Games 10 - 12: Diamond Head Classic, Dec 22nd through Dec 25th

[masonjoe]

If IA State comes to play then G Mas will lose by double digits. I really think some on here need to temper their expectations of the program at G Mas. Yes, they made the Final Four, out of nowhere, in 2006 and THAT IS GREAT. No one can take that away from them. However, I feel that some of the "fans" expect this team to win 25 games every year and participate in the NCAA Tourney. That is not just ridiculous, it's insane.

I hate comments like this, WOWWEE we were so lucky to get to the Final Four that one year! Who needs to be competitive and make the tournament more than twice in a decade? CRAZY EXPECTATIONS YOU GUYS!

 

[JimP]

I see us winning the second game against either Akron or Oregon State. Neither will be easy, I think Oregon State has beaten Maryland and Akron has beaten Cleveland State. (who beat Iona) SMC and Boise State are getting votes - I can't us going 2-1 in this thing. I have no confidence in these guys right now. 0 and 3 is a possibility.

I think you're overstating things PMP. I don't recall any posters predicting a 25 win season this year and think people have been realistic as far as a possible NCAA bid. I do think Larranaga would at least get this experienced group to the NIT. I wonder if since the team started playing better in the CBI, Hewitt eased off the gas and just assumed these guys were prepared for this season. Sure doesn't look it.

 

[Pablo]

I wonder if since the team started playing better in the CBI, Hewitt eased off the gas and just assumed these guys were prepared for this season. Sure doesn't look it.

I'm guessing that Coach Hewitt didn't expect to lose Arledge as a result of a car accident, or to start another season with Copes suspended.

 

[gmujim92]

I'm guessing that Coach Hewitt didn't expect to lose Arledge as a result of a car accident, or to start another season with Copes suspended.

That's certainly true, but I'm not sure why our guards are struggling so much when they're supposed to be the strength of our team.

 

[PDGL Hoops]

I am not very optimistic about our ability to hang with ISU, BUT if we are able to play a complete and competitive game (and still lose) I think they carries over to the next day. This is obviously a tall order since we have yet to do this but one has to think at some point the team realizes they are being laughed out of the building by it's own fans. If ISU runs them out of the gym go ahead and mark them down for 3 loses. They won't recover - just aren't mentally tough enough.

I had reasonable expectations for the team with this schedule but after watching them the last few games they have all but been replaced with hoping we don't get embarrassed.

 

[phoenix-arizona]

New league, new expectations. No more excuses once we get a year or two of A-10 play under our belts. Personally, I would like to at least be at least in the mix for an at-large/NIT bid every other year. NCAAs once every 3 years at least. That's the kind of consistency we need to grow the program.

Yes. This is all I really want. This would be perfect .

 

[gmutom]

Hewitt eased off the gas and just assumed these guys were prepared for this season. Sure doesn't look it.

How can you make any claim about what he assumed before the season started when the team resembles nothing like what he prepared for?

I get that there are a lot of things Hewitt can be criticized for, but most coaches would be given some serious slack for having to deal with so many players being out and losing one of your top three scorers for the year. If everybody here agrees he's not a great in-game coach, why in God's name would anybody expect him to magically make a depleted team better?

I thought we might be an NIT team before we lost Arledge, but even the great Jim Larranaga couldn't achieve that with this group. I'm not suggesting we throw in the towel, but I also wouldn't be opposed to seeing young guys like Marko, Moore, Jenkins, Holloway, Copes and Gray get a lot more minutes. If that means playing Wright, Allen and Edwards less, so be it. J2 and Okoloji should only be used as needed.

 

[JBiggs]

I thought we might be an NIT team before we lost Arledge, but even the great Jim Larranaga couldn't achieve that with this group. I'm not suggesting we throw in the towel, but I also wouldn't be opposed to seeing young guys like Marko, Moore, Jenkins, Holloway, Copes and Gray get a lot more minutes. If that means playing Wright, Allen and Edwards less, so be it. J2 and Okoloji should only be used as needed.

Fixed it for you.

 

[GMUSSTN]

I thought we might be an NIT team before we lost Arledge, but even the great Jim Larranaga couldn't achieve that with this group. I'm not suggesting we throw in the towel, but I also wouldn't be opposed to seeing young guys like Marko, Moore, Jenkins, Holloway, Copes and Gray get a lot more minutes. If that means playing Wright, Allen and Edwards less, so be it. J2 and Okoloji should only be used as needed.

If Coach L was still here (assuming we still have these same players) I wouldn't assume Copes (and the rest of our forwards) would be so bone-headed down low. Coach L knew how to develop a big man.

 

[gmutom]

Fixed it for you.

Yeah, I initially didn't have Copes in there, but I'm hoping he eventually returns to his pre-injury form. I don't think he'll ever be an offensive force, but he could evolve into being the defensive beast we saw before he got hurt against Drexel.

 

[masonjoe]

I thought we might be an NIT team before we lost Arledge, but even the great Jim Larranaga couldn't achieve that with this group.

Don't know if I agree with a that. Never under Larranaga did opposing teams get SO many easy baskets in the lane and in the paint. Defense is so bad it's hurting the offense.

 

[JBiggs]

Yeah, I initially didn't have Copes in there, but I'm hoping he eventually returns to his pre-injury form. I don't think he'll ever be an offensive force, but he could evolve into being the defensive beast we saw before he got hurt against Drexel.

Haha, true. I was just ragging on how bad he's looked since his return. I would take the freshman form of Erik Copes any day.

 

[GMUSSTN]

Haha, true. I was just ragging on how bad he's looked since his return. I would take the freshman form of Erik Copes any day.

Really hate how this team loves to play Good Copes Bad Copes

 

[gmutom]

Don't know if I agree with a that. Never under Larranaga did opposing teams get SO many easy baskets in the lane and in the paint. Defense is so bad it's hurting the offense.

Joe, I definitely agree with you on the defense. It's embarrassing, and Hewitt needs to own a lot of that. I don't think there's more than two great one-on-one defenders on this roster and probably no more than four players who actually take pride in playing great defense.

I agree with the sentiment that we should go zone more often than not. We need to make teams beat us from the outside if necessary, because Oklahoma looked like they were doing a layup drill against us last weekend.

 

[JimP]

How can you make any claim about what he assumed before the season started when the team resembles nothing like what he prepared for?

I get that there are a lot of things Hewitt can be criticized for, but most coaches would be given some serious slack for having to deal with so many players being out and losing one of your top three scorers for the year. If everybody here agrees he's not a great in-game coach, why in God's name would anybody expect him to magically make a depleted team better?

I thought we might be an NIT team before we lost Arledge, but even the great Jim Larranaga couldn't achieve that with this group. I'm not suggesting we throw in the towel, but I also wouldn't be opposed to seeing young guys like Marko, Moore, Jenkins, Holloway, Copes and Gray get a lot more minutes. If that means playing Wright, Allen and Edwards less, so be it. J2 and Okoloji should only be used as needed.

Not a claim, just speculation. I stated "I wonder" if Hewitt let his foot off the gas. Who knows? He has dealt with unexpected losses, but it seems like those that remain have mostly regressed so far this year.

 

[gmutom]

He has dealt with unexpected losses, but it seems like those that remain have mostly regressed so far this year.

You might be right, Jim. I'm hoping with everybody but Arledge back that we'll see some more consistency from the players back after the two-week break. We still won't beat Iowa State, but it would be nice to see some improvement both individually and team wise in that game and moving forward.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

We still won't beat Iowa State, but it would be nice to see some improvement both individually and team wise in that game and moving forward.

Won't Happen. I watched the Oklahoma game again and at least 4 different occasions, even Feinstein was baffled at some the substitution patterns/defensive schemes Hewitt was running.

Feinstein started the game by praising Hewitt like he was Jesus, but later on in the broadcast, you could almost hear him shaking his head.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

BTW, I talked to Feinstein once last year and to my surprise, he was a very cool guy who took time to talk Mason Hoops with me for about 15 minutes. He actually is a fan of our program and admitted to rooting for Mason at every broadcast he does for us.

 

[gmutom]

Won't Happen. I watched the Oklahoma game again and at least 4 different occasions, even Feinstein was baffled at some the substitution patterns/defensive schemes Hewitt was running.

Definitely some strange substitutions in that game, Chank, but I imagine a lot of that was out of desperation to see if anybody could stop Oklahoma's dribble penetration. It would have been better to change the defensive scheme rather than constantly rotating the players.

More and more, I think Hewitt will begin to ride the players he trusts. I think he felt obligated to play everybody his first few years, but I slowly see that loyalty fading. The fact that he suspended his boy Okoloji and benched our best player Sunday might be a sign that the leash is tightening.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

I hope so, Tom. I really do. As a fan I am much more reactionary than is warranted, but my girl who knows nothing about basketball at all, even she noticed that our player's just look lost out there. There is no fluidity in anything they do. Even other bad teams look better bringing the ball up the court and at least setting up the half court offense with purpose, crisp passes etc.

This team according to my girl "looks lost and scared" and then she gave the dreaded "Awwwww" like girls do when they see a retarded kid playing with a puppy.