Game 30 - A10 Tournament: #9 GMU (14-15 / 7-9) vs #8 Fordham (15-15 / 8-10) on Thursday, March 10, at NOON.

[Masonfan3]

Maybe I’m alone but I am totally missing what your point is here.

My point is in relation to Jim's comment about the perception of our program with those in the "community" I believe (and also from what I have heard) that those in the "community" believe that Mason can/should be more successful. If people thought our ceiling as a program was an average A10 program, then why fire a guy who had us in the top 5 3 out of 6 years and who ran a clean program? I believe we have all it takes as a program to be competing for a double bye every season and that is why Kim English's name was surfacing and why we fired DP. To be clear, firing DP and hiring CKE was the right decision because we have higher expectations and CKE has the potential to get us there.

 

[Masonfan3]

You sit far too close to either Durlak or Swimom

How so? I am actually critical of the product we have seen and believe we should be winning more?

 

[GSII]

Why can't we face the facts? KE missed on the PG position. Someone fed him bad info or he thought he had more than he did. I don't see how with XJ's mechanics on his Jumper, and Polite hurt all the time. Maybe he tried but was too late. This and only this, IMO, is why weren't top 5. If he brings a PG in with the other 3 we are playing today.

 

[mkaufman1]

Why can't we face the facts? KE missed on the PG position. Someone fed him bad info or he thought he had more than he did. I don't see how with XJ's mechanics on his Jumper, and Polite hurt all the time. Maybe he tried but was too late. This and only this, IMO, is why weren't top 5. If he brings a PG in with the other 3 we are playing today.

Fair point. I have to think he had more than he did. Considering he had 4 pgs to play with, and you can’t address everything at once, it was smart to at least try them out.

That said, it now has become a major position of need like we’ve all talked about.

 

[Earl the Squirrel]

I respond to your points below:
1. As others have pointed out, he had like 6 weeks from being a first time head coach to assembling a team for this year. Also he may not have realized at the time that we didn't have a tough group.

2. Maybe CKE said something about gimmick defense, but I can't find it. A search of posts shows that the phrase phrase "gimmick defense" in reference to vcu has been used on here long before English came along. Maybe some transference is going on.

4. I don't see 3 point shooting as our identity and I don't see CKE as inflexible. He likes the 3, but he has also said he likes 2 point layups even more. He studies the game and the stats and that is where the payoff is. He has just given the team the green light to shoot threes IF THEY ARE OPEN. I don't have an issue with that. Now, do you need to use mid range jumpers to keep the defense honest, maybe.

5. On the rotations, I think he had his rotation pretty set until it wasn't performing to his standards. There may be a little bit of revision of history going on here to say he didn't. His rotation was still pretty small and he still relied primarily on his starting 5 from the late non-conference schedule, but he needed people to spell the starters and he got Polite back from injury mid-season which would explain his mid-season insertion into the rotation.

6. I think you answered this point, somewhat, yourself. He isn't happy with the PG position. Also, I don't think he called Polite's number twice. I think he MAY have called it once, and the second time it appears that Polite called his own number.

Appreciate your feedback, Brian. All fair points. While I managed to watch every game this year, my understanding is you attended every game - home and away - so you no doubt saw and heard a lot that is missed during broadcasts.

 

[GMUSSTN]

then why fire a guy who had us in the top 5 3 out of 6 years and who ran a clean program?

That's pretty generous given that one year we were in the top 5 because of luck (how many of those conference wins were buzzer beaters?) and the 2nd time we were in the top 5 was a COVID year and we still got steamrolled in the conf. tournament.

Just a quick search will show you Paulsen never had us in the top 50, top 100, or top 150 on KenPom, even with being "top 5" in conference for whatever that means. We were so far out of the national conversation it wasn't even funny.

We're sitting at 116 Kenpom right now and have been hovering about 50 slots higher all season than DP ever got us.

 

[GMUgemini]

Fair point. I have to think he had more than he did. Considering he had 4 pgs to play with, and you can’t address everything at once, it was smart to at least try them out.

That said, it now has become a major position of need like we’ve all talked about.

We need defense and shooting more than anything else, probably a big who can move between the 4 and 5.

I was pretty disappointed with Schwartz and Cooper's defense overall. Cooper especially wasn't a very good on-ball defender. Polite was also really bad if he had to guard anyone through a screen, especially at the top of the key.

 

[sleeperpick]

We need defense and shooting more than anything else, probably a big who can move between the 4 and 5.

I was pretty disappointed with Schwartz and Cooper's defense overall. Cooper especially wasn't a very good on-ball defender. Polite was also really bad if he had to guard anyone through a screen, especially at the top of the key.

I still think CKE thought Hartwell was going to score 100 3's and Polite would be our best PG because they kept guarding each other in practice.

I have never seen a worse perimeter defending team. Hartwell and Polite are horrendous and Cooper and XJ are REALLY bad

 

[dr. gunnie]

I feel comfortable with KE being able to recruit some skilled transfers to come in and help next year. My guess is we'll have 5 or 6 spots open. I think the tricky thing is if they will be the right kind of player. KE talked about leadership and toughness - I think leadership is a tough one. Not many kids can walk into a brand new program and be the vocal leader that we need. That's a tough ask especially when you have a core group that has been together for a year already. I think it's also hard to judge a leader without really knowing the player or the staff that was with them - not really something that pops on game film as much as talent. Toughness is a little easier to spot, but leadership not so much.

 

[Dawgs99]

I feel comfortable with KE being able to recruit some skilled transfers to come in and help next year. My guess is we'll have 5 or 6 spots open. I think the tricky thing is if they will be the right kind of player. KE talked about leadership and toughness - I think leadership is a tough one. Not many kids can walk into a brand new program and be the vocal leader that we need. That's a tough ask especially when you have a core group that has been together for a year already. I think it's also hard to judge a leader without really knowing the player or the staff that was with them - not really something that pops on game film as much as talent. Toughness is a little easier to spot, but leadership not so much.

I'm hopeful that Ticket can take the leadership reigns next year. I get the feeling that he has those traits but was reluctant to speak up this season. Next year he'll be a veteran and I can see him turning into that leader we desperately need.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

Lunardi just put Dayton on his First Four Out. Looks like they'll need to make some noise and not get upset by vcu (presumably).

 

[Dawgs99]

Why can't we face the facts? KE missed on the PG position. Someone fed him bad info or he thought he had more than he did. I don't see how with XJ's mechanics on his Jumper, and Polite hurt all the time. Maybe he tried but was too late. This and only this, IMO, is why weren't top 5. If he brings a PG in with the other 3 we are playing today.

What was he supposed to do? He inherited a team with 4 PGs. The only way would have been to basically cut a few of them to open a scholarship(s) and he said he wasn't going to force anyone out. Now if he doesn't address that position this off season I'll be very disappointed.

 

[GSII]

What was he supposed to do? He inherited a team with 4 PGs. The only way would have been to basically cut a few of them to open a scholarship(s) and he said he wasn't going to force anyone out. Now if he doesn't address that position this off season I'll be very disappointed.

He should of brought in a grad transfer PG and redshirted Gray. And Polite for that matter.

 

[gmujim92]

I'm hopeful that Ticket can take the leadership reigns next year. I get the feeling that he has those traits but was reluctant to speak up this season. Next year he'll be a veteran and I can see him turning into that leader we desperately need.

Josh also needs to get comfortable with opening his mouth. He is our unquestioned best player and one of the best in our conference, guys will follow him if he steps up and demands the leadership role.

 

[GMUgemini]

Otis Frazier opens the transfer account. Not surprised. I think he could transfer down and be very successful at a lower level.

 

[allhailme]

Lunardi just put Dayton on his First Four Out. Looks like they'll need to make some noise and not get upset by vcu (presumably).

Or don’t lose potentially in the quarterfinals…

UMASS should have fired their coach a while ago if they were going to play like this

 

[Pablo]

Kyle Neptune Named Finalist for Joe B. Hall Award - Fordham University Athletics

After leading the team to a successful first season, Fordham University head men's basketball coach Kyle Neptune was announced as a finalist for the Joe B. Hall

fordhamsports.com

"Neptune led the Rams to a 16-16 overall record in 2021-2022, 8-10 in the Atlantic 10, a stark improvement from the 2020-2021 team which finished 2-12 overall, 2-11 in the conference. The 16 wins are the most for the Rams since the 2015-2016 squad went 17-14 and the eight Atlantic 10 wins matches that 2015-2016 team. The 14-game improvement was the best single-season improvement in recent Fordham basketball history.

Other highlights from the 2021-2022 season include:

• Won a second round Atlantic 10 Tournament game and reached the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2007
• Opened Atlantic 10 regular season play 2-0 for the first time
• Ranked 44th Best Defense in the NCAA – Best Fordham Defense in Fordham History (dating back to Ken Pom's beginning in 2001-02)"

"• Ohams finished the regular season with 21 Double Doubles and now holds the program single season record
• Ohams was named Second Team All-Atlantic 10, the first second team All-Conference selection since 2012
• Ohams was named the Atlantic 10's Most Improved Player, Fordham's first since 2000
• Ohams was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team
• The Rams signed Will Richardson, a 4-Star recruit ranked #142 by 247 Sports, the highest
Fordham commit since 2008"