(01-26-2012 10:55 AM)chazb2 Wrote:  HIgh On--I have no beef or agenda against the NIU bball program. To say this team is improving is just ridiculous and many other posters have said the same thing in other ways. We knew it would be bad but this is worse than bad. Obviously MM will never say it but he has to be disheartened. I don't see enough talent on this team to justify saying they will be good the next couple years.

You don't see the improvement in the Gray twins from the start of the season to now? Not saying that they will even be factors down the road or not, but they have improved. You don't see Nader taking fewer bad forced shots and passing more than early in the season (still does it some, but less)? You don't see the confidence and improvement in Berg from early season (not last night, but overall)? You don't see how they are reading screens and cuts and moving better in their offense than earlier in the year? Their reads are better and more confident than before. You don't see how their defense has improved on ball screens? Or how they are now taking away the post better where they didn't do that in the early season? You don't see the chemistry improve as these guys grow together? Don't look at single games for any one player or the team. But overall, it is NIGHT AND DAY! Maybe you don't know the game well - fair enough. I could see where you might only look at some stats and scores. I'm not an expert, but have studied and watched and listened enough to watch in ways maybe some others don't. There has been improvement. Nobody will get me to think otherwise when it is right there to see if you know how to see it.

They still aren't good, obviously, but the young guys really are getting better and the team is getting better. They are doing some things better than before. Isn't that improvement?

I don't know if MM is that disheartened. In fact, I doubt it. Certainly not to questioning his decision to come here. He, of all people, knows it will take a while to get the players here and to develop them. I don't think he had any illusions of coming in here and winning 10 games or contending for the conference title. Not with only 3 upper classmen and a bunch of freshmen he was going to have to play. And all of them learning a new system of offense and defense. He knew you can't win with that combination.

Give him a couple off-seasons of recruiting and development and see what this team and these players look like in a few years. That issue of development was one of the problems with the Patton era. Players came in and didn't get better, or maybe got worse given their mental states. I don't think that will happen with Montgomery.