billikenfan05

I've made 3 posts today with more than one "paragraph", playoff hockey is on. I'm good.

I was not knocking ford. I was not ignoring bad luck. My post is the opposite. In fact defending Ford and outlining results that I believe indicate outperformance and in game and off season coaching which helped us outperform. Jimerson’s transformation was remarkable and as hard of a worker as he is, there’s no chance he got to where he is without guidance from the staff. I am strictly speaking on expectations in the polls and numbers on paper vs results. There’s a Kenpom screen cap from West Pine Bills about how we’ve almost always exceeded expectations. I’m too lazy at 7:45 in the evening to go look for it.

I was highlighting those games as reason for expectations leading to the let down of not making the tournament. This team looked like it belonged in the NCAA Tourney at times without Perkins. It was smoke and mirrors or exceeding our ceiling. We didn't actually belong.

To kind of expand on my point and zero in specifically on the disappointment of last season. I know I've at least seen one post that either outright stated or alluded to their disappointment over not making the NCAA Tournament being linked to games like Auburn, the home Dayton game or the Boise State game. Those games were probably very much exceptions to the standard this season. We really were the team that couldn't hang on to leads or close out games that we led the majority of. And to answer why, I would say on word: Perkins. With Perkins, we were the team that could slit a teams throat up 5 in that last 2-3 minutes of the game and win by 10. Asking for someone to step up as a closer in his absence was probably too much to ask.

Nobody here is complaining about undeserving of preseason predictions here. But since we're talking about expectations ahead of the season, the above thread seems relevant. There are two very distinct points of view that can lead to the "Billikens have under performed under Ford's tenure". The first is the "SLU Hater" POV. This includes conference mates that don't like it when we get preseason love from national personalities. This one is pretty easy to understand and you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to reach the root cause of it. Then there's the "Rabid Billiken Fan" POV. My theory on this one is very much under the banner of die hards being hypercritical. We see all the warts because we analyze every dribble, pass and shot. It's why people outside of fanbases, including national media members, can point out how valuable a player is to a team all while that fanbase will complain about all the mistakes that player has made in his career.

That bums me out...

Jack Raboin will want that DOBO position and will be more qualified than Conklin for it. Conklin would be a perfect GA candidate. The only thing is the pay issue.

Sure doesn't feel that way, and it's hard to get anxious considering we've swung and missed on our initial targets. I think concern is absolutely a fair emotion among the fanbase.

C'mon skip....You know the answer to this. The prime example out there is obviously a coach like Jackson-Durrett. Longer tenured at a higher level, experience recruiting at a high level, bench coaching at a high level, learning from the best coaches in the business.

There were a lot of younger coaches than Tillett available with longer and more impressive resumes, including assistants.

Spot on.

We have a really good group of players but it is definitely not a complete roster. We have gaping holes to fill.

Absolutely disagree on your whole point. But first we're not pre-judging her moves we are observing and reacting. I can absolutely be skeptical of the moves she makes and still when push comes to shove give her teams a chance on the court. May's whole messaging is that would should be making NCAA Tournaments pretty regularly. The bottom line: We're excusing a cheap solution to a "problem" that didn't exist. If you know you're not going to have extra cash to put into the program's coaching position, why not just ride with Stone?

That's just not the case. I don't have any information. But I'm not convinced what she's trying to do will translate to the A10 from the Big South. I'm a big proponent of diverse voices and experiences on your staff. Feels like she's insulating herself in a little bubble. I hate fuoking typing and you're going to continue to think I'm being unfair. So I'm just gonna leave it there.

Tillett's daughter? No. If we can't criticize a coaches decision making, no matter when, what are we doing here?