Game 18, AT Rhode Island, Jan 18, 12:30 PM, NBCSN

[DeepValue]

In case this John Feinstein piece hasn't been linked ten times yet...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...c9d504-7fb1-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html

 

[Quentin Daniels]

But the first thing he showed his team was “Rome chop,” the press-breaking play they had failed to execute with the game on the line. Slowly, painfully, he walked them through it. Three of the five players on the court hadn’t carried out their assignments. One had gotten it half right. Only one was where he was supposed to be.

That sounds an awful lot like coaching to me. Not just calling the right plays, but making sure your team understands and can properly execute them when they have to.

 

[Pablo]

Jollay and I usually agree on most things, but I didn't see a foul on that last play when Corey was battling their guy for the ball. Although we obviously got caught in a mismatch, any referee worth his salt swallows his whistle on that play if there is some contact, but I didn't see anything Corey did to warrant a foul.

It was clearly a foul.

 

[sigmanorm]

It was clearly a foul.

Clearly? Just like the ball clearly went off Mumford and not AO...

 

[Pablo]

Clearly? Just like the ball clearly went off Mumford and not AO...

My post applied to just 1 play.

 

[gmuballer14]

this

 

[gmuballer14]

That ball clearly went off of Mumford and sons foot. One thing after another for this team. Some platoon members are actually considering not coming to the homecoming game to boycott the team(which is childish in my opinion).

 

[Chuck Hughes]

But the first thing he showed his team was “Rome chop,” the press-breaking play they had failed to execute with the game on the line. Slowly, painfully, he walked them through it. Three of the five players on the court hadn’t carried out their assignments. One had gotten it half right. Only one was where he was supposed to be.

That sounds an awful lot like coaching to me. Not just calling the right plays, but making sure your team understands and can properly execute them when they have to.

Every coach in the country has some kind of play he wants his kids to execute. There are two simple tests about that--(1) he's a good communicator and coach and has the ability to reach the kids with what he's trying to do and -- since he can bring in the kids who can perform -- he can see that they do it, and (2) it works during actual game time ( i.e., he didn't teach something that didn't work, no matter how fancy a name he gave it.)

Bottom line -- could he reach kids with something that works -- and we win .

 

[polepino]

In case this John Feinstein piece hasn't been linked ten times yet...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...c9d504-7fb1-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html

That actually made take a step back from my 'armchair quaterbacking' and think these kids are human, they are just kids, they're barely breaking their 20s. For whatever reason, they just aren't 'getting it' and its tough from a coaching position to see how they are not. It is on Hewitt to make sure they understand where they are supposed to be when they are but the big question is WHY aren't they getting it? Why are the kids missing the structure? Hewitt has to take that on himself to make sure that the players get it right. It's a tough job. I think that there is a lot of 'thinking' that is going on in the GMU locker room and the struggle is getting that pre-planning into actual results. There just seems to be a cloudy mental air amongst the players where they are initially instructed to play correctly but its not getting translated fully on the court. I feel bad. It's just going to be one of those things this season BUT its obvious, whatever mental block is taking place, when/if the players DO get it they are going to be damn good because they've been in all the lowest parts of their playing psyche. The only place to go, after you struggle at the bottom, is up.

 

[gmutom]

It was clearly a foul.

It was clearly not a foul. Corey had just as much right to the ball as the other guy, and he went straight up to grab it. Like I said previously, any ref worth his salt swallows his whistle in that case, and lets the players decide the game.

 

[gmujim92]

That actually made take a step back from my 'armchair quaterbacking' and think these kids are human, they are just kids, they're barely breaking their 20s. For whatever reason, they just aren't 'getting it' and its tough from a coaching position to see how they are not. It is on Hewitt to make sure they understand where they are supposed to be when they are but the big question is WHY aren't they getting it? Why are the kids missing the structure? Hewitt has to take that on himself to make sure that the players get it right. It's a tough job. I think that there is a lot of 'thinking' that is going on in the GMU locker room and the struggle is getting that pre-planning into actual results. There just seems to be a cloudy mental air amongst the players where they are initially instructed to play correctly but its not getting translated fully on the court. I feel bad. It's just going to be one of those things this season BUT its obvious, whatever mental block is taking place, when/if the players DO get it they are going to be damn good because they've been in all the lowest parts of their playing psyche. The only place to go, after you struggle at the bottom, is up.

Siena's fans must have put a curse on Hewitt when he left, because he's had the misfortune of coaching some of the dumbest -- borderline retarded, according to some here -- players in the history of college basketball for most of the last 14 seasons.

What he's teaching is perfectly clear and understandable, and practiced often enough so everyone should know what to do. The problem is, no matter how experienced they may be, he somehow manages to get stuck with players who are just plain morons.

Otherwise, why would Mason consistently find agonizing ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory just like Georgia Tech did?

Hewitt is obviously a hard-working, caring, detail-oriented coach. Feinstein said so -- and we all know that the Feinstein seal of approval is gold.

So while some might point out that the coach is the one common denominator in the two underachieving programs, I'm not buying it.

Forget firing the coach. We need to fire these players who are too stupid to understand and execute his strategic brilliance. That's the ticket!

 

[DeepValue]

Coaches who blame their players are generally not very good coaches. Especially when it's done through the media.

Also, who give out the names of the plays they run in certain situations? Isn't that something you would want to keep private?

 

[gmujim92]

Coaches who blame their players are generally not very good coaches. Especially when it's done through the media.

Pretty sure on the "Embattled Coach Death Spiral," blaming your players in the media is one of the final levels before you lose the team completely and get your a** fired.

Maybe that's what Hewitt is going for?

At this point, I can't see why he needs the aggravation and criticism that comes with coaching. He's already got enough money to live comfortably and never work another day.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

It was clearly not a foul. Corey had just as much right to the ball as the other guy, and he went straight up to grab it. Like I said previously, any ref worth his salt swallows his whistle in that case, and lets the players decide the game.

I don't think it was clear either way. I do know that Corey should have been in a lot better position (in between him and the basket) and not gave any semblance of any kind of foul in that situation or even been close to contact.

Just a dumb play.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Coaches who blame their players are generally not very good coaches. Especially when it's done through the media.

Also, who give out the names of the plays they run in certain situations? Isn't that something you would want to keep private?

Now they know we run press break when people are pressing? Not...too...big...a deal.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Interesting to see TOC going to the last few games - wondering if he is making a case for a change?

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Siena's fans must have put a curse on Hewitt when he left, because he's had the misfortune of coaching some of the dumbest -- borderline retarded, according to some here -- players in the history of college basketball for most of the last 14 seasons.
!

I think most of us are keeping it to the Mason situation. You should as well.

I mean people are on Mike Deane's jock, who got canned at Marquette, Lamar and Wagner in the last 15 years. If he coached here I would judge him purely on Mason, and not from JMU or any of the other jobs.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Interesting to see TOC going to the last few games - wondering if he is making a case for a change?

Nah, he's just friends with a lot of people in the NE and he's going on a "welcome to the A-10 tour" I think.

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

I think most of us are keeping it to the Mason situation. You should as well.

I mean people are on Mike Deane's jock, who got canned at Marquette, Lamar and Wagner in the last 15 years. If he coached here I would judge him purely on Mason, and not from JMU or any of the other jobs.

Yep, I'm going to ignore the fact that someone else paid him $7M to go away and all of the mistakes made at a previous job. Seems like a logical way to go about things.

And no one wants a Mike Deane type as a head coach. I think the basic assumption with him was that he was good with the Xs and Os and a subpar recruiter.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Yep, I'm going to ignore the fact that someone else paid him $7M to go away and all of the mistakes made at a previous job. Seems like a logical way to go about things.

And no one wants a Mike Deane type as a head coach. I think the basic assumption with him was that he was good with the Xs and Os and a subpar recruiter.

Well, except for Dwayne Wade to Marquette. That wasn't bad.