Are you happy we hired Kim English as our Head Coach?

Are you happy we hired Kim English as the GMU Head Coach?

  • Yes

    Votes: 32 41.6%
  • No

    Votes: 22 28.6%
  • Need More Time to Tell

    Votes: 24 31.2%

  • Total voters
    77
  • Poll closed .

mkaufman1

Administrator
Staff member
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
Welcome back @GMUgemini , it’s good to see you posting.

I’m not sure why I’m coming back, but only y’all know my misery so here I am (I didn’t like the person I became on the board before I left so I had to take a break. If I start becoming that person again let me know).

First, let me say I’m happy we hired English. He is clearly a young, ambitious coach who is a student of the modern game and he has a vision for what he wants Mason to become as a program that is far beyond what the last two guys did. So, despite the end result and whether he succeeds or not, I’m not going to fault Edwards for taking a shot on him. It was a big risk and it might fail, but he took the risk and that’s important.

I only hope President Washington is similarly ambitious with the AD hire and whoever that person is has a similar ambition and vision for what Mason can become…

Anyway: I had concerns starting last year with the collapse and then getting out coached by Neptune. This year, two new coaches (albeit older and with longer assistant resumes) are out working us in Caputo and Urgo (and Caputo’s success particularly stings because he’s a Mason guy and probably could have been hired after L left and then again after Hewitt was fired and then again after Paulsen was fired. Hopefully he doesn’t lap us).

My biggest concern is how English is asking his players to play on offense and defense. He needs 5 shooters on the floor at all times and 5 elite on-ball defenders who can all guard multiple positions. I don’t think he’ll ever be able to recruit that at Mason. So he’s either going to have to simplify his philosophy (and how often is it that coaches fundamentally change their philosophy, especially ones who think what they’re asking for sure work, like English clearly does) for the level of talent he will be able to get, or he’s probably not going to succeed here and will most likely be out in 2025.

The biggest problem seems to be the lack of communication. No one’s seems to know what anyone else is doing (or supposed to be doing) on either side of the ball and so we are easily exposed on defense and easily flummoxed on offense. I think a simplified system with more clearly defined roles would probably help Fernandez and Dinkins, and even our more marginal players (like Blake and Nnaji) look better than they do now.

And I agree about the switch to 2 bigs being a bit half-cocked. English’s offense is designed for 4 guards (or at least 4 players who can spread the floor, shoot, pass, and drive into the paint). Oduro and Malik aren’t looking for each other enough in the post and there’s little to no high-low game happening between the bigs either.

This season’s ceiling was always going to run through Polite and how good he was going to be running the point. He’s been…competent at best and not good for most of the season. I think this is who he is as a player, so we shouldn’t expect him to be any better of a caretaker of the offense next year. In other words, it seems to be the biggest failure so far of the English era has been in not being able to keep Kolek (who is averaging over 7apg right now) here and then not being able to recruit a PG transfer this off-season when we needed one.

Question: Dez White is listed as a point guard. Does anyone know if he actually runs the offense at or is he listed that way because of his height?

On XJ, he would have been a more pass first point guard, yes, but he still has TO issues. That would not have helped us. He was also a worse defender than Polite (and Polite is not a very good defender himself). Don’t think XJ would not have moved the needle one way or the other. But he’s got a good chance to see the postseason this year, so good for him. Every one of Paulsen’s recruits deserves a postseason experience.

Anyway, this season is a wash. We probably win 1-2 more games and go into the off-season with a ton of questions. My biggest hope is the players who don’t have much of a future here decide to be the ones to transfer and not the players who can probably contribute to a team who has a chance to go to the NCAA next year.

Second hope is English simplifies the system and figures out a way to mask our deficiencies on defense especially. I don’t expect next season’s win-loss column to be better, but in order to have hope (outside of the new AD looking for a new coach in 25) there has to be a clear identity for the program coalescing and our freshmen and sophomores have to show enough promise, chemistry, and cohesion developing to see a path toward success in year 4.

I’m not really sure the assistants will make much of a difference one way or the other, but if he gets rid of Simpkins and Felton and replaces them, I’m not going to complain.

TLDR: happy at the ambitious risk taking for hiring English; not sure he’s actually going to succeed here.
Dez is more of a combo guard. I’ve asked @Patriot8 probably 1000 times if he can play point. The answer is no.

Like I mentioned in another thread, the inconsistencies of RP and XJ would have driven us nuts. They are what they are for us, it isn’t good enough. Kolek wasn’t recruited as a PG and played out of necessity. However he was probably gone regardless of what happens to DP.

Agreed that we need to see the “young team” really show legit promise towards taking a big step. Also hope we bring in enough to help our deficiencies so that we have a chance to still be a top 5 program. It’s going to be tough.

Mason took a big swing with English. We have to be patient.
 

GMU79

All-American
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
I’m not sure why I’m coming back, but only y’all know my misery so here I am (I didn’t like the person I became on the board before I left so I had to take a break. If I start becoming that person again let me know).

First, let me say I’m happy we hired English. He is clearly a young, ambitious coach who is a student of the modern game and he has a vision for what he wants Mason to become as a program that is far beyond what the last two guys did. So, despite the end result and whether he succeeds or not, I’m not going to fault Edwards for taking a shot on him. It was a big risk and it might fail, but he took the risk and that’s important.

I only hope President Washington is similarly ambitious with the AD hire and whoever that person is has a similar ambition and vision for what Mason can become…

Anyway: I had concerns starting last year with the collapse and then getting out coached by Neptune. This year, two new coaches (albeit older and with longer assistant resumes) are out working us in Caputo and Urgo (and Caputo’s success particularly stings because he’s a Mason guy and probably could have been hired after L left and then again after Hewitt was fired and then again after Paulsen was fired. Hopefully he doesn’t lap us).

My biggest concern is how English is asking his players to play on offense and defense. He needs 5 shooters on the floor at all times and 5 elite on-ball defenders who can all guard multiple positions. I don’t think he’ll ever be able to recruit that at Mason. So he’s either going to have to simplify his philosophy (and how often is it that coaches fundamentally change their philosophy, especially ones who think what they’re asking for sure work, like English clearly does) for the level of talent he will be able to get, or he’s probably not going to succeed here and will most likely be out in 2025.

The biggest problem seems to be the lack of communication. No one’s seems to know what anyone else is doing (or supposed to be doing) on either side of the ball and so we are easily exposed on defense and easily flummoxed on offense. I think a simplified system with more clearly defined roles would probably help Fernandez and Dinkins, and even our more marginal players (like Blake and Nnaji) look better than they do now.

And I agree about the switch to 2 bigs being a bit half-cocked. English’s offense is designed for 4 guards (or at least 4 players who can spread the floor, shoot, pass, and drive into the paint). Oduro and Malik aren’t looking for each other enough in the post and there’s little to no high-low game happening between the bigs either.

This season’s ceiling was always going to run through Polite and how good he was going to be running the point. He’s been…competent at best and not good for most of the season. I think this is who he is as a player, so we shouldn’t expect him to be any better of a caretaker of the offense next year. In other words, it seems to be the biggest failure so far of the English era has been in not being able to keep Kolek (who is averaging over 7apg right now) here and then not being able to recruit a PG transfer this off-season when we needed one.

Question: Dez White is listed as a point guard. Does anyone know if he actually runs the offense at or is he listed that way because of his height?

On XJ, he would have been a more pass first point guard, yes, but he still has TO issues. That would not have helped us. He was also a worse defender than Polite (and Polite is not a very good defender himself). Don’t think XJ would not have moved the needle one way or the other. But he’s got a good chance to see the postseason this year, so good for him. Every one of Paulsen’s recruits deserves a postseason experience.

Anyway, this season is a wash. We probably win 1-2 more games and go into the off-season with a ton of questions. My biggest hope is the players who don’t have much of a future here decide to be the ones to transfer and not the players who can probably contribute to a team who has a chance to go to the NCAA next year.

Second hope is English simplifies the system and figures out a way to mask our deficiencies on defense especially. I don’t expect next season’s win-loss column to be better, but in order to have hope (outside of the new AD looking for a new coach in 25) there has to be a clear identity for the program coalescing and our freshmen and sophomores have to show enough promise, chemistry, and cohesion developing to see a path toward success in year 4.

I’m not really sure the assistants will make much of a difference one way or the other, but if he gets rid of Simpkins and Felton and replaces them, I’m not going to complain.

TLDR: happy at the ambitious risk taking for hiring English; not sure he’s actually going to succeed here.
Good post. Thanks.
In regard to your first paragraph, me too.
I've only posted a couple of times in the past week (in addition to an email to the "Contact Us" person), and that was in response to a good natured jab about me which I thought was funny. I just don't like arguing with folks and so I decided to just shut up and read.
I will post going forward, but I'm not going to respond to comments that are derogatory toward me. It doesn't do any good, and doesn't change anyone's mind.
This is a great site, and I learn a ton here.
Thanks to all who keep this site up and running.
 

gmujim92

Hall of Famer
GIVING DAY 2023
The worst part about all of this is that essentially everyone agrees on one simple thing: Major changes are needed. It's so depressing that this is unanimous....
Will there ever be a point when we're back to bitching about where Lunardi has us in the at-large picture?
Yes, Mason has too much going for it as a university to continue to suck indefinitely at our only sport that matters.

But just like the Red Sox trading Babe Ruth, we clearly have more karmic penance to pay for the whole Larranaga debacle.
 

mkaufman1

Administrator
Staff member
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
Yes, Mason has too much going for it as a university to continue to suck indefinitely at our only sport that matters.

But just like the Red Sox trading Babe Ruth, we clearly have more karmic penance to pay for the whole Larranaga debacle.
Great, 86 years til mason makes the ncaas again. We will all be dead.
 

Falco

Hall of Famer
GIVING DAY 2023
Time to fire English and bring back the GOAT which was Hewitt. At least we played in a post season tournament. Dp couldn’t recruit and English can’t coach
In hindsight I think DP could recruit. He couldn’t coach. Most of his players are key contributors on P5 schools now. Plus the best players on Mason’s current roster are Paulsen’s hold overs.
 

GMUgemini

Hall of Famer
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
In hindsight I think DP could recruit. He couldn’t coach. Most of his players are key contributors on P5 schools now. Plus the best players on Mason’s current roster are Paulsen’s hold overs.

He never had a complete team or very deep. So even if he had stuck around he would have run into the same problem English ran into: yeah, you’ve got Kolek, Miller, And Oduro but the rest of the roster: Frazier, Polite, XJ, Henry, Gray, Gadsden, Haidara. There isn’t a complete starting 5 on that roster let alone a good 8-man rotation.

The one year he came the closest, Grayer played hurt, Otis regressed (probably was playing on a bad knee), Mar regressed big-time, and Reuter turned out to…uh…not be all-A10 material.

But, yeah, given the fact that his teams were perennially undersized at the 4 and 5 especially and the fact that we didn’t have the most athletic guards, insisting on running a man-to-man defense predicated on keeping teams to one shot and gathering the rebound was not the best choice. And who, of course, could forget the dribble handoff offense.
 

tblack33

Hall of Famer
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
In hindsight I think DP could recruit. He couldn’t coach. Most of his players are key contributors on P5 schools now. Plus the best players on Mason’s current roster are Paulsen’s hold overs.
I think this is somewhat revisionist. Obviously there’s a couple; but there are actually more Paulsen recruits no longer playing D1 basketball than there are playing in a higher league than the A10.
 

Falco

Hall of Famer
GIVING DAY 2023
I think this is somewhat revisionist. Obviously there’s a couple; but there are actually more Paulsen recruits no longer playing D1 basketball than there are playing in a higher league than the A10.
Good point
 

patriotchild

Starter
So consensus here is 1) going into this season PG was biggest need, 2) we didnt get any of the pg xfers we targeted, 3) pg remains huge position of concern for next year, and 4) we havent signed another pg?
This is probably the best summary. You have a coach who was a big time NCAA and an NBA PG and we can’t address the most glaring need. And a lot of flash and talk with not a lot of results so far.

Can’t run an offense that needs good guard play without guards. Otis was our last good PG and we saw what happened to him in the end because we didn’t have depth at the position. with the way the portal is we need to be grabbing a guard or two almost every year. never know what’s gonna happen. Grabbing three more wing/combo guards is starting to smell like Hewitt ball and I don’t want to relive that.
 

gmujim92

Hall of Famer
GIVING DAY 2023
This is probably the best summary. You have a coach who was a big time NCAA and an NBA PG and we can’t address the most glaring need. And a lot of flash and talk with not a lot of results so far.

Can’t run an offense that needs good guard play without guards. Otis was our last good PG and we saw what happened to him in the end because we didn’t have depth at the position. with the way the portal is we need to be grabbing a guard or two almost every year. never know what’s gonna happen. Grabbing three more wing/combo guards is starting to smell like Hewitt ball and I don’t want to relive that.
Kim was not a PG
 

GreenLantern

Hall of Famer
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
As disappointed as I've been with this season, I am not giving up on CKE. The team is still not fully in his vision and I hope next season he will have more pieces in place for genuine improvement
 

gmutom

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GIVING DAY 2023
I can kind of relate to what Kim went through in trying to compile our roster the last few years. I went grocery shopping in college one time when I was really buzzed, and I got back to my apartment on campus with $130 worth of groceries. Despite being really proud of my overall haul, I realized when I went to make dinner that night that I had nothing to make because I had packed my cart with donuts, cereal — the good stuff like Capt'n Crunch and Fruity Pebbles — cookies and chips.

Now, I'm not suggesting Kim would ever get high, but I do think he kind of got so overwhelmed with trying to pack his cart that he overestimated what he already had in the cupboard and underestimated the glaring needs on his shopping list. The result, like mine, was that he ended up with no dinner, which in his case was a prototypical point guard to run his offense.
 
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I can kind of relate to what Kim went through in trying to compile our roster the last few years. I went grocery shopping in college one time when I was really buzzed, and I got back to my apartment on campus with $130 worth of groceries. Despite being really proud of my overall haul, I realized when I went to make dinner that night that I had nothing to make because I had packed my cart with donuts, cereal — the good stuff like Capt'n Crunch and Fruity Pebbles — cookies and chips.

Now, I'm not suggesting Kim would ever get high, but I do think he kind of got so overwhelmed with trying to pack his cart that he overestimated what he already had in the cupboard and underestimated the glaring needs on his shopping list. The result, like mine, was that he ended up with no dinner, which in his case was a prototypical point guard to run his offense.
your best post ever. good stuff, creative Tom.
 
Face it guys. Mason hoops fans are delusional. You had one good run thru the NCAA’s. Nothing before or since. You’re in the A10 now and you will always be mediocre because you can’t compete recruiting the Delmarva vs the likes of Maryland, UVA, Vtech, GW, Georgetown to say the least.
 

mkaufman1

Administrator
Staff member
⭐️ Donor ⭐️
GIVING DAY 2023
Face it guys. Mason hoops fans are delusional. You had one good run thru the NCAA’s. Nothing before or since. You’re in the A10 now and you will always be mediocre because you can’t compete recruiting the Delmarva vs the likes of Maryland, UVA, Vtech, GW, Georgetown to say the least.
Don't know who you are (but apparently you know Dave Paulsen for 9 years from your other post many moons ago) or what your MO is to come on here and bash us. I guess you were just bored?

If you are a Bucknell fan, I'm sorry your program went in the toilet since Dave left, but perhaps he can go back and do well for you again. Dane Fischer will probably be available too.
 
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