is what led to the extra year. Not the fact that everyone in every sport dealt with a pandemic and shortened season one year. The lack of championship - which is the ultimate end goal for athletes and coaches, is what led to the extra year. And I agree with the NCAA choice to grant to the kids.
You don't think the team having three pauses and spending weeks in isolation didn't affect their performance that season? Erase COVID from history, and there's every reason to think the guys could have been in the mix for a bid in 2020–21.
(I will say it sounds like some of our COVID issues that season were self-inflicted, but the fact remains that we were hit harder by the circumstances than many other teams.)
(I will say it sounds like some of our COVID issues that season were self-inflicted, but the fact remains that we were hit harder by the circumstances than many other teams.)
but the NCAA has said they granted the extra year due to Covid's effect on the 2020-21 season (shortened season, remote learning, masks, some places not allowing fans, the Ivy league not even having a season, etc).
not because the 2019-20 basketball teams didn't play for a championship.
Exactly. If you were a senior in 2020, it didn't matter. You got no extra time.
My point is - everyone else dealt with the pauses, quarantine and breaks as well. We were not alone, so we can't use that as an excuse when everyone else had to deal with it too. If we were the only team with COVID - then yes, I would take up that argument, but fact is - everyone else dealt with it too. And some of our losses had nothing to do with COVID - we lose to Hofstra - no pause on that game, we played 3 days earlier and beat Loyola. Same with Bonnies, we beat Davidson 3 days earlier and then loss to them at home. LaSalle loss - we came off a COVID pause, but at the end of the year - we lost 3 straight with no pause, including the A10 game on our home floor to Duquesne. So really - I don't think the pauses hurt us that much.
We were absolutely affected more by pauses than most other teams.
Regardless, it doesn’t matter. Maybe we handled COVID poorly. (I think that’s true,). The proposition was if COVID hadn’t happened, then we wouldn’t have had the extra year for those guys in 2022. But that also means they wouldn’t have been faced with COVID in 2021, and who knows what would have happened in a “normal” season.
Regardless, it doesn’t matter. Maybe we handled COVID poorly. (I think that’s true,). The proposition was if COVID hadn’t happened, then we wouldn’t have had the extra year for those guys in 2022. But that also means they wouldn’t have been faced with COVID in 2021, and who knows what would have happened in a “normal” season.
Sad thing is we are declining faster
Yah - I am more than slightly ill at the moment at bon secours at halftime in Greenville
We should probably ask the SLU baseball team about how we handled COVID
I get it, but midseason chest beating for something we didn't do feels a bit foolish.
LMAO as soon as this gets posted we lose by 20 plus. Know our place Richmond fans, we will always be the younger brother to them until something changes. Get Mooney out please for the love of all that is holy
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We got Mooney so we are second class. Such a wonderful game tonight we didn’t even compete.
You should expense all your travels to see us lose every road game this year to the athletic department.
They should make a movie- The Silence of the Lambs, after The Decline of the Lambs. No matter what we are still better than they,
And assuming VCU beats Navy in their last OOC game - they will be 9-4, and we still have Bucknell and Coppin St. to try and get to 7-6. We should win both, but I think its pretty clear we are on different trajectories at this point in the season.
