For those calling for CSP's job, just stop. I'd wager that some of you "experts" who spout your opinions have never coached, or possibly even played a game or organized team basketball in your lives.
Here is how I see it. First, CSP had to follow an ISU legend into the coaching job, and did pretty well for himself in a tough situation with Fred's players. I have never heard any of those players say one bad thing about CSP have you? Then, he had to deal with losing several players in one year who are now virtually all playing one level of professional ball or another, including 3 in the NBA at least part-time if not full-time, to add to the 2 NBA players he lost off the roster the year before. If you are not Duke, UNC, Kentucky, etc....that is a lot to recover from.
Last year was rough. Honestly, when that season started, I didn't think the team would win 10 games. Then, what does CSP do? Just brings in one of the best if not arguably the best recruiting classes in ISU history. So yeah....let's get rid of him while those guys are still freshmen....that would be brilliant! Don't forget that CSP is also responsible for Lindell, Shayok, and Jacobson being here.
The problem I saw was that with that level of talent, he also recruited some giant egos.....which eventually led (I believe) to some of the chemistry problems that led to the slide late in the season. Coaches usually can't fix those magically. It is up to the players to do that on their own, and I think this team did that pretty well. I think Prohm needed to stay out of it and he did.
Yesterday's game..a case of a finesse/speed style versus a physical/slow it down style. That is pretty much the Big 10 versus the Big 12, which I think is part of the reason that the Big 12 teams do not always do so well in the dance. Controlling tempo is not much of a problem in the Big 12 because most of the teams play at a faster pace, or adjust to it when they must. I honestly don't think Big 12 teams know very well how to speed up a tempo against a physical team. The mistake yesterday was that ISU got away from it's tempo and style of play after their initial run in the first half, and for whatever reason could not get it back. Rebounding was a huge problem, but so was just a lack of good shooting. It happens. Maybe CSP should have tried to use a different approach, but he is not on the floor either. None of us really know what he was telling the team in the huddle, but I'm pretty confident it wasn't to go out there and ignore rebounding, boxing out, and oh yeah.....miss most of your shots, especially those 3's.
So, calm down. The future looks bright here for MBB. We have a decent coach, a decent recruiter, and best of all HE WANTS TO BE HERE!!!!! I have no idea what Lindell and Talen will do. My personal opinion is that neither is ready right now. Lindell's injury really set him back......and I think he needs to come back and show the NBA people what he can really do next year. Talen is very young (which the NBA loves) and a great athletic talent but I just don't see him on an NBA roster yet, and even in D-league he is not going to get the minutes he needs because of his inability (so far) to put together solid games every time out. He will get that chance to develop in college. I hope, mostly for their sake, that both give college at least one more year. It worked for Nader, Georges, Monte, Naz, and Burton. It will be best for them too, imho.
So, everyone relax. Most of you who are so hot to get rid of CSP have no realistic suggestions who to replace him with that would be guaranteed to be better, so what is the point? Fred is not coming back, plus after his publicized comments about recruiting, and the lack of solid recruiting he did the last couple of years he was here, why the hell would you want him back? Because he can call good out-of-bounds plays coming out of a timeout? Please.