The Dome wrote:

Thanks to a inability to sleep I just watched The Last Word a sports talk show that comes on after the Sunday night WPXI news. John Stagerwald made his choice for his last word Duquesne Basketball after the other two writers and Albie Oxenreiter all had a laugh and Stag begged for everyone not to turnoff their sets he called for the University to pack it in. End the embarrassment and stick a fork in it. He also ask why Ron was gone but no sense in revisiting that which can't be changed.

 

Wow, hacks like Stegerwald and Oxenreiter are STILL on Pittsburgh sports media!  Things never change!  But Steigy is right here, hate to say it.

The question is not the validity of the messanger but the validity of the message--does the opinion offered consist merit?

Before I renewed my season tickets (2) this season I called the Ticket Offices and asked if it was going to be another losing season. I was assured that they would do quite well, that Ferry knew he had to produce, blah, blah, blah.  I'm kicking myself. Everytime they hire a new coach, the season ticket price seems to get jacked up. If it wasn't for the fact that my kids like taking turns going to the game with me because I take them to dinner first, I'd drop my season tickets otherwise. This program is like that character in the old L'il Abner comic strip who walked around with a dark cloud over his head.

Last edited by LittleMan (2/09/2015 4:41 pm)

Though I can see someday,  getting a young coach coming in here with the same approach to the game as Ron had, and maybe from a D-1 or D-2 school, then, maybe winning again.  BUT,   I don't see this administration, nor the fans, let alone the AD understanding what Ron was doing that won here in the first place.  Ferry is just the same old loosing formula, and maybe the worse for more money. It's easy to think you understand half-court basketball year after loosing year, then a coach comes in and exploits the weaknesses in the half-court game, and  with lesser recruits than other A-10 teams can recruit  and gets to the A-10 finals in 3 years FROM THIS LOOSING PROGRAM !!!!!!. Reading most negative post on these boards about Ron, even while he was here and winning , tells me most people  really didn't get it (some still don't). Neither did the AD??? And Definitely,  something this coach will never understand with his simple minded dumb-downed  zone defense approach to the half court game. Don't need new players, Ron won with this level of talent, we need to get a coach that plays a different game. Don't think so? Keep loosing.  

duq81 wrote:

NapaDuke wrote:

Though I can see someday,  getting a young coach coming in here with the same approach to the game as Ron had, and maybe from a D-1 or D-2 school, then, maybe winning again.  BUT,   I don't see this administration, nor the fans, let alone the AD understanding what Ron was doing that won here in the first place.  Ferry is just the same old loosing formula, and maybe the worse for more money. It's easy to think you understand half-court basketball year after loosing year, then a coach comes in and exploits the weaknesses in the half-court game, and  with lesser recruits than other A-10 teams can recruit  and gets to the A-10 finals in 3 years FROM THIS LOOSING PROGRAM !!!!!!. Reading most negative post on these boards about Ron, even while he was here and winning , tells me most people  really didn't get it (some still don't). Neither did the AD??? And Definitely,  something this coach will never understand with his simple minded dumb-downed  zone defense approach to the half court game. Don't need new players, Ron won with this level of talent, we need to get a coach that plays a different game. Don't think so? Keep loosing.  

I don't buy this nonsense about Ron winning with less talent. Ron won because he raised the talent level on the team. Nee left him two very good players, and he quickly added to that. Achara, AJax, Saunders, Clark, and Montiero are all getting paid to play somewhere, and TJ certainly will as well. That is why we were winning. He raised the talent level to the middle of the league, and we became a mid level team. The two things you would notice is that we stopped losing to cupcakes, and we became tougher to beat at home. Overall, we really weren't competitive with the top teams (especially on the road), but we were competitive with everyone else. This was reflected in our record. What Ron had, that this team doesn't, is a star player or two. Ferry sure didn't look like a bumbling idiot last year. The team didn't have a great season, but never looked close to being as horrible as this year's team, and had stretches where they played quite well. That's why there was optimism going into the season. The difference was Soko. He gave the team a focal point. McCoy and Mason were thought to have that potential, but obviously aren't up to the task. This is a team full of role players. You might notice that not a single player has had a monster game this year. That's a clear sign of a team that lacks players with star potential. In my opinion, Ferry's future rests squarely on Castro's shoulders. He is the only player on the roster who may have the ability to take over games. Ferry is going to have to give him the keys to the team. If he rises to the occasion, you'll be surprised at how much smarter Ferry looks. If he fails, we'll be looking for a new coach.
 

 
Amen!

duq81 wrote:

NapaDuke wrote:

Though I can see someday,  getting a young coach coming in here with the same approach to the game as Ron had, and maybe from a D-1 or D-2 school, then, maybe winning again.  BUT,   I don't see this administration, nor the fans, let alone the AD understanding what Ron was doing that won here in the first place.  Ferry is just the same old loosing formula, and maybe the worse for more money. It's easy to think you understand half-court basketball year after loosing year, then a coach comes in and exploits the weaknesses in the half-court game, and  with lesser recruits than other A-10 teams can recruit  and gets to the A-10 finals in 3 years FROM THIS LOOSING PROGRAM !!!!!!. Reading most negative post on these boards about Ron, even while he was here and winning , tells me most people  really didn't get it (some still don't). Neither did the AD??? And Definitely,  something this coach will never understand with his simple minded dumb-downed  zone defense approach to the half court game. Don't need new players, Ron won with this level of talent, we need to get a coach that plays a different game. Don't think so? Keep loosing.  

I don't buy this nonsense about Ron winning with less talent. Ron won because he raised the talent level on the team. Nee left him two very good players, and he quickly added to that. Achara, AJax, Saunders, Clark, and Montiero are all getting paid to play somewhere, and TJ certainly will as well. That is why we were winning. He raised the talent level to the middle of the league, and we became a mid level team. The two things you would notice is that we stopped losing to cupcakes, and we became tougher to beat at home. Overall, we really weren't competitive with the top teams (especially on the road), but we were competitive with everyone else. This was reflected in our record. What Ron had, that this team doesn't, is a star player or two. Ferry sure didn't look like a bumbling idiot last year. The team didn't have a great season, but never looked close to being as horrible as this year's team, and had stretches where they played quite well. That's why there was optimism going into the season. The difference was Soko. He gave the team a focal point. McCoy and Mason were thought to have that potential, but obviously aren't up to the task. This is a team full of role players. You might notice that not a single player has had a monster game this year. That's a clear sign of a team that lacks players with star potential. In my opinion, Ferry's future rests squarely on Castro's shoulders. He is the only player on the roster who may have the ability to take over games. Ferry is going to have to give him the keys to the team. If he rises to the occasion, you'll be surprised at how much smarter Ferry looks. If he fails, we'll be looking for a new coach.
 

Wow, Ron found better players? And zone defense in a winning formula, and Ferry will look smarter? Are you watching these games? Really. It's not the players, it's the coach, (which Ferry is the 42 highest paid coach in D-2 out of 300 plus)  and if it is the players, FERRY recruited them, and as for Ron only beat the cream puffs and occasionally the high teams, wasn't that  EXACTLY his job!!!!. Ferry's teams are the cream puffs!!!     

duq81 wrote:

NapaDuke wrote:

duq81 wrote:

I don't buy this nonsense about Ron winning with less talent. Ron won because he raised the talent level on the team. Nee left him two very good players, and he quickly added to that. Achara, AJax, Saunders, Clark, and Montiero are all getting paid to play somewhere, and TJ certainly will as well. That is why we were winning. He raised the talent level to the middle of the league, and we became a mid level team. The two things you would notice is that we stopped losing to cupcakes, and we became tougher to beat at home. Overall, we really weren't competitive with the top teams (especially on the road), but we were competitive with everyone else. This was reflected in our record. What Ron had, that this team doesn't, is a star player or two. Ferry sure didn't look like a bumbling idiot last year. The team didn't have a great season, but never looked close to being as horrible as this year's team, and had stretches where they played quite well. That's why there was optimism going into the season. The difference was Soko. He gave the team a focal point. McCoy and Mason were thought to have that potential, but obviously aren't up to the task. This is a team full of role players. You might notice that not a single player has had a monster game this year. That's a clear sign of a team that lacks players with star potential. In my opinion, Ferry's future rests squarely on Castro's shoulders. He is the only player on the roster who may have the ability to take over games. Ferry is going to have to give him the keys to the team. If he rises to the occasion, you'll be surprised at how much smarter Ferry looks. If he fails, we'll be looking for a new coach.
 

Wow, Ron found better players? And zone defense in a winning formula, and Ferry will look smarter? Are you watching these games? Really. It's not the players, it's the coach, (which Ferry is the 42 highest paid coach in D-2 out of 300 plus)  and if it is the players, FERRY recruited them, and as for Ron only beat the cream puffs and occasionally the high teams, wasn't that  EXACTLY his job!!!!. Ferry's teams are the cream puffs!!!     

Of course that was his job. You are the one who is saying that Ron magically won with inferior players. I'm calling this as bs. Ron won because he was able to land some upper level A10 players, and raised the talent level significantly, not because he was some x and o's wizard. In fact, some feel that Ron mishandled what may have been the most talented team on the Bluff since Rice's second year, by sticking with 10/40 too long. Many of Ferry's moves have left me scratching my head, but the main reason the team stinks is that he doesn't have any difference makers. No one is giving Ferry a pass for this, it's just that your analysis is total nonsense. You can't win with a bunch of role players, unless the team is exceptional defensively, which of course, this team is certainly not.

As for playing a zone, many teams do, and do it very well. You might remember John Chaney, or heard of Jim Boeheim. You don't have to play man to man to be a good defensive team. Duquesne's problem is that they can't play either.

Very few teams stay in a zone start to finish. As for Ron miss-playing his talent?? Who found that talent and why isn't Ferry finding some?  I think the players are here, just not the coach, you think it's the other way around? Only time will tell, right? 

Ron was a heck of a coach who got the most out of his players.  Heck he was able to win with walk ons, and his teams at DU were in the top100 in defense during his tenure as someone pointed out.  Those people who say Ron would have not won or rebuilt after TJ left, or look at Jack or Moore and say theu would not have made a difference crack me up,  They say it like it is a fact.  The fact is they are offering speculation to justify why they aruged for firing the most successful coach in the last 35-years and to deflect the horridness of the current coach (I am not talking about you duq81). One person (you all know who it is) on the other board is even implying that Ferry's failure is because Ron didn't make it to the NCAA. Talk about delusional!!!   

Bottom line is that the Ron tenure at DU is history, and most sane people will agree that Ferry needs to be judged on his own merits. 

Last edited by CLK (2/10/2015 2:27 pm)

Just a quick step back. The reason I started this thread is in no way did I buy into or agree with Stagy's assertion but to further show how long a climb back it is going to be even to get someone to pay attention. I wonder if Duquesne called a press conference right now to announce Amodio getting fire who the hell would even show.

Bob Smizik's blog:
• Duquesne coach Jim Ferry is treading on some very unfavorable ground and I’m not talking about the Dukes RPI ranking of 258. Ferry is 28-53 thus far in his first three seasons. Danny Nee was 31-56. Failing to surpass Nee would not be good. Ron Everhart, 48-45 between Nee and Ferry, continues to look good.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/smizik-on-sports/2015/02/09/Bob-Smizik-Pirates-were-right-to-go-to-arbitration/stories/201502090190

PhoenixRising2 wrote:

Bob Smizik's blog:
• Duquesne coach Jim Ferry is treading on some very unfavorable ground and I’m not talking about the Dukes RPI ranking of 258. Ferry is 28-53 thus far in his first three seasons. Danny Nee was 31-56. Failing to surpass Nee would not be good. Ron Everhart, 48-45 between Nee and Ferry, continues to look good.
Ron wasn't perfect, I knew him as a season ticket holder and connected with him enough that we were on speaking terms, I respected his contribution to Duquesne,  we e-mailed a a lot of times, in fact after, every game, what went right, what went wrong, what could have been done  and what might be done. Oddly, never, like a chess match were individual players named, because as a team, a unit, everything works as a unit, not as, 81 thinks, as a single miss-handled player.  Ron sees the whole game. Few coach's see it. We talked often at the annual events and I would see him on the south side at his radio show and talk some more, He invited me to some practices and a road trip as his guest. I do know, he was open minded, and adaptable, his game changed with the situation each year, he knows  more about basketball than any one on this board will ever give credit for, and oddly, he most likely will be the next  Head Coach at WVU some day, but he wasn't good enough for DU???  What to win again??? Hire a coach that see that game. 40 minutes of attacking the opponent, not sitting back in a passive zone defense letting the opponent control the clock, Why are the highest scoring games in DU history almost all Ron Everhart ?????? Why was he voted coach of the year, voted by the COACH's that he beat that year , and just a year before he got fired???  Why are there still some Ron haters left on this board ??? Don't you get it???    Keep supporting Ferry/Nee style because you just got to be right??  It just plan stupid   I wrote the AD the day Ron was fired and stated, do not hire the same half-court mono-e-mono neadertho-  PITT style coach or we will go back to the DARK AGES OF BASKETBALL, but you and I know e-mails from us go to nowhere. thus Ferry at 600,000 a year, playing less than I coached in AAU BB with no visable offense, but with a just mindless  defenses from this board will continue the Ferry years???? . Let the loosing continue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/smizik-on-sports/2015/02/09/Bob-Smizik-Pirates-were-right-to-go-to-arbitration/stories/201502090190

Phil, certain posters over there (not all) have lost all credibility for the "hard one" they constantly have for Everhart, and the kool aid they fed us the last couple of years about Ferry's recruits.  If you believe one poster recent rant, the reason why Ferry is so bad is because Ron didn't get DU to the NCAA.  Never mind Ron inherited his position at DU from a coach who never had a winning season and with only 3 wins the season before Ron took over, and by Ron's third season his team played for the A10 championship.  How many times is that guy going to kick that dead mule?  Ron has been gone for three years.  Move on already.  Ferry, and Ferry alone is responsible for this teams performance and this debacle of a season. 

Last edited by CLK (2/10/2015 6:59 pm)