Blue Man wrote: ↑2 years ago
I am a firm believer in "you've got it or you don't" - like you know right away if someone is right for a job or whatever. Things may not be perfect, but you can see some type of
something good or bad immediately.
You saw it with Hurley. We were losing close games with the rebuild, but there was just
something there. Even with the Fordham loss - taking the whole team off the floor and teaching a lesson. You could tell.
I was in the camp that DC deserved the shot. No one could've anticipated the last 3+ years to have unfolded this way, but Cox paid his dues, earned his stripes, and it was worth giving him a shot. There's just no way to tell how someone handles the switch to the first chair until they get in it.
He's always been a great recruiter, mentor, role model, and assistant under some big name coaches. Good programs promote from within to keep their momentum.
Unfortunately, I think it was apparent to me the first PC game (Fatts 2-13, team 2-18 from 3), and you can see in some alcohol induced posts in that game thread that Cox may not have had the
it factor to be the head coach. That was a game that we easily could've won with a few adjustments that never came.
The Brown loss in 2020 changed me. That's when I melted down about this program. I aimlessly walked around the East Side after that game, trying to make sense of my life and the program. That night was a funeral for me. I put a brave face on to try and convince myself that maybe things would turn around, but deep down I knew we were going downhill. That loss, and the Richmond loss that followed were when I had my meltdown, so I feel for everyone going through these emotions right now. I feel nothing because I already went through it.
The UMass loss last year without Tre Mitchell and subsequent press conference were the nails in the coffin for me. I feel nothing for this program right now and it's a shame.
There have been no improvements to every critique of this program since year 1. A lack of adjustments. Poor gameplanning - I mean our head coach sounded dumbfounded in the presser last night and had no answers for a Q4 opponent that made a switch to zone. Like the most basic of adjustments that a basketball coach could possibly face in a game, and we just can't adjust.
One player killing you on offense - maybe switch defenders? Make adjustments yourself?
This team has talent. I stand by that. I thought we had talent last year too. Players aren't being put in spots to be successful. Too much of a premium is being put on "positionless athletes" and not enough on "basketball players" when building a roster here.
We have such a unique advantage of having a legitimate frontcourt with the Mitchell twins, and we're squandering it because we don't subscribe to playing team basketball and having a true point guard. We want a team full of positionless athletes, and this is what we've got. Like watching pickup ball with a bunch of athletic freaks.
Seen this movie before where you just roll the balls out and play...the star had a much bigger mustache, but the results were largely the same. At least in that movie we blew out the bad teams and game
just short against the good ones. Thankfully we're losing to the bad teams now so we won't have to wonder if we're going to start a coaching search next year.