Game 22: GMU (12-9 / 4-4) vs St. Joe’s (9-11 / 3-5) on Sunday, January 29, at Noon.

[Petey Buckets]

I’ll be honest with you there are a lot of people jumping to extremes here. Ready to throw KE to the wolves after one recruiting class and 1-1/2 seasons of being a head coach.

We hired English to have better recruiting. He has recruited well. There is a bright future ahead with Dinkins Fernandez and Nnaji. The incoming class looks promising as well. He’s going to continue to develop as a coach and mentor. He is learning to be an head coach and will get better.

If you were expecting this team to win or be at the top of the A10 in two years you were expecting a miracle.

At the end of the day the guard play for Mason is lacking. He got who he could from the portal but in all honesty, they just aren’t good enough. You aren’t going to find your savior in the portal being GMU in the A10. You are either getting P5 end of the bench players or good players from smaller conferences that aren’t used to playing in the high mid-majors.

Defensively we can’t stop anyone at the guard position. At the end of the game our guards haven’t made the clutch shots. Today we had three wide open looks from 3 towards the end and missed them all. GMU likely wins if they drain 1-2 of those.

I’m pissed about the losing but I’m not writing KE off just yet. I’m looking at year 4/5 to judge him. That’s when it’s his roster and experience won’t be an excuse.

Patience is a hard word to hear.

Great post. The same message board that fell for Dave's "this place is a tire fire it's gonna take at least twenty five years to turn it around and you can't judge me until then" is ready to run Kimmie off after 1.5 seasons.

 

[mkaufman1]

Great post. The same message board that fell for Dave's "this place is a tire fire it's gonna take at least twenty five years to turn it around and you can't judge me until then" is ready to run Kimmie off after 1.5 seasons.

Lol, I mean most folks gave it like until year 3 before debates started. I gave it like 4 years before I started debating maybe this wasn’t it and once year 5 was trash that was it was for me.

Im still in with Kim But I’m just tired of losing.

 

[BBride]

When is Ticket coming back?

Chiming in late so you all probably know. Postgame, all CKE said was soon. He participated in pregame warm ups today. No cast.

 

[gmujim92]

It’s useless debating this now. But why should a coach get 4 years in todays climate with every coach utilizing the transfer portal.

Also Dr. Washington and the New AD might want to bring in their guy.

Uh Kim is most definitely Dr. Washington’s guy. Who do you think hired him?

 

[KAOriginal]

While not excusing what we have seen---we have to remember the difference between English and Paulsen.

Paulsen came in with a head coaching resume and a reasonably successful one at that. So one could expect with some slight changes that he just needed to execute his plan and be okay.

English was an assistant. This is first head coach gig---in the A10. Not the MEAC. Not the CAA. And its a long way from fantastic assistant to head coach in a league like this. I do think he definitely gets some extra leash on this.

However---while I have liked what he has been able to bring recruiting wise.....it may be time for him to have some introspection on what he needs to do to as HC. Because it seems there's a lot of basic team concepts not being addressed or corrected.

 

[gmujim92]

I know this may be heresy, but we've been looking for a solid point guard for two years and haven't been able to recruit or get one from the portal. There are hundreds of great shooting, fast, smart, PG's playing in D2 and D3 every year - and usually the only reason they aren't playing D1 is because they aren't 6' tall. Wouldn't it be worth it to have one guy on the team that can't be stripped of the ball and can pass it to the right people, at the right time? I realize he'd be taking up a spot currently occupied by one of our five 6'5" guys that can jump through the roof but can't shoot, but it's sure seems like a risk worth taking. If nothing else, he could play the scout PG in practice so that maybe our defense wouldn't get torched by every decent guard in the A10. I'd gladly sacrifice some defensive height to get a decent PG.

I'll sit back now and get pummeled by all the D1 snobs .....

Not sure if serious…

 

[Falco]

Great post. The same message board that fell for Dave's "this place is a tire fire it's gonna take at least twenty five years to turn it around and you can't judge me until then" is ready to run Kimmie off after 1.5 seasons.

I want to be clear in my position. I think a coach should get 3 seasons before judgement day.

However, I think it’s reasonable to point out red flags along the way.

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

TBH, for me, it’s more about how we’re losing. Do we turn it over too much and is the FT shooting maddening? Sure, but those things can be overcome (Coach L’s teams weren’t always great at the line) if you lock down defensively..Defense is a mindset that usually comes from the head coach. Is it crazy that I’d be less concerned if we were losing 55-52 rock fights? Maybe, but it would at least be an identity.

 

[BBride]

Disappointing result against a team George Mason should have beaten by at least ten points. I'm not even going to sift through the rest of the pics I took but will post these. Obinna with 15 points, 12 rebounds and Erik Reynolds just torched Mason for 30.

JO had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Will he come back next season and use his Covid year?

Just wish CKE would play Malik (18:28) and Fernandez (12:59) more. Really looks like another one and done in the A10T this year.

 

[BBride]

TBH, for me, it’s more about how we’re losing. Do we turn it over too much and is the FT shooting maddening? Sure, but those things can be overcome (Coach L’s teams weren’t always great at the line) if you lock down defensively..Defense is a mindset that usually comes from the head coach. Is it crazy that I’d be less concerned if we were losing 55-52 rock fights? Maybe, but it would at least be an identity.

Mason won the turnover game today, committing just 9 to SJ's 14. FT's they were 12/18 but yeah over the course of this season they turn the ball over way too much and FT shooting has been mediocre at best. With my luck lately, someone from Mason Athletics reads this and yanks my photo cred but I'm extremely disappointed. I may snap pics but I'm a fan too and I care just as much as everyone here.

One piece of good news is I was able to send a pic from the Davidson game to the two fans with the foam fingers and plastic megaphones. Both good guys, used to be a part of Evans Army (before my time).

 

[GMU79]

Great post. The same message board that fell for Dave's "this place is a tire fire it's gonna take at least twenty five years to turn it around and you can't judge me until then" is ready to run Kimmie off after 1.5 seasons.

But Dave didn't promise the moon when he walked in the door. KE did.

 

[mkaufman1]

Mason won the turnover game today, committing just 9 to SJ's 14. FT's they were 12/18 but yeah over the course of this season they turn the ball over way too much and FT shooting has been mediocre at best. With my luck lately, someone from Mason Athletics reads this and yanks my photo cred but I'm extremely disappointed. I may snap pics but I'm a fan too and I care just as much as everyone here.

One piece of good news is I was able to send a pic from the Davidson game to the two fans with the foam fingers and plastic megaphones. Both good guys, used to be a part of Evans Army (before my time).

Nobody is yanking your credentials. I would think that as long as you aren’t a crazy bafoon (which you aren’t) you’re fine.

Guessing you’re making a jest comment but even so.

 

[Falco]

But Dave didn't promise the moon when he walked in the door. KE did.

He said it’s a two year season and Reuter was going to be an all conference player.

 

[gmujim92]

But Dave didn't promise the moon when he walked in the door. KE did.

Dave got 6 years and delivered almost none of what he sold us upon taking the job. Stop harping on coach speak and recognize Kim is 2/3 of the way through Year 2.

 

[BBride]

Nobody is yanking your credentials. I would think that as long as you aren’t a crazy bafoon (which you aren’t) you’re fine.

Guessing you’re making a jest comment but even so.

Just extremely disappointed so I let emotions take over. But man, this was such a winnable game. Frustrating

 

[GSII]

I get it's his first rodeo as HC. But being young and relatable to the players was supposed to be a plus. It hasn't shown to be. It's almost like we have an old grumpy man trying to stick a square peg in a round hole.

 

[GMUSSTN]

But Dave didn't promise the moon when he walked in the door. KE did.

Dave said "let's hang banners"...any coach you hire is going to come in with a bunch of positive talk. That's all you can have at your opening press conference.

What's frustrating is we have had literally the SAME problems over and over again no matter who is at the helm since Hewitt was hired. Turnovers, lack of focus, poor decision making (especially in late game situations), playing up/down to our opponents. And these are the same problems because we are BAD and those problems are what BAD teams have.

I take solace in the KenPom and NET, where KE clearly has gotten us over the 150-200 hump that Paulsen never could. The hard part is taking our program from 100-150 to a top 100 team. Not an easy task.

Like it or not we're stuck with him at least 2 more years unless something really bad happens. Maybe free of all the expectations we might turn things around next year. I guess we can only hope. This season is a wash and we all know where it's heading.

 

[gmutom]

But Dave didn't promise the moon when he walked in the door. KE did.

It’s not as black and white as you make it out to be. Dave and Kim both have their strengths and weaknesses. I think Paulsen hit his peak as a coach while English has a higher ceiling.

There is a 20-year gap in coaching experience, so the gray area lies in the learning curve — which is why I think our current coach deserves a little more leash. I’m all for criticism of his roster management and coaching, but try to to remember Kim was 17 when we went to the Final 4. He’s a young buck in his first head coaching job learning on the job.

 

[mkaufman1]

It’s not as black and white as you make it out to be. Dave and Kim both have their strengths and weaknesses. I think Paulsen hit his peak as a coach while English has a higher ceiling.

There is a 20-year gap in coaching experience, so the gray are lies in the learning curve — which is why I think our current coach deserves a little more leash. I’m all for criticism of his roster management and coaching, but try to to remember Kim was 17 when we went to the Final 4. He’s a young buck in his first head coaching job learning on the job.

I mean maybe we just need to look to the cookie. Black and white cookies are delicious.

 

[GSII]

I'm fine giving KE 4 or even 5 years. I really wanna see him turn us into Gonzaga of the East. I think he can score some big local recruits.

But he is gonna have to surround himself with great assistants. Not sure he has that dept set yet.