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Post by bigdobber on Jan 29, 2009 8:51:32 GMT -5
I expected a win last night like everybody else. I am also realistic enough to know that this team has to play a great game to beat any D1 team. Schmidt has done a respectable job in upgrading the talent and this is an ongoing process. To put the loss on Eleby, Schmidt, Benson, the student section or lack of playing time for Thomas and Nicholson is making an excuse for lack of talent. If you read some of the posts it is implied that we are loaded with talent and I just don't see it. I am looking at the next 9 games as an opportunity for the Bonnies to make the year end tournament for the first time in 6 or 7 years. The program has definite needs that will be addressed, but right now the team needs to focus on the next 9 games. I still think 3 wins will do it and I still expect the Bonnies to pull off a mild upset. Many seem to forget that before Schmidt arrived the season was basically over by the end of January and the coach had lost the team. I don't see that happening now.
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Post by portpasses on Jan 29, 2009 9:47:14 GMT -5
bigdobber - I agree with your "big picture" view, but the frustration comes from the missed opportunity last night. No matter how poorly they played or the bad coaching decisions that were made, that was a game we should have won. Even 2 more minutes on the court for Thomas and Nicholson probably makes a difference in the 2 point loss.
And, I have to agree with the assessments of Eleby. I have had as much patience as anyone waiting for him to development, but over the last month it looks to me like he's regressing. And to be honest, what bothers me the most about his performance last night is not the turnovers or missed layup, but the fact that when the buzzer sounded, he ran into the locker room to hide while the rest of his teammates shook hands with the Rams and faced the defeat like men.
You are right though that in the grand scheme of things, the goal is still to make the A10 tourney and continue progressing forward. I still think we are going in the right direction.
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Post by bigdobber on Jan 29, 2009 10:01:16 GMT -5
Maybe Eleby wasn't as good as his press clippings although as a Sophomore I think it is unfair to make that judgement now. What I remember with Sol was all the top prospects we were in with who never made the commitment to come. I think Sol built the reputations of these kids up to make it seem like the program was on it's way. Looking back, we were not going anywhere. Schmidt comes in and finds Nicholson in Canada where we have always found successful kids and is making inroads in NYC, Philly, DC and Ohio. If we win 13-15 games this year the program can honestly say that it has turned the corner because the record will reflect it. Schmidt is filling the roster out with JUCO players but building a solid base with 4 year recruits. Davenport is the first kid from Ohio and looks like a legitimate D1 player and hopefully he is here for 4 years. Nicholson the same with huge upside. Conger is a 4 year recruit. Eleby and Cook will be here for 4 years and are going to get better. I am confident that the foundation is in place for better days and think alot of the criticism is unwarranted.
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Post by njbona02 on Jan 29, 2009 11:52:55 GMT -5
The foundation is in place but if you want to talk about Eleby just watch the games. Hes terrible. He turns the ball over and is not a threat to score ever. Hes just terrible. To make it worse he blew a WIDE OPEN layup to tie the game. Hes a liability to this teams development. I know the future is strong but eleby is not.
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Post by Chuck on Jan 29, 2009 21:50:26 GMT -5
I expected a win last night like everybody else. I am also realistic enough to know that this team has to play a great game to beat any D1 team. Schmidt has done a respectable job in upgrading the talent and this is an ongoing process. To put the loss on Eleby, Schmidt, Benson, the student section or lack of playing time for Thomas and Nicholson is making an excuse for lack of talent. Do not agree with the above. Bonnies have a lot more talent than you are giving them credit, especially in comparison to last night's opponent. Fordham has 1 returning starter from last year (Brenton Butler) and he was lost after the 7th game with a high ankle sprain. Only prized recruit on their roster is freshman Jio Fontan (ranked 144th by Rivals). By the way Jio played the entire game last night, while fellow freshman Andrew Nicholson played just 27 minutes. Jio is averaging 9 minutes more playing time per game. Now consider the Bonnies have 2 returning starters (Carter and Benson) and neither starts, because of the upgrade in talent. Maurice Thomas (ranked 139th by Rivals) Jonathan Hall (MVP of JUCO tournament) and with Andrew Nicholson, obviously gives the Bonnies a huge advantage in talent. Absolutely agree with you about Schmidt doing an incredible job in his 2 years with the Bonnies and the future is bright, but I do not know how anyone can defend Schmidt's coaching last night. Please justify Schmidt's decision to place Malcolm in the game for the last 28 seconds, especially after spending the previous 13 minutes on the bench. Schmidt is a good coach, but he had a lapse last night. |
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therc
Junior Member
Posts: 390
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Post by therc on Jan 29, 2009 22:02:41 GMT -5
I expected a win last night like everybody else. I am also realistic enough to know that this team has to play a great game to beat any D1 team. Schmidt has done a respectable job in upgrading the talent and this is an ongoing process. To put the loss on Eleby, Schmidt, Benson, the student section or lack of playing time for Thomas and Nicholson is making an excuse for lack of talent. Do not agree with the above. Bonnies have a lot more talent than you are giving them credit, especially in comparison to last night's opponent. Fordham has 1 returning starter from last year (Brenton Butler) and he was lost after the 7th game with a high ankle sprain. Only prized recruit on their roster is freshman Jio Fontan (ranked 144th by Rivals). By the way Jio played the entire game last night, while fellow freshman Andrew Nicholson played just 27 minutes. Jio is averaging 9 minutes more playing time per game. Now consider the Bonnies have 2 returning starters (Carter and Benson) and neither starts, because of the upgrade in talent. Maurice Thomas (ranked 139th by Rivals) Jonathan Hall (MVP of JUCO tournament) and with Andrew Nicholson, obviously gives the Bonnies a huge advantage in talent. Absolutely agree with you about Schmidt doing an incredible job in his 2 years with the Bonnies and the future is bright, but I do not know how anyone can defend Schmidt's coaching last night. Please justify Schmidt's decision to place Malcolm in the game for the last 28 seconds, especially after spending the previous 13 minutes on the bench. Schmidt is a good coach, but he had a lapse last night. Agree with you 100 percent Chuck. Remember when we played Mississippi State and their coach swore that we'd finish in the top half of the conference? He wasn't saying that to be nice, it's because he felt we had the talent to do so. That's why last night's game was so disappointing, and it's why being 2-5 right now leaves a really bad taste in all of our mouths. That said, Schmidt has done an extraordinary job as head coach of this team. Last night was pathetic on his part, but I don't hold that against him in the least, because it's pale in comparison to the wonderful work he's done in his time here. |
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Post by GoPadres on Jan 30, 2009 12:08:25 GMT -5
Some blame should go to Eleby for missing the layup, but Nicholson missed a bunch of easy shots in the first half (including I believe 2 wide open dunks). Nicholson and Carter both missed key free throws. There were plenty of spots during the game where the Bonnies could have picked up the 2 points they needed to tie the game.
The head scratching decision for me is Mo's exended time on the bench in the second half. He had already posted a double double, and did a good job staying out of foul trouble.
Lastly, why can't this team rotate back on defense? It has been a recurring problem the last two games. How many dunks did Dayton have following missed Bonnies' jump shots? Usually the point guard rotates back, but it seems like Matthews is getting stuck on the baseline. Someone needs to get back.
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Post by res on Jan 30, 2009 12:47:35 GMT -5
Absolutely agree with you about Schmidt doing an incredible job in his 2 years with the Bonnies and the future is bright, but I do not know how anyone can defend Schmidt's coaching last night. Please justify Schmidt's decision to place Malcolm in the game for the last 28 seconds, especially after spending the previous 13 minutes on the bench. Schmidt is a good coach, but he had a lapse last night. I like Schmidt, too. But if there was a knock on him when he was hired, it was that he was a better recruiter than game-day coach (and presumably that included practice, as well). As (I believe) WH pointed out either last season or over the summer on the A10 board, Mike Rice seems to have done better with Schmidt's recruits at RMU than Schmidt did, even taking into account that they were a year older, etc. I would say the jury is still out. I haven't watched enough of the games this year to take a position either way, but it seems consistent with what people have described here at various points this year. I will say that this team seems to be vastly more talented than in the previous several years, but not nearly as talented as so many people on this board, probably me included, thought a couple of weeks ago. The best X's and O's coach in the world would have bought them only another game or two. Let's face it. They looked OK against a very weak OOC schedule. In a few games, they looked considerably better than OK, but overall they were just OK. Now, that's not a knock, OK is a huge improvement over previous years. But now we're in the a10 portion of the schedule where many wise posters advised that they could struggle. And struggle they have. Losing to Fordham at home is a huge disappointment, but not a huge surprise. I don't think we'll know whether these guys can really play or whether Schmidt can really coach until about this time next year. In the interim, I hope Schmidt and staff can continue their good recruiting. After all, as has often been said, nothing improves a person's coaching ability than having talent. |
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Post by LumsdnA10Academc98 on Jan 30, 2009 15:00:34 GMT -5
Eleby and Cook will be here for 4 years and are going to get better. Sure about that? |
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Post by tomangelone on Jan 30, 2009 16:21:00 GMT -5
Eleby and Cook will be here for 4 years and are going to get better. Sure about that? He shouldn't be sure about that. |
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