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Thread: Game thread - MU vs Eastern Illinois

  1. #21
    Agree with you MM on expectations on the season. This team just got really young today, we have two undersized guards and a front court even with Froling is not going to be very tough or very good defensively. This season is about getting the freshman acclimated to the point they can be impact players next season.

    Just lacking so much right now. Glad we pulled this one out (somehow).

  2. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by IrwinFletcher View Post
    Agree with you MM on expectations on the season. This team just got really young today, we have two undersized guards and a front court even with Froling is not going to be very tough or very good defensively. This season is about getting the freshman acclimated to the point they can be impact players next season.

    Just lacking so much right now. Glad we pulled this one out (somehow).
    Agree with both you and MM completely. And to me what is most concerning is the bolded part of your comment given this is year #4 of the Wojo regime. Just feel we should be farther along. I get the whole next year thing, with all the reinforcements coming, but this is not a good look for the 4th year of a rebuild. I'm sure they will progress as the season goes by.

  3. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by MUAlphaBangura View Post
    Agree with both you and MM completely. And to me what is most concerning is the bolded part of your comment given this is year #4 of the Wojo regime. Just feel we should be farther along. I get the whole next year thing, with all the reinforcements coming, but this is not a good look for the 4th year of a rebuild. I'm sure they will progress as the season goes by.
    How about we let them play out the season and see what happens......year 4, coming off an NCAA berth and the foundation looks VERY promising, the freshman look good, albeit it young.

    He took over a total mess and is building it his way now, the trajectory is still up.

  4. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Djgoldnboy View Post
    How about we let them play out the season and see what happens......year 4, coming off an NCAA berth and the foundation looks VERY promising, the freshman look good, albeit it young.

    He took over a total mess and is building it his way now, the trajectory is still up.
    Pretty much what I said. But having 3 players you can count on in the 4th year of a rebuild is not close to an ideal situation. I would think at this stage(4th year), you shouldn't need to count on Freshmen to be an integral part of the rotation. It would be great if they were able to do so but most are not able to be a significant factor. In time, I like what I see from our 3 new guys.

    And in year 4, with a stated emphasis over the summer about becoming a better defensive team, we clearly are not. That is a concern to me. It may not be to you or others. People have opinions and we are not all going to agree on everything. Doesn't mean that those of us with concerns care any less or are less engaged with the program. That said, I believe we will be a much better team come next season. I just don't see too much of an upward trajectory this year.

  5. #25
    My thoughts exactly on both points Bangura.

    In the beginning of the year all you heard about the off season was the defensive focus. To date the defense has not shown that.

    Next - I have always said that a new coaching contract should be 5 years. 4 years to get your own complete roster and a 5th for the final product. Still not to the 5th year yet, but the 4th year should be a full solid roster, not 8/9 available scholarship players.

    Freshmen: Elliott, Cain, John, (Redshirt Eke)

    Sophomores: Hauser, Howard, Anim (RS), Frohling, Morrow (RS)

    Juniors: Heldt

    Senior: Rowsey

    One senior & one junior. That's not a great mix for a fourth season.
    "When March Madness spills into April.... that's the gravy!" - Homer Simpson

  6. #26
    5 Years also assumes that everything works out perfectly. You have no transfers and all recruits are able to play competently to greatly at the D1 level.

    Wojo has recruited very well in his limited time and he has installed a great offense. This team struggles defensively for sure, but it can be corrected if not by strategy, then by some of the players he has coming in.

    I for one believe he has at least this season and next before we completely evaluate his performance.

  7. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by IrwinFletcher View Post
    5 Years also assumes that everything works out perfectly. You have no transfers and all recruits are able to play competently to greatly at the D1 level.
    That is why 5 years is what it should be, if everything worked out perfectly it would be four.

    Transfers - is the average between 3-4 per year per team? That is expected in this day and age.

    Recruits playing competently on the D1 level - that is all on the coaching staff and their evaluation of players. That would be like saying, "You can't blame Deane/Crean that Krunti Hester, Craig Aamot and Kevin Menard weren't good enough to play at this level."

    The two things above are all part of the deal.

    Don't get me wrong, I think Wojo is recruiting great players and I think MU is on the right track to become a very good team. But transfers, excluding those that were recruited by the previous coach, all impact the coach's overall performance.

    Duane Wilson, Deonte Burton, John Dawson, Steve Taylor - those weren't Wojo's guys so you can't really put those on him, though D Wilson did stay for a couple of years under Wojo... But guys like Wally Ellenson, Traci Carter, Sandy Cohen and Haanif Cheatham - those all play a part of determining a coach's performance.

    Like the poster above, I wish MU was further along than they are, but at the same time I am very excited about a future with Elliott, Cain, Howard, the Hauser family, John, Morrow, Eke, Frohling, Bailey etc.
    "When March Madness spills into April.... that's the gravy!" - Homer Simpson

  8. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Ganzer, "IWB" View Post
    That is why 5 years is what it should be, if everything worked out perfectly it would be four.

    Transfers - is the average between 3-4 per year per team? That is expected in this day and age.

    Recruits playing competently on the D1 level - that is all on the coaching staff and their evaluation of players. That would be like saying, "You can't blame Deane/Crean that Krunti Hester, Craig Aamot and Kevin Menard weren't good enough to play at this level."

    The two things above are all part of the deal.

    Don't get me wrong, I think Wojo is recruiting great players and I think MU is on the right track to become a very good team. But transfers, excluding those that were recruited by the previous coach, all impact the coach's overall performance.

    Duane Wilson, Deonte Burton, John Dawson, Steve Taylor - those weren't Wojo's guys so you can't really put those on him, though D Wilson did stay for a couple of years under Wojo... But guys like Wally Ellenson, Traci Carter, Sandy Cohen and Haanif Cheatham - those all play a part of determining a coach's performance.

    Like the poster above, I wish MU was further along than they are, but at the same time I am very excited about a future with Elliott, Cain, Howard, the Hauser family, John, Morrow, Eke, Frohling, Bailey etc.


    (and just to clarify, I am with you IWB. Not ideal, but excited about the direction.)
    "I'll say it again...Dwyane Wade is the 3rd best SG of all-time...right behind Jordan and Bryant." - Mark Jackson

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