Post by 01041949bob on Feb 16, 2014 19:06:55 GMT -5
Stags hoop and 76---gee with your analysis all we have to do when we go over the limit in fouls early in the 2nd half, which we usually do and the other team gets to the line over 30 times --is have SJ watch the Rider game on how they stopped us from exploiting the FT line and we will be ok---yea right, wake up guys!!!! this was terrible coaching and execution, don't make excuses for SJ's ineptness and our players as well!!
Post by 01041949bob on Feb 16, 2014 19:14:57 GMT -5
Do it right like one poster did ---don't blame us for not taking to the ball to the hoop and exploiting the foul situation--it was the refs, they quit calling fouls--yea right!!--
Post by 01041949bob on Feb 16, 2014 19:22:23 GMT -5
AND another excuse--SJ just does not have the personnel who could exploit the situation, cause even if they did they would miss most of the FT ATTEMPTS---so there you have it all the excuses---blame the refs, we don't have the personnel, Rider played a tough zone(they are such a good team) and we had to settle outside etc--- boy oh boy when does it end? this is about the Coach--maybe he reads the forum and sees we are fed up with him and he will leave-LOL
In all honesty, I can deal with a 5-22 season. Every program has a rough patch. Heck, I went to Rutgers too. You wanna talk about a program that has been in the doldrums forever? It's the Scarlet Knights. What we are experiencing here is trivial by comparison.
What is amazing to me is the constant negativity of some posters. It's hard to believe that some of the folks out here are actually Fairfield fans.
I don't expect anyone to be jumping for joy over this season (I'm not), but the last time I checked it's still just college basketball, an enjoyable game played by a group of 18-22 year olds. In the overall spectrum of importance, it's pretty darn low.
If you guys think it is so important that you need to spew venom towards players, coaches and administrators day after day, you really should get your heads examined.
I'm one of those negative guys. I'll admit it. My negativity stems from the nosedive that has been occurring since Cooley left. I remember sitting at a manager's meeting at my company the year before Sanders was eligible. I remember telling my peers watch out for Fairfield next year they could potentially make the sweet sixteen. People thought I was nuts. Then Cooley left. My hopes were still extremely high and I was excited about Sydney. Fast forward 3 years and looking at what now remains makes me sick. I know it happens to many mid-major programs all the time, but with everything that has been invested, this is devastating. The student body, the media and the general public have now all deemed us irrelevant again. All that work and nothing to show for it. To build it back up you need a charismatic, bold leader. Sydney is not that...
Last Edit: Feb 16, 2014 20:28:33 GMT -5 by tmaac71
Post by reindeerfan on Feb 16, 2014 22:02:15 GMT -5
I am not as negative about Sydney as some. I would express my view more as concern than negativity. Here's the thing. Sydney will be back next year no matter what. This team will improve and might approach 500. The "blue sky dreamers" among us will use this as evidence that SJ is building something. And the year after that if we don't win the Maac championship our 500 club will graduate and we'll be back to having a 6-24 squad. It feels to me like it might be Febuary 2nd, 1988 all over again, and I don't want it to take 10 years to rebuild our program. I don't want to be Fairfield of the early 90's or Loyola of the late 90's. Or St. Peters of today. The administration needs to really assess what lies ahead. We have to keep it real. Here are the facts: 1) Most Maac losses ever. Not even mitch lost 13 Maac games. 2) Most losses ever. Mitch, Cormier, O'Connor, O'Toole. Even in their worst year none matched this. 3) A team without an inside scoring presence (our only effective inside player is a cooley recruit that graduates) 4) A team without a defensive identity. 5) A team without a high percentage shooting guard (We went 0-5 in the offense efficiency area) 6) A team without an effective ballhandler (We went 0-5 in the ballhandler area, and please don't respond by telling me that rose is the man. I love rose, I'm not knocking the kid. But he had 9 turnovers in a game. Todd, Needham, Goode, Wade, Nickerson, Han, Allen, Francis, Commodore, etc. etc. never had a 9 turnover game in their careers). I know Rose is improving and we are asking too much of him. But don't try to argue that we have an effective ballhandler in this recruiting class.)
I like many of our players and they will improve. I think Rose, Gilbert, Sidibe, Gilbert, Chappell and Smith all have a lot of upside. But we should all have reasons to be concerned. I don't want to stick my head in the sand like many did in 1988 and not recognize that the man at the top has everything to do with our situation. We added Smith, Rose, Chappell, Davis and Grennan. All got a chance to play. Which of these guys will make the Maac all rookie team? How many Maac Rookie of the week awards have been garnered by our guys? Is the number zero? Simply comparing our freshman to other teams freshman is all you need to do to question Sydney's recruiting decisions and abilities.
I am not as negative about Sydney as some. I would express my view more as concern than negativity. Here's the thing. Sydney will be back next year no matter what. This team will improve and might approach 500. The "blue sky dreamers" among us will use this as evidence that SJ is building something. And the year after that if we don't win the Maac championship our 500 club will graduate and we'll be back to having a 6-24 squad. It feels to me like it might be Febuary 2nd, 1988 all over again, and I don't want it to take 10 years to rebuild our program. I don't want to be Fairfield of the early 90's or Loyola of the late 90's. Or St. Peters of today. The administration needs to really assess what lies ahead. We have to keep it real. Here are the facts: 1) Most Maac losses ever. Not even mitch lost 13 Maac games. 2) Most losses ever. Mitch, Cormier, O'Connor, O'Toole. Even in their worst year none matched this. 3) A team without an inside scoring presence (our only effective inside player is a cooley recruit that graduates) 4) A team without a defensive identity. 5) A team without a high percentage shooting guard (We went 0-5 in the offense efficiency area) 6) A team without an effective ballhandler (We went 0-5 in the ballhandler area, and please don't respond by telling me that rose is the man. I love rose, I'm not knocking the kid. But he had 9 turnovers in a game. Todd, Needham, Goode, Wade, Nickerson, Han, Allen, Francis, Commodore, etc. etc. never had a 9 turnover game in their careers). I know Rose is improving and we are asking too much of him. But don't try to argue that we have an effective ballhandler in this recruiting class.)
I like many of our players and they will improve. I think Rose, Gilbert, Sidibe, Gilbert, Chappell and Smith all have a lot of upside. But we should all have reasons to be concerned. I don't want to stick my head in the sand like many did in 1988 and not recognize that the man at the top has everything to do with our situation. We added Smith, Rose, Chappell, Davis and Grennan. All got a chance to play. Which of these guys will make the Maac all rookie team? How many Maac Rookie of the week awards have been garnered by our guys? Is the number zero? Simply comparing our freshman to other teams freshman is all you need to do to question Sydney's recruiting decisions and abilities.
Of course most all of what you have presented here are true RF. Facts are facts (although you might might go back and check Han against Memphis a few years ago on turnovers-I think it was 11). That's not to suggest in any way however that Rose is in his class as a ballhandler. However, speaking of KJ, I do believe that he is putting together a more than adequate freshman season, a season that would sure look a lot better if he had any HELP at all with the other guard position. Will he get that help? The program and by extension Sydney's career are at a crossroad for sure, and it is what he does about this problem more than any other that will go a long way toward answering the overall question as to whether there can be a major step forward starting next year. I am going to stay in the optmistic camp based partly on what the man has done in a previous regime with a different team. And I am guessing that you will see quite an upgrade in talent. But like you said, SJ will be back next season no matter what anyone here is saying. But there will be pressure to perform at a much (much) higher level. On that I agree..
Post by curioustag on Feb 17, 2014 10:21:43 GMT -5
I would take St. Peters situation in a minute...an actual NCAA birth in the last 5 years. That said, well presented facts...I have lost the rose coloring for sure. That said, I am hopeful that these kids are getting good educations and will be poised and ready for life after hoops as they won't be playing professionally.
I am gonna just ride the wave the rest of the year...odds are that we will get a win or two and be one and done in maac.
Bob Simon in 2015-16 sounds like the best man for the job if available... he can bring back the vibe of the good era if Sydney continues the current trend.
Last Edit: Feb 17, 2014 10:49:08 GMT -5 by curioustag
While there seems to be a lot of problems, I believe that many of those are symptoms that can be fixed by improving the main root cause of the problem, which is upgrading our guard play. And our guard play at the 2G and 3G/SF is poor. I know that all teams with poor guard play are losing teams. It might be over-simplifying it, but good guards, make every player on the team better, on both ends of the ball. I firmly believe that, and its proven each year in the MAAC… Guards Win.
There is not a clearer example of that than Last Year’s 19 wins vs This Year’s 5 wins. The main difference is that we do not have the good guard play of Needham\Wade\Nickerson. If we had those 3 guards on this year’s team, we would have won 19 games this year. What we lost with those 3 guards were Ballhandling, Passing, Quickness and Defense. Here is how I see it
Good Guards ==> Better Ballhandling, Passing, Quickness and Defense ==> Winning Basketball
It's more than that though. In addition to winning, you need to be liked and exude the perception, at least, that we are all part of this thing. In addition, to his coaching, Sydney is invisible and anonymous at the helm. To the common fan, he doesn't even exist and that is not a good thing. He can't relate and sell the program to the community. Granted winning helps, but if people don't know what you are about, it won't work. Open, honest communication is best. He doesn't give us anything...
While there seems to be a lot of problems, I believe that many of those are symptoms that can be fixed by improving the main root cause of the problem, which is upgrading our guard play. And our guard play at the 2G and 3G/SF is poor. I know that all teams with poor guard play are losing teams. It might be over-simplifying it, but good guards, make every player on the team better, on both ends of the ball. I firmly believe that, and its proven each year in the MAAC… Guards Win.
There is not a clearer example of that than Last Year’s 19 wins vs This Year’s 5 wins. The main difference is that we do not have the good guard play of Needham\Wade\Nickerson. If we had those 3 guards on this year’s team, we would have won 19 games this year. What we lost with those 3 guards were Ballhandling, Passing, Quickness and Defense. Here is how I see it
I agree with better guard play will give us better results. But the concerned group might say we have to look at Sydney as being responsible for the guard play. We had 6 scholarships to give for guards over 2 years. Jenkins, Rose, Chappell, Smith, Davis and Grennan. If he had gotten 1 superstar, and one solid guard out of 6 scholarships, we probably win a dozen games this year. Why do we feel the players comings in next year will be any better? I think all of these kids are decent Maac recruits and will contribute positively as their games develop. But we didn't have the luxury of waiting for 6 guys to be seniors to start winning. We needed a couple of guys that could help us win today. That certainly is the basis for some of the criticism of Sydney.