|
Post by eagle87 on Feb 9, 2024 8:31:17 GMT -6
Agree. Teams have figured out they can just physically beat up Hernandez and mostly get away. If he doesn’t get many calls, it’s a good strategy for any team playing against us now.
|
|
|
Post by shorthaircut on Feb 9, 2024 8:31:47 GMT -6
Teams have been playing bully ball against us these last couple of games and getting away with it. Hernandez gets over twice the fouls he averages in his entire career is sus and then less than half the free throw attempts this season because he's getting beat on everytime he goes to the rim and it's not being called. If he gets his average number of points we probably win this game. We have too good of facilities to be hoping to beat EIU at home. We should not be this bad. This staff should have a very short timeframe to get this ship righted. We simply cannot afford our 1 revenue sport to be one of the worst programs in the league. The OVC is one of the 4 worst conferences in D1.
|
|
|
Post by sandtiger on Feb 9, 2024 8:37:22 GMT -6
I was telling my mom after the game, Simmons fear for his job is what he uses to inspire his players. We all know that JMH isn't going to fire 'Two time D2 Player of the Year and hometown hero Stan Gouard.' and the school isn't going to look for another AD, JMH has been here longer than most of the players on the team have been alive.
|
|
|
Post by eagle87 on Feb 9, 2024 8:47:03 GMT -6
I think we will get things worked out once we can consistently get better talent. Even Stan knows we can’t win the league with the guys we have. But it’s going to take baby steps and a little patience. If it were easy, everyone would be winning their conference every year…but they’re not, and that’s because it’s hard to do. Our attendance hasn’t been hurt by this season’s losses, just the opposite. As of last night we have the highest attendance in the league. I think most people relalize it takes time to build a D1 program up to the level we all want. It doesn’t matter what level the conference is, everyone struggles at some point. Hell, IU spends a fortune on men’s basketball and they have huge fanbase and great facilities and tradition and still suck more than not the past 10 years. I know that’s a different level of D1, but the point is that just changing coaches doesn’t mean automatic success. I don’t know that anyone else would do any better in a transition period. If we are still losing like this 5-7 years from now, then that’s a totally different story.
|
|
|
Post by shorthaircut on Feb 9, 2024 8:48:40 GMT -6
I was telling my mom after the game, Simmons fear for his job is what he uses to inspire his players. We all know that JMH isn't going to fire 'Two time D2 Player of the Year and hometown hero Stan Gouard.' and the school isn't going to look for another AD, JMH has been here longer than most of the players on the team have been alive. And that is why I am concerned…..it’s the small town mindset.
|
|
|
Post by shorthaircut on Feb 9, 2024 8:58:04 GMT -6
I think we will get things worked out once we can consistently get better talent. Even Stan knows we can’t win the league with the guys we have. But it’s going to take baby steps and a little patience. If it were easy, everyone would be winning their conference every year…but they’re not, and that’s because it’s hard to do. Our attendance hasn’t been hurt by this season’s losses, just the opposite. As of last night we have the highest attendance in the league. I think most people relalize it takes time to build a D1 program up to the level we all want. It doesn’t matter what level the conference is, everyone struggles at some point. Hell, IU spends a fortune on men’s basketball and they have huge fanbase and great facilities and tradition and still suck more than not the past 10 years. I know that’s a different level of D1, but the point is that just changing coaches doesn’t mean automatic success. I don’t know that anyone else would do any better in a transition period. If we are still losing like this 5-7 years from now, then that’s a totally different story. IU had a chance to hire Pearl, it was his dream job. Instead they made two horrendous hires in a row and now it’s set them back a long way. Last year we had 2 OVC all conference players, 3rd leading rebounder in the entire country, one of the top 3 pt shooters in the country, a player that will be first team all league on a top 30 type team in the country. The 6th man off the bench starts for a team far better than USI. We had massive amount of talent last year and still weren’t any good. We probably had the 2nd or 3rd most talent in the league. This year we have very little and that’s being kind. I think next year becomes critical. If we aren’t considerably better I just don’t see how we can afford not to make a change.
|
|
|
Post by eagle87 on Feb 9, 2024 9:17:57 GMT -6
I would bet my house we are better next year. Just write it down. No way in hell Stan doesn’t get some talent for next year. How much better might be in question,but we will be better overall. He is learning what type players we need to compete and I think he is going to nab some. Believe me, if we don’t show significant improvement then his seat will get hot…even as the home town hero. The reason I have hope is because we are in almost every game…just like last night up 6 with 8 minutes to go. If we were losing every game by 20,30 plus every game then I would say he needs to go. But that just not the case. When we are losing close games with the level talent we have this year it gives me optimism of what we can do when we get some top talent for our league.
|
|
|
Post by eaglefan on Feb 9, 2024 9:43:00 GMT -6
Stan won’t be going anywhere, unless he has 3-straight 6-24 seasons or something like that, then maybe? Transitioning is tough, and I’m not too surprised about the outcome so far. Hopefully it will better next year, since it seems like Stan is expecting to fill up a new team.
|
|
|
Post by shorthaircut on Feb 9, 2024 10:20:13 GMT -6
Stan won’t be going anywhere, unless he has 3-straight 6-24 seasons or something like that, then maybe? Transitioning is tough, and I’m not too surprised about the outcome so far. Hopefully it will better next year, since it seems like Stan is expecting to fill up a new team. Next year will tell us everything we need to know.
|
|
|
Post by letsgoeagles on Feb 9, 2024 17:54:25 GMT -6
USI was no shoe in to win yesterday's game, as disappointed as I am with the loss. And I most certainly believe we will have a roster overall. Had we not lost two players we recruited (McCord and Tillmon) I dare say this year's team may have been in the middle of the pack. Even then, we probably still would have been crying why are we not it first.
Stan knows he has to win in order stay...he is not insulated from any of that. USI is year two in transition. Now I am not trying to imply that is the total problem....but it is by far the largest issue USI faces. If he can't get it going hometown hero or not he is gone...seats have to be filled in the arena, particularly at the D1 level in order to survive. There will be no other choice. Yes, I am disappointed at the loses this season...as a diehard I live USI basketball 24 hours a day...but I have to be realistic as well. Let's see how well we do next season...by then we can probably make a better assessment.
|
|
|
Post by shorthaircut on Feb 9, 2024 17:56:31 GMT -6
USI was no shoe in to win yesterday's game, as disappointed as I am with the loss. And I most certainly believe we will have a roster overall. Had we not lost two players we recruited (McCord and Tillmon) I dare say this year's team may have been in the middle of the pack. Even then, we probably still would have been crying why are we not it first. Stan knows he has to win in order stay...he is not insulated from any of that. USI is year two in transition. Now I am not trying to imply that is the total problem....but it is by far the largest issue USI faces. If he can't get it going hometown hero or not he is gone...seats have to be filled in the arena, particularly at the D1 level in order to survive. There will be no other choice. Yes, I am disappointed at the loses this season...as a diehard I live USI basketball 24 hours a day...but I have to be realistic as well. Let's see how well we do next season...by then we can probably make a better assessment. What do you see as a realistic measurement to determine success?
|
|
|
Post by letsgoeagles on Feb 9, 2024 20:28:24 GMT -6
Concerning USI, I think one of the barometers of success will be better understood once the playing field becomes more level...in other words as the program draws closer to being out of transition jail. USI could have, and would have gotten better talent in their initial year of D1 had it not been for being in transition. Competitiveness would be a key as well....how well do we stack up against OVC members. Our talent level is not high on this team, but yet many of our games have gone down to the wire. The team has shown it belongs in this league...and you can bet other league coaches know once USI is full-fledged D1 the honeymoon may be over for some of them. Now, if we don't see USI playing at a noticeably different level in the next year or maybe two, we then have a problem. A realistic measurement at this point also calls out to recognize exactly what and who we are in this journey of major college basketball. Even at this level in the OVC it's competitive as hell...there just isn't a whole lot of difference from top to bottom. Big time success rarely happens over night...it's a bumpy ride and sometimes unpleasant. I expect to see incremental success in the coming years....if not we shift gears...but not now.
|
|
|
Post by eagle87 on Feb 9, 2024 21:20:12 GMT -6
Concerning USI, I think one of the barometers of success will be better understood once the playing field becomes more level...in other words as the program draws closer to being out of transition jail. USI could have, and would have gotten better talent in their initial year of D1 had it not been for being in transition. Competitiveness would be a key as well....how well do we stack up against OVC members. Our talent level is not high on this team, but yet many of our games have gone down to the wire. The team has shown it belongs in this league...and you can bet other league coaches know once USI is full-fledged D1 the honeymoon may be over for some of them. Now, if we don't see USI playing at a noticeably different level in the next year or maybe two, we then have a problem. A realistic measurement at this point also calls out to recognize exactly what and who we are in this journey of major college basketball. Even at this level in the OVC it's competitive as hell...there just isn't a whole lot of difference from top to bottom. Big time success rarely happens over night...it's a bumpy ride and sometimes unpleasant. I expect to see incremental success in the coming years....if not we shift gears...but not now. Agree. I would say after this year’s underperforming team that a level of success next year is at least 12 wins. The way it’s going this year I think we may only get 1-2 more wins which puts us at 8. 12 would be progress.
|
|
|
Post by letsgoeagles on Feb 10, 2024 5:58:58 GMT -6
12 would be progress for sure. As mentioned before I wonder what the record would be now if McCord and Tillmon had played. The teams we have played (except Lindenwood) are well established D1 teams, and we are playing toe to toe with them. It's not like we are being trashed...if we were I might be worried. None of this is to say there are no concerns or have not been spotty in our play. But looking ahead, I would rather be in the shoes of USI than some of our other league members...not dissing other league teams...but we are going to pass up some of them up rather quickly once we are out of jail. In the meantime we will be exasperated at times - I hate losing as much as anyone. Part of the journey.
|
|
|
Post by shorthaircut on Feb 10, 2024 7:42:35 GMT -6
Concerning USI, I think one of the barometers of success will be better understood once the playing field becomes more level...in other words as the program draws closer to being out of transition jail. USI could have, and would have gotten better talent in their initial year of D1 had it not been for being in transition. Competitiveness would be a key as well....how well do we stack up against OVC members. Our talent level is not high on this team, but yet many of our games have gone down to the wire. The team has shown it belongs in this league...and you can bet other league coaches know once USI is full-fledged D1 the honeymoon may be over for some of them. Now, if we don't see USI playing at a noticeably different level in the next year or maybe two, we then have a problem. A realistic measurement at this point also calls out to recognize exactly what and who we are in this journey of major college basketball. Even at this level in the OVC it's competitive as hell...there just isn't a whole lot of difference from top to bottom. Big time success rarely happens over night...it's a bumpy ride and sometimes unpleasant. I expect to see incremental success in the coming years....if not we shift gears...but not now. We won 16 with one of the most talented teams in the league in year 1. I agree with Eagles87 as will probably end with 8 this year. So 12 is probably the ceiling for this team next year. How long it will take to get from 12 to a winning record is where it gets interesting.
|
|