How many of you identify as "the baseball crowd"?

[Duckster]

MT was very good this year. However, WKU really struggled. Their coach just resigned under pressure. Apparently there were some NCAA issues. From what I recall it may have involved KNOWINGLY playing ineligible players. Despite those guys they had a losing record and fell pretty far down the conference standings.

Thanks for setting the record straight. Always appreciate your insights on the MBB program.

[Cajunsmike]

Mike, the difference is that neither the WKU administration nor it's fan base will tolerate mediocre basketball. You can bet that they won't stay down long.

WKU was worse than mediocre the last two years. They were downright poor. I have to think were we to have two years like that in a row we would be making a change as well.

[VObserver]

Mike, they were 18-14 vs D1 schools last year, with a final RPI of 117, this year they were 16-16 vs D1, with an RPI of 158.

We were 17-14 and 149 last year; 15-14 and 157 this season. Very comparable to WKU, yet we are comfortable.

The Toppers have gone 7-10 vs top 100 RPI schools over the last two seasons; we are 2-9.

[zephyr]

I'd like to start off by saying I'm not a Marlin defender and would surely like to see us have better records than what we are currently seeing... But I've heard a lot of comments about how Marlin can't recruit and/or develop talent. I'd just like to point out that we will send two players to the NBA in consecutive years. Either those were great recruiting gets, or the coaches coached em up and got them playing above their recruiting grade. Either way one of those statements is pretty inaccurate. If you say what about the rest of the team, remember we are not Kentucky. We're not going to sign 3-5 NBA talent players every year and that expectation should be tempered a bit. We all have one thing in common. We love Cajun sports and we want to see them succeed. But we must remember there are other schools with a lot to offer besides our beloved University.

Well stated. However, 1) if we recruited so well and have two NBA players on our team (which Long may not play in the NBA, at least for a while) why can't we win more than 17 games? 2) if you have two NBA players on your team, how can you not recruit better players around them while having 2-3 walk out the door every year?

[VObserver]

Well stated. However, 1) if we recruited so well and have two NBA players on our team (which Long may not play in the NBA, at least for a while) why can't we win more than 17 games? 2) if you have two NBA players on your team, how can you not recruit better players around them while having 2-3 walk out the door every year?

How can you not design an offense which fits the talents of the players you have, rather than the players you thought you had?

I don't know anything about coaching basketball at a high level; but if I had been coaching the Cajuns, with Long and Peyton, we would never have finished as low as the #4 seed in the conference tournament; furthermore, we would have attempted less than half as many 3's the last two years, focusing instead on spreading the court and attacking the rim with Long, Washington, Stove, Walker and Hedgeman off of the pick and roll at around 15' from the goal.

[Ragin4U]

How can you not design an offense which fits the talents of the players you have, rather than the players you thought you had?

I don't know anything about coaching basketball at a high level; but if I had been coaching the Cajuns, with Long and Peyton, we would never have finished as low as the #4 seed in the conference tournament; furthermore, we would have attempted less than half as many 3's the last two years, focusing instead on spreading the court and attacking the rim with Long, Washington, Stove, Walker and Hedgeman off of the pick and roll at around 15' from the goal.

I am in agreement with parts of this but a coach can rarely make wholesale changes to his system. Its his system because that is what he knows and can teach and adjust. Usually you get players that can fit your system not the other way. Best example of doing wrong has been LSU FB offense the past couple of years. They get dual threat qbs and run a Big 8 offense.

[VObserver]

I am in agreement with parts of this but a coach can rarely make wholesale changes to his system. Its his system because that is what he knows and can teach and adjust. Usually you get players that can fit your system not the other way. Best example of doing wrong has been LSU FB offense the past couple of years. They get dual threat qbs and run a Big 8 offense.

Well, Bob didn't do this; but he did recruit some nice inside players and slashers. Basketball ain't football. There are only 5 guys on the court for you at a time. ALL of them can perform the same basic basketball acts; just each of them is better at a different set of those skills. Every basketball coach from Dr. Naismith to the 18 year old kid coaching his little brother's biddy team knows the three or four base offenses that have been developed since the baskets still had bottoms. Every GOOD coach plays to the strength of his team, whether because he recruited to his preferred system or because he failed to do that and the players he has are better in another system.

[Ragin4U]

I'm not commenting on what Marlin did or didnt do. I am just saying that coaches usually are comfortable with a certain system. Calling for a pick and roll offense is great but you need a 1 who can press the basket and make good decisions. You need a big who doesnt just roll but can pop on the pick and pop and you need a consistent outside threat to keep the d honest. Otherwise they will pack the lane and the roll will never be open. You cant just wish your team to be the Spurs.

I am partial to a dribble-drive or motion offense where you dont need a dedicated 1 or 5. Many more 2,3, and 4s out there.

[VObserver]

I'm not commenting on what Marlin did or didnt do. I am just saying that coaches usually are comfortable with a certain system. Calling for a pick and roll offense is great but you need a 1 who can press the basket and make good decisions. You need a big who doesnt just roll but can pop on the pick and pop and you need a consistent outside threat to keep the d honest. Otherwise they will pack the lane and the roll will never be open. You cant just wish your team to be the Spurs.

I am partial to a dribble-drive or motion offense where you dont need a dedicated 1 or 5. Many more 2,3, and 4s out there.

You mean like Little Rock killed us with, running a motion offense that featured the pick and roll at the T, which led to numerous uncontested layups? If we had run that offense this year, Long would have averaged 25 and Washington 20, as both are immeasurably better than the guys who played the comparable positions at Little Rock. I don't need a 1 to run the pick and roll; I need a couple of good 4's [Long, Washington, Walker] and a 3 or two with a decent handle [Stove, Hedge] and a couple of 1's or 2's who can hit an uncontested 3 when it is available [Wright, Wronk, Shep].

Just because the most famous pick and roll offense involved John Stockton and Karl Malone doesn't mean that is the only way you can do it.

[Ragin4U]

You mean like Little Rock killed us with, running a motion offense that featured the pick and roll at the T, which led to numerous uncontested layups? If we had run that offense this year, Long would have averaged 25 and Washington 20, as both are immeasurably better than the guys who played the comparable positions at Little Rock. I don't need a 1 to run the pick and roll; I need a couple of good 4's [Long, Washington, Walker] and a 3 or two with a decent handle [Stove, Hedge] and a couple of 1's or 2's who can hit an uncontested 3 when it is available [Wright, Wronk, Shep].

Just because the most famous pick and roll offense involved John Stockton and Karl Malone doesn't mean that is the only way you can do it.

I think your 1 has to be a good decision maker otherwise the pick and roll turns into a turnover fest. I can teach anyone to set his feet and then roll to the rim. The 1 has to set up his defender, sell the drive and be a threat to drive and then make the decision to pass, drive, shoot. If your big can shoot a little, the pick and pop is a nice change but it is all predicated on the 1.