Sandy vs JJJ

[MU82]

All this BS about Derrick vs JJJ or "grooming" Duane is just that. Want a few less minutes for Derrick and a few more for Duane? Reasonable. Nobody would bitch about that. But this JJJ for Derrick stuff is insane. They don't remotely play the same position. JJJ and Sandy do. Here's how they stack up vs one another in Big East play:

                Min   FG   FGA  FG%  3s  Att   3%  TO   TO/40 Min

JJJ              86   10    36    27      0   11    0    12      5.6

Sandy         84    8     17    47      4    9    44    3       1.4

They've both score 20 points on field goals but JJJ has taken more than twice as many shots. Sandy is an excellent 3 point shooter. JJJ is as bad as a player can be. Sandy's turnovers/minutes is excellent. JJJ is a turnover machine.

They (together) average 34 minutes per game (each has 1 DNP). Want to bump that to maybe 40? Fine. Take 3 away from Juan and 3 from Derrick. But the split should be 25-30 Sandy and 10-15 JJJ based on their performance in the games. JJJ is an awesome athlete. He has the "wow" factor (see Carlton Christian) that many fall in love with. But even dismissing his attitude/practice habits he's not getting it done on the floor. Until he is, let's have more Sandy and less JJJ.

This is impossible because JJJ was a top-30 high school player and Sandy wasn't. And we all know that means everything.

[Lennys Tap]

I don't think anyone is arguing for more minutes for JJJ.

Actually someone was. My rejoinder to that was why not play Sandy more instead of JJJ - they play the same position and right now anyway Cohen is playing better.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I don't think anyone is arguing for more minutes for JJJ. However, I do believe that right now people are suffering from availability bias about him. He has had a rough stretch of four games. Before that, he was pretty good for six straight games.

I don't know how much a high usage, low efficiency player hurts a generic team. However, I still calculate JJJ as the fourth most productive member of the team so far.

The most useful comparison for him in my mind is Jerel McNeal. McNeal had a higher usage rate than JJJ, and was also poor efficiently his freshmen and sophomore seasons. Once McNeal got to be a junior, he was a good player.

Jerel was never shy.

I was always okay with it though. The guy worked so hard on defense the first couple of seasons that he created extra possessions for his team. That South Florida steal and layup is still insane.

[Lennys Tap]

The most useful comparison for him in my mind is Jerel McNeal. McNeal had a higher usage rate than JJJ, and was also poor efficiently his freshmen and sophomore seasons. Once McNeal got to be a junior, he was a good player.

Agree on Jerel. He drove me crazy for two years, I'll admit - even after that sometimes. And JJJ is a bigger, stronger version of Jerel. Hope the light goes on.

[mikekinsellaMVP]

Jerel was never shy.

I was always okay with it though. The guy worked so hard on defense the first couple of seasons that he created extra possessions for his team. That South Florida steal and layup is still insane.

Goosebumps.  Probably the second most exciting moment of my college tenure (the Novak dagger vs ND being #1.)  Best of all was the Air Jordan XX2 ad released just weeks later.  Coincidence?

http://youtu.be/rgVClINRyrc

[NersEllenson]

Agree on Jerel. He drove me crazy for two years, I'll admit - even after that sometimes. And JJJ is a bigger, stronger version of Jerel. Hope the light goes on.

Jerel, along with Dom and Wes had the HUGE benefit of all basically playing 30 minutes a game, EVERY game, right out of the gate of their careers.  Oddly, they happened to win 10 Big East games in the REAL Big East their freshman year - and they only had Novak is a polished upperclassmen.

To your point - Jerel drove you crazy.  Just as at times Dom did, and Wes too.  The point is, that when you play talented kids max minutes - such as JJJ/Cohen - over time that potential and talent come out and get normalized.  When you marginalize a player into spotty minutes here and there - they simply can't perform well on a consistent basis.

The comparison of most accuracy is Vander.  JJJ and he are basically the same player as a sophomore.  Believe JJJ has a bit more offensive ability than Vander, whereas Vander a better defender.

[brewcity77]

To your point - Jerel drove you crazy.  Just as at times Dom did, and Wes too.  The point is, that when you play talented kids max minutes - such as JJJ/Cohen - over time that potential and talent come out and get normalized.  When you marginalize a player into spotty minutes here and there - they simply can't perform well on a consistent basis.

Hmm...let's look 70 miles West to see if that is true...

2003-04 Kammron Taylor: 2.3 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 0.1 rpg, 0.1 apg
2005-06 Kammron Taylor: 34.3 mpg, 14.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.4 apg

2004-05 Brian Butch: 9.7 mpg, 3.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg
2005-06 Brain Butch: 24.1 mpg, 9.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg

2007-08 Jon Leuer: 8.6 mpg, 2.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg
2009-10 Jon Leuer: 28.8 mpg, 15.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg

2008-09 Jordan Taylor: 13.2 mpg, 1.6 ppg, 1.2 apg
2010-11 Jordan Taylor: 36.5 mpg, 18.1 ppg, 4.7 apg

2010-11 Jared Berggren: 6.9 mpg, 2.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg
2011-12 Jared Berggren: 28.5 mpg, 11.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg

2012-13 Frank Kaminsky: 10.3 mpg, 4.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg
2013-14 Frank Kaminsky: 27.2 mpg, 13.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg

There's plenty to dislike about Madison, but there are a TON of guys there that are happy to wait their turn, learn on the bench, in practice, and by understudying the guys ahead of them, then in a year or two after getting inconsequential minutes suddenly step up to being stars. Hate Bo all you like, he has done a brilliant job of squelching that pathetic sense of entitlement that has so many people transferring. And while this is just one school as an example, there are plenty of guys around the country that don't play much as underclassmen, learn how to compete at a high level, and emerge as quality starters when their time comes.

This is one aspect of our culture I really hope Wojo fixes. Would guys like Jamail, Jamal Ferguson, E-Will, or Dawson have been studs here? Who knows. But maybe if you're patient, learn the system, and actually put in the work rather than running like a coward because things aren't being handed to you on a silver platter, you'll be able to emerge when your time comes.

[79Warrior]

Hmm...let's look 70 miles West to see if that is true...

2003-04 Kammron Taylor: 2.3 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 0.1 rpg, 0.1 apg
2005-06 Kammron Taylor: 34.3 mpg, 14.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.4 apg

2004-05 Brian Butch: 9.7 mpg, 3.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg
2005-06 Brain Butch: 24.1 mpg, 9.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg

2007-08 Jon Leuer: 8.6 mpg, 2.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg
2009-10 Jon Leuer: 28.8 mpg, 15.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg

2008-09 Jordan Taylor: 13.2 mpg, 1.6 ppg, 1.2 apg
2010-11 Jordan Taylor: 36.5 mpg, 18.1 ppg, 4.7 apg

2010-11 Jared Berggren: 6.9 mpg, 2.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg
2011-12 Jared Berggren: 28.5 mpg, 11.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg

2012-13 Frank Kaminsky: 10.3 mpg, 4.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg
2013-14 Frank Kaminsky: 27.2 mpg, 13.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg

There's plenty to dislike about Madison, but there are a TON of guys there that are happy to wait their turn, learn on the bench, in practice, and by understudying the guys ahead of them, then in a year or two after getting inconsequential minutes suddenly step up to being stars. Hate Bo all you like, he has done a brilliant job of squelching that pathetic sense of entitlement that has so many people transferring. And while this is just one school as an example, there are plenty of guys around the country that don't play much as underclassmen, learn how to compete at a high level, and emerge as quality starters when their time comes.

This is one aspect of our culture I really hope Wojo fixes. Would guys like Jamail, Jamal Ferguson, E-Will, or Dawson have been studs here? Who knows. But maybe if you're patient, learn the system, and actually put in the work rather than running like a coward because things aren't being handed to you on a silver platter, you'll be able to emerge when your time comes.

Brew, no facts please. He was a HS Superstar in bum fu## and he knows everyone else is wrong.

[NersEllenson]

Hmm...let's look 70 miles West to see if that is true...

2003-04 Kammron Taylor: 2.3 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 0.1 rpg, 0.1 apg
2005-06 Kammron Taylor: 34.3 mpg, 14.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.4 apg

2004-05 Brian Butch: 9.7 mpg, 3.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg
2005-06 Brain Butch: 24.1 mpg, 9.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg

2007-08 Jon Leuer: 8.6 mpg, 2.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg
2009-10 Jon Leuer: 28.8 mpg, 15.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg

2008-09 Jordan Taylor: 13.2 mpg, 1.6 ppg, 1.2 apg
2010-11 Jordan Taylor: 36.5 mpg, 18.1 ppg, 4.7 apg

2010-11 Jared Berggren: 6.9 mpg, 2.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg
2011-12 Jared Berggren: 28.5 mpg, 11.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg

2012-13 Frank Kaminsky: 10.3 mpg, 4.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg
2013-14 Frank Kaminsky: 27.2 mpg, 13.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg

There's plenty to dislike about Madison, but there are a TON of guys there that are happy to wait their turn, learn on the bench, in practice, and by understudying the guys ahead of them, then in a year or two after getting inconsequential minutes suddenly step up to being stars. Hate Bo all you like, he has done a brilliant job of squelching that pathetic sense of entitlement that has so many people transferring. And while this is just one school as an example, there are plenty of guys around the country that don't play much as underclassmen, learn how to compete at a high level, and emerge as quality starters when their time comes.

This is one aspect of our culture I really hope Wojo fixes. Would guys like Jamail, Jamal Ferguson, E-Will, or Dawson have been studs here? Who knows. But maybe if you're patient, learn the system, and actually put in the work rather than running like a coward because things aren't being handed to you on a silver platter, you'll be able to emerge when your time comes.

I have a ton or respect for Bo Ryan.  He's been a winner everywhere.  His systems works.  And it's been proven out over time.  He generally is able to take 3 star guys and make them very good players either via a 5 year redshirt program, or to your point by the time they are a senior.

Context is also necessary.  It doesn't SUCK to sit on the bench when your team is winning consistently, and the upperclassmen ahead of you is playing solidly/well.  Different story if your team is losing consistently, and the guy ahead of you is struggling at historic levels.  Now this season, we only had 10 guys on the team to start the year - if you are Dawson and know Buzz at least gave you 10-15 minutes per game in most all of the non-conference schedule as a freshman - but now your new coach gives you 4 minutes and then 9 DNP's??  You gonna stick around for that?

I'm sure it would be hard for you to acknowledge - but for real:  You are Dawson - You get 1 legit playing time opportunity of 32 minutes.  You compete very well, play a key hand in victory, over a solid Big East team on the road - while the guy in front of you has been floundering significantly.  Would you not think your performance against GTown might earn you more than 8 minutes the next game?

[brewcity77]

You are Dawson - You get 1 legit playing time opportunity of 32 minutes.  You compete very well, play a key hand in victory, over a solid Big East team on the road - while the guy in front of you has been floundering significantly.  Would you not think your performance against GTown might earn you more than 8 minutes the next game?

I would acknowledge that I am a freshman, shut my mouth, and do what the coach says. Because I'm a freshman, I don't know crap about the overall plan, and the people that have been here before me probably know a thing or two about how to succeed.

[NersEllenson]

Brew, no facts please. He was a HS Superstar in bum fu## and he knows everyone else is wrong.

Are you capable of even trying to dispute the points I make?  Clearly not, as this is the only drivel you've got.  At least Brew, TAMU, Sultan and others I disagree with frequently, can offer a well-reasoned counter point.  You?  Not so much.  Shoot blank after blank.  Nonetheless, I'm sure you've been a great "yes" man at your place of employment

But rock on Internet tough guy.

[NersEllenson]

I would acknowledge that I am a freshman, shut my mouth, and do what the coach says. Because I'm a freshman, I don't know crap about the overall plan, and the people that have been here before me probably know a thing or two about how to succeed.

Figured you couldn't answer the question legitimately.  And for what it's worth - Dawson did shut his mouth, work hard, and maintain a very good attitude all of last season, and again this one.

But I do applaud you for apparently being a good soldier, even if you are straight up getting drilled up your a$$.

[GGGG]

Ners you got clearly too close to the family to know how hard he worked. No one really knows. And really grow up with your insults. Middle school stuff.

And with that I announce my Ners moratorium. I will try my best not to perpetuate this nonsense.

[NersEllenson]

Ners you got clearly too close to the family to know how hard he worked. No one really knows. And really grow up with your insults. Middle school stuff.

And with that I announce my Ners moratorium. I will try my best not to perpetuate this nonsense.

LOL - Grow up with your insults.  Ever take any of the advice you give Sultan?  And Buzz made multiple comments about John having a good approach and work ethic.

[jesmu84]

I have a ton or respect for Bo Ryan.  He's been a winner everywhere.  His systems works.  And it's been proven out over time.  He generally is able to take 3 star guys and make them very good players either via a 5 year redshirt program, or to your point by the time they are a senior.

Context is also necessary.  It doesn't SUCK to sit on the bench when your team is winning consistently, and the upperclassmen ahead of you is playing solidly/well.  Different story if your team is losing consistently, and the guy ahead of you is struggling at historic levels.  Now this season, we only had 10 guys on the team to start the year - if you are Dawson and know Buzz at least gave you 10-15 minutes per game in most all of the non-conference schedule as a freshman - but now your new coach gives you 4 minutes and then 9 DNP's??  You gonna stick around for that?

I'm sure it would be hard for you to acknowledge - but for real:  You are Dawson - You get 1 legit playing time opportunity of 32 minutes.  You compete very well, play a key hand in victory, over a solid Big East team on the road - while the guy in front of you has been floundering significantly.  Would you not think your performance against GTown might earn you more than 8 minutes the next game?

So at first you say top talent/potential should play 30 minutes right out of the gate to maximize what they have (never mind that plan makes it near impossible to keep recruiting classes coming in). Then you agree you can reach the same potential by learning in practice/on the bench as they do in MadisoN. so is it one or the other? Or can both ways work. Because it seems like you're saying both ways work.

Now, you add the caveat about context, ie. Losing games. But that shouldn't matter when it comes to developing that talent. Practice and game minutes are the same win or lose.

[wadesworld]

So .. what you're saying is that it only works like 80% of the time, and that's not worth it?

No, what I'm saying is even when you have him on ignore, you still see every single thing he posts because they're all quoted.  That is not worth it.

[forgetful]

Jerel, along with Dom and Wes had the HUGE benefit of all basically playing 30 minutes a game, EVERY game, right out of the gate of their careers.  Oddly, they happened to win 10 Big East games in the REAL Big East their freshman year - and they only had Novak is a polished upperclassmen.

To your point - Jerel drove you crazy.  Just as at times Dom did, and Wes too.  The point is, that when you play talented kids max minutes - such as JJJ/Cohen - over time that potential and talent come out and get normalized.  When you marginalize a player into spotty minutes here and there - they simply can't perform well on a consistent basis.

The comparison of most accuracy is Vander.  JJJ and he are basically the same player as a sophomore.  Believe JJJ has a bit more offensive ability than Vander, whereas Vander a better defender.

Not true.  When they played bad they would often sit.  Wes had a game his freshman year that I remember where he turned the ball over repeatedly.  What happened, he got benched, played 9 minutes.  When you play bad you sit.  All coaches do this. 

JJJ has been prone to being the worst player on the court.  He has also had games where he was our best player.  When he is on, you play him, when he is off he sits.  That is called good coaching by 99.9% of all people that know basketball.

[brewcity77]

Wow...did you really post these two things within 10 minutes of each other?

LOL - Grow up with your insults.  Ever take any of the advice you give Sultan?  And Buzz made multiple comments about John having a good approach and work ethic.

Figured you couldn't answer the question legitimately.  And for what it's worth - Dawson did shut his mouth, work hard, and maintain a very good attitude all of last season, and again this one.

But I do applaud you for apparently being a good soldier, even if you are straight up getting drilled up your a$$.

I've learned a ton by following in the footsteps of those that came before me. I find that people that have been doing my job for years and years usually have a reason for doing things differently than maybe I think is best, and I've found that by shutting up, watching and learning and doing the things they advise, in time I usually start to understand why they do things the way they do and realize that all the things I thought were best when I was a little younger and a little more inexperienced were things they already knew weren't as effective.

You are the classic example of someone who thinks he knows best about everything. Hates admitting when you're wrong, disagreeing with any form of evidence, no matter how blatant, that contradicts your opinion. We have two coaching staffs that have come to the same conclusion about these players, yet you still persist in banging your head against the wall until your skull splits because, gosh darn it, you just know that next time you'll get through the concrete.

And of course, as is par for the course, you have AGAIN turned a thread that has ZERO to do with Derrick and Dawson into a thread about Derrick and Dawson.

SMH...just a few more times, Ners!

[NersEllenson]

Wow...did you really post these two things within 10 minutes of each other?



I've learned a ton by following in the footsteps of those that came before me. I find that people that have been doing my job for years and years usually have a reason for doing things differently than maybe I think is best, and I've found that by shutting up, watching and learning and doing the things they advise, in time I usually start to understand why they do things the way they do and realize that all the things I thought were best when I was a little younger and a little more inexperienced were things they already knew weren't as effective.

You are the classic example of someone who thinks he knows best about everything. Hates admitting when you're wrong, disagreeing with any form of evidence, no matter how blatant, that contradicts your opinion. We have two coaching staffs that have come to the same conclusion about these players, yet you still persist in banging your head against the wall until your skull splits because, gosh darn it, you just know that next time you'll get through the concrete.

And of course, as is par for the course, you have AGAIN turned a thread that has ZERO to do with Derrick and Dawson into a thread about Derrick and Dawson.

SMH...just a few more times, Ners!

Nice post Brew.  I admire you ability to be a good soldier - which is certainly admirable if you are under good leadership in the workplace.  Following Buzz's lead last season wasn't exactly a good call.  As you know I was a HUGE Buzz fan.  Yes, I turned on him last season - and early in the season - when it was obvious he wasn't right, nor were his decisions, and that if he didn't change it would result in disaster.  Sorry, it turned out to be true/accurate.  Not just on our final record, but also on the fact that Buzz was peace out..

And, if you want to discuss beating a dead horse - that's been proven out and done by Buzz and now Wojo again this year.  And the results once again will be the same - and all kinds of excuses will once again be made for our coach/the player in question.

[willie warrior]

I think JJJ needs to find a low D-1 program for a transfer following this year.  He's on an 8 man roster and his minutes are decreasing.  He's had every opportunity and then some to show he can play and it isn't happening.  It's not like he's buried behind all these good, more experience players.  If he can't show something on this team, he's a lost cause.  And I believe he's a lost cause.

Now that is laughable. Did you say the same about Cadougan, Derrick or Juan half way through their soph season? Because that is the logic you are using!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Nice post Brew.  I admire you ability to be a good soldier - which is certainly admirable if you are under good leadership in the workplace.  Following Buzz's lead last season wasn't exactly a good call.  As you know I was a HUGE Buzz fan.  Yes, I turned on him last season - and early in the season - when it was obvious he wasn't right, nor were his decisions, and that if he didn't change it would result in disaster.  Sorry, it turned out to be true/accurate.  Not just on our final record, but also on the fact that Buzz was peace out..

And, if you want to discuss beating a dead horse - that's been proven out and done by Buzz and now Wojo again this year.  And the results once again will be the same - and all kinds of excuses will once again be made for our coach/the player in question.

Ners,

You didn't turn on Buzz last season because "he wasn't right." You turned on him because we were losing. Last year, Buzz did all the same things he did in previous seasons. Before they worked, last season they didn't. You don't accept losing from Marquette. Which is admirable. Being fiercely competitive and refusing to accept a loss can take you very far in life. It can push you to keep fighting and come out with a victory against all odds. I'm sure this has helped you in your real life many a time. What happened last year was that it was easier for you to believe that the coach was either screwing up or throwing games than it was to believe that we didn't have a very good team. Because if the coach was screwing up, all it would take is him to see the error of his ways. Then he would start playing the right players and we would win again! To you, that is better than the alternative, because the alternative would mean more losses.

The same thing is happening this season. Despite all evidence to the contrary, you projected an NCAA tournament appearance for a team that most experts picked to finish 9th in the Big East. And to nobody's surprise but a few optimists here, we started losing. Rather than accept all the evidence that says we didn't have a winning roster and we are going to be in for a long season, you focused on the coach. If only the coach would stop mistreating and misusing his players, we would win. You believe this again because it allows you to keep hoping that we are going to start winning at a high rate again. The alternative is to accept another mediocre season.

If we were winning, you wouldn't have given a damn about John transferring. You would have thanked him for his service and said "any player transferring to Liberty probably wouldn't help us anyway." You also wouldn't have cared about JjJ "wasting on the bench" (with 21 minutes a game). I think you would have still cared about Burton, kid is talented and it was definitely a blow to see him leave.

Don't confuse the rest of us as "accepting mediocrity" or "blindly following the coach." We hate that we are losing. We hate the position we have been put into by our previous coach's recruiting and departure. We desperately want to win. That doesn't mean we don't accept the limitations of our roster. We accept that we must struggle today so we can win later. We also hope that our players will figure it out and start performing better. We also disagree with Wojo. Quite frequently in fact. But one can disagree with a person, and still have enough respect for their experience and ability to trust that even though we disagree, that they are making the decision possible for our team.

[NersEllenson]

Ners,

You didn't turn on Buzz last season because "he wasn't right." You turned on him because we were losing. Last year, Buzz did all the same things he did in previous seasons. Before they worked, last season they didn't. You don't accept losing from Marquette. Which is admirable. Being fiercely competitive and refusing to accept a loss can take you very far in life. It can push you to keep fighting and come out with a victory against all odds. I'm sure this has helped you in your real life many a time. What happened last year was that it was easier for you to believe that the coach was either screwing up or throwing games than it was to believe that we didn't have a very good team. Because if the coach was screwing up, all it would take is him to see the error of his ways. Then he would start playing the right players and we would win again! To you, that is better than the alternative, because the alternative would mean more losses.

The same thing is happening this season. Despite all evidence to the contrary, you projected an NCAA tournament appearance for a team that most experts picked to finish 9th in the Big East. And to nobody's surprise but a few optimists here, we started losing. Rather than accept all the evidence that says we didn't have a winning roster and we are going to be in for a long season, you focused on the coach. If only the coach would stop mistreating and misusing his players, we would win. You believe this again because it allows you to keep hoping that we are going to start winning at a high rate again. The alternative is to accept another mediocre season.

If we were winning, you wouldn't have given a damn about John transferring. You would have thanked him for his service and said "any player transferring to Liberty probably wouldn't help us anyway." You also wouldn't have cared about JjJ "wasting on the bench" (with 21 minutes a game). I think you would have still cared about Burton, kid is talented and it was definitely a blow to see him leave.

Don't confuse the rest of us as "accepting mediocrity" or "blindly following the coach." We hate that we are losing. We hate the position we have been put into by our previous coach's recruiting and departure. We desperately want to win. That doesn't mean we don't accept the limitations of our roster. We accept that we must struggle today so we can win later. We also hope that our players will figure it out and start performing better. We also disagree with Wojo. Quite frequently in fact. But one can disagree with a person, and still have enough respect for their experience and ability to trust that even though we disagree, that they are making the decision possible for our team.

TAMU - What did most experts project for MU last year?  Apparently predictions go wrong.  However, I do feel last year's team should have had higher expectations than this year's given all of the returning experience.  That said, I feel this team should have been a 22 win team given the talent in the program Wojo had upon taking over, and with the addition of Carlino.

Sugar just mentioned that since 2011 in his Win Shares analysis - the Top players consistently were Crowder, Gardner, Vander, Jamil, DJO, with a smattering of Mayo.  Last year's team had 3 of those guys on it - 2 of which were seniors.  And we missed the freaking NIT - and some here wanted to point to the "leadership" of Jamil and Devante as being the problem - even though they produced fairly well on the court given who they were paired with.

And as for Buzz not being "right."  My take on that was not on the fact that we were losing early on in the season, it was based on his coaching decisions.  He proved he was a good coach his first 5 years at MU.  He's a bright guy.  His head wasn't in the right place all of last season.

As for this season and last - Again, I believe the coach is not using the talent available to him properly.  That's the beef.  Furthermore, I refuse to accept that Wojo inherited such a challenging situation.  Perhaps only Hank Raymonds walked into a better situation at MU with regard to how much talent there was in the program at the time of him taking over. 

[brandx]

St. John's has a lot more talent than us and they have the same record as us in the Big East.

Not to mention that it is experienced, senior talent.

[brandx]

No, what I'm saying is even when you have him on ignore, you still see every single thing he posts because they're all quoted.  That is not worth it.

I've noticed I come to the board a lot less now that Ners is back.

There is simply no basketball subject that can be discussed without Ners carpet bombing the thread to smithereens with his Derrick comments.

And of course, he is still riding the Dawson train as well.

I've said it before (and it was probably taken as a joke), but there really is effective medication for OCD.

[brewcity77]

Last year's problem was more personality than anything. As good as Buzz is, he only seems to know one way to motivate. The underdog, try hard, we aren't any good didn't resonate with Jamil, Gardner, Mayo, and the rest of those guys the way it did with Jae, DJO, and Jimmy. Buzz created a culture, then recruited kids that didn't fit that culture. Whether that was Larry's fault, or misevaluation of talent, or just bad luck, it clearly didn't work.

And then we lost all our experienced scorers, our coach, and our recruiting class. I had NIT hopes early, but did feel the NCAAs were possible when league play started. Honestly, despite our struggles, I still think there's a chance, but the staff was handed a total rebuild. Yes, there's some raw talent, but very little experience and honestly, most of these guys haven't won much.

I have confidence in this staff. They've shown definite improvement, been competitive in every game despite the short bench, and are thus far recruiting at a very high level. It will be interesting to see the tone in the next couple years, once this staff puts some trophies in the case.