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Post by rgmillikan on Mar 20, 2018 10:34:13 GMT -6
On a scale of 1(low)-10(high) what would be your level of concern if Ball State falls short of reaching a postseason tournament beginning with the letter N next year with 2 core senior starters? I would put it at a 9.
Although I know Persons and Moses can be frustrating, I don't foresee BSU improving the year following 2018-19. Plus that would mean a 2nd consecutive coach who has remained at least 6 seasons without getting to a postseason tournament of true relevance. If Whitford can't get the team beyond an alphabet soup tournament by end of year 6 or 7, I'm not sure how anyone can be a hardcore Whitford apologist at that point. That's more than enough time. I do realize by mentioning apologists I'm referring to a minority of fans at this point, maybe 15% of this board. Is Whitford better than Taylor? Absolutely, but the bar should be set higher than being better than a coach with 1 winning MAC record in 6 seasons and a 2-6 MAC tournament matk.
I don't think NIT is completely impossible if the transfers make a solid impact and if multiple variables hit, but after the last 15 yr by now we should all know to not expect any of that. I would say getting to the Big Dance next yr is hardly possible as much as I'd like to he wrong. At this point although a NCAA bid/bids is/are the ultimate goal, a NIT bid 2 to 3x a decade Would be a significant improvement over what we've been subject to the last 15 years.
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Post by redbirdman on Mar 20, 2018 10:54:09 GMT -6
Evansville just fired a coach whose history there is very such the same as Whit's. While having winning seasons is a start if you can not get into the NIT or NCAA your fans will lose energy & numbers will fall off. I think Simmons was fired because the attendance had fallen to 3,800 a game & the athletic program is dependent on bball. I would think if Whit does not get us into one of those tourneys the new AD will be looking at a change the only question will be if BSU can afford to pay off the remainder of the contract.
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Post by cardfan on Mar 20, 2018 11:27:24 GMT -6
Very good question. Whit was hired to improve the program and win more games. That he has done. BUT, he was also hired to win championships/put BSU back on a competitive level with the best in the league and get to a GOOD post season tourney every now and then. He has not done that and doesn't appear to be as close to doing that as one might expect after 5 years. His MAC record over the last 3 years is 31-23 (35-55 for all 5 years) Pretty meh overall. Billy Taylor was 44-52 in the MAC in his 6 years. Really not that much difference. At least not if you expect a new coach to do significantly better than the guy he replaced. Taylor overall was about as mediocre as you can find. Whit might be winning more games overall than Billy did and with a great seaon next year (needs to finish at least 15 games over .500) can get his overall record to .500 or better. But, is that good enough after 6 years if we still do not make a tourney of significance next year and don't at least make it past our first game in the MAC tourney?
Some are trumpeting the "SEC transfers" we'll have next year. Better make hay with them and with Persons/Teague/Moses while you can. If he can't, time to move on. I expect us to at least compete for a championship next year, understanding that Buffalo will be loaded and probably unbeatable in the MAC. But we need to at least be in the running.
As usual, though, a BSU AD put the school in a very difficult position with the contract extension. Can the school afford a buyout or even be willing to do one?
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Post by bsuwolf99 on Mar 20, 2018 11:36:43 GMT -6
I agree that next season is very much a make or break season on how I view Whitford; but that has ZERO relation as to whether or not he keeps his job..as in my opinion, the school will NEVER buyout his contract. I feel he will definitely remain head coach until his contract expires (unless something horrendous occurs ...violations, etc). The tough part about judging next season is that even if we play to the top of our ability...I still think we are a distant second to Buffalo.
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Post by cardfan on Mar 20, 2018 11:40:37 GMT -6
Sadly you are right on, Wolf.
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Post by rmcalhoun on Mar 20, 2018 11:44:41 GMT -6
Not too mention other teams will be coming on as well. We will probably by a top 3 or 4 team but after 5-6 years and not even a sniff of championship or real tournament.. I am concerned
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Post by cardfan on Mar 20, 2018 11:56:55 GMT -6
Bottom line is we can't keep recruiting 4th seed/one and done talent that can't get us above a pay for play post season level. And we can't coach them that way.
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Post by Lurkin McGurkin on Mar 20, 2018 12:02:44 GMT -6
Should I be concerned, worried, or alarmed?
Troubled?
Distressed?
Honestly, I don't take BSU sports that seriously. Sure, I want our teams to do well, but I don't lose sleep over it.
Fifteen years or so of shitty performance tends to make me care a lot less than I used to. I've resigned myself to the fact that the administration doesn't take it seriously, so why should I?
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Post by williamtsherman on Mar 20, 2018 12:25:34 GMT -6
My level of concern is zero because I already know what will happen.
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Post by rmcalhoun on Mar 20, 2018 12:38:42 GMT -6
Should I be concerned, worried, or alarmed? Troubled? Distressed? Honestly, I don't take BSU sports that seriously. Sure, I want our teams to do well, but I don't lose sleep over it. Fifteen years or so of shitty performance tends to make me care a lot less than I used to. I've resigned myself to the fact that the administration doesn't take it seriously, so why should I? Agreed its just kind of what it is.... Its BSUish |
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Post by cardsfan606 on Mar 20, 2018 12:45:21 GMT -6
Top off the conference won’t change much, each team losses one core player but with that said anything less than an appearance in the conference championship will be disappointing. Exiting early in the quarter finals would be extremely disappointing
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Post by Lurkin McGurkin on Mar 20, 2018 13:48:57 GMT -6
Should I be concerned, worried, or alarmed? Troubled? Distressed? Honestly, I don't take BSU sports that seriously. Sure, I want our teams to do well, but I don't lose sleep over it. Fifteen years or so of shitty performance tends to make me care a lot less than I used to. I've resigned myself to the fact that the administration doesn't take it seriously, so why should I? Agreed its just kind of what it is.... Its BSUish Something that struck me as a prime example of BSUish: Clearing the snow from only one section of the steps leading up to the entrances of Worthen, then caution-taping off the rest. It seems like such a small thing (that's what SHE said!) but it really makes a statement when the facilities folks can't clear off all the steps. That statement is, "We're BSUish. We don't expect enough people to trouble ourselves enough to clear them all." Small-time thinking. |
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Post by cardfan on Mar 20, 2018 13:56:51 GMT -6
The thinking has been small time /visionless for a long time.
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Post by 00hmh on Mar 20, 2018 14:00:28 GMT -6
The thinking has been small time /visionless for a long time. When was there a big time vision? |
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Post by reevo on Mar 20, 2018 14:06:49 GMT -6
The thinking has been small time /visionless for a long time. When was there a big time vision? Talk of moving to Conference USA before the NCAA sanctions. University Arena is built. We had a vision that came crashing down when the NCAA fu**ed us up the ass. I know firsthand we WERE considering going to Conference USA before the sanctions. |
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