What exactly are you critiquing? Ron's gone. His players are gone. Ferry's here. His players are here. Including him in any conversation serves what purpose? Especially since you have often suggested that others move on because he's gone?

Westender wrote:

ElDuque wrote:

What exactly are you critiquing? Ron's gone. His players are gone. Ferry's here. His players are here. Including him in any conversation serves what purpose? Especially since you have often suggested that others move on because he's gone?

 
Good point ED. And Steve - I've said what I've had to say on this topic. Just remember that you are open to criticism just as the subjects of your writing are.

Westerender, Completely agree and I welcome it.

ED, I think I answered that question under my second point of my original post in this thread. I also think it's worth noting that I'm looking at the past to explain the present. You're right these are Ferry's players, but ultimately, there should still be some of Everhart's left. That to me is a problem and a big part of why the team has struggled. You are welcome to disagree with this premise.
 

Last edited by steve19981 (9/11/2014 8:34 pm)

A couple of comments on all of this.
The job of rebuilding Duquesne University basketball -- and all of us should acknowledge that it was a rebuilding project at that point, despite Ron's success -- looked different to Ron than it did to Jim.

Ron knew what he had in his returning players, knew what he expected/hoped for in his recruits, understood the impact of his losses, had to recognize that he needed to fire a couple of coaches, was feeling pressure from Greg and perhaps other sources, had mapped out a recruiting strategy, and was trying to implement a Plan B. Does anyone think the scenario that Ron was facing was his first choice for his current situation? 

The same situation looked much different to Jim. He didn't know the players, all he knew was that on film they didn't fit his system. He hadn't been talking to the same recruits, as far as I could see. He fortunately did not have the McConnell-Talley baggage with which to deal. Unfortunately, the bed-wetting performance that started with Ron's firing and continued through the public humiliation of a leading candidate turning down our job, what, three times publicly, had created  the type of stain that had been lifted from the program when Ron was hired.

The loss of McConnell and Talley, plus the graduation of Eric Evans, left the program without a point guard, without an on-floor leader, and certainly without a couple proven A-10 players. For Ron, who was banking on his latest round of recruits (signed and unsigned), it would probably have been a struggle to finish .500, although as he proved over the course of 5 years, he had the ability to coach a reloaded team successfully.

Despite Greg's assertions that success in the program was not sustainable under those conditions, five years is actually a decent yardstick. Another .500 season, a jump led by a sophomore-dominated team the next year, a trip back to the NIT the year after that -- who knows? I'm not saying it WOULD have happened; I'm giving a guy the benefit of the doubt based on his track record.

Instead, Greg drags the university through the muck, then gives Jim the job of rebuilding. Year 1, he inherits a dinged-up Datt, an Abele who could rebound & push around big bodies but lacked hands, a Panto who was athletic but who played out of position in Jim's system, a couple guys with solid A-10 experience in Johnson and Jones. And some others who were clearly bench players. All had to make an adjustment to Jim's way of doing things, plus he brought in a couple of his own guys around whom he clearly (and rightfully) intended to build.

So all of those guys are gone. And we want to talk about being surprised, or assessing blame, or whatever we think the narrative should be.

So here is my final word.

Great minds talk about ideas. Let's do this, here, on Yuku, anywhere where we talk Duquesne basketball.

Average minds talk about the weather. Basketball is played indoors.

Below average minds talk about people. Please, let's stop. This is not meant to be preachy, or to insult anyone, or provoke any controversies. If we're going to talk about people, let's talk about how players are developing, how DC is beating cancer, how coach is out talking to this kid and that kid, etc. That stuff is cool.