Hey folks - as a member of the DawgNation community, please remember to abide by simple rules of civil engagement with other members:
- Please no inappropriate usernames (remember that there may be youngsters in the room)
- Personal attacks on other community members are unacceptable, practice the good manners your mama taught you when engaging with fellow Dawg fans
- Use common sense and respect personal differences in the community: sexual and other inappropriate language or imagery, political rants and belittling the opinions of others will get your posts deleted and result in warnings and/ or banning from the forum
- 3/17/19 UPDATE -- We've updated the permissions for our "Football" and "Commit to the G" recruiting message boards. We aim to be the best free board out there and that has not changed. We do now ask that all of you good people register as a member of our forum in order to see the sugar that is falling from our skies, so to speak.
- Please no inappropriate usernames (remember that there may be youngsters in the room)
- Personal attacks on other community members are unacceptable, practice the good manners your mama taught you when engaging with fellow Dawg fans
- Use common sense and respect personal differences in the community: sexual and other inappropriate language or imagery, political rants and belittling the opinions of others will get your posts deleted and result in warnings and/ or banning from the forum
- 3/17/19 UPDATE -- We've updated the permissions for our "Football" and "Commit to the G" recruiting message boards. We aim to be the best free board out there and that has not changed. We do now ask that all of you good people register as a member of our forum in order to see the sugar that is falling from our skies, so to speak.
Options
Comments
Sarcasm
4 big pick-ups for UGA so far -- some 6-7 wings who have hit over 40 percent from 3 at the D-1 level and Abdur-Rahim was NJ Player of the Year and Top 40 two seasons ago. The 6-10 kid should be ok. Need another big man, I'd say.
It’s possible the transfers away from our program were all looking at a lot of reduced playing time with these new transfers coming in to us. Who knows? The Camara one is the one that does hurt, because he is a solid starter on any SEC team. However, the transfers in this week all bode well for 2021-22.
So for now, we can put away the pitch forks and torches and let Crean coach this new influx of talent? Was it Waylon and/or Willie who sang "Leave them boys alone and let 'em sing their songs"? Sounds good to me. Who knows? May turn out like it did with Tray Scott when many wanted to run him out of town. Now? Not so much.
Nope gotta fire him
Wheeler in the portal
Close to firable
Wheeler declared for the NBA draft...so how can he be in the portal?
Not hiring an agent so he is reserving his right to return to school.
This month has been horrible for the hoop Dawgs. Here is a quote from Wheeler in the ESPN article on his announcement:
"To be honest, watching the NCAA tournament was tough -- it was the first time I was jealous of anyone playing basketball. Being isolated due to COVID and not having the experience of playing in the tournament at the end of the year is something I do not want to go through again."
Understandable
Maybe so. I get many other programs are suffering from the same issue with key players transferring. However, we have had three starters on next year’s team leave (so far) and don’t have any extraordinary recruits coming in from high school. We are picking up some very good transfers, but it’s hard to see how we will do any better than we did with Anthony Edwards on the team two years ago. I’m not sure we will ever know why these players are leaving, but it is no longer reasonable to keep our program with CTC if - and this is a big if - another strong coach is available. If not, you just ride out next year, don’t renew his contract, and make a change after yet another year of mediocre basketball.
Our starters weren’t good caliber SEC starters though, we’re they? I watched wheeler last season a bunch and I’m sure he got better second year but his ceiling I think is average SEC PG at best. I didn’t watch hardly any games this season after the horrible start. Not worth my time.
I wonder if Crean is telling the players no starting position is safe I am going out to find as many good players at every position as I can, because he knows he must improve this team top to bottom. And guys are deciding to leave instead of go through that. Just a hunch
I was not enamored of Wheeler as a point guard. A good player but nowhere near the top for SEC point guards. Not sure who'll take his place though.
Exactly my sentiment of Wheeler. Seems like Crean is trying to upgrade at every position to me. I’ve been following the transfers so far and hey, if this is how we have to do it for a year to improve, I’m all for it. Id expect he’s already got a PG that Wheeler caught wind of...
Give him another year, and then we should have a clearer picture of the situation. Just my opinion.
Folks were calling for Stricklin's firing early in his tenure. Now, I don't think anyone would consider it. Give Crean some more time. I don't think we are going to talk Roy Williams out of retirement nor coax coach K to move to Athens.
saying it again. to be kind . crean is not the guy....side note: .coaching in college bball became nearly impossible with the "newportal." tough to invest in kids development when they could jet. the game will have less continuity and random teams may catch fire and win a tittle....so if your into widespread pandemonium in march it may be fun......but expect college bball to look more like aau .....due to most teams = 1 or 2 and done.....its the wild west....if coaches have a tough time investing into players.....think of fans....
It is not impossible...
But it is very different. No more 3-4 year plans with a kid. No focus on long-term development. No building a team with multiple years involved, with moving parts and positions and a recruiting plan that spans multiple classes.
Every year is gonna be a rebuild for just about everybody. You start in April and remake the roster every year. See who leaves, see who stays.
The game will suffer. The maturation of young men will suffer. The investments in the college communities and education will suffer. But, the 19-21 year-olds will" get to make the best decisions for themselves." Which always works out for people in that age group.
So, coaches like Crean MUST adjust how they build a program, how they coach, and how they work with the athletes. More of a partnership, more of a catering to the individual, more of a manager. Can't stress things like sacrifice, selflessness, investment, believing in something bigger than self (NOTHING is bigger than self anymore).
Adapt or die. And I have NO IDEA how Crean runs a program. But I promise it has to change.
FOR EVERY KID THIS PROCESS BENEFITS, IT REALLY HURTS 10 OTHERS. SHORTSIGHTED, IGNORANT, AND WILL HAVE MAJOR CONSEQUENCES SOONER THAN LATER.
Dang it...
All these experts, who believe athletics are about TANGIBLE, MEASURABLE things. They ARE NOT. They really aren't about the "star" kid, the future college player (or future pro on the college rosters). They are not about the money - the "live changing money" that everyone is talking about. The number of signees, or the number of draft picks.
95% of sports are made up of "the other guys." The role players. The unseen, unheard roster-fillers. In ones that invest, the ones that sacrifice, the ones that just want to be a teammate and a success and a part of something beyond their own abilities.
THESE GUYS - THE MAJORITY OF STUDENT-ATHLETES - are getting completely SCREWED by this movement towards the "individual" and "what's best for me."
So, not only will coaches get shuffled out of a profession that is changing by the day, MOST of the athletes will graduate MISSING OUT on what college sports COULD HAVE taught them.
Call me old-fashioned. I prefer "idealist."