Basketball Attendance

[Cajunsmike]

CM I could not dissagree more with you. Coaches always go where they are most comfortable. Marlin is most comfortable in a low scoring affair. Reminds me of Jim Mora vs Sean Payton.

As far as players? He needs to deliver this year, and so far it is scary. We shall see.

CajunExpress, I am going on what Marlin did at Sam Houston in his last year when I say he would be OK with a fast pace. I have even heard him say on radio this year that we had game plans to push the ball as we were looking for easy baskets due to our half court struggles. We often struggled even when trying that due to our problems on finishing plays near the basket. As far as bringing in players, you are right that the guys we have brought in are not at the level of our strong teams in years past. As far as this year's recruiting, we have already brought in three guys, 2 transfers and a fall signee. I expect us to sign four more in the spring. No way to know the potential of those guys until November. We also need to have the returning guys improve. Every one of them has plenty of things in their game which can get better.

[Cajunsmike]

CajunExpress, are you saying that there is zero chance that the seven new guys Coach will have next year will be quality players. I understand being disappointed with the overall recruiting to date but I don't think it is fair to automatically assume that out of seven new guys none will be able to play. After all, Tulane thought Brown could play at one time and Miss. State thought enough of Long to give him a scholarship. They are our two transfers. In the recent 2A semifinals, Steven Wronkowski of St. Thomas Aquinas scored 21 points and secured 11 rebounds against Riverside which is a school with the kid who will sign with Baylor. He is our fall signee. I don't have any idea how those guys will do here but I am not going to automatically assume they will fail. Just like I won't automatically assume they will contribute. I will simply wait and see how they develop.

[CajunEXPRESS]

CM, I am going to answer both your answers in this one.

Marlin did not press this year, or last year, and pressing is part of an up pace game, not just being able to shoot threes from a motion offense. He had the athletes to do that, but chose not to. So in spite of a couple of teams he coached in the Southland, I do not think he is an up pace coach, I will judge him on what I see, not what he says he wants going into his third season, I see nothing that remotely resembles an up tempo coach. That does not mean he cannot coach a strong winning program it means I do not think that he will bring back the type of basketball USL, and UL fans grew to love.

I have no idea who his recruits are, and what they have done. I do know that the kid from Hammond was not the best player on his team, I took time to go to the games he had in this area once we signed him. I do not put much stock in your evaluation of him vs the kid going to Baylor because his job was not defending that guy, and visa versa so I say so what.

I do know he has 2.5 recruiting classes in the books. Thomas his marquee player, imo, was not a player I liked even last year. I saw evidence then of the type of selfish play he displayed this year. Last year he was able to complete more plays and get to the foul line, but he had many balls stuffed down his thorat. So I am saying again show me the players he has brought in that I can say wow, that is great.

Mike we are not talking about a rookie coach, he had, I believe, twelve seasons as a head coach, so his contacts should be great, and he should have delivered a couple of great players. Payton cannot shoot, and that is that on him. Thaat is not going to get a whole lot better.

Get used to boring Tim Floyd type ball, one can only hope winning goes with the boring.

[alum81]

Why dosen't someone say it? Participating in this tournament was a bad idea. If this team was playing well at the end of the season and the fans felt like we were unfairly overlooked by the NCAA and NIT then a vinue like this would make sense. This team fell completly apart at the end. There was no fired up fanbase looking for more basketball. The only sensable thing to do was to lick our wounds and get ready for next year. Coach Marlin took the opertunity to show the fans one more time how bad this team was and how little the fans cared. BAD MOVE. This thing reminded me of a pickp game in the park for those who didn't make the team. JMO

[axg8750]

This is a valid point.

[Turbine]

Why dosen't someone say it? Participating in this tournament was a bad idea. If this team was playing well at the end of the season and the fans felt like we were unfairly overlooked by the NCAA and NIT then a vinue like this would make sense. This team fell completly apart at the end. There was no fired up fanbase looking for more basketball. The only sensable thing to do was to lick our wounds and get ready for next year. Coach Marlin took the opertunity to show the fans one more time how bad this team was and how little the fans cared. BAD MOVE. This thing reminded me of a pickp game in the park for those who didn't make the team.

JMO

Because "played in the post season" is more important than winning even if the gym was closed to the public.

In 10 years no one will remember the attendance or the product but "played in the post season" will be on the resume, and hopefuly it wil be followed by "10 straight years"

jmo

[Cajunsmike]

CM, I am going to answer both your answers in this one.

Marlin did not press this year, or last year, and pressing is part of an up pace game, not just being able to shoot threes from a motion offense. He had the athletes to do that, but chose not to. So in spite of a couple of teams he coached in the Southland, I do not think he is an up pace coach, I will judge him on what I see, not what he says he wants going into his third season, I see nothing that remotely resembles an up tempo coach. That does not mean he cannot coach a strong winning program it means I do not think that he will bring back the type of basketball USL, and UL fans grew to love.

I have no idea who his recruits are, and what they have done. I do know that the kid from Hammond was not the best player on his team, I took time to go to the games he had in this area once we signed him. I do not put much stock in your evaluation of him vs the kid going to Baylor because his job was not defending that guy, and visa versa so I say so what.

I do know he has 2.5 recruiting classes in the books. Thomas his marquee player, imo, was not a player I liked even last year. I saw evidence then of the type of selfish play he displayed this year. Last year he was able to complete more plays and get to the foul line, but he had many balls stuffed down his thorat. So I am saying again show me the players he has brought in that I can say wow, that is great.

Mike we are not talking about a rookie coach, he had, I believe, twelve seasons as a head coach, so his contacts should be great, and he should have delivered a couple of great players. Payton cannot shoot, and that is that on him. Thaat is not going to get a whole lot better.

Get used to boring Tim Floyd type ball, one can only hope winning goes with the boring.

Wronkowski was the best player on the St. Thomas Aquinas team by far according to people I have spoken to. Granted, I am only going by what others tell me, I have not seen him. I also don't know what the two transfers will do but I do know that schools that play in more highly regarded leagues than ours gave scholarships to those two guys.

[CajunEXPRESS]

Granted, I am only going by what others tell me, I have not seen him. I also don't know what the two transfers will do but I do know that schools that play in more highly regarded leagues than ours gave scholarships to those two guys.

Sometimes, not always, but sometimes a kids high school lore does not transfer to college, and those schools in more highly regarded league might simply be glad they left for more playing time, less structure, whatever. I never take it for granted that because a kid leaves anywhere he is going to be a good get.

Often your view is right but it is not a lock. For example Southall was a good get, but it took a while to get his best, and Green was a good get from day one, Mitchell from Auburn was a great get from day one. So yes we can hope, but I will jump for joy when I see them on the floor and producing well.

[CajunEXPRESS]

Wronkowski was the best player on the St. Thomas Aquinas team by far according to people I have spoken to. Granted, I am only going by what others tell me, I have not seen him.

I based my opinion on waht I saw of him in early season, and production at that time. I did not see him past the middle so I could clearly be WRONG about that.

Again we shall see. I still say look at what is actually on the floor after two seasons. It ain't pretty. I do not want to become enamored with this coach and baby steps like we did with Ricky Bustle. He had great early success considering where he started but then we just stagnated for almost six years.

You know I hope my fear of Marlin is wrong, even if he wins with boring ball I pray he wins big, but again this thread is about attendance and unless he wins big with this style of ball we will not get good crowds. The style is on the floor to see, and the crowds have spoken.

It is up to him to prove to them that he will win with any style of ball, and better things are coming, and not in another four or five years. IMO he has two more seasons to get this thing to a very high level and we see the competition has improved a lot. Look at the clubs who he has to pass up now. UNT, WKU, UALR, ASU, FIU had a couple of great classes their coach may just suck, USA are all teams who for one reason or another I think are going to be strong. And lets not forget MIDDLE.

[CajunAmos]

I based my opinion on waht I saw of him in early season, and production at that time. I did not see him past the middle so I could clearly be WRONG about that.

Again we shall see. I still say look at what is actually on the floor after two seasons. It ain't pretty. I do not want to become enamored with this coach and baby steps like we did with Ricky Bustle. He had great early success considering where he started but then we just stagnated for almost six years.

You know I hope my fear of Marlin is wrong, even if he wins with boring ball I pray he wins big, but again this thread is about attendance and unless he wins big with this style of ball we will not get good crowds. The style is on the floor to see, and the crowds have spoken.

It is up to him to prove to them that he will win with any style of ball, and better things are coming, and not in another four or five years. IMO he has two more seasons to get this thing to a very high level and we see the competition has improved a lot. Look at the clubs who he has to pass up now. UNT, WKU, UALR, ASU, FIU had a couple of great classes their coach may just suck, USA are all teams who for one reason or another I think are going to be strong. And lets not forget MIDDLE.

I should bring up that in the last two years we have a better conference record than all of the teams you mentioned except MT. What we don't have is a win in the SB conference tournament.

[Cajunsmike]

Sometimes, not always, but sometimes a kids high school lore does not transfer to college, and those schools in more highly regarded league might simply be glad they left for more playing time, less structure, whatever. I never take it for granted that because a kid leaves anywhere he is going to be a good get.

Often your view is right but it is not a lock. For example Southall was a good get, but it took a while to get his best, and Green was a good get from day one, Mitchell from Auburn was a great get from day one. So yes we can hope, but I will jump for joy when I see them on the floor and producing well.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree it is highly unlikely our two transfers will match what Green and Mitchell gave us. Those were outstanding players and set the bar high. I do hope and am optimistic that they are better than most of the players we have now and will improve the team some. I will not automatically assume they will be busts nor will I assume they will be stars. Wronkowski improved as the season went along as he did not start practicing until almost December as he was a starter on a football team which advanced won their first round playoff game. It took him awhile to get in basketball mode.

I also think Coach Marlin has the potential to win big here provided he brings the right guys in. If that happens, attendance will be fine no matter the style. His style is not much different than what most teams employ today. Watching the NCAA tournament, I noticed how few teams press unless they are in desperation mode.

[CrazyCajun]

It's not the style, it's that we can't shoot. If we could shoot nobody would be complaining about style. If we could shoot decent and make free throws we would have won 20 plus games and crowds would be fine.