Here's the main problem...

[dawgstudent]

our 2011 basketball signing class has one player left out of 5. Stansbury left this program in shambles.

<table summary=""><caption>Signed Letter of Intent</caption><tbody style="" class="yui-dt-data" tabindex="0"><tr class="yui-dt-first yui-dt-even" id="yui-rec0" style=""><td class="name yui-dt0-col-name yui-dt-col-name yui-dt-asc yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-name "><div class="yui-dt-liner">D.J. Gardner </div></td><td class="position yui-dt0-col-position yui-dt-col-position yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-position "><div class="yui-dt-liner">SG</div></td><td class="location yui-dt0-col-location yui-dt-col-location yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-location "><div class="yui-dt-liner">Okolona, MS<cite>Okolona</cite></div></td><td class="height yui-dt0-col-height yui-dt-col-height yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-height "><div class="yui-dt-liner">6'6"</div></td><td class="weight yui-dt0-col-weight yui-dt-col-weight yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-weight "><div class="yui-dt-liner">195</div></td><td class="forty yui-dt0-col-forty yui-dt-col-forty yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-forty ">
</td><td class="numstars yui-dt0-col-numstars yui-dt-col-numstars yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-numstars "><div class="yui-dt-liner"><span class="ysr-4-star stars">4 stars</span></div></td><td class="rating yui-dt0-col-rating yui-dt-col-rating yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-rating ">
</td><td class="committed yui-dt0-col-committed yui-dt-col-committed yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-committed "><div class="yui-dt-liner">10/29/10</div></td><td class="videos yui-dt0-col-videos yui-dt-col-videos yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-videos ">
</td></tr><tr class="yui-dt-odd" id="yui-rec1" style=""><td class="name yui-dt0-col-name yui-dt-col-name yui-dt-asc yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-name "><div class="yui-dt-liner">Rodney Hood </div></td><td class="position yui-dt0-col-position yui-dt-col-position yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-position "><div class="yui-dt-liner">SF</div></td><td class="location yui-dt0-col-location yui-dt-col-location yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-location "><div class="yui-dt-liner">Meridian, MS<cite>Meridian</cite></div></td><td class="height yui-dt0-col-height yui-dt-col-height yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-height "><div class="yui-dt-liner">6'7"</div></td><td class="weight yui-dt0-col-weight yui-dt-col-weight yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-weight "><div class="yui-dt-liner">180</div></td><td class="forty yui-dt0-col-forty yui-dt-col-forty yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-forty ">
</td><td class="numstars yui-dt0-col-numstars yui-dt-col-numstars yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-numstars "><div class="yui-dt-liner"><span class="ysr-5-star stars">5 stars</span></div></td><td class="rating yui-dt0-col-rating yui-dt-col-rating yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-rating ">
</td><td class="committed yui-dt0-col-committed yui-dt-col-committed yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-committed "><div class="yui-dt-liner">10/27/10</div></td><td class="videos yui-dt0-col-videos yui-dt-col-videos yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-videos "><div class="yui-dt-liner">3 videos</div></td></tr><tr class="yui-dt-even" id="yui-rec2" style=""><td class="name yui-dt0-col-name yui-dt-col-name yui-dt-asc yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-name "><div class="yui-dt-liner">Roquez Johnson </div></td><td class="position yui-dt0-col-position yui-dt-col-position yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-position "><div class="yui-dt-liner">PF</div></td><td class="location yui-dt0-col-location yui-dt-col-location yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-location "><div class="yui-dt-liner">Montgomery, AL<cite>Carver</cite></div></td><td class="height yui-dt0-col-height yui-dt-col-height yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-height "><div class="yui-dt-liner">6'6"</div></td><td class="weight yui-dt0-col-weight yui-dt-col-weight yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-weight "><div class="yui-dt-liner">215</div></td><td class="forty yui-dt0-col-forty yui-dt-col-forty yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-forty ">
</td><td class="numstars yui-dt0-col-numstars yui-dt-col-numstars yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-numstars "><div class="yui-dt-liner"><span class="ysr-2-star stars">2 stars</span></div></td><td class="rating yui-dt0-col-rating yui-dt-col-rating yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-rating ">
</td><td class="committed yui-dt0-col-committed yui-dt-col-committed yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-committed ">
</td><td class="videos yui-dt0-col-videos yui-dt-col-videos yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-videos ">
</td></tr><tr class="yui-dt-odd" id="yui-rec3" style=""><td class="name yui-dt0-col-name yui-dt-col-name yui-dt-asc yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-name "><div class="yui-dt-liner">Shawn Long </div></td><td class="position yui-dt0-col-position yui-dt-col-position yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-position "><div class="yui-dt-liner">PF</div></td><td class="location yui-dt0-col-location yui-dt-col-location yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-location "><div class="yui-dt-liner">Morgan City, LA<cite>Morgan City</cite></div></td><td class="height yui-dt0-col-height yui-dt-col-height yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-height "><div class="yui-dt-liner">6'9"</div></td><td class="weight yui-dt0-col-weight yui-dt-col-weight yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-weight "><div class="yui-dt-liner">220</div></td><td class="forty yui-dt0-col-forty yui-dt-col-forty yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-forty ">
</td><td class="numstars yui-dt0-col-numstars yui-dt-col-numstars yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-numstars "><div class="yui-dt-liner"><span class="ysr-3-star stars">3 stars</span></div></td><td class="rating yui-dt0-col-rating yui-dt-col-rating yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-rating ">
</td><td class="committed yui-dt0-col-committed yui-dt-col-committed yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-committed "><div class="yui-dt-liner">4/29/11</div></td><td class="videos yui-dt0-col-videos yui-dt-col-videos yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-videos ">
</td></tr><tr class="yui-dt-last yui-dt-even" id="yui-rec4" style=""><td class="name yui-dt0-col-name yui-dt-col-name yui-dt-asc yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-name "><div class="yui-dt-liner">Deville Smith </div></td><td class="position yui-dt0-col-position yui-dt-col-position yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-position "><div class="yui-dt-liner">PG</div></td><td class="location yui-dt0-col-location yui-dt-col-location yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-location "><div class="yui-dt-liner">Jackson, MS<cite>Callaway</cite></div></td><td class="height yui-dt0-col-height yui-dt-col-height yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-height "><div class="yui-dt-liner">5'10"</div></td><td class="weight yui-dt0-col-weight yui-dt-col-weight yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-weight "><div class="yui-dt-liner">160</div></td><td class="forty yui-dt0-col-forty yui-dt-col-forty yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-forty ">
</td><td class="numstars yui-dt0-col-numstars yui-dt-col-numstars yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-numstars "><div class="yui-dt-liner"><span class="ysr-4-star stars">4 stars</span></div></td><td class="rating yui-dt0-col-rating yui-dt-col-rating yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-rating ">
</td><td class="committed yui-dt0-col-committed yui-dt-col-committed yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-committed "><div class="yui-dt-liner">4/30/10</div></td><td class="videos yui-dt0-col-videos yui-dt-col-videos yui-dt-sortable" headers="yui-dt0-th-videos "><div class="yui-dt-liner">1 video</div></td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[starkvegasdawg]

We will be lucky to make it to 10 wins next year. And while I have nothing to base this on, I can't help but shake the feeling we are not done with the transfers.

 

[Irondawg]

Has caught up to him and the program in ways really unimaginable 4 years ago and became the perfect storm of program implosion at this time.

I feel bad for Ray - very few coaches ever inherit a Top 50 program that has no NCAA issuesin this kind of shape. Plus at least a 1/3 of the fanbase seems to be pretty dissastified for the hire and will find a way to blame himand/or Scott for all of this.

 

[Coach34]

another season

 

[MadDawg.sixpack]

probably more like 3/4.

 

[BogeyGolfer.sixpack]

however we are still thedominateforce in recruiting the state of ms and our state has quality basketball players year in and year out. We will be ok, but it will take at least two years.

 

[MadDawg.sixpack]

we are still thedominateforce in recruiting the state of ms

until we see if the new guy can recruit.

 

[fishwater99]

If he does then, he is making a big mistake. Go ahead and save the scholarships for next year and get to work.
If Ray just signs guys to have someone, then it will set us back even further. Look at what Stans did last year, and now we have 1 guy left and he is not that good..

 

[Thick]

next year is not a good year for in state talent. We are about to embark on the Gamecock years....very frustrating times ahead.

 

[maroonmania]

for 1980s MSU basketball. Because that's where I see this going at this point and until I see that Ray has some recruiting ability I don't see any path to get out of that mode. And for those of you who said it was worth the risk of getting worse in the near term to have the ability to get better in the long term, well the near term is here. Guess we will have to see about the long term. And I am well aware of all the negatives with Stans at the helm but it is pretty much a given that if he had been allowed to stay on another year then Hood, Pollard and Gray would have been part of our program which would have been a BIG BIG head start from what we will have now.

 

[BogeyGolfer.sixpack]

with our superiorfacilitiesand fan base, he shouldeasilybe able recruit five quality players within our region. What do they have to choose from? Ole Miss basketball and almost zero fan support and a ****** gym. USM? LSU?theirprogram has been terrible the last few years with awful fan support and Bama is notperceivedas a great program either. What about Arkansas? Most highschoolkids do not remember when they were good much like ND in football. Hell, I can sign five quality players in today's bball landscape.

 

[DerHntr]

it even harder to hire the following year.

We finally ripped the bandaid off. I think most of us are just a bit surprised how big of a wound was under there.

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

i think we have bama to worry about. they are likely gonna land pollard, and the rumor is they are trying to get ware to get out of LOIC. so not only are we hurting our program, we are giving studs to the program 70 miles down the road. awesome.

stans had to go, but strickland 17'd up the search and hire pretty badly. i think payne would have kept the roster largely intact, kept the signed recruits on board, and pollard explicitly stated payne would put MSU back into consideration. i know payne didn't have the experience some want, but we could push him to hire experienced assistants who know X's and O's. i know he has world wide wes connections, but i'd rather have www players coming in than not because in CBB talent reigns supreme.

i guess i just don't see enough disparity in experience between ray and payne to justify the gutting of the program the ray hire has caused. i see strickland over thinking the hire and trying to pull a rabbit out of the hat instead of taking the guy whose HC was openly fluffing himfor the job during the NCAA tourney.

 

[MadDawg.sixpack]

We finally ripped the bandaid off. I think most of us are just a bit surprised how big of a wound was under there.

I think we took some skin off when we ripped that bandaid off.

 

[DerHntr]

fired him outright and not provided a job in the athletic department.

At the time I have to admit I liked the idea of the AD showing much more class than the basketball team had shown in recent years but looking back on it, it may have been better to show some balls.