I'm not a basketball Xs and Os guy, but I was at the game and to me the most striking thing was the body language of the Ramblers throughout most of the second half, which GoRamblers and others have alluded to.
Hanging heads, slumped shoulders, and an expression on their faces that said "Here we go again, it's only a matter of time until we lose our lead."
Fear, helplessness, resignation...it was all there. The only guy on the bench who showed any spirit was Billy Clark, and the only person in the stands who showed spunk was LU Wolf.
I put the blame squarely on Moser. He's sucked the air out of the Joe with his anal retentive style of coaching. No life, no spirit on the court or in the stands. I'm usually loud and obnoxious in the stands, but I barely registered a protest as the ship slowly sank the second half.
Two examples of Moser's overcoaching. I learned from a reliable source that Moser's installed 45 offensive plays this season. That's way too many. Maybe one reason the Ramblers seem to be standing around is that they're all trying to remember where to go on the play Moser's called.
I'm sure Gene Sullivan didn't have half as many plays, and he ran what plays he did have from the same set. I'm also sure that Sully gave his players a lot more leeway to improvise. And Sully's practices flowed, unlike Moser's which jerk to a halt every couple minutes so that Moser can take advantage of a perceived "teaching moment" and give a lecture.
The second example was at the game, when Moser yanked Cody Johnson after about one minute on the court when he missed a jumper, then proceeded to lecture him on the bench. I'm sure that does wonders for the player's confidence and willingness to take a shot.
I think what may precipitate my final break with Moser was his comments following the game as reported by the Trib:
Quote:
We need better production from certain guys. But the concentration level, the leadership and the will to win in second halves with this team is lacking.
What a weasel. He takes no personal responsibility, but lays the blame squarely on the players. Just like Barry Hinson did, only less colorfully. And Hinson apologized for his remarks.