Poll Vote of Confidence: Paul Hewitt (1/11)

[Patriotfan49]

To be honest I really have no idea how he was as a player development guy a Gtech, just pointing out that not all of the guys that played at tech and later the NBA, were HS all americans who were 1 and dones

Just curious, who was implying they were?

 

[smccart5]

We're harping on player Dev a lot. I don't think that is a problem. See Jalen, PH, Marco, and Moore who is adjusting well to college hoops.

PH even seems to prep decently well for games.

It's the in game/half time coaching that needs help!! This is why I said we need an excellent asst. coach hire in the offseason.

 

[Dawgs99]

Lawdog used Shumpert as an example of Hewitts failed player development. Just thought that was interesting seeing as how he was on campus for a few years and eventually landed in the league.

 

[Patriotfan49]

We're harping on player Dev a lot. I don't think that is a problem. See Jalen, PH, Marco, and Moore who is adjusting well to college hoops.

PH even seems to prep decently well for games.

It's the in game/half time coaching that needs help!! This is why I said we need an excellent asst. coach hire in the offseason.

Just for the record, Jalen (though hes a RS) Moore are both freshman. Not sure they have had time to really show development or not.

Holloway was a talented shooter when he came in, and Ill give credit to him tightening his D up, and Marco has really fallen off the pace he started with.

The in game and x/o part is the main concern, seeing as our guys will not hit the NBA. Id just settle for them getting better each year, but well see. The only way the x/o get better is hiring a quality assistant, but I dont see that really happening.

 

[GMUgemini]

We're harping on player Dev a lot. I don't think that is a problem. See Jalen, PH, Marco, and Moore who is adjusting well to college hoops.

PH even seems to prep decently well for games.

It's the in game/half time coaching that needs help!! This is why I said we need an excellent asst. coach hire in the offseason.

Yes I'd say this is his biggest problem. When the coach adjusts to what we are doing, Hewitt sticks stubbornly to his original plan of action and doesn't counter adjust. It's why we almost always come out flat in second halves. The opposing coach sees what we are doing , adjusts to it and Hewitt doesn't make a counter move to offset it.

 

[gmujim92]

Yes I'd say this is his biggest problem. When the coach adjusts to what we are doing, Hewitt sticks stubbornly to his original plan of action and doesn't counter adjust. It's why we almost always come out flat in second halves. The opposing coach sees what we are doing , adjusts to it and Hewitt doesn't make a counter move to offset it.

If this is true, Hewitt should be fired yesterday.

It's Coaching 101 to have a Plan B, C, D and so on.

And if he's getting outcoached by Martelli, that's just plain embarrassing.

 

[GMUSSTN]

I mean how many games did we win last year that started on a 15-2 run and we just "hung on" for the remaining 30 minutes?

 

[GSII]

The most wins Blewitt has had will have occurred in his first two years with mostly all OCM guys. Each year he's been here we've had suspensions and a player leave the program. And each year Blewitt has been here, we've underachieved. This year in A10 we might win 3 conf games. How sad it is.

 

[gmujim92]

The program is definitely headed in the wrong direction, and anyone who doesn't see that is in denial.

Again, look at Hewitt's GT records. His best seasons were early in his tenure, but the program gradually got worse and worse until the bottom fell out.

Now that we're no longer in the CAA and won't be able to fatten the overall record with 10-12 easy league wins, it will be more difficult to justify the losing path we're on.

The A-10 is improving from top to bottom, and unless we're committed to improving, we may as well get comfortable with the view from the cellar.

Just a matter of how long it takes the admin to recognize what's happening and do something to fix it.

 

[gmutom]

The program is definitely headed in the wrong direction, and anyone who doesn't see that is in denial.

Jim, you act like this is breaking news. This is what's frustrating about the same posts over and over again. Not one person here has defended the losing season or said we're moving in the right direction — even people like me who were initially on board with the hire.

But there are two camps divided amongst that one group:

1. The people like you lie awake at night praying he will be fired when it would take an act of God for that to take place.

2. The people like me who realize he's going to be here at least one if not two more years and coming to terms with that fate.

Group 1 is going to make itself even more miserable, because you keep harping on a change that likely won't happen. Group 2, although knowing a change is probably best but knowing it's likely not coming, can sit back with a little more patience.

You and I agree on most things, but I don't assume Hewitt's destiny is predetermined based on his days at Tech. Although the percentages are definitely not in our favor that he can learn from his mistakes, I'd rather be optimistic that he finally figure it out rather than giving up on a program I've followed for more than 20 years. It's just not in my DNA.

 

[GMUgemini]

Jim, you act like this is breaking news. This is what's frustrating about the same posts over and over again. Not one person here has defended the losing season or said we're moving in the right direction — even people like me who were initially on board with the hire.

But there are two camps divided amongst that one group:

1. The people like you lie awake at night praying he will be fired when it would take an act of God for that to take place.

2. The people like me who realize he's going to be here at least one if not two more years and coming to terms with that fate.

Group 1 is going to make itself even more miserable, because you keep harping on a change that likely won't happen. Group 2, although knowing a change is probably best but knowing it's likely not coming, can sit back with a little more patience.

You and I agree on most things, but I don't assume Hewitt's destiny is predetermined based on his days at Tech. Although the percentages are definitely not in our favor that he can learn from his mistakes, I'd rather be optimistic that he finally figure it out rather than giving up on a program I've followed for more than 20 years. It's just not in my DNA.

I agree with this.

And although I am not defending Hewitt's ability to work with what he has, he has never had a full roster the entire time he has been here. I don't think our record would be quite as bad this year had Copes not been an idiot two years in a row and could have played from the start (he has played better with a few games under his belt) and Arledge not gotten a big head and into a car accident and decide to try to red-shirt/transfer instead of rehab and play.

I suppose for those who would like to see Hewitt gone l, these are positives because it will mean he's fired more quickly.

 

[GMUSSTN]

I agree with this.

And although I am not defending Hewitt's ability to work with what he has, he has never had a full roster the entire time he has been here. I don't think our record would be quite as bad this year had Copes not been an idiot two years in a row and could have played from the start (he has played better with a few games under his belt) and Arledge not gotten a big head and into a car accident and decide to try to red-shirt/transfer instead of rehab and play.

I suppose for those who would like to see Hewitt gone l, these are positives because it will mean he's fired more quickly.

I don't think it's "positive" that our team is bad, and I would love it if Hewitt could right the ship and get the team playing well, but based on his track record I don't see it happening. If he can pull it together though, I will jump right on the Hewitt bandwagon.

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

Tom, I understand your point and given an athletic department and a school that did not have a history of apathy and non-action at crucial stages, your attitude would be more appropriate. As with most things involving Mason, I feel that if you're not "over the top" in your opposition to something then it is viewed as tacit approval....

However, I agree that he gets 4 years. Fine, no problem, that's fair. Again, what I'm worried about is the evaluation criteria after those 4 years. If after 4 years, I have to hear, he needs more time to develop his system/guys, I might go insane.

Oh and the 99 Patriot comment about if you're not supporting Hewitt, you're not supporting the program and part of the problem. Just stop it. The "I'm more loyal than you" nonsense is ridiculous.

 

[gmutom]

Fair points, lawdog. I certainly understand the cries for Hewitt to be fired. I just want to make sure we are all on the same page in terms of supporting the team, because they deserve that from us even if they aren't playing great.

Jim might call it denial, but I go into every game thinking we have a chance to win — yes, even tomorrow night against UMass. I think everybody agrees we played vcu better than expected, and we certainly hung with St. Joe's most of the game before shooting ourselves in the foot (sound familiar?).

The most frustrating part of this season is we could have — and probably should have — won several of the games against Princeton, South Florida, Oregon State, ODU and St. Joe's. The difference between winning and losing those games is a few possessions, and it's incumbent on the coaches to make sure they sway those possessions in our favor.

 

[GSII]

Tom, I understand your point and given an athletic department and a school that did not have a history of apathy and non-action at crucial stages, your attitude would be more appropriate. As with most things involving Mason, I feel that if you're not "over the top" in your opposition to something then it is viewed as tacit approval....

However, I agree that he gets 4 years. Fine, no problem, that's fair. Again, what I'm worried about is the evaluation criteria after those 4 years. If after 4 years, I have to hear, he needs more time to develop his system/guys, I might go insane.

Your concern is very likely to come true. If next years team shows a glimpse of improvement everything could swing to his favor. And by improvement I mean from a 12-18 record this year, to a 16-14, next year with less experience. My gut knows what Tom is saying is right. But I just hate it that we won't fire his a** now and let the assitants run the team and start over next year. There's enough, for me anyway, to warrant a firing just on the x's and o's side. The roster management debacle he can wiggle out of b/c TOC changed conferences on him. Recruitment is a positive. So all in all:

Roster Management = 0
Recruitment = +
Coaching = -
Grad rate/Suspensions/Drama = 0

Regrettfully, this is how TOC will see it. Add in 1,000,000 expense to make Blewitt leave, and I think its clear he stays. Again, painfully and regrettfully I say.

 

[gmujim92]

Jim, you act like this is breaking news. This is what's frustrating about the same posts over and over again. Not one person here has defended the losing season or said we're moving in the right direction — even people like me who were initially on board with the hire.

But there are two camps divided amongst that one group:

1. The people like you lie awake at night praying he will be fired when it would take an act of God for that to take place.

2. The people like me who realize he's going to be here at least one if not two more years and coming to terms with that fate.

Group 1 is going to make itself even more miserable, because you keep harping on a change that likely won't happen. Group 2, although knowing a change is probably best but knowing it's likely not coming, can sit back with a little more patience.

You and I agree on most things, but I don't assume Hewitt's destiny is predetermined based on his days at Tech. Although the percentages are definitely not in our favor that he can learn from his mistakes, I'd rather be optimistic that he finally figure it out rather than giving up on a program I've followed for more than 20 years. It's just not in my DNA.

Tom, I'm frankly a little frustrated that you would assume that those of us who want Hewitt fired are "giving up on the program."

I would contend that getting a new coach sooner than later is looking out for the good of the program, not giving up on it.

Most of us have accepted that hiring Hewitt was a monumental blunder. Well, in my world the honorable thing to do when you make such a mistake is to own up to it and fix it as quickly as possible -- not sit back and hope that some by some miracle things change.

If paying him $1.5M to go away really is a deal-breaker, we should've just stayed in the CAA because we don't have the resources or the comitment to compete with the top of the A-10.

 

[gmutom]

But I just hate it that we won't fire his a** now and let the assitants run the team and start over next year.

GS, I would be all for this if we had an assistant who was qualified to take over the reins and be a candidate to be promoted to head coach next season. Unfortunately, that isn't the case, and we'd be looking at a mass exodus with not only current players but also recruits. Does anybody think Jenkins and Holloway wouldn't bolt if we started from scratch?

I mentioned in a previous post that I wish Kreider was ready to take over now and into next year. More and more, we are seeing young coaches like Brandon Miller (Stevens' replacement at Butler), Chris Collins (Northwestern), Rick Pitino's son (Minnesota) and the kid at Robert Morris.

If we promoted Kreider, at least there is a high likelihood we'd maintain all of the current players and recruits. I'm not saying he's ready, but it would be more ideal than canning a coach mid-season and starting anew with coaches and players.

Note to Jim: I never said you were giving up on the program. I said I could never give up on the program. I know we all have the same objective in mind, which is to have the best team possible. I realize I am positive to a fault, but it's just not in my nature to think the worst.

 

[99 Patriot]

Oh and the 99 Patriot comment about if you're not supporting Hewitt, you're not supporting the program and part of the problem. Just stop it. The "I'm more loyal than you" nonsense is ridiculous.

Thanks for twisting my words . I believe my point was that if you take any remotely positive comment about Paul Hewitt and your first inclination is to refute or marginalize it, you may be part of the problem. You spend a significant part of your life on a message board about GMU basketball, I don't think your loyalty is in question.

I didn't even say I blindly support Hewitt, but I do blindly support GMU basketball, which means I'm going to cheer for everyone in the green and gold. Just strange that a position like mine seems to require so much defense amongst other fans.

 

[gmujim92]

Thanks for twisting my words . I believe my point was that if you take any remotely positive comment about Paul Hewitt and your first inclination is to refute or marginalize it, you may be part of the problem. You spend a significant part of your life on a message board about GMU basketball, I don't think your loyalty is in question.

I didn't even say I blindly support Hewitt, but I do blindly support GMU basketball, which means I'm going to cheer for everyone in the green and gold. Just strange that a position like mine seems to require so much defense amongst other fans.

So extrapolating it out, 99, at what point does the "cheering" stop and the accountability begin?

I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm asking seriously.

Where's the threshold? How many losses are enough before we're no longer "disloyal" for wanting our well-paid coach to do his job well?

 

[Patriotfan49]

Thanks for twisting my words . I believe my point was that if you take any remotely positive comment about Paul Hewitt and your first inclination is to refute or marginalize it, you may be part of the problem. You spend a significant part of your life on a message board about GMU basketball, I don't think your loyalty is in question.

I didn't even say I blindly support Hewitt, but I do blindly support GMU basketball, which means I'm going to cheer for everyone in the green and gold. Just strange that a position like mine seems to require so much defense amongst other fans.

Ok even in your clarification you still come off as judgemental and irrational. I dont put anything into Hewitts comments, let alone most coachspeak. I go to the games, and watch the trainwrecks and 2.5 years in....I dont want to hear about "were coming along and it might click soon". Do you honestly expect a coach to say I/we suck?

What problem are you speaking about(bolded) ? Hewitts inability to adjust, or his lack of coaching skill? The players not being able to dribble the ball, or put forth a consistent effort? Which one of those can a fan, who pays their money to go watch be part of or fix?

Spare me the fan card, we are all fans here clearly and want the same thing. Blindly following a team/organization and not speaking up gets you where we are now or worse....it gets you back to the duldrums of leagues. Speaking up, wanting accountability, and better for your team/school is how you pressure people into doing their jobs.....