|
|
Post by steveisback on Jan 16, 2018 12:29:33 GMT -6
with you jimmy on all of the above
|
|
|
|
Post by PantherNation on Jan 16, 2018 12:42:23 GMT -6
While I agree that the regular season is sort of irrelevant based on the tournament being the deciding factor come March... the seeding is extremely important. Last year was a fluke with MKE being the first 10 seed to do what they did. Realistically, you want to be a top seed to have a chance.
The scheduling is brutal this year. Whoever was in charge of this with the HL should be fired. I can’t imagine anyone having a great season with 5 game road trips. I’m not so sure GB wins last night if we weren’t on our fifth straight game at home and they weren’t finally at home after 5 on the road. I’ll be interested to see how the guys come out on Thursday finally being at home. Unfortunately these are going to be 2 tough ones at home this week. Wouldn’t be surprised to see us 2-7 to start. Which is obviously not good.
But the silver lining is that it looks like we might hang on to a coach for lore than a year. I’m willing to hold off judgment on Baldwin until he has his own recruits. So far I like what he’s brought in. Because let’s be honest... LaVall was not exactly given a lot of time to put together a strong team with the transfers. Bell has worked out but Haas and Barnes have been very inconsistent this year. And neither one really has a great shot. So we are sort of screwed at PG for the next couple of years. Not good.
With any luck, we can hang on to Baldwin long enough for his son to play for him. But I like that he added Vance Johnson, CWN (who still has to mature as a player but shows flashes) and Deandre Abrams will be nice to have available next year. And I really think Shae Mitchell will be a stud. So I’m willing to sacrifice this year for the future. Before we beat Iowa State, I wasn’t expecting much from this year’s team. I think that win really got us way too optimistic. You can’t judge a coach by a team full of other guys’ recruits. Just like LaVall is obviously a better coach than the 8 wins he had last season (before the tournament) as evidenced by his success so far at Butler.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cactus Panther on Jan 16, 2018 13:27:59 GMT -6
Vance and CWN were actually LJ recruits. Just to refresh, they were two of four that had committed for this year. The other two, Dylan Alderson and Caleb Nero, left because of LJ's departure, as did redshirt freshman Zac Sadler. One wonders how their presence and resultant depth would have helped the Panthers in close losses.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cactus Panther on Jan 16, 2018 13:39:49 GMT -6
I agree that regular season play has significant bearing on post season tournament play because of seeding.
But THIS season, if a 200+ RPI team from the HL, including MKE, would somehow get the automatic NCAA berth, I would prefer a play-in game over a non-play-in 16 seed or even a 15 seed. Let's face it, none of these teams would have a chance against a 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA tournament this year. A play-in game would give the school exclusive national TV exposure on play-in night and a chance to win a game which includes double exposure on the Thursday/Friday game.
Having stated that, a 13 or 14 seed that OU, NKU and WSU(?) would get gives the conference better exposure and a chance to actually win over a 3 or 4 seed. That would be better for the conference.
|
|
|
|
Post by PantherNation on Jan 16, 2018 13:44:09 GMT -6
Vance and CWN were actually LJ recruits. Just to refresh, they were two of four that had committed for this year. The other two, Dylan Alderson and Caleb Nero, left because of LJ's departure, as did redshirt freshman Zac Sadler. One wonders how their presence and resultant depth would have helped the Panthers in close losses. You’re right. My apologies. Given their ties to the Illinois area, I was thinking they were PBs guys. I was excited for the others that left... especially Alderson. But seeing his 1.5 points per game makes me feel a little better. But I’m sure that will improve as he gets more playing time and develops. Personally, I don’t think any of them would help that much. We need a consistent scorer. Seems like every team has one in the HL except is. Bell is starting to be that guy. But he’s not a first/second team all conference type of player. At least not yet. Fact of the matter is that few coaches have success in their first year or two unless they are inheriting an experienced team. Which Baldwin did not. And he doesn’t have many scholarships available to fill any gaps either next year. So I guess we’ll have to see what types of recruits he brings in. |
|
|
|
Post by Cactus Panther on Jan 16, 2018 14:32:02 GMT -6
Certainly regular season results generally have significance on public perception, media attention and attendance. However, any one regular season game this year, in and of itself, will have minimal, if any, impact on these traits. The results of any small segment of the season, such as the last five games, may have slightly more impact, but not much at this time.
What the program needs to restore public perception, media attention and attendance is sustained success over multiple years. We stumbled into that with BP, but then a poor coaching hire by Bud Haidet, exacerbated by a reactionary contract extension that strapped the program for a decade, started this whole downward trend. Then, a series of terrible athletic director hires exposed organizational dysfunction that soured fans and donors. So here we are today.
The program needs leadership and support at the highest level of administration that trickles down to the athletic department. It needs visionaries with a keen sense of non-bureaucratic business savvy. Is this possible in a public educational institution that is part of a financially strapped system? Let's hope that somehow it is.
Ugh...another game thread high-jacked by this circuitous discussion. I will take the blame for starting it on this one with my first post on the thread.
|
|
|
|
Post by steveisback on Jan 16, 2018 14:35:18 GMT -6
Cactus Panther...thank you for calling it like it is (was) per above. The slide started way before Braun (right aftger BP left) but she really tanked everything
|
|
|
|
Post by Cactus Panther on Jan 16, 2018 14:38:30 GMT -6
On another note, and more appropriate for this game thread, I was impressed with the ESPN3 production of last night's game. The video and audio was solid. The play-by-play guy, Ted Stepaniak, sounds a bit like Matt LePay. The analyst, Cordero Barkley, has some of Harold Reynolds' enthusiasm and charisma, and sounds somewhat like him as well.
|
|
|
|
Post by BBFran on Jan 16, 2018 14:57:23 GMT -6
Some of the worst trolling (and analysis) I have seen in a looooooong time.  Kind of like our basketball strategery last night. |
|
|
|
Post by GoPanthersGo23 on Jan 16, 2018 15:00:38 GMT -6
Another tough loss...but glad to see the guys fight back to get it to OT. I will be at the games this week. Hoping we can get back on track and take one of them at least.
|
|
|
|
Post by panther9193 on Jan 17, 2018 6:33:40 GMT -6
Cactus Panther...thank you for calling it like it is (was) per above. The slide started way before Braun (right aftger BP left) but she really tanked everything Don't forget about all the "great" moves by Andy Geiger. |
|
|
|
Post by ghostofdylan on Jan 17, 2018 10:30:50 GMT -6
I would say that the TANKING began with Mike Lovell and Jon LeCrone.
|
|
|
|
Post by steveisback on Jan 17, 2018 11:19:01 GMT -6
Connect the dots as follows: *Pearl leaves, Haidet does minimal if any search, abandons the successful model of past two hires and anoints Jeter '2nd year in and with first year of his recruits we go 9-22 *Momentum and buzz fading....Rob recruits Harris, Torre Johnson, Kevin Johnson Tim Flowers etc - *Team languishes in mediocrity - PR lags - Carlos Santiago does not continue Nancy's passion and support - Rob's charisma or lack of gradually leads his Full Court Club to fadeaway in apathy *Athletic Director Merry Go Round - Koonce, Costello and others. *Rob keeps getting one contract extension after another - WHY?  ?? *Geiger - $200,000 flushed down the toilet and the horrible move back to the KC *Once again, whoever was on the selection committee crapped the bed and hired Braun over Plinske. Will never forget the surreal press conference where Lovell and Geiger acted like giddy school boys. *Kevin O Connor leaves - one of the few with any media savvy and personality including Jeter *Braun begins her reign of horror. Turnover in AD intensifies , many good people leave *Donors alienated and minimal relations with media on part of Braun *We finally get some buzz back and almost immediately after the Academic Ban hits - very damaging to program and exodus of a number of season ticket holders and lousy season ensures with no post season hopes...whatever air was stil in the balloo was gone....some feel no fault or responsibility at all on Rob but hey, he recruited some of those vaunted student athletes like McCallum and the Boga brothers.... **MARCH MELTDOWN- Braun's horrible handling of post season bid and Rob's dismissal - horrible PR including her transparent lying and backtracking with the top 3 finish expectations etc *Lost our great announcer Bill Johnson due to Braun's crap *Whole Otzenberger fiasco *Lavall hire which was fine but gone after one year *Braun gets contract extension despite plunging attendance, loss of some key donors and lousy image for depr So there you have it. We had lightning in a bottle and an almost once in a lifetime opportunity in 2005. We did not seize the day and made a knee jerk "safe coaching hire". What might have been...then a slow mediocre ride as the whole thing gradually grew stale. Rob two games over .500 COMBINED D-1 record over 11 years!!!! Opportunity lost...On life support and basically euthanized under Braun. It is somewhat amazing we even are still D-1. Ironic in that we have a BEAUTIFULLY branded home downtown and now it sits there with no one in it. The rot started after Pearl and I blame Haidet more than anyone though I really like Bud personally but they blew it. Now we have what we have....that being said will not quit supporting but it is really sad....we could have been Butler but here we languish in a diminished HOrizon League.... |
|
|
|
Post by ghostofdylan on Jan 17, 2018 13:10:44 GMT -6
Connect the dots as follows: *Pearl leaves, Haidet does minimal if any search, abandons the successful model of past two hires and anoints Jeter '2nd year in and with first year of his recruits we go 9-22 *Momentum and buzz fading....Rob recruits Harris, Torre Johnson, Kevin Johnson Tim Flowers etc - *Team languishes in mediocrity - PR lags - Carlos Santiago does not continue Nancy's passion and support - Rob's charisma or lack of gradually leads his Full Court Club to fadeaway in apathy *Athletic Director Merry Go Round - Koonce, Costello and others. *Rob keeps getting one contract extension after another - WHY? ?? *Geiger - $200,000 flushed down the toilet and the horrible move back to the KC *Once again, whoever was on the selection committee crapped the bed and hired Braun over Plinske. Will never forget the surreal press conference where Lovell and Geiger acted like giddy school boys. *Kevin O Connor leaves - one of the few with any media savvy and personality including Jeter *Braun begins her reign of horror. Turnover in AD intensifies , many good people leave *Donors alienated and minimal relations with media on part of Braun *We finally get some buzz back and almost immediately after the Academic Ban hits - very damaging to program and exodus of a number of season ticket holders and lousy season ensures with no post season hopes...whatever air was stil in the balloo was gone....some feel no fault or responsibility at all on Rob but hey, he recruited some of those vaunted student athletes like McCallum and the Boga brothers.... **MARCH MELTDOWN- Braun's horrible handling of post season bid and Rob's dismissal - horrible PR including her transparent lying and backtracking with the top 3 finish expectations etc *Lost our great announcer Bill Johnson due to Braun's crap *Whole Otzenberger fiasco *Lavall hire which was fine but gone after one year *Braun gets contract extension despite plunging attendance, loss of some key donors and lousy image for depr So there you have it. We had lightning in a bottle and an almost once in a lifetime opportunity in 2005. We did not seize the day and made a knee jerk "safe coaching hire". What might have been...then a slow mediocre ride as the whole thing gradually grew stale. Rob two games over .500 COMBINED D-1 record over 11 years!!!! Opportunity lost...On life support and basically euthanized under Braun. It is somewhat amazing we even are still D-1. Ironic in that we have a BEAUTIFULLY branded home downtown and now it sits there with no one in it. The rot started after Pearl and I blame Haidet more than anyone though I really like Bud personally but they blew it. Now we have what we have....that being said will not quit supporting but it is really sad....we could have been Butler but here we languish in a diminished HOrizon League.... Other than that, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln? |
|
|
|
Post by steveisback on Jan 17, 2018 13:16:18 GMT -6
Gallows humor but I like it!!! ha ha
|
|
??