Very happy that Grant Golden is coming back for another year! Fine basketball player and very fine young man!
Welcome back, Grant!
- Thread starter SFspidur
- Start date
Yes, "something very unlike us" and go winless November to February and undefeated
in March & April...for the next 10 seasons.
Or at least continue our trajectory from the last two "complete" seasons
2018-2019 12-19
2019-2020 24-7
2021-2022 48-(-17)
Hey - this is good stuff. Hope we all enjoy the heck out of it. My expectations are high, I hope everyone’s are. These guys have no excuse not to be hungry and go kick some ass.
As long as you're bringing back Mooney our future is bright. Best class ever 2.0.
JOC article with lots of comments from Grant:
richmond.com
Grant Golden didn't want to one day ask 'What if?' He'll stay at UR for sixth year.
Following an unprecedented basketball season, Grant Golden faced an unprecedented choice.
Can't imagine we are picked to win the league - we will have basically the same roster as last year and we were picked to win it and came in 8th I think? I would expect us to be in 2-4 range.
But honestly - no excuses - even if Francis is not back, how is this not an NCAA or bust year? I mean if all Mooney has to do is win 20 games a year to keep his job - he can easily achieve that with an easy OOC schedule and then just finish middle of the pack in A10. But we are looking for NCAA appearances and this has to be the year.
But honestly - no excuses - even if Francis is not back, how is this not an NCAA or bust year? I mean if all Mooney has to do is win 20 games a year to keep his job - he can easily achieve that with an easy OOC schedule and then just finish middle of the pack in A10. But we are looking for NCAA appearances and this has to be the year.
Lol we haven’t been in 1 of those good 8 team all at one neutral site tourneys in Mooney’s 16 years. Forget Maui but not Charleston not Orlando not Atlantis not Myrtle.
But I’m sure the gazelle group with Mooney’s agent has got something great cooking where we eat 3 hot dogs to get 1 filet.
It will be particularly interesting to see if anyone projects UR to be a team on the rise in 21-22. We will arguably have the same team with yet another year of experience. Will anyone else see it that way and consider us a draw for OOC is going to be an early referendum.
Borzello already has his first rankings out…top 25 plus 5 more next in line. Spiders nowhere to be seen, but Bonnies are at #15. They’ll have the spotlight on them with their performance this year and returning all of their most experienced guys.
www.espn.com
Gonzaga, UCLA 1-2 in Way-Too-Early Top 25 college basketball rankings for 2021-22
Gonzaga fell short after an epic run, but should have the returning talent to compete for a national championship again next season.
Bonnies play tough hardnosed hoops and deserve the creditBorzello already has his first rankings out…top 25 plus 5 more next in line. Spiders nowhere to be seen, but Bonnies are at #15. They’ll have the spotlight on them with their performance this year and returning all of their most experienced guys.
Gonzaga, UCLA 1-2 in Way-Too-Early Top 25 college basketball rankings for 2021-22
Gonzaga fell short after an epic run, but should have the returning talent to compete for a national championship again next season.
8legs1dream
Team Manager
Disagree. We COULD win the league this year. We certainly have the talent to do it. Maybe COVID really did throw the team off and the 8th place finish and early a10 exit can be attributed to the Francis and Golden injuries. Personally, I blame Mooney and want a new coach leading our program but he’s getting another shot at it so I will support this team. Great to have Grant back.
No way we are ranked to start the year. Everyone who touted us last year saw what happened. They're not playing that game twice.
We did better as the hunter 2 years ago than we did as the hunted last year. I'm fine with it.
Just wait until we pick up Kessler and Carr out of the portal…
One thing I really don't like in some of the player comments is that they seem to be blaming COVID for the down year. Not the lack of rebounding, not the lack on intensity/focus on defense, but they are blaming an external factor. Hopefully, that is just what the reporters chose to report on for their article and they see the necessary internal basketball improvements that need to be made for us to be a truly great NCAA worthy tourney team.
If our plan is to just run it back and hey we will be fine now that COVID is not the same factor, I think we are in all for another disappointing year.
We'll see how this all plays out on the court next year--hopefully none of the younger guys transfers because these guys are all coming back for another go.
However, by these guys coming back and the existing underclassmen having another year of experience, the team has unwittingly put all the pressure on next season for the coaching staff. They don't make the NCAAs next season with this roster and they're all going to be fired. AD would have to, in that scenario. So I like this will be a make or break year.
However, by these guys coming back and the existing underclassmen having another year of experience, the team has unwittingly put all the pressure on next season for the coaching staff. They don't make the NCAAs next season with this roster and they're all going to be fired. AD would have to, in that scenario. So I like this will be a make or break year.
I think you identified the issue that separates people who are positive verses negative relative to the program. There are a lot of people that truly believe Covid and injuries were the difference between a top 25 finish and how the season played out. I am glad the players see it this way and are confident they are going to "finish business" next year. If they were not confident they would not be coming back.
Hey, just following the AD and head coaches lead. No accountability from the grown up leaders, hard to blame the young men. If moderate healthy, almost no way we don't make NCAA's next season. If Nick does not opt back in, we still need a shot maker. With Francis seemingly gone, that would appear to be an issue and we will need someone to step up. The more I look at it, the more I see a great opportunity for Wilson. Nice freshman year, offense was a little suspect but not required typically, but he did show the ability to hit shots at times. If he can be a shooter, with his defense and athleticism and enthusiasm, I like him to be the guy to push us over the top next year.
Whoops, you slipped up and allowed yourself to fall into the thinking of motivated AD and benefactor being in charge. If we don't make the NCAA's next season Hardt and Mooney will have plenty of excuses. We don't exactly know what they are right now, but they will have them and Hardt will send the email.
Remember Covid and the disruptive nature of the season was supposed to be a distinct advantage for our veteran Spiders team. That was a clear talking point of Mooney's on numerous occasions. What was a "positive" did a 180 and became a negative once we didn't deliver. I think u r onto something 80sfan with the positive negative theory. Richmond basketball: turning positives into negatives. Coincidentally I think that's exactly what we also tried to tell St. Louis.
I would see the difference more in terms of people who take personal accountability and responsibility for not meeting expectations and persons looking for external factors to blame (injuries/Covid).
As 23 points out, the leadership of Mooney and also Hardt is a leadership of victimhood, blaming, and excuse making, so doesn't shock me that young men playing under that mantra might view it the same. It is the easy way out to not take accountability and that is why it is so alluring to do it. But this is also what separates the truly great leaders in our world. Great leaders takes public personal responsibility when things go wrong, whether it is entirely their fault or not. They are the leader and the bucks stops with them.
You wonder boy, PQ, has really stepped into a bigtime, so perhaps their is an opportunity here for the University to find a truly transcendent leader that will lead by example, take accountability for past failures and uphold what is taught daily in our much famed leadership school. If that were to every occur, people like Mooney and Hardt would probably quickly be moved on from.
I agree with you on paper, but I just don't know if Queally / Hardt would pull that trigger should we once again fall short of expectations or underachieve. The pieces are in place to achieve. I just hope we see real results. Another year of reasons we didn't will be a bridge too far.
After having their hearts broken when going 24-7 only to have their season unexpectedly ended 2 seasons ago to dealing with 3 covid pauses this past season, probably the whole time wondering if this past season would end just like the previous one, I think the guys will be constantly motivated by what can still happen.
What a great off season for the Spiders! Over 1,200 transfers out there, and not only have we not lost anyone so far, but 3 of our seniors are returning!!! That's incredible, and speaks volumes of what a player's coach Mooney is. I look at it like we landed 3 of the best "transfers" out there in Jacob, Nate, and Grant. I love it!!
Come on, man. They're not going to be fired. UR does. not. care. that we are setting new records for futility with each passing year.
“Expectations placed low enough are rarely disappointed.”
Too funny, this is 4700's golden time. No blown expectations. No losses. We are winning the off season. YAY!! Love it. It gets real when the season starts and the coach has to deal with Covid, injuries, motivation, defense, in game adjustments, etc etc etc just like all the other coaches out there.
But the off season is glorious times in Spider Nation!!
But the off season is glorious times in Spider Nation!!
8legs1dream
Team Manager
the pom-poms are free to fly around unrestrained when there are no stakes!
well that's all we have for the next 6 months.
I'd still be a fan if the offseason wasn't going as well. I'd be excited for what the young guns can do. but I think we've got more to be excited about with Grant, Jacob and Nate back. I didn't think any were coming back.
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All this talk of positive and negative is a bit much. I see lots of people excited (positive) about the return of guys many thought were gone. I also see lots of people expecting that a team with this much talent and experience should make the ncaas and if they don’t, there should be a reckoning of some sort (negative). These are both ok things, they don’t have to exist exclusively.
Right, my point is just that the Mooney truthers can stomp their feet and hoot and holler and generally are much more confident in the offseason. As soon as the slap down from the Hofstra's and LaSalle occurs they get really defensive and eventually leave the board, or at least some of them.
I'll admit, I get pulled over to the truther side most offseasons. I was all in on Mooney after signing Dji, the top 15-25 national pre season recognition, it was served up on a platter to sign us a Gus Larson and an Ian Schieffelin and he struck out again. He just can't quite seem to get over the hump ever.
I’m going by the assumption that everyone from last year’s team is on the 5 year plan (except maybe Blake).
Also, I’m very interested if this could potentially use redshirts wisely for the next few seasons, allowing us to continue to have more experienced teams.
possibly. maybe even likely. but I just wonder if we know for sure.
it's a real problem if we're expecting Matt and Sal to come back for a 5th year in 2022-23 and then they don't.
You're telling me that "expectations" exist? That is a huge upgrade!
We also went to the sweet 16 10 years ago, time to celebrate!
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