The Paul Hewitt Thread

[Walter]

I am more concerned about when is the next time we will have a winning record.

 

[GMUSig03]

When is the last time GMU had a losing record?

1997-98 I believe, Coach L's first year and the year before I started at Mason

 

[JimP]

1997-98 I believe, Coach L's first year and the year before I started at Mason

Wow - 15 years ago.

 

[EXpatriot13]

I wonder if Hewitt "forgets" about players on his bench sometimes. Unless Gray is back in the doghouse I don't understand why Okoloji sees the floor before he does. Gray can't possibly do any worse than Okoloji and at least he has a shot at scoring.

 

[smccart5]

I actually think Okoloji has been playing MUCH better this year. He can actually make some decent plays. I didn't see today's game, but yesterday he hit a three, had a drive to get to the free throw line...etc. Last year he looked like he had never played before, so i just want to give him a little credit on a good offseason.

Also, I give Hewitt some credit for finally switching the starting lineup and even benching Sherrod. In the past we've complained that he wouldn't hold people accountable. Well he certainly seems to be now.

That being said it still seems like we have no identity

 

[EXpatriot13]

Okoloji has a terrible shot and is a bull in a china shop 90% of the time and occasionally grabs some rebounds. He fouls on defense more than anything.

 

[MasonCrew]

Can we please get a new coach. I wonder how long it will be before TOC wakes up and realizes that our program has been set back 8 years. I honestly don't think we'll be competitive for 4 years after Hewitt leaves. GT payed him 7 MILLION DOLLARS to not coach their team. 7 MILLION DOLLARS.

While we're at it. Can we get a new AD, too. We have become a case study in what not to do.

 

[GSII]

Thanks for the memories GMU Basketball. Here's to your resurrerection one day soon.

 

[DeepValue]

Will Hewitt utilize the day off to search for luxury retirement properties?

 

[PoorManProfit]

Hewitt wouldn't ever had been my choice, but he has done nothing NOT to deserve another year, or two, to this pt. Blame the university president and AD. That being said, Dopes is squarely on him, but Wright, Allen, Gray, Edwards, Williams, Arledge, etc. aren't. He's working on overhauling this soft roster, but it takes time.

 

[GMUgemini]

It's fairly obvious Hewitt is still looking for a PG he can trust. Allen reminded us all yesterday why he shouldn't be in control of the team, especially in crunch time.

I'm pretty sure Marquis got yanked for that 10 second call in the second half and I'm not sure he played again.

Corey is Corey, he isn't going to get any better at this point.

I don't think he's going to find one fast enough to save his job.

 

[GMUSSTN]

I don't think he's going to find one fast enough to save his job.

Maybe he's trying to get a job NOT coaching basketball. He's getting a hefty check every month from Georgia Tech to do just that. He's a professional non-coach.

 

[KAOriginal]

Maybe he's trying to get a job NOT coaching basketball. He's getting a hefty check every month from Georgia Tech to do just that. He's a professional non-coach.

Give credit where credit is due.

I wish I could make it rain money for not accomplishing much...

 

[EXpatriot13]

In my opinion Hewitt hasn't been the problem these last few games here in Hawaii. He has the team playing a lot more zone like we all begged for...he finally started Moore and is giving Jenkins a ton of playing time. Not his fault when the players he has on his team can't catch passes cleanly, dribble balls off their feet, shoot air balls, foul constantly, etc.

 

[Walter]

In my opinion Hewitt hasn't been the problem these last few games here in Hawaii. He has the team playing a lot more zone like we all begged for...he finally started Moore and is giving Jenkins a ton of playing time. Not his fault when the players he has on his team can't catch passes cleanly, dribble balls off their feet, shoot air balls, foul constantly, etc.

There is probably some truth to that but when in doubt blame the guy making close to a million dollars.

 

[MasonFanatic]

Hewitt does control which players are on the floor in the last 2 minutes of a close game, and he got it wrong yesterday.

 

[EXpatriot13]

Hewitt does control which players are on the floor in the last 2 minutes of a close game, and he got it wrong yesterday.

So having a senior guard in Allen on the floor with two minutes to go was the wrong move? He can't control a player dribbling into the far corner of the court, making bad passes, taking bad shots, etc.

I'm sorry but I can't blame Hewitt for the way we've played in Hawaii. He's changed his game plan with more zone. The players just can't score. Marko can't hit the broad side of a barn, Sherrod is in a huge funk, Allen and Holloway can't do it all, they turn the ball over and foul like crazy. None of that is Hewitt's fault. That game wouldn't have been that close if our offense wasn't so damn anemic.

Yes, Hewitt still sucks for the most part. But I'm sorry I can't get on his case for these last two games. It comes down to guys just having to make shots, not turn the ball over, and not foul at an extreme rate. Who should have been out there in the last two minutes that would have completely altered the outcome the game? There isn't one person on our team, other than Holloway, who has been able to consistently score in the last two games.

 

[smccart5]

One challenge to coaching this team is that no one does anything consistently. Teams know that they just need to stop sherrod, and they are fine. If another player gets "hot"...he scores 12-15 points...not exactly terrifying.

But if, say PH, has shown he can score in a few games, should he now always start? Next game he could easily go 1-7 from the field. So who should start?? It might as well be pulled out of a hat every game because who knows who will be able to score

 

[KAOriginal]

Even though I am not a Hewitt fan, I will fully admit....this year the players seem to be clueless on the basics of basketball-dribbling, rebounding, fouling etc.

 

[GMUgemini]

Hewitt does control which players are on the floor in the last 2 minutes of a close game, and he got it wrong yesterday.

Theoretically, the lineup he had on the floor should have worked.

I don't know that you could have trusted Moore to run the point in the last two minutes. Sherrod has been useless the entire tournament, so you could have replaced him with Holloway and have Moore, Allen, Holloway in the back court, but that still doesn't solve the problem of Allen killing the game all by himself with his unforced turnovers -- maybe he touches the ball less with Moore on the floor, but then it's not like he can reliably hit a mid-range or 3-point shot, so what good is he?

It's a dilemma, really. I don't know that any combination of players would have been the right one.