(01-25-2020 07:02 PM)Luckeyone Wrote: Fans/Alumni/Students this was another good loss.
I believe some of you want this team to win because there are some promising athletes. From my perspective, I want a change in Men’s Basketball leadership. I hold Scott Wetherbee accountable for extending Murphy’s contract. So Wetherbee is not going to make a change unless he’s forced to do so. That might mean we need a unanimous revolt where all of us are rooting for this team to lose until a change is made. I have never rooted for EMU to lose in any sport;however, due to some very poor leadership by Gragg and a Wetherbee, I feel we have no choice. [/align]we have had to endure Gragg’s hiring of a high school coach who doesn’t have the philosophy to win on offense, defense and in transition. Simply put Rob Murphy has a great opportunity and was paid well for 9 years but it’s time to move on.
Honestly Luckey I don't think there is any need to root against this team. They sit at 0-7, with five and possibly six of the games against teams that will end up in the bottom half of the conference. Absent an opponent meltdown, I see only two potential victories this season, WMU and NIU Monty in Ypsilanti. 2-16 might be our best possible outcome.
Murph has hardly embarrassed EMU. He has been a class act for the most part. Unfortunately, however, I never felt he has been fully committed to the University and the program. He does not endeavor to promote the program off the field like Creighton and maintains a residence in New York state.
He is very candid in interviews when he reveals a player has had a poor night and his displeasure last season when he was forced to play a "big boy" non-conference schedule. I think that is the root of his coaching problem. He, like his mentor Boheim, are entrenched in their beliefs that there is ONLY one way to run a program, such as candy non-con schedules and the 2-3 zone. And like his mentor who used to have a "blueblood" program, the game has passed him by. Steve has pointed out many times the value of the three ball, yet we perpetually tail the conference in this stat. Free throw shooting? Yep same old movie. Off ball movement and screens? I will probably have cardiac arrest if we are called for moving pick away from the ball or actually hit a back door cutter for an easy basket.
I agree with Luckey, this team actually has quite a bit of talent. Toure is raw but might be the most physically talented center in the MAC, he is very strong and I think his leaping ability is stellar for his size, at EMU however, he will graduate as a "raw" prospect. Ty Groce possesses the physical skills to play six miles west, but his improved stats this year reflect only his increased playing time rather than his skill sets improvement. James and Dillard are promising freshman, Montero and Morgan are MAC capable for sure. At some point we have to realize that EMU has fiduciary responsibility to improve these players in the sport that they have accepted a scholarship, along with providing them an educational opportunity. When your coach refuses to change or adjust to his player's capabilities you simply will not. Watch Jalen King for example and tell me how much better he is than two years ago as a freshman.
I anticipate that at year end Rob will have a MAC conference record of 72-86, a winning percentage of 46%. If we subtract the first year of Charles Ramsey who inherited the Boone dumpster fire, his conference record was 33-47 or 41%, and we fired the guy a year before his contract expired.
Time for a new direction, in my opinion.