Game 16: Davidson College, Sunday, January 7th, NOON, NBCSN

[Walter]

Sure this year is disappointing, but who in there right mind thought this team, even with Revalo was going to be something special? Or above average?

Not I. Too many underclassman to have cohesiveness. Seen too many times even under the Cuban.

I understand. But being competitive for most of the game, fighting to the end, but losing by 10 is one thing. Getting blown out by an average team was not expected by me. This season has the potential to be a complete disaster, as opposed to an opportunity for our young guys to grow and be more prepared for next year. THAT is what I am most concerned about at the moment.

 

[Patriotsince81]

I understand. But being competitive for most of the game, fighting to the end, but losing by 10 is one thing. Getting blown out by an average team was not expected by me. This season has the potential to be a complete disaster, as opposed to an opportunity for our young guys to grow and be more prepared for next year. THAT is what I am most concerned about at the moment.

Agree 100%. I had us at 16 wins max but I took DP for his word that the fan base would be "proud" of the effort and product on the floor. Losing by an average of 15.5 and having our last 3 losses at home in total blowouts is what has me angry, frustrated, discouraged, whatever you want to call it. Our opponents shoot layups and 3's at will. Not proud of the effort or results in any way. If this pattern of stinking up the joint continues it could have long term negative implications for the team.

 

[dr. gunnie]

Any yet everybody on this board thinks everything is okay.

Asking for a friend - is it possible to think that the team is under performing, yet not think you need to fire the coach?

 

[Patriotsince81]

Asking for a friend - is it possible to think that the team is under performing, yet not think you need to fire the coach?

Yes. I see fight and heart in Otis. Others, not so much. Paulsen has said that he is waiting for someone to impose their will on opponents. I think we're at the point now where Otis is going to try to do too much. If people are quiet by nature that's fine. But in order to be a successful D1 athlete you've got to have some fight in you as well. Not seeing enough of that. Youth is an issue, not denying that. I miss the passion of Will Thomas and Mike Morrison as just two examples.

 

[MASONscott]

LOL, asking DJ to read is like asking a cat to do algebra. You'll be waiting a while.

Anyhow, the difference between Hewitt and Paulsen is that Hewitt was handed the keys to a Ferrari and managed to turn it into a milk truck, and Paulsen was handed that milk truck and is being asked to race against Ferraris.

To recall: Hewitt's first team had
Ryan Pearson
Mike Morrieson
Andre Cornelius
Corey Edwards
Vertrail Vaughns (crooked head and all)
Sherrod Wright
Johnnie Williams
Jonathan Arledge
Bryon Allen

I could have coached that team to 20 wins.

If memory serves me correctly, that was a pre-season Top 25 team which made Larranaga's decision even more disconcerting.

 

[GSII]

Just hate that we wasted 2 years on guys that didnt fit. Should have scrapped that 1st year, instead of 3rd year.

 

[FreeGunston12]

Just hate that we wasted 2 years on guys that didnt fit. Should have scrapped that 1st year, instead of 3rd year.

See your point, but this year’s would-be seniors are the class that left, not Marko & Shevon.

Also, I don’t think we planned to scrap a year. Just worked out that we are not very good this year. That may be a product of trying to compete right away when DP got hired, but I personally can’t fault him for that.

 

[GSII]

See your point, but this year’s would-be seniors are the class that left, not Marko & Shevon.

Also, I don’t think we planned to scrap a year. Just worked out that we are not very good this year. That may be a product of trying to compete right away when DP got hired, but I personally can’t fault him for that.

Compete right away and saying trust the process sounds like double talk. Ocm scrapped his first year then won the conference the year after. I bet a million bucks everyone here would of been in boner heaven had we won the a10 last year. But don't tell me lets aim high in year one with one face and trust the process with the other. Be straight up like you were this year and tell us we will suck in first year but get better in 2nd and 3rd.

We have said it ad nausem, this is on DP. I'm just waiting to hear him take responsibility....this year. Dont say sorry next year when we are doing better bc Reuter saved your a**. And even thats a maybe.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

Asking for a friend - is it possible to think that the team is under performing, yet not think you need to fire the coach?

No. You must pick a side and go with it full speed.

 

[KAOriginal]

I understand. But being competitive for most of the game, fighting to the end, but losing by 10 is one thing. Getting blown out by an average team was not expected by me. This season has the potential to be a complete disaster, as opposed to an opportunity for our young guys to grow and be more prepared for next year. THAT is what I am most concerned about at the moment.

It is an opportunity...these Freshman F*** ers are getting floor time they never would have seen at most other programs. And yes they are going to get their sh*t handed to them..because we play in one of the better conferences in the country.

I find it unremarkable that with a rotation of 8, half of which wouldn't be on the floor anywhere else as freshman...that they start the game getting punched in the mouth, panic, get settled in but then can't overcome the hole they dug themselves.

This is not a defense of DP. It's being a fan of Mason hoops since 89 and seeing various versions of it before.

 

[Falco]

It is an opportunity...these Freshman F*** ers are getting floor time they never would have seen at most other programs. And yes they are going to get their sh*t handed to them..because we play in one of the better conferences in the country.

I find it unremarkable that with a rotation of 8, half of which wouldn't be on the floor anywhere else as freshman...that they start the game getting punched in the mouth, panic, get settled in but then can't overcome the hole they dug themselves.

This is not a defense of DP. It's being a fan of Mason hoops since 89 and seeing various versions of it before.

the A10 sucks this year.. We shouldn't be forced to play freshman if DP got it right the first time.

 

[KAOriginal]

the A10 sucks this year.. We shouldn't be forced to play freshman if DP got it right the first time.

I will defend him on this...what was he supposed to get in April 2015? And just because some of them came here and then realized 1) that better players were going to pass them the next year or 2) decided themselves they had no business playing at Mason or in the A-10 or didn't want to be at Mason just in general.

 

[Herndon]

the A10 sucks this year.. We shouldn't be forced to play freshman if DP got it right the first time.

Stop me if you've heard this story. A coach comes in to a program with a good history, but which had fallen on hard times. He's from a smaller program, but he has had success at his level.

His first recruiting class is huge, 6 kids. He's grabbing guys he think might be able to contribute, but to some degree he's throwing stuff on the wall to see what will stick.

4 end up transferring, because they either weren't good enough, or the fit wasn't right or whatever.

It takes a couple of years. With the kids transferring, he's starting a LOT of young guys. Somebody without a lot of basketball knowledge might say he didn't get it right the first time, but quietly he's building a program of guys who play his way, and are developing as they age.

He's not getting it done with flashy, highly ranked guys, but rather with good fits, and with workers who want to embrace the grind.

When those first kids are seniors, and the roster has been filled out, and he's got a full complement of his guys who have developed in his system for 4 years? Well Tony Bennett and UVa were well on their way to being a program that perennially competes for conference championships.

 

[FreeGunston12]

Compete right away and saying trust the process sounds like double talk. Ocm scrapped his first year then won the conference the year after. I bet a million bucks everyone here would of been in boner heaven had we won the a10 last year. But don't tell me lets aim high in year one with one face and trust the process with the other. Be straight up like you were this year and tell us we will suck in first year but get better in 2nd and 3rd.

We have said it ad nausem, this is on DP. I'm just waiting to hear him take responsibility....this year. Dont say sorry next year when we are doing better bc Reuter saved your a**. And even thats a maybe.

(Let me preface this post by apologizing for the novels lately.)

I am not saying that we should have scrapped/tanked this year. I am saying, compete to win as many games as you can every year, aim high every year, and understand that some years that number will be less, especially when faced with late/unplanned departures.

You can blame Paulsen for the transfers, I am giving him the benefit of the doubt for the majority of them based on the progress and coaching ability shown last year.

If the team does not show progress by the end of the year, I will not defend DP. If the transfer pattern continues, then I will not defend him.

Per NCAA:

“about 40% of all MBB players who enter Division I directly out of high school depart their initial school by the end of their sophomore year.”

If the current roster stays in tact through next year, we would be at about the average 40% transfer rate.

Anyways, I will bet a million bucks that if DP wins the A-10 any year at Mason, you will be in “boner heaven” and forgive all of the growing pains. Only time will tell if that will happen.

 

[gmujim92]

Stop me if you've heard this story. A coach comes in to a program with a good history, but which had fallen on hard times. He's from a smaller program, but he has had success at his level.

His first recruiting class is huge, 6 kids. He's grabbing guys he think might be able to contribute, but to some degree he's throwing stuff on the wall to see what will stick.

4 end up transferring, because they either weren't good enough, or the fit wasn't right or whatever.

It takes a couple of years. With the kids transferring, he's starting a LOT of young guys. Somebody without a lot of basketball knowledge might say he didn't get it right the first time, but quietly he's building a program of guys who play his way, and are developing as they age.

He's not getting it done with flashy, highly ranked guys, but rather with good fits, and with workers who want to embrace the grind.

When those first kids are seniors, and the roster has been filled out, and he's got a full complement of his guys who have developed in his system for 4 years? Well Tony Bennett and UVa were well on their way to being a program that perennially competes for conference championships.

Yep.

 

[GSII]

It is an opportunity...these Freshman F*** ers are getting floor time they never would have seen at most other programs. And yes they are going to get their sh*t handed to them..because we play in one of the better conferences in the country.

I find it unremarkable that with a rotation of 8, half of which wouldn't be on the floor anywhere else as freshman...that they start the game getting punched in the mouth, panic, get settled in but then can't overcome the hole they dug themselves.

This is not a defense of DP. It's being a fan of Mason hoops since 89 and seeing various versions of it before.

Then you know it was done badly by coaches who got fired.

 

[GSII]

Stop me if you've heard this story. A coach comes in to a program with a good history, but which had fallen on hard times. He's from a smaller program, but he has had success at his level.

His first recruiting class is huge, 6 kids. He's grabbing guys he think might be able to contribute, but to some degree he's throwing stuff on the wall to see what will stick.

4 end up transferring, because they either weren't good enough, or the fit wasn't right or whatever.

It takes a couple of years. With the kids transferring, he's starting a LOT of young guys. Somebody without a lot of basketball knowledge might say he didn't get it right the first time, but quietly he's building a program of guys who play his way, and are developing as they age.

He's not getting it done with flashy, highly ranked guys, but rather with good fits, and with workers who want to embrace the grind.

When those first kids are seniors, and the roster has been filled out, and he's got a full complement of his guys who have developed in his system for 4 years? Well Tony Bennett and UVa were well on their way to being a program that perennially competes for conference championships.

In first 2 years you could tell Bennett was changing things for the better. Guys left, but it didnt matter bc he knew and had a back up plan. By year 3, Bennett had UVA finishing in top 4 of ACC. They have remained in Top 4 every year since. We all had same expectations for DP, but it might take him longer, alot longer.

 

[patriotchild]

Just hate that we wasted 2 years on guys that didnt fit. Should have scrapped that 1st year, instead of 3rd year.

I agree with your thinking, but I don’t think he or anyone expected to win year one after a bunch of Hewitts guys left. I don’t know what you could have done, other than just play walk-ons.

Unfortunately he had to field a team of lower caliber players year one. We should credit him for getting them out, instead of being stuck with D2 talent for four years and opening up slots for year two and 3.

Just think, we could be in year three with Kam, Danny, and DeAndre (although he was our key to a national championship). We’d still be getting smoked and have them taking up space for another year.

I don’t think he expected year two to be a hot mess of a class, but you miss on some guys. Getting Troy out was probably good. Jury is out on Kier (slumping, but a steady role player), AJ (underperforming) and Boyd (hurt/underperforming), which is typical of sophomores. Newman and Revalo leaving late sucks for depth, but probably don’t make make the difference this year.

Year three you have Mar (looking good), Calixte (looking decent), and Greene (flashes of hope?).

Overall, it should be clear that we are getting better classes each year.

At least in year two Paulsen proved he can coach and win in the A10 (with a less than stellar roster), which is good for recruiting. Hewitt was never able to do that.

And although this year sucks and the roster is short, it gives the staff plenty of room and more time to go after more quality players.

And yeah the roster is Pulsens responsibility, if the roster doesn’t start to stabilize next year and we’re not competitive, we’ve got issues.


Sorry for the long posts.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

In first 2 years you could tell Bennett was changing things for the better. Guys left, but it didnt matter bc he knew and had a back up plan. By year 3, Bennett had UVA finishing in top 4 of ACC. They have remained in Top 4 every year since. We all had same expectations for DP, but it might take him longer, alot longer.

I thought DP overachieved with his roster last year.

You know, Year 2.

 

[GSII]

Unfortunately he had to field a team of lower caliber players year one. We should credit him for getting them out, instead of being stuck with D2 talent for four years and opening up slots for year two and 3.

Overall, it should be clear that we are getting better classes each year.

Give him credit for getting them out? Are you kidding me? Yea let's double his salary while we are at it. Hold a parade in Fairfax city. Thank God DP got them out. Before all that, tell me who brought them in.


Getting better classes each year? I guess you are technically right if your standard starts at community college, then d2, then d3 then d1. We are a mixture of all these. When we get guys that aren't transferring down, maybe more d1 guys will stick around.