Fair assessment...right now none of the F have really tried to score. I saw Crump take some shots, either short jumpers or drives (I'd like to see him lauch a few 3s), he is a mismatch for most teams on our schedule at the guard position. Both Fuquor and Johnson have been very selective.
BASKETBALL Middle Tennessee vs Charleston Southern, 6:30PM, Friday, November 16, 2018
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Fair assessment...right now none of the F have really tried to score. I saw Crump take some shots, either short jumpers or drives (I'd like to see him lauch a few 3s), he is a mismatch for most teams on our schedule at the guard position. Both Fuquor and Johnson have been very selective.
When I comment on the game, I am not trying to judge the coach and or system yet. I am just trying to relate what I saw and explain why I thought it happened the way it did. In the first half I saw the team flowing smoothly and finding the open man for easy shots and or dunks. Its' a fun game to watch and will get better as the team learns and grows with it. I saw the coach trying to teach and instruct during the game and make appropriate substitutions when needed. I have been telling my wife for a while, we are just not going to be very good this year, so I have been pleasantly surprised in that we are already better than I thought we could be. I actually got a little excited at the first half of the Belmont game. Reality set in for the second half.
The main thing I am trying to impart is that we are limited by the number and experience of quality athletes. In the second half of games coaches will make adjustments to limit our top 2 players (Greene, Scurry) and the same with the next two (Sims, Gamble). Compound this with our depth problems, foul trouble and running the court aggressively and you are going to get poor execution on offense, missed open shots, unforced turnovers and spotty defense later in the game.
Experience and players growing and learning the system will improve this year, but unless we have another starting quality player or two that will become eligible later on in the year, this is what we can expect. I think Coach McDevitt should continue to teach his system and hopefully they will grow into the system faster than we thought.
It really doesn't matter what Kermit could do as any system has to have good players to make it run. When Stan Simpson took over for Jimmy Earle, he beat Kentucky with those players. As those players left and weren't replenished, we had some of the worst basketball ever at MTSU. Bruce Stewart came in and recruited outstanding freshman and great transfers. I couldn't tell you now what the main focus was for his offense or defense, but the basketball was exciting. When Coach Wiel came in and took over from Coach Farrar, he did much better with Farrar's players in an open system than Coach Farrar ever did, but he couldn 't recruit players. Watching some of Kermits earlier teams was akin to going to the Dentist and having several teeth pulled out. We got solid defense and rebounding , but on offense we would get 3 awkward passes and a forced bad shot as the clock expired. From 2011-2012 on his teams were a joy to behold and the best basketball I have ever seen at MTSU. Most of it revolved around the number of quality players we had and their willingness to be coached in a specific system. Coach McDevitt is never going to focus on defense and rebounding the way Kermit did, but there are other ways to win. You can't forget about those things, but the entire focus doesn't have to be on them either. We just don't have enough players yet to make any system compete for the top of the league.
The main thing I am trying to impart is that we are limited by the number and experience of quality athletes. In the second half of games coaches will make adjustments to limit our top 2 players (Greene, Scurry) and the same with the next two (Sims, Gamble). Compound this with our depth problems, foul trouble and running the court aggressively and you are going to get poor execution on offense, missed open shots, unforced turnovers and spotty defense later in the game.
Experience and players growing and learning the system will improve this year, but unless we have another starting quality player or two that will become eligible later on in the year, this is what we can expect. I think Coach McDevitt should continue to teach his system and hopefully they will grow into the system faster than we thought.
It really doesn't matter what Kermit could do as any system has to have good players to make it run. When Stan Simpson took over for Jimmy Earle, he beat Kentucky with those players. As those players left and weren't replenished, we had some of the worst basketball ever at MTSU. Bruce Stewart came in and recruited outstanding freshman and great transfers. I couldn't tell you now what the main focus was for his offense or defense, but the basketball was exciting. When Coach Wiel came in and took over from Coach Farrar, he did much better with Farrar's players in an open system than Coach Farrar ever did, but he couldn 't recruit players. Watching some of Kermits earlier teams was akin to going to the Dentist and having several teeth pulled out. We got solid defense and rebounding , but on offense we would get 3 awkward passes and a forced bad shot as the clock expired. From 2011-2012 on his teams were a joy to behold and the best basketball I have ever seen at MTSU. Most of it revolved around the number of quality players we had and their willingness to be coached in a specific system. Coach McDevitt is never going to focus on defense and rebounding the way Kermit did, but there are other ways to win. You can't forget about those things, but the entire focus doesn't have to be on them either. We just don't have enough players yet to make any system compete for the top of the league.
Has nothing to do with ego. Has to do with installing your system. You can put words in my mouth all day, but I did not say most of that. I honestly think playing Kermit’s style vs. Nick’s would not make much a difference. Wehat record do you think we would have if Kermit was the coach against this non-conference schedule? You can live in the past if you want, but I am looking to the future. Were you at the game last night?
Unlikely he was there. Most of the ones that complain do it really early in the season and go off box score. I saw the same things you did. McDevitt will be better than Kermit.[/QUOTE]
For the record I did not make the comment, it was the quote I responded too
For the record I did not make the comment, it was the quote I responded too[/QUOTE]
Oh yea I know. I was answering your question of if he was there. I was upset how the second half unfolded, but I think McDevitt is a really good coach. We are really young right now. Most of the game last night we had more underclassmen on the floor than upperclassmen.
Why do you assume I mean lose now to win later? See you are assuming that we would be better than 1-1 vs. D1 opponents right now under Kermit? His record vs. Belmont says otherwise. I do not think our record will be much different than what Kermit would do with this exact team. It definitely does not matter because KERMIT IS NOT THE COACH ANYMORE. Why do you all want to keep bringing that up? Why is it illogical to say that players having a year under a system is better than not? I also did not know you and CNM were so close you know his motives for wanting to run his system.
You see we actually did slow the game down some in the second half last night. We did make some really good defensive plays last night. Honestly if you watched it you would have seen CS just making some plays and making some shots when we were missing shots.
In football we lose to Vandy and the sky is falling and our season is over. Fast forward and we are 7-4 with a chance to play for the CUSA championship. After 2 D1 games we are 1-1 losing to a team we always lose to and our season is over. Might as well not even go to the games right? Our coach's ego making him want to run his system and coach the way he wants to will cost us this season. I can't believe we let Kermit have 10 years of letting his ego get in the way of winning games. I know I won't be going to anymore games this year. If they do not win I do not show up and support them. If you want my loyalty you better win. We don't allow rebuilding years after losing 8 players here at MTSU.
System or learning a system is not an important issue in basketball. Why do you think other schools can bring in one and dones and win with freshmen? The installation of the coaches “system” is not hard nor is it as important as it is in football. You guys talking about how important it is to stick to his style of play demonstrate you don’t really know much basketball.
McDevitt doesn’t gain anything for next year or lose anything this year by modifying his philosophy that is currently mismatched to his personnel. So it’s either ego or stupidity.
But he has a lot to gain in his first year by doing so. And that something is winning more games. So if he continues to refuse to put his team in the best possible position to win games then I - for one - will continue to call him out on it.
I don’t see this as a throw away year. This team has talent. But I’m fascinated that everyone is getting their undies in a bunch because the same thing has happened in all four games so how am I the only one who sees it?? And it will keep happening if he doesn’t show that he is an evolved coach instead of a young, inexperienced X’s and O’s, basketball guy because right now that’s what he is showing. How am I the only one who can see that?
However, if he recognizes he can’t play helter skelter with this current lineup and instead get his guys to paly half court ball, slow down, play a little defense I believe we can get to better than .500 this year. But with early returns in I see a 7 to 9 win season and there is no reason for it. So, time will tell. We’ll see how he approaches the rest of the season, because we are about to play one of the most difficult stretches an MT basketball team has ever seen.
McDevitt doesn’t gain anything for next year or lose anything this year by modifying his philosophy that is currently mismatched to his personnel. So it’s either ego or stupidity.
But he has a lot to gain in his first year by doing so. And that something is winning more games. So if he continues to refuse to put his team in the best possible position to win games then I - for one - will continue to call him out on it.
I don’t see this as a throw away year. This team has talent. But I’m fascinated that everyone is getting their undies in a bunch because the same thing has happened in all four games so how am I the only one who sees it?? And it will keep happening if he doesn’t show that he is an evolved coach instead of a young, inexperienced X’s and O’s, basketball guy because right now that’s what he is showing. How am I the only one who can see that?
However, if he recognizes he can’t play helter skelter with this current lineup and instead get his guys to paly half court ball, slow down, play a little defense I believe we can get to better than .500 this year. But with early returns in I see a 7 to 9 win season and there is no reason for it. So, time will tell. We’ll see how he approaches the rest of the season, because we are about to play one of the most difficult stretches an MT basketball team has ever seen.
I'm going to give it 10 games before I get too critical and start sounding alarms.
I've seen good and bad thus far. I feel like the "bad" is mostly related to mistakes, which is correctable. The talent is there, for sure, which is somewhat reassuring.
If we can play better defense, stop turning the ball over, and hit the easy buckets, we'll be fine.
I've seen good and bad thus far. I feel like the "bad" is mostly related to mistakes, which is correctable. The talent is there, for sure, which is somewhat reassuring.
If we can play better defense, stop turning the ball over, and hit the easy buckets, we'll be fine.
Tell Rick Byrd that running a system isn’t important. Or tell it to a team like Syracuse who runs their vaulted zone that shut us down.
At what point would someone compare MT to a Duke or UK (the one and done schools)
We are a mid major. We can’t win without a system. As much as I disliked CKD style, his system won us a lot of games once he figured out how to not run off parts of his team each year and recruit special players that fit. Those one and done fit, he didn’t change who he was to fit King, Williams or Dendy
That game was at Butler. Butler was favored by 9. Ole Miss played well and could have won. They had a late lead. They seem to be playing well. I was hoping they would struggle early since we get them in Nashville in a few weeks.
Ole Miss is going to POUND us. I'm calling it now. At least a 20+ point victory.
We'll play well in the first half though......
I just can't remember. When was the last time MT defeated a ranked team in the regular season?
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