Ok, it's time for a history lesson. There's been a lot comparing going on regarding Larrañaga's and Paulsen's rebuilds. Yes, they were both rebuilds from devastatingly inept coaches. However, in both instnances the previous coaches were excellent recuiters. Both Westhead and Hewitt had quality players in the wings when their tenures expired. We all know what happened with most of Hewitt's recruits, they split.
Coach L inherited George Evans. Evans was highly a touted player in the US Army's league. Unproven otherwise at any formal basketball program such as AAU or HS. Evans was a Westhead recruit. When Westhead was deposed Evans was seriously considering to reenlist in the Army. Coach L had to beg him to reconsider. At a mature 25 years old with Army leadership training under his belt, Coach L knew that Evans was a man among boys and that his Army leadership skills would help him quickly build confidence and spread maturity throughout the team. Coach L will readily admit, and I believe he has, that he was divinely lucky to have been left with Evans. No Evans, no quick rebuild.
And, if I'm wrong please correct me, but I don't think Erik Herring was a Coach L recruit either. Herring was an incredibly talented player who ended his career in the Chicago Bulls training camp upon graduation. Yes, if Evans were younger he too would have had NBA opportunities. Those two were high quality players for which Coach L would not have had been able to remotely acheive such great success without. Coach L will tell you this straight up.
Despite DP's best efforts, he could not salvage the best players that Hewitt left for him. Of the players and recruits DP held on to, none were not even 25% of the quality and maturity of Evans or the skill level of Herring. There were no Freshman phenoms to lean on and build upon (although, our current freshman class looks enormously promising!). We as fans do not know why so many of Paulsen's early recruits failed to remain with the team leaving us in our current undermanned state. Perhaps they were imature, lazy, unreceptive to coaching, behaviorly-challenged, bad influences, injured, unconfident, home sick, needed at home—any one of which does not indicate roster mismanagement and may even indicate prudent roster management.
Any way you look at the two major rebuilds in Mason Basketball history, beyond the fact they took place after a coaching disaster, they are both incomparable in scale, depth, and luck.
Currently, it is what it is with Paulsen. Right now our focus as fans should no longer be to bemoan that we have an undermanned roster. It's a moot point. It's the current situation, deal with it. There are no players that Mason can trade for or pick up via free-agency, the waiver wire, or pluck off some other team's practice squad. The best thing we can do for these young, hard-working players is to assist them with our best support. In Dave, in Brad, in the Mason 8 I do thee trust!
