Quote from: 1SE on December 10, 2025, 11:10:03 PMWow, you do love these strawman don't you? Given Shaka's NCAAT record since leaving VCU (3-7, no wins against a lower seed) and his questionable in game coaching, the biggest thing he's had going for him - and what elevated him over our last nice guy coach and made me a yahka is that he's been consistently able to get more than the sum of the parts out of his teams. Until this year. This year he is getting considerably LESS than the sum of his parts. For whatever reason he doesn't have his guys executing at a high level. Chase is/could be a stud. Nigel is the best true frosh PG we've seen since the last PG James. Zaide is a serious athlete who used to be able to knock down an open 3. Ben is what he is but that is a senior with significant minutes under his belt. I don't see it but people love Parham. Stevens looks like he can contribute some serious minutes. The point is the guys on this roster certainly don't look terrible on paper, which is why we and everyone else had them in a bubble team range.

Why are we performing so far below that? Why have guys regressed? I know Shaka doesn't shoot the ball for them, but why have so many guys taken a step backwards? Why is our defense so lacking in "connectivity" (defense is about effort and position- no shooting involved!)? Why aren't we seeing more creativity in our offensive sets? These are all legitimate questions and are reasonable to ask and expect answers from a guy being paid 3? 5? million a year whose job is to deliver G from year to year and V on a basketball court. Any f*cking schmo ca ndeliver R - we dont need to shell put millions for that. Totally reasonable to ask "what's wrong?" And "how are you going to fix that"? That fact that Shaka has been a pissy little B when anyone has asked questions in that direction makes me think he doesn't know/want to confront the answer to either Q.

As for protecting his guys/not throwing them under the bus, I agree he doesn't need to/should call out any individual guys publicly- mainly because it would probably be counterproductive. But him taking his own accountability and collective accountability for the team would.be nice and encouraging to show that he has some sort of plan. These guys are now paid professionals - if they don't perform they can take a little heat and also make way for someone who can perform.

If we get to the end of this season, and Steele or whoever asks Shaka- "hey this season didn't go as planned, you're losing Chase, are you going to go to the portal this off-season to fill.some holes?" And he gives an unequivocal "no" then yes, I'd say shown him the door. Hopefully he won't do that, but his public facing stance to date certainly suggests he might.

TL;DR

Trust your instincts.  They are almost always right.  A true fan is supposed to be optimistic, that is why here is always next year

Quote from: MuggsyB on December 10, 2025, 11:00:13 PMThey were guarded but they're capable of making them.  We don't seem to have that ability.  I think we're one of the worst shooting teams among high-majors. 

All those big bodies, yet they just kept chucking. Nice coaching.

College athletics have done nothing if not prove the transitive property to be accurate.

Quote from: MU82 on December 10, 2025, 06:40:24 PMOnly solution is to fire Shaka today, I guess, and bring in someone who will rip players during postgame pressers..

Wow, you do love these strawman don't you? Given Shaka's NCAAT record since leaving VCU (3-7, no wins against a lower seed) and his questionable in game coaching, the biggest thing he's had going for him - and what elevated him over our last nice guy coach and made me a yahka is that he's been consistently able to get more than the sum of the parts out of his teams. Until this year. This year he is getting considerably LESS than the sum of his parts. For whatever reason he doesn't have his guys executing at a high level. Chase is/could be a stud. Nigel is the best true frosh PG we've seen since the last PG James. Zaide is a serious athlete who used to be able to knock down an open 3. Ben is what he is but that is a senior with significant minutes under his belt. I don't see it but people love Parham. Stevens looks like he can contribute some serious minutes. The point is the guys on this roster certainly don't look terrible on paper, which is why we and everyone else had them in a bubble team range.

Why are we performing so far below that? Why have guys regressed? I know Shaka doesn't shoot the ball for them, but why have so many guys taken a step backwards? Why is our defense so lacking in "connectivity" (defense is about effort and position- no shooting involved!)? Why aren't we seeing more creativity in our offensive sets? These are all legitimate questions and are reasonable to ask and expect answers from a guy being paid 3? 5? million a year whose job is to deliver G from year to year and V on a basketball court. Any f*cking schmo ca ndeliver R - we dont need to shell put millions for that. Totally reasonable to ask "what's wrong?" And "how are you going to fix that"? That fact that Shaka has been a pissy little B when anyone has asked questions in that direction makes me think he doesn't know/want to confront the answer to either Q.

As for protecting his guys/not throwing them under the bus, I agree he doesn't need to/should call out any individual guys publicly- mainly because it would probably be counterproductive. But him taking his own accountability and collective accountability for the team would.be nice and encouraging to show that he has some sort of plan. These guys are now paid professionals - if they don't perform they can take a little heat and also make way for someone who can perform.

If we get to the end of this season, and Steele or whoever asks Shaka- "hey this season didn't go as planned, you're losing Chase, are you going to go to the portal this off-season to fill.some holes?" And he gives an unequivocal "no" then yes, I'd say shown him the door. Hopefully he won't do that, but his public facing stance to date certainly suggests he might.

Oklahoma was up like 15 on Nebraska before the corn people woke up.  That final score is misleading.   

Quote from: MU82 on December 10, 2025, 10:38:15 PMAs shooters tonight, the Weasels channeled their inner Marquette. I blame Gard.

They were guarded but they're capable of making them.  We don't seem to have that ability.  I think we're one of the worst shooting teams among high-majors. 

Quote from: MuggsyB on December 10, 2025, 10:33:14 PMI think there's a significant disparity in shooting. 

As shooters tonight, the Weasels channeled their inner Marquette. I blame Gard.

Quote from: GoldenEagles03 on December 10, 2025, 10:28:16 PMUnfortunately I don't think our talent is that far off of UW or Oklahoma. We are just much worse situationally in game.

Nebraska just throttled UW but only beat Oklahoma by 6. We should have run Oklahoma out of the gym when we had our chance but we choked and lost a close one, but yet somehow got throttled by UW.

Talent is similar. Execution and in game awareness is way worse, and that's a major issue, not a silver lining.

I think there's a significant disparity in shooting. 

Unfortunately I don't think our talent is that far off of UW or Oklahoma. We are just much worse situationally in game.

Nebraska just throttled UW but only beat Oklahoma by 6. We should have run Oklahoma out of the gym when we had our chance but we choked and lost a close one, but yet somehow got throttled by UW.

Talent is similar. Execution and in game awareness is way worse, and that's a major issue, not a silver lining.