03-06-2025, 10:39 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-06-2025, 10:40 AM by BillBradley.)
I think teams can have solid seasons without winning conferences, being ranked, advancing into March Madness, etc. For each individual fan, it depends on the level of expectation going into the season and what happens during the season. Lots of factors have come into play as many have posted. The question is, "given your initial expectations, the final results, and all that did happen, how do you rate the team and coach?". I don't think the question should be "What are the list of factors that explain the final outcome?". Too me, that assumes the players and coach performed to the best of their abililties, but they just couldn't overcome the injuries, travel, etc.
For me, I give the team a C-. I've posted this many times before, and I stand by it. As an athlete, there are things that are out of your control. But the one thing you can always control is your effort. We've seen the team play hard both at home and on the road, but they just weren't consistent. How do I measure effort? With my own eyes and some of the stat sheet. Yesterday's offensive effort was pitiful. The cuts weren't sharp, the screens weren't set well, and the players (as others have posted) seemed to just want the foul call on their drives. Defensively, I won't go into all the effort problems but they are countless. And as 81 has mentioned, Demetre's line: 2 shot attempts and 0 rebounds in 21 minutes. That is an effort problem.
Is the poor effort excusable? Sure. Sometimes things can get brutal and players will give up. Can't handle the lack of talent, the losing, don't like the coach's decisions, too much travel, <insert other factors here>. But as we all know from academics, excuses don't get you good grades. The team gets a C- from me.
For KP and staff...I'll give them a break in year one so they get an incomplete grade. But I will go on record that if I had to predict now, based on what I've seen, I don't think things bode well for the program. She's a little too robotic for me. Everything seems rehearsed. I didn't see much in game creativity. And...good coaches, regardless if you like them or not, get their teams to play hard.
For me, I give the team a C-. I've posted this many times before, and I stand by it. As an athlete, there are things that are out of your control. But the one thing you can always control is your effort. We've seen the team play hard both at home and on the road, but they just weren't consistent. How do I measure effort? With my own eyes and some of the stat sheet. Yesterday's offensive effort was pitiful. The cuts weren't sharp, the screens weren't set well, and the players (as others have posted) seemed to just want the foul call on their drives. Defensively, I won't go into all the effort problems but they are countless. And as 81 has mentioned, Demetre's line: 2 shot attempts and 0 rebounds in 21 minutes. That is an effort problem.
Is the poor effort excusable? Sure. Sometimes things can get brutal and players will give up. Can't handle the lack of talent, the losing, don't like the coach's decisions, too much travel, <insert other factors here>. But as we all know from academics, excuses don't get you good grades. The team gets a C- from me.
For KP and staff...I'll give them a break in year one so they get an incomplete grade. But I will go on record that if I had to predict now, based on what I've seen, I don't think things bode well for the program. She's a little too robotic for me. Everything seems rehearsed. I didn't see much in game creativity. And...good coaches, regardless if you like them or not, get their teams to play hard.