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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 9:57 am 
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ahunte1 wrote:
JCT wrote:
The four bottom teams in the A-10 men's basketball standings right now are coached by Drew Valentine, Archie Miller, Frank Martin, and Fran Dunphy-- all of whom have been to the NCAA Tournament and have a winning record. They're also all first year coaches with their teams in this league.


Anyway, time to figure out where the hell LaSalle is and try to end on a high note. I'm assuming it's on the east coast? Will we even come home before Brooklyn or stay on the road all week?


I think it’s in Philly, isn’t it? Part of the group of 5 or 6 city D1 schools that play each other? (What novel idea, btw)

Three seniors coming back doesn’t bother me too much, assuming everyone is on board. It’s almost back to a healthy number to have entering and leaving every year. The Wild card, though, of course, is the transfer portal.


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 10:06 am 
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I don't have any problem with them staying. But we need to find minutes for the new blood. Those three are getting 80 minutes a game on a team that stinks. So in that sense I'm surprised they are all staying.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 10:12 am 
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ahunte1 wrote:
I don't have any problem with them staying. But we need to find minutes for the new blood. Those three are getting 80 minutes a game on a team that stinks. So in that sense I'm surprised they are all staying.


It's hard, for me at least, to talk about next season without talking about what I view as 'necessary roster shakeup.' I never want to talk about current players leaving, but I'll just say that I think the coaches need to have some 'uncomfortable conversations' following this season. The athleticism gap between many of our current players and the average A10 roster was pretty crystal clear this season.


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 10:15 am 
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I'm on the side that says the program has come too far to throw all that momentum away with excuses, low expectations, etc. If we want LUC to be a perennial tourney contender program, we need to expect the team to be a perennial tourney contender.

That being said, best case scenario for all parties involved is that Drew is able to turn things around next year, and he is definitely going to get the chance to do so. But another year like this is unacceptable. We don't need to be tourney contenders next year, but we need to be clearly heading that direction.

I also suspect we might see more portal defections than many are expecting. We'll see. I'm hoping the core young guys stick around, and we fill in with a high-floor, solid defense role players to fill in at PG and C. I think the developing core of Quinn/Edwards/Dawson/Schweiger will play well getting most of the wing minutes next year. But we need a guy to give us rock-solid PG minutes to take the pressure of Braden and Marquise (who I really really hope can have a healthy final year, he deserves it and would be a huge plus for us). And since I'm convinced Hutty is gone, and we need better defense down low anyway, would be nice to have an athletic big while Rubin develops (I don't think we should count on him being our savior, at least not next year).

Oh, and we definitely need some experienced hands in the assistant coaching positions, who will actually be on the bench during the games to help Drew. We are too often getting outmaneuvered in the X's and O's, not getting favorable matchups, not working the refs effectively, not drawing up effective plays out of timeouts. The staff came up with one brilliant wrinkle in conference play with low-post double-teams that led to a run of competitive games, but once the book was out on it, we have failed to come up with anything else (and our low-post defense has been horrid ever since). To some degree I think the staff threw their hands up and said that's the best they can do with the big guys they currently have (or at least that they were willing to play...), which is certainly a recipe for losing.


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 11:01 am 
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RAMBLOR wrote:
Oh, and we definitely need some experienced hands in the assistant coaching positions, who will actually be on the bench during the games to help Drew. We are too often getting outmaneuvered in the X's and O's, not getting favorable matchups, not working the refs effectively, not drawing up effective plays out of timeouts. The staff came up with one brilliant wrinkle in conference play with low-post double-teams that led to a run of competitive games, but once the book was out on it, we have failed to come up with anything else (and our low-post defense has been horrid ever since). To some degree I think the staff threw their hands up and said that's the best they can do with the big guys they currently have (or at least that they were willing to play...), which is certainly a recipe for losing.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS !!!!!!!!

I'm most disappointed in the staff surrounding Drew. I personally believe that if we hired a few tacticians or an X-O guy, we'd have squeezed out 2-3-4 more wins - easy. Hipsher continues being MIA. What's the point of our assistants sitting on the bench if almost none of them are offering instruction / assistance / input and feedback into the strategy and coaching we continue to observe? Everyone's too quiet during games and timeouts. Is Drew too stubborn that he wants full control of the bench and all decision-making and doesn't want the helpers ?

This is a high school quality coaching staff.

I couldn't help but notice Archie Miller's staff had like 8-9 of them standing in line for the anthem while LUC has only 5. (Drew, Amorrow, Dwyer, London, PW).



PS - Add Trey Lewis to the group of wings who will be competing for minutes next year as well.....


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 1:04 pm 
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RamblerRagas wrote:
I couldn't help but notice Archie Miller's staff had like 8-9 of them standing in line for the anthem while LUC has only 5. (Drew, Amorrow, Dwyer, London, PW).


As part of the deal to lure Archie Miller to URI, the staff was very much beefed up. The salary pool was significantly increased (by some 300k/year) and the staff enlarged. Staffing improvement had always been something that former Rhody Coach Dan Hurley had been lobbying for with his pleas being mostly unmet. His assistant David Cox who succeeded him never had the clout to improve it being a first time head coach.

Miller has a full time support staff of six which includes three assistants. He additionally has two grad assistants that are RI natives that played out of state (Butley and GW/Vermont). One of these (Justin) is the brother of Boston Celtics Coach Dan Mazzulla. There are also three other positions that support the program.

URI Roster and Staff
https://gorhody.com/sports/mens-basketb ... ath=mbball


Last edited by Oceaneer on Thu Mar 02, 2023 1:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 1:09 pm 
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Can any of the stat geeks explain why we had two fewer possessions than URI last night?

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 7:26 pm 
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ahunte1 wrote:
Can any of the stat geeks explain why we had two fewer possessions than URI last night?


Offensive rebounds.

I usually stand corrected when drinking. But it would account for why we seem to consistently put up fewer shots than our opponents.


Last edited by NuncEstBibendum on Fri Mar 03, 2023 9:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 7:31 am 
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NuncEstBibendum wrote:
ahunte1 wrote:
Can any of the stat geeks explain why we had two fewer possessions than URI last night?


Offensive rebounds.


Those count as new possessions?

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2023 9:57 am 
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1. Two stats stuck out to me and they are related. They outrebounded us significantly 37-28 and they had 17 second chance points to our 8. Which is related to their 12 offensive rebounds. The problem with an offensive rebound is that the defensive team has already been working hard and now they have to do it all over again for at least another 20 seconds. Also often offensive rebounds are either put backs or they create situations where the defense is out of place. Conclusion we need another inside presence.

2.I watched that Alston foul several times and that foul should never have been called.

3. I feel like I am describing the Kennedy assassination. The last second shot was interesting. We set up with Norris out of bounds with the ball....across from him in order were Alston, Edwards, Schwieger and Wilson . When the play started Scweiger ran towards and then down off a double screen from Alston and Edwards...I think he could have gotten the ball with an option to shoot or drive, Alston the got a double screen from Edwards and Wilson....and here is where I think the play broke down. Alstons defender went under the screens...If Alston had simply stopped and stepped back he would have had a wide open 3. and he is our top 3% shooter. Edwards and Wilson had their guys pinned. In the end the play created a couple good possiblities...I think Alston screwed up. and as people had mentioned you had Norris trying to throw the ball in against a 6'11 guy. But that is the problem with the multi-tool Norris. It was the only player Coach trusted with the ball. Cannot argue with the guy that mentioned Norris has earned that shot...but I wonder if they could have gotten him open for a clean look .

4. We used that goofy double team at the top of the key again. I was hoping that had been put away in the attic...dont mind it on the wing...But we gave up 4 straight baskets trying that top of the key trap.

5. Appreciated how hard the kids continue to play. It has to be a long season for those guys.

But more than anything I was disappointed in the turnout. This was a chance to show the quality of our fans to support our players in what has been a difficult and disappointing season..Students did their job.


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