Game 21: #18 Virginia Commonwealth University, Wednesday, February 4th, 7 PM, CBS SN

[polepino]

Being nice is often a cover for incompetence. Just saying...

While I understand the sentiment, being a jerk ahole doesn't imply competence either.

 

[wijg]

While I understand the sentiment, being a jerk ahole doesn't imply competence either.

Yes, but, if you are a jerk and still have a job, it means you are good at it.

 

[MasonCrew]

Tough game to watch but not anything less than I expected. It was actually a decent evening. We took a lot of people from a program I run at charity that works with special needs persons to this game. Most of the people we help are vcu grads and I remember one particularly cute/special moment after a vcu player stole the ball and one of the kids said something we couldn't understand, so I went over and wiped the drool off the side of his mouth and he just kept saying "Maynor". Haha we all smiled and patted him on the back, telling him that Maynor didn't play at vcu anymore. It was one of those precious moments that make you step back and think about the bigger picture.

 

[gmujim92]

I remember one particularly cute/special moment after a vcu player stole the ball and one of the kids said something we couldn't understand, so I went over and wiped the drool off the side of his mouth and he just kept saying "Maynor".

Even their fans who don't know any better can't help but rub salt in our wounds.

 

[gmutom]

We took a lot of people from a program I run at charity that works with special needs persons to this game.

I realize it's insensitive and un-PC, but your post made me think of this scene from Something About Mary.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

I actually work with special needs kids. Did yesterday...rode a bus with some to their work site at a hotel. Awesome people. Love them.

And I fully support both instances of the above humor. Completely. Also support "short bus" jokes. Always will.

 

[MasonCrew]

I second that. My late uncle (who was my roommate growing up) had downs syndrome, and my whole family has done, and will continue to do volunteer work with the local Arc. I will always support the work they do, financially and with time. Sometimes though.... nothing beats a good short bus joke.

 

[wijg]

I believe that the players should also be held accountable, but evidently few people on this board agree with me.

I think everyone should be held accountable (on the team and the rest of the world). What I disagree with is what some people try to hold the players accountable for. It is the players' responsibility to go to practice, to do their individual work outs, to do their best to do what the coach tells them, to go to class, to get decent grades and to stay out of trouble.

I know of only one player that started this season on the team that there is any evidence that he was not holding up his part of the deal. It seems to me that he has been held accountable for his actions (or lack there of), so there is no need for me to bash him on here.

If the players are meeting the criteria that I stated above, then they are golden in my book. The rest falls on the coach. If guys are putting in the effort, and after being coached by Hewitt for up to four years, look confused and still don't know where to be on the court, etc., well that is on the coach. Obviously, he is doing something wrong. Either his system sucks, is too hard, he can't teach or he recruited the wrong players and hasn't adapted to who he has recruited. You get the point.

And when the team starts faltering mid-game, and it looks like the guys just don't have it in them any more, the coach needs to see this and do something to get them back into it. He needs to call appropriately timed time outs and do the coaching motivational voodoo that good coaches do. Do you really think the guys went into half time of the vcu game and decided to give up on the second half? Hell, no!

So, if you show me evidence where the players are not meeting the criteria I mentioned above, I am glad to hold them accountable for not doing their part.

 

[gmujim92]

I think everyone should be held accountable (on the team and the rest of the world). What I disagree with is what some people try to hold the players accountable for. It is the players' responsibility to go to practice, to do their individual work outs, to do their best to do what the coach tells them, to go to class, to get decent grades and to stay out of trouble.

I know of only one player that started this season on the team that there is any evidence that he was not holding up his part of the deal. It seems to me that he has been held accountable for his actions (or lack there of), so there is no need for me to bash him on here.

If the players are meeting the criteria that I stated above, then they are golden in my book. The rest falls on the coach. If guys are putting in the effort, and after being coached by Hewitt for up to four years, look confused and still don't know where to be on the court, etc., well that is on the coach. Obviously, he is doing something wrong. Either his system sucks, is too hard, he can't teach or he recruited the wrong players and hasn't adapted to who he has recruited. You get the point.

And when the team starts faltering mid-game, and it looks like the guys just don't have it in them any more, the coach needs to see this and do something to get them back into it. He needs to call appropriately timed time outs and do the coaching motivational voodoo that good coaches do. Do you really think the guys went into half time of the vcu game and decided to give up on the second half? Hell, no!

So, if you show me evidence where the players are not meeting the criteria I mentioned above, I am glad to hold them accountable for not doing their part.

Bravo. I couldn't possibly agree more.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

I think that's a fair assessment.

 

[Pablo]

I think everyone should be held accountable (on the team and the rest of the world). What I disagree with is what some people try to hold the players accountable for. It is the players' responsibility to go to practice, to do their individual work outs, to do their best to do what the coach tells them, to go to class, to get decent grades and to stay out of trouble.

I know of only one player that started this season on the team that there is any evidence that he was not holding up his part of the deal. It seems to me that he has been held accountable for his actions (or lack there of), so there is no need for me to bash him on here.

If the players are meeting the criteria that I stated above, then they are golden in my book. The rest falls on the coach. If guys are putting in the effort, and after being coached by Hewitt for up to four years, look confused and still don't know where to be on the court, etc., well that is on the coach. Obviously, he is doing something wrong. Either his system sucks, is too hard, he can't teach or he recruited the wrong players and hasn't adapted to who he has recruited. You get the point.

And when the team starts faltering mid-game, and it looks like the guys just don't have it in them any more, the coach needs to see this and do something to get them back into it. He needs to call appropriately timed time outs and do the coaching motivational voodoo that good coaches do. Do you really think the guys went into half time of the vcu game and decided to give up on the second half? Hell, no!

So, if you show me evidence where the players are not meeting the criteria I mentioned above, I am glad to hold them accountable for not doing their part.

Give me a break! We all know that Hewitt is deficient as a coach and he needs to go. But, there is no way that the players are totally faultless in their execution, shooting deficiencies, and turnovers. I'm not satisfied with their performance, and I seriously doubt that they are either.

We are all proud that the players give 100% effort and never give up. But, frankly, that's not good enough at this level. So, you can put all of the blame on Hewitt, but I'm not buying it.

 

[wijg]

Give me a break! We all know that Hewitt is deficient as a coach and he needs to go. But, there is no way that the players are totally faultless in their execution, shooting deficiencies, and turnovers. I'm not satisfied with their performance, and I seriously doubt that they are either.

We are all proud that the players give 100% effort and never give up. But, frankly, that's not good enough at this level. So, you can put all of the blame on Hewitt, but I'm not buying it.

Pablo, you are either full of it, being just plain dense, or refuse to understand what I am writing because you seem to have something against me.

Of course the kids are not executing flawlessly. I never said they were. They are executing horribly. But, are they doing their best? If a kid has shooting deficiencies, but he is putting in overtime to work on it, why should I criticize him for it. He has reached his physical limits. It is Hewitt's fault for recruiting a guy that has that shooting deficiency and physical limit.

The kids are what they are from an athletic standpoint. They can work hard to make it the best it can be, but they can't be better than they physically can be. Hewitt seems to take every opportunity to throw the kids under the bus for the execution, so I have no doubt he would criticize them if they weren't putting in the effort to improve. Since he hasn't and there is no other evidence to the contrary (and he has praised many of them for being hard workers), I have to assume they are.

Again, show me evidence that they are not working hard to get better, and I'll come to your side. So far, I have nothing that points in that direction for the guys that remain on the team.

 

[sigmanorm]

I have heard from multiple people close to the program that the kids just aren't "getting it" or don't have a high enough basketball IQ. I agree that appears to be the problem on the floor during games, but these are all Hewitt guys. Maybe he needed to recruit different basketball players for this "complex offense" (sarcasm font) or change the offense to suit the guys he has.

 

[Pablo]

Pablo, you are either full of it, being just plain dense, or refuse to understand what I am writing because you seem to have something against me.

Of course the kids are not executing flawlessly. I never said they were. They are executing horribly. But, are they doing their best? If a kid has shooting deficiencies, but he is putting in overtime to work on it, why should I criticize him for it. He has reached his physical limits. It is Hewitt's fault for recruiting a guy that has that shooting deficiency and physical limit.

The kids are what they are from an athletic standpoint. They can work hard to make it the best it can be, but they can't be better than they physically can be. Hewitt seems to take every opportunity to throw the kids under the bus for the execution, so I have no doubt he would criticize them if they weren't putting in the effort to improve. Since he hasn't and there is no other evidence to the contrary (and he has praised many of them for being hard workers), I have to assume they are.

Again, show me evidence that they are not working hard to get better, and I'll come to your side. So far, I have nothing that points in that direction for the guys that remain on the team.

Let's agree to disagree!

 

[mkaufman1]

I have heard from multiple people close to the program that the kids just aren't "getting it" or don't have a high enough basketball IQ. I agree that appears to be the problem on the floor during games, but these are all Hewitt guys. Maybe he needed to recruit different basketball players for this "complex offense" (sarcasm font) or change the offense to suit the guys he has.

Its amazing that "his guys" and the "larranaga guys" aren't getting it...I gave more sympathy last year when it looked like the players did dumb things, but if everyone can't get it, the problem is obvious

 

[Vurbel]

Its amazing that "his guys" and the "larranaga guys" aren't getting it...I gave more sympathy last year when it looked like the players did dumb things, but if everyone can't get it, the problem is obvious

Funny, the Larranaga guys seemed to do ok. Hmmm...

 

[Pablo]

Lamar Butler @Butler2two · Feb 5
Hey coach..it's your fault I missed that shot, I missed that rotation, I didn't communicate on defense with my teammate..sounds dumb right?

0 replies0 retweets0 favorites

 

[Vurbel]

Lamar Butler @Butler2two · Feb 5
Hey coach..it's your fault I missed that shot, I missed that rotation, I didn't communicate on defense with my teammate..sounds dumb right?

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If he was never taught how to rotate, or never taught the importance of communication on defense, or never taught how to rotate/swing the basketball, then yes. If we're going to assume kids know everything then why even have a coach or assistants to begin with?

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Clearly some of the players are boneheads.

Problem is, when you're the guy that brought in guys like Copes and Okoloji, you're making things a lot worse.

Oh, and regression. A lot of it.

Why does this have to be a players vs. coach argument--I never got that. Clearly it is both and always has been; difference is by year four you could (and should have) your vets be smarter and you should have brought guys in who "get it."

 

[wijg]

Lamar Butler @Butler2two · Feb 5
Hey coach..it's your fault I missed that shot, I missed that rotation, I didn't communicate on defense with my teammate..sounds dumb right?

0 replies0 retweets0 favorites

Yeah, as much as I love Lamar. He obviously got it as a player, but I am not sure he gets it from a coaching perspective. As an example, it was another play where we switched on a screen and Corey was left guarding the center, and sure enough, easy dunk. I asked him about that after the game and he tried to explain to me why it is good to switch on every screen. Didn't make sense to me then, still doesn't. I'd like someone to explain that in simple terms so that I can understand why it is a good idea.