Breaking News - Lombardi to High Point

[GMURaider]

Guys like Lombardi have to pay their dues for years before they get there shot. If i was him I'd rather be in a more stable environment so the move makes a lot of sense.

That's assuming Hewitt isn't stable. Wouldn't want to deal in hypotheticals and assumptions!

 

[masonjoe]

That's assuming Hewitt isn't stable.

just stop

 

[Walter]

He obviously recognizes the benefit of being connected to a raising star than falling one.

 

[gmu05]

That's assuming Hewitt isn't stable. Wouldn't want to deal in hypotheticals and assumptions!

Serious question: Do you think Hewitt first two season were a success because he won 20+ games?

Do you feel that never coming close to an NCAA tournament bid but winning meaningless games make him a decent coach? One that shouldn't be fired now that we are in the A-10?

 

[Vurbel]

Serious question: Do you think Hewitt first two season were a success because he won 20+ games?

Do you feel that never coming close to an NCAA tournament bid but winning meaningless games make him a decent coach? One that shouldn't be fired now that we are in the A-10?

Winning 20+ games isn't the big deal it was 20 years ago. I prefer to look at if a team underachieved or played to its potential. I don't think anybody would say the Pearson/Morrison team achieved its potential.

 

[Walter]

Winning 20+ games isn't the big deal it was 20 years ago. I prefer to look at if a team underachieved or played to its potential. I don't think anybody would say the Pearson/Morrison team achieved its potential.

You can not be serious. Longest winning steak during the season. Should have been ranked. Got to wear the white jerseys in the NCAA tournament. Won a game in the tournament. Would have killed it their senior year if the school would have paid to keep their coach and thus retaining Luke. Instead one of the worst coaches anywhere was hired and they couldn't overcome that.

 

[A.-Siegfried]

Winning 20+ games isn't the big deal it was 20 years ago. I prefer to look at if a team underachieved or played to its potential. I don't think anybody would say the Pearson/Morrison team achieved its potential.

You can not be serious. Longest winning steak during the season. Should have been ranked. Got to wear the white jerseys in the NCAA tournament. Won a game in the tournament. Would have killed it their senior year if the school would have paid to keep their coach and thus retaining Luke. Instead one of the worst coaches anywhere was hired and they couldn't overcome that.

He meant their senior year. Not the year led by Cam Long.

 

[Vurbel]

You can not be serious. Longest winning steak during the season. Should have been ranked. Got to wear the white jerseys in the NCAA tournament. Won a game in the tournament. Would have killed it their senior year if the school would have paid to keep their coach and thus retaining Luke. Instead one of the worst coaches anywhere was hired and they couldn't overcome that.

NONONO. I am not talking about the 2011 season. That was arguably the second greatest season in Mason basketball history. I'm talking about the season AFTER that, with no Larranaga or Hancock. But we still had the CAA POY and Morrison, who was a beast. We get down 32-4 against vcu in the CAAT and after getting to the round of 32 in the NCAAT we don't do jack the season after. That's what I'm talking about.

 

[Walter]

I know what you were talking about but they get a pass from me because that team lost Luke and Larranaga and got Hewitt. Looking back it is amazing to me that they were as good as they were. They had to overcome a lot. It is tough to overcome inept coaching and losing the glue to your team.

 

[GSII]

Wait wait wait...we had Ryan Pearson carry us the entire year before he wore out towards the end. But you must look closer. We barely beat Rhody at home, we lost to FIU spoiling a matchup vs VA Tech. The offense looked bad then and has stayed on a down tick. You can't tell me or any one else who knows the slightest bit about basketball that Hewitt's offense is efficient/productive. It's painful to watch and has never showed much life. His offense mindf**ks entire rosters circa 15 years. Just look closely.

 

[polepino]

You can't tell me or any one else who knows the slightest bit about basketball that Hewitt's offense is efficient/productive. It's painful to watch and has never showed much life. His offense mindf*cks entire rosters circa 15 years. Just look closely.

The only question that sticks out in my mind was, why was he so successful at Siena? Did he luck out and not stay long enough to 'bring the program down'? He did get the Yellow Jackets to the NC game also. I'm playing devils advocate here but I can't believe he somehow changed his coaching style/schemes so drastically that now he's coaching to lose. Could be his inflexible nature I keep hearing about. I think its a little extreme to say that his teams have never been productive. The only question is, to put it simply, what happened ?

 

[GMUgemini]

The only question that sticks out in my mind was, why was he so successful at Siena? Did he luck out and not stay long enough to 'bring the program down'? He did get the Yellow Jackets to the NC game also. I'm playing devils advocate here but I can't believe he somehow changed his coaching style/schemes so drastically that now he's coaching to lose. Could be his inflexible nature I keep hearing about. I think its a little extreme to say that his teams have never been productive. The only question is, to put it simply, what happened ?

It's a very good question. It's not like Siena was a program on the rise (like you could say Mason was). Hewitt took over a program that had gone 22-59 in the three season's prior to him arriving on campus, and was 66-27 in the three years he was there (that includes a MAAC championship "1999" and a MAAC regular season championship "2000" -- 1 NCAA and 1 NIT in three seasons).

Perhaps the "game has evolved" and he didn't evolve with it? His press, especially, seems rather pedestrian compared to vcu's. I don't know if that's a product of his personnel here, or his scheme.

 

[polepino]

Perhaps the "game has evolved" and he didn't evolve with it? His press, especially, seems rather pedestrian compared to vcu's. I don't know if that's a product of his personnel here, or his scheme.

The 'evolved' part is one of the possibilities that I was thinking. Maybe his name commands a certain amount of respect, therefore teams/coaches are playing harder against Hewitt and his team? I dont know but I do know it is his past success, no matter how long ago, that seems to allow him to stick around a little bit longer than your average 'no name' coach.

 

[Pablo]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/...amed-terps-assistant-20140520,0,6966164.story:

"While getting a recruiter with the reputation of Indiana’s Kenny Johnson would have certainly been a splashier hire nationally, Warren’s resume has a lot more substance than Johnson's. He helped Paul Hewitt take Siena to the NCAA tournament and Georgia Tech to the Final Four.

It might be only a coincidence that Hewitt’s teams became a lot more inconsistent – and borderline lousy – after Warren left to take his first head coaching job at Jacksonville."

 

[GSII]

Perhaps it has to do with who his assistants were. It seems he can't manage without good assistants, which leads me to think he should be one.

 

[933127]

The 'evolved' part is one of the possibilities that I was thinking. Maybe his name commands a certain amount of respect, therefore teams/coaches are playing harder against Hewitt and his team? I dont know but I do know it is his past success, no matter how long ago, that seems to allow him to stick around a little bit longer than your average 'no name' coach.

Interesting how this topic about Hewitt and his past success is being brought up again. I think back in August several people compared Paul Hewitt to Lefty Driesell. The similarities being that both are not that good at actually coaching in anyway but make up for it with good recruiting.

Having more athletic players on the team that can make impromptu plays happen seems to be the only solution to Hewitt's constant stagnation problem on offense.

 

[KAOriginal]

The only question that sticks out in my mind was, why was he so successful at Siena? Did he luck out and not stay long enough to 'bring the program down'? He did get the Yellow Jackets to the NC game also. I'm playing devils advocate here but I can't believe he somehow changed his coaching style/schemes so drastically that now he's coaching to lose. Could be his inflexible nature I keep hearing about. I think its a little extreme to say that his teams have never been productive. The only question is, to put it simply, what happened ?

Without any deep research, once could argue he got the right set of players and situation at Siena. Were they even his?

Then he was loaded with NBA talent and looked good at GT at the beginning. His best season was the Nat Chmp year, and he still only finished 9-7 in the ACC and then the bottom fell out.

He was loaded at Mason with a POY and few others and got alot of wins in year 1 at Mason. Then...despite the CBI "feel good season, " year 2 and beyond....things technically got worse.

Read this argument from 2010- pros and and cons about firing him at GT..BEFORE it happened. You will see same issues....good talent recruiter, but poor coaching, esp at end of game and getting the most out of a team.


http://www.scacchoops.com/tt_newsbreaker_External.asp?NB=3388

 

[Vurbel]

It's a very good question. It's not like Siena was a program on the rise (like you could say Mason was). Hewitt took over a program that had gone 22-59 in the three season's prior to him arriving on campus, and was 66-27 in the three years he was there (that includes a MAAC championship "1999" and a MAAC regular season championship "2000" -- 1 NCAA and 1 NIT in three seasons).

Perhaps the "game has evolved" and he didn't evolve with it? His press, especially, seems rather pedestrian compared to vcu's. I don't know if that's a product of his personnel here, or his scheme.

The vcu press is just a 1-2-1-1 press, the same one that the freshman girls team at Fairfax High School runs. They just run it very fundamentally sound.

 

[Pablo]

Mike Moynihan was named Director of Men's Basketball Operations. He's Lefty Driesell's grandson - see http://www.gomason.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=25200&ATCLID=209674609.

 

[Walter]

Scott Cherry out at High Point