WP: What Happened to George Mason Basketball?

[gmu2006]

That's ridiculous just because TOC said he didn't expect to return to the Final Four anytime soon, you take that to mean he was fine with mediocrity.

I mean, I don't expect vcu to return there either any time soon, to be honest. Only 30 teams have been there three times in the history of the NCAA, for goodness sakes.

I didn't necessarily expect to get to the final four soon, but I expected to have more cracks at it. The first step to that is getting into the NCAA tournament. We haven't even come remotely close to this under Hewitt.

 

[gmujim92]

That's ridiculous just because TOC said he didn't expect to return to the Final Four anytime soon, you take that to mean he was fine with mediocrity.

Not speaking for smccart, but I don't think it's so much this one specific quote as much as TOC's general lackadaisical, "athletics is a side door" attitude, coupled with his choice of Hewitt as head coach, that pisses so many people off.

We needed a driven young guy like Edwards as AD to capitalize on the momentum and maximize the benefit to the athletic department in the wake of the Final Four.

Instead, we had a guy who was near the end of his career and obviously felt like he had nothing left to prove. Fat, happy and lazy doesn't get sh!t done in sports.

 

[GSII]

Finally an article with some heat on it!! I wish he mentioned that 32-4 start vs vcu while still in the caa and the other losses we suffered in what was the caa's weakest year, and we finished 6th. That's where the meat of the arguement is to be made this clown can't coach.

 

[polepino]

http://masonhoops.com/board/threads...-january-14th-7-pm-masn.762/page-5#post-30177

Can someone write an article somewhere titled "What Happened to George Mason Basketball?" Bad press is good press!

Holy crap, I never in a million years thought that the Post would pick up my idea to make an article titled that. Can I get reference in the biblograhy? lol

 

[polepino]

"As he does with all coaches, Edwards said he will evaluate Hewitt’s performance at the end of the season.

'I look at where they are in their tenure, how they are doing in the conference, what we see on the court, what we see in the classroom and in the community,' he said. “Certainly wins and losses are important at a place like George Mason, and we have to decide whether we are heading in the right direction."

I've kind of been feeling that Edwards was going to wait til after this season to evaluate Hewitt. Had to give him a year to fully get a feel for the program and inner workings.

 

[Patriotsince81]

“We have good enough players,” Hewitt said. “We haven’t capitalized on some situations we have created for ourselves and offensively we’ve been woefully inconsistent.”

You are such a DICK. Jane you ignorant slut, get the hell out of town. Douche. Screw you just as hard TOC.

 

[Five Two]

In 2011, the Patriots upset Villanova...

Really? We were an 8 seed and they were a 9 seed so from that perspective it wasn't an upset.
I forget what the line on the game was.

Other than that, I thought it was the kind of article needed and thrilled to read some of the things Edwards is looking to do.

 

[gmu2006]

Really? We were an 8 seed and they were a 9 seed so from that perspective it wasn't an upset.
I forget what the line on the game was.

Other than that, I thought it was the kind of article needed and thrilled to read some of the things Edwards is looking to do.

I think Villanova was pretty upset that they lost to us.

 

[KAOriginal]

I don't mind the TOC comment about not getting back to the FF. Even I would have said that. BUT...like our friends down in the RVA, thinking you should be in the NCAA every year and winning a game or two was and IS very realistic.

I am still sort of torn on TOC's mindset on the Hewitt hire. Was he so intent on making a name "splash" --to say F U to Larranaga and prove a point---did he really overlook the well documented history of failure at GT?

I figure the interest would have been pouring in from ALOT of people for the gig at the time....but I know from alot of from assistants. I think it was short sighted to only look at HCs, and apparently a small terrible pool of them.....

 

[gmujim92]

Goff could've saved Jeff Bezos some money on ink and newsprint by answering his headline with just three words.

What is wrong with George Mason basketball?

Paul. F*cking. Hewitt.

The end.

 

[mason2k1]

I'm late to this post. This is long overdue but it's a step in the right direction. It's almost like it was written with exerts taken from posts on here. What stuck out to me was the following.

“We recognize that athletics, principally basketball for us, is a marketing opportunity for the institution, and we want to maximize that,” he said. “And we know the competition is not taking their foot off the gas. Now it’s that point where the transition into the Atlantic 10 is underway and we have to take the next step.”

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

I was fine with the Hewitt hire, as were most college basketball analysts at the time. Especially with a veteran roster due back.

Didn't work out.

Oh well.

Program is still clearly progressing in every avenue that I can see since 2006, albeit not as quick as was ideal. Hewitt is a one-year speed bump as far as the general picture (fundraising, attendance this year) if we can him this offseason.

 

[Patriotsince81]

“Certainly wins and losses are important at a place like George Mason, and we have to decide whether we are heading in the right direction.”

Brad Edwards = Dick in a box if he can't already see that we are NOT headed in the right direction. Figures, former Redskin. Losing is contagious.

 

[MasonCrew]

Thank you God for this article. I really enjoy that meaningful questions were asked, and at least answered. Who knows if this season will be the last of the miserable downward trajectory we are on, but literally any change would be a welcome sign. I actually have faith in Edwards. I look at him as someone who will use Mason to springboard. This aint gonna happen if our basketball team (really the only sport that matters at Mason) continues to play as it's been playing.

 

[Herndon]

Program is still clearly progressing in every avenue that I can see since 2006, albeit not as quick as was ideal.

Wait, What?

 

[mkaufman1]

I don't mind the TOC comment about not getting back to the FF. Even I would have said that. BUT...like our friends down in the RVA, thinking you should be in the NCAA every year and winning a game or two was and IS very realistic.

I am still sort of torn on TOC's mindset on the Hewitt hire. Was he so intent on making a name "splash" --to say F U to Larranaga and prove a point---did he really overlook the well documented history of failure at GT?

I figure the interest would have been pouring in from ALOT of people for the gig at the time....but I know from alot of from assistants. I think it was short sighted to only look at HCs, and apparently a small terrible pool of them.....

I don't think TOC was looking to stick it to Larranaga as much as other people think he was. I think he knew that the team coming back was extremely talented, and to be able to get a coach who had a lot of experience at a high level of basketball coaching (the ACC), AND some success (5 NCAAs in 11 years or something like that although underachieving considering talent level), was what he was looking for. I think he also was duped (as was Merten although I'm sure he didnt care that much) in that Hewitt said he learned from his mistakes. With Hewitt saying he learned from his mistakes, and his personable personality, it made it an easy decision to hire him over other candidates.

With that said, I think someone needed to (or may have) said "Do you know the risk you are taking?" "He just got paid 7 million dollars to go away" Even if was said, it would clearly didnt matter.

As far as the article goes, I'm very pleased to see that the WaPo wrote up a lengthy piece about the program, and Edwards shared some of the work he plans on doing. I think he knows that his first big step is hiring a Men's basketball coach.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Wait, What?

After Hewitt came aboard we joined the A-10, which was huge for the program. As terrible as the first two seasons were portrayed by everyone on this board that wanted to fire TOC the second Larranaga walked, they weren't bad money/attendance or record-wise.

Last year the Patriot Club raised a very nice amount, and that has been increasing since 2006.

It is only this year that Hewitt's failures have started to get us in the pocketbook, interest and attendance-wise.

So, if he's canned this offseason, one year backward in the grand scheme of things, maybe 1-2 years treading water while a new coach builds, but interest will at least somewhat return in the program (depending on the hire).

We may not have a program where we can captivate the whole area for more than a few years (like vcu) but this program is rising in the important metrics and is far more stable now than anything resembling UNCW or Madison.

 

[Walter]

It looks like JMU and Mason will be hiring a new coach at the same time. Maybe they will get it right on the fourth try and we will on the second try.

 

[Vurbel]

Wait, What?

We got new handrails! And a 1997 state of the art scoreboard!

 

[Pablo]

So far, I'm very satisfied with President Cabrera & AD Edwards. And, I trust that they will terminate Hewitt's contract no later than this March.