The Holy Land of Hoops

Name an instance when your coach did something so amazingly stupid you questioned the meaning of life itself?

- 2011 Crosstown Shootout. Xavier is up by more than 20 with 2 minutes to go. Instead of pulling our starters we run up the score eventually leading to the brawl and setting the program back a year or two. On that theme, I still think Mack needs to learn the difference between energy and aggression. He gets his kids too amped to the point where tempers can flare.

Can't recall anything glaring that JW has ever done.

The worst "monumental blunder" in program history in my opinion was when Rollie Mass was coach. In the late 80's there was a high school scoring machine in Phila by the name of Lionel Simmons. 6'7" PF, silky smooth. HS class of '86. He wanted to come to Nova badly. Rollie recruited another local kid by the name of Barry Bekkedam. Barry was a 6'11" McD's AA but was jello soft. Rollie shuns Lionel who goes to LaSalle. Four years later Lionel is a 1st team AA, now still sits in the top 10 All-time of Div 1 scoring, and spent some time in the NBA. Barry B. did nothing of note for 4 years, got eaten up every time we played LaSalle in Big5 games, and is currently awaiting trial for fraud.

What's a shame is that in 1988 we went to the Elite 8 with Doug West, Kenny Wilson and Mark Plansky but lacked that one more go to guy that could have gotten us over the hump. While Lionel was averaging 25+ pts a game down the street, Barry was not much more than bench / role player. Ugh.

Keno Davis. All of it.

Everytime a player picks up 2 first half fouls and Mack sits them for the rest of the half. I know you want you best players down the stretch but I hate that strategy.

*Edit: that's nowhere near Pete Carroll stupidity just something that annoys me. I'm a big Mack supporter.

xavierfano8 wrote:Everytime a player picks up 2 first half fouls and Mack sits them for the rest of the half. I know you want you best players down the stretch but I hate that strategy.

*Edit: that's nowhere near Pete Carroll stupidity just something that annoys me. I'm a big Mack supporter.

That's what Mac did with Ricky Kreklow Saturday. He got a silly foul early and then picked up his second with about 17 minutes to go in the first half. Mac sat him the rest of the half. To Mac's defense, we were still within a bucket at the under 4 minute timeout so they decided not to risk another foul and sit him the rest of the half. of course, Georgetown ended the half on a 9-0 run or something. I think it really affected Ricky's play second half after sitting out 17 plus minutes of the first half. He has been the most consistent player in conference play so his being out and then being cold and stiff to start the second half really hurt (not that ultimately it mattered in who won, most likley, but who knows what he might have given during that first half when Georgetown wasn't scoring either and CU could have kept pace or even gotten ahead had he been on the court - which would probably have led to an entirely different level of effort by CU in the second half). Mac did say after the game he regretted sitting him, but thought they be o.k. with CU went on the little run and then stayed close with him on the bench.

Mac used to do that all the time with Echinique also. He'd pick up a second foul with ten plus minutes to go and would sit the rest of the half. Usually, he wouldn't pick up another fould the second half or finish with just three fouls. What good does it do to have him in there at the end if you get in too big a hole to dig out with your defensive stopper on the bench with two fouls. Play him out. If he gets a third, then sit him, and hope for the best int he second half.

xavierfano8 wrote:Everytime a player picks up 2 first half fouls and Mack sits them for the rest of the half. I know you want you best players down the stretch but I hate that strategy.

*Edit: that's nowhere near Pete Carroll stupidity just something that annoys me. I'm a big Mack supporter.

I actually love that strategy. That's why you have a bench. If it looks like the game is going to get out of hand in the first half, the coach always has the option to bring the kid back in. Otherwise, just keep it close so that the team has a shot in the 2nd half.