Game 5: AT Iona, November 23rd, 2 PM, NO TV

[Patriotfan49]

Also, certain folks love to just pull the "D*ck envy" card whenever somebody just mentions vcu......but they should be an example that we should try to follow. Their hirings have been pretty spot on and then you watch the program explode from there. That is what I want from and for GMU bball......but you werent going to get it from Hewitt from day one, or year 3.

I hope our AD has the stones to own up to his botch, and move on from it without letting him drag us any further down. We have a pretty talented roster, and it would be a pretty good team for a new coach to work with.

 

[gmutom]

Welp, Gemini seems to have come to the "negative side"...guess its just Tom left awaiting Hewitt and co to figure it out and put it all together out of the blue.

Show me once comment I've ever made where I said Hewitt was a great coach or that he would make us a great program — which, for the record, we never were before he got here. It never happened, because I never said it.

I just get tired of the same incessant finger-pointing after every loss. Hewitt's here for at least two more seasons, so I accept that and hope for the best. He's nowhere near a great coach, but he's not the reason we lost today. We had six players with ties to the NY area who had an opportunity to play well in front of their family and friends, and most of them failed to get off the bus.

 

[gmujim92]

Hewitt is what he is.....and he WILL ALWAYS be the same. Hes not magically going to figure it out at this point. You either accept the mediocrity and cluster f, or you move on and find a better option. I think most people know what answer will be better for our program.

Hewitt's hiring was a mistake, a panic move by an AD who knew he needed a "name" to pacify a fan base that was pissed at him for losing Larranaga.

Two-plus seasons later, with most of the roster now "his" players and excuses about lack of experience no longer applicable, it's obvious that the GT fans weren't delusional and that Hewitt in fact is just not a very effective basketball coach.

He still hasn't figured out an identity for our program. We're sort of a pressing team, sort of a running team, sort of an inside-oriented team. We suck defensively, but continue to switch on every screen when it's obviously not going to work. Our effort is spotty and so is our execution.

We've blown massive leads. We've come out flat and gotten buried early. Even in the games we've won under Hewitt, I can count the truly impressive performances on one hand.

If TOC is smart, he gives Hewitt the following ultimatum: Make the NCAAs with this team or you're gone. No sense putting off the inevitable because we're not getting any better without Sherrod, BA, J2 and JA.

For $700,000 a year, that's really not too much to ask.

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

Unfortunately, Jim, TOC compounded his hiring mistake by giving Hewitt a contract with a length of the contract buyout amount. No way we pay 1.5M to get rid of Hewitt. Nope, we have at least one more year beyond this year of suffering.

 

[nynva]

The refs didn't help not calling fouls / goal tending on the gales but getting us for every little thing.
Several of the players families were in attendance.

 

[gmujim92]

Unfortunately, Jim, TOC compounded his hiring mistake by giving Hewitt a contract with a length of the contract buyout amount. No way we pay 1.5M to get rid of Hewitt. Nope, we have at least one more year beyond this year of suffering.

Cabrera is a business guy. By now, he has to know it's not good for business to let your flagship program fall from the Final Four into an abyss of mediocre crap.

Maybe we can use some of the money we didn't spend on a practice facility and give it to Hewitt to go away.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Show me once comment I've ever made where I said Hewitt was a great coach or that he would make us a great program — which, for the record, we never were before he got here. It never happened, because I never said it.

I just get tired of the same incessant finger-pointing after every loss. Hewitt's here for at least two more seasons, so I accept that and hope for the best. He's nowhere near a great coach, but he's not the reason we lost today. We had six players with ties to the NY area who had an opportunity to play well in front of their family and friends, and most of them failed to get off the bus.

I didnt say you think hes a great coach, so calm down and dont get all upset about that.

I just get tired of the same pathetic homer defense of Hewitt (mainly from you) after the same performances year after year and then the chastising of people who critique or criticize him (mainly from you). You sound like a beaten wife dude. Newsflash it doesnt have to be this way, and we can do better, we are not stuck with Hewitt and should move on.

I understand he very well may be here for 2 more years, but I sure as hell hope he isnt our coach next year and that our AD realizes their mistake and that its a good investment to boot him. The only thing worse than Hewitt being here for 2 more years, would be the AD being to cheap to buy him out. Thats what a good AD or GM does in sports....you make a mistake (they happen) recognize it quickly and cut bait and move on in a better direction.

 

[Patriotfan49]

First we have to wait a season or two to implement his "system" (what is that again btw?).......Then we had to wait for the inexperienced guys to gain experience......then we had to wait for him to get "his" players in.......then we had to wait for him to buy another $1000 suit......

Meanwhile all this waiting, we get the same thing each year....after these things have been checked off, nothing has changed.

 

[gmutom]

I understand he very well may be here for 2 more years...

Ok, just want you to pace yourself, because you and Jim are going to give yourself coronaries if you keep getting worked up over our 4-1 team. Are they frustrating at times? Sure. Will they have to play much better when we get to the harder part of our schedule? Of course. But sometimes a loss is just a loss. Let's hope today was one of those occasions.

I thought this was an NIT-tournament team at the start of the season, and I see no reason to change my mind about that after today.

 

[Raider_SPE]

. We're sort of a pressing team, sort of a running team, sort of an inside-oriented team. We suck defensively........Our effort is spotty and so is our execution.

This pretty much sums it up for me after 2 + seasons. I have been waiting for any sign that the guys give a shit on the defensive end. Last time was probably when DJ was here, maybe Copes as a freshman when he would use his 5 fouls to the fullest by attempting to block everything in sight.

Maybe this is why we are not a pressing/uptempo team, not enough fire to pull it off, which I am sure irritates Hewitt. Here I was excited after seeing GOBO's tweet earlier this month about this team playing fast.

I am resigned to this team eeking out close wins against crappy teams or plain ole losses against others, when we don't shoot moderatly well. D, isn't good enough to pull up the slack.

 

[azgmu]

Looking at the WSJ, they're reporting it as if it were Iona's David knocking off GMU's Goliath: http://online.wsj.com/article/AP77b0ea48cf02421390bc313a203e6147.html

So in perspective, the rest of the world sees this as a good team that got outplayed, not a lousy team showing the same-old-same-old. That's without either advocating or condemning the coach.

 

[gmujim92]

I thought this was an NIT-tournament team at the start of the season, and I see no reason to change my mind about that after today.

You went into the season expecting a team with four seniors and four juniors to make the NIT, and you're OK with that?

No offense, Tom, but if we can't expect our team to make the NCAA tournament when we have one of the most experienced rosters in the nation, doesn't that tell you that something is amiss?

 

[GMUgemini]

And this team isn't making the NIT. So perennially low expectation Tom might have to temper HIS.

 

[gmujim92]

Well, if you don't have expectations, you can never be disappointed.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Ok, just want you to pace yourself, because you and Jim are going to give yourself coronaries if you keep getting worked up over our 4-1 team. Are they frustrating at times? Sure. Will they have to play much better when we get to the harder part of our schedule? Of course. But sometimes a loss is just a loss. Let's hope today was one of those occasions.

I thought this was an NIT-tournament team at the start of the season, and I see no reason to change my mind about that after today.

You always say this crap, like because we or anybody said something that goes against your rosy outlook on things.....were foaming at the mouth and rabidly angry. Were just posting our opinions just like you are dude. Then you always say crap like that and add in something like"our 4-1 team" to try and throw things out of context or people are batshit crazy to be critical. But keep thinking being 4-1 is a testament to anything considering 4 of the teams weve played....

 

[Patriotfan49]

Looking at the WSJ, they're reporting it as if it were Iona's David knocking off GMU's Goliath: http://online.wsj.com/article/AP77b0ea48cf02421390bc313a203e6147.html

So in perspective, the rest of the world sees this as a good team that got outplayed, not a lousy team showing the same-old-same-old. That's without either advocating or condemning the coach.

What are you talking about? Its like a 3 paragrah blurb in a NY section of the paper that explains how the NY team won. They probably couldnt even name who our coach is....nor would I use it as "the rest of the worlds" view.

 

[gmutom]

You went into the season expecting a team with four seniors and four juniors to make the NIT, and you're OK with that?

Show me one college basketball expert or website that predicted we would be an NCAAT team. Hell, we were picked anywhere from 8th-10th in the A10. It's obvious nobody was as impressed with our four seniors and juniors as you were coming in. Seriously, other than Sherrod Wright, name one great player on our roster.

Saying we are an NIT-caliber team is not setting the bar low or disparaging our team. It just my evaluation based of the talent we have. Could a great coach make this an NCAA team? Perhaps. I guess we'll never know.

 

[gmujim92]

I'm not foaming at the mouth, per se, but I am definitely pissed ... not that anybody gives a crap what I think.

 

[azgmu]

What are you talking about? Its like a 3 paragrah blurb in a NY section of the paper that explains how the NY team won. They probably couldnt even name who our coach is....nor would I use it as "the rest of the worlds" view.

Yes, it's a short blurb, but you did notice their tone, and they weren't exactly talking about Iona taking out the trash. I'm calling it "the rest of the world's" view precisely because they didn't have any deep insight into the GMU program.

 

[gmutom]

Were just posting our opinions just like you are dude. Then you always say crap like that and add in something like"our 4-1 team" to try and throw things out of context or people are batshit crazy to be critical.

Haha, so you can compare me to a beaten wife, but I can't worry about your blood pressure. And last time I checked, we are 4-1, so how is that throwing crap in? In fact, before we laid our giant egg today, we were one win away from the best start in our program's history. Maybe, just maybe, things aren't as bad as you say they are.

I fully admit I try to be positive, not because I like Hewitt but because he is the hand we've been dealt. If he was fired tomorrow, I'd embrace our new coach with open arms. But because he's not going anywhere, I can't allow myself to get worked up over it.

Let's hope the coaches and players learn from today and bounce back against Princeton.