Be sure to read today’s TU letter to the editor

[UA'08]

If he had the team on the verge of a 20 win season this would all be background noise. The problem is the team is horrendous.

[dslyank]

ps. If you think firing DK won’t set the basketball program back at least 2-3 years, you are more an optimist than I. And don’t get me wrong, firing and taking a step backwards may ultimately prove the only course of action.

I have only stated on this blog that the Fiz incident without prove and confirmation, should not be cause for anyone being fired. I have also said I HOPED, that DK would be exonerated AND that he could/would be able to straighten out the basketball program; without having to take a significant step backwards. 
 

I have never questioned the many who have pointed out DK’s coaching short comings. I have only tried to point out some of his successes (e.g. ROY in AnEast 2 years in a row); some of his obstacles (e.g. injuries, & possibly having to deal what could turn out to be a frivolous law suit;) and that given the chance might be a better option than an almost certain step backwards. 

[godanesgo99]

1 hour ago, blorp said:

You'd be mad if a coach didn't shove your son? Wtf is wrong with you? You've got some serious issues, dude

My first question is what he did to deserve it. Actions have consequences.

If it's in the context of hyping up a team in a locker room hype circle? With him yelling at the players telling them to play angry and to get mad and bring out some adrenaline?  No I have no issue with that. It's what coaches do.

If it was physical abuse as punishment for something else, a punch or a slap singled out, or to humiliate him in front of teammates, that's a different story. In that case I go after the coach either physically or legally. 

That's the whole question with this entire situation. What was the context. What really happened. The version in the papers is that it was in the pregame hype circle. That's what I believe until I hear otherwise.

I know some of you are against contact in the hype circle. That's what I am arguing against. I'm guessing you never played on or coached a team that didn't give participation trophies and actually tried to compete and win. It almost feels like you want to use this situation to end DKs career regardless of the whole story. 

Edited February 14, 2023 by godanesgo99

[godanesgo99]

1 hour ago, Dane96 said:

 

I have many friends in the D1 coaching committee along with administrators.  If GD99 or dyslank think people are not talking about the UA hoops program and the overall athletic department in a negative light, well...you just don't understand what is really going on out there.  

No one said this situation isn't shining a negative light on the program. It most definitely is, but what I care about are facts. Items we don't have at the moment, and may never have. It's unfortunate that it came to what it did. It doesn't change that in the absence of real facts, rushing to judgement to defend one side or the other gives you the potential to have egg on your face, just like the whole school did after the CDTA incident.

Edited February 14, 2023 by godanesgo99

[Eli]

2 hours ago, dslyank said:

ps. If you think firing DK won’t set the basketball program back at least 2-3 years, you are more an optimist than I. And don’t get me wrong, firing and taking a step backwards may ultimately prove the only course of action.

You're worried about a step backwards with a coach who can't hit the broadside of a barn with his ball of coaching skill? A coach who's won like 32.8% (19-39) of his games over 2 years? (FWIW, Will Brown had a 49.5% winning percentage at UA)

It almost literally can't get any worse, sir. DK isn't drowning (proverbially speaking) and out of his depth as an HC of a D1 program - his proverbial head coaching corpse has been floating down river for a while. The guy is completely unqualified to be a D1 HC at this time.

Edited February 14, 2023 by Eli

[UA'08]

2 hours ago, Eli said:

You're worried about a step backwards with a coach who can't hit the broadside of a barn with his ball of coaching skill? A coach who's won like 32.8% (19-39) of his games over 2 years? (FWIW, Will Brown had a 49.5% winning percentage at UA)

It almost literally can't get any worse, sir. DK isn't drowning (proverbially speaking) and out of his depth as an HC of a D1 program - his proverbial head coaching corpse has been floating down river for a while. The guy is completely unqualified to be a D1 HC at this time.

Sheesh it was only 49.5% lol. 

[Dane96]

6 hours ago, dslyank said:

Most obvious that this whole affair has/had put UA in a negative light; never said otherwise. How it is ultimately handled will help mitigate that at least partially, probably not entirely. But most certainly Speculation and condemnation without FACTS, witnesses, and proof does NOT HELP in anyway IMHO. 

Not sure exactly what you are alluding to here. If you are recommending firing Benson, there are multitude of reasons do to so IMHO. If you are recommending firing DK, there may be reasons for that also. If you are saying firing them because of the negative light this situation has created; what I’m saying is that will not negate the negative light you speak off. And in fact if the incident is ultimately PROVEN wrong or overblown or minor; firings will only exasperate the negative light. 

To be clear, I am not only referring to the incident as I would like to let this play out in facts and evidence, like many.  I am referring to overall department buffoonery and the actual basketball product.  That's the talk of town. 

[Dane96]

5 hours ago, godanesgo99 said:

My first question is what he did to deserve it. Actions have consequences.

If it's in the context of hyping up a team in a locker room hype circle? With him yelling at the players telling them to play angry and to get mad and bring out some adrenaline?  No I have no issue with that. It's what coaches do.

If it was physical abuse as punishment for something else, a punch or a slap singled out, or to humiliate him in front of teammates, that's a different story. In that case I go after the coach either physically or legally. 

That's the whole question with this entire situation. What was the context. What really happened. The version in the papers is that it was in the pregame hype circle. That's what I believe until I hear otherwise.

I know some of you are against contact in the hype circle. That's what I am arguing against. I'm guessing you never played on or coached a team that didn't give participation trophies and actually tried to compete and win. It almost feels like you want to use this situation to end DKs career regardless of the whole story. 

Been in hype circles at multiple levels...multiple sports.  Don't gaslight people.  That's not how they go.  Open or closed hands to the face are not how they roll.  

That said, none of us know the truth or what the investigation revealed...and that should be the ultimate barometer...that I will agree with you on. 

[Dane96]

5 hours ago, godanesgo99 said:

No one said this situation isn't shining a negative light on the program. It most definitely is, but what I care about are facts. Items we don't have at the moment, and may never have. It's unfortunate that it came to what it did. It doesn't change that in the absence of real facts, rushing to judgement to defend one side or the other gives you the potential to have egg on your face, just like the whole school did after the CDTA incident.

I am not referring to the incident...i am referring to the absolute hot bag of $iena this program is on the court.  Neely, Little, and Amica do not make this a .500 team.  

[godanesgo99]

1 hour ago, Dane96 said:

Been in hype circles at multiple levels...multiple sports.  Don't gaslight people.  That's not how they go.  Open or closed hands to the face are not how they roll.  

That said, none of us know the truth or what the investigation revealed...and that should be the ultimate barometer...that I will agree with you on. 

Agreed that slaps to the face aren't part of that. Pushing and shoving are. The slap to the face is what has been accused by Luke, but that has not been admitted by the team or in any of the statements I have seen. 

And yes, the performance of the team is definitely an embarrassment. No idea what adding another ball handler or two and a competent big to compliment Beagle would do to the record. 

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by godanesgo99

[dslyank]

17 hours ago, Eli said:

You're worried about a step backwards with a coach who can't hit the broadside of a barn with his ball of coaching skill?

Eli, I'll be 74 years old before next season. I can't afford a step backwards. Besides didn't say I was worried; only HOPED, there would not have to be a step backwards. At my age forward is the only direction.🤒

[Eli]

2 hours ago, dslyank said:

Eli, I'll be 74 years old before next season. I can't afford a step backwards. Besides didn't say I was worried; only HOPED, there would not have to be a step backwards. At my age forward is the only direction.🤒

Heh, fair enough sir! I hope you get many more years of excellent health so you can see UA win 5 more AE titles!

[bob87]

29 minutes ago, Eli said:

Heh, fair enough sir! I hope you get many more years of excellent health so you can see UA win 5 more AE titles!

I hope we all live long enough to see more than 5 division 1 men's basketball victories in a season. 

Plus continue to see a Yankees elimination day each year would be good .

[UAalum72]

19 hours ago, UA'08 said:

Sheesh it was only 49.5% lol. 

For perspective, Will was only 25% his first 2+ years (19-57,) building a new D-I program after the previous coach left in mid-season, and 41.2% his last three seasons. He was 55% in the fourteen seasons in between. The Sports Reference site has his career as 51.6% (315-295) which may include D-III games https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/will-brown-2.html

Edited February 15, 2023 by UAalum72

[cwdickens]

20 minutes ago, UAalum72 said:

For perspective, Will was only 25% his first 2+ years (19-57,) building a new D-I program after the previous coach left in mid-season, and 41.2% his last three seasons. He was 55% in the fourteen seasons in between. The Sports Reference site has his career as 51.6% (315-295) which may include D-III games https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/will-brown-2.html

Any coach, like Will Brown, who spends more then ten years in the America East, will have a similar record.  As an example, the legendary Tom Brennan of UVM.  For those of us who had opportunity to see him coach, view him as a successful coach.  However,  his overall record was 264–276 and his America East record was 147–163 at Vermont - eighteen seasons.  If Dwayne Killings has any familiarity with Tom Brennan's record, which I highly doubt, he would take solace in the fact Tom had only three wins overall and two conference wins in his second year.  However, by the end of second year at UVM, he already had 6 years of head basketball coach experience.

We cannot afford to wait for Killings to reach that experience level at the salary the University is paying him.