With few exceptions, including those in-game threads during games we win, we hear concerns about the lack of leadership and discipline. We have heard Coach Shaver's disappointment about lack of consistency, about lack of poise and even about selfishness.
We start two seniors, two redshirt juniors and a junior--hardly the line-up that should garner thosec descriptions. And yet the descriptions are accurate. What this team--not necessarily one player--lacks fundamentally is respect, respect for its coaches and even self-respect within certain players. And I'm going to go so far as to say that despite the experience of the starters, that lack of respect comes from a lack of maturity.
This team has the talent and the coaching prowess to contend with any team in the CAA, but the lack of respect will relegate this team to mediocrity.
The enigma is that these guys have played on two or three 20-win season Tribe squads. The loss of the leadership of Sheldon and Tarpey was never more evident in this year's team's desultory play this season.
I hope Tony and staff, awash with seven open scholarships after this season, are looking at guys who are not only talented, but play with fire and determination to win.
I wonder if any of this either a) had anything to do with Seacat, or b) if Seacat saw it and bolted.
(01-22-2017 08:51 AM)Tribe32 Wrote: [ -> ]I wonder if any of this either a) had anything to do with Seacat, or b) if Seacat saw it and bolted.
No
One Tribe. One Family.
(01-22-2017 08:51 AM)Tribe32 Wrote: [ -> ]I wonder if any of this either a) had anything to do with Seacat, or b) if Seacat saw it and bolted.
More likely a than b. There's no way to actually target intangibles in recruiting. Even if you get a Thornton or Tarpey (in terms of leadership/drive), there's no way to know if that player will influence the rest of the team. Our coaching staff recruited talented players, and this team is underperforming with relation to that level of talent. John Wall led one of the worst Kentucky teams in recent memory, on a squad filled with current NBA players. Sometimes the players work well together, sometimes they don't. It should impress upon us how fortunate we've been that these past few seasons the players worked well together. Also, that the talent level is there should not be overlooked. While we're losing two important players in Omar and Daniel, we're not falling off a cliff. There's 8 players who will all have significant experience next year, and maybe a year of disappointment can inspire them where nothing else has been able to this year.
I can't believe I'm going to type this sentence, but these seniors have had the most success of any we've ever had; maybe there's a sense of complacency.
(01-22-2017 10:19 AM)Tribal Wrote: [ -> ] (01-22-2017 08:51 AM)Tribe32 Wrote: [ -> ]I wonder if any of this either a) had anything to do with Seacat, or b) if Seacat saw it and bolted.
No
One Tribe. One Family.
Better answer than mine.
Having started this thread last week--when the team clearly was at a crossroads--I can say now that this team clearly is appreciating the opportunity of the moment. Daniel and Omar are scoring within the offense. They are making one another better. Along with David, they are showing leadership. In their postgame interviews, they talk about leadership as a learning process. Their emerging roles--sorely needed--assure me that they want to take this team where it has not been before. If they continue to buy into the system and trust Coach Shaver, they will do what Daniel said he came here to do--take the Tribe to the Tournament.
By singling out the captains, I am not diminishing the cohesiveness and grittiness of everyone in the rotation. To stay fresh for three--if not four--days in March, the support must extend all the way down the bench.
I look at little things on the court, and the on court player interaction (hand slapping, pointing to the player who got you an easy shot) has increased significantly in the recent stretch. A good indicator that team chemistry is growing.
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Did I just not notice earlier in the season, or has each starter developed a handshake routine with Glover during starting lineup announcements? I know previous years' teams have had that kind of thing, but I only noticed it this year starting with the Delaware game.
Actually, it used to be MORE intricate earlier in the season (its been going on pretty much all season). Almost everyone has toned down the little routine they do, but it's still cool.
It would appear that this team has turned to corner. These young men are talented and smart. Watching them play, albeit on a small screen, they appear to have begun to enjoy the success that they have had over the last few games. I hope this continues, more for them than for us. I truly hope that Daniel realizes his hope in coming here and hope to enjoy it along with these young men.
I am looking forward to seeing them play in person tonight for the first time this year and again next Saturday. I'm hoping I see and feel in person what I believe I have seen online.