MH - Gonzaga has been to two Finals, seem to win 30 every year and do decent in the tournament. You can't compare White to few, not the same level, even close. Your last few sentences demand this ask: Well how many years do we wait? How many 18-12 records do we endure? .600 ball is nothing to be ashamed of but it has that inevitable feel of going nowhere. I think another couple of years of this pattern more than justify a change.
All very correct. I just don't think hope for the future will keep up with this group of fans. Financial malaise may prevent any quick response from SS but I don't see how most fans are going to continue showing up for the games. The visuals aren't going to be good. And it will have an effect on a potential new coach. Like I said, I hope he turns the corner in earnest this year because the other options are BAD.
Few is not coaching in the SEC. The West Coast Conference compared to the SEC is largely a joke. You cannot look at their records in a vacuum and compare them apples to apples. I certainly wasn’t doing that. My point is that Few is considered a great coach and if the GU fanbase had given up on him, we might not have seen his recent post season success. As far as how long we wait, I think we are in the mix consistently and have a strong and principled coach. I don’t want scandal or embarrassment. I trust Coach White to get us success with honor. He us a rising star to me, and I want to see the program improve under his watch. I’m looking for a long term solution, not a quick fix. I think he’s our guy.
He checks almost every box, I wish him success, I would love to meet him, on a personal level I'm sure I would be impressed. Well, looking forward to the next campaign and what the kids are capable of. Be really great for KJ to have a happy season as well, that would be gold.
Google Image Result for https://i.pinimg.com/originals/37/95/90/37959045f168a6020a343d4dfe849c86.jpg I kid but it would be nice.
John Chaney was a great basketball coach at Temple. Strong program during his tenure. HOF coach. How many Final Fours? How many years did it take Jim Calhoun to make the Final Four? And he ran a less than squeaky clean program. Final Four runs take talent, coaching, and a lot of luck. The more you have of the first two requires less of the last.
It isn't so much about the number of FF appearances per se but rather what your fan base thinks are your chances, given the program's track record. If you keep "just missing making par because of a litany of reasons" you are what your record says you are. Now is UF entitled to more elite status because of what Billy produced? Not really, but it does not mean we won't try Plan B, C, D, or...
could not agree more with this post. as far as expectations for this season, I think it will be yet another up and down year where we pull off a couple big wins, lose to several teams we shouldn't, end up as a middle of the pack SEC team and bubble tournament team, and most of the fanbase is calling for White's head again by the end of it. I can't see anything that makes me believe this coach has what it takes to change the exceedingly mediocre trajectory we've been on the last four years, but I would love for him to prove me wrong.
I think we have the talent to compete every year. Teams have learned to disregard us as a legitimate contender for the SEC because they have seen how much our program has fallen off over the Mike White Era. This is the first year anyone has even been drafted into the pros under White. Perhaps that will help the program turn the page, and perhaps we will get a boost from Reeves who appears to be all business in his workout video. I cannot see his not starting as a freshman. He brings a dimension to our team that will force opposing defenses to game plan against him. They cannot put a point guard on him, and a shooting guard or small forward will have trouble with his versatility. With Castleton and Appleby, we bring back proven warriors who will get their points and defend. We just need two people to complete the starting roster. The front runners would be Felder and Duruji. That would give us an athletic lineup with Appleby at the point, Reeves at the two, Duruji at the three, Felder at the four and Castleton at the five. That assumes Johnson does not play. Beyond that starting 5 and Jitoboh and the new player, Gatkek, we are a team of small guards. Probably the smallest team in the SEC.
And Felder PF, k. reeves sf, CC center, m. Jones 2g and Appleby or McKissic pg. a lot of options for the backup groups. This is a good starting five but like they say “like eating chocolates out of a box, you don’t know what you’re going to get. If the new guys are as good as advertised and we stay healthy and we get KJ back, this could a very competitive team in D-1. I hope we are not just a chuck and duck kind of team with shooters going for threes that can’t bury them in crunch time. A lot of ifs.
Edited. Forgot about Fleming Jr. IMO, the strongest lineup might imvolve moving Myreon to the PG position. Sometimes, converted SGs make great PGs, and I think he has the intelligence and skill to do it. PG - Jones SG - Fleming Jr. SF - Felder PF - Duruji SF - Castleton Another possible alternate roster PG - Jones SG - Fleming Jr. SF - Reeves PF - Felder C - Castleton Absolute best lineup with KJ returning: PG - Jones SG - Fleming Jr. SF - Felder PF - KJ C - Castleton
I think it makes sense to give all of them a bunch of playing time pre-conference. I'd prefer to give up some early loses to make a more seasoned team down the stretch.
And this seems to be the paradox. At what point is it more important to have quality wins early as opposed to developing the team for a better run at the end of the season. CMW serms motivated to win with 6 or 7 players.
