So, Prohm might have been more successful if he tried to do it like TJ is doing it. Hear me out before you throw rotten tomatoes.
Hoiberg was successful having the team play an NBA style. Pick and role or isolation surrounded by GREAT shooters.
TJ came in and most fans would have been fine with slow steady progress. 12 wins then .500 then next four out then barely in the tournament. TJ goes the low ego, team first, all out hustle route and let's be honest, he won the lottery with this ragtag group of of players. A trio of semi disappointing holdover role players, a trio of high major transfers that were role players, a former blue chipper who couldn't cut it at a Blueblood, a low major transfer who was a fringe role player at that low major and a mid major transfer who may be the most bi-polar sharpshooter in the history of basketball. A blue chip freshman who is unshakeable whether things go good or go bad.
And boy are they low ego. Can anyone else think of a single player who bounced between a contributing player and riding the pine for multiple games back and forth? This team has 3 and by all accounts, none of them have pouted. Conditt sometes plays less than Jones, a player he could feel is way below his skill level, but never pouts. Grill doesn't let his going 1-11 then 5-6 then 1-2 then 0-9 from 3 affect the rest of his game or team chemistry. Same with Gabe, who's individual wide open 3 point shots might be end up in the basket, a brick off the rim, 3 feet from the rim, behind the backboard. I would not be stunned if he has a shot land in a tuba before he is done. That is 7 guys who would have a legitimate reason to get down on themselves and affect team chemistry.
99 times out of 100 the team pieces together like that would not be a winning BB team.
Could Prohm have tried that with a 4 year plan? Build a team of low ego hard workers. Not a chance if he doesn't win the lottery like TJ did early. The fan base at that time would not have had the patience. If he followed up his 13-18 season with a .500 record, he probably gets fired. He really had to try and keep doing it the Hoiberg way, which doesn't suit his style. I would argue that he wasn't far off from succeeding. If he and his staff were superstars at managing big Egos, maybe Lard blossoms and Wigginton stays another year. If THT and Halliburton weren't quite so good, maybe they each stay another year. 2020 is probably a tourney team and they have momentum in 2021 to rebuild with better players.
I 100% think TJ is better, even if Prohm had the opportunity to spend 4 or 5 years building a different style team. TJ seems to have the It factor in the way that he connects to players and the coaches he surrounds himself with.
I think Prohm could be successful at a Power 5 program who would give him the leeway to have 4-5 years to get to respectability. Nebraska right now comes to mind. Someone like Nebraska on the South East would be even better.
Hoiberg was successful having the team play an NBA style. Pick and role or isolation surrounded by GREAT shooters.
TJ came in and most fans would have been fine with slow steady progress. 12 wins then .500 then next four out then barely in the tournament. TJ goes the low ego, team first, all out hustle route and let's be honest, he won the lottery with this ragtag group of of players. A trio of semi disappointing holdover role players, a trio of high major transfers that were role players, a former blue chipper who couldn't cut it at a Blueblood, a low major transfer who was a fringe role player at that low major and a mid major transfer who may be the most bi-polar sharpshooter in the history of basketball. A blue chip freshman who is unshakeable whether things go good or go bad.
And boy are they low ego. Can anyone else think of a single player who bounced between a contributing player and riding the pine for multiple games back and forth? This team has 3 and by all accounts, none of them have pouted. Conditt sometes plays less than Jones, a player he could feel is way below his skill level, but never pouts. Grill doesn't let his going 1-11 then 5-6 then 1-2 then 0-9 from 3 affect the rest of his game or team chemistry. Same with Gabe, who's individual wide open 3 point shots might be end up in the basket, a brick off the rim, 3 feet from the rim, behind the backboard. I would not be stunned if he has a shot land in a tuba before he is done. That is 7 guys who would have a legitimate reason to get down on themselves and affect team chemistry.
99 times out of 100 the team pieces together like that would not be a winning BB team.
Could Prohm have tried that with a 4 year plan? Build a team of low ego hard workers. Not a chance if he doesn't win the lottery like TJ did early. The fan base at that time would not have had the patience. If he followed up his 13-18 season with a .500 record, he probably gets fired. He really had to try and keep doing it the Hoiberg way, which doesn't suit his style. I would argue that he wasn't far off from succeeding. If he and his staff were superstars at managing big Egos, maybe Lard blossoms and Wigginton stays another year. If THT and Halliburton weren't quite so good, maybe they each stay another year. 2020 is probably a tourney team and they have momentum in 2021 to rebuild with better players.
I 100% think TJ is better, even if Prohm had the opportunity to spend 4 or 5 years building a different style team. TJ seems to have the It factor in the way that he connects to players and the coaches he surrounds himself with.
I think Prohm could be successful at a Power 5 program who would give him the leeway to have 4-5 years to get to respectability. Nebraska right now comes to mind. Someone like Nebraska on the South East would be even better.
