(03-11-2018 11:34 PM)JMUNation Wrote:  You just made your argument weaker. Dalebert was injured most of Rowe’s first season so Rowe actually lost both Curry and Dalembert the two best players from the previous year.

The Argument is stronger not weaker.
In his Junior year, Dalembert averaged 9pts and 7 rbds and 1.3 blocks. In his senior year under Rowe he played 18 games and averaged 9 pts and 6 rbds and 1.4 blocks.
Same player.
The Dukes were 5-13 in games played with Dalembert and 5-10 in games he didn’t play. Actually had a worse record with Dalembert than without.
No excuses for Rowe. He has full ownership of the year one debacle.
We shouldn’t try to hide from the results.

Wasn't he injured entering the season?

(03-12-2018 02:22 PM)Centdukesfan Wrote:  Wasn't he injured entering the season?

That does not matter that he was planned to be the center piece of the offense and got hurt in pre-season, and tried to gut thru it before shutting it down. Yes Yoyo was rather much ineffective when he did play his senior year. I feel ya, no clue why one of the many Euro-trash big men that had a vertical of about 4 inches could not fill the void (Chubaka, Lukic, Pauly).

Yes that record counts against Rowe, sure he was the coach.....but that team was losing a lot with any coach.

He tore his meniscus the year before, but I'm unsure of what took him out his senior year as it was undisclosed.

(03-12-2018 02:22 PM)Centdukesfan Wrote:  Wasn't he injured entering the season?

Yes. Tried to play through the injury but stat guy has an agenda so he is going to use the “stats” to his advantage. Anyone who watched knew Dalembert was not 100% or even close to it.

Dalembert's best season was as a Sophomore- he stagnated and never took that next step that many expected him to especially as a guy who was relatively new to the game with good physical tools and even good bloodlines. He became easier to defend, was foul prone, struggled from the line, and turned the ball over too much. He wasn't effective handling the double team and rarely could maintain the ball and look outside the key to get the ball to someone else. The bigs on the roster now are much better passers than YoYo was. That said, Dalembert was the lone presence and borderline rim protector that the Dukes had in those years and by far their best big. He was really a non factor his Senior season.

(03-12-2018 09:02 AM)PhillyDuke Wrote:  Coaching is tremendously important at the mid major level.

I get the old adage that great teams have great players, but look at Hofstra who year in and year out has top tier talent. There is a reason they dont win and its Joe Mihalick.

Juxtopose that against UNCW's situation the last 20+ years. Jerry Wainright, Brad Brownell, Kevin Keatts. Each had talent, but they won consistently because they have hired top tier coaches (for the CAA at least).

Same with the teams that have departed. Jerry Wainright, Jim Larranaga, Shaka Smart, the list goes on...

Bill Coen is a great coaching talent in the CAA. Northeastern is fortunate to have had him for so long.

We have to be realistic about coaches at our level of mid major basketball. Most have flaws and if they don't they aren't around the CAA for long. I think Coen is solid and Shaver too but by my count Coen has a losing record in CAA championship games- obviously the same for Shaver. You mentioned Mihalick's limitations- team plays no offense. Skerry gets all kinds of kudos but his teams never win the CAAT and are real ugly to watch. We'll see how long Grant sticks around COC- he could leave as early as this off season.

I can see why a school like JMU considers hiring alum- maybe you get a Kenny Brooks who sticks around a lot longer than the typical successful mid major coach.