JC Hot Seat

[kshoe]

Recall Conk's emotional comments about Rick after the loss to MSU. I really think Rick might have shared with some of his guys that because of his health issues he'd been told to hang it up by his doctors. Makes you wonder if the Admin knew this as well. Granted, this is all speculation on my part, but if they did know Majerus' coaching days were over, they should have been out looking for his replacement.

I know Rick said give it to Crews, but, seriously, if Rick had officially resigned after the MSU game, would May have hired Jim Crews? I would hope not, because Jim Crews HC career up to that could never be described as stellar.

I think we've got some revisionist history going here. Don't forget that Majerus flirted with going to SMU in April 2012 (between the NCAA game loss to MSU and his death that fall). Flirting with another school doesn't sound to me like a guy that told his players he was retiring due to health reasons.

Here's an article from May of that year talking about how Majerus was instrumental in recruiting McBroom.

http://www.scout.com/college/saint-louis/story/1183851-newest-commit-eager-to-start?s=143

Again, that doesn't sound like a coach that knows he's never coming back because of health reasons.

Getting back to the original point; anyone that is putting the time period prior to Crews being named interim head coach and describing that time period as Jim Crews' responsibility is clearly mistaken or has a major ax to grind. Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story.

[slu72]

True, Rick met with SMU and was probably offered a significant increase in pay and more overall support from SMU. But didn't he direct them towards Brown. It was well known Biondi was reneging on some of his promises to Rick, re air travel and recruiting budget. So, if he did indeed feel up to continuing his career, why didn't he jump at the SMU job? Loyalty to his players? Maybe. But more likely he was concerned about his health.

All of the above is supeculation on my part. But it makes sense that his health would have been his top priority.

By the way, I think this thread is off target. A better thread or subject for discussion would have been to pose the question of what will our new Admin do if this season tuns out to be another shipwreck. While Crews is the main man, he's not the master of his domain. That belongs to May and Postello.

[slufan13]

I would say Crews isn't a program builder. Give him talent and he will probably win though.

To answer the question, outside of less than 10 wins this season or Chaifetz breaking out the checkbook, Crews will at least get the 2016-17 season. Whether that's deserved, I don't really know. I don't really give him a pass on the Crawford/Agbeko class as you can secure good talent even in the spring (and Crawford is one of the 2-3 best players on the team), but this is 100% his team now so we'll see.

Also I'd like to see an official list of message board rules. I always figured message boards were for the fans (not players, coaches, recruits, parents, etc). And that those fans could discuss their favorite team however they see fit.

[kmbilliken]

Crews head coaching here has worked out well no matter what happens this year. He coached us through two great seasons. I give him credit for that. His recruits are now sophomores, lets give him a chance to succeed.

[Box and Won]

Besides BillikenBoy, I'm Reggie's biggest fan. You ain't taking that away from me, box.

Fine. I'll keep being former Fox Sports Midwest Girl Kayla's biggest fan.

[3star_recruit]

By the way, I think this thread is off target. A better thread or subject for discussion would have been to pose the question of what will our new Admin do if this season tuns out to be another shipwreck. While Crews is the main man, he's not the master of his domain. That belongs to May and Postello.

Same thing they've always done. Hire another coach. But history tells us when we have 3 double digit scorers and allow less than 65ppg, we go at least .500.

[Cowboy]

-Rick was in Las Vegas at an AAU tourney recruiting in July 2012 and did an interview on Frank's show

[majerus mojo]

This thread sucks, but iff we are near the bottom of the conference again the AD needs to seriously consider making a change.

LOL. Literally the general question that was posed. I know I've done some good when MB goes tweak mode. So much outrage and sensitivity from the people who: resort to name calling ???. This board rules.

[majerus mojo]

By the way, I think this thread is off target. A better thread or subject for discussion would have been to pose the question of what will our new Admin do if this season tuns out to be another shipwreck. While Crews is the main man, he's not the master of his domain. That belongs to May and Postello.

That was definitely my aim, but I guess people can't get past the title? Below .500 wouldn't necessarily mean train wreck, but it certainly wouldn't be great. I imagine if I used the words 'train wreck' people would be even more outraged.

[Taj79]

Okay.... three official years this month. You win. I have no ax to grind with Crews other than he does not appear to be "the answer." But as my motto remains "Can't Wait Deaux" we can only wait and see before reaching any solid conclusions even though last year was the train wreck some of us said could never happen, we are always around the 150 mark I recall someone telling me.

This team can only go up and the Bahama trip showed me that summer scrimmages are completely misleading.

[majerus mojo]

I cringe thinking about the idea of some people here following a state school. Not everyone has to share your viewpoint in every single thread.

[slufanskip]

Buncha jackoffs here, the guy who started thread: especially. Sure constructive criticism is welcome but some of you are an absolute embarrassment.

• Majerus was a great coach, his illness and it's timing left the program with a severe gap in talent, recruits were reluctant to come to a team with that uncertainty
• Crews first recruiting class was last years freshmen, that is final.
• Last year things went badly, team chemistry was effected by some bad apples.
• Last year we had one of the very youngest teams in D-1, no upper class leadership.
• Last year a good 9 man rotation could not be established, most no one could sustain consistent productivity long enough to do so
• Six freshman from last year have the potential to be strong contributors, 3-4 of them especially

Sure I question things, why TF didn't we blow out those 3 foo foo teams in The Bahamas, Ash, all of that... well we do not know the whole story, do we? Nagging injuries, discipline, maybe Coach wanted them to just have fun since the season is going to be so grueling. I trust him.

You are a fool if you think we can do better than Crews. Majerus was great, but he came here magically, it was pure luck. For once we got a break.

Give Crews a chance before throwing your hissy fits. .

I am on the side saying we should be supporting this team and JC and am not as down on them as many here. To say someone is a fool if they think we can do better then JC is what is rather foolish though. I appreciate the job JC did after RM's death and like I said believe he deserves our support and more time than many on here seem to want to give him. However, JC's history before his run with RM's players isn't one of building and sustaining NCAA caliber teams, so the questions are going to come until he proves the doubters wrong and he hasn't done that yet. As of now JC hasn't proven himself to be an irreplaceable coach

[Cowboy]

-I can both agree that JCrews is on the hot seat, or should be, and support the team, these are not mutually exclusive to me

[SShoe]

I am on the side saying we should be supporting this team and JC and am not as down on them as many here. To say someone is a fool if they think we can do better then JC is what is rather foolish though. I appreciate the job JC did after RM's death and like I said believe he deserves our support and more time than many on here seem to want to give him. However, JC's history before his run with RM's players isn't one of building and sustaining NCAA caliber teams, so the questions are going to come until he proves the doubters wrong and he hasn't done that yet. As of now JC hasn't proven himself to be an irreplaceable coach

+1

It's certainly fair to question whether or not Crews is the guy. I question it myself.

[JMM28]

Same thing they've always done. Hire another coach. But history tells us when we have 3 double digit scorers and allow less than 65ppg, we go at least .500.

3 double digit scorers is a large jump in assumption for a team that just barely had 1 last year.

[TheChosenOne]

3 double digit scorers is a large jump in assumption for a team that just barely had 1 last year.

Somebody has to score the points.

[Pistol]

Somebody has to score the points.

That's what I thought last year. And then no one did.

[ACE]

3 double digit scorers is a large jump in assumption for a team that just barely had 1 last year.

I wonder what impact the shorter shot clock will have on scoring throughout college basketball?

[SShoe]

I wonder what impact the shorter shot clock will have on scoring throughout college basketball?

Brad Stevens was on ESPN Radio awhile back and he opined that the shot clock change could actually lead to lower scoring. He thought it would likely lead to more NBA and isolation-style plays, but also potentially worse shot-taking because college players aren't good enough to get off good shots with regularity.

[ACE]

Brad Stevens was on ESPN Radio awhile back and he opined that the shot clock change could actually lead to lower scoring. He thought it would likely lead to more NBA and isolation-style plays, but also potentially worse shot-taking because college players aren't good enough to get off good shots with regularity.

Yep, I'm afraid it will make for a more ragged game.

[3star_recruit]

3 double digit scorers is a large jump in assumption for a team that just barely had 1 last year.

We also barely had three players average over 23 min last year. The only assumption I'm really making is that we'll have three guys average over 28 min this year. Which happens every season that you're not playing 6 freshmen and two sophs with no game experience.

[HoosierPal]

3 double digit scorers is a large jump in assumption for a team that just barely had 1 last year.

If you take last year's stats and push guys out to 30 minutes per game, Yarbrough, Ash and Crawford all were over 10 ppg with that math. Reynolds was at 9.5 ppg for 30 min. So it's not a stretch to figure out how we can have 3 or 4 10 ppg players. (Reynolds won't be one.)

[Tonka]

3 double digit scorers is a large jump in assumption for a team that just barely had 1 last year.

I don't think it's a large jump at all. Like you mentioned, MY already did that last year as a freshman. Ash was .9 of a point away from averaging double digits. Crawford was not 100% in the beginning of the season. In conference play he averaged just under 8.5 points a game. He averaged 19 minutes a game as well in conference. I would bet his minutes go up and if so, I would bet he would get to double digits. Roby was a freshman last year and I expect him to be better this year. He started off the non-conference games averaging 3 points a game. He then went on to average just under 9 points a game in conference play. I don't think it's a stretch that he will get to double digits.

By adding a guy like Neufeld it could spread minutes and points, but I don't think it's a stretch at all to think we will have three double digit scorers. In fact, I think it will happen.

[TheChosenOne]

By adding a guy like Neufeld it could spread minutes and points, but I don't think it's a stretch at all to think we will have three double digit scorers. In fact, I think it will happen.

I think most agree with this. If we don't have 3 guys average in double digits it will likely mean one guy has become a beast (averaging 20 ppg) or we are again playing 12 guys a game.

[Clock_Tower]

I think this discussion about the timing when Majerus became marginal in his abilities as a coach is not constructive for anyone. It is undeniable that he was dying. Very few people can take care of things properly in their last moments, Steve Jobs may have been one of the few I know of but he was something else. Majerus plainly could not do so. When the final stretch comes in a person's life the general pattern that is generally observed is one of gradually giving up on things. Majerus may have tried to hold onto what he had and onto his job beyond the level of his remaining (and dwindling) capacity as he slowly died. This is too bad for all concerned but yet it is something totally understandable. A case can be made that he probably did this past the point where he really was not fully in charge of things, but It is hard or impossible to determine with any level of exactness when it was that Majerus became ineffective or inactive as a head coach as he proceeded down the road to his death.

This is not said with any intention to put Majerus down or to minimize his contribution to our program. He was in his own right a great man and a great coach, may he rest in peace.

If enough people repeat this myth that RM slowly died and that his "mistakes" with McBroom, Drew and Carter are the result of his "slow death" does this really make it true? Another "good story" which belong in the fiction aisle. Just curious, was RM not dying his slow death when he made mistakes with Christian Salecich, Jeff Reid, Jon Smith, Emmanuel Tselentakis, Grandy Glaze and John Manning, etc. ?

And BTW, RM had heart problems for years (long before SLU) and it finally gave out on him. He didn't die of a cancer which was diagnosed and then spread progressively over a year while draining his strength and energy. RM was at the top of his game that Spring after the Michigan State game and continued to recruit and performing his coaching duties for awhile afterwards before his heart finally started to fail -- again -- but this time without anything the doctors could really do.