Where Are They Now?

[KAOriginal]

FWIW...I think TOC just followed the Merten plan. While I think he ran a bit of a conservative department, I still think TOC would have paid L if Merten would have let him.

Merten didnt want to spend any more money on hoops, "athletics is the side door," didnt want to join the A-10, especially not retiring. TOC just went along.

Once Larranaga left, then that left no choice and gave TOC leverage to say "hey you stopped the A-10 deal, wouldn't let us spend more money, the least you can do is let me spend some $ on a coach with a name." Albeit, a bad one...lol.

This is all my opinion from bits and pieces heard during the Larranaga saga, the story of Merten hesitating on the A-10 deal and trying to pawn it Cabrera, etc. just tells me Merten was the fly in the ointment to most of these issue.

 

[GSII]

Toc got tired of being in L's shadow. Thats the crux of it. Coach L praises Merten to this day.

 

[gmutom]

Coach L praises Merten to this day.

Where?

 

[GSII]

The only public evidence is the video of his intro presser at the U in 2011 where he praises GMU, Fairfax, GMU Players and Merten, not TOC.

Why would he change his stance since then? Regardless, I promise you he still does.

 

[gmutom]

The only public evidence is the video of his intro presser at the U in 2011 where he praises GMU, Fairfax, GMU Players and Merten, not TOC.

I definitely agree with you that leaving TOC out of his Miami introduction was by no means an accident; in fact, it was a blatant snub. I just don't think it's accurate to say he praises him to this day just because he did it four years ago. As much as Coach L might hate TOC, he is perceptive enough to know that Merten failed him just as much if not more.

 

[KAOriginal]

Whatever really went down, the fact of the matter is Merten, unless he was completely lied to and TOC covered up everything, could have been more proactive in the whole retention of L.

"Your coach" is about to walk out the door, look at another offer and you drag your feet? Nah....if Merten really cared....ALOT more would have been done quickly.

Besides...a coach knows, you can slight an AD (esp since L and TOC were never close)...but you don't slam a college President. That is an employment no-no.

 

[Pablo]

After 10 games, Bryon Allen is leading Poland's TBL in scoring (22.2 ppg) - see http://www.eurobasket.com/Poland/basketball.asp.

 

[Washingtonian]

Okoloji has started all 8 games for Eastern Michigan University and is averaging 8.8 PPG.
http://www.emueagles.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&year=2014&

 

[Pablo]

Okoloji has started all 8 games for Eastern Michigan University and is averaging 8.8 PPG.
http://www.emueagles.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&year=2014&

I don't want to be unfair to Okoloji. But, it should be noted that the first 7 games were at home vs. Saint Francis (IL), Oakland, Youngstown State, UNC Greensboro, Longwood, Rochester, & Marygrove. The 8th game was at Dayton, and Okoloji fouled out in 16 minutes with 2 points (1-5 FG's including 0-2 behind the arc).

For the season, he's shooting 43.1% from the floor including 30.8% behind the arc.

 

[GSII]

So what you are saying is he should be at a lower level mid major? Or even div 2.

 

[JimP]

Of course Okoloji's Eastern Michigan team is giving Michigan all it can handle on ESPNU right now. Larranaga and his mysterious curse....

 

[gmujim92]

Of course Okoloji's Eastern Michigan team is giving Michigan all it can handle on ESPNU right now. Larranaga and his mysterious curse....

EMU won 45-42 at Michigan. I only watched a few minutes and didn't see Okoloji get into the game.

He finished with 3 pts, 4 rebs and 2 TOs.

 

[psyclone]

Of course Okoloji's Eastern Michigan team is giving Michigan all it can handle on ESPNU right now. Larranaga and his mysterious curse....

Michigan isn't very good this year. Last week, they lost to NJIT (Div 1, but barely):
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...jit-72-70-in-possibly-the-upset-of-the-season

 

[Washingtonian]

Michigan isn't very good this year. Last week, they lost to NJIT (Div 1, but barely):
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...jit-72-70-in-possibly-the-upset-of-the-season

Eastern Michigan won:
http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400587439

 

[Quentin Daniels]

EMU won 45-42 at Michigan. I only watched a few minutes and didn't see Okoloji get into the game.

He finished with 3 pts, 4 rebs and 2 TOs.

Okoloji has scored in double-digits in 3 of EMU's 9 games so far this season. That's already two more than he did in two full seasons of Paul Ball and has already more than doubled his total scoring compared to last season.

I'm not saying the kid is Kevin Durant, but maybe the coach and system had something to do with it.

 

[933127]

Okoloji has scored in double-digits in 3 of EMU's 9 games so far this season. That's already two more than he did in two full seasons of Paul Ball and has already more than doubled his total scoring compared to last season.

I'm not saying the kid is Kevin Durant, but maybe the coach and system had something to do with it.

The coach and system definately had something to do with it. Okoloji is a slasher, not a shooter, EMU's systems gives him more chances to be a slasher. Back when Okoloji was playing Paul Hewitt ball he would sit outside the perimeter all day and jack up shots whenever he had the ball in his hands. (this job has been handed down to Marko)

In Paul Hewitt's system its 1 in 4 out. Only one guy is allowed to penetrate, everyone else has to stay outside. So basically if someone else wants to penetrate....that's too bad stay OUTSIDE, wait your turn, only one person is allowed inside. The motion offense gets even worse when all the 6 foot 7 guys you recruit are slashers not shooters and have the same skill set as one another.

 

[JimP]

Okoloji has scored in double-digits in 3 of EMU's 9 games so far this season. That's already two more than he did in two full seasons of Paul Ball and has already more than doubled his total scoring compared to last season.

I'm not saying the kid is Kevin Durant, but maybe the coach and system had something to do with it.

I was thinking the same thing. I watched much of the game yesterday, and it seemed that in EMU's offense AO didn't have as much of an opportunity to do his free styling "bull in a china shop" thing.

Murphy was also using his forwards as forwards, no moving Jenkins-like players to guard.

 

[Pablo]

Mike Wise's final column for The Washington Post - see http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...be384a-8159-11e4-8882-03cf08410beb_story.html:

"Still, in the moments we stop to celebrate rather than merely calibrate the games and the people who play them, the best of human majesty emerges. Even now I can still conjure:

● Lamar Butler smiling forever after George Mason shocked No. 1 Connecticut, sending the original mid-major Cinderella to the Final Four."

 

[mason2k1]

● Lamar Butler smiling forever after George Mason shocked No. 1 Connecticut, sending the original mid-major Cinderella to the Final Four."

I don't necessarily agree with everything he writes but I do enjoy his columns. Nice to see this gem in there.

 

[Walter]

We will always have the memories of that one shinning moment. That Final Four banner will forever hang from the rafters.

O'Connor, Merten, or Hewitt can NEVER take that from us.