mbb 2020 Game #2: 12/20/20 - 2:00PM vs UMBC

[BestDaneSinceHamlet]

On 12/22/2020 at 9:28 AM, dslyank said:

 I LOVE Brown and I'd give him a life time contract; 

What has he done lately to warrant this?  He hasn't done anything in five years...  Go look at what the coach at Bryant has done in just a few years from a team that went 3-28...  He hasn't evolved his coaching at ALL.  He's coasting on reputation, deserved or otherwise.

[cwdickens]

3 hours ago, BestDaneSinceHamlet said:

What has he done lately to warrant this?  He hasn't done anything in five years...  Go look at what the coach at Bryant has done in just a few years from a team that went 3-28...  He hasn't evolved his coaching at ALL.  He's coasting on reputation, deserved or otherwise.

Coach Brown hustled has hard any DI  Coach... However, yes, results do matter and the season has just started.  Further, DI  Coaches have less control over players coming and going.  Coach Brown has recruited some talent... Can one or more turn into a go to player?  We need a hero!

[Eli]

4 hours ago, BestDaneSinceHamlet said:

What has he done lately to warrant this?  He hasn't done anything in five years...  Go look at what the coach at Bryant has done in just a few years from a team that went 3-28...  He hasn't evolved his coaching at ALL.  He's coasting on reputation, deserved or otherwise.

Unfortunately I don't think Brown survives much longer if this continues and yes, I am also one of those who thought that the man deserves an incredibly incredibly long leash (read: lifetime contract) based on what what we accomplished from 2006-2015 or so.

For whatever reason, we no longer recruit like we used to. We used to have a core of like 5-6 guys every year...now it seems that we have 5-6 new players each year which are expected to be part of the rotation (and are only here for a year or two max) and only have a core of 2-3 guys. I don't know if that's Brown's fault or just the nature of D1 NCAA hoops these days but it's a problem. 

The play style of the team isn't very exciting unless a player makes it exciting with some crazy athletic move...

I don't know if it's this year or next year or the year after...but I don't know how many more .500 or sub .500 seasons the University will accept from Brown. Eventually that leash is going to get yanked and it's going to get yanked HARD. And as a man/member of the community, I think we'll be losing a good one.

[cwdickens]

Three games in, yes, some people on this forum have concluded the only way to fix this program is a new coach....perhaps, this is a discussion for after the season.  Coach Brown has been around 20 years....AD Benson has likely expressed his expectations for the team....Has the COVID-19 changed those expectations?

[McFan]

To be fair I don’t think people are coming to that conclusion based on 3 games.

[Eli]

1 hour ago, cwdickens said:

Three games in, yes, some people on this forum have concluded the only way to fix this program is a new coach....perhaps, this is a discussion for after the season.  Coach Brown has been around 20 years....AD Benson has likely expressed his expectations for the team....Has the COVID-19 changed those expectations?

 

3 games?

34 minutes ago, McFan said:

To be fair I don’t think people are coming to that conclusion based on 3 games.

Yep. Try 2 seasons at least. Brown is 22-36 in the last 2 years...and now, actually 22-39 in the last 2 season and 3 games.

That's not good. That's bad.

[BestDaneSinceHamlet]

2 hours ago, McFan said:

To be fair I don’t think people are coming to that conclusion based on 3 games.

Exactly.  Its five years of futility.  And as far as recruiting and things being the nature of D1.  Vermont doesn't seem to have these issues...Add that to his weird fixation on ONLY caring about the conference games, which is not the way to get asses in the seats, get the community excited and build a constant winner...and it's time for a change. 

Edited December 24, 2020 by BestDaneSinceHamlet

[Clickclack]

People know I love KenPom...he has an uncanny ability to predict games. Right now he predicts Albany will open season at 0-13...now I don't think that will happen as there is some talent here but oh boy...if that's even close to 0-13 by that point in the season that would be an unmitigated disaster. No one deserves even close to a life-time contract. Let's face it, we haven't been a competitive program since 2018 and haven't been out of the first round in the AE tourney since 2015. 

That's not good enough, self reflection as a program as to what we are doing is warranted at this juncture in time. It will be on the AD to fix this, make no mistake, program needs fixing. 

No one is fixating on 3 games this season, 3 close games...at least I don't think anyone is. Personally I'm frustrated because this looks like a 3rd straight lost season unless this teams comes around but even this team has some deep flaws starting to show. Interior play, stagnant offense, mediocre defense. On the surface, smells like the previous 2 seasons but it's early. 

We are a 15pt dog at UVM...FIFTEEN...I'm sorry that's not OK against a league foe and shows how far we've fallen. We haven't beaten them for years and to be a 15pt dog is disgraceful IMO. Hopefully they can exceed this low expectation, UVM is banged up in the front court although they have over a week to heal up. 

Edited December 24, 2020 by Clickclack

[UA1882]

I agree with the above post . Something that does give me hope is that the team started to attack the rim late last game . If that continues I think we will be OK.  

Call me crazy (those who read my posts know I  realistic not a fantasy guy) but I think we play very well at Vermont.  I hope we don't schedule  a game until Vermont . Get a good week of practice and see what happens.  I believe there is talent and we will grow into it . 

[cwdickens]

16 hours ago, cwdickens said:

Three games in, yes, some people on this forum have concluded the only way to fix this program is a new coach....perhaps, this is a discussion for after the season.  Coach Brown has been around 20 years....AD Benson has likely expressed his expectations for the team....Has the COVID-19 changed those expectations?

 

Has I recall, Will Brown is in the last year of a five year deal....Benson can just walk away from Will by deciding not pursue a renewal of his contract...that easy...then we have to hope Benson has someone in the wings....

Then I am thinking, who are we decide Will should stay and go....we are just "fans in the stands"... what do we really know about the rigors of recruiting and coaching...we are just a brunch of moaners....

Edited December 24, 2020 by cwdickens
clarification

[Clickclack]

45 minutes ago, cwdickens said:

Has I recall, Will Brown is in the last year of a five year deal....Benson can just walk away from Will by deciding not pursue a renewal of his contract...that easy...then we have to hope Benson has someone in the wings....

Then I am thinking, who are we decide Will should stay and go....we are just "fans in the stands"... what do we really know about the rigors of recruiting and coaching...we are just a brunch of moaners....

That's why I was careful to say the ultimate decision will not be made on this message board...there is an AD in place whos JOB it is to evaluate the state of the program and make the decision he feels is in the best interest of the program and by extension fans. 

However, we as fans have eyes, ears and opinions, many of us are paying customers (not this season unless you donated). I wonder what % of fans would say they are pleased with the current state of the program. I understand that people are trying, no one is just mailing it in as far as I can tell but the results simply aren't there and haven't been there for a few years now. I think that's fair to point out with all due respect to the people who have toiled for years building this program. This program has had some incredible highs in two decades but the lows are ugly and usually the valleys are far longer in duration then the peaks. That's sad to see...program has lost all momentum off the good years in the middle of he last decade. 

Edited December 24, 2020 by Clickclack

[Dane Pound]

3 hours ago, Clickclack said:

Let's face it, we haven't been a competitive program since 2018 and haven't been out of the first round in the AE tourney since 2015. 

This is not accurate. We were in the AE Championship game in 2017. It's the year we opened with a win at Penn State and David Nichols set the scoring record in the opening round tournament game against Hartford.

[Clickclack]

2 minutes ago, Dane Pound said:

This is not accurate. We were in the AE Championship game in 2017. It's the year we opened with a win at Penn State and David Nichols set the scoring record in the opening round tournament game against Hartford.

Just re-checked...my bad...not sure how I missed getting to championship game in 2017. Larger point still stands...it's been 3 seasons. The year before that we lost in the first round to one of the worst teams in D1, 324 ranked Hartford to end our bid. 

[UA'08]

An ok coach who runs a clean program and at this level that’s all an AD can ask for. The sooner we all come to the reality that we are what we are as long as we are playing in the America East conference the less frustrating it will be. Merry Christmas!

[Clickclack]

40 minutes ago, UA'08 said:

An ok coach who runs a clean program and at this level that’s all an AD can ask for. The sooner we all come to the reality that we are what we are as long as we are playing in the America East conference the less frustrating it will be. Merry Christmas!

You want us to come to terms with not being competitive with the top half of the America East? That's your position? 

No!

We are 0-3 by a combined 5 possession...not everything is lost yet. Could have been 3-0. We'll see how the next few weeks go.

Edited December 24, 2020 by Clickclack