Is it fair to have some doubts about McD at this point?

**CycloneTony** · 05-19-2008, 09:34 PM

I have patience

**isuno1fan** · 05-19-2008, 09:37 PM

You'rd damned if you do and damned if you don't....

I think we are screwed.

Transition to a FBall school almost complete.

**goldmember** · 05-19-2008, 09:45 PM

I think coaches need to be flexible and open minded with their coaching philosophy. I like McDermott, but he needs to incorporate some up tempo play. Teams would send 4 guys to the offensive boards against us, because we were never a threat to push the ball. We struggled in our half court set this year, and the few times we pushed the ball it seemed to create more shots. There is no reason why coach Mac can't find a balance between the two. This style of play is also more appealing to the higher caliber players.

**twojman** · 05-19-2008, 09:48 PM

Yes, it is fair.

I will admit up front I was not a Mac fan from the beginning so take this FWIW. What was Mac's best regular season finish in the MVC? I remember him starting out strong and finishing on a sour note a lot. (except for the one season they won the MVC tourney) I thought there were a lot of similarities between McDermott and McCarney in that way. McD, at UNI, seemed to step it up for the big games, his 'super bowls' if you will allow me. Conference play seemed to be not as important.

During the 2007 - 2008 basketball season during McD's call in show I got sick of hearing excuses week after week after week. I could not listen to it anymore after halfway through the season. He seemed to be defending his job with each answer he would give. He was not mad or upset but just seemed to be fighting for his job. There is a huge difference between the MVC and the Big 12, he has the right heart but maybe is not cut out for the job.

**mt85** · 05-20-2008, 07:04 AM

I'm not sure how to evaluate things at this point. GM took a moribund UNI program and turned them into a consistent NCAA tournament team. That was no small feat considering it happened in a state with limited talent, competing against two BSC schools in the same state. UNI also didn't have much of a budget for recruiting, a fact that is often forgotten when people were evaluating GM's recruiting.

He took over a near death penalty situation at ISU. After WM orchestrated the gutting of the team on his way out the door, GM took over late in the spring with 4 returning scholarship players, and only two of those were starters ( Jiri and Rahshon).

I don't think people appreciate how bad this situation was, and thus I think it put GM in a situation that it is going to take years to fix.

As to player turnover, GM has had to take a lot of risks in recruiting to try to fill the roster in such dire circumstances, and as a result we've paid a price in player attrition.

Furthermore, I have concerns regarding whether the legacy recruits from the WM era fostered a culture of disharmony in the lock room that has carried over to GM's recruits. I still feel that over time the program will stabilize and when Mac has a program filled with players that buy into the system and coaching then you'll see some success.

**kuney1** · 05-20-2008, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by URBCLONE

Question... Does anyone else out there wonder how things might have turned out had JP hired Rob Jeter instead. That would have sent GM to KSU. No Bill Walker or Beasley for KSU. Possibly less attrition in the transition from WM to RJ, possibly better targeting of players given Jeter's experience with Wisc???? I know that you can't look back and that Jeter hasn't exactly torn it up at UW-M the last couple of years, but still....

Another "what if". What if Pete Taylor lived and convinced BVD to suspend LE for one year to get his life straightened out. Hire WM as a interim coach, and then when LE returned keep WM as LE's primary recruiter. We'll never know.

**CloneAggie** · 05-20-2008, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by mt85

He took over a near death penalty situation at ISU. After WM orchestrated the gutting of the team on his way out the door, GM took over late in the spring with 4 returning scholarship players, and only two of those were starters ( Jiri and Rahshon).

Near death penalty? If that's the case, JP is the one to blame. Once again (as has been stated by people close to the players at the time), WM did not orchestrate the gutting of the team.

**BryceC** · 05-20-2008, 07:23 AM

After WM orchestrated the gutting of the team on his way out the door

This whole blaming Wayne thing is getting really old. And this is a flat out lie.

**jdoggivjc** · 05-20-2008, 07:28 AM

Is it fair to have doubts? Yes - I have them as well. Is it fair to say that McD has had his chance to turn the program around, and with what we've seen over the last two years he can't and won't get it done here and it's time to start searching for a new coach, or at the very least, put him on the very hot seat? Absolutely not. Even Pollard said the clock starts running this season - that this is season #1 for McD. As has been mentioned before, for the most part, the guys McD has lost over the last two years have been guys that were either Morgan recruits or last-second pick ups prior to McD's first season. This coming season is McD's first real class. I'll reserve my judgments until after this season.

I guess the thing that really gets me is the attitude of us fans. We seem to think that Cyclone basketball was in this high and mighty place before McD was hired - it wasn't. ISU basketball has been in a downward spiral since the unfortunate events of 2001 by a certain small school in Virginia at a small city in the northwestern Rocky Mountains. But yet everyone wants to blame all of the troubles on the guy who hasn't been able to catch a single break since the moment he stepped on campus. I'm not saying that McD doesn't share blame in this, I'm just saying the problems existed before he arrived and have just been amplified with his continuous run-ins with bad luck.

**jdoggivjc** · 05-20-2008, 07:31 AM

And this whole thing of saying "what if Pete Taylor were still alive and convinced BVDV to keep Eustachy around" is getting quite old as well. What has LE done over the last 5 years to convince anybody that things would be more like W1999-S2001 and not more like W2001-S2003? And neither am I convinced Morgan is the answer either. If he was, why is he still installing satellite dishes two years later?

**cyclonenum1** · 05-20-2008, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by mt85

I'm not sure how to evaluate things at this point. GM took a moribund UNI program and turned them into a consistent NCAA tournament team. That was no small feat considering it happened in a state with limited talent, competing against two BSC schools in the same state. UNI also didn't have much of a budget for recruiting, a fact that is often forgotten when people were evaluating GM's recruiting.

He took over a near death penalty situation at ISU. After WM orchestrated the gutting of the team on his way out the door, GM took over late in the spring with 4 returning scholarship players, and only two of those were starters ( Jiri and Rahshon).

I don't think people appreciate how bad this situation was, and thus I think it put GM in a situation that it is going to take years to fix.

As to player turnover, GM has had to take a lot of risks in recruiting to try to fill the roster in such dire circumstances, and as a result we've paid a price in player attrition.

Furthermore, I have concerns regarding whether the legacy recruits from the WM era fostered a culture of disharmony in the lock room that has carried over to GM's recruits. I still feel that over time the program will stabilize and when Mac has a program filled with players that buy into the system and coaching then you'll see some success.

The highlighted are unadulterated falsehoods. I simply do not understand the blind faith many of you still hold for McDermott.

**mt85** · 05-20-2008, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by CloneAggie

Near death penalty? If that's the case, JP is the one to blame. Once again (as has been stated by people close to the players at the time), WM did not orchestrate the gutting of the team.

I don't blame WM. I put this all on BV. He was the one that lacked the competence to hire a coach that was qualified to take over.

**cyclonedcm** · 05-20-2008, 07:54 AM

I think McD is the man for the job at Iowa State. I still have hope for this year's team.

**cyclonenum1** · 05-20-2008, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by jdoggivjc

Is it fair to have doubts? Yes - I have them as well. Is it fair to say that McD has had his chance to turn the program around, and with what we've seen over the last two years he can't and won't get it done here and it's time to start searching for a new coach, or at the very least, put him on the very hot seat? Absolutely not. Even Pollard said the clock starts running this season - that this is season #1 for McD. As has been mentioned before, for the most part, the guys McD has lost over the last two years have been guys that were either Morgan recruits or last-second pick ups prior to McD's first season. This coming season is McD's first real class. I'll reserve my judgments until after this season.

I guess the thing that really gets me is the attitude of us fans. We seem to think that Cyclone basketball was in this high and mighty place before McD was hired - it wasn't. ISU basketball has been in a downward spiral since the unfortunate events of 2001 by a certain small school in Virginia at a small city in the northwestern Rocky Mountains. But yet everyone wants to blame all of the troubles on the guy who hasn't been able to catch a single break since the moment he stepped on campus. I'm not saying that McD doesn't share blame in this, I'm just saying the problems existed before he arrived and have just been amplified with his continuous run-ins with bad luck.

Huh?? Head BB (and FB) coaches in college have total control over their situation...they control who they hire, who the recruit, who they schedule, who they play...they control nearly EVERYTHING. But for some reason you want to not hold McDermott accountable because you believe he "can't catch a break"...sorry, I'm not buying what you are selling.

McDermott has been in the chair for two years and what do we have to show for it? I ask you, can you give me other examples of the best player on a team transferring after two years with the same coach? I follow CBB pretty closely and I cannot think of one (I'm sure it has happened...but it is very rare).

And all of this "shocked", "stunned", and "blindsided" talk really concerns me. The man in control of the program should have a better handle on what the reality of the program is. I could see this happening more in FB where you are talking about 100+ guys but this is BB...you really only have to stay up to speed on about 15 players and maybe 5 coaches / staff people...20 individuals.

**CloneAggie** · 05-20-2008, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by mt85

I don't blame WM. I put this all on BV. He was the one that lacked the competence to hire a coach that was qualified to take over.

If you don't blame WM, then why put that statement in your post? I'm guessing because you believe that statement, which our best information says is simply not the case.