279th

[The Real SamC]

Exactly.
Winning an NCAA tournament game means less and less each year since plenty of lesser known teams do it.

MU can build on their appearance but need to make it more routine now. Expectations SHOULD be a conference finals appearance and they should be in the tournament more often now.

Exactly. Since was run off, MU made the tournament. Once. Something many 100s of teams have done. MU won an upset in that tournament. Once. Something 100s of teams have done. Many dozen have made deep runs from low seeds. Two years ago.

Nobody outside the MU bubble remembers or cares. It did not change MU’s role in the college basketball universe. It is a team that made the tournament one time in this millennium and won a game one time.

 

[W-S HerdFan]

And think about this: How did Mikel Byers even find out Marshall had a basketball team? Why would Marshall be in Andy Taylors head when on day 3 @ Furman he decides Spartanburg wasn't his dream choice of University's? And, how in the world did we get a top-rated (nationally?) kid from Charleston who had offers from bigger, more well known programs to give a written acceptance to lowly Marshall? Find out the answer to those questions, then come back on here and talk about how none of the post season publicity we received matters...…..

 

[johns1124]

Scrubs? We couldn't even beat Middle and Charlotte in football.

That's playing down to the competition, that (IMO) is a coaching problem that should be / have been addressed (by now).

 

[muthed]

And think about this: How did Mikel Byers even find out Marshall had a basketball team? Why would Marshall be in Andy Taylors head when on day 3 @ Furman he decides Spartanburg wasn't his dream choice of University's? And, how in the world did we get a top-rated (nationally?) kid from Charleston who had offers from bigger, more well known programs to give a written acceptance to lowly Marshall? Find out the answer to those questions, then come back on here and talk about how none of the post season publicity we received matters...…..

Maybe Taylor got lost on his way to class in Spartanburg, SC. Furman is in Greenville.

 

[W-S HerdFan]

Maybe Taylor got lost on his way to class in Spartanburg, SC. Furman is in Greenville.

Thanks muthed!! I relied on 60 year old memory - not reliable!

 

[sistersville]

First NET rankings out from the NCAA. 279th. Of 353. Still ahead of such magnificent programs as High Point, USC Upstate, Texas-Rio Grande Valley, SUNY Binghamton, and Abilene Christian. And Middle, at 283rd and LAST in CUSA.

But remember Sam, the wonderful Aaron says that "they don't count until they do."

 

[Herdmeister]

Exactly. Since was run off, MU made the tournament. Once. Something many 100s of teams have done. MU won an upset in that tournament. Once. Something 100s of teams have done. Many dozen have made deep runs from low seeds. Two years ago.

Nobody outside the MU bubble remembers or cares. It did not change MU’s role in the college basketball universe. It is a team that made the tournament one time in this millennium and won a game one time.

Well, you can't do it a second time until you have done it once!

 

[WyomingHerdFan]

Thanks muthed!! I relied on 60 year old memory - not reliable!

It’s fun getting old, W-S!

 

[WyomingHerdFan]

Exactly. Since was run off, MU made the tournament. Once. Something many 100s of teams have done. MU won an upset in that tournament. Once. Something 100s of teams have done. Many dozen have made deep runs from low seeds. Two years ago.

Nobody outside the MU bubble remembers or cares. It did not change MU’s role in the college basketball universe. It is a team that made the tournament one time in this millennium and won a game one time.

I don’t agree, Sam. I can look back at different NCAA tournaments and remember different upsets. Those “hundreds of teams” stick out to me when I see something about them at any point afterwards. Teams that I would otherwise never think about. Wichita was not a major upset by any means, but from a seeding standpoint it still stood out and gained national attention when it happened. Elmore caught the nation’s attention after that performance and lots of shows and analysts were giving Marshall a ton of praise. I was at a bar many states away from WV during the CUSA championship game that year and by the time the 2nd half started the entire bar was completely focused on the game and pulling for Marshall. I get it that they were mostly humoring me and being nice, but I promise you they all understand what it meant to the program and payed attention to them going forward. I realize that’s not speaking for the majority of people across the nation, but you’d be surprised the amount of people who would remember.

 

[Herdmeister]

I don’t agree, Sam. I can look back at different NCAA tournaments and remember different upsets. Those “hundreds of teams” stick out to me when I see something about them at any point afterwards. Teams that I would otherwise never think about. Wichita was not a major upset by any means, but from a seeding standpoint it still stood out and gained national attention when it happened. Elmore caught the nation’s attention after that performance and lots of shows and analysts were giving Marshall a ton of praise. I was at a bar many states away from WV during the CUSA championship game that year and by the time the 2nd half started the entire bar was completely focused on the game and pulling for Marshall. I get it that they were mostly humoring me and being nice, but I promise you they all understand what it meant to the program and payed attention to them going forward. I realize that’s not speaking for the majority of people across the nation, but you’d be surprised the amount of people who would remember.

Those that are old enough still remember 1982 when Ralph Sampson and Virginia lost to NAIA Chaminade in Hawaii

 

[WyomingHerdFan]

Those that are old enough still remember 1982 when Ralph Sampson and Virginia lost to NAIA Chaminade in Hawaii

That is still incredible. They also followed it up with wins over Louisville in 83 and 84. Hard to believe really. We now have the Maui Invitational because of that.

 

[The Real SamC]

NAIA Chaminade in Hawaii

And Chaminade is still exactly where it always was, hosting the Maui Invitational and making the sports news for a weekend (in odd years, it does not even play in the tournament in even years anymore) and playing the other Hawaii small colleges the rest of the time in obscurity. It did not change who they were.

There have been 22 13 vs. 4 upsets. And 6 of those went to the Sweet Sixteen. Seven 15- 2; 19 14-3, 27 12-5 and 29 11-6. Nobody can name a one without looking it up.

People act like we won a national championship, or at least made it to the Final Four. We got hot for 8 days, saw the higher teams get eliminated, beat a WKU team by one point that had spanked us twice; beat a grossly over seeded team and then got assreamed by WVU.

Ancient history.

 

[W-S HerdFan]

And Chaminade is still exactly where it always was, hosting the Maui Invitational and making the sports news for a weekend (in odd years, it does not even play in the tournament in even years anymore) and playing the other Hawaii small colleges the rest of the time in obscurity. It did not change who they were.

There have been 22 13 vs. 4 upsets. And 6 of those went to the Sweet Sixteen. Seven 15- 2; 19 14-3, 27 12-5 and 29 11-6. Nobody can name a one without looking it up.

People act like we won a national championship, or at least made it to the Final Four. We got hot for 8 days, saw the higher teams get eliminated, beat a WKU team by one point that had spanked us twice; beat a grossly over seeded team and then got assreamed by WVU.

Ancient history.

And, Sam, your definition of "ancient history" is as recent as 21 months (1 year, 9 months) ago? So, what do you call events that happened 50 years ago? Would that be the Cretaceous or the Triassic ?? Just trying to get a handle on your definition of chronology here...….

 

[thunderingon]

And Chaminade is still exactly where it always was, hosting the Maui Invitational and making the sports news for a weekend (in odd years, it does not even play in the tournament in even years anymore) and playing the other Hawaii small colleges the rest of the time in obscurity. It did not change who they were.

There have been 22 13 vs. 4 upsets. And 6 of those went to the Sweet Sixteen. Seven 15- 2; 19 14-3, 27 12-5 and 29 11-6. Nobody can name a one without looking it up.

People act like we won a national championship, or at least made it to the Final Four. We got hot for 8 days, saw the higher teams get eliminated, beat a WKU team by one point that had spanked us twice; beat a grossly over seeded team and then got assreamed by WVU.

Ancient history.

I really don't understand (and hope to never undertand) this way of thinking, especially from someone who would claim to love Marshall University. The arguments I read from you sound like they are coming from a rival or WVU fan..whatever you can do to discredit success and ENJOY defeat. Why? What is the real reason? Did you know that you can support both the football AND basketball teams at the SAME time?? Wow, that's crazy talk. Winning that championship and that NCAA game was really big deal...because we had never done it before. Ever. It was fun and made us relevant, if only for a few weeks. Before DD came, I wondered if it would ever happen...it did in his 4th season and now that provides hope that it will happen again. We have a bunch of kids now that could make it happen again within the next 2-3 years if not multiple years. If they don't, it will be a fun ride regardless because that hope is finally there. And I will always remember that season and this coach and that team...always...just like I remember the football championships. You always say "we got hot for 8 days" as if that is a bad thing. I'm pretty sure that is every coach in the country's intention in March. Let's build throughout the year and get hot when it counts the most? By the way, we are at #242 now.

 

[trace_94]

I really don't understand (and hope to never undertand) this way of thinking, especially from someone who would claim to love Marshall University. The arguments I read from you sound like they are coming from a rival or WVU fan..whatever you can do to discredit success and ENJOY defeat. Why? What is the real reason? Did you know that you can support both the football AND basketball teams at the SAME time?? Wow, that's crazy talk. Winning that championship and that NCAA game was really big deal...because we had never done it before. Ever. It was fun and made us relevant, if only for a few weeks. Before DD came, I wondered if it would ever happen...it did in his 4th season and now that provides hope that it will happen again. We have a bunch of kids now that could make it happen again within the next 2-3 years if not multiple years. If they don't, it will be a fun ride regardless because that hope is finally there. And I will always remember that season and this coach and that team...always...just like I remember the football championships. You always say "we got hot for 8 days" as if that is a bad thing. I'm pretty sure that is every coach in the country's intention in March. Let's build throughout the year and get hot when it counts the most? By the way, we are at #242 now.

He’s got an obvious agenda, discredit basketball to disguise football’s many shortcomings. Fact is, those “8 days” are the most significant “8 days” Marshall athletics have had in many years.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Didn’t I allude to that when I said this team will get better as time progresses? I also said no one is expecting them to be exactly like Jon or CJ. Expecting a developed and competitive team in the 6th season for a coach is not unrealistic in any way. You’re iterating my exact point. It does take time and there has been plenty of it. Where did I say player development was easy? Exactly where? I didn’t. There has been plenty of time to develop guys who have been on the team for 3 and 4 years and seemingly that has not happened. Is 3 and 4 years enough time? Should we as fans just not say anything critical about the coaching staff? This is a message board after all. To put it simply so maybe you can better understand, I’m not saying every player should be exactly like Jon or CJ. I’m questioning the mentality that you’re approaching this. Why continue to make excuses for this? Again, if this is year 2 for Dan, we’re not having this conversation. It’s year 6 and you lost a couple of good players. It happens every single year to a lot of teams. At what point do you say, you know, a lot of these guys have been on the team for several years and we knew Jon and CJ wouldn’t be here forever so why did we not have a plan for when they’re gone? Are we just content to be the victim? Jon and CJ are gone and it takes time to develop other players so it’s ok for us to be bad even though we have all of these great accomplishments in the last 3 years! It’s one thing to not be cut out to be the next Jon or CJ but it’s a whole other to not even have something in place to get them there.

Does the season even matter when the most important measuring tool of your achievements is being able to go 4-0 at season's end?

 

[WyomingHerdFan]

And Chaminade is still exactly where it always was, hosting the Maui Invitational and making the sports news for a weekend (in odd years, it does not even play in the tournament in even years anymore) and playing the other Hawaii small colleges the rest of the time in obscurity. It did not change who they were.

There have been 22 13 vs. 4 upsets. And 6 of those went to the Sweet Sixteen. Seven 15- 2; 19 14-3, 27 12-5 and 29 11-6. Nobody can name a one without looking it up.

People act like we won a national championship, or at least made it to the Final Four. We got hot for 8 days, saw the higher teams get eliminated, beat a WKU team by one point that had spanked us twice; beat a grossly over seeded team and then got assreamed by WVU.

Ancient history.

I don’t think anyone is acting like we won a national championship. I’m certainly not. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the first NCAA tournament win in program history. You would be the first person to say they didn’t have a chance anyway. That team only exceeded expectations. To say or act like it had zero impact on the program going forward is inaccurate. You can try to minimize what happened with saying things like we only beat WKU by 1 point or Wichita was grossly over seeded, but it doesn’t change reality. Fact is those were good wins for the program regardless of how they were achieved. Would you rather them to have lost than to win by 1 or something? You play the teams in front of you. Was I just so tickled to death that they were in the 2nd round that when they got stomped it didn’t bother me? Definitely not, but given where the program had been for years prior I will certainly take it. If for no other reason, as a building block in the right direction. You don’t think that run had any influence on Anochili-Killen committing? You can sell that to kids to show them that that’s where we can go and want to be but we need you to go even further. This isn’t me pumping sunshine and rainbows. I’ve been my fair share of critical of basketball but I’m also not blind to the fact that the 2017-18 season was absolutely impactful for future success. The difference I believe is that though I can be critical I actually want the team to win. Perception is reality, Sam and whether you mean for it to come across that way or not, anyone who reads your posts would get the impression that you’re probably not a fan. You’re constantly finding some way to diminish anything positive.

Oh and I could name several of those teams that were part of upsets in past tournaments. It’s my word against yours though that I didn’t look it up. I guarantee lots of people would be able to do the same.

 

[WyomingHerdFan]

Does the season even matter when the most important measuring tool of your achievements is being able to go 4-0 at season's end?

True. Although, I’d rather enjoy the entire season personally but I wouldn’t be mad if they rattled off a CUSA conference championship following a bad season. Sam definitely would.

 

[The Real SamC]

The arguments I read from you sound like they are coming from a rival or WVU fan

I have been around non-alumni Spamites all my life. Spamiteism has multiple symptoms:

- A near religious certainty that the teams, and the individual players, are far better than they actually are.

- A glomming onto obscure things, In USPAM’s case the rifle team, to cover for fundamental lack of success in important matters.

- A belief that athletic success is going to change the perception of the state/school.

- Eventually, as the cold douches of reality set in, a change from hero worship of the coach to hatred as the delusions of how great the team is turn inward as the unrealistic expectations of success never comes true. In USPAM’s case, they are just at the start of the cycle in football, be about 4-6 years before they turn on this guy; in basketball the career journeyman coach will probably get to the S16 or so this year, which will probably mean he can fade away quietly in a few years.

This fan base reminds me of the Spamite one more today than it ever has. It is sad.

Did you know that you can support both the football AND basketball teams at the SAME time??

Sure. The football team (not the subject of this thread) is doing fine. The basketball team is a dumpster fire.

Winning that championship and that NCAA game was really big deal...because we had never done it before. Ever.

About as relevant as winning at rifle. We look like a bunch of hicks and rubes, chirping about once making the tournament once, two years ago. We sound, well, like Spamites.

I wondered if it would ever happen...it did in his 4th season and now that provides hope that it will happen again.

We need to stop hoping and wondering. And start DEMANDING. This is a bad conference. A third of the teams do not try. We should be 6th, not 11th, in our worst year, and contend for the title most every year.

We have a bunch of kids now that could make it happen again within the next 2-3 years if not multiple years.

We do? Again you sound like a Spamite. Convinced that our team is really good, with no out-of-region evidence to say these things. Fact is, it is not true.

I'm pretty sure that is every coach in the country's intention in March. Let's build throughout the year and get hot when it counts the most?

In other words, “get hot in the conference tournament, and who knows?” That is all well and good, if you want to say everything that happens now is irrelevant, then see you in March, you have nothing to say until then. And, yes, in a garbage league like this, winning the conference tourney is the only thing and the regular season is more or less determinative of if the winner gets seeded 15th or 12th. But, again, this is sounding just like a Spamite. What actual evidence convinces you that this team is going to get any better than it is right now?

By the way, we are at #242 now.

Were #242!!!!!

And that is the saddest thing. I have bet going. Winning season? Nah. 20 games? Nah. 25 games? Nah. Make the NIT? Nah. Pay to play? Nah.

Nine games - over-under. That is the level this team is gaining action on. Over-under nine.

 

[ARandomHerdFan]

And that is the saddest thing. I have bet going. Winning season? Nah. 20 games? Nah. 25 games? Nah. Make the NIT? Nah. Pay to play? Nah.

Nine games - over-under. That is the level this team is gaining action on. Over-under nine.

Nice try at misrepresenting things, chief.

The only reason the bet was made was because you ran your mouth over and over again that we wouldn't even reach 10 wins this season. You constantly tell everyone that you're so knowledgeable about basketball, so I asked you to put your money where your mouth is if you're so sure that the team wouldn't achieve a double-digit win total.

 

[W-S HerdFan]

Etch-a-sketch Sam! Up to his usual rinse, wash, repeat self. I am considering a wager with Sam: The bet would be will Marshall achieve 10 wins "in conference play, including the pod play." It will be a challenge, but I think they can do it. I am not sure Sam is up for another before the 1st one is done...

 

[muthed]

And Chaminade is still exactly where it always was, hosting the Maui Invitational and making the sports news for a weekend (in odd years, it does not even play in the tournament in even years anymore) and playing the other Hawaii small colleges the rest of the time in obscurity. It did not change who they were.

There have been 22 13 vs. 4 upsets. And 6 of those went to the Sweet Sixteen. Seven 15- 2; 19 14-3, 27 12-5 and 29 11-6. Nobody can name a one without looking it up.

People act like we won a national championship, or at least made it to the Final Four. We got hot for 8 days, saw the higher teams get eliminated, beat a WKU team by one point that had spanked us twice; beat a grossly over seeded team and then got assreamed by WVU.

Ancient history.

And football can't even get hot for 2 days vs. MT and Charlotte.

 

[johns1124]

And football can't even get hot for 2 days vs. MT and Charlotte.

Whats the point? It's not a Basketball vs Football thing.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

Rivals ranks the class Doc signed today as the 90th best class and 7th in CUSA. He’s losing his edge.

 

[johns1124]

Maybe he does not care cause he knows he is leaving soon willingly or not.

https://marshall.forums.rivals.com/threads/this-is-what-not-caring-looks-like.45595/#post-653731

 

[lexkyherdfan]

Looks like Ball state is going to win at Georgia Tech tonight and ETSU win at LSU tonight. As I have said before why not us? We should be getting those types of wins.

Ohio hosted Purdue last night. It would be nice to land a home game against a P5 team. I guess our last two were South Carolina and Penn State? It sucks basketball scheduling is so tough. One of my coaching buddies told me it is the worst job for someone to do especially at a Mid-Major.

 

[raleighherdfan]

We had to listen to football super fans tell us Holliday's teams were "young" for about the first 5-6 years as an excuse until he hit a lucky stretch with Cato.

Appears DD fans are performing the same nonsense now. He was just lucky to hit a tourney earlier in his current mediocrity cycle. How in the hell do you "not have shooters" or "big men" at this stage of his tenure. No excuse.

Fire both of them. Start over.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

We had to listen to football super fans tell us Holliday's teams were "young" for about the first 5-6 years as an excuse until he hit a lucky stretch with Cato.

Appears DD fans are performing the same nonsense now. He was just lucky to hit a tourney earlier in his current mediocrity cycle. How in the hell do you "not have shooters" or "big men" at this stage of his tenure. No excuse.

Fire both of them. Start over.

Both at the same amount of time as head coaches, have accomplished approximately the same things.
Dan is due for a football 2016 year in basketball AKA a horrendous year.
Will the fans begin to grumble or will they look at some unknown foreigner as "the next best thing" and continue on with support?

 

[The Real SamC]

Dan is due for a football 2016 year in basketball AKA a horrendous year.
Will the fans begin to grumble or will they look at some unknown foreigner as "the next best thing" and continue on with support?

The difference is the difference in the two sports relative to CUSA, and relative to the Division. In basketball, with the nominal effort a third of the league makes and the limited resources of the next third, a “horrendous year” in basketball is 6th or so in this league. Sixth is essentially last among the legitimate programs. Within the Division (of 350 teams), there are dozens of smaller colleges with far less resources. In football, all CUSA teams are trying to compete at the same level. Otherwise they would not be in CUSA in the first place. Within the Division (of 130 teams) MU is among the smallest public colleges. Apples to oranges.

Nobody is calling for DD to be fired. Nobody should be calling for DH or MH to be fired either. Those that are do not know enough about football, or athletic administration, to be taken seriously.

 

[sistersville]

The difference is the difference in the two sports relative to CUSA, and relative to the Division. In basketball, with the nominal effort a third of the league makes and the limited resources of the next third, a “horrendous year” in basketball is 6th or so in this league. Sixth is essentially last among the legitimate programs. Within the Division (of 350 teams), there are dozens of smaller colleges with far less resources. In football, all CUSA teams are trying to compete at the same level. Otherwise they would not be in CUSA in the first place. Within the Division (of 130 teams) MU is among the smallest public colleges. Apples to oranges.

Nobody is calling for DD to be fired. Nobody should be calling for DH or MH to be fired either. Those that are do not know enough about football, or athletic administration, to be taken seriously.

DD's problems are that he discounts defense and thinks Hillbilly Ball is the be all end all.

 

[The Real SamC]

Hillbilly Ball

That is a thing. You have to understand who DD is. He is a coalfield guy. He did what a lot of smart young men of his generation did. He, to use the coalfield term of the day he “went up to Marshall and made teacher”. He then used that to GTFO of an already dying part of the world. Smart.

And, like a lot of Sons of Marshall, he still cares, and cares deeply, about Marshall. Loyal.

Both good things. But, there is a down side. Mullens, in the 1960s, was pretty affluent by coalfields standards. Railroaders make more than coal miners. And it, like most of the region, was basketball mad. And truisms and slogans and hot shot playing styles can work. When we are talking about out-working and out-classing, and therefore out-psyching, yet poorer kids from yet further out in the hills. The problem is that in college, in 2020, EVERYBODY is working as hard as they can, wants it as much as they can possibly want it, etc.

And DD left. The world moved on. The state, especially the part of the state I’m talking about, has bled population and wealth. I wouldn’t give you $8 for all of Wyoming County today. The people with gumption all left, leaving behind meth addicted losers and retirees. But, in DD’s mind, it is still 1965. He still thinks that you can recruit with a high in-state focus. You can’t, because the kids that would have been the current generation of great WV high school athletes, were born and raised elsewhere, because M&D, like DD, had the sense to GTFO.

 

[johns1124]

some unknown foreigner as "the next best thing" and continue on with support?

Whats wrong with that? I feel that's part of the problem. Too much looking inward for the Next Homer pick. It's ok to have someone from the outside leading the ship. Remember , for two years Billy D was our head coach.

 

[W-S HerdFan]

DD's problems are that he discounts defense and thinks Hillbilly Ball is the be all end all.

sisters - I am looking at this years team much differently than you. In the recent past, we didn't have much/any inside presence, so there were a ton of 3's jacked up and not much production in the paint. This year, we have more size, length & maybe most importantly depth than in recent seasons. So, I think you will see more feeds inside to Bennett/Euro and pick & rolls for Byers/Kinsey/Williams & George on offense. We will always take a lot of 3's, but maybe a bit more balanced. To your point: We are already seeing more blocks per game. Bennett is a rock in the middle, & most teams just aren't going there. I look forward to seeing their progress, and I haven't even mentioned West and Andy T.....

 

[sistersville]

Ws that was not me but a west Virginia fan.

 

[muthed]

I have been around non-alumni Spamites all my life. Spamiteism has multiple symptoms:

- A near religious certainty that the teams, and the individual players, are far better than they actually are.

- A glomming onto obscure things, In USPAM’s case the rifle team, to cover for fundamental lack of success in important matters.

- A belief that athletic success is going to change the perception of the state/school.

- Eventually, as the cold douches of reality set in, a change from hero worship of the coach to hatred as the delusions of how great the team is turn inward as the unrealistic expectations of success never comes true. In USPAM’s case, they are just at the start of the cycle in football, be about 4-6 years before they turn on this guy; in basketball the career journeyman coach will probably get to the S16 or so this year, which will probably mean he can fade away quietly in a few years.

This fan base reminds me of the Spamite one more today than it ever has. It is sad.



Sure. The football team (not the subject of this thread) is doing fine. The basketball team is a dumpster fire.



About as relevant as winning at rifle. We look like a bunch of hicks and rubes, chirping about once making the tournament once, two years ago. We sound, well, like Spamites.



We need to stop hoping and wondering. And start DEMANDING. This is a bad conference. A third of the teams do not try. We should be 6th, not 11th, in our worst year, and contend for the title most every year.



We do? Again you sound like a Spamite. Convinced that our team is really good, with no out-of-region evidence to say these things. Fact is, it is not true.



In other words, “get hot in the conference tournament, and who knows?” That is all well and good, if you want to say everything that happens now is irrelevant, then see you in March, you have nothing to say until then. And, yes, in a garbage league like this, winning the conference tourney is the only thing and the regular season is more or less determinative of if the winner gets seeded 15th or 12th. But, again, this is sounding just like a Spamite. What actual evidence convinces you that this team is going to get any better than it is right now?



Were #242!!!!!

And that is the saddest thing. I have bet going. Winning season? Nah. 20 games? Nah. 25 games? Nah. Make the NIT? Nah. Pay to play? Nah.

Nine games - over-under. That is the level this team is gaining action on. Over-under nine.

Well, one thing's for sure. We'll never be seeded 15th in CUSA.

sisters - I am looking at this years team much differently than you. In the recent past, we didn't have much/any inside presence, so there were a ton of 3's jacked up and not much production in the paint. This year, we have more size, length & maybe most importantly depth than in recent seasons. So, I think you will see more feeds inside to Bennett/Euro and pick & rolls for Byers/Kinsey/Williams & George on offense. We will always take a lot of 3's, but maybe a bit more balanced. To your point: We are already seeing more blocks per game. Bennett is a rock in the middle, & most teams just aren't going there. I look forward to seeing their progress, and I haven't even mentioned West and Andy T.....

That is a thing. You have to understand who DD is. He is a coalfield guy. He did what a lot of smart young men of his generation did. He, to use the coalfield term of the day he “went up to Marshall and made teacher”. He then used that to GTFO of an already dying part of the world. Smart.

And, like a lot of Sons of Marshall, he still cares, and cares deeply, about Marshall. Loyal.

Both good things. But, there is a down side. Mullens, in the 1960s, was pretty affluent by coalfields standards. Railroaders make more than coal miners. And it, like most of the region, was basketball mad. And truisms and slogans and hot shot playing styles can work. When we are talking about out-working and out-classing, and therefore out-psyching, yet poorer kids from yet further out in the hills. The problem is that in college, in 2020, EVERYBODY is working as hard as they can, wants it as much as they can possibly want it, etc.

And DD left. The world moved on. The state, especially the part of the state I’m talking about, has bled population and wealth. I wouldn’t give you $8 for all of Wyoming County today. The people with gumption all left, leaving behind meth addicted losers and retirees. But, in DD’s mind, it is still 1965. He still thinks that you can recruit with a high in-state focus. You can’t, because the kids that would have been the current generation of great WV high school athletes, were born and raised elsewhere, because M&D, like DD, had the sense to GTFO.

Yes, DD is a coalfield guy. Here's an idea. Why not go out and get us another Kanawha Valley Chemical guy.

 

[W-S HerdFan]

......pretty solid effort from the Herd tonite! The real ? Isn’t will MU be able to double their current win total by season’s end. It’s will they get there before the end of January? Time will tell!

 

[RhinoD]

I will say after watching the last two games, Taylor makes a huge difference... Even last night, he didn't have it offensively, but he still made the team better with his ability to control the game and the pace of play. His 8 pts, 5 rebs, 5 assists and a steal don't jump out of the box score at you, but he was effective.

If we can steal one of the next two games, I think there is still a pretty good chance this team finishes the year above .500 without any senior presence.

 

[W-S HerdFan]

……….and realize this was w/o many minutes from Williams or Byers. Not sure what's going on w/Jahnson (sp?). Byers has been grabbing a lot of rebounds and scoring the ball, o would be god to get hi back in there. I think one of Danny's biggest challenges (and a great one to have!) id figuring out who to put on the floor and when to do it. George had a really good game - he has so much talent! N Iowa will be a good test of our progress.

Q for you guys: Seems to me we could put 2 teams on the floor because we are so deep. Who would you mix and match to have a team A and a Team B?

 

[RhinoD]

Starters... Taylor, West, Kinsey, Williams, Bennett... I think going "small" and playing three guards gives us a better look on defense. West is an elite man-to-man defender and Kinsey is a good rebounder for a guard, so going small is our best look.

Off the bench... Seranac, Milodinovic, George, Byers, Brooks-Harris... The problem with this second group is not having a backup PG. When we sub, you almost have to either leave Taylor or West in to handle the ball. Thus, that's why I think Byers is kindof the odd-man-out in what is going to become a 9-man rotation as we get into league play.

 

[ohio herd]

I am not sure DD is wrong for recruiting kids from WV. I mean we just graduated 2 of our best ever last year. Both came from WV. The key is to be able to evaluate talent since most kids from WV will not play against top talent week in week out. However, many will play AAU and one could watch them there.