The McDermott "System"

[cyclonenum1]

Greg McDermott was hired as our BB coach on 3/21/06 (roughly two years ago). Many who post on this board make numerous references to the fact that this is a "new" system and that our players are "learning" the system.

I have two questions...when do you think the system will no longer be considered "new" and how long do you anticipate it will take a typical player to "learn" the system?

 

[mj4cy]

I think one has to look at the player turnover in the last two years. We've had less than a handful of players that have been here through his whole tenure. That is why it is still "new"

 

[snowcraig2.0]

It's all about the guards. They are getting it now, and will all be back next year, which will help tremendously.

 

[HILLCYD]

The real question is how many of the players currently on the team were here and in Mac's system since 3/21/06? Very few....

The system will stop being "new" when we have some players who have been in it for a while.

 

[ISUFan22]

Good grief...take a look at how many guys we have back this year from last year - especially at the guard position.

Man...this stuff is really getting old...

 

[isucyfan]

Usually the standard is what they do in Year 3, but with the defections and NCAA, I am giving him until Year 4.

 

[cycloneworld]

Look at a healthy Wes (or close to healthy), a healthy Jiri, and a healthy Rahshon have done this year. If we could throw 2 guards that had a year Division 1 basketball experience (which we haven't had in 2 years now) think of what we could be doing now.

 

[cybsball20]

will all be back next year, which will help tremendously.

We hope....

 

[snowcraig2.0]

I can't help but wonder what an under-control (both on and off court) Mike Taylor would have meant to this team.

 

[JJ4ISU]

With the type of players he has recruited (Wes Johnson, Craig Brackins, Diante Garrett), I think McDermott needs to let these guys get out in transition more often. why recruit these guys if we just want to get in halfcourt sets and run the shot clock down to ten or five? Since the Las Vegas Tournament, I think he has allowed these guys to run a little more, too.

 

[HILLCYD]

I can't help but wonder what an under-control (both on and off court) Mike Taylor would have meant to this team.

Everyone in Ames would have a runny nose and fire extinguishers would be running for their lives!!!!!

 

[isucyfan]

With the type of players he has recruited (Wes Johnson, Craig Brackins, Diante Garrett), I think McDermott needs to let these guys get out in transition more often. why recruit these guys if we just want to get in halfcourt sets and run the shot clock down to ten or five? Since the Las Vegas Tournament, I think he has allowed these guys to run a little more, too.

I agree. I think this team can pick its spots and run, as well as throw a press on every few possessions. I am not saying we turn into a fast-breaking, pressing team, by any means. I just think short bursts of these would be good.

 

[j4state]

I'm not going to expect a .500 conference season (NIT) until the year after next. By then the players and the system will be in place. Losing Jiri and Rahshon will obviously have an impact on next year.

 

[l2alphmacchio]

All great ideas, I think his system works well. He managed to take UNI to new levels, just like he will take ISU back to where they were.

 

[cycloneworld]

With the type of players he has recruited (Wes Johnson, Craig Brackins, Diante Garrett), I think McDermott needs to let these guys get out in transition more often. why recruit these guys if we just want to get in halfcourt sets and run the shot clock down to ten or five? Since the Las Vegas Tournament, I think he has allowed these guys to run a little more, too.

Part of it is the guards can actually handle some of the transition now. Earlier in the year, our guards couldn't handle the ball...especially in transition so we had no one to get the ball to our skilled players. But after some experience, that is getting better by the game.

 

[clonefarmer]

I heard Wesley being interviewed last week I believe after one of the tournament games and he said the previous 2 weeks were the first time all season that all the starters had been able to practice with each other at full strength. That practice pretty much explains our recent offensive improvement doesn't it? I hope we can get past all this theorizing that McDermott's "system" is somehow limiting what our athletes can do.

 

[cyclonenum1]

No one is really answering my ultimate question...how long should we expect it to take a player to learn this system?

I do believe that McDermott can coach (I saw him beat a Final Four bound team at LSU with his last UNI team) and I have been pleasantly surprised with his recruiting (W. Johnson and Brackins).

But this constant talk of needing to "learn the system" does concern me. The longest you will likely have any player (Jess Settles not withstanding) is 4 years (5 with a redshirt). The blunt reality of major CBB today is that you are nearly certain to have unexpected player turnover (this happens at nearly every school with increasing regularity). Injuries are another reality that is hard to escape. If the typical kid takes two years to learn the system and he is around for four then you really only get them for two years. Additionally, I hope we will also be recruiting some players that have the talent to go NBA after year 1, 2, or 3...I doubt there was much talk last year at Ohio State about Oden learning the system or at Texas about Durant learning the system. Just as I doubt you hear this much with Gordon at Indiana, Beasley at K-State, or Mayo at USC. They all know they need to win now with those guys because they are one and done.

I guess what I am concerned about is that I don't know that the major CBB environment is conducive to the system oriented approach today. To really compete you generally need at least one or two guys that have legitimate NBA potential (typically these guys are looking to leave early). If we recruit a bunch of "system players" that we know will be around for sure for 4 or 5 years (which is impossible to know for sure...witness Vette) then I'm not certain we will have the requisite talent and athleticism to truly compete at the major college level.

I just hope while we continue to wait for next year that at some point it actually comes!

 

[CyinCo]

The funny thing is back during the Wayne Morgan days, people would be saying "where is the fundamental basketball? This AND1 stuff won't win us games." And now that we are playing fundamental basketball with plays and sets and a defensive game plan, people want to see us run and gun.

There will always be a group of people that want what they don't have.

Edit: Cyclone#1, I know that isn't what YOU are saying but posts like yours seem to bring out other posters who suggest that the system is a problem.

 

[kentkel]

With the type of players he has recruited (Wes Johnson, Craig Brackins, Diante Garrett), I think McDermott needs to let these guys get out in transition more often. why recruit these guys if we just want to get in halfcourt sets and run the shot clock down to ten or five? Since the Las Vegas Tournament, I think he has allowed these guys to run a little more, too.

On the USC-Upstate Pregame talk, McD addressed the issue of transition. He basically talked about the fact that the injury bug had a lot to do with this. His most experienced players had some injury issues which caused them to not be in "Game-Shape." It's much harder to consistently capitalize on run-n-gun opportunities AND play "injury-affected" players like Jiri and Wes 30+ minutes. When these two came back from injury, they could not get up and down the court like they used to. As they continue to get back their "game-shape," I fully expect our team to look for, and take advantage of, more transition opportunities.

 

[isufbcurt]

how long should we expect it to take a player to learn this system?
quote]

It depends on the kid. If the kid wants to put in the time and energy and buys into it he will learn it quickly. But if he is lazy and doesn't buy into it he isn't gonna learn it.

There is no definate answer to this question, it all depends on how hard the kid works to learn the system.