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Post by realitycheck on Feb 11, 2024 11:11:08 GMT -6
Unfortunately now if you’re a Mid Major coach you better love on the kids a lot because without money there is probably no other way. They got to want to play for you…run through doors for you! I hope I’m wrong but Lewis may not be that guy! Without money you will not keep the most talented kids. The running through doors loving the coach part is not going to work.
I am not so sure as you that "loving" the kids produces great practice or great game effort.
The Great Excusener continues to spin. If nothing else, you are consistent. There literally has never been a coach or season you can’t or won’t come up with an argument for why we failed to the tune of 24 years and counting. We have no idea how good Britain-Watts would have been but probably in the rotation and we saw Doughty and he was a typical freshman big man, a few flashes but not ready for extended minutes and very inconsistent. It doesn’t change the fact most of our bench is unplayable and we are mediocre even at full strength. We don’t know how to finish. We’re starting players who should be coming off the bench. We didn’t work the portal hard enough or soon enough. Those are facts despite your word play. I’m not giving up on Coach Lewis because I really do think he’s a good coach and developer of talent but he needs to work the portal like his job depends on it because it does. In my opinion, I also think he needs to lighten his demeanor both for the sake of his health and the ability to retain his best recruits. |
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Post by williamtsherman on Feb 11, 2024 11:22:14 GMT -6
Yeah, relying on your predecessor to supply your talent for you worked OK for the first year. Not so good the second year, although Jihad is trying his best to carry the team on his back. I might suggest a new plan of recruiting the portal like a m----- f-----. Instead of getting ripped a new one by the portal again.
I disagree that we never recruit freshmen .... Do you want to rule out ever recruiting freshmen? the distortion of someone else’s argument to make it easier to attack or refute. Instead of addressing the actual argument of the opponent |
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Post by 00hmh on Feb 11, 2024 11:31:02 GMT -6
Without money you will not keep the most talented kids. The running through doors loving the coach part is not going to work.
I am not so sure as you that "loving" the kids produces great practice or great game effort.
The Great Excusener continues to spin. If nothing else, you are consistent. There literally has never been a coach or season you can’t or won’t come up with an argument for why we failed to the tune of 24 years and counting. We have no idea how good Britain-Watts would have been but probably in the rotation and we saw Doughty and he was a typical freshman big man, a few flashes but not ready for extended minutes and very inconsistent. It doesn’t change the fact most of our bench is unplayable and we are mediocre even at full strength. We don’t know how to finish. We’re starting players who should be coming off the bench. We didn’t work the portal hard enough or soon enough. Those are facts despite your word play. I’m not giving up on Coach Lewis because I really do think he’s a good coach and developer of talent but he needs to work the portal like his job depends on it because it does. In my opinion, I also think he needs to lighten his demeanor both for the sake of his health and the ability to retain his best recruits. I agree with most of that. Doughty, healthy from day one would have had PT and would have had a chance to be a solid rotation player, as would Watts, day one. We would have been a better team. If Lewis had known we were losing as much, he'd have hit the portal harder, earlier, call it a gamble lost he was willing to take that he'd keep more and his recruits develop. We'll never know about Adams and whether he was in the plans, and it looks like he had hopes for Bell. Whatever, it hasn't worked.h I'm willing to bet he swung and missed on some kids in the portal late, call that a fail. But, I agree with your concluding paragraphs completely. |
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Post by 00hmh on Feb 11, 2024 11:41:29 GMT -6
I disagree that we never recruit freshmen .... Do you want to rule out ever recruiting freshmen? the distortion of someone else’s argument to make it easier to attack or refute. Instead of addressing the actual argument of the opponent Just say what you think about recruiting freshmen, and we'll know how many portal recruits you wanted this year and at what point in the recruiting cycle. It's not a straw man. Easy now with 20-20 hindsight to say recruit the portal harder. What's that mean? Which transfers would you have not taken? As far as freshmen, which freshmen would you have not taken? Lewis was making decisions in real time under conditions of uncertainty. |
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Post by amishalum on Feb 11, 2024 12:01:48 GMT -6
If I was a coach at a mid-major I would be focused almost exclusively on grabbing jucos and star players from lower-level division 1 teams. I wouldn’t bother with recruiting HS kids. Its all about getting players with experience and proven skills not a player that needs some development work like someone fresh out of HS
Rather cynical and business like but that’s what college ball has become. P5 raids the best players from the mid-majors. Mid-majors need to raid lower Div1 ranks
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Post by williamtsherman on Feb 11, 2024 12:24:52 GMT -6
Without money you will not keep the most talented kids. The running through doors loving the coach part is not going to work.
I am not so sure as you that "loving" the kids produces great practice or great game effort.
The Great Excusener continues to spin. If nothing else, you are consistent. There literally has never been a coach or season you can’t or won’t come up with an argument for why we failed to the tune of 24 years and counting. We have no idea how good Britain-Watts would have been but probably in the rotation and we saw Doughty and he was a typical freshman big man, a few flashes but not ready for extended minutes and very inconsistent. It doesn’t change the fact most of our bench is unplayable and we are mediocre even at full strength. We don’t know how to finish. We’re starting players who should be coming off the bench. We didn’t work the portal hard enough or soon enough. Those are facts despite your word play. I’m not giving up on Coach Lewis because I really do think he’s a good coach and developer of talent but he needs to work the portal like his job depends on it because it does. In my opinion, I also think he needs to lighten his demeanor both for the sake of his health and the ability to retain his best recruits. As transparently stupid as his posts tend to be they do provide us a certain service. I believe they give an accurate reflection of the low-expectation excuse-based culture of the administration. This helps to explain things like keeping on failed coaches for years on end and the inability to contend for a MAC title even one time in 24 years |
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Post by CallingBS on Feb 11, 2024 12:27:29 GMT -6
If I was a coach at a mid-major I would be focused almost exclusively on grabbing jucos and star players from lower-level division 1 teams. I wouldn’t bother with recruiting HS kids. Its all about getting players with experience and proven skills not a player that needs some development work like someone fresh out of HS Rather cynical and business like but that’s what college ball has become. P5 raids the best players from the mid-majors. Mid-majors need to raid lower Div1 ranks I like that approach too, because it reduces how much our coaches, programs, and facilities get used as "minor league" franchises for P5 (or whatever the hell it is now) schools. |
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Post by thebsukid on Feb 11, 2024 14:05:06 GMT -6
I either didn’t not explain clearly or what I said was misinterpreted. I definitely was not excusing anyone for our train wreck.
Lewis lost most of the talent recruited by the prior staff in Boogie, Sparks, Sellers, and even Bum. Do you note that he appears to be contributing at Niagara.
He lost virtually all of these guys because of how he talked in practice and in the locker room to them; I heard this directly from two of their fathers. Were these two fathers making excuses? I’m not sure but it would seem that their comments fit Lewis’ demeanor.
Maybe Coach has learned from his Freshman mistakes I hope but I’m not sure if that’s the case. I hope so.
One thing is for certain, he needs to retain Jihad, Anderson, Bailey, Middleton, Jones and even possibly the Freshman Center but for the remainder I believe he has already sent the message they are not going to play. Hopefully they transfer and he recruits better!
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Post by 00hmh on Feb 11, 2024 14:06:11 GMT -6
If I was a coach at a mid-major I would be focused almost exclusively on grabbing jucos and star players from lower-level division 1 teams. I wouldn’t bother with recruiting HS kids. Its all about getting players with experience and proven skills not a player that needs some development work like someone fresh out of HS Rather cynical and business like but that’s what college ball has become. P5 raids the best players from the mid-majors. Mid-majors need to raid lower Div1 ranks I like that approach too, because it reduces how much our coaches, programs, and facilities get used as "minor league" franchises for P5 (or whatever the hell it is now) schools. It's really a question of how many transfers. Some continuity is desirable, and I don't think you can avoid losing best players. HS players may be your 4 year players, but only if they don't pan out... |
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Post by realitycheck on Feb 11, 2024 14:46:54 GMT -6
I either didn’t not explain clearly or what I said was misinterpreted. I definitely was not excusing anyone for our train wreck. Lewis lost most of the talent recruited by the prior staff in Boogie, Sparks, Sellers, and even Bum. Do you note that he appears to be contributing at Niagara. He lost virtually all of these guys because of how he talked in practice and in the locker room to them; I heard this directly from two of their fathers. Were these two fathers making excuses? I’m not sure but it would seem that their comments fit Lewis’ demeanor. Maybe Coach has learned from his Freshman mistakes I hope but I’m not sure if that’s the case. I hope so. One thing is for certain, he needs to retain Jihad, Anderson, Bailey, Middleton, Jones and even possibly the Freshman Center but for the remainder I believe he has already sent the message they are not going to play. Hopefully they transfer and he recruits better! Hey Kid, to be clear I was not referring to you at all but to someone else’s response to your post. You get it and have more inside connections than most. I personally like Coach Lewis and I was 100% behind his hire and approach after 9 years or whatever it was of milquetoast Whitford but if he doesn’t dial down his Knighthood he will run out his core players. I think the only long shot we have at keeping Basheer is with a big check and even that may not be enough. Unless we miraculously make the finals of the MAC Tournament I think he’s gone and it may be a domino after that of guys we wanted to keep. Hope I’m wrong about that and right about making the finals but I don’t think I am. 😕 |
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Post by thebsukid on Feb 11, 2024 15:00:14 GMT -6
Yes Reality, after I wrote that I got to thinking your post was not aimed at me, am I bad.
I totally 100% agree with everything you have said, I too liked the Lewis hire but he needs to reassess some of his methods otherwise to your point he will be dealing with virtually 100% turnover every year!
If he can modify his approach somewhat and keep 3/4 of the core players plus dispose of 5-6 players and recruit up from them then just maybe.
I think next year is truly critical for his success at BSU!!
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Post by williamtsherman on Feb 11, 2024 15:12:57 GMT -6
I posted earlier this season, after a very quick and superficial analysis, that the successful MAC teams seemed to be about 2 parts portal to 1 part HS recruiting. At least for their starters. If you looked at the whole roster, it's probably closer to even as they might have more developmental players on the bench.
But at this particular moment in time, with BSU's roster being what it is, Lewis absolutely HAS to work the portal successfully. Especially since the portal made Lewis its bitch last off-season. That's just not going to work going forward. Also he's likely to be completely out of Whitford players to keep him afloat.
He's lost that new car smell that a coach has initially. He is in danger of entering the death spiral where losing leads to a bad image which leads to poor recruiting which leads to more losing....and so on.
So he is in danger of failing as a head coach, but if you think it's critical for his continued employment in the near and medium term that he improves the roster next year...well, you're just wrong. If you've been paying any attention, you know that he can have 4 more years of shit results before he is in any danger.
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Post by redbirdman on Feb 11, 2024 15:20:37 GMT -6
No doubt Lewis is going to be in a make or break in his 3rd year. Odds of keeping Jihad are probably slim but just as meaningful is who wants him. I would be surprised if he transfers in conference although Toledo might go after him. Outside the MAC who knows what attention he will get. I think Michigan with a new coach will be looking for lots of players.
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Post by realitycheck on Feb 11, 2024 15:30:48 GMT -6
I know most of us keep referring to Knights influence on Lewis and his style but I believe it’s really an amalgam of different things. First, I think Mike was fiery and a fighter as a player. It’s just who he is and as a result he expects kids to be tough as well. I also think we sometimes fail to consider the Mick Cronin factor. I watched some of the UCLA game the other night and first of all he was decked out in a tailor made suit (sound familiar?). I’ve also listened to some Cronin interviews and quotes and he is intense. He’s also very uncompromising and a bit of a perfectionist. Those are all good traits when mixed together appropriately but there’s a stark difference between UCLA and Sunset Blvd. and Ball State and Bethel Ave. Losing good players to the portal and the NBA is far more manageable when you have the resources, history and So Cal as your campus. Reloading is like shopping on Rodeo Drive…lots of appealing options. Slightly different than the Muncie Mall at a school who hasn’t sniffed the Dance in almost a quarter of a century. That hurt just now to write that. Nearly 25 years since a MAC title and being in the bracket.
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Post by cardfan on Feb 11, 2024 16:08:03 GMT -6
Spot on RC. Cronin is super intense and got criticized for that at Cincy. It was a surprise when ucla hired him, because Westwood and prima donnas and soft and all that. Lewis saw how successful Cronin was despite his very hard edges so why not be able to do that at bsu. I know Lewis is very hard in terms of language and how he coaches but I also think he compliments those kids when they’ve earned it and he’s trying to teach them about life. Life is hard. But, he’s at a crossroads— this year is pretty much a total loss at this point so his options going forward are to either assess himself and decide maybe he could alter some of his approaches/messaging, recruit the portal like a beast, and become the coach and mentor he can be, or, he can not change a damn thing, continue to burn out and alienate players (if they really leave because of him and not NIL,) keep missing on kids who can’t play, underachieve and ultimately fail as a head coach. There is no in between for him. I thought he was a great hire and I’m not giving up on him yet, but a lot needs to happen.
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