It was obvious that Brady’s teams were coached up. Matt was a good in game coach for the most part. Rowe is a good recruiter. Together they made a good combination but Brady was loyal to Driscoll so Rowe went elsewhere. Now Rowe is back without Brady and we see the result of good recruiting combined with a head coach that is learning on the job.

I don’t know what Lou’s ceiling is as a head man but I do know his team is not getting it done at the end of games. If this team can get over their late game collapses, they could be a dark horse in the tourney. Hard to feel confident about that given where they are today though.

I'll go with a 2. However, I'm making my assessment almost entirely on historical reference as I have not watched a single game from start to finish this season. Or last season for that matter now that I think of it.

Uninformed opinion: 2

(01-09-2018 07:45 PM)NJDuke97 Wrote:  Interested to get Bogey or maybe even Barker's take on this. The Freshmen (Fab Five) who will be Juniors in 19-20 have all shown potential with really the exception of Zach Jacobs. Coming into the year it looked like Jacobs may be the most polished of the incoming group (Richmond Times player of the year). I know that he has been hampered with a hand injury/surgery. I also know that he is a legacy Duke so I worry less about him buying in and staying around despite his on court struggles but what's the deal with Jacobs? I think if he develops that way he is expected to he becomes a matchup problem- a 3 with good size or a 4 who can shoot from 3.

Zach is currently pretty healthy. His problem is that he is not a real good defensive player. People just go right by him. If you have watched him he plays pretty upright on defense. It makes it difficulty for him to cover the 3s and 4s. In high school he had a high major big man covering for him down low. Also there is no way his handles are good enough for him to find time at the 3. On the positive side he is very skilled offensively which would make him a pretty good 4 if he could improve his defense.. He is a great kid.

(01-15-2018 07:44 AM)HyperDuke Wrote:  

(01-15-2018 01:58 AM)Dukes1825 Wrote:  0

This team is 3-15 against D1 teams. Not one of those has a record at .500 or above. Not a single team.

I don’t understand how anyone can defend the freshman class as talented or the coaching staff as figuring out what works. The entire situation is pathetic.

For me, Brady's teams were boring to watch (& frequently ineffective). It is VERY obvious watching this team play that there are significant player skill upgrades all over the court. I hate the eyeball test, but it seems so apparent just watching that this team has loads of talent compared to past years.

I still have hope for lou but certainly understand how there are serious doubters out there. I think this post captures why I didnt have a big problem with Brady being let go. Brady's teams were boring and most of the time did not look like they were playing hard. It also seemed that every time we were playing a consequential home game against a top tier CAA team (and the students were there in mass probably for a TV drawing),, we lost. With one notable exception we sure looked pathetic in the caa tournament each year.

Talent doesn't mean a damn thing if you don't know what to do with the talent.
Still at a 0.

(01-15-2018 03:07 PM)Bogey Wrote:  

(01-15-2018 07:44 AM)HyperDuke Wrote:  

(01-15-2018 01:58 AM)Dukes1825 Wrote:  0

This team is 3-15 against D1 teams. Not one of those has a record at .500 or above. Not a single team.

I don’t understand how anyone can defend the freshman class as talented or the coaching staff as figuring out what works. The entire situation is pathetic.

For me, Brady's teams were boring to watch (& frequently ineffective). It is VERY obvious watching this team play that there are significant player skill upgrades all over the court. I hate the eyeball test, but it seems so apparent just watching that this team has loads of talent compared to past years.

I still have hope for lou but certainly understand how there are serious doubters out there. I think this post captures why I didnt have a big problem with Brady being let go. Brady's teams were boring and most of the time did not look like they were playing hard. It also seemed that every time we were playing a consequential home game against a top tier CAA team (and the students were there in mass probably for a TV drawing),, we lost. With one notable exception we sure looked pathetic in the caa tournament each year.

I think Denzel Bowles summarizes your point best. Never seen such a talented player be so disinterested and lethargic

(01-15-2018 04:01 PM)Dukes1825 Wrote:  

(01-15-2018 03:07 PM)Bogey Wrote:  

(01-15-2018 07:44 AM)HyperDuke Wrote:  

(01-15-2018 01:58 AM)Dukes1825 Wrote:  0

This team is 3-15 against D1 teams. Not one of those has a record at .500 or above. Not a single team.

I don’t understand how anyone can defend the freshman class as talented or the coaching staff as figuring out what works. The entire situation is pathetic.

For me, Brady's teams were boring to watch (& frequently ineffective). It is VERY obvious watching this team play that there are significant player skill upgrades all over the court. I hate the eyeball test, but it seems so apparent just watching that this team has loads of talent compared to past years.

I still have hope for lou but certainly understand how there are serious doubters out there. I think this post captures why I didnt have a big problem with Brady being let go. Brady's teams were boring and most of the time did not look like they were playing hard. It also seemed that every time we were playing a consequential home game against a top tier CAA team (and the students were there in mass probably for a TV drawing),, we lost. With one notable exception we sure looked pathetic in the caa tournament each year.

I think Denzel Bowles summarizes your point best. Never seen such a talented player be so disinterested and lethargic

Shaq Brown was similar- Not sure if it was coaching or just the guys he recruited but they often lacked a motor. The guys Rowe is recruiting are more active. The bigs have better hands, can jump/block shots and the guards/wings can get in the passing lanes and cause turnovers. Some of Brady's players were pretty skilled by the time they were upper classmen and the last batch were tough and fundamentally solid (boxing out, taking charges, getting to their spots). They were just limited. After he struck out with the better recruits buying in to his system, playing hard, keeping their head on straight, or staying in the program- I think he adjusted his recruiting philosophy to 1 alpha guard (Curry, was going to be Shepherd) and some role players with length who could shoot the 3 around him.

It was a formula good enough for 19-20 wins and a 4th place seed in the CAA but not good enough to get much farther than that.

(01-13-2018 01:57 PM)Dukes84 Wrote:  Personally, I like this freshman class in aggregate more than Curry class. We'll see, of course.

I agree I always felt that Bessick was a bit of a stiff- he couldn't finish around the basket at all.

When talking about transfers I agree that Scissum should have stayed. I would be interested in the timing of his decision relative to the Smith injury- even before Smith was out for the year he was limited in terms of playing time and back to back games. Usually when you transfer down the first time you will transfer down the second time (Scissum transferred down from VCU to JMU and I would expect his next stop if D1 will be Southland or Meac). He would have been better served staying at JMU and he could have earned more playing time.

The factor when considering transfers that some of us don't see is what happens in practice and off the floor. I believe Bessick transferred out of JMU in part because he practiced against Dalembert and quickly realized he wasn't as good as YoYo. Bessick stated that he transferred because JMU was playing too up and down a style but then landed and up and down Iona.

The same may be the case for Scissum especially since we've seen Wilson and even Jones come on as front court players. Last year Scissum was practicing against Lukic and Satkius and Serb this year he's against some talented Freshmen who were brought in behind him.

Bourne is all over a plan for JMU basketball.

No need to be worried.

(01-15-2018 01:58 AM)Dukes1825 Wrote:  0

This team is 3-15 against D1 teams. Not one of those has a record at .500 or above. Not a single team.

I don’t understand how anyone can defend the freshman class as talented or the coaching staff as figuring out what works. The entire situation is pathetic.

Florida isn't above .500? Old Dominion?

(01-16-2018 10:44 AM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(01-15-2018 01:58 AM)Dukes1825 Wrote:  0

This team is 3-15 against D1 teams. Not one of those has a record at .500 or above. Not a single team.

I don’t understand how anyone can defend the freshman class as talented or the coaching staff as figuring out what works. The entire situation is pathetic.

Florida isn't above .500? Old Dominion?

(01-16-2018 11:01 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(01-16-2018 10:44 AM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(01-15-2018 01:58 AM)Dukes1825 Wrote:  0

This team is 3-15 against D1 teams. Not one of those has a record at .500 or above. Not a single team.

I don’t understand how anyone can defend the freshman class as talented or the coaching staff as figuring out what works. The entire situation is pathetic.

Florida isn't above .500? Old Dominion?

The team has not defeated* a team with a record at or above .500. Better? Get the idea now?

(01-16-2018 11:30 AM)Dukes1825 Wrote:  

(01-16-2018 11:01 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(01-16-2018 10:44 AM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(01-15-2018 01:58 AM)Dukes1825 Wrote:  0

This team is 3-15 against D1 teams. Not one of those has a record at .500 or above. Not a single team.

I don’t understand how anyone can defend the freshman class as talented or the coaching staff as figuring out what works. The entire situation is pathetic.

Florida isn't above .500? Old Dominion?

The team has not defeated* a team with a record at or above .500. Better? Get the idea now?

so maybe next time before getting snarky back you should make clear you met defeated a team with a winning record.

(01-16-2018 11:33 AM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(01-16-2018 11:30 AM)Dukes1825 Wrote:  

(01-16-2018 11:01 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(01-16-2018 10:44 AM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  

(01-15-2018 01:58 AM)Dukes1825 Wrote:  0

This team is 3-15 against D1 teams. Not one of those has a record at .500 or above. Not a single team.

I don’t understand how anyone can defend the freshman class as talented or the coaching staff as figuring out what works. The entire situation is pathetic.

Florida isn't above .500? Old Dominion?

The team has not defeated* a team with a record at or above .500. Better? Get the idea now?

so maybe next time before getting snarky back you should make clear you met defeated a team with a winning record.

Browns fans should take hope. They played many teams this past season that had a winning record.

How many "almost wins" do we have against above .500 competition??
NCAA tourney here we come!




Oh, and I'm still at 0.

You get what you pay for.

I saw the 4th quarter of a Browns game once and the score was close

(01-16-2018 01:49 PM)Purplehazed Wrote:  I saw the 4th quarter of a Browns game once and the score was close

Now that was worth a laugh.

(01-16-2018 01:49 PM)Purplehazed Wrote:  I saw the 4th quarter of a Browns game once and the score was close

The Browns get the first pick for their futility.
We get former alums to coach us.

Up to 2.3