West Virginia 2/19 7:00 ESPN2

[Gmann]

I agree that something is wrong L'C, And I will concede that we don't if it's the players being belligerent and not accepting the teaching or if they are just not comprehending the teaching, or if it's the has coaches not developing players. But what we do know is that CWM has preached getting better everyday ever since He's been here and we are not seeing it. He has tried to play the same offense for the past three years, with different players coming from the portal and traditional recruiting and have seen a blatant lax in basic bball play progress from year to year with reliance on the three shot becoming more and more prevalent. Someone recently reminded me of Eric Martin getting sent to the locker room in a game because he refused to play to the designed scheme or to put it simply not "playing hard". How long does a coach tolerate a player who can't be taught, or refuses to get with "the program". Even with players that have been with the program multiple years we see no increase in a sense of urgency or bball intelligence. instead we continue to see the same regressing into being satisfied with just standing on the arc and shooting. I just find it fascinating that a coach, any coach would be satisfied with a player just shooting and refusing or reluctant to go after rebounds. UC has a history of having thugs as they have been called, getting two, three, or four shot attempts at the rim. But now coming down the floor and getting one three attempt, clanking the rim and giving up the ball is going to keep us perennially in the B12 basement. Watching this team you just get the sense that they do not want to play for CWM, do not want to play for each other, and certainly do not want to play for the school. Even at the final ten minute mark and us losing by double digits and a loss inevitable, there is no change in attitude, urgency, or scheme, from the players or the coaches. Yes I do not know what is going on in practices and I'll be the first to say I am not a bball expert, but I can see with my own eyes that there is no one on this years team who was here last year that has gotten better!

YES! What he said....

[leo from jersey]

Good analysis... CWM built this roster with a whole lot of "wing guys".. they really have no inside scoring threat at all... Inside out passing game assumes that the defense must respect the inside player's ability to score... that's not Aziz. Two freshman coming in are more of the same.... I hope CWM... at the end of year... can admit to himself that what he is doing has not and is not working... otherwise, next year will be his last sadly

Some advocate positionless rosters with guys playing all positions. There might be something to it if at least two could bang and one could pass to open teammates or will pass.

[sedz]

Some advocate positionless rosters with guys playing all positions. There might be something to it if at least two could bang and one could pass to open teammates or will pass.

It works if you have wings who can all rebound and guard multiple positions, possibly having to double team a good post scorer. Simas doesn't fit that mold. But I think you can run out Reed, Mitchell, Skillings, Betsey, and Rayvon together. I'd just like to try it once. Abaev and McKinley would fit too. If the other team presses you can go with a PG and four wings.

[sedz]

By the way, Dennis Gates interviewed for the UC job when he was at Cleveland State. He interviewed along with Miller. Gates has NBA developmental coaching experience, Power 4 assistant coaching experience, and head coaching experience. Gates has had two 20-win seasons in the SEC (Missouri) in three years. Missouri will make the NCAA Tourney this year for the second time in three years.

Cunningham overlooked Gates for Miller. I wonder what Gates is thinking now concerning his success at Missouri versus what UC is doing. Who laughs last, laughs best.

By the way, I also wonder what Cunningham is now thinking.

And Oats was available when we hired Brannen.

[leo from jersey]

It works if you have wings who can all rebound and guard multiple positions, possibly having to double team a good post scorer. Simas doesn't fit that mold. But I think you can run out Reed, Mitchell, Skillings, Betsey, and Rayvon together. I'd just like to try it once. Abaev and McKinley would fit too. If the other team presses you can go with a PG and four wings.

I can see that, but as we both stated 1 who be a pg and a couple who will bang.

[leeraymond]

And Oats was available when we hired Brannen.

Really? Funny how some things play themselves out.

[leeraymond]

It works if you have wings who can all rebound and guard multiple positions, possibly having to double team a good post scorer. Simas doesn't fit that mold. But I think you can run out Reed, Mitchell, Skillings, Betsey, and Rayvon together. I'd just like to try it once. Abaev and McKinley would fit too. If the other team presses you can go with a PG and four wings.

Come on now Sedz. That lineup would get killed. Where is the defense and rebounding going to come from? Not big enough for inside the paint play. However, with McKinley and another active big man, maybe. Especially with Abaev.

[BorisTheCat]

Am I alone in having this feeling ? Super home court arena, cool uniforms, Jordan Brand, Air Jordan shoes, slick social media content.... all of it seems undeserved... I'm not trying to be cruel or personal about the players (and coaches) on this team but.... Just seems like they've gotten a lot of rewards for earning exactly nothing... maybe its just me being bitter at where we are as a program but... it's hard for me to not see all these trappings as being un-earned

[sedz]

Come on now Sedz. That lineup would get killed. Where is the defense and rebounding going to come from? Not big enough for inside the paint play. However, with McKinley and another active big man, maybe. Especially with Abaev.

From quick rotations, which you can't do with slow big men. No one is going to just stand in the paint like a traditional 5. This has been done before, both in college and the NBA. Ole Miss runs some very small lineups out there this year. They aren't a great rebounding team but they make up for it by forcing turnovers. I think that's what we need. Texas Tech is also small but Toppin is a great undersized rebounder. It would be nice if Mitchell could fill that role. They are about the same size.

[D.A.H.]

And Oats was available when we hired Brannen.

he was and he wasn't. iirc, it was pretty well known that he was going to 'bama.

[D.A.H.]

Some advocate positionless rosters with guys playing all positions. There might be something to it if at least two could bang and one could pass to open teammates or will pass.

say what you will about him, they lost reynolds, and mckinley got hurt. there's the inside bruisers that they're missing.

[sedz]

he was and he wasn't. iirc, it was pretty well known that he was going to 'bama.

Right, I don't think we were ever connected with him and probably had no chance to afford whatever Bama is paying. I just remember him being my dream hire at that time. He uses analytics more than any college coach. Fast pace, no midrange.

[London 'Cat]

Wasn’t Brannen an analytics user? I seem to remember that about him.

[Rufus]

say what you will about him, they lost reynolds, and mckinley got hurt. there's the inside bruisers that they're missing.

Neither Reynolds nor Lahkin liked how they were being used, or the rotation with Aziz last season. Lahkin is the only player that showed any improvement from year to year until last year when CWM brought in Aziz and Reynolds.

[leo from jersey]

say what you will about him, they lost reynolds, and mckinley got hurt. there's the inside bruisers that they're missing.

what about the PG -- CWM had to know Reynolds was going. Why wasn't his replacement recruited.