The Wes Miller Thread

[sedz]

So that means that UC is actually 3 games under .500, not 6. Remember 10-10 is .500.

This is where the semantics comes in. 7-13 is indeed 6 games "under .500". We would have to win our next 6 games to get to .500 (now impossible because the season is over). But we finished 3 games "behind" a 10-10 team.

[leeraymond]

Half of the teams in the B12 (8 of 16) finished the regular season at .500 or better and all are projected to be in the tourney. I'd be thrilled with that as progress. The Cats finished 7-13, 6 games under .500. That's not even close to the mark and happened because they are so wildly inconsistent under Miller.

Miller has been here 4 years and the talent he has are guys he recruited and most of who were highly rated before coming here. My take is that he doesn't develop what he has and indeed needs more self motivated guys because he can't provide it. In the B12 I feel they really need more size and strength in the post since what he brought in hasn't developed. I also feel his overall scheme, especially on offense, is garbage regardless of who the players are.

I know he has another year and I hope he proves me wrong and finally gets his team to that .500 mark in league and in the tourney. I feel Cats' fans have been very patient with the guy and only improved results matter.

Gmann, I think you hit on a very good point here concerning Miller bringing in guys that are self-motivated. I once heard John Calipari say that, "he does not have the time to teach motivation when he is trying to teach the fundamentals of basketball" or something like that. Calipari went on to say that he does not recruit guys that are not self-motivated.

I think that understanding where a player is on the motivation scale is of key importance. Some players are always ready, from the neck up, for the next game. Those will probably be the team's most competitive players. Other players, like Page perhaps, need all types of motivation, hand-holding, and confirmation that they can perform at high levels.

I could also imagine that motivating players over the course of a season takes its toll on a coach. That is why coaches may prefer older more experienced players. Fast story. When I was a sophomore in high school, my baseball team was dominated by seniors. We also had a brand new coach that was a football coach and had never coached basball before. That team went to the City Championship without really having a coach. The players were self-motivated and that made all the difference in the world.

[BorisTheCat]

My question/fear is whether CWM is capable of doing HONEST self-assessment and analysis of EVERYTHING in his control. As I see it, here are some points:
1) Roster construction - Is how he builds a roster compatible with the Big 12 ?
2) Offense approach - Is that approach workable in the Big 12 ?


Seems to me he has constructed a roster full of wing-type players which combined with his offensive approach results in a very perimeter oriented approach with poor shooting 3 pt players.
That's problematic. The run so much offense parallel to the 3-pt line and with no inside scoring threat there is not inside-out game possible. Thus far, I've not seen CWM admit that fundamental
changes are necessary... we are beyond needing only tweaks.

[Gypo O'Leary]

Half of the teams in the B12 (8 of 16) finished the regular season at .500 or better and all are projected to be in the tourney. I'd be thrilled with that as progress. The Cats finished 7-13, 6 games under .500. That's not even close to the mark and happened because they are so wildly inconsistent under Miller.

Miller has been here 4 years and the talent he has are guys he recruited and most of who were highly rated before coming here. My take is that he doesn't develop what he has and indeed needs more self motivated guys because he can't provide it. In the B12 I feel they really need more size and strength in the post since what he brought in hasn't developed. I also feel his overall scheme, especially on offense, is garbage regardless of who the players are.

I know he has another year and I hope he proves me wrong and finally gets his team to that .500 mark in league and in the tourney. I feel Cats' fans have been very patient with the guy and only improved results matter.

ya...Lukosius and Badaogo were both brought in before the move to the Big 12. In the AAC they would have been fine. So...exactly my point - 2 of the starting 5 are not Big 12 quality. And yet we blew a road game against Kansas St. by a bucket. a home game against them we could have won. a road game against Utah by a bucket. and 1 bucket loss home to WV. So really...we are five buckets from flipping those games and being over .500 in the Big 12 despite starting 2 seniors that are not Big 12 Quality. And I'm back to my point. Mckinley/Griffith/Page/Betsey ...add them to this roster as contributors and you are adding three big men and a wing. So...I see next year as the year Wes needs to produce, and I see the recruits as all guys brought in for the Big 12.

[leeraymond]

This is where the semantics comes in. 7-13 is indeed 6 games "under .500". We would have to win our next 6 games to get to .500 (now impossible because the season is over). But we finished 3 games "behind" a 10-10 team.

No . That does not seem right to me. The BIG XII played a 20-game schedule this year. If a team finished at .500, then it would have finished 10-10. UC finished at 7-13. That is only a 3-game difference from .500. For instance, if UC was 13-7, then it would be 3 games above .500. If UC finished 3 games behind a 10-10 team, then it would have 3 less wins and 3 more losses.

So, I am not following you when you say 6 games under .500.