BASKETBALL Any updates to Murphy Center for this season?
- Thread starter TrueBlue147
- Start date
Completely new roster and coaching staff
It was done.
Just an observation - Not sure a cuss word from a coach has been heard in Murphy Center yet. Was at a practice a week or two ago, and did not hear a single cuss word from the coaches.
How is the team looking Space? Do you care to give us a breakdown of what stood out to you?
This was an early practice, still a lot of teaching and explaining. It seemed like the guys were attentive and receptive to the coaching. It is hard for me to tell how good the team is going to be with the players going up against each other.
Green has a beautiful shot, Junior looked like he was going to contribute. Donovan looked good. A lot of the focus was on defense and how to attack defenses. I don't think we will be as weak inside as everybody thinks.
You mean we aren't guaranteed to go 0-11 in out of conference, as some vocal complainers have been saying?!
I'm not predicting wins or losses. This is still a patchwork roster with a couple of guys in practice that have to sit out a redshirt year, and we have the toughest out of conference schedule I can recall MT ever having. I have thought a .500 overall season should earn COY for CNM. I'm not sure the record would be any better if we did not have the unexpected departures during the late spring and summer.
Well, I finally caught some of Andy Herzer's comments on the radio the other day regarding his outlook for the team this year. While no outlooks or predictions are guaranteed, I did find his comments to be a little disheartening. Don't get me wrong, I haven't been expecting a 1st place finish this season. I have not been expecting the worst season either. Reasonably, Herzer seemed to think MT would do good to get to .500 this season with this tough schedule. Many of us on here have expressed similar expectations.
Herzer's seeming focus on some of the areas I've been concerned about are what troubled me a little. While some of Herzer's comments were explicit, some of his suggestions seemed to be implicit. Or at least that's how I took it. Regarding the concern about lack of size and strength, Herzer seemed to suggest that it's not clear if CNM really understands the size, strength, and toughness that is needed at this level in C-USA. That has been one of my main big concerns. CNM getting a decent sized forward to recently commit is a hopeful sign in my opinion. I just hope this season does not turn into a hard lesson on the need for good size and strength.
On somewhat related note, I saw on social media the other day where WKU just picked up another commit from a 6-10 4-star recruit. Good for the conference, but it won't be good for anyone if these elite recruits are landing in conference by way of some funny business up at WKU.
Herzer's seeming focus on some of the areas I've been concerned about are what troubled me a little. While some of Herzer's comments were explicit, some of his suggestions seemed to be implicit. Or at least that's how I took it. Regarding the concern about lack of size and strength, Herzer seemed to suggest that it's not clear if CNM really understands the size, strength, and toughness that is needed at this level in C-USA. That has been one of my main big concerns. CNM getting a decent sized forward to recently commit is a hopeful sign in my opinion. I just hope this season does not turn into a hard lesson on the need for good size and strength.
On somewhat related note, I saw on social media the other day where WKU just picked up another commit from a 6-10 4-star recruit. Good for the conference, but it won't be good for anyone if these elite recruits are landing in conference by way of some funny business up at WKU.
I think CNM knows exactly what he is doing. He has a system and he is recruiting to it. He plays fast, he will be playing a lot of 4 guard lineups this year out of necessity. Give the man a chance. I think this year will be rough because we have a completely new roster. This isn't CNM fault.
I really had to laugh a bit at Andy...CUSA is not a big leap from the UNCA teams and the league they play in, its better but not a huge leap. As far as WKU, they lost 3 very good players. Will see how the "big time" recruit works out.
I really had to laugh a bit at Andy...CUSA is not a big leap from the UNCA teams and the league they play in, its better but not a huge leap. As far as WKU, they lost 3 very good players. Will see how the "big time" recruit works out.
I by no means am trying to throw CNM under the bus. I'm fully onboard with giving CNM a chance to install his system and build his team.
I don't know about a "huge leap" from the Big South et al to C-USA, but I'm firmly convinced that there is a substantial difference overall in quality of talent and depth in rosters. This difference also goes for size and strength in the frontcourt. An emphasis is on generally and overall because there are usually teams at the extremes of the conference or even solid teams who have a bad night on the road etc etc.
After watching MT for years in the OVC, the SunBelt seemed to be a modest to moderate step up in overall competition night in and night out throughout conference play. Similarly when MT went to C-USA, it seemed another modest to moderate step up in overall quality of competition. To me, this step up in quality exhibited itself with the amount of athletes with size and strength on most teams. In my opinion, the comparisons are even more pronounced when considering C-USA to the OVC. I could be off, but I tend to think of the Big South, the OVC, and teams like UNC-A to generally compete about on the same level. Obviously, UNC-A under CNM was a standout team with better talent able to compete overall with the typical teams from SunBelt, C-USA, or the MAC to name a few. Examples are Murray St and Belmont have proven themselves to generally be the exceptions to their conferences as evidenced by their dominating their conference most every year.
The typical team from the OVC or even UNC-A could compete with G5 type teams on any given night out of conference. My guess is though that if you put one of those teams through the full conference slate of conference games, say in C-USA, and those teams would grind down and not be able to sustain a level of competitive success.
To try to wrap my rambling thoughts here, my main concern is that CMN's learning curve might take an extra year than anticipated. The size and strength that gets you through the grind of low-majors conferences will not cut it in C-USA. Again, this is a concern, not a prediction. Seeing the team play may completely change any apprehensions that I may sometimes entertain.
I don't know about a "huge leap" from the Big South et al to C-USA, but I'm firmly convinced that there is a substantial difference overall in quality of talent and depth in rosters. This difference also goes for size and strength in the frontcourt. An emphasis is on generally and overall because there are usually teams at the extremes of the conference or even solid teams who have a bad night on the road etc etc.
After watching MT for years in the OVC, the SunBelt seemed to be a modest to moderate step up in overall competition night in and night out throughout conference play. Similarly when MT went to C-USA, it seemed another modest to moderate step up in overall quality of competition. To me, this step up in quality exhibited itself with the amount of athletes with size and strength on most teams. In my opinion, the comparisons are even more pronounced when considering C-USA to the OVC. I could be off, but I tend to think of the Big South, the OVC, and teams like UNC-A to generally compete about on the same level. Obviously, UNC-A under CNM was a standout team with better talent able to compete overall with the typical teams from SunBelt, C-USA, or the MAC to name a few. Examples are Murray St and Belmont have proven themselves to generally be the exceptions to their conferences as evidenced by their dominating their conference most every year.
The typical team from the OVC or even UNC-A could compete with G5 type teams on any given night out of conference. My guess is though that if you put one of those teams through the full conference slate of conference games, say in C-USA, and those teams would grind down and not be able to sustain a level of competitive success.
To try to wrap my rambling thoughts here, my main concern is that CMN's learning curve might take an extra year than anticipated. The size and strength that gets you through the grind of low-majors conferences will not cut it in C-USA. Again, this is a concern, not a prediction. Seeing the team play may completely change any apprehensions that I may sometimes entertain.
Since MT's arrival in C-USA in 2013-14, C-USA teams are 13-1 against Big South opponents (excluding games by teams no longer in C-USA, but if you counted those, the record would be 16-1). Granted, most of those games have been home games for C-USA teams.
The Big South has ranked between 23rd and 28th in those five seasons in the Pomeroy ratings. C-USA has ranked between 11th and 21st. There is clearly a difference between the two leagues. C-USA has had 12 teams finish in the top 100 during those 5 years (2.4 per year). The Big South has had none.
I don't know that there is any great conclusion that can be drawn from that as far as it relates to how CNM will fare here, but the two leagues are not remotely close.
I assume your Herzer's comments came from Monte's "AllSportsTalk". The show at one time was appointment listening for me (on WGNS podcast; I don't live close enough to pick it up over the air) but for several reasons I find myself listening less and less. Regardless, I would like to listen on those occasions when Hertzer or McDevitt is the guest. I would appreciate someone who listens telling me the dates either is on so I can make the effort to listen to the podcast. I don't want to miss any discussion of MT men's BkB. Thanks
Wish I could be of better help to you. I, too, used to listen to All Sports Talk on most days. I also especially liked to catch when the coaches would be on etc. I would still like to hear coaches interviews, but the public notification in advance does not seem to be what it once was. Years ago, it used to be on the front of the athletic dept website.
Yes, I just happened to catch Andy Herzer on last week. I want to think I heard him on the radio in the car. Interestingly with the proliferation of podcasts, I listen to very little live radio anymore. I've become so spoiled with the huge amount of diverse content available with little to no commercials, I now find live broadcast radio nigh unlistenable. The amount of time on commercials is almost ridiculous.
