Game 7, Rhode Island, Nov. 30th, 4 PM, MASN

[gmutom]

Nobody is saying that. But to try and diminish the immense advantage because it was not technically home court is really minutia and weak.

It's weak to people who don't understand the minutiae of basketball. Playing on your home court means you know the rims, the site lines and little things like how the ball bounces off the court (yes, they are all different). There is a huge difference between a crowd advantage and a court advantage.

If anything, the game where the crowd played the biggest difference was Hewitt's first year when vcu jumped us early and their fans almost blew the roof off the place. Our players looked like they walked into an ambush. Funnily enough, I don't hear anybody in your camp giving Hewitt the same free pass Coach L is getting.

 

[Patriotfan49]

It's weak to people who don't understand the minutiae of basketball. Playing on your home court means you know the rims, the site lines and little things like how the ball bounces off the court (yes, they are all different). There is a huge difference between a crowd advantage and a court advantage.

If anything, the game where the crowd played the biggest difference was Hewitt's first year when vcu jumped us early and their fans almost blew the roof off the place. Our players looked like they walked into an ambush. Funnily enough, I don't hear anybody in your camp giving Hewitt the same free pass Coach L is getting.

You are the only person who has played or understood basketball. Thanks for explaining that very complex difference between courts. Nobody would have known without you doing so. Not to mention of course, having a defeaning crowd cheering and lauding your every mistake and miss, meanwhile the other teams makes would have no effect on the game at all.

No its "weak" because you cant be wrong, or not think you have the trumping answer....so any bs you put up there you think is the end all be all. If you really are trying to diminish the advantage vcu had (something we all bitched about for years) because of a technicality to suit or prove your "point".....you are a sad dude......

My camp? Whats that? "Hewitt Hater"? Coach L getting a free pass? Who said that? Do you read at all before you just post more bs? Coach L sucked in Richmond, no matter what team he had. Who doesnt know that or is ACTUALLY claiming otherwise?

 

[Walter]

Larranaga earned his free pass. Hewitt has not.

 

[MasonFanatic]

Corey Edwards, Vaughn Grey, Bryon Allen, Sherrod Wright, Mike Morrison, Ryan Pearson, Andre Cornelious, Paris Bennett, Vertrail Vaughns, John Arledge....
Not too shabby team to inherit. People at the time were calling us one of the better openings and jobs out there.....

Im not buying it was a failure left behind.

Just because the flaws weren't obvious at the time doesn't mean they didn't exist.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Just because the flaws weren't obvious at the time doesn't mean they didn't exist.

I guess everybody just was mistaken then. All the people pimping the Mason job, the talent we had, the preseason votes....

No matter what you say, if you leave players like that for the incoming coach. The proverbial cupboard is not bare. You cant come in and win 24 games, and have the POY if the cupboard is bare.

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

Larranaga earned his free pass. Hewitt has not.

You mean we aren't paying the OCM 7M to coach at the U? The GT fans are having a good laugh at our expense.....

Tom, did you ever answer my first question? What would you need to see from Hewitt in these next few years? Please give numbers based answers and not some nebulous "oh, I want to see the team progressing and looking better" type answer.

Anyway, I'm done. I won't comment on the coach anymore. Either he'll turn things around and get us to the NCAAs in the next 2 years and I'll be happy or he won't and will presumably be gone.

 

[MasonFanatic]

I guess everybody just was mistaken then. All the people pimping the Mason job, the talent we had, the preseason votes....

Yes. Well, partly people being mistaken, partly an assumption that Hancock would stay., and partly a failure to look deeply at our PG situation post-Cam Long. And then Cornelius decided to become a crook.

 

[gmutom]

Coach L sucked in Richmond, no matter what team he had.

Agreed. Good point. Let's move on ... again.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Yes. Well, partly people being mistaken, partly an assumption that Hancock would stay., and partly a failure to look deeply at our PG situation post-Cam Long. And then Cornelius decided to become a crook.

Lol....whatever you say dude. You may be the only one who thinks that Hewitt was left a pile of misfit toys.

 

[gmutom]

Either he'll turn things around and get us to the NCAAs in the next 2 years and I'll be happy or he won't and will presumably be gone.

I agree with this, too. See, who says we can't all get along around here.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Agreed. Good point. Let's move on ... again.

Youre a legend in your own mind and kind of a dbag to talk with.

Im with Lawdog...you guys can have your little positivity space for your silver linings. Ive said really all I can on Hewitt and what I think. Apparently that "camp" isnt accepted or allowed here, thats cool. As donations, attendance and STHs dwindles each year....heres to hoping Hewitt can magically figur out what hes doing.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

I'll take what Larranaga left over what Pat Kennedy left Towson 7 days a week and twice on Sunday. Paul Ball still couldn't beat them at home last year.

 

[Pablo]

4) Tom, you constantly point to the fact that OCM could not beat vcu. Please name me a coach that consistently beat his rival on their home court in the most important game of the year. I would love to see you come up with one example. If you want to bitch about our consistency at times during the OCM era, fine. But I'm still convinced that if those games were played outside of the shithole in Richmond, we would have gone to 2 or 3 more NCAAs. Did Big 12 teams have to beat Kansas in Lawrence in the tourney? What about ACC teams having to win in Durham? Or SEC teams in Lexington?

How about Steve Fisher at San Diego State vs. UNLV in the Mountain West Conference Tournament, which is played at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center:

2000 Quarterfinals: #1 seed UNLV 77 - #8 San Diego State 72
2002 Championship Game: #5 San Diego State 78 - #3 UNLV 75
2003 Quarterfinals: #4 UNLV 83 - #5 San Diego State 67
2006 Semifinals: #1 San Diego State 63 - #4 UNLV 60
2009 Quarterfinals: #4 San Diego State 71 - #5 UNLV 57
2010 Championship Game: #4 San Diego State 55 - #3 UNLV 45
2011 Semifinals: #2 San Diego State 74 - #3 UNLV 72

 

[GMUgemini]

I guess everybody just was mistaken then. All the people pimping the Mason job, the talent we had, the preseason votes....

No matter what you say, if you leave players like that for the incoming coach. The proverbial cupboard is not bare. You cant come in and win 24 games, and have the POY if the cupboard is bare.

We might have won 24 games but that wasn't even good enough for an NIT bid. Our schedule was weak that season. Losing Luke Hancock was a bigger blow than anyone wants to admit. Without him we didn't have a single player on the roster who could dictate the pace of the game.

Hewitt has definite flaws as a coach, but he's not 100 percent of the problem. And while failing at a BCS program might be reason to doubt his coaching ability there are coaches who have been fired by BCS schools and have succeeded: Tommy Amaker is one and Steve Alford is another

 

[Quentin Daniels]

I love the evolution of Luke Hancock by Paul Ball apologists. He went from the guy who transferred because he was scared of competing with Sherrod, to the guy who wasn't good enough to play at Louisville, to the root of all our problems because we lost him.

Who knew Long and Hancock were the difference between beating Villanova and losing to Towson??!!

 

[GMUgemini]

A. I never said Luke wasn't good enough to play for Louisville. I actually said he'd do well in the Big East after an adjustment period (and guess what...)

B. It's pretty obvious Luke Hancock was the difference in the Villanova game. Without him we lose by double digits just like we got destroyed by Ohio State.

 

[EXpatriot13]

I hate this thread so much.

 

[gmujim92]

I hate this thread so much.

The hate thread is over that way. There's nothing but Mason love in here.

 

[MasonFanatic]

I never thought Luke was scared. I don't see how anyone could think that who actually watched him play.

I'm done. Let me know when we have a new topic.

I just hope Hewitt can prepare our team to play Wednesday like they did against UNI and URI, and that Moore and Copes are healthy and ready to play, so that we can see what Hewitt can do with a full deck and judge him accordingly.

 

[MASONscott]

I love the evolution of Luke Hancock by Paul Ball apologists. He went from the guy who transferred because he was scared of competing with Sherrod, to the guy who wasn't good enough to play at Louisville, to the root of all our problems because we lost him.

Who knew Long and Hancock were the difference between beating Villanova and losing to Towson??!!

Funny, I remember several of our every day Debbie Downers being skeptical of Luke's chances at Louisville.

(For the record, then and now I thought he had the chance to win a national championship - ok maybe I was only on the record that he could succeed at Louisville).