Will Greg McDermott take ISU to post-season play?
- Thread starter Al_4_State
- Start date
I think we are a victim of our own expectations, which do not seem to change with the reality of the situation. Reality is this: we lost great players in the last three off-seasons. Players that simply could not be replaced easily. I will not absolve the coaching staff of all of this, but I will give them a pass for the first two off-seasons.
That leaves us with Wesley Johnson. I certainly do not know the inner workings of that relationship, so I cannot judge if McDermott could have done something differently to make that work out. I would venture a guess that it affected something that has been criticized on this board- his public apology to Craig Brackens.
I was fairly convinced prior to this season that somehow they could overcome this, this time. Realistically, that was wrong. I will withhold final judgement for two seasons. Coach McDermott certainly has some promising talent coming on board to bolster his young team. Until then, I may just have to spend some time in the cave until September.
That leaves us with Wesley Johnson. I certainly do not know the inner workings of that relationship, so I cannot judge if McDermott could have done something differently to make that work out. I would venture a guess that it affected something that has been criticized on this board- his public apology to Craig Brackens.
I was fairly convinced prior to this season that somehow they could overcome this, this time. Realistically, that was wrong. I will withhold final judgement for two seasons. Coach McDermott certainly has some promising talent coming on board to bolster his young team. Until then, I may just have to spend some time in the cave until September.
I put this on the players as well... They didn't come out ready to play today. Some of that is on the coach, but if our players aren't bothered that they just lost to a borderline D1 team at home, then they just shouldn't suit up.
Every game we've lost has been our key guys having no urgency. I can handle the team not being as good as others. I just CAN NOT deal with our players NOT putting effort. They didn't play hard and deserved to lose. If they're OK with that, then I don't want them to suit up.
Every game we've lost has been our key guys having no urgency. I can handle the team not being as good as others. I just CAN NOT deal with our players NOT putting effort. They didn't play hard and deserved to lose. If they're OK with that, then I don't want them to suit up.
I liked SUPERBUNNY... he was a good poster... Plus, we got beat... So... yeah.
This **** has been going for the past 3 years. We just lost to SDSU AT HOME. HELLO! MCFLY! We've had almost completely different players all of those years (hmm...) and we keep getting the same results. I agree with the points you make about the players, but bottomline is that it all comes back to the coach at some point.
I felt like the first 2 years guys on the team played hard. Jiri, Clark, and Wes brought it every game. Maybe they were't the most talented guys, but I didn't really see us lose due to lack of effort. The past two years I've seen us lose because we were flat out bad.
This is the first year, I've seen our guys just not play hard during key stretches. In College, I don't feel like you can dog on the players for having an off night, but I do feel like you can call them out for not giving effort.
I'd rather see our 7th-12th man go out and play hard and lose against SDSU as opposed to our starting 5 acting like they didn't want to be out there...
Is it really that much for us to expect to beat the likes of SDSU or Hawaii? Or to finish higher than 10th place in the Big 12? Its a fact that other teams also have turnover. In fact, by Big 12 standards we are hardly unique in the youth that we are putting out on the court.
McD has constantly recruited MVC talent and we are reaping those rewards right now. He is scared to use TO's during the game because he 'needs' to save them for the end of the game. (he has said so a couple of times on his call in show) ISU cannot rebound, ISU is outsized by most teams and ISU has pretty much not played anyone with a pulse this season.
Think of how ISU looks and compares to other Big 12 teams. If anyone on this board looks at the ISU roster and sees more then 2-3 legit big 12 players you're smoking or drinking something that you need to share. (no offense to any players, I know they are trying, I am just being a realist.)
I know Pollard has said this is 'year 1' for McD and I think that is pathetic. I truly believe the basketball debacle is Pollard'se only mistake so far at ISU. He has done a ton of good for the Cyclones otherwise.
Think of how ISU looks and compares to other Big 12 teams. If anyone on this board looks at the ISU roster and sees more then 2-3 legit big 12 players you're smoking or drinking something that you need to share. (no offense to any players, I know they are trying, I am just being a realist.)
I know Pollard has said this is 'year 1' for McD and I think that is pathetic. I truly believe the basketball debacle is Pollard'se only mistake so far at ISU. He has done a ton of good for the Cyclones otherwise.
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I see 0-1 big 12 players. Brackins could maybe be a reserve on some of the poorer teams like Colorado.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
If Diante is able to finish at the rim. He missed what, eight layups last night?
Some nights, it all goes bad. I hate this one, but it happened. Some nights you get the bear, some nights the bear gets you.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
I remember an old quote from Michael Jordan where he said, "Mistakes I can understand, and I can tolerate them. It's the lack of effort that I cannot stand."
That's the trouble. The guys didn't put out the effort. Somehow, they were not embarrassed during the game to be losing to that team. SDSU didn't play well, we played horrible.
I just keep reminding myself, Freshmen and Sophomores, Freshmen and Sophomores. This is what we all knew was coming heading into the season. We've got good guys out there, we have a good coach. They just have to learn to put this together.
Look at the rest of the Big XII. It was all over the place last night.
As for me GMc gets one more year - I think usually year 3 is when his teams take a leap forward based on his resume and you can't really count year 1 so I count next year as year 3 and expect major improvement if it doesn't happen time to find someone else.
That's what was being said all through the off season. But of course I believe this has been deamed his first real season so we will have to wait until two years from now.
It's too early to fire him after this year. If there is no post-season play next year, then he absolutely has to go. It's not too much to ask to get to the NIT in year 4.
I don't think he will last past next year with no post season play - recruiting would dry up almost completely.
i just haven't found out how he did so well at UNI and so bad for us. it seemed like his teams always played hard and i have not seen that the last 2 years for sure. He had probably the best program in the state the last 2 years he was there and now with a school in a major conference w/ some basketball history.
it doesn't take 5 years to build a basketball program, look at Tubby at Minnesota after 2 years, 23rd in the country. Not saying they are going to stay there, but they are playing well.
everyone talks about how young we are, which is true but there are a lot of young teams out there doing much better that us. Just seems like a lack of leadership, focus, and will to win, it is very disappointing
it doesn't take 5 years to build a basketball program, look at Tubby at Minnesota after 2 years, 23rd in the country. Not saying they are going to stay there, but they are playing well.
everyone talks about how young we are, which is true but there are a lot of young teams out there doing much better that us. Just seems like a lack of leadership, focus, and will to win, it is very disappointing
