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Post by amishalum on Feb 25, 2024 9:39:30 GMT -6
Lewis has mentioned after several games that his messages are not getting through or the players aren’t getting it. After so many games I’m thinking that’s on the coach not the players
If his coaching style causes todays players to tune him out I’m not sure he’s going to be able to attract better talent from the portal as others have mentioned
It’s very difficult for most people to be honest with themselves and see where they need to change to set themselves up for future success. It’s human nature to just keep doing what you’ve always done and expect the world to adapt around you. We’ll see next season I guess.
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Post by williamtsherman on Feb 25, 2024 10:31:14 GMT -6
Having now watched the post-game, I would say that Lewis is being honest with himself and the world about what's going on. He seems to have no illusions about it. That's good and makes me have some sympathy for him. The question is whether or not he can adjust his style and/or get a different set of players who both have talent and are receptive to his way of coaching.
Sympathetic as I may be, and as difficult as the task is, I would want to give someone else a go, if Lewis can't pull it off with next year's roster. It's difficult, but not THAT difficult. There are coaches every year that do it in the MAC well enough to contend for a championship. There is no reason we shouldn't demand this of our coaches.
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Post by cardfan on Feb 25, 2024 10:38:54 GMT -6
Having now watched the post-game, I would say that Lewis is being honest with himself and the world about what's going on. He seems to have no illusions about it. That's good and makes me have some sympathy for him. The question is whether or not he can adjust his style and/or get a different set of players who both have talent and are receptive to his way of coaching. Sympathetic as I may be, and as difficult as the task is, I would want to give someone else a go, if Lewis can't pull it off with next year's roster. It's difficult, but not THAT difficult. There are coaches every year that do it in the MAC well enough to contend for a championship. There is no reason we shouldn't demand this of our coaches. Yes. |
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Post by realitycheck on Feb 25, 2024 11:20:37 GMT -6
One thing I've observed at our games which I find curious and something that validates some of Lewis' post-game presser comments. We come out of a TO and obviously we've called a play for our next offensive possession but he has to direct traffic and tell guys where to go like they're confused as to what we're running or can't recall where they are supposed to be. That is mind blowing to me after 27 games. Not so much Bashir but sometimes with Pearson and and the first-year guys including the transfers. How can you forget what we called or what you're supposed to do thirty seconds after we just called it in the huddle?
I also agree that we are so situationally inconsistent in close games in the last 5 minutes. We were up 49-43 in the 2nd half with three straight trips to push it to eight or better and we either turned it over or chucked up a quick three. Eastern had not won a MAC road game so on your floor in the last 10 minutes you have to crush them and they'll do what bad teams do...fold. Instead, we didn't give it to our post guy and didn't run the offense. The Achilles for Lewis is when that happens on a team with adequate depth, you start benching people until they get the message and listen. We have no bench so no lessons learned other than Lewis literally directing them where to go on a set play. Insane.
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Post by thebsukid on Feb 25, 2024 11:31:18 GMT -6
Reevo is right on the mark from my perspective.
Coach lost his 3 best players and didn’t recruit up but rather backwards.
He did not totally lose the three best players because of NIL and that’s a fact!
As Reevo said and several of us have said Coach Lewis better lose at least 4-6 players somehow someway and recruit like there’s no tomorrow or he’s toast!!
By the way, I to thought he was a very good hire but after one more year….see ya!
The difference between rape and rapture may be the approach.
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Post by CallingBS on Feb 25, 2024 11:34:11 GMT -6
The after game pres conference is very interesting. Players answer questions first, then leave before Coach speaks. Bottom line, they don't listen. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUeKODWIbuoGo Cards! RF Yikes - finally watched the presser. That was super awwwwwwwwkward, especially the part where he tells the players they can stay and they just leave anyway. It's gonna be an interesting offseason, which starts really soon. I'd imagine some guys will just want to finish their degree, but others will bolt, and yet others will be pushed out. I would not be surprised to see some staff defections as well, given how much he screams at them during games. I'd also be worried that the word is out on the recruiting trail and in the portal about how much fun it is to be in this program, as Sherm alluded to. I *think* he can coach (although starting to have strong doubts), but he has to do some soul-searching and change his ways in short order. |
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eastern
Feb 25, 2024 11:36:14 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by 00hmh on Feb 25, 2024 11:36:14 GMT -6
Having now watched the post-game, I would say that Lewis is being honest with himself and the world about what's going on. He seems to have no illusions about it. That's good and makes me have some sympathy for him. The question is whether or not he can adjust his style and/or get a different set of players who both have talent and are receptive to his way of coaching. Sympathetic as I may be, and as difficult as the task is, I would want to give someone else a go, if Lewis can't pull it off with next year's roster. It's difficult, but not THAT difficult. There are coaches every year that do it in the MAC well enough to contend for a championship. There is no reason we shouldn't demand this of our coaches. I totally agree about the post game Lewis comments. We do agree he's painfully aware, and has been, of limitations this year. It isn't lack of will to win on his part, or lack of effort. His bench is just not there. He takes responsibility that the starters either don't get it or can't be focused. About the bench everyone knows, "It is what it is " About the roster he's said in the past he didn't get everything he wanted. You can't completely make up for that bench. When he says we're "not close" to competing for a championship" it is clearly frustrating to him to see that when the team follows their training they get results matching their abilities. Not top level, but not the low we are seeing. His goal of getting a team playing to it's ability is just what you want. A telling comment was that last year's team had talent to maybe win a championship and it only met the staff half way...this team not even that. Player change is not impossible. Players can get smarter. I'm not sure I want too much coaching change. Trying to win with players who won't listen, it means players have to be a lot more talented. Maybe some of it is just time some players need to adjust, gain immaturity, that might change. Some is obviously freshman where they are on the learning curve. Short run, if he can't use bench, he's between the rock and hard place. So can he get enough new players, at least add bench? Nobody wants to hear this, but I doubt the option of a buyout after next year...but a better roster with a bench we should expect. |
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Post by CallingBS on Feb 25, 2024 11:44:14 GMT -6
Another note about the presser: He finally kinda dogged last year's team, basically saying they underachieved. He seems to have a very strong external locus of control. While I do agree with Sherm that he is aware of and publicly owning the situation, there's a dissonance between that and his actions.
I feel bad for him as well. I know he risked his career to come here, and his family suffers with him. Those are the realities of coaching at this level. I've seen many a coach come and go at BSU who just couldn't get out of their own way. Hopefully Michael figures it out and thrives in the coming years, but it starts with him.
And as far as winning goes, it should be relatively easy to win here compared to other MAC schools. Sure, everyone else is trying to win too, but the league is as atrocious as it's been in probably 40 years. You have nice facilities and an excellent recruiting geography. Fans and the state have been sitting around waiting for us to win for almost 25 years. If ISU can do it in the MVC, we can certainly do it in the MAC. Think about it - to have 4,700 there to watch THAT team and THAT trainwreck against THAT EMU team says a whole lot about the community and fan base's desire to see a winner.
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Post by williamtsherman on Feb 25, 2024 12:13:52 GMT -6
Think about it - to have 4,700 there to watch THAT team and THAT trainwreck against THAT EMU team says a whole lot about the community and fan base's desire to see a winner. Indeed, there are MAC programs that, unlike BSU, have been contending for championships on a fairly regular basis recently and who would kill to have that turnout like that for a consequential game against their biggest rival. And BSU gets it for two dogshit teams that probably won't even make the MAC tourney who were almost guaranteed to put on an exhibition of low-quality, spiritless basketball. "Nobody wants to hear this, but I doubt the option of a buyout after next year"Yes, yes. We know that we HAD to write a contract that tied our hands and insured a coach against his own failure, because that's the conventional way of doing it and departing from that would have been absolutely terrifying for the sort of people overseeing our program. So we deliberately left ourselves with no options, even though that approach has absolutely f----d us in the a-- multiple times over the last 23 years. Smart. |
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eastern
Feb 25, 2024 12:16:58 GMT -6
Post by 00hmh on Feb 25, 2024 12:16:58 GMT -6
We are missing too many pieces to be an effective offensive team. We don’t have a true point guard or a true post up 4/5. We have been forced to start guys that should be coming off of the bench. Jihad is probably the only true starter we have at this moment... I believe the guy can coach but he better find kids that are like minded as him. We may have 3 starters on a good team, but a point guard and good post defender we don't have.
We actually lost 4 good players who could start on a MAC champion, I can't fault any coach for not being able to replace all of them with equals. We didn't exactly have that post defender, but we had a PG last year. Graduated. We might survive lack of a post defender, if we'd replaced those 3 players, or 2 of them and kept Coleman. We can score in the paint if we just go to the rim as you suggest without a post up guy.
I also think the lack of bench makes it awfully hard for players not to look soft and to lose focus at the end. At least not until they are seniors, physically and mentally mature. I don't know if we have a player that fits that description. Last year it was our PG, and nobody else really, not both.
I give him next year to completely turn this around. I seriously doubt we have the option to give him just next year. If wishes were horses we might get 3 home runs recruiting and completely turn it all around, but I also doubt that. Surely we need to get more talent, and surely we need to see a change in quality of play. More talent playing to it's ability, we have a winner. I see a group of soft kids that have absolutely no basketball IQ. Some are skilled but just don’t understand the game of basketball. Why we were not attacking the rim just blew my mind the last 4 minutes. It honestly does not matter as this group would be one and done in the tournament anyway. I hope Lewis has a list of guys that need to go as shitty as it sounds. We cannot bring back half of this roster if he expects a turn around. Every roster will have some players that aren't going to be everything we want, so I'd guess we need 3 or 4 to go, not 6 or 7. I expect we see the two recruits we have signed to be good gets, but we need to add 2 very good players, and 3 if we lose Jihad. One has to be another PG, with Middletoni improving, one a post defender. Anderson, Bailey, Jones, Pearson, Middleton, can be a lot better players with all of them playing fewer minutes and two coming off the bench. Having players like Brown, Doughty and the two new recruits developing is just fine. You're probably right, all these guys need to get tougher or get gone.
Let's face it, soft players are going to win the MAC, and rarely will a team without a bench be able to be tough enough to win, so it's not Lewis I'd want to change, it is players realizing that and getting ready to be tough enough to win. |
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Feb 25, 2024 12:30:15 GMT -6
Post by 00hmh on Feb 25, 2024 12:30:15 GMT -6
Think about it - to have 4,700 there to watch THAT team and THAT trainwreck against THAT EMU team says a whole lot about the community and fan base's desire to see a winner. Indeed, there are MAC programs that, unlike BSU, have been contending for championships on a fairly regular basis recently and who would kill to have that turnout like that for a consequential game against their biggest rival. "Nobody wants to hear this, but I doubt the option of a buyout after next year"Yes, yes. We know that we HAD to write a contract that tied our hands and insured a coach against his own failure, because that's the conventional way of doing it and departing from that would have been absolutely terrifying for the sort of people overseeing our program. So we deliberately left ourselves with no options, even though that approach has absolutely f----d us in the a-- multiple times over the last 23 years. Smart. You are back in fantasy land complaining about coaching guarantees, that's the real world, not bad management.
No Sherm. It's money that is the problem. It's not conformity, unless meeting a budget is what you are talking about. And teams that have been winning in the MAC and have lower turnout, they still have better budgets, can better afford the albatross of MAC FB.
Yes, all those recent winners, they did make better hiring decisions in the past. Cry about that, and yes, none of them have made disastrous coaching hires as we did and we have paid for it. But they all guaranteed their coaching contracts, didn't they?
Don't pretend money isn't at least part of that good coach thing too. We lucked out with Ray on a shoestring, and in part we decided that would be the BSU way.
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eastern
Feb 25, 2024 12:39:46 GMT -6
Post by williamtsherman on Feb 25, 2024 12:39:46 GMT -6
What we do and don't need at this point is hard to say. The tone of the players in that presser was funereal. Guliani's press conference after 9/11 was jovial, playful and lighthearted in comparison.
Lewis may need to bring over Zagorsak's KK Zadar’ U-19 teammates en masse to fill jerseys next year.
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Post by david75bsu on Feb 25, 2024 12:55:59 GMT -6
The after game pres conference is very interesting. Players answer questions first, then leave before Coach speaks. Bottom line, they don't listen. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUeKODWIbuoGo Cards! RF Ouch! When the kids get up and he says “you can stay” and they literally push in their chairs and walk away. He has lost this team, may have never had them to start. They are going to be rushing out the door to see who can get to the portal first! I thought that’s what I heard him say. Now that it’s confirmed, not sure he will have a team for the next game! The house is literally on fire! Maybe they should sell the arena to the lowest bidder and leave Dodge! |
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eastern
Feb 25, 2024 13:35:41 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by bsu1 on Feb 25, 2024 13:35:41 GMT -6
Yikes - finally watched the presser. That was super awwwwwwwwkward, especially the part where he tells the players they can stay and they just leave
anyway. For those of us who haven't seen the presser, please explain.
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Post by cardfan on Feb 25, 2024 14:11:00 GMT -6
Yikes - finally watched the presser. That was super awwwwwwwwkward, especially the part where he tells the players they can stay and they just leave anyway. For those of us who haven't seen the presser, please explain. The questions are mostly cringy “is this a game you felt you couldn’t afford to lose?” Nah, no big deal losing …. When the questions for the players were done someone said “thanks guys.” Players immediately got up and bailed and ignored Lewis when he said they could stay. Was just an odd dynamic. |
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