Poll: Should DP Be Fired?

[GSII]

We had more than a "good stretch" with L. Our worst finish was 6th place....the year before the Final Four.
Our postseasons were regular under Larranaga..even early--
Year 1 None
Year 2- NCAA
Year 3-None (but tied for 1st in conference)
Year 4- NCAA
Year 5- NIT
Year 6- None
Year 7-NIT
Year 8- None (finished 6th...worst)
Year 9- NCAA Final Four
Year 10- None (went to CAA finals and were minutes from another trip to NCAA)
year 11- NCAA
Year 12-NIT
Year 13- CIT
Year 14- NCAA

We were essentially doing something about every other year. We won a sh*t ton of home games. We were always in the top of the conference.
This isn't a Larranaga still rocks statement...this is...we were used to alot of good things over those 14 years when you look at the body of work.
So it really does hurt to know what has happened to this program since 2011.

And why we really aren't spoiled in our expectations. We should be demanding to see the same level of success return.

f**k yea to this post. Post of the year.

 

[tblack33]

I wonder if L at the time of moving from bowling green massacre to gmu was a lateral transition or not. Maybe mason needs to take someone from a conference of similar ranking next or a higher up conference assistant coach

Id have no issue with taking a shot on a P5 assistant from a strong coaching tree. I don’t think we should be looking at lateral conference type assistants but generally a top assistant from a P5 school is going to have a lot more experience in running a program in terms of recruiting and scouting.

 

[Mason2005]

I think Mason should fire it's basketball program.

 

[Walter]

This poll is just a snap shot.

Id have no issue with taking a shot on a P5 assistant from a strong coaching tree. I don’t think we should be looking at lateral conference type assistants but generally a top assistant from a P5 school is going to have a lot more experience in running a program in terms of recruiting and scouting.

Go ask UNCW which has worked for them?

 

[GMUgemini]

Id have no issue with taking a shot on a P5 assistant from a strong coaching tree. I don’t think we should be looking at lateral conference type assistants but generally a top assistant from a P5 school is going to have a lot more experience in running a program in terms of recruiting and scouting.

I keep saying, you know who is a P5 assistant right now? Tony Skinn...the LA Tech teams he was a part of were pretty good too (big and athletic). Seton Hall is the same this year.

He’ll have a ton of local ties too. No need to ramp up recruiting the area. A Final Four and an Olympics under his belt as a player.

 

[Petey Buckets]

Mason's not going to bring in the type of coach will just arrive with elite recruits, if they fire DP they will bring in someone pretty similar. So again you'd starting over and hoping over time something is built. You all can call for his head at the end of this year but he's not going anywhere.

"Elite" recruits is moving the goalposts a little. No one knocks Dave for failing to bring in elite guys. It's that too much of the roster is comprised of guys who only had low major offers and now have to play a lot in a really talented A10. No problem at all with having a few of those guys, but too many of them and suddenly we have a roster that's not competitive.

 

[GMUgemini]

"Elite" recruits is moving the goalposts a little. No one knocks Dave for failing to bring in elite guys. It's that too much of the roster is comprised of guys who only had low major offers and now have to play a lot in a really talented A10. No problem at all with having a few of those guys, but too many of them and suddenly we have a roster that's not competitive.

That seems right to me, but especially on the front line: Oduro and Calixte wouldnt be a starter on any other team in the A10, let alone someone in the top 7. Now if they were battling to get minutes behind someone else, they’d be fine.

Same is true of XJ and Hartwell and Greene. They should be good rotation players fighting for minutes. If Kier were 100%, Greene would be a great 6th man, which is something we desperately need.

In short, we are currently missing an A10 caliber starting PG, SG and Center. If Kier were 100% and playing, we’d still be short 2 starters.

 

[mkaufman1]

"Elite" recruits is moving the goalposts a little. No one knocks Dave for failing to bring in elite guys. It's that too much of the roster is comprised of guys who only had low major offers and now have to play a lot in a really talented A10. No problem at all with having a few of those guys, but too many of them and suddenly we have a roster that's not competitive.

Agreed. The one thing with guys only having low major offers is you have to take a chance or two with a transfer to help fill in the talent gap while you build out your program. Other than Reuter there hasn't been any transfers which is strange considering how many D1 transfers there are out there. Not saying a team of transfers is needed, but if he had 3-4 go through by now, who knows what could have been. We could at least give credit for trying.

The example I always give is Pikiell at Rutgers. A program irrelevant for almost 30 years, most of the guys he has did not have high major offers either. That said, they probably had at least CAA/A10 type of offers but I don't really know enough to say one way or another. They do have Geo Baker who Paulsen was after. There are articles written up about how much of the team did not have other P5 offers than Rutgers.

Point being, is that he took some chances on some transfers to help fill in the gaps, including a 5th year grad transfer from where he came from, Stony Brook. Recruiting isn't a perfect science, but in leagues like the A10, you have to take some chances to fill talent gaps if you wait for things to pay dividends (like a practice facility or locker room).

Its disappointing that its year 5 and we're still waiting for "talent gaps to disappear" with no end in sight, so to speak.

 

[Patriotsince81]

It's also hard for our guys to get better when they go up against each other in practice. No disrespect to the likes of Jack Tempchin but is he really going to push anyone to improve markedly? Is Odoru going to improve when he's guarding and going up against Calixte in practice? I think not.

 

[JPgmuswim]

It's also hard for our guys to get better when they go up against each other in practice. No disrespect to the likes of Jack Tempchin but is he really going to push anyone to improve markedly? Is Odoru going to improve when he's guarding and going up against Calixte in practice? I think not.

So you’re saying the reason DP always says we looked great in practice is because we are playing/practicing against ourselves? Makes sense to me.

 

[mkaufman1]

It's also hard for our guys to get better when they go up against each other in practice. No disrespect to the likes of Jack Tempchin but is he really going to push anyone to improve markedly? Is Odoru going to improve when he's guarding and going up against Calixte in practice? I think not.

fair point. Although if you recall Calixte came a long way because he was up against (a healthy) Reuter. Hopefully that grad manager helps those guys out though.

That example essentially reinforces your point of how they can help each other in practice.

 

[GSII]

WE also have the 6'11 mystery walk on going up against our regular guys too.

 

[Pablo]

The poll is at an interesting split. Basically 60/40 on fire or give one more year. I'm interested to see after the season if that tilts anymore in one direction or the other.

The poll is now closed. Are you going to re-open it after the season?

 

[mkaufman1]

The poll is now closed. Are you going to re-open it after the season?

Was thinking after the regular season and/or the A10 tournament. I’m interested to see if the results change, so maybe a new thread at that point.

 

[Pablo]

Was thinking after the regular season and/or the A10 tournament. I’m interested to see if the results change, so maybe a new thread at that point.

I recommend a new poll after Mason's season is completed.

 

[Dawgs99]

His base is not 700k. Its 400k something. With supplemental pay it goes up to 700 something.

It may be supplemental but its guaranteed money.....in other words he makes 700k a year before any incentives kick in. I bet we'd have to pay him half of that 700k figure if and when we fire him.

If however we'd only be on the hook for half of that 400k figure thats a big deal. To me that all should all but guarantee his firing after next season if there is not significant improvement.

 

[Falco]

Mason basketball will never be relevant again with Paulsen at the helm. I frankly think the current Mason administration is fine with that though.

 

[mkaufman1]

Mason basketball will never be relevant again with Paulsen at the helm. I frankly think the current Mason administration is fine with that though.

Unless Brad is BS’ing everyone since the day he walked in the door (which I don’t think he is), I doubt anyone is happy with where the program is. That said, we’re all holding our collective breaths for whoever the new President is, and whether Brad ends up staying. For someone who talked about “winning big” I can’t help but think Brad is probably the most unhappy person on the planet right now, with Dave being 2nd.

What is decided to help the matter in the course over the next year+, remains to be seen.

 

[gmubrian]

Unless Brad is BS’ing everyone since the day he walked in the door (which I don’t think he is), I doubt anyone is happy with where the program is. That said, we’re all holding our collective breaths for whoever the new President is, and whether Brad ends up staying. For someone who talked about “winning big” I can’t help but think Brad is probably the most unhappy person on the planet right now, with Dave being 2nd.

What is decided to help the matter in the course over the next year+, remains to be seen.

I'd put GSII at number one or two most unhappy.

 

[Pablo]

Unless Brad is BS’ing everyone since the day he walked in the door (which I don’t think he is), I doubt anyone is happy with where the program is. That said, we’re all holding our collective breaths for whoever the new President is, and whether Brad ends up staying. For someone who talked about “winning big” I can’t help but think Brad is probably the most unhappy person on the planet right now, with Dave being 2nd.

What is decided to help the matter in the course over the next year+, remains to be seen.

If Edwards "is probably the most unhappy person on the planet right now", I doubt that it's just about the men's basketball program. He's losing a terrific lacrosse coach who's leaving after the season to be director of athletics at the Garrison Forest School; the women's basketball team is 8-16 (2-9 A10); and the women's volleyball team completed its 9th consecutive season with a losing overall record.