Well I can’t tell you what Jalen or his family is thinking, but obviously opinions have changed over the course of two years. Someone who is much closer to the program than myself gave us some insight and I was simply saying thank you. It is disappointing news as when you lose your leading scorer and rebounder with a year of eligibility it is tough to put a positive spin on it.
If the speculation is true and Tirus Smith will not be on scholarship next year then that means there is now one more to give so let’s see what happens there. If Smith can return and contribute (even off scholarship) that does lessen the blow somewhat as there would be enough size down low (Smith and Akwuba) Gueye could move to a more natural 4 position and Julien could split time between the 3 and 4. That would still leave Cadwell, Au, and Betts available to play the 3 as well. This news has undoubtedly created a hole and time will tell how it gets filled.
Of course I’d be in the let him go category. You can’t judge a coach on a small sample size. He’s been proven to be lacking in almost every year. You can’t get around his SBC tournament resume, and just two post season tickets that matter. In a sense both those were also lacking.
Some Sports parents are armchair quarterbacks on steroids. My favorite is when I hear, "they should let ME coach this team." Well, how come no team has come calling? LOL.
I wish this kid luck and hopes he gets his shot. But he's got an uphill battle if Mom and Dad believes he is the next LeBron. As for this coaching staff, well again......too much turnover. The last few years of transfers in and and out have proven that.
From what I understand Dad's antics at road games also got some attention from others and it was not positive. I am one who thinks the numbers Jalen put up has he and his family thinking he can get an offer from a higher profile program. 15 ppg and 6+ RPG are nothing to sneeze at. Of course family often does not see the shortcomings in a player. Coaches do so I doubt he will play in a major conference. Questionable shot selection, poor three point percentage, inability to finish at the rim consistently, and major defensive issues at times are some of those shortcomings. I admit I was one who expected him to perform at a higher level here after knowing he did will on the scout team. He hit a high three point percentage there which covered a lot of other issues. Of course practice does not have the pressure of the game so that may be why he performed so well there. This is one case I regret being somewhat wrong about a player. I do think the academic side still needs to be considered as he still needs to go to a school offering a masters program we do not offer according to the grad transfer rules.
LOL
I have no ill will towards any of our coaches. It’s never personal with me. They’re all great people. But they have expectations and jobs to do. And if they can’t, find someone who can. This is a business, not a bureaucracy.
I think Coach Marlin is a great person. I also think he deserves another year based on this past season of injuries. With that said, an average performance next year with an early SBC tournament exit won’t cut it after 11 seasons.
That would be all anybody is asking. The chances of that happening aint good and there will be built in excuses as to why it wouldn't happen. However, if Marlin were so fortunate to do so, does he deserve a multi-year extension and raise? I don't think so but I think we all know how that would go.
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