Do any of our basketball players have a shot at the NBA...

[CajunFan3406]

Our coach must really blow if we have 2-3 NBA players on the roster.

We're talking 3 years down the road. Nice try though.

[MetryCajun]

OK. I'll bite. When have we ever had 3 players from the same team playing in the NBA? Pre-death penalty? Marcus Stokes had a few cups of coffee in the NBA while Brooks played. Most of the time UL has no one playing in the NBA. Now, during an historically bad run of Cajun basketball, I am supposed to believe we have 2 NBA players on our roster? If that is true we should be winning at least 50% of our games. I refuse to believe Marlin is that bad of a coach.
Bottom line...two NBA players( no matter how young) on the same roster, playing in the SBC should add up to league domination.

[CajunFan3406]

OK. I'll bite. When have we ever had 3 players from the same team playing in the NBA? Pre-death penalty? Marcus Stokes had a few cups of coffee in the NBA while Brooks played. Most of the time UL has no one playing in the NBA. Now, during an historically bad run of Cajun basketball, I am supposed to believe we have 2 NBA players on our roster? If that is true we should be winning at least 50% of our games. I refuse to believe Marlin is that bad of a coach.
Bottom line...two NBA players( no matter how young) on the same roster, playing in the SBC should add up to league domination.

Just read Parrott's post. It isn't a stretch, and I don't care how unlikely it may seem. Everyone touts Tony Mitchell as this great NBA prospect but he looks like __it every time I see him, so sorry if I don't see any validity in your opinion.

I posted this same comment to wgwillis last week, and it applies to you as well:

"Do you ever get tired of complaining about Marlin?

Because I get tired of reading it."

You're letting your distaste for Marlin cloud your judgment.

Face the facts. He will be here a while. We can't afford to pay softball assistants a decent wage, what makes you think we'll be able to buyout Marlin in the near future? From your posts it seems you have an interest in basketball, but you only seem to speak when it's negative. I never see you post positive things when the team actually does well. Why is that?

[I_Bleed_RED]

OK. I'll bite. When have we ever had 3 players from the same team playing in the NBA? Pre-death penalty? Marcus Stokes had a few cups of coffee in the NBA while Brooks played. Most of the time UL has no one playing in the NBA. Now, during an historically bad run of Cajun basketball, I am supposed to believe we have 2 NBA players on our roster? If that is true we should be winning at least 50% of our games. I refuse to believe Marlin is that bad of a coach.
Bottom line...two NBA players( no matter how young) on the same roster, playing in the SBC should add up to league domination.

You could also look at these player's improvements under Marlin. Yes Payton and Mbamalu both have great work ethics but you cant say that Mariln didn't play a nice role in their development. It just goes to show when he brings in players who are willing to work hard, he can develop them nicely.

Now why isn't this team winning you ask? That's a fair question. But I think in large it has to do with the fact that there are a bunch of new faces on this team this year and they are indeed a very young team. The two players on this team who have the best shot at getting to the NBA are both 18 years old. Do you really expect them to carry this team to domination? They have shown flashes of brilliance, but they need to some more consistency. That will hopefully come with maturity and more help around them.

[MetryCajun]

Just read Parrott's post. It isn't a stretch, and I don't care how unlikely it may seem. Everyone touts Tony Mitchell as this great NBA prospect but he looks like __it every time I see him, so sorry if I don't see any validity in your opinion.

I posted this same comment to wgwillis last week, and it applies to you as well:

"Do you ever get tired of complaining about Marlin?

Because I get tired of reading it."

You're letting your distaste for Marlin cloud your judgment.

Face the facts. He will be here a while. We can't afford to pay softball assistants a decent wage, what makes you think we'll be able to buyout Marlin in the near future? From your posts it seems you have an interest in basketball, but you only seem to speak when it's negative. I never see you post positive things when the team actually does well. Why is that?

When a team struggles people post negative comments. In the case of UL basketball, we are in year 7 of struggling. Other than a 15 game stretch two seasons ago UL basketball has been mostly unwatchable. What are we supposed to say about a team quitting on its coach last year? Even if Marlin was 100% correct in running off half the team last year, it is still not a positive situation. For the record I think Marlin is a good coach. He has won at multiple stops. I just do not think he is a good enough recruiter. I would love to be proven wrong.
As for positive post. I have had several. This is one is from last week after the North Texas game:

Great win! Nice to see 100+ points.

While I agree most of my post are negative, the above shows I still love the program and want them to succeed.

[SlappyCajun]

Mbamalu is not an NBA player. Odds are Long and Payton are not either. But, they both have shots.

Also, fringe NBA players aren't always as good as really good college players.

More example Adam Morrison >>> Orien Greene.

But, Orien is a better pro prospect.

Michael Allen > > > Tyren Johnson, but Tyren was a better pro prospect

[CajunFan3406]

When a team struggles people post negative comments. In the case of UL basketball, we are in year 7 of struggling. Other than a 15 game stretch two seasons ago UL basketball has been mostly unwatchable. What are we supposed to say about a team quitting on its coach last year? Even if Marlin was 100% correct in running off half the team last year, it is still not a positive situation. For the record I think Marlin is a good coach. He has won at multiple stops. I just do not think he is a good enough recruiter. I would love to be proven wrong.
As for positive post. I have had several. This is one is from last week after the North Texas game:

Great win! Nice to see 100+ points.

While I agree most of my post are negative, the above shows I still love the program and want them to succeed.

Ok. Glad to hear that you want them to succeed. But don't you find it to be a bit counter-intuitive to say you want them to succeed, but then want Marlin gone? Like I said, he isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so if you want program success you will get Marlin success at the same time. You can't have one or the other if you want the program to do well.

If you want the program to be successful sans-Marlin you will have to endure about another 3-4 years of losing. As someone who wants the program to be successful, don't you think that hole will be even deeper to climb out of 3-4 years from now? In addition, why would you want said program that you care about to go through 3-4 more years of this? I don't think the fans, players, coaches, or the athletic dept. as a whole wants that negative image for this program.

Now I can see your point with recruiting. The two classes before this one have been a huge disappointment, but notice how the two young guys who stuck it out from those classes have shown vast improvements in the time they've been here. Say in a year from now we get a decent big to help out Shawn, then guys like Shepherd, Wronk, Soto, and Brown turn into solid contributors, and then the other 2 we signed last fall do well. Will we be talking much about Marlin's recruiting? I find part of the perception is the lack of on court success this year and the departures, but if the thing gets turned around the recruiting knock on Marlin will be mostly forgotten.

[MetryCajun]

Ok. Glad to hear that you want them to succeed. But don't you find it to be a bit counter-intuitive to say you want them to succeed, but then want Marlin gone? Like I said, he isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so if you want program success you will get Marlin success at the same time. You can't have one or the other if you want the program to do well.

If you want the program to be successful sans-Marlin you will have to endure about another 3-4 years of losing. As someone who wants the program to be successful, don't you think that hole will be even deeper to climb out of 3-4 years from now? In addition, why would you want said program that you care about to go through 3-4 more years of this? I don't think the fans, players, coaches, or the athletic dept. as a whole wants that negative image for this program.

Now I can see your point with recruiting. The two classes before this one have been a huge disappointment, but notice how the two young guys who stuck it out from those classes have shown vast improvements in the time they've been here. Say in a year from now we get a decent big to help out Shawn, then guys like Shepherd, Wronk, Soto, and Brown turn into solid contributors, and then the other 2 we signed last fall do well. Will we be talking much about Marlin's recruiting? I find part of the perception is the lack of on court success this year and the departures, but if the thing gets turned around the recruiting knock on Marlin will be mostly forgotten.

Please show me a quote where I said I wanted Marlin fired. I will save you the trouble...I never said it. I, like many people, were alarmed by what transpired this offseason. Now I did say the extension was foolish. Of course so do 90% of Cajun fans. I also said "I think he has dug a hole he cannot climb out of". That does not mean I want him to fail. Marlin turning this program around is much more important to me than being right in this instance.
Hope this clarifies my position.

[CajunFan3406]

Please show me a quote where I said I wanted Marlin fired. I will save you the trouble...I never said it. I, like many people, were alarmed by what transpired this offseason. Now I did say the extension was foolish. Of course so do 90% of Cajun fans. I also said "I think he has dug a hole he cannot climb out of". That does not mean I want him to fail. Marlin turning this program around is much more important to me than being right in this instance.
Hope this clarifies my position.

It does a little. But you do realize that coming out and saying that our coach blows doesn't make anyone believe that you think highly of Marlin. Most people who think highly of Marlin want him here, and those who don't, well, don't. So you can see why I made that assumption.

[Cajunsmike]

When a team struggles people post negative comments. In the case of UL basketball, we are in year 7 of struggling. Other than a 15 game stretch two seasons ago UL basketball has been mostly unwatchable. What are we supposed to say about a team quitting on its coach last year? Even if Marlin was 100% correct in running off half the team last year, it is still not a positive situation. For the record I think Marlin is a good coach. He has won at multiple stops. I just do not think he is a good enough recruiter. I would love to be proven wrong.
As for positive post. I have had several. This is one is from last week after the North Texas game:

Great win! Nice to see 100+ points.

While I agree most of my post are negative, the above shows I still love the program and want them to succeed.

The last two home games have been very "watchable". Of course we are still waiting to see that type of performance on the road and I am not sure we will see it this year. In addition to the youth, the main reason we don't have a better record this season is we don't have another true inside player. The guy who has played the 4 spot most of the season (Elridge Moore) is really a guy who should be playing in spots where we need a guy who can play defense on the other team's No. 3. I have to give lots of credit to Moore as he is outmanned every game and still gives it his all. That situation refers to MetryCajun's point that some question the staff's ability to recruit. They were hampered this past year when Kadeem Coleby told them in June he was coming back and changed his mind in July. Tough to recruit a replacement at that late date. Moving on, we are all hoping that Shawn Forrest (top recruiting assistant in his first year) can bring the same type of talent that he did to UNT. He has not been here long enough for us to find out. We will get an idea next season if their quest to bring in more inside help will be successful. Of course another key to success will be continued improvement of the guys coming back. There is hope in that regard as we have seen Mbamalu, Payton, and Thompson all improve over the last year.

[Boomer]

OK--seems that we go after the aircraft carrier as McGuire used to say----Tell him we have a great point guard in EP with a damn good one behind him in the Shepherd man---I now think that La Bamba is a damn good 2 as he continues drilling the 3s----Moore although short plays a tough role as a 3-4 and Long can be as good as any 4 around---Add Soto who I think has damn good potential and after a Freshman year under his belt, Wronk will get better and better---Add 2 6'10"ers and B-ball is back at UL!!!

[BrockMeaux]

If I had to pick guys from our roster - TODAY - to say they could make it to the NBA, either as a draft pick or as a rookie free agent/D-league guy, the only person I'd mention is Shawn Long. Physically, he's at a spot where he could hang as a 3/4 in the NBA. He's got the height, and for a freshman, he's got decent size. He's quick for his size, and he can move with the basketball. He's a natural scorer and he generally has a sweet stroke (though he was off last night). Could he guard LeBron James, or even be competitive against him? No. Who could right now? But he's got the raw ability. Payton, who I love watching play, isn't close at all yet. When he decides to take a game over, it's a thing of beauty. But when he's not in that "zone," he's not physically gifted enough to maintain a roster spot in the league. He's a few inches and a lot of weight room sessions away. That said, these guys are only a freshman and sophomore, respectively. If their development follows the path of Bryant Mbamalu, for example (the only guy who's been with Marlin for 3 years), then they're going to be STUDS by the time they graduate, and we may be talking about an entirely different ballgame. Bottom line is, it's way too early to be talking about the pro prospects of these guys. The fact that we have one or two guys that are at least debatably pro prospects is a good thing, and with Coach Forrest here to help with recruiting, I have no doubts that the roster will be built around them with capable, talented players. This offseason is going to be the real test for Marlin's program; if the team manages to fend off attrition and adds a few pieces, our team will be stabilized and in great position to make GIANT strides in the next year or two as seasoning and depth is added to our current roster.