Poll Vote of Confidence: Paul Hewitt (1/25)

[Cool Disco Dan]

As my non basketball caring, sensible work partner pointed out today:

Wait you have a poll of confidence on a coach that was predicted to finish 8+ in a 13 team league? Then you, your administration and everyone else knew they were going to suck, so why are you upset when it happens? And if everything you say about the coach is true (history, mediocrity, etc..) then you are even dumber to think it was going to be anything different.

And to him I say great points. Why are we upset again?

'Work partner'?

 

[KAOriginal]

'Work partner'?

Think Roy DeSoto and John Gage and it will make sense...lol

Nowadays if you say partner..without specifying work...people start making assumptions.....

 

[gmujim92]

8th or 13th...what's the difference after A-10 Tournament? Are we going to start hanging banners for 8th?

His point was and is missed by some of you...we're really meeting expectations so why all the drama?

My point seems to have been missed by you -- namely, we're not even coming close to meeting my expectations or those held by many other Mason fans.

There's a huge difference between finishing 8th in a league with 4-5 NCAA bids
and 2-3 NIT bids, and being winless and in last place.

To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm having to explain this.

 

[GreenLantern]

I think most of us may have had inflated expectations coming in. I think most of us thought 8th was too low.

 

[KAOriginal]

My point seems to have been missed by you -- namely, we're not even coming close to meeting my expectations or those held by many other Mason fans.

There's a huge difference between finishing 8th in a league with 4-5 NCAA bids
and 2-3 NIT bids, and being winless and in last place.

To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm having to explain this.

I get your point and understand the frustration...as I was there.

But I now realize...when you start with the wrong expectations.....you end up disappointed.

We have a below average coach (per most of us) coupled with bad players (per some of us) coupled with an administration that thinks athletics is a "side door" (per them)...so really what else should expect?

 

[Cool Disco Dan]

Think Roy DeSoto and John Gage and it will make sense...lol

Nowadays if you say partner..without specifying work...people start making assumptions.....

Thought maybe your 'work wife' was actually a lesbian, so you had to use the term 'work partner'.

Ok, not really - just busting your balls.

 

[gmujim92]

I get your point and understand the frustration...as I was there.

But I now realize...when you start with the wrong expectations.....you end up disappointed.

We have a below average coach (per most of us) coupled with bad players (per some of us) coupled with an administration that thinks athletics is a "side door" (per them)...so really what else should expect?

KA, if you're correct and expecting an 8th-place finish with a very experienced roster was unreasonable, then I'm more convinced than ever that a total house-cleaning is in order.

 

[gmutom]

KA, if you're correct and expecting an 8th-place finish with a very experienced roster was unreasonable, then I'm more convinced than ever that a total house-cleaning is in order.

I think the experience thing is so overplayed in sports. I'd take a few of GW's sophomores over some of our experienced juniors and seniors any day of the week. PiKapp's wife will be the first to tell you that just because they've been having sex for all these years doesn't mean he's good at it.

 

[gmujim92]

I think the experience thing is so overplayed in sports. I'd take a few of GW's sophomores over some of our experienced juniors and seniors any day of the week. PiKapp's wife will be the first to tell you that just because they've been having sex for all these years doesn't mean he's good at it.

After 20 years of marriage, I'm quite sure my wife would say the same. As a guy, of course, the question of whether I've gotten better with experience remains fairly irrelevant -- like golf, even when it's bad, it's still worth doing.

But it's been a pattern at Mason that we do damage when we have veteran rosters. Even with the conference change, I really don't think 8th place was expecting too much, and our 5-1 halftime record is proof of that IMHO.

 

[99 Patriot]

I think the experience thing is so overplayed in sports. I'd take a few of GW's sophomores over some of our experienced juniors and seniors any day of the week. PiKapp's wife will be the first to tell you that just because they've been having sex for all these years doesn't mean he's good at it.

I agree and disagree with this statement. It's about individual players. Some players grow over their four years (T. Price, T. Nixon, Lamar Butler, Ahmad Dorsett, Arledge was on track) to be valuable seniors and some guys just remain the same or even regress (Birdsong, Sherrod, I'd argue Cam Long).

Before last season I argued with people that we wouldn't be very good because for the first time in as long as I can remember, we had no go-to player or even returning player who averaged double-figures. For about 15 games Sherrod erased those fears by being an 18/game scorer and looking like a guy you can ride to victories (like RP the year before). The second half of last year and pretty much all of this year that guy has gone away. Our lack of a leader and guy who wants the ball when our team needs a big shot or a big bucket is what's killed us in all of these close games. Patrick may be that guy, but he hasn't shown he can create his own, he needs someone to set him up. If we have one true leader step up and own those late-game situations we're probably 4-2 in conference right now. I guess you can blame Hewitt for not finding that killer instinct in any of those guys, but I equally blame the players for their inability to come through in the clutch.

 

[KAOriginal]

KA, if you're correct and expecting an 8th-place finish with a very experienced roster was unreasonable, then I'm more convinced than ever that a total house-cleaning is in order.

Never said it was unreasonable. I was surprised when that came out and hoped it wasnt true, but someone pulled me aside and said "it's the lack of respect for the coach, pure and simple."

But where we are as a program right now, getting completely worked up on whether we finish 8th or 13th is useless. You can go back and look at me on here losing my mind over the Hewitt regime after trying to give benefit the first year. Im just trying to get through to other side hopefully April 2015.....

 

[Pablo]

But where we are as a program right now, getting completely worked up on whether we finish 8th or 13th is useless. You can go back and look at me on here losing my mind over the Hewitt regime after trying to give benefit the first year. Im just trying to get through to other side hopefully April 2015.....

I agree with you. So, I will refrain from posting any further negative comments (or voting "No Confidence") on this board during the remainder of the Paul Hewitt era.

 

[GMUgemini]

This place is going to get real quiet if Hewitt is retained for his fourth season.

 

[gmubrian]

KA, I disagree with the premise of your partners statement. As for me, I am not upset or angry about it. I have seen what we are getting out of our coach for almost 3 years now and that is evidence enough for me that it is not a good fit. The fact that there can even be a logical discussion about whether expectations of an 8th place finish were too high only serves to confirm it. I would also point out that I don't recall a single A10 team being mentioned yet that people think would be better off if they had our coach. That would seem to me to be the biggest confirmation of all.

The thing I find amusing or even surprising is that so many people can have confidence. I could understand that some might have a glimmer of hope based on the Jalen effect. Where confidence might come from, though, that is a mystery to me.

 

[EXpatriot13]

The thing I find amusing or even surprising is that so many people can have confidence. I could understand that some might have a glimmer of hope based on the Jalen effect. Where confidence might come from, though, that is a mystery to me.

THIS.

 

[KAOriginal]

KA, I disagree with the premise of your partners statement. As for me, I am not upset or angry about it. I have seen what we are getting out of our coach for almost 3 years now and that is evidence enough for me that it is not a good fit. The fact that there can even be a logical discussion about whether expectations of an 8th place finish were too high only serves to confirm it. I would also point out that I don't recall a single A10 team being mentioned yet that people think would be better off if they had our coach. That would seem to me to be the biggest confirmation of all.

The thing I find amusing or even surprising is that so many people can have confidence. I could understand that some might have a glimmer of hope based on the Jalen effect. Where confidence might come from, though, that is a mystery to me.

I too find it incomprehensible that anyone has confidence in this regime. The guy can get good players...he just can't make them a good team. It's that simple.

As for my partner's premise...still has merit. Everyone but Mason fans seemed to have a clue on this team...which was it would be in the bottom half of the A-10. It doesn't mean it doesnt require review and action by Mason....it just means we weren't expected to be very good so why be OUTRAGED when we're in last place vs 8th? In the end it still a bad year.

 

[GMUgemini]

I too find it incomprehensible that anyone has confidence in this regime. The guy can get good players...he just can't make them a good team. It's that simple.

As for my partner's premise...still has merit. Everyone but Mason fans seemed to have a clue on this team...which was it would be in the bottom half of the A-10. It doesn't mean it doesnt require review and action by Mason....it just means we weren't expected to be very good so why be OUTRAGED when we're in last place vs 8th? In the end it still a bad year.

Because a good coach exceeds expectations. I mean, honestly, is Richmond, Datyon and St. Joes (who were picked 5th, 6th and 7th) that much better than us? Would a good coach with the same roster, not have us in the mix at this point?

If we were getting blown out in every one of these games, or even just losing handily like GW that would be one thing, but we absolutely could have taken our games against URI, Fordham, UMass and St. Joes with a competent coach. That puts us at 4-2 in the A-10.

So to simply say, well, of course we suck, why would anyone be upset at this objective fact, is sort of missing the point.

And by the way, these same coaches picked GW at something like 10th so it's not like they are perfect talent evaluators.

 

[gmubrian]

...it just means we weren't expected to be very good so why be OUTRAGED when we're in last place vs 8th? In the end it still a bad year.

Again, I am not OUTRAGED, or even mad (maybe some on here are). I don't hate anyone because of this. As you point out, it is a bad year. It does not matter what expectations for this year were. But, I don't want him fired just because we are having one bad year, even if it is epically bad. We are going to have bad years on occasion even with the one of the best coaches (see UNC). I want him fired because I think there is enough evidence now that he is not a good fit for the job.

To tangent away from that. I can understand if someone thinks that he is a great coach that you would not want him fired (why you would think that is beyond me, though). What I don't understand is if someone doesn't think he is a great coach, one of the best in the league, why you wouldn't be on the side that wants to find a replacement. Men's basketball, after all, is declared to be the focus of the athletic department. Why would you compromise on it and settle for a coach that you don't think is the best you could get for the situation.

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

The people who make those preseason picks also take into consideration who is the coach of your team and adjust accordingly. It's not like they make those picks in a vacuum. Probably a combination of not being that impressed with our team and less impressed with the guy at the top.

 

[gmutom]

The people who make those preseason picks also take into consideration who is the coach of your team and adjust accordingly.

Then they must have had no respect at all for Mike Lonegran, despite boasting talented transfers from Indiana and Villanova.