BASKETBALL So much for NIT

[dukewayne]

At least a NIT bid seemed possible during the middle of the season if MT could not make a run in the conf tourney. Those chances for a NIT bid seem to be slipping away rapidly. With Potts out, a deep conf tourney run is seeming less and less likely. As painful as it is to say, it looks like this season just might end up a wash.

I've been one of the long time critics in years past of kermit and his ability to move beyond being a just above average team. Enter coach Towe. Tremendous success arrived at MT. Throughout, I had my inner thoughts that coach Towe may be the key factor in the success. At the same time, Kermit deserved credit for bringing in coach Towe. At the time, who knew how long coach Towe would grace the Blue Raider coaching bench. After a few years of a great run, coach Towe left right when MT was about to undergo a reloading or rebuilding of talent. I know I hated to see coach Towe go. Giving Kermit the benefit of the doubt, I had hoped to see the tremendous success continue.

Understandably, last season had all of the hallmarks of a young rebuilding team. The end of the season conf tourney run provided hope that perhaps the young team was coming together at just the right time with bright seasons ahead. Then MT lost ugly at Murray St to start this season. This after losing some key players off the roster just before the season started. An omen of things reverting to the performance and outcomes of the years before Coach Towe arrived?

While Dendy came in right away and helped trigger championship ball, Marcos Knight seemed to be a key factor. What stood out is that Marcos Knight was so similar in size, stature, and play as the superstar that coach Towe had when he was the HC at UNO. Bo McCaleb IIRC. Regardless, players seemed to be sticking with the program when turnover had been high for years. This trend of high turnover of players seems to be showing up again, and it is hurting MT this season in backcourt depth. The concern, Coach Towe was the coach finding players best suited to Kermit's style of play during the championship years.

Injuries will happen. Can't really blame anyone about that. At championship level ball, quality depth has to be there to continue to succeed when the injury bug does bite. And bite the bug has done down the stretch when Kermit's teams are usually getting stronger. The injuries are exactly where some key and potential players left or were let go before the season started. It is reminiscent of a cycle seen here before. Unless MT can pull off a near miracle, it is shaping up to be a season where MT is competitive and above average. It also looks like MT is distinctly a notch just below the top talent and champions of the conference.

I really do hope MT can prove these concerns wrong with a run right into the NCAA tourney. Heck, a NIT bid would be big from the way things look. Right now, that seems like a tall order. UAB beat MT so bad it ended up being 2 losses from one game, the UAB game Sunday and WKU Thursday. With Potts out, MT just might be looking at 3 straight losses at home for the first time in a long time. A huge 3 game home stand with the conf championship on the line, and it will take a heroic effort just to win 1 of these 3 huge home games. It's going to take a pretty impressive finish down the stretch just to get one of the key top 4 seeds for the conf tourney. Disappointing considering just a week ago hopes were high MT could be in 1st place with a win in the next buzzed about game.

I'm deeply concerned that unless Kermit can find an incredibly talented, smart, and wise asst coach to bring in and help out overall and particularly find the right recruits, MT just might be back to the repeated cycle of good but not great performances each season. That or Kermit will have to find a way to recruit top players who are a better match for his system.

 

[MTFNBY5]

Would not surprise me if we lost today, lost the two in Fla. next week, and the first game in the tournament ending the season on a 6 game losing streak. Surprise me not at all. Very rarely in Davis' tenure have our teams not been fragile, although early it appeared his teams peaked at tournament time. Lately not so much.

Davis intimated on Monte's show this week that Ivory's career may be over. A huge blow to the next two years unless Copeland and/or Antwain Johnson (JUCO coming on board next year with 3 to play) can step up as PG (pending other signings). Now Giddy is out for who knows how long? But, we must remember that the team had, for over a month, psychologically put all their emphasis on beating UAB last Sun. UAB played as well as they have since the NCAAs last season and our chances for the regular season championship went out the window. Even with Ivory the team would have had trouble getting focus for Western after losing to UAB. Not happy with where we are but it is what it is.

Not sure how much Towe had to do with signing the better players we had during and immediately after he was here. I respect but don't hold your opinion. Regardless, I've been very disappointed with our lack of recruiting upgrade after the tremendous 3 yr run and the move up to C-USA. Gamble is the "best freshman we've ever had". Give me a break. I realize that for several reasons we can't get "in on" players like Lee at UAB (4 star with several "power" offers including half the $EC including home state Alabama). But recruiting does need to get a serious upgrade.

I still wonder about, and have reservations concerning, the loss of Richmond half way during last season and the loss of three players before this school year started (two of which we never saw in a BR uniform except by video from the Caribbean trip). Three of those four were guards (a 3 star who was just starting to show his ability the JUCO who led us to the conference championship game last year, and a KY. all-stater who was 2nd in Mr BkB voting). Surely, if only one of those was still in uniform we would be better off today.

Even considering the circumstances where MT BkB is this Sr. day I would like to express to Buford, Harris, and Raymond thanks for their contributions and wish them well after they leave MT.