Last night: Mac comments on Hamilton

Anyone else here listen to Mac's call-in show last night?

There has been lots of chatter in Utah about the great and rapid improvement Justin Hamilton has shown over the course of this season. Last night Mac was asked to describe Justin's development.

Mac at one point said something like, 'when we first recruited and signed him, we thought it would take him a year or two to contribute. . . .'

In the context of what Mac said, I was next expecting him next to say something like, 'but his development has been such we think he can contribute next season.'

I don't know if Mac got distracted while offering his opinion, or if he said what he meant to say and left out nothing.

Wondering what others here thought they heard Mac say and imply.

It was a good thing that we signed him when we did. Hamilton got offers from alot of Mountain West schools after he initially verballed to us.

I would say he meant just what he said. Why put unnecessary pressure/expectations on the kid when he hasn't even graduated from HS? I would guess you are wishing for an instant fix and are hoping GMac could solve your problem with Hamilton.

Thats the issue. We get young kids coming in and we all of the sudden raise our expectations of them. The, when they do poorly or struggle, we freak out on them, blame the coach, and act like the sky is falling. Truth is, every kid is an unknown and they need to have time to develop. If they still are having issues by their senior year, we have a problem.

> I would say he meant just what he said. Why put unnecessary pressure/expectations on the kid when he hasn't even graduated from HS? I would guess you are wishing for an instant fix and are hoping GMac could solve your problem with Hamilton. <

You're a mind-reader? You know what I'm thinking by what I'm not saying? Instant fix? Boy, your shot missed not only the rim but the backboard, too.

You believe that Justin Hamilton in some way, somehow, feels pressure by what I say on this message board? That my remarks here carry the power to affect his life, more so than does Mac's expectations of him or the pressure he felt to perform in Lone Peak's state tournament run from his coaches, teammates, family, and friends? (I had no idea I had such power, I better consider how to best exercise it in the future, I don't want innocents to get hurt.)

> I would guess you are wishing for an instant fix and are hoping GMac could solve your problem with Hamilton. <

Bzzzzzt!!! Another missed shot. My remarks on this board have expressed nothing but full and longterm support for ISU coaches. I believe in the long haul. I believe program-building requires time. I believe Mac is a terrific coach and will be here for more than 20 years. I believe you're on a cold-shooting streak, head to the bench.

Geez, express a question that's positive in outlook and in return get attacked. How nice.

> Thats the issue. We get young kids coming in and we all of the sudden raise our expectations of them. <

So, don't talk about them and what they might be able to do for the program? OK, that's sure to work here.

Justin Hamilton is an exciting young player in my book. According to all sorts of sources in Utah and according to Mac himself, the kid's progress this season has been breathtaking. Naturally, some of us here wonder what that means for next year's team, will Justin redshirt or might he be able to contribute spot minutes? I say it's a legitimate question worth asking. I'll wager others here do, too.

You cannot stop such discussion, why try?

IMO, fan expectations pale in significance and effect when compared with the pressure and expectations that Mac and assistants will put on the kid every day in practice and in sidelines coaching during games. We fans can't compete in that pressure game.

Great post...hype is a powerful thing, and I'll admit, sometimes I listen to it...but it can also create unfair or unrealistic expectations for young 18-20 year olds to live up too.

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Originally Posted by bostinelosd

Thats the issue. We get young kids coming in and we all of the sudden raise our expectations of them. The, when they do poorly or struggle, we freak out on them, blame the coach, and act like the sky is falling. Truth is, every kid is an unknown and they need to have time to develop. If they still are having issues by their senior year, we have a problem.

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A reasonable hope is that Hamilton can play spot minutes next year (5-10 min) and be a competant reserve. I wouldn't expect anything more and I'm hoping we can find that Juco we need and can redshirt JH.

> A reasonable hope is that Hamilton can play spot minutes next year (5-10 min) and be a competant reserve. I wouldn't expect anything more and I'm hoping we can find that Juco we need and can redshirt JH. <

Yeah, I'm hoping that he'll be able to add spot minutes rather than redshirt, and I'm charged with hyping expectations. I'd love to see the kid redshirt a year, and a JUCO big would, hopefully, make that possible. (I used the word "contribute" in my original post, not "superstar" or "set the world on fire" or "the second coming Abdul Jabbar.")

Spot minutes . . . guess my expectations are too high. I wonder if Justin and Mac would agree.

cory johnson is getting screwed, he hustles so much but too bad he's to small for his position

You haven't posted anything too unrealistic on here...I was just talking in general (no complaints with your posts)...a lot of times kids get hyped into being all conference talents before they get here, or compared to a previous star at ISU or within the conference...when they get here, and don't do anything more than give spot minutes their freshman year. They are labeled a failure, or a bust (when really they have played to the most of their abilities in a lot of cases).

I still don't think we have any scholarship players on our team right now that I would label a "bust".

Obviously Brister and Vette leaving this year qualifies them as busts.

But every other player is playing at about the level they could reasonably be expected to play at the stage in their development they are at. Some are beyond what should be expected.

In general I'm not a huge fan of redshirting in basketball. This is different than football, where the roster size allows you to do it and the physical nature of the game almost requires that you do it.

If in four years we have the kind of success I think we all want/expect, Hamilton may have already been recruited over - not in a bad way, just because winning and our staff's connections will open up better players. Keeping a player around for a fifth year is not always advantageous to a program - if he is a role player at the end of his fourth year it might be best for everyone if he graduates. I'll be clapping for him at Senior Day just like everybody else.

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Originally Posted by cyclonedefender

cory johnson is getting screwed, he hustles so much but too bad he's to small for his position

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He's not getting screwed. He's not too small for his position. There are plenty of guys his size that have played his position, but they have just played it better. He's got to become a better rebounder, defender and more consistant on running the plays.