And I am not being negative.  (happy)

JJ didn't need to be LeBron.  He only needed to be Jeremiah to make a difference in this team winning another 5 games, in which case this would have been a 20-21 win team.  Would that have made a difference in your perception of the team?
If you followed the team you know that the outcome of so many of the close losses could have been reversed by one or two plays down the stretch.  I don't think anyone can dispute that fact.

Last edited by levon1975 (3/26/2016 12:28 pm)

I still take exception to his continually referring to "rebuilding". Over and done with. Now, let's talk about 2016-2017. Based on Ferry's comments I would expect more incremental improvement. Now, to be honest, more improvement to Ferry might be a winning rather than a non-losing season. That translates into 18 wins. So that's the bar, 18 wins. That's what he should be judged against. Also, another tournament appearance and at least one win in that tournament. Can we all agree on these parameters? Also, can we all agree that one more win a year and more prestigious tournament appearances 2 or 3 years out will satisfy us and the administration? Personally, I would be ok with 18 wins next year and another CBI BUT I would not be ok with 19 the year after and another CBI. Thoughts?

I am still puzzled how the previous years with only one losing season and a five point loss in the A-10 Championship game is worse than 3 losing seasons and a 17-17 mark that was helped with a D-2 win?

Good thing we rebuilt .

RE's program was a revolving door, his last two teams were a disaster down the stretch, he failed to bring any size to the program, his last 2 recruiting classes can be best classified as mythical, he has never taken any school to the NCAA tournament, he had six years to work out the problems, he brought in some real scum bag recruits, his offenses lacked planning/motion/discipline, & he misplayed his relationship with the AD.

His firing was not a shock to the basketball community. While handled poorly, it was the correct decision. He had things headed in the wrong direction. To say otherwise is to ignore the facts. Overall, his time at DU was mediocre. It only seems better because the teams have sucked for so long. 1 NIT appearance & a .527 winning percentage over 6 years are not noteworthy achievements. (By the way, his work resurrecting the program in years 1-3 is a great accomplishment; I was a huge fan at that point.)

I am not sure you could find 3 posters that think Ferry is the better coach. I would have been pleased if he were fired after Monday's game.I see very little possibility of him making it.

But, I beg you, please stop bringing up the comparison between the two coaches. One has nothing to do with the other & RE isn't coming back.  Also, RE has been gone for  4 YEARS!! Please let his ghost rest.

Since we are creating our own reality for next year already, I can think of a scenario where the team has a losing record and the coach lives to coach another year at Duquesne. 

Let's say the following events transpire next year.  Tarin Smith plays as we hope, Eric James continues his improvement.  Josh Steel shows improvement similar to EJames did between year one and two.  Sanders also begins to put together some type of d-1 caliber game in a reserve role. The rest of the returning guys pretty much give us no more than what we have seen so far.  The freshmen are able to contribute in reserve roles and look like they have promise.  The greater length and athleticism on the perimeter allows the team to make strides on defense, allowing the coaches to mix in some variety. 
Given these circumstances the team might be a little better than expected, since they may be picked last in the A-10 preseason.  The team improves as the season progresses.  The freshmen and sophomores are clearly the nucleus and heart of the team, and start to form chemistry on offense.  Given expected early season struggles due to inexperience at guard, the team could still have a losing record, but have the feel of a team that showed improvement, and has a brighter future. 
Would you all still think it wise to fire the coach and disrupt the continuity, risk multiple transfers of your young nucleus, and in effect start over again?

Last edited by levon1975 (3/26/2016 3:16 pm)

phil95 wrote:

RE's program was a revolving door, his last two teams were a disaster down the stretch, he failed to bring any size to the program, his last 2 recruiting classes can be best classified as mythical, he has never taken any school to the NCAA tournament, he had six years to work out the problems, he brought in some real scum bag recruits, his offenses lacked planning/motion/discipline, & he misplayed his relationship with the AD.

His firing was not a shock to the basketball community. While handled poorly, it was the correct decision. He had things headed in the wrong direction. To say otherwise is to ignore the facts. Overall, his time at DU was mediocre. It only seems better because the teams have sucked for so long. 1 NIT appearance & a .527 winning percentage over 6 years are not noteworthy achievements. (By the way, his work resurrecting the program in years 1-3 is a great accomplishment; I was a huge fan at that point.)

I am not sure you could find 3 posters that think Ferry is the better coach. I would have been pleased if he were fired after Monday's game.I see very little possibility of him making it.

But, I beg you, please stop bringing up the comparison between the two coaches. One has nothing to do with the other & RE isn't coming back.  Also, RE has been gone for  4 YEARS!! Please let his ghost rest.

Phil - don't blame the posters on this Board for bringing up the comparisons between Everhart and Ferry. Blame Ferry. He continues to blame Everhart for his failures in almost every post - mortem of losses and losing seasons. That will continue to bring Everhart supporters to the table. If he is a friend of yours, tell him to stop it. 
 

phil95 wrote:

RE's program was a revolving door, his last two teams were a disaster down the stretch, he failed to bring any size to the program, his last 2 recruiting classes can be best classified as mythical, he has never taken any school to the NCAA tournament, he had six years to work out the problems, he brought in some real scum bag recruits, his offenses lacked planning/motion/discipline, & he misplayed his relationship with the AD.

His firing was not a shock to the basketball community. While handled poorly, it was the correct decision. He had things headed in the wrong direction. To say otherwise is to ignore the facts. Overall, his time at DU was mediocre. It only seems better because the teams have sucked for so long. 1 NIT appearance & a .527 winning percentage over 6 years are not noteworthy achievements. (By the way, his work resurrecting the program in years 1-3 is a great accomplishment; I was a huge fan at that point.)

I am not sure you could find 3 posters that think Ferry is the better coach. I would have been pleased if he were fired after Monday's game.I see very little possibility of him making it.

But, I beg you, please stop bringing up the comparison between the two coaches. One has nothing to do with the other & RE isn't coming back.  Also, RE has been gone for  4 YEARS!! Please let his ghost rest.

 
Scum bags!!!! Who Clark BJ Damian Reggie ..... YOU ARE A LITTLE MAN ..Very sad...

The purpose of my post was:
1. To remind folks that RE got off to a great start, failed, & is not an example of what incremental, lasting progress looks like.
2. Offer my opinion that Ferry should have been fired last week because the chances of his being successful are so low as to warrant a huge expenditure by the university if they are serious about winning.
3. I was responding to the post below & many others like it while trying to avoid citing specific posters/posts.
"I am still puzzled how the previous years with only one losing season and a five point loss in the A-10 Championship game is worse than 3 losing seasons and a 17-17 mark that was helped with a D-2 win?"


-Damian Saunders was/is a great representative of the university. Never wrote different. He is, in fact, my favorite all-time Duke.
-Baldonado & Robert Mitchell are the scumbags I was referring to. Even though Mitchell's legal troubles started after his departure, he had his share of trouble while on campus & all the later press had lines like, "former Duquesne Duke Robert Mitchell". 
-I agree, Jim Ferry's transfer record sucks. Comparing it to RE's doesn't make that more or less of a fact.   

 

CLK wrote:

Both Baldonado & Mitchell were highly recruited with many offers. It is not like players are given psychological tests, polygraphs & background searches like they are going to the Police Academy. Most coaches make the best decision they can given the information available and the interactions the kids have with the staff and players on visits. It is a tough business.  To his credit when issues surfaced Ron kicked these guys out.  Stuff happens outside of the coaches control like Mason and Jones getting arrested, or other issues that lead to suspensions and rooting out players.

I do agree that Duquesne's goal absolutely must be to be a top level program in the A10 and getting DU to the NCAA. Given what Ron accomplished at DU, however, I think DU made a serious mistake in pulling the trigger too soon.  Unlike what you stated it was a shock to the basketball community.  Guys in the Pittsburgh media are still pointing to that as a bonehead move. I also think that it would have been a mistake to fire Ferry this year.  He deserves one more or possibly two more years to see if he can get DU to the top part of the League.  I honestly have my doubts about Ferry but still think he deserves a shot.  If he crashes and burns next year he most likely will be gone.  But it will be viewed as fair, and who knows maybe he will surprise us.  One thing is for sure things need to change at DU.  The 600 fans at the CBI game was a complete and total embarrassment.  Harper took on a big challenge. Harper says he has a Plan.  Not sure what it is, but personally I want to see some real changes.   

You hit the nail on the head here. Other coaches watch to see what you're doing. Coaches want to see if they can expect to be treated fairly before they take on a job. Many may have questioned the timing of Ron's firing, and all of them should have been appalled by the way it was handled. Fans get emotional, but firing Ferry at this point would have given other coaches pause. All they would see is that after 3 losing seasons, Ferry gets to .500, and he's fired. Pitt has just found this out the hard way. Unless there's a scandal, or the program totally tanks, coaches expect to have 5 years to get it done.
 

WEB, I honestly do not know what to expect from Ken Gormley.  The only thing I saw was his comment below from a Trib Article.  It sounded like he "gets it", but we have heard others talk the talk but never put up.

Q: When can long-suffering Duquesne sports fans expect a consistently competitive men's basketball program?A: We're doing great in a lot of Olympic sports (but) men's basketball has been just this elusive thing for Duquesne fans for decades and I'm well aware of it. I talk to alums all the time and I feel the pain. But I do think this is a time of great opportunity. We have a new athletic director, Dave Harper, and I see him as a secret weapon. He not only has extensive experience in building an athletic program at Dayton, but he has extensive experience in fundraising, which is the other key component of this.Obviously, if you have a successful men's basketball team, or any athletic program, that generates excitement for the whole campus, for alums and for the region — and it can bring in revenue, which many institutions have figured out. So I think it's important to try to establish funding at a level consistent with top schools in the Atlantic 10. And that's the one thing I think would be an immediate priority: to look at the big picture of athletics and see how that can be accomplished.

http://duquesnefans.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=1417&p=3


One thing I forgot to add.  When I watched the A10 tournament game there was the LaSalle President in the middle of the LaSalle crowd wearing the school colors.  Leadership in my estimation requires being visible and accessible. I do not know what Harper is doing to try to reach out to alum and former season ticket holders.  If it were me as President or AD I would be reaching out personally to as many students, fans, boosters, and former sponsors to generate or revive support for the program. 

Last edited by CLK (3/28/2016 12:43 pm)

godukes1970 wrote:

CLK wrote:

WEB, I honestly do not know what to expect from Ken Gormley.  The only thing I saw was his comment below from a Trib Article.  It sounded like he "gets it", but we have heard others talk the talk but never put up.

Q: When can long-suffering Duquesne sports fans expect a consistently competitive men's basketball program?A: We're doing great in a lot of Olympic sports (but) men's basketball has been just this elusive thing for Duquesne fans for decades and I'm well aware of it. I talk to alums all the time and I feel the pain. But I do think this is a time of great opportunity. We have a new athletic director, Dave Harper, and I see him as a secret weapon. He not only has extensive experience in building an athletic program at Dayton, but he has extensive experience in fundraising, which is the other key component of this.Obviously, if you have a successful men's basketball team, or any athletic program, that generates excitement for the whole campus, for alums and for the region — and it can bring in revenue, which many institutions have figured out. So I think it's important to try to establish funding at a level consistent with top schools in the Atlantic 10. And that's the one thing I think would be an immediate priority: to look at the big picture of athletics and see how that can be accomplished.

http://duquesnefans.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=1417&p=3


One thing I forgot to add.  When I watched the A10 tournament game there was the LaSalle President in the middle of the LaSalle crowd wearing the school colors.  Leadership in my estimation requires being visible and accessible. I do not know what Harper is doing to try to reach out to alum and former season ticket holders.  If it were me as President or AD I would be reaching out personally to as many students, fans, boosters, and former sponsors to generate or revive support for the program. 

As a long-term men's & women's basketball and football season ticket holder, I was asked to participate in a meeting with Dave Harper and six or seven other season ticket holders on November 5, 2015.  There was at least one other such meeting held at that time.  Dave wanted to know of each person's experience with Duquesne athletics, particularly basketball.  Dave listened intently to what the participants felt were the problems with Duquesne sports and its facilities.  Dave had seemingly done a good bit of research on the Dukes' athletic program.  At that time he was living on DU's campus and that allowed him to have some first person interaction with the students and faculty and observe the flow of the student's activities and use of facilities.  He did comment that many of Duquesne's athletic facilities were below the average level of the other A-10 conference members and that had to be addressed.  

Without my going into detail it was clear that Harper knew his stuff and was determined to bring about a significant change over the last 40 or so years of Duquesne's lack of success in men's basketball, in particular.  He said that he was willing to speak with as many students, faculty, alumni, fans, corporations. benefactors, sponsors and other significant organizations on and off-campus as possible to gather a full understanding of the extent of the problems and possible solutions to those long term problems.  In my opinion I thought his agenda included full engagement with multiple sources of those who have an interest in Duquesne, or those who once had an interest in Duquesne, or who those who might be swayed to have any interest in Duquesne. 

While I guess everyone who posts on this forum is entitled to his or her opinion on Duquesne sports and matters related to Duquesne University, I can recall that after Duquesne announced that Law School Dean Gromley was selected to be the new president that WEB posted his extreme dissatisfaction with his selection.  I'm not sure what powers of insight WEB has in the evaluation of the administrative and leadership capabilities of Gromley to become the new leader of Duquesne University, but it was clear from his comments that the wrong person was selected.  I don't recall WEB's posting any particulars which would support his negative feelings toward Gromley.  However, if I missed reading WEB's specific objections, please share them.  I got the sense that WEB just didn't like the man based on a meeting or two that he had with Gromley.  If that's all there is, I tend to ignore any of WEB's continued predictions of Gromley's likely failure.

A meeting or two?  Trying be a student at the law school when Dougherty and Gormley pulled the rug out from underneath Dean Guter. The only reason Ken Gormley is the Dean is because he played the game with Dougherty and Guter refused. Then, the Board and Dougherty recommend Gormley to the new president when Dougherty was to step down?  I'm sorry, not a fan.

I can tell you there is a fractured faculty in the law school because of Gormley.

We shall see what happens.

PM me for further details if interested.