MUScoop
MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: dgies9156 on January 25, 2015, 08:18:03 PM
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OK, I hate losing as much as anyone in here. And as bad as the refs were, they did not cause us to lose. There were more than a few times when we could have made up one or even two points (i.e., look at the difference in free throw percentage through regulation).
That said, I think there is a silver lining in yesterday. We actually played hard and worked as a team. We weren't quite there, but you could see Wojo all over this team. The evidence:
1) On at least two occasions, Derrick Wilson drove fearlessly and ferociously to the basket. I may be old, but I never recalled a Derrick Thunder Dunk like I saw yesterday.
2) Duane Wilson looked like the real thing. Now I know why the Hillbilly was so forlorn after Duane was gone last year. He stepped up and other than a couple missed free throws, he could do no wrong.
3) Luke Fischer, when he was in the game, played defense. Get him some additional support and we're going to be dynamite.
4) We went from one of the nation's worst defenses to one of the best defending teams in about six weeks, in season. That alone should get Wojo some votes for coach of the year.
Look, we don't have the horses -- yet. Our team is much improved in attitude and hustle over what we saw a year ago. We need more players and more strength underneath. But the beginning of the plan is there and the nightmare that started about this time a year ago is starting to come to the end.
Our team still has work to do, but the guys are hanging in there and showing real improvement.
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Way to take the long view. I am encouraged by what I see. I see total buy in from the 8 guys on the floor. As opposed to last year, I see senior teaching the young guys. I see development of those guys. I see what Duane, Luke, Sandy can become.
I expected 14 wins this year. That was before the two transfers out. What I wanted to see was growth, both from the players and the coaches. I wanted to see coaching that high school kids would want. I wanted to see that Wojo could go beyond being K's right hand man. I wanted to see independent thought. I am seeing that. I do not care about wins and losses this year. This year is about laying the foundation.
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Preach.
Oh yeah, and we have a coach who values more than measurables. We will soon have some skilled basketball players on our roster.
And Hank. We'll have Hank.
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OK, I hate losing as much as anyone in here. And as bad as the refs were, they did not cause us to lose. There were more than a few times when we could have made up one or even two points (i.e., look at the difference in free throw percentage through regulation).
That said, I think there is a silver lining in yesterday. We actually played hard and worked as a team. We weren't quite there, but you could see Wojo all over this team. The evidence:
1) On at least two occasions, Derrick Wilson drove fearlessly and ferociously to the basket. I may be old, but I never recalled a Derrick Thunder Dunk like I saw yesterday.
2) Duane Wilson looked like the real thing. Now I know why the Hillbilly was so forlorn after Duane was gone last year. He stepped up and other than a couple missed free throws, he could do no wrong.
3) Luke Fischer, when he was in the game, played defense. Get him some additional support and we're going to be dynamite.
4) We went from one of the nation's worst defenses to one of the best defending teams in about six weeks, in season. That alone should get Wojo some votes for coach of the year.
Look, we don't have the horses -- yet. Our team is much improved in attitude and hustle over what we saw a year ago. We need more players and more strength underneath. But the beginning of the plan is there and the nightmare that started about this time a year ago is starting to come to the end.
Our team still has work to do, but the guys are hanging in there and showing real improvement.
I believe Yesterday was encouraging. On the other hand I attribute it more to the players than to Wojo. Wojo gets credit for developing Derrick into a serviceable player. My beef is he has done it at the expense of several other players and the teams future. I believe it did not have to be a zero sum game in that regard. Wojo has a my way or the highway attitude. That is okay if you have a track record, but he has none. Reducing JJJ to zombie status is not a smart move in my book.
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I believe Yesterday was encouraging. On the other hand I attribute it more to the players than to Wojo. Wojo gets credit for developing Derrick into a serviceable player. My beef is he has done it at the expense of several other players and the teams future. I believe it did not have to be a zero sum game in that regard. Wojo has a my way or the highway attitude. That is okay if you have a track record, but he has none. Reducing JJJ, Burton, and Dawson to zombie status was not a smart move in my book.
Agree. With a few edits. Duane Wilson and Matt Carlino yesterday largely were performing due to great individual effort/talent. There were some nice screens set for Carlino to try to free him for shots, but largely both he and Duane were making shots borne out of their own talent versus an offensive scheme that facilitated good looks. Then again, our offense is bogged down and hampered by having a very limited PG.
I too believe Wojo is a my way/highway guy, and as you say, it's okay if you have a track record, yet if you don't - probably a good thing to be a little more flexible in your approach and understand not all guys are of the same ilk as you - nor do they need to be in order to be successful. Wojo strikes me as having an athlete version Napoleonic complex - one borne out of not having had elite athleticism, talent - but having to find his success through sheer will, drive and grittiness - traits often very talented guys don't have as much of as their foundation and God-given ability are at a higher level to where they still can achieve great things due to winning more on the "genetic lottery."
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Agree. With a few edits. Duane Wilson and Matt Carlino yesterday largely were performing due to great individual effort/talent. There were some nice screens set for Carlino to try to free him for shots, but largely both he and Duane were making shots borne out of their own talent versus an offensive scheme that facilitated good looks. Then again, our offense is bogged down and hampered by having a very limited PG.
I too believe Wojo is a my way/highway guy, and as you say, it's okay if you have a track record, yet if you don't - probably a good thing to be a little more flexible in your approach and understand not all guys are of the same ilk as you - nor do they need to be in order to be successful. Wojo strikes me as having an athlete version Napoleonic complex - one borne out of not having had elite athleticism, talent - but having to find his success through sheer will, drive and grittiness - traits often very talented guys don't have as much of as their foundation and God-given ability are at a higher level to where they still can achieve great things due to winning more on the "genetic lottery."
Yes and if Wojo would acknowledge that very few people actually have the sheer will, drive and grittiness that he did. Those are very unique qualities that do not come along often. Many successful coaches will tell you the one thing they cannot coach is heart. Wojo would be better off figuring out what makes JJJ an exceptional player and drawing that out of him rather than trying to convert him into another Derrick.
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I too believe Wojo is a my way/highway guy…..
You think the great ones -- Al, Bobby Knight, John Wooden, Coach K, Dean Smith -- weren't? Look, you have a bunch of 18-23 year old guys who generally came out of high schools where everyone around them worshipped the ground they walked on. Now they're in college and are one of 12 who have to prove themselves.
I want Jujuan to succeed, just like I did Vander and Jamil before him. But it isn't going to be because we build the offense and defense of our basketball team around JJJ, or anyone else for that matter. Last time I saw that happen was when Pete Maravich was at LSU and it helped that his Daddy, Press, was the head coach.
We'll be successful because Jujuan, Duane, Henry and the guys are part of a mature basketball team that plays together and talks to each other as a team.
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Yes and if Wojo would acknowledge that very few people actually have the sheer will, drive and grittiness that he did. Those are very unique qualities that do not come along often. Many successful coaches will tell you the one thing they cannot coach is heart. Wojo would be better off figuring out what makes JJJ an exceptional player and drawing that out of him rather than trying to convert him into another Derrick.
And how do you know Wojo is not drawing that out of him in ways that we can't see since we are not part of the program. Do you know anything about coaching? Wojo has done nothing but impress me with what he has done this year and I find your posts absolutely laughable(yes I had you on ignore, but you get quoted so often for people disagreeing with you that it is pointless). You seem to know what goes on in the locker room and what goes on in his individual meetings with players. You blame Wojo and Carlino for Burton and Dawson transferring, instead of understanding that they just weren't that good (in Burton's case at least defensively and rebounding) and didn't fit into the system that Wojo is trying to build. In the long term, this was what was best for the program. If Wojo made all his decisions for the here and now, how the heck is he supposed to build a program.
So because Wojo doesn't have a history yet as a head coach, he should compromise his beliefs and values to keep a non-hardworking kid happy? Really. Maybe Wojo is able to reach JJJ or maybe he doesn't. If he doesn't, I am going to put the blame on the kid that hasn't shown he can play in this type of system and isn't willing to work hard, not a coach that has the leadership to not let the kids run the program.
One of the most difficult things for a new coach is to coach athletes that another coach recruited. Wojo would not have recruited Burton or Dawson or JJJ, but he has done an excellent job of getting the most out of this team and as many have mentioned, there is a much different attitude and feel than last year. He didn't run Burton or Dawson out of the program; he expected things done a certain way and they chose to leave, one of who was dealing with the very traumatic loss of his mother. You mentioned in another post how disappointed you were in Wojo for letting these guys transfer. A coach that has done an amazing job in pretty much every facet of the job and is building a program for the future with a culture that is built on a winning attitude; "win every day". I do not think Wojo is perfect by any means, but the criticism of guys like you and Ners for things that none of us can really know unless we were at every practice and every meeting, is just completely off base.
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You think the great ones -- Al, Bobby Knight, John Wooden, Coach K, Dean Smith -- weren't? Look, you have a bunch of 18-23 year old guys who generally came out of high schools where everyone around them worshipped the ground they walked on. Now they're in college and are one of 12 who have to prove themselves.
For that matter, Buzz is like that. He has admitted to trying to run Acker and Cooby off his first year because he didn't think they were big enough. Look how many of the guys he recruited left because they didn't fit the system or effort he required.
Those "unique qualities" of guys putting in that level of effort characterize many of our players over the past few years. Jimmy, Jae, Junior, CO, Derrick, the list goes on and on. Very few players will succeed at the high major level without putting in tons of effort to go along with their talent.
If a guy isn't willing to make hard work a priority, I would have no problem with a coach moving him along. I'd have more issue with a coach that wasn't willing to seek out high effort guys. It's the guys with talent and effort that lead you to wins.
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And how do you know Wojo is not drawing that out of him in ways that we can't see since we are not part of the program. Do you know anything about coaching? Wojo has done nothing but impress me with what he has done this year and I find your posts absolutely laughable(yes I had you on ignore, but you get quoted so often for people disagreeing with you that it is pointless). You seem to know what goes on in the locker room and what goes on in his individual meetings with players. You blame Wojo and Carlino for Burton and Dawson transferring, instead of understanding that they just weren't that good (in Burton's case at least defensively and rebounding) and didn't fit into the system that Wojo is trying to build. In the long term, this was what was best for the program. If Wojo made all his decisions for the here and now, how the heck is he supposed to build a program.
So because Wojo doesn't have a history yet as a head coach, he should compromise his beliefs and values to keep a non-hardworking kid happy? Really. Maybe Wojo is able to reach JJJ or maybe he doesn't. If he doesn't, I am going to put the blame on the kid that hasn't shown he can play in this type of system and isn't willing to work hard, not a coach that has the leadership to not let the kids run the program.
One of the most difficult things for a new coach is to coach athletes that another coach recruited. Wojo would not have recruited Burton or Dawson or JJJ, but he has done an excellent job of getting the most out of this team and as many have mentioned, there is a much different attitude and feel than last year. He didn't run Burton or Dawson out of the program; he expected things done a certain way and they chose to leave, one of who was dealing with the very traumatic loss of his mother. You mentioned in another post how disappointed you were in Wojo for letting these guys transfer. A coach that has done an amazing job in pretty much every facet of the job and is building a program for the future with a culture that is built on a winning attitude; "win every day". I do not think Wojo is perfect by any means, but the criticism of guys like you and Ners for things that none of us can really know unless we were at every practice and every meeting, is just completely off base.
I blame Wojo for Burton leaving not Carlino. I felt bringing in Carlino was going to upset a delicate balance. Wojo asked the kids to buy in as a family and they all agreed to. The next thing he does is bring in gun slinging outsider in a position we were very deep at. Does not build trust. At the very least Wojo should have had some sympathy for Burton which he clearly didn't. It showed me a lot about who he was as a person. Was willing to throw a kid under the bus at the precise time he needed support. Next year when we see Deonte doing well for Iowa State people will wish he was here. I disagree with you that Deonte was not good at defense , he created a lot of breakaways off of steals. That is something that is worth a lot.
As to JJJ he has done nothing but work his rear end off every time he gets on the court. He hustles all the time and has been noted by many former coaches to have been a hard worker in practice. The kid has real athletic ability and yet Wojo is trying to make him into a clone of Derrick. I want a kid like JJJ constantly on the attack. Not just passing the ball along. So I don't think Wojo is drawing anything out of him. Precisely the opposite, he is depressing the hell out of a very happy enthusiastic kid.
I felt from the beginning that the President of the University would pick a coach that he would get along with, instead of picking a coach that would be good for the kids. We got exactly that, a corporate clone type. There were so many other guys who could have taken our talent and done something with it. In theory Wojo got a big recruiting class coming in. We will see what he can do with that. Frankly I expect to hear people give the same old tired excuse that they aren't all his kids.
A good coach knows that all the kids are his the minute he takes the job.
I want to see MU win in line with our tradition. We are not in any way a program that needed turning around.
If the guy is more open minded we can still win the Big East Tournament.
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I blame Wojo for Burton leaving not Carlino. I felt bringing in Carlino was going to upset a delicate balance. Wojo asked the kids to buy in as a family and they all agreed to. The next thing he does is bring in gun slinging outsider in a position we were very deep at. Does not build trust. At the very least Wojo should have had some sympathy for Burton which he clearly didn't. It showed me a lot about who he was as a person. Was willing to throw a kid under the bus at the precise time he needed support. Next year when we see Deonte doing well for Iowa State people will wish he was here. I disagree with you that Deonte was not good at defense , he created a lot of breakaways off of steals. That is something that is worth a lot.
As to JJJ he has done nothing but work his rear end off every time he gets on the court. He hustles all the time and has been noted by many former coaches to have been a hard worker in practice. The kid has real athletic ability and yet Wojo is trying to make him into a clone of Derrick. I want a kid like JJJ constantly on the attack. Not just passing the ball along. So I don't think Wojo is drawing anything out of him. Precisely the opposite, he is depressing the hell out of a very happy enthusiastic kid.
I felt from the beginning that the President of the University would pick a coach that he would get along with, instead of picking a coach that would be good for the kids. We got exactly that, a corporate clone type. There were so many other guys who could have taken our talent and done something with it. In theory Wojo got a big recruiting class coming in. We will see what he can do with that. Frankly I expect to hear people give the same old tired excuse that they aren't all his kids.
A good coach knows that all the kids are his the minute he takes the job.
I want to see MU win in line with our tradition. We are not in any way a program that needed turning around.
If the guy is more open minded we can still win the Big East Tournament.
Again, you are making assumption after assumption after assumption. In a previous thread you did indicate that Carlino has upset the team chemistry and was a big reason why Burton and Dawson transferred. How do you know he has upset team chemistry. I don't see that at all on the court and see no indication of it off the court, but of course I am not around those guys.
We were really deep with players like Carlino? Really. You see no value to having brought in Carlino? Wojo lost trust by bringing in a point guard that can score, to a team with no proven outside shooters? Where would this team be without Carlino? That's right, Burton would still be here scoring 20 points a game and miraculously learned how to play all around defense and actually get a rebound and he would have gotten over the death of his mother if not for Carlino being here. Dawson would have become what Ners expected all along, an excellent Big East guard.
You seemed to think that Wojo threw Burton under the bus? Again, really with the assumptions. I am going to pretend that I get to be at all the practices and one to one meetings with Burton and Wojo. The way I see it was that Burton talked continuously about the loss of his mother to coach Wojo and apologized for not being as focused on practice and games as he would like, but the memories of his mom were too tough to deal with being so close to home. Wojo helped counsel him and played him as much as he could in the games without hurting the team too much, but finally Burton said he just needed to get away (as he was quoted on why he transferred) and even though Wojo knew it would be tough with only 8 scholarship players, he gave him his blessings and wished him the best of luck, knowing that for both Burton and the team, it was probably the best move for the long run. Now of course I have no idea what exactly went down and I wouldn't try to state things as fact, because making assumptions as if they are facts only makes a person look like they have no clue.
Do you honestly believe that another coach would be getting more out of this team than Wojo? Do you watch basketball games at all? Do you understand the psychology of coaching? Do you understand what makes a strong leader? I think any other hire that would have been made, including Shaka, would have this team performing well below what Wojo has done this year. Just for his ability to adjust I am completely impressed. Taking a team that could absolutely not play man to man defense (with players he didn't recruit of course) and lost to a team like Nebraska-Omaha and to go against what he believes in and change to an excellent zone defensive team is pretty outstanding.
So who are these many coaches that say JJJ works really hard in practice? Are they college coaches? I don't think so because I don't believe Buzz or Wojo said that. So if it is a high school coach or AAU coach it really doesn't matter to me what they said, since Big East college basketball is just slightly different than high school. I have no idea if he works hard, but I am going to put the trust in the coaches who see him every day, not someone on a message board saying he does.
I do not see anyone trying to make JJJ into a clone of Derek. Not sure why any coach would want to do that, given Derek's limitations. JJJ has much more talent than Derek, but defense is still going to be important no matter what. And as for your statement that he works his butt off every time he is on the court, don't mistake enthusiasm (yes he has that) for hard work. I saw a guy that had an amazing dunk and then almost immediately do a lazy mistake, of which he does several a game. The mistakes he makes are not something a player of his athletic ability should be making; they are just being careless and lazy more often than not. Lazy passes, trying to play one on three when another guy is open, not getting back on defense. I really don't want to be criticizing JJJ because I actually like him and all the players on the team, but I am just trying to get you to see what others are seeing and more importantly, what the coaches are seeing and most likely working on and talking with JJJ about on a daily basis. I would not be surprised to see JJJ averaging 15 points a game next year, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see him transfer. He will decide that and it won't mean he was driven out or thrown under the bus; it will mean that another one of Buzz's recruits didn't fit the system that Wojo is trying to instill in these players from day one, "win everyday".
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Texas Western, you are entitled to your opinion, I will let it be. "If the guy is more open minded we can still win the Big East Tournament." No we can't. It is likely that MU is going to have to win 4 games in 4 days with 8 players to do that. Too big of an ask.
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Texas Western, you are entitled to your opinion, I will let it be. "If the guy is more open minded we can still win the Big East Tournament." No we can't. It is likely that MU is going to have to win 4 games in 4 days with 8 players to do that. Too big of an ask.
I believe we have the talent in place to win the tournament. I have yet to see a team blow us out in league play. It is just a question if the right playing combinations playing at the right time.
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I completely agree that not being blown out is important. MU has been competitive in every game this year and that is something to build on. 4 games in 4 days is beyond the capabilities of any 8 player team.
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And Hank. We'll have Hank.
As long as it's not this Hank. When we recruit a cute dog to distract everyone from losing, then I'll worry.
(http://media.jrn.com/images/newhank_cutout.jpg)
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At the very least Wojo should have had some sympathy for Burton which he clearly didn't. It showed me a lot about who he was as a person. Was willing to throw a kid under the bus at the precise time he needed support.
i've talked with two people i know within the athletic department that say just the opposite. perhaps the fact that you would accuse a coach of throwing a kid under the bus and showing no sympathy or support to a player who lost his mother says a lot about the type of person you are?
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TW, I appreciate that you keep your posts civil. But you make a lot of crap up.
PG was our weakest position last season. 3P shooting was our worst skill. Why wouldn't you bring in a senior PG who specializes in outside shooting? He was the best available player when we had three scholarships to fill. Do you understand how bad we would be without Carlino? We're talking having a 6-13 record at this point. I am all about building for the future but I'm not willing to chuck this season out the window. Wojo brought in an impact player late in the game when there were very few impact players to be had. That is a coaching no brainer.
You also make it out like the rest of the team hates Carlino. I know for a fact that he is well liked by his teammates and they look up to him as one of the leaders of this team. Probably 2nd only to Derrick in terms of leadership.
You also make up a story about Wojo having no sympathy for Burton. I know for a fact this isn't true. He gave Burton time to grieve and gave him overwhelming support. No, he didn't give him extra playing time. No coach would do that. If Burton wasn't producing, which he wasn't, than he needed to come off the bench. Yes, I will miss Burton. I think he is going to be a fantastic player for Iowa State. But I don't think the situation could be resolved. Talk about "not having sympathy" and "throwing Burton under the bus" is pure fiction.
If you think JjJ's performances on the court are worthy of more playing time, I don't know what to tell you. Kid is struggling right now. But you may have noticed that the six game stretch before he struggled, he got a ton of playing time from Wojo. Again, you are making things up to fit your narrative. I really have no idea what you mean about "turning him into a clone of Derrick." JjJ is on the attack constantly, and when it is working, Wojo let's him play. When he's chucking up ill advised threes and getting 10 feet out of position on defense (not an exaggeration) he is going to be sent to the bench, just like any other player. Wojo is "depressing the hell out of" JjJ? Seriously? What evidence do you have of this? This is pure fabrication. And even if it was true, what is your solution? Give him more playing time because he's upset? Should we give Taylor extended playing time because he's upset with his role?
I'm not going to give you the "excuse" that you expect. Why? Because Wojo has taken someone else's kids and made them his own. The players look up to and respect Wojo. He has emphasized relationships with players from day 1. He talked JjJ and Taylor off the transfer ledge. Just because you don't like his PT allotment is no proof "a stiff corporate type who isn't good for the kids."
I'm getting tired of the argument that another coach could have won with this talent. Maybe you want to respond to my case study about the University of Florida. Wojo inherited a team that coudn't make the NIT last season....and lost 74% of its scoring, ~80% of its rebounding, over half of its three point shooting. People who understand college basketball understand that all this addition by subtraction that a handful of people expected to happen is a myth. You can't lose that much and replace it with two freshmen and a graduate transfer and expect to win. How is that such a difficult concept to understand.
We didn't need turning around? You do understand that we didn't make the NIT last season? That is a negative trajectory. That means we needed to be turned around. It wasn't a rebuild job but he didn't inherit a winning roster for this season. You do understand by every predictive measurement, we are actually outperforming what is expected of us. Wojo has taken a shell of a roster and has turned it into a team that can hang with the big boys and even still win a few. Are we making the tournament? Probably not. But NO ONE, save a few people here, actually expected us to.
How much more open minded do you want Wojo to be? He's playing Sandy for massively increased minutes. He lowered Juan's playing time to 21 minutes 2 games ago. Derrick has had two games in a row of his lowest playing time in the conference season, despite one of those going into overtime.
All that's happened is that you have developed some sort of attachment to JjJ where as long as he is not getting minutes, you will think Wojo is screwing with people. You value JjJ above the team. No one player is ever bigger than the team.
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i've talked with two people i know within the athletic department that say just the opposite. perhaps the fact that you would accuse a coach of throwing a kid under the bus and showing no sympathy or support to a player who lost his mother says a lot about the type of person you are?
Texas is talking out of his ass when it comes to Burton. They were very accommodating and supportive of Deonte after his mom passed. The reason he left had more to do with basketball, and what he wanted his role to be. And that was at odds with what Wojo needed from him. Change of scenery was needed.
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Getting back on topic, there is just not much margin for error this year. We are a decent team by Big East standards but not clearly better than any other team. Honestly, we were lucky to beat Creighton at home and they seem to be the worst team in the conference. I am still cautiously optimistic about the future, although the more I watch this team the more I worry about what we will do without Carlino. He is a fantastic shooter, great leader and tough competitor. I don't see anyone who will replace that next year and we will also be losing Derrick and Juan.
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TW, I appreciate that you keep your posts civil. But you make a lot of crap up.
PG was our weakest position last season. 3P shooting was our worst skill. Why wouldn't you bring in a senior PG who specializes in outside shooting? He was the best available player when we had three scholarships to fill. Do you understand how bad we would be without Carlino? We're talking having a 6-13 record at this point. I am all about building for the future but I'm not willing to chuck this season out the window. Wojo brought in an impact player late in the game when there were very few impact players to be had. That is a coaching no brainer.
You also make it out like the rest of the team hates Carlino. I know for a fact that he is well liked by his teammates and they look up to him as one of the leaders of this team. Probably 2nd only to Derrick in terms of leadership.
You also make up a story about Wojo having no sympathy for Burton. I know for a fact this isn't true. He gave Burton time to grieve and gave him overwhelming support. No, he didn't give him extra playing time. No coach would do that. If Burton wasn't producing, which he wasn't, than he needed to come off the bench. Yes, I will miss Burton. I think he is going to be a fantastic player for Iowa State. But I don't think the situation could be resolved. Talk about "not having sympathy" and "throwing Burton under the bus" is pure fiction.
If you think JjJ's performances on the court are worthy of more playing time, I don't know what to tell you. Kid is struggling right now. But you may have noticed that the six game stretch before he struggled, he got a ton of playing time from Wojo. Again, you are making things up to fit your narrative. I really have no idea what you mean about "turning him into a clone of Derrick." JjJ is on the attack constantly, and when it is working, Wojo let's him play. When he's chucking up ill advised threes and getting 10 feet out of position on defense (not an exaggeration) he is going to be sent to the bench, just like any other player. Wojo is "depressing the hell out of" JjJ? Seriously? What evidence do you have of this? This is pure fabrication. And even if it was true, what is your solution? Give him more playing time because he's upset? Should we give Taylor extended playing time because he's upset with his role?
I'm not going to give you the "excuse" that you expect. Why? Because Wojo has taken someone else's kids and made them his own. The players look up to and respect Wojo. He has emphasized relationships with players from day 1. He talked JjJ and Taylor off the transfer ledge. Just because you don't like his PT allotment is no proof "a stiff corporate type who isn't good for the kids."
I'm getting tired of the argument that another coach could have won with this talent. Maybe you want to respond to my case study about the University of Florida. Wojo inherited a team that coudn't make the NIT last season....and lost 74% of its scoring, ~80% of its rebounding, over half of its three point shooting. People who understand college basketball understand that all this addition by subtraction that a handful of people expected to happen is a myth. You can't lose that much and replace it with two freshmen and a graduate transfer and expect to win. How is that such a difficult concept to understand.
We didn't need turning around? You do understand that we didn't make the NIT last season? That is a negative trajectory. That means we needed to be turned around. It wasn't a rebuild job but he didn't inherit a winning roster for this season. You do understand by every predictive measurement, we are actually outperforming what is expected of us. Wojo has taken a shell of a roster and has turned it into a team that can hang with the big boys and even still win a few. Are we making the tournament? Probably not. But NO ONE, save a few people here, actually expected us to.
How much more open minded do you want Wojo to be? He's playing Sandy for massively increased minutes. He lowered Juan's playing time to 21 minutes 2 games ago. Derrick has had two games in a row of his lowest playing time in the conference season, despite one of those going into overtime.
All that's happened is that you have developed some sort of attachment to JjJ where as long as he is not getting minutes, you will think Wojo is screwing with people. You value JjJ above the team. No one player is ever bigger than the team.
There really isn't much to contend here. Has Wojo been perfect? Hardly. The Gabe Levin situation was strange.
But I simply don't understand why they think he is screwing with JJJ. JJJ gets plenty of playing time. He gets "extended runs" pretty much every game he is in. He simply does not produce as much as other players do.
And for those who don't think that Wojo should have brought Carlino in here, well I don't know what to tell you.
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I felt from the beginning that the President of the University would pick a coach that he would get along with, instead of picking a coach that would be good for the kids. We got exactly that, a corporate clone type. There were so many other guys who could have taken our talent and done something with it. In theory Wojo got a big recruiting class coming in. We will see what he can do with that. Frankly I expect to hear people give the same old tired excuse that they aren't all his kids.
I have seen nothing to suggest that Wojo is a "corporate clone type."
Where do you come up with this sh*t?
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So thankful others are seeing how absurd Texas Western's posts are. As I have said, what bothers me is he posts things as if they are fact, such as this one:
"At the very least Wojo should have had some sympathy for Burton which he clearly didn't. It showed me a lot about who he was as a person. Was willing to throw a kid under the bus at the precise time he needed support".
There was nothing to indicate that Wojo threw Burton under the bus or that he clearly didn't have any sympathy for Burton. Now people who are in the know more than TW or myself are indicating that he did just the opposite, but a guy on a message board is willing to continually criticize our coach for things that aren't even true. No coach is above constructive criticism and Wojo is not perfect, but please TW, stop making assumptions and posting your thoughts on your incorrect assumptions over and over again.
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I blame Wojo for Burton leaving not Carlino. I felt bringing in Carlino was going to upset a delicate balance. Wojo asked the kids to buy in as a family and they all agreed to. The next thing he does is bring in gun slinging outsider in a position we were very deep at. Does not build trust. At the very least Wojo should have had some sympathy for Burton which he clearly didn't. It showed me a lot about who he was as a person. Was willing to throw a kid under the bus at the precise time he needed support. Next year when we see Deonte doing well for Iowa State people will wish he was here. I disagree with you that Deonte was not good at defense , he created a lot of breakaways off of steals. That is something that is worth a lot.
As to JJJ he has done nothing but work his rear end off every time he gets on the court. He hustles all the time and has been noted by many former coaches to have been a hard worker in practice. The kid has real athletic ability and yet Wojo is trying to make him into a clone of Derrick. I want a kid like JJJ constantly on the attack. Not just passing the ball along. So I don't think Wojo is drawing anything out of him. Precisely the opposite, he is depressing the hell out of a very happy enthusiastic kid.
I felt from the beginning that the President of the University would pick a coach that he would get along with, instead of picking a coach that would be good for the kids. We got exactly that, a corporate clone type. There were so many other guys who could have taken our talent and done something with it. In theory Wojo got a big recruiting class coming in. We will see what he can do with that. Frankly I expect to hear people give the same old tired excuse that they aren't all his kids.
A good coach knows that all the kids are his the minute he takes the job.
I want to see MU win in line with our tradition. We are not in any way a program that needed turning around.
If the guy is more open minded we can still win the Big East Tournament.
Congrats, Mr. Hutz.
http://youtu.be/YZoQFVVXV2s?t=3m37s
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At the beginning of the year the prevailing thought, if not consensus, was that this year's success would be measured in progress of players more so than wins and losses. By that measure I think Wojo's been very successful. Other than Steve, who appears to have a physical issue, I think every single player has gotten better as the season has progressed.
Last season was marked by a complete lack of improvement not only from the previous year, but throughout the season itself. This year has been quite the opposite.
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So thankful others are seeing how absurd Texas Western's posts are. As I have said, what bothers me is he posts things as if they are fact, such as this one:
"At the very least Wojo should have had some sympathy for Burton which he clearly didn't. It showed me a lot about who he was as a person. Was willing to throw a kid under the bus at the precise time he needed support".
There was nothing to indicate that Wojo threw Burton under the bus or that he clearly didn't have any sympathy for Burton. Now people who are in the know more than TW or myself are indicating that he did just the opposite, but a guy on a message board is willing to continually criticize our coach for things that aren't even true. No coach is above constructive criticism and Wojo is not perfect, but please TW, stop making assumptions and posting your thoughts on your incorrect assumptions over and over again.
You make a lot of nice points in your posts. Question for you: What do you think matters more to Deonte than anything in the world at this time in his life?
My GUESS would be that his two loves in life were his Mom and basketball. So, he loses his Mom at a young age, and while all of that is going on, our Head Coach is yanking him in and out of basketball games, essentially giving his position to Derrick Wilson (a wing defender on our 2-3 zone), and giving him 16 minutes per game, all while the team is losing games to UNO, beating no one of consequence and Deonte Burton is shooting 47.6% from the Field, 77% from the FT Line and 40% from the 3 point line - all team highs at the time of his transfer.
The term TW used - "throwing Deonte under the bus" was referring to the above.
Lastly, how nice would a 3rd scorer have looked on this team right now? All this team needs is a good 3rd scoring threat at this time and it is a big time winner. And, with what is left on the roster NOW, the best candidate to add this production is JJJ or Cohen. The current formula is nice and all, and we are competitive, but like last year, again, we'll have a bunch of near wins and our head coach won't have deviated at all to attempt to try to see if a different combination of players could yield more wins.
Furthermore, Wojo has said both Derrick and Juan are elite defenders - why weren't we able to be effective in Wojo's preferred man to man defense then?
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You make a lot of nice points in your posts. Question for you: What do you think matters more to Deonte than anything in the world at this time in his life?
My GUESS would be that his two loves in life were his Mom and basketball. So, he loses his Mom at a young age, and while all of that is going on, our Head Coach is yanking him in and out of basketball games, essentially giving his position to Derrick Wilson (a wing defender on our 2-3 zone), and giving him 16 minutes per game, all while the team is losing games to UNO, beating no one of consequence and Deonte Burton is shooting 47.6% from the Field, 77% from the FT Line and 40% from the 3 point line - all team highs at the time of his transfer.
The term TW used - "throwing Deonte under the bus" was referring to the above.
Lastly, how nice would a 3rd scorer have looked on this team right now? All this team needs is a good 3rd scoring threat at this time and it is a big time winner. And, with what is left on the roster NOW, the best candidate to add this production is JJJ or Cohen. The current formula is nice and all, and we are competitive, but like last year, again, we'll have a bunch of near wins and our head coach won't have deviated at all to attempt to try to see if a different combination of players could yield more wins.
Furthermore, Wojo has said both Derrick and Juan are elite defenders - why weren't we able to be effective in Wojo's preferred man to man defense then?
I think it's fun/fine to speculate, but let's not act like this is factual, or even likely.
WE. DON'T. KNOW.
Repeating the same theories over and over again doesn't make them more true. We have to be okay admitting that we don't really know.
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I think it's fun/fine to speculate, but let's not act like this is factual, or even likely.
WE. DON'T. KNOW.
Repeating the same theories over and over again doesn't make them more true. We have to be okay admitting that we don't really know.
I said it was a GUESS. However TW knows a lot more about the dynamics inside the team than you or many others here.
MUfan12 posts some good insight at times:
Texas is talking out of his ass when it comes to Burton. They were very accommodating and supportive of Deonte after his mom passed. The reason he left had more to do with basketball, and what he wanted his role to be. And that was at odds with what Wojo needed from him. Change of scenery was needed.
Again, please rebut what I posted: That the 2 loves in Deonte's life were his Mom and basketball - he loses one tragically, and then the other - he is getting yanked in and out of games, while the team is losing, yet he's shooting the highest percentages from the Field, FT and 3 point line at time of tranfer..and coming off an All Big East Freshman nod earned while only playing 12 minutes per game in conference play. Think Deonte had big expectations coming into the year?
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You make a lot of nice points in your posts. Question for you: What do you think matters more to Deonte than anything in the world at this time in his life?
My GUESS would be that his two loves in life were his Mom and basketball. So, he loses his Mom at a young age, and while all of that is going on, our Head Coach is yanking him in and out of basketball games, essentially giving his position to Derrick Wilson (a wing defender on our 2-3 zone), and giving him 16 minutes per game, all while the team is losing games to UNO, beating no one of consequence and Deonte Burton is shooting 47.6% from the Field, 77% from the FT Line and 40% from the 3 point line - all team highs at the time of his transfer.
The term TW used - "throwing Deonte under the bus" was referring to the above.
Lastly, how nice would a 3rd scorer have looked on this team right now? All this team needs is a good 3rd scoring threat at this time and it is a big time winner. And, with what is left on the roster NOW, the best candidate to add this production is JJJ or Cohen. The current formula is nice and all, and we are competitive, but like last year, again, we'll have a bunch of near wins and our head coach won't have deviated at all to attempt to try to see if a different combination of players could yield more wins.
Furthermore, Wojo has said both Derrick and Juan are elite defenders - why weren't we able to be effective in Wojo's preferred man to man defense then?
I assume you feel that Burton's explanation that he needed to get away from Milwaukee was just a load of crap, then?
He was playing. Had at least double-digit minutes in every game. Every game we played was tightly contested and he wasn't always in there down the stretch, but he was getting a chance. Despite that, and with two guys at the wing position ahead of him graduating (three if you count Derrick) the opportunity was there and was going to expand.
Burton wanted to get away, and the voices in his ear were telling him to get away. The kid had a lot going on and everyone was excited to see what he could do with Fischer, yet he left right before Fischer became eligible. I'm not sure how much more Wojo could have done.
But of course, as always...it's all about Derrick ::)
Oh...and to the last point...two guys that can defend does not a man-to-man defense make. We needed Carlino out there but he was getting abused in man by quicker guards. Jajuan gambled too much for steals and in man defense that was exploited more than it is in a zone. Duane (3.3 fpg) and Burton (3.0 fpg) were both foul machines in man defense. Down low, Steve didn't have the physicality to stop quality bigs on his own (Amir Williams scored at will in the paint). We needed to go zone because the rest of the team isn't as good on defense as Juan and Derrick.
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I said it was a GUESS. However TW knows a lot more about the dynamics inside the team than you or many others here.
MUfan12 posts some good insight at times:
Again, please rebut what I posted: That the 2 loves in Deonte's life were his Mom and basketball - he loses one tragically, and then the other - he is getting yanked in and out of games, while the team is losing, yet he's shooting the highest percentages from the Field, FT and 3 point line at time of tranfer..and coming off an All Big East Freshman nod earned while only playing 12 minutes per game in conference play. Think Deonte had big expectations coming into the year?
I have the best inside contacts on this board. TW is wrong.
We good?
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You make a lot of nice points in your posts. Question for you: What do you think matters more to Deonte than anything in the world at this time in his life?
My GUESS would be that his two loves in life were his Mom and basketball. So, he loses his Mom at a young age, and while all of that is going on, our Head Coach is yanking him in and out of basketball games, essentially giving his position to Derrick Wilson (a wing defender on our 2-3 zone), and giving him 16 minutes per game, all while the team is losing games to UNO, beating no one of consequence and Deonte Burton is shooting 47.6% from the Field, 77% from the FT Line and 40% from the 3 point line - all team highs at the time of his transfer.
The term TW used - "throwing Deonte under the bus" was referring to the above.
Thank you for acknowledging that this is a guess instead of stating it as fact.
For the upteenth time, Derrick and Burton might play the same role in the defense, but they weren't playing remotely the same position on offense. Burton was being used exclusively as a 4, Derrick as a 1. Those two aren't interchrangable. Juan and Sandy were the two "taking" minutes from Burton. More to the point, Burton wasn't producing. He was outplaying Dawson, Steve, and Sandy but no one else. Steve got more minutes by necessity but otherwise he was getting about the right amount of minutes for what he was putting out. I wish that weren't the case but it was true.
Furthermore, Wojo has said both Derrick and Juan are elite defenders - why weren't we able to be effective in Wojo's preferred man to man defense then?
Because they can't be everywhere on the court at once? Derrick and Juan were doing just fine. Steve was the biggest liability. JjJ, Burton, Carlino, Duane, and Sandy were all struggling as well. Wojo smartly adjusted based on the needs of the entire roster, not just his two best defenders.
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OK, I hate losing as much as anyone in here. And as bad as the refs were, they did not cause us to lose. There were more than a few times when we could have made up one or even two points (i.e., look at the difference in free throw percentage through regulation).
That said, I think there is a silver lining in yesterday. We actually played hard and worked as a team. We weren't quite there, but you could see Wojo all over this team. The evidence:
1) On at least two occasions, Derrick Wilson drove fearlessly and ferociously to the basket. I may be old, but I never recalled a Derrick Thunder Dunk like I saw yesterday.
2) Duane Wilson looked like the real thing. Now I know why the Hillbilly was so forlorn after Duane was gone last year. He stepped up and other than a couple missed free throws, he could do no wrong.
3) Luke Fischer, when he was in the game, played defense. Get him some additional support and we're going to be dynamite.
4) We went from one of the nation's worst defenses to one of the best defending teams in about six weeks, in season. That alone should get Wojo some votes for coach of the year.
Look, we don't have the horses -- yet. Our team is much improved in attitude and hustle over what we saw a year ago. We need more players and more strength underneath. But the beginning of the plan is there and the nightmare that started about this time a year ago is starting to come to the end.
Our team still has work to do, but the guys are hanging in there and showing real improvement.
I agree.
Before we head back down the rabbit hole of the crazy or obsessed, I thought I would try to get us back on track. Now, let the "Derrick causes global warming/WOJO hates kids whose parents die" chorus resume.
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Again, please rebut what I posted: That the 2 loves in Deonte's life were his Mom and basketball - he loses one tragically, and then the other - he is getting yanked in and out of games, while the team is losing, yet he's shooting the highest percentages from the Field, FT and 3 point line at time of tranfer..and coming off an All Big East Freshman nod earned while only playing 12 minutes per game in conference play. Think Deonte had big expectations coming into the year?
The three point number is very misleading, given it was only 10 attempts in 8 games.
The number that explains why he wasn't playing is 11 rebounds in those 8 games. Wojo wasn't expecting him to be a lockdown defender. The whole team stunk defensively early on. What was expected was for him to put in the work on the glass. Instead, he stayed out on the perimeter on offense, and tried to leak out instead of hitting the defensive boards. That's why he didn't play.
Not sure what you want me to rebut, but yeah, I'm sure he was frustrated. And I'm positive a lot of that was due to what I posted, that he viewed his role differently than Wojo did. Same happened with ODB and Crean. Buzz and McKay. These things happen, and we move on. At least some of us do, anyway.
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I have the best inside contacts on this board. TW is wrong.
We good?
But are you the dad of Division 1 athlete?
If not, be gone.
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I have the best inside contacts on this board. TW is wrong.
We good?
LOL - I see what you did there. You can rebut the argument if you'd like.
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I said it was a GUESS. However TW knows a lot more about the dynamics inside the team than you or many others here.
The only way I can think of this being true is if TW is the parent of one of the players. He has said he is the parent of a division 1 athlete. If this is the case, I would caution you about taking a parent's word as fact. I don't know TW or his child, and I am not a parent myself, but I have worked with college students and their parents long enough to know that parents often only know what their kid wants them to know, and parents will fight to the death to defend their children.
If TW is not one of the parents our players, but he has such great insight to the goings ons of the the locker room, then he must be a staff member...which I really hope isn't true. I don't post my opinions on the TAMU fan sites or social media because if I did, I would be fired or at very least lose all credibility with my coworkers and the students I work with. I would be embarrassed if TW was a member of the basketball team staff.
If he is not a parent or a staff member, than he is just another guy who knows a few people who pass on some information to him every once in awhile. Which makes him just like the rest of us here.
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Thank you for acknowledging that this is a guess instead of stating it as fact.
For the upteenth time, Derrick and Burton might play the same role in the defense, but they weren't playing remotely the same position on offense. Burton was being used exclusively as a 4, Derrick as a 1. Those two aren't interchrangable. Juan and Sandy were the two "taking" minutes from Burton. More to the point, Burton wasn't producing. He was outplaying Dawson, Steve, and Sandy but no one else. Steve got more minutes by necessity but otherwise he was getting about the right amount of minutes for what he was putting out. I wish that weren't the case but it was true.
Because they can't be everywhere on the court at once? Derrick and Juan were doing just fine. Steve was the biggest liability. JjJ, Burton, Carlino, Duane, and Sandy were all struggling as well. Wojo smartly adjusted based on the needs of the entire roster, not just his two best defenders.
TAMU - What you fail to grasp seemingly is that you can play many different combinations of players. Derrick is not required at the "1." Carlino and Duane can both handle bringing up the ball as needed. Furthermore, once we are in the halfcourt set, generally the guards are interchangeable.
Deonte was one of the 5 best players on the team coming into this year. Period. He should get starters minutes.
Lastly, Derrick was getting blown by numerous times in man to man, not quite to the extent Carlino did, but to act as if Derrick wasn't part of the problem in man to man is once again excusing him of any culpability/responsibility for being part of the problem. Was he better than Duane and Carlino on man? Yes. But Elite? Not even close.
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The three point number is very misleading, given it was only 10 attempts in 8 games.
The number that explains why he wasn't playing is 11 rebounds in those 8 games. Wojo wasn't expecting him to be a lockdown defender. The whole team stunk defensively early on. What was expected was for him to put in the work on the glass. Instead, he stayed out on the perimeter on offense, and tried to leak out instead of hitting the defensive boards. That's why he didn't play.
Not sure what you want me to rebut, but yeah, I'm sure he was frustrated. And I'm positive a lot of that was due to what I posted, that he viewed his role differently than Wojo did. Same happened with ODB and Crean. Buzz and McKay. These things happen, and we move on. At least some of us do, anyway.
Wasn't asking you to rebut anything - your point supported mine - the Burton transferred because he and Wojo didn't see eye-to-eye and that he didn't like his role (rightfully so). Had he been happy in the one area of his life that he loved (basketball) it would have helped* offset the hurt/loss and disappointment of losing his Mom.
(Not your point 12) As for Deonte's inner-circle/handlers getting in his ear - big deal? They were right. Just as it appears McKay's were right. If your head coach can't see your talent, coach it properly, and play it ahead of less talented guys - then you move on.
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TAMU - What you fail to grasp seemingly is that you can play many different combinations of players. Derrick is not required at the "1." Carlino and Duane can both handle bringing up the ball as needed. Furthermore, once we are in the halfcourt set, generally the guards are interchangeable.
Deonte was one of the 5 best players on the team coming into this year. Period. He should get starters minutes.
Lastly, Derrick was getting blown by numerous times in man to man, not quite to the extent Carlino did, but to act as if Derrick wasn't part of the problem in man to man is once again excusing him of any culpability/responsibility for being part of the problem. Was he better than Duane and Carlino on man? Yes. But Elite? Not even close.
Deonte, Cohen, JjJ, and Taylor were all travesties at man to man defense at the time. Luke Fischer wasn't around yet to protect the rim. JjJ and Taylor are still travesties on man to man defense. JjJ is good in zone defense because his gambling doesn't hurt and his knack for the passing lanes can be protected and/or rewarded.
Based on Deonte's performance prior to Luke being eligible, Deonte didn't deserve starters minutes, he deserved the minutes he got. Just like right now, JjJ has done nothing to show me he has earned more minutes than he is getting. And I'm willing to bet it's people like you, with thoughts like yours that were chirping in Deonte's ear about him deserving starters minutes that facilitated this transfer.
There is no question in my mind that both Deonte and the team would be in a better place if he had stayed. With Luke and Juan working the boards Deonte wouldn't have had to be a rebounder nearly as much. But because people thought he "deserved" something he has left. C'est la vie.
My god, look at Sandy, the kid puts in the work, has shown he knows how to play within his role, helps the team be successful and his minutes are expanding. If that doesn't show Wojo's flexibility and coaching ability I don't know what does.
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So, he loses his Mom at a young age, and while all of that is going on, our Head Coach is yanking him in and out of basketball games, essentially giving his position to Derrick
EVERY. FRIGGIN. THREAD.
C'mon, Mods
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The only way I can think of this being true is if TW is the parent of one of the players. He has said he is the parent of a division 1 athlete. If this is the case, I would caution you about taking a parent's word as fact. I don't know TW or his child, and I am not a parent myself, but I have worked with college students and their parents long enough to know that parents often only know what their kid wants them to know, and parents will fight to the death to defend their children.
It would be an absolute disaster if TW was in any way connected with any of MU's players. IF that were the case, and he is undermining the coach in a public forum like this, that will not end well for the player in question.
TW joined in February 2013 and started posting on Christmas Day of the same year. People can go back and read his posts to get a sense of who he is.
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LOL - I see what you did there. You can rebut the argument if you'd like.
It's not an argument.
It's just speculation and a narrative without much merit.
Occam's Razor. Literally HUNDREDS of D1 players transfer every season. I don't think it takes advanced psychology to try to break down each situation. Sometimes, it's a just poor fit, or a kid is looking for a change. That's it.
We don't need to twist ourselves into knots trying to create a narrative about a coach that we don't really know yet. We don't have 20 years of track record with Wojo.
I wish/hope that every MU player comes and plays for 4 seasons, but I also know that MU isn't the perfect fit for everybody. Some people will transfer. *GASP*.
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I'd like an honest, relatively short response to the following question from the seemingly anti-Wojo crowd(can't believe that's a thing already):
What specifically has Wojo done that causes you to doubt him and what would you do differently?
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I'd like an honest, relatively short response to the following question from the seemingly anti-Wojo crowd(can't believe that's a thing already):
What specifically has Wojo done that causes you to doubt him and what would you do differently?
he plays Derrick.
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You make a lot of nice points in your posts. Question for you: What do you think matters more to Deonte than anything in the world at this time in his life?
My GUESS would be that his two loves in life were his Mom and basketball. So, he loses his Mom at a young age, and while all of that is going on, our Head Coach is yanking him in and out of basketball games, essentially giving his position to Derrick Wilson (a wing defender on our 2-3 zone), and giving him 16 minutes per game, all while the team is losing games to UNO, beating no one of consequence and Deonte Burton is shooting 47.6% from the Field, 77% from the FT Line and 40% from the 3 point line - all team highs at the time of his transfer.
The term TW used - "throwing Deonte under the bus" was referring to the above.
Lastly, how nice would a 3rd scorer have looked on this team right now? All this team needs is a good 3rd scoring threat at this time and it is a big time winner. And, with what is left on the roster NOW, the best candidate to add this production is JJJ or Cohen. The current formula is nice and all, and we are competitive, but like last year, again, we'll have a bunch of near wins and our head coach won't have deviated at all to attempt to try to see if a different combination of players could yield more wins.
Furthermore, Wojo has said both Derrick and Juan are elite defenders - why weren't we able to be effective in Wojo's preferred man to man defense then?
Because at the start of the year, Duane, JaJuan, Steve, Deonte, Carlino, and Cohen were all well below average defenders. Two very good defenders and three very bad defenders does not make a good defense.
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TAMU - What you fail to grasp seemingly is that you can play many different combinations of players. Derrick is not required at the "1." Carlino and Duane can both handle bringing up the ball as needed. Furthermore, once we are in the halfcourt set, generally the guards are interchangeable.
Deonte was one of the 5 best players on the team coming into this year. Period. He should get starters minutes.
Lastly, Derrick was getting blown by numerous times in man to man, not quite to the extent Carlino did, but to act as if Derrick wasn't part of the problem in man to man is once again excusing him of any culpability/responsibility for being part of the problem. Was he better than Duane and Carlino on man? Yes. But Elite? Not even close.
What you fail to grasp is that there is a depth chart. You need players at all five positions. Deonte was one of the four available players to play the two post positions. He was used exclusively at the four for this reason. If he stays for one more game, there are 5 players available for two positions and he can slide over to the three. Then you could make an argument for playing him over Derrick. It still wouldn't be a good one because Derrick is the best option at the 1. If anything, Deonte would have probably eaten up all of JjJ's minutes.
And no, Deonte was not one of the five best players on the floor. Juan, Carlino, Derrick, Duane, and JjJ all played better than him the first 8 games of the season. Deonte was the 6th best player on the team. He got the 7th most minutes because the 7th best player, Steve Taylor, was the only player big enough to play the five.
You could make an argument that he had the highest ceiling of any player on the team. I would agree with that statement. But you play who will win you games right now. Deonte was getting the minutes he earned.
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Derrick causes global warming
I thought that was Al Gore. You know, the 'Chakra Release' guy
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I'd like an honest, relatively short response to the following question from the seemingly anti-Wojo crowd(can't believe that's a thing already):
What specifically has Wojo done that causes you to doubt him and what would you do differently?
Simple:
He just benched Duane Wilson for a critical 4 minute stretch in the game against Georgetown from the 8 minute mark to 3:30 mark to get Derrick Wilson back in the game. Not to mention Duane was absolutely in the zone, and in the flow. AWFUL.
If that isn't pause for concern, I'm not even going to get into losing Burton due to playing him 16 minutes a game in choppy segments. Nor Dawson. And now potentially JJJ.
We have quite a few open scholarships for next season, and I certainly am not hearing us being in on any very talented guys other than perhaps Ricky Council.
The team's current record.
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If that isn't pause for concern, I'm not even going to get into losing Burton due to playing him 16 minutes a game in choppy segments. Nor Dawson. And now potentially JJJ.
You should just put all these thoughts in your signature. Then you wouldn't need to repeat it in every thread.
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Simple:
He just benched Duane Wilson for a critical 4 minute stretch in the game against Georgetown from the 8 minute mark to 3:30 mark to get Derrick Wilson back in the game. Not to mention Duane was absolutely in the zone, and in the flow. AWFUL.
If that isn't pause for concern, I'm not even going to get into losing Burton due to playing him 16 minutes a game in choppy segments. Nor Dawson. And now potentially JJJ.
We have quite a few open scholarships for next season, and I certainly am not hearing us being in on any very talented guys other than perhaps Ricky Council.
The team's current record.
Please be factually accurate when making an argument, it'll go a lot further.
http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?action=post;quote=691309;topic=46239.25;num_replies=47;sesc=9b1ccaa6ff7f99dbf8b1a1dd17c03c33 (http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?action=post;quote=691309;topic=46239.25;num_replies=47;sesc=9b1ccaa6ff7f99dbf8b1a1dd17c03c33)
Duane was in to start the 2nd half, subbed out at 16:17, came back in at 12:58.
Derrick came out at 9:37 leaving Duane, Matt, Sandy, Luke and Juan on the court at 61-64(Gtown)
Derrick came in for Duane at 7:42 with the score 66-66
Duane came in at 4:14 for Sandy with the score 71-74
Duane finished the game.
I agree with you that the 3 min and 28 seconds of game time was too long, and likely a mistake. I think Duane needed a sub there but he was probably on the bench too long. By the same token it was not some sort of disastrous decision that lost us the game.
To chalk that up as some sort of proof of Wojo's inability to coach seems insane. You deal in absolutes, as a high school player you should know basketball isn't about absolutes.
I'll bite on JjJ as well. What in the last 6 games has shown that JjJ get more minutes? Look at Duane, when he was in his slump he was getting 20-24 minutes, now that he's coming out of it he's getting 30-33 minutes a game. Look at Sandy, he went from DNP against DePaul to a season high 27 against St Johns and 21 against Georgetown. That's coaching, that's letting the player playing well dictate playing time. You would give JjJ 30 minutes just cause, how is that smart coaching?
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It would be an absolute disaster if TW was in any way connected with any of MU's players. IF that were the case, and he is undermining the coach in a public forum like this, that will not end well for the player in question.
TW joined in February 2013 and started posting on Christmas Day of the same year. People can go back and read his posts to get a sense of who he is.
Had not done that with TW until just now, and yeah, it really couldn't be any clearer.
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You deal in absolutes, as a high school player you should know basketball isn't about absolutes.
Holy crapola! He is a high school ballin sith!