The state of Ramnation

[Celticguy]

Tillman's uncle has forgotten more basketball than you'll ever know, and that was evident to everyone who witnessed your exchange with him.

I also had an exchange with him where i gave props to tillman on recognizing he needed to expand his game and had been doing so which Unc appreciated. That had been the primary issue with him.

 

[2012Ram]

Have ya'll been watching this team this year? The Mason game was not some freak occurrence. We've been playing that way all year long, and it was bound to blow up in our face at some point.

 

[VCU85]

Have ya'll been watching this team this year? The Mason game was not some freak occurrence. We've been playing that way all year long, and it was bound to blow up in our face at some point.

I can't like this enough

 

[ramfan84]

I think, and I emphasize I, me, myself, that we are beholden to the brand HAVOC. Yes, when it is working it is an exciting spectacle to watch, but it has some serious flaws over the long haul. When it worked, we still were an relativity obscure program nationally with a player who essentially was the best steal leader, ball hawker in the history of the college game. You just dont EVER replace a Briante Weber, and if one is replicated they dont go to VCU.

We have had 5 coaches in our recent heyday, one is an assistant at Duke, the other four Grant, Wade, Smart, and Rhodes, are Head Coaches. Grant and Wade run more conventional offenses, while Smart and Rhodes are beholden to havoc. Look at the results. Football teams dont run the wishbone and the single wing anymore because everyone has them figured out, havoc has been exposed and figured out.

 

[Mcuff]

Man, I read all 7 pages of comments and people are debbie downers.

One, if you think MR can't coach or recruit, leave this conversion and go be a keyboard warrior somewhere else. Your the guy who won't go back and look at tape and acknowledge all the stats that don't show up on the stat sheet. Everyone talks about "Shakas recruits" - yeah, that MR got in the door first and signed and sealed for Shaka to come in and finish. Those kids don't even talk to Shaka if MR hasn't already done his thing. MR is a heck of a basketball coach and anyone who says otherwise is completely clueless and hasn't played a meaningful game of competitive basketball in their life. MSS was a 3 star at MOST, Evans was a 2 star, I don't even know what Vann was, DJ is the only legit 4 star that Rhoades didn't recruit....so we add all this up and in the years since he's been here he's gotten 4 star Williams, 4 star Hyland, 4 star Baldwin and 3 more 3 stars coming with 1 scholarship avail and someone WILL transfer, it always happens. So AGAIN, of the talent that was there when he got there PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW HE'S NOT SLOWLY getting better recruits. This isn't UCLA or a blue blood, you don't get to demand instant success. It takes time to implement a system and get your guys (NEXT YEARS CLASS).

People do understand that what he asks of his players is incredibly difficult if you've never played defense before, correct? AAU and junk basketball coaches have RUINED kids by teaching them just "score and pull up"..don't run an offense just 1 v 1...yeah well look who got to the Natty last year? 2 of the BEST DEFENSIVE teams in America in TTU and UVA...not Kentucky, not Duke...D TEAMS. DEFENSE WINS GAMES. The rotations, the help, the front of the post to make them lob in with the oppo side sliding to swipe - you have to reteach the mentality...but of course if you're a keyboard warrior, you wouldn't know this...they have games where they won't run a single play ever again, it's all based on match up and who they're playing. St Joes they weren't sliding for the help because they take more 3s than anyone in the A10 and a lot of their baskets are junk threes or ridiculous o board put backs - so by not sliding, we D'd up man to man and made them take long end of shot clock 3s. That's a low percentage shot, we'll take that all day. Next game we went right back to hedging out on P&Rs, sliding to help the helper. It's just crazy to me that a man who's bringing 4 stars in regularly now, is 60-30 in 2 1/2 years with an NCAA tournament appearance, a top 50 class next year with 1 scholarship left and we're complaining? Some Beta boy posted in the other thread that WE PAY MR A MILLION DOLLARS TO COMPETE FOR A NATIONAL TITLE. I'll leave that comment there. Guy has never played an athletic down or possession in his life.

"When you're winning, it's easy. The true test of a team comes when the wins don't...how do you respond?"

TTU and UVA had a set (and limited) rotation and each player had a very clear role. That is our biggest problem.

At this point MR needs to give up on "The Army" approach, it's not working. Run the offense through Bones, Deri, and MSS. We have some skill with these three guys. Everyone else just shoot when they are wide open. 8-9 man rotation, let guys get into the groove of the game.

I agree with everything you are saying about defense and recruiting and overall I do like the way MR is running the program. But he just seems to have a blind loyalty to "The Army" approach which I do not agree with.

 

[2012Ram]

At this point MR needs to give up on "The Army" approach, it's not working. Run the offense through Bones, Deri, and MSS. We have some skill with these three guys. Everyone else just shoot when they are wide open. 8-9 man rotation, let guys get into the groove of the game.

Not gonna lie, I hate the army approach - especially given our current roster and the recruiting misses from Mike's first two classes. Just because we can run 12 dudes a night doesn't mean we should.

I used to think that people that called HaVoC or the ArMY approach a gimmick were just being haters. Not sure anymore.

 

[wavevcu]

I think, and I emphasize I, me, myself, that we are beholden to the brand HAVOC. Yes, when it is working it is an exciting spectacle to watch, but it has some serious flaws over the long haul. When it worked, we still were an relativity obscure program nationally with a player who essentially was the best steal leader, ball hawker in the history of the college game. You just dont EVER replace a Briante Weber, and if one is replicated they dont go to VCU.

We have had 5 coaches in our recent heyday, one is an assistant at Duke, the other four Grant, Wade, Smart, and Rhodes, are Head Coaches. Grant and Wade run more conventional offenses, while Smart and Rhodes are beholden to havoc. Look at the results. Football teams dont run the wishbone and the single wing anymore because everyone has them figured out, havoc has been exposed and figured out.

Capel is actually in his 2nd year as HC at Pitt.

 

[AlienAiden]

 

[RowdyPkunk]

LSU lost to a team that had 0 conference wins (and had lost 26 conference games in a row) 10 days ago. I agree it's concerning, but it does just happen sometimes.

Yup remember how Rhody lost it's last OOC game to Brown on Jan 2nd? Followed that up with a loss to Richmond Jan 5th.... then rattled off 10 straight conference wins, including 2 over us.

 

[ViCtorioUs]

Yeah! Dave Chappelle for HC. We may not win as many games, but he certainly could lift the spirits of all these gloom and doom posters. On these boards the coaches, the players, the band, the system have all been disparaged In recent days.

Thing is, we have a long history of inexplicable losses. I get the venting, it’s just time to move on. FACT, if we beat fur tomorrow these boards will be purring like a kitten. Now that all you nattering nabobs of negativity have said your peace, give it a rest.

I‘m effing tired of all the bellyaching. Deal with it or jump off the bandwagon.

 

[Havoc City]

I also had an exchange with him where i gave props to tillman on recognizing he needed to expand his game and had been doing so which Unc appreciated. That had been the primary issue with him.

Every player needs to expand their game, so you saying as much about Tillman doesn't constitute some kind of profound insight. Also, let's not forget that you argued for at least a year that he shouldn't be a starter. You should own that.

 

[Havoc City]

Yeah! Dave Chappelle for HC. We may not win as many games, but he certainly could lift the spirits of all these gloom and doom posters. On these boards the coaches, the players, the band, the system have all been disparaged In recent days.

Thing is, we have a long history of inexplicable losses. I get the venting, it’s just time to move on. FACT, if we beat fur tomorrow these boards will be purring like a kitten. Now that all you nattering nabobs of negativity have said your peace, give it a rest.

I‘m effing tired of all the bellyaching. Deal with it or jump off the bandwagon.

Even if I agreed with the rest of your post, calling other people bandwagon fans is one of the worst takes in sports.

 

[Celticguy]

Every player needs to expand their game, so you saying as much about Tillman doesn't constitute some kind of profound insight. Also, let's not forget that you argued for at least a year that he shouldn't be a starter. You should own that.

He was one dimensional, now hes not.

 

[ISwamRam]

Perspective...if you recall...the season below ended 'okay'. That is all.

 

[Wolfpack Ram]

Perspective...if you recall...the season below ended 'okay'. That is all.
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And that happened 9 years ago. What gets you into the NCAA Tournament is not a static formula from year to year.