This is a question I really can't come up with an answer to.
If you are basing it from where they were when DeChellis left, or even the year afterwards, the answer obviously is no.
The problem is I'm afraid a significant amount of ETSU fans actually think this team could hang with the 2002-04 Bucs.
But if your question is if they have improved from last year, I'm still not sure. I see Smith making the same mistakes- Nuckles back but not to the level we expected him at in his fourth season- and wins over tomato cans.
My deepest fear is that ETSU wins the A-Sun Tournament then gets blown out in the first round and people are okay with that. There is a mindset that if ETSU makes the tourney- that's all we can expect. Nevermind the fact ETSU has gone into the tournament as recently as two years ago with Sports Illustrated picking them to go to the Sweet 16.
Even worse, they get into the play-in game, win it, and then people are all happy over the "first tourney win since 1992!"
Thoughts?
Right now ESPN has ETSU has a 16th seed playing Duke and the SoCon in the playin game.
R
We all know the A-Sun is not going to get a higher seed than the So Con Champ. That projected seeding should basically tell you ESPN isn't paying a whole lot of attention to mid-majors.
But for the sake of arguement- let's just say that's exactly what happens.
Is that good enough for you?
Are you willing to sell your soul to David Mullins for a conference championship in a significantly weaker conference- then the eventual 50-point loss to Duke?
I'm just asking.
PittsburghBucs Wrote:We all know the A-Sun is not going to get a higher seed than the So Con Champ. That projected seeding should basically tell you ESPN isn't paying a whole lot of attention to mid-majors.
But for the sake of arguement- let's just say that's exactly what happens.
Is that good enough for you?
Are you willing to sell your soul to David Mullins for a conference championship in a significantly weaker conference- then the eventual 50-point loss to Duke?
I'm just asking.
Only if the SoCon champ is stuck in the playin game, Preferably UTC.
If it's Chattanooga, I would think their strength of schedule would put them ahead of ETSU.
But that's the thing you aren't really realizing, and it's so obvious I can't believe you can't.
In your ESPN article, they have the So Con champ with the 64 seed.
They have ETSU with the 63.
Now, that's ETSU. That's years of tradition, that's Smith, Nuck, and Rhoda, that's two years off of giving UC all they can handle.
And they have them one seed ahead of Elon.
That's all you need to know about how far the Bucs have fallen.
The problem is I'm afraid a significant amount of ETSU fans actually think this team could hang with the 2002-04 Bucs.
I dont think I've met ANYONE who thinks this way.
Lets compare.
Smith vs Smith.. Hmmm I think this Smith is a little more refined now then as a Fr-So.. Slight advantage This years team.
Rhoda.. Same as above.
Pigram and Strong vs Anthony and Strong/Lawson... call that even probably.
Sneed, Nuckles, Reed and Thomas vs Fields, Nuckles and Wadood.
Sneed could bang with Gerald, not sure if he could stay out of foul trouble but I think Nuckles and Sneed could handle Fields some what, Fields often got into fould trouble himself or disappeared during big games (Wake Forest 1 Point)
Wadood vs Reed/Thomas.. Here is the problem.. Thomas is a good defend but would fould Wadood to much, Reed is every bit as athletic as Wadood but doesn't have the all around game. Big Advantage to old team
Overall old team better due to chemistery of the players and Wadood & Fields leadership. There isn't that large a talent gap between the teams (Considering there are 4 players in common between the 2) it is the intangibles that made that team head and shoulders better then this one, not talent.
R
Fan- Maybe you haven't met anyone who thinks that way, but there is a common theme on this board that feels that way.
Look at Shaw's post. He's BEGGING for the chance to say this team is better, even refusing to take into consideration in his analysis coaching (because he'd have to give Eddie D a huge nod there) and trying to say Sneed is in the same league as Fields.
Truth be told, Jerald Fields was my favorite player during that era. He did things just by his presence I never saw other guys do. I literaly, at times, saw post players get out of the way in fear when he came into the paint.
I truly believe if Fields was three inches taller he'd be in the NBA right now.
BY THE WAY- SHAW-
You running off to the other board to try to get reinforcements to fight your own battles for you isn't going to work, either.
No I am not begging to say this team is better I pretty sure I said that team was better. As for Sneed versus Fields I think it would be a much better matchup down low then you would think Fields could over power smaller men but had trouble with people his on size sometimes (See Eric Williams) Fields would have a big advantage on the outside but I don't know if he could stop Sneed in the low post. Fields was a much more complete player but down low Sneed is a force. As for coaching DeChellis only coached one of those years and Bartow the other but yeah when it comes to coaching DeChellis/Bartow then is much better then Bartow now. I think that team wins 7-8 out 10 from this team.
R
Nine of 10.
Smith- as you know- hasn't gotten any smarter.
Nuck isn't making a significantly better contribution.
You brag on Sneed- but all I see with him is a guy who scores 30 points in a 45-point loss to Alabama or whatever it was. Admittedly he gives you some sort of presence in the paint- but all I get out of Sneed and Nuck is that they could be better.
Furthermore, can you see THOSE Bucs only going 3-4 against the upper echelon of the A-Sun as this team has?
You do know that Nuckles is average 8.3 rebounds a game to go along with 8.5 points and has 28 blocks on the year averaging over 30 minutes a game. That is a vast improvement over the numbers he put up his first two years. Smith might not be smarter but he is better and Rhoda is a much better player now.
Only real difference between the 2 teams is Wadood. But he is a big difference.
I think Bartow underutilizes Reed at this time. I think he has more trouble trying to figure out who to put in the game now than before.
We don't play well without Rhoda. That doesn't bode well for next year. Somebody will have to step up.
Shaw- I want more than three more points a game out of Nuckles now that he is an A-Sun starter from when he was a So Con reserve.
We were told he was worthy of an ACC scholarship when he signed- not a guy who would score in single digits against A-Sun competition.
We don't have another swing player on the team other than Rhoda. Thomas can't go outside at all, and Travis is too small to go inside. So either they can go big, or go small and try to control the tempo of the game.
Right now Rhoda is the MVP of this team.
As for Nuckles, again you have to be here to see what's happened with him. I truly believe he's lost all desire to play the game, and is just out there going through the motions hoping to not get hurt, get his masters, and get out of there.
Andrew Reed couldn't guard a bag of M and M's at an anorexia convention... Though his block on Conn was SWEET tonight, typically he can't stop anybody that has talent...
We forget about something with Jerald that I got reminded of tonight, Jerald could get the ball more than three to five feet out, put the ball on the floor and go to the hole. I also seem to remember Fields knocking down a couple of three's in games, I've yet to see Sneed take anything that looks like a mid-range jumper. I mean take nothing away from Dillion, I think he's a great player, but there's always opportunities to improve your game, and that's something he could stand to work on.
Nuck would have been coached into a 4 at an ACC school, ETSU forced him into a 5. Huge difference.
I've been told that Nuck turned down signing opportunities because the teams said he would play the 5 position. That wasn't the promise at ETSU. Looks like Nuck knew he would be less effecive as a 5 and are we to be surprised to find the young man knew his skills?
Nuck can rebound and play defense as a 5, but he is not a 5 offensive player. Pitt, from the games I've seen, Nuck does so many things that don't show up on a stat sheet.
Without getting into individual player comparisons, on to what I see as the major difference between this team and previous teams...consistent defense. This team has a few (precious few) players who can play defense. DeChellis' teams had folks on the bench that could play better defense than some Bartow now starts. The lack of defense is mostly in the half court game, and has been all year. ETSU plays better defense in a press, but even that is not as good as the DeChellis press defenses.
No slam at any player, but the ETSU "system" is not one of defense.
Our press was clearly better before. Mostly because of Wadood and Fields. This group also doesn't press as well without Ben in the game.
We have not been good at guarding the perimeter for years. Even in Coach D's era, but we are even worse now.
I think we blocked a whole lot more shots with Yakee and Fields too.
Brad should shoot more from the outside.
If Nuckles is playing out of position, then that's all you have to know about how desperate the ETSU situation has become.