(03-11-2024 11:28 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 10:28 AM)Gusrob2.0 Wrote:  

(03-10-2024 12:30 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-10-2024 10:11 AM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(03-09-2024 12:04 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Basketball is not football.
We turn the roster over every year.

It's not just the roster.
It's local attendance and national relevance.
Even the roster turnover used to require recruiting chops. Penny was the best since Cal and it ain't even close. In fact Penny and Cal are probably the 2 best we've ever had. Bartow, Kirk, and Finch relied on local recruiting.
Of course, recruiting has changed the fast few years. And with attaining NIL funding, Penny is as good as anyone we could get.

Pastner recruited just as good… until he didn’t. He had top 10 classes, just as Penny has. Attracting talent has not been the issue at Memphis since Cal left… managing the talent has.

When Penny leaves, we’ll find a suitable & capable replacement.

This is an issue. Don't dump your 8 girlfriend hoping to score a 10. Once you catch the 10's eye then you can dump the 8. Don't assume we can do better. Hopefully the AD has a short list in his pocket. He should ALWAYS be feeling out potential HC for all sports.

We move on from Penny when:
1) we have a better option ready to go
2) Penny is onboard - can't ruin the relationship with Penny

Tubby was easily replaced. His recruiting and results were mediocre and he wanted us to be pleased with mediocre.

Penny recruits at a very high level. And no one is more displeased with the results than Penny. He's a winner that wants to win - BIG. It hasn't happened but he isn't settling or resting.

If a guy like Bill Self is a coaching 10, then Penny is nowhere near an 8.

More like a 4.

(03-11-2024 12:23 PM)tigerfan39 Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 12:18 PM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 10:43 AM)former guest Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 10:27 AM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 10:04 AM)Rufus T. Firefly Wrote:  Your point is valid. As such, do you think it is a deficiency in his coaching accumen that is keeping us from a consistent level of performance? If that is not the issue, what do you feel is the cause?

I think this year was a screw-up. The roster didn't come together until late-late, and chemistry got jacked-up. Since Penny is the de-facto GM, he is responsible for this. I am viewing it as a one-off setback. I'm thinking he learns from this roster construction and gets us back on track next year.

The past 2 years showed us just how close we have been. It's not a big stretch to say if we had gotten the timeout against FAU last year, we could have made the same deep run that they did. That's how close we were. And the year before we were beating the best team in the country - Gonzage - with 10 minutes left in the 2nd round. We have been really close to that coveted sweet 16. And no one wants to talk about NIT championships, but it's not easy to do and it showed we were undervalued by the Selection Committee and should have been in the NCAA.

Penny has had four top 40 defenses, and two top 5 d's. That's not a sign of a bad coach who players won't listen to. So I guess it's how you view this year. Was it a setback on an otherwise clear upward trend? Or were the past few years flukes and this is really where we are?

Yeah, I think Penny got too enamored with the bright, shiny objects (offensively adept players) than the diamonds in the rough (defensive minded guys) this past year, and it showed. Also, the bulk of the guys he brought in were 4- and 5-year guys, who were already set in their ways and weren't able (or willing) to put in the effort to play defense the way Penny wanted it done - unlike younger players that are still willing to learn the importance of defensive ability in climbing the professional ladder.

Penny is too enamored with his sons and his adopted sons from East. Nothing else needs to be said period

Do you have college baskeball coaching credentials?

Does Penny?

(03-12-2024 07:49 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 12:23 PM)tigerfan39 Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 12:18 PM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 10:43 AM)former guest Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 10:27 AM)Tiger87 Wrote:  I think this year was a screw-up. The roster didn't come together until late-late, and chemistry got jacked-up. Since Penny is the de-facto GM, he is responsible for this. I am viewing it as a one-off setback. I'm thinking he learns from this roster construction and gets us back on track next year.

The past 2 years showed us just how close we have been. It's not a big stretch to say if we had gotten the timeout against FAU last year, we could have made the same deep run that they did. That's how close we were. And the year before we were beating the best team in the country - Gonzage - with 10 minutes left in the 2nd round. We have been really close to that coveted sweet 16. And no one wants to talk about NIT championships, but it's not easy to do and it showed we were undervalued by the Selection Committee and should have been in the NCAA.

Penny has had four top 40 defenses, and two top 5 d's. That's not a sign of a bad coach who players won't listen to. So I guess it's how you view this year. Was it a setback on an otherwise clear upward trend? Or were the past few years flukes and this is really where we are?

Yeah, I think Penny got too enamored with the bright, shiny objects (offensively adept players) than the diamonds in the rough (defensive minded guys) this past year, and it showed. Also, the bulk of the guys he brought in were 4- and 5-year guys, who were already set in their ways and weren't able (or willing) to put in the effort to play defense the way Penny wanted it done - unlike younger players that are still willing to learn the importance of defensive ability in climbing the professional ladder.

Penny is too enamored with his sons and his adopted sons from East. Nothing else needs to be said period

Do you have college baskeball coaching credentials?

Does Penny?

He had none & emphasized his experience as a pro & a player made up for coaching experience; but now says he’s doing a good job as an inexperienced coach. Penny wants it both ways.

Firing Penny is not realistic & so his hyperbolic comments in the paper about being “damned if you do & damned if you don’t” are extremely self-serving & make no sense… thus far, if conference titles & NCAA runs are the standard, then he has most certainly “not done”. It would be wise for Penny to admit as much & move on.