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BASKETBALL On to next year - Do you really want to?

MTFNBY5

Hall of Famer
Jul 26, 2005
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Mercifully this most disappointing year is over. I can't believe how optimistic I was at the beginning of the season. More highly rated players than ever (slap me if I ever brag on rating stars again - Space pointed out in another thread that the two 4 star transfers didn't hit the floor last night), a coach in his 3rd year with finally a full complement of players, and a few returning players with some upside, or so we thought (?).

I just knew that if not at the top of the conference we would make some noise. And what do we have to look forward to? No players sitting out and no commitments to give us hope. Additionally, with the lack of improvement in Jackson, Lawrence, and Millin can we truly expect any returning players to make significant progress before next year?

Even in the Farrar, Weil, and early Davis years I always had hope for the next year. Now, not so much.

Realizing we no longer have any posters inside Murphy Ctr. and with the decreasing number of posters comes less possibility of getting inside information regardless I have questions, not that I expect answers:

Do we expect Sims or Millner-Criss to take advantage of the NCAA granting an additional year?

Do we have significant recruits we are "in on" who could make a difference?

Is there any scuttlebutt on players who plan to transfer of otherwise leave the program?
 
There would have to be an unprecedented change in style for anything to change. Discouraged is an understatement.
 
From Oct 19 which is a really depressing thread to go back and read how so many of you thought this was the year - in spite of all the evidence to the contrary...

The hoops program is in worse shape than football.

McPhee botched ‘this hire and CNM will never secure a winning season here. Our entire athletics dept is in a complete death spiral.
 
From Oct 19 which is a really depressing thread to go back and read how so many of you thought this was the year - in spite of all the evidence to the contrary...
You really really want acknowledgement don't you.
 
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Pitino, Jr. likely out at U of Minnesota, since we like hiring marginal coaches he might be one to watch as a next hire
 
By tooting your own horn over and over and over? Pretty sure we have all admitted that already. Just admit you want everyone to say you were right. You wanted to be right more than you wanted the team to be successful.

That right there is why I have no respect for you and the crap you try to pull by minimizing other people’s perspectives because they aren’t drinking the koolaid. You have no grounds or basis for making a comment like that and have no clue all the things I’ve done for this university to try to make it just a little bit better.

You sir are a waste of my time, and I will no longer bother to engage with you. Good day.
 
By tooting your own horn over and over and over? Pretty sure we have all admitted that already. Just admit you want everyone to say you were right. You wanted to be right more than you wanted the team to be successful.

None of us want to be right. We all want MT to do well. However, you can't turn a turn into a golden palace and you have to come to the realization when the situation is dire and the coach just is not the right dude. MT01, I and many others saw this coming like a slow freight train. When I watched the Omaha game, I knew we were gonna be terrible again. That's not being negative. That's just calling it like it is. That's all MT01 has done IMO. None of us are happy about it. mASSaro is a moron for letting it happen when Grensing was right there.
 
Here we are 3 days removed from another single digit win season. 11.....8.....5.
Three years and 24 wins. Less than 20 wins vs Div 1 competition.

Cost? $2,250,000 to date.

And what are we hearing out of Murphy Center or Cope?

Crickets.

Still sleeping off their free road trip to DFW.
 
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Normal world? I think you mean normal university. Good call on mt sucking this year. Pretty safe bet for years to come in basketball and football.
 
As long as Massaro and McPhee are in charge, there's just nothing to expect here on out but craptastic basketball and football and a continuing slide in to mediocrity on most university endeavors.
 
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I'm sure this is only the beginning. Everyone saw this coming a mile away. I'm sure there will be more. Our program is at it's worst state ever in it's history.

McDevitt will never be able to build anything here, that much is obvious. Not even his most ardent supporter KingaLing comes around anymore because, well, what's he gonna say? The shot's weren't falling? LOL. I'm not sure McDevitt's own family could defend him at this point. He has ruined our program. Ruined it.

They all need to be fired. McPhee, Massaro, McDevitt, Stockstill, and anyone that continues to enable this COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER.

I really hope some of you clowns are not continuing to give your time and money to this university. Because you're part of the problem if you are.
 
Half time for the women so I'll comment: Davis was the biggest disappointment of all the perimeter newcomers. I really thought with his success and 3 star rating he would be our best outside player by far. Not to be, very little
difference in Davis, Jordan, and Schuler and I have a hard time placing King.

As for players transferring out. For years I have hated, regardless of reason, for any player to transfer out. I wanted them to love being at MT as much as I did. Now I just don't care. There is not one player on the team that will cause me one minutes' lost sleep over never seeing them in a Blue Raider uniform again. Wish them well and, should they be successful at the next stop, just another slap at the program under McDevitt.

Now back to the LR's game. Let's find a way to beat Rice!!!
 
I know everyone is angry. Everyone here is calling for heads to roll. Look, I’m a coach so it really isn’t my style to call for that. I’m just looking at this from a roster standpoint.

Right now MT needs a true big. Like a Brandon Walters... I have seen flashes of Jackson being similar, but he isn’t 6’10”. Jackson is my favorite big man on this team. Secondly, Shuler is a gamer. I hated to see him get hurt. If he comes back 100% this guy is deadly. Next, Jalen Jordan has been solid. I like his game on the perimeter. Lastly, Milner has proven his worth. Probably MT’s most dangerous player all around.

I do miss MT winning for sure. Praying next year will drastically improve. Somehow...
 
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I know everyone is angry. Everyone here is calling for heads to roll. Look, I’m a coach so it really isn’t my style to call for that. I’m just looking at this from a roster standpoint.

Right now MT needs a true big. Like a Brandon Walters... I have seen flashes of Jackson being similar, but he isn’t 6’10”. Jackson is my favorite big man on this team. Secondly, Shuler is a gamer. I hated to see him get hurt. If he comes back 100% this guy is deadly. Next, Jalen Jordan has been solid. I like his game on the perimeter. Lastly, Milner has proven his worth. Probably MT’s most dangerous player all around.

I do miss MT winning for sure. Praying next year will drastically improve. Somehow...

fussell is still on the roster. He should be a decent big man. Should be.

Milner-criss isn’t coming back so scratch him off your list.

Really though, does it matter what’s on our roster as long as McDevitt is here ? We had superior talent on paper to 80% of the teams we faced this year and won 5 games.

our fans shouldn’t even be thinking about thinking about a good team next year. It isn’t happening under McDevitt and I’ll wager any amount of money to back my claim up with anyone here that this team won’t sniff .500 or better next year or any year as long as McDevitt is here. We look like a D2 team and program.
 
Like MT01 I’ve given up. Sadly, the one decent Head Coach we have who is headed to the post season this year is not a sport I enjoy watching unless I have a friend or family member participating. But you can bet that Massaro will be touting this single accomplishment all week instead of addressing the real issues that continue to make people stay away.

There were several years in the Massaro era after I became an alum in ‘05 that I tried to support or sponsor any event or function put on by MT Athletics. Alan, Roy, Clint and Linda (may her sweet soul Rest In Peace) knew how to engage the fan base. Be it season tickets for all sports, bowl trips, NCAA trips, BRAA Golf outings, silent auctions, Football kickoff dinners, even a gift for the baseball stadium redo.
I have firsthand watched this Athletic Program die a slow death the last few years and at this point in my life I’ll make better use of my time.....and money. I have zero confidence in any leadership there from the President on down. I will not be back under the present regime.
 
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As bad as things are currently, we were playing even with North Texas with 10 minutes to go. They are going to the big dance..... and they are slitting wrist in Bowling green! The toppers have 5 straight 20 win teams and 0 championships!
we are just not good enough to to beat any good teams but wku just chokes in big games every year.
 
As bad as things are currently, we were playing even with North Texas with 10 minutes to go. They are going to the big dance..... and they are slitting wrist in Bowling green! The toppers have 5 straight 20 win teams and 0 championships!
we are just not good enough to to beat any good teams but wku just chokes in big games every year.
Which is exactly what is wrong with MT Athletics. Expectations are now “not to be as bad as them” and a large contingent of us are tired of hearing “we competed.”

I’ll search the internet to see if there are any other institutions of higher learning that had a couple of foreign students steal a 6-figure $ amount in student activity fees. I would bet that’s a #1 ranking we hold.
 
As bad as things are currently, we were playing even with North Texas with 10 minutes to go. They are going to the big dance..... and they are slitting wrist in Bowling green! The toppers have 5 straight 20 win teams and 0 championships!
we are just not good enough to to beat any good teams but wku just chokes in big games every year.

It was fools gold with all the 3's that were going down for us. The second our shooting went cold we were blown out of the building.

This team is not good and it's not good for many number of reasons. There is clearly a culture issue and lack of leadership. Roles don't seem well defined and discipline is greatly lacking in my opinion. Not sure I've ever seen McDevitt pull a player for doing something bone-headed meanwhile Kermit did it 20 times a game. There's a happy medium there that a coach needs to find. McDevitt strikes me as far too much of a players coach and of course, I just don't think his offensive system and overall approach cuts it at this level. And we have 3 seasons of evidence to back that theory up.
 
Ok, CNM seems to be a good guy. No one really argues otherwise. There are a bunch of good & decent folk on this board, but it doesn't mean they are qualified to coach MT.

CNM seems to do a decent job of recruiting decent players. That is where the strengths end.

There is no development of players and their skill level while on the team.

Overall, strength & conditioning sucks. A few of the guys with good strength arrived on campus with that strength.

No discipline. No toughness. Effort was better this year, but that is not saying much compared to the previous 2 years. CNM has not demanded excellence from his players/team.

Individual effort on the perimeter yielded some improved perimeter defense. Overall, the defense looked lost with constant breakdowns. Hardly no one guarded the front of the rim.

Offensive structure was no better. No improvement.

It's good that players like CNM and seem willing to come play for him, but most of these young talented players with good potential want to be coached to be a better player. They want a coach that will help them become better than they can on their own. They also want to win, or at least realistically compete to get their fair share of wins while further improving. I just don't see any of that happening.

I really can't blame a player like Jordan Davis for wanting to leave. I suspect he will not be the last.
 
In retrospect, my biggest concern was he spent all of his time at one place. He knew no other program and no other way of doing things. I feel like the hiring process in football is different than basketball. I think MT looks for a guy like Kermit or Stansbury. I know Stansbury hasn't won the conference but they've at least stayed competitive.

Essentially, a veteran coach with something to prove. Look at all of the veteran coaches that went to a smaller school and were successful or a "mid-major." Pitino (who we coulda hired), Stansbury, Kermit, Kelvin Sampson, etc. It's a risk you have to take, but in my opinion you're not getting a sure thing when you hire them at MTSU. They went what they thought was safe and got burned for it.

In football, its dangerous to go the retread route of someone who is approaching social security just ask Tony Franklin, Tommie West, Les Miles, Rick Stockstill, who are just trying to run out the clock but basketball its a different story.

Just my thoughts. Have to take a chance and Massaro isn't that guy to take a chance. That's why we are where we are.
 
"In retrospect, my biggest concern was he spent all his time at one place."

Exactly, rcodeman. Most coaches who get their first D-1 HC job have had a variety of experiences. (assistants under different coches, JUCO, lower division, High School, AAU, etc. - something!!!)
McDevitt gives his credit to his HC at Ashville who he, IIRC, he was an assistant for before becoming HC. He at a minimum needs assistants with varied experience and are not "yes men". I don't know enough about the assistants to comment on what they bring to the table but it obviously is not enough to overcome McDevitt's lack of experience.
 
At the very least, CNM should have spent at least 2-3 years as an assistant for a HC like Kermit. He would have been an asset in recruiting, but would learn about discipline and demanding attention to detail.

I don't know the facts, but I know some have suggested that McPhee insisted on this hire. If so, he clearly carries the responsibility. If true, Massaro should (should have) resign in protest.
 
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