Cane Gang Wrote:A losing season would be completely unacceptable, but 17 or 18 wins might be all we can squeeze out of this year. Hope that's not the case, but it seems somewhat likely.

From what I've seen this far, a losing season could be in the works. We've not entered WAC play yet, and I guarantee as of this date that SMU is going to sweep us this year. Hawaii, Nevada, and possibly Rice are poised to do so as well. Everyone can forget that Gonzaga game it's not going to happen. Reality has set in.

"I guarantee as of this date that SMU is going to sweep us this year. Hawaii, Nevada, and possibly Rice are poised to do so as well. Everyone can forget that Gonzaga game it's not going to happen. Reality has set in. "

You see that as reality setting in while I see it as paranoia setting in. This team is in a learning curve at the moment but to be honest I've been able to see several of the WAC teams play and we will be competative this year. I don't think SMU will sweep us though we will have a tough time winning in Dallas. I wouldn't be surprised if we swept Hawaii and if we catch them on one of their many lackadaisical nights we can beat Nevada in Reno. None of this might happen but it is entirely possible that it could all happen. We aren't as bad as you are making us out and the rest of the WAC aren't as good as you are making them out.

I would like to address another comment from another post also. You said that if a new offense was going in it should have been installed before the season started. Basketball is way different than football. Their is no basketball equivalent of spring football where the players and coaches get on the field and install new elements of the game as well as competing for positions. Basketball has very limited contact periods for coaches and players, the coaches couldn't even watch the new players play between the time they signed them and practice began. When the players showed up for school they played pick-up games with the returning players but the coaches couldn't even stop by the gym and watch. Playing pickup is way different than having a coach there running you through reps. I don't know why basketball is much more restricted than football but it hurts the ability of coaches to incorporate new players into a team and new schemes into a program.

Excellent explanation, Nevadanatural! Well done.

You also have to have a lot more than ONE offense!! You have to have at least a man to man and zone offense. The zone offense is also different for certain zones. Off of the man to man offense you also have MANY different options that can be added over time. In practice you run the base offenses over and over, hour after hour, OK, I'm getting carried away, but it seems like that. I like to see a change in DEFENSES several times a game, just so the other team never gets overly comfortable. Throw a half court trap in there several times a game and they never get to run the same plays for more than 3 or 4 minutes. Every team has a defense they prefer to play against, usually M to M, and anytime that is changed, their confidence level goes down!!!! I've known more than a few players that were pissed off just to play against a team that played a zone and knew they were going to have a bad night!!

Catbird - I don't think anyone over here cares to go through the pain of making up new screennames over there... I did like the movie conspiracy theory though.

On Phillips - this year needs to be played out. Chances are we won't be doing so good if the coaches and team don't get a handle on things and find that fighting spirit - it is easy to get deflated, but that is their job to not allow that to happen.

I think this year is acceptable as a down year, considering the talent and time played together we lost. Next year will be a huge determining factor about keeping or firing JP. I believe the man can coach, and I believe he, Kwanza, and Pooh can recruit. Sometimes crap happens that is unforeseeable.

On Judy - I think she deserved to be fired way before Phillips was hired, but I have been very consistent in that view. I also think the compliance officer should be fired for letting stuff go on that does, and I think the SID should be fired to the millionth power. They need to just hire an outsourced company for our SID.
Please give a rest to the 'you just can't handle a woman being in charge' argument. I've listed over and over my views and how I came to them.

Also, on offense and defense, a coach should always be willing to adapt - if he has the players to run one set over another, he needs to adapt to the strengths of his starting five.

These guys are practicing folks - I think we have some good players and I think we'll be ok. Just give it some time.

The OOC part of the season is going pretty much like I thought. I had predicted a 6-4 OOC record on the old board, which now looks more like 5-5 unless we have a heck of a game against Gonzaga. With the game in Tulsa, I think we have a better than 50-50 shot at beating Arkansas. They are not that great this year, at least in these early stages, so they are like us. It might turn out to be which team is maturing the faster comes out the winner but I'm picking Tulsa.