What has to happen in year 1...

[kired]

for you to believe Rick Ray was a great hire? Obviously making the NCAAT would exceed anyone's expectations --- but very unlikely. So is there anything else that will make you think we've got a good one?

Does he have to make the NIT, have a winning season, sign Pollard, maintainthe current recruits, etc? Will you be satisfied just by what you see (rather than results) - better effort, team unity, no off-court distractions, good offensive coaching? Or maybe player development - what if he makes Lewis or Shawn Smith look like serviceable SEC players?

 

[kired]

for you to believe Rick Ray was a great hire? Obviously making the NCAAT would exceed anyone's expectations --- but very unlikely. So is there anything else that will make you think we've got a good one?

Does he have to make the NIT, have a winning season, sign Pollard, maintainthe current recruits, etc? Will you be satisfied just by what you see (rather than results) - better effort, team unity, no off-court distractions, good offensive coaching? Or maybe player development - what if he makes Lewis or Shawn Smith look like serviceable SEC players?

 

[Tds & Beer]

Give 100% effort, be on the same page, don't stand still on offense, make adjustments on defense and go .500 overall and he's my favorite person on the planet.

 

[lawdawg02]

I don't think Stans ever really knew how to utilize a G/F off the ball. Sure, he knew how to run screens for the ballhandler, and even this year, we actually tried to get the ball to our post players. But I don't know what Stans would've done to feature Rodney Hood like he should be featured next year. I think seeing how Ray designs a game plan around his best asset will be a sign, one way or the other.

I also want to see effort on both ends of the floor. </p>

 

[hullabaloodog]

Not going to base it on wins and loses, but I need to see improvement. We could be pretty thin, and will be very young, so I'm not expecting a lot. I want to see effort in every game, no matter the opponent.<div>
</div><div>I also need to see what kind of coaching his child can do on the bench. If he can just organize a couple of pool parties that would be a bonus.</div>

 

[Coach34]

.

 

[DAWG61]

if Hood is our best player we might win 2 SEC games next year.

 

[boatsnhoes]

1. effort, giving effort (charges, loose balls etc.)
2. play some defense with energy
3. play a game with less than 15 turnovers (some ball security)
4 be able to maintain and finish a game when you have a lead you should hold onto

 

[dawgoneyall]

.

 

[GoToHellOleMiss.sixpack]

asdf

 

[drt7891]

If he can just organize a couple of <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">pool parties</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">fishing trips </span>that would be a bonus.

nm

 

[windcrysmary]

Who knows he's in charge? Surrendering your leadership to the players is bad enough ..but when it's handed over to those with the worst attitudes, then **** happens ....I just want somebody that has a pair ....

 

[codeDawg]

and a great first year recruiting class, after this one. Just look like a team that works hard even when they are getting outplayed and a coach that makes adjustments.

 

[ALdawg.sixpack]

considering the low expectations for next year with our roster assuming we lose Gray and don't land Pollard.

 

[shsdawg]

whoever they are, play defense like their lives depend on it. I want to see them follow shots and crash the boards (and maybe even block out every once and a while***).I want to see them them set screens like they mean it. I want to see them fight through screens with authority. I want to see them scrap hard for every loose ball. In other words I want them to get after it. That's something we haven't seen in a while really. If they do that, then the rest will follow in time.

 

[Johnson85]

Ignoring recruiting,
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">(1a) Effort on both ends of the floor
(1b) Individual improvement over the course of the year (Wendell Lewis improving would be a good sign. Josh Gray better improve, although a lot of players figure things out b/w freshmand and sophomore year more than during freshman year.
(1c) Improvement as a team over the course of the season.
(2) Proper positioning on defense. I think this should be doable for any returning players, as state's defensive problems under stansbury were effort related, not his failure to teach proper positioning.
(3a) Properly setting up a screen, both on-ball and off-ball. They may look like crap when they try to get beyond the first screen in the offense when they're trying to remember what to do and react to the defense, but I'd like to be able to see that they at least understand how to set their defender up for a screen, read the position of the defender, and make the appropriate cut when starting up the offense.
(3b) Execution of inbounds plays. Should be able to do this if you can do 3a.
(4) At least three players that understand how to find the soft spot of a zone. Our spacing and offensive IQ in general may screw up our zone attack in most instances, but when we do create a soft spot, I'd like at least a few people that know where it is and how to exploit it (one of these will be Hood, so he really just has to find two other players with decent basketball IQ).
(5a) Disciplined play on defense (playing ball screens and off-ball
screens according to game plan, helping, rotating, etc.; again,
expectations here have to be adjusted based on the teams youth and
experience).
(5b) Disciplined play on offense (i.e., trying to run the offense, not chucking up bad shots, although we're going to have that since we'll have a true freshman point guard).
(6) Run an offense effectively, with multiple ball reversals with purpose, not just passing the ball around the perimeter while the defense if being passive.
</div>
To be a good hire, he really has to accomplish Numbers 1a through 3b. 4 has some wiggle room. Simply running a zone offenses is usually easier than running a man offense, but running it effectively may take more teaching time than he has, depending on how quick our players are to understand. 5a and 5b I'm really just looking for improvement over the year, and I'll be giddy if we can run an offense by the end of year one.

 

[MadDawg.sixpack]

Any failures or shortcoming will be blamed on the previous staff or the current AD.

 

[studentdawg87]

We are going to be terrible next year. Anyone rational person can admit that.

If Ray could miraculously hold on to this entire recruiting class and sign Pollard, which won't happen, we could be decent next year if we signed another post player or two. Assuming we keep Gray, Thomas and Sword, we should be fine at guard for a while. However, Stans has crashed and burned when it comes to signing post players, and it is going to show for the next few years.

This was a pretty typical refrain from media members at the press conference: "He is going to have it rough the next few years, but it isn't his fault at all. He is being left a roster that is in shambles."

 

[hotdigitydog]

BTW, I do agree w/you that we might win two SEC games next season........Seriously though, I don't see us winning more than 4 or 5 at the most and that is if we keep all our recruits........Next year has the makings for a sure enough ****** season...........John freaking Wooden couldn't win with the group we'll have next year..............</p>

 

[studentdawg87]

DAWG61 never fails to entertain me. There are days I wonder how he even knows how to turn a computer on.

 

[MemphisMaroonClubDog]

who could have said something like that???

 

[Caoch34]

My sources tell me that Coach Ray will hire exactly 3 assistants to fill his staff. Look for this to happen in the next 2 weeks.

 

[DAWG61]

DAWG61 never fails to entertain me. There are days I wonder how he even knows how to turn a computer on.

to build your team around one player? I could see this being the case if we had a 1st team All-American maybe but we don't. I'd prefer a system based on energy, tempo, toughness and defense. Not an offense catered to one player. You think Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, VCU etc. base their offense on one player? Absolutely not so why the 17 would we when we don't have a single dominate player on our roster?

 

[hulkbuster]

VCU in all honesty would smash our ***, not to mention Duke, Kentucky (did), Kansas. They have freakin stars EVERY year! So no they don't have to adapt an offense around 1 guy. They have like 5 Rodney Hoods on thier team. He's the best player we still have on the roster. I wouldn't be suprised if we didn't run the offense around him. Your comment seemed as though he's not a good player. As far as my aspirations (realistic) for Ray this year. Let's just start w/ basic grass roots style bball. Fundamentals that this team has lacked in a LONG time.

1.) Play hard
2.) Attitude change
3.) .500

If those things can be accomplished, I can't see any REALISTIC state fans whine about it.

 

[lawdawg02]

You think Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, VCU etc. base their offense on one player?

When those schools have talented players, they design ways to get them the ball.Every team will have a #1 option, unless you have a few of them at a UK/Duke/UNC type program. Hell, even Kansas (Robinson) and Ohio State (Sullinger) had players who the offense was designed around.

 

[dickiedawg]

I'm going to be pretty disappointed if we don't finish .500 overall. As in, hot seat in year 2 disappointed. I don't mean lukewarm seat, either. We haven't finished with a losing record since 1999-2000.

I know there's a lot of uncertainty right now, as we don't have any idea who will be suiting up for us. But let's not make the situation out to be worse than it is.

 

[jeremyrbrown]

[No message]

 

[studentdawg87]

Worst case scenario we have PJ Hardwick at PG, Steele/Sword/Thomas at SG, Smith/Thomas at SF, Ziedak/Johnson at PF, and Ware and Lewis at C. That team would get 17ed in the *** every game.

I didn't include Hood, because he has asked for his release to Louisville. That was before he met Ray, though, and I think he stays. If Hood does leave, I think you will see us accuse Pitino of tampering.

 

[Coash34]

He's about to have the next 3 years with a coach building a team specifically to make him look good. No matter how bad we are, he will shine, and the scouts will continue to take notice, and that's more of a sure thing than what will happen 2 years from now in Lousiville.

 

[DAWG61]

28,000 post count is just gone for good now? That's dumb. Bring back your old account.

 

[dickiedawg]

It will be a very disappointing job by Rick Ray.

Also, for that lineup to be the only option next year, Ray will have FAILED to keep Hood and FAILED to keep Gray from leaving.Ray should also be kicking the tires on any unsigned HS prospects and/or JUCO guys trying to add a PG and a post body, so if he loses both of those guys and doesn't add anyone, I'd count that another failure.

We should be able to win more than we lose if the coach is worth anything. I know post depth will continue to be a problem and this is counting on a ton of unknowns, but my expectation is to finish .500 or better next season.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Same sig about from guy who isn't even a factor anymore.

Glad you are around to give me a laugh everyday.

 

[dawgstudent]

[No message]

 

[Hump4Hoops]

The phrase "Who would do something like that???" came to mind more than once - directed at different people, at that.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Cool.

Now I get to laugh at myself too.

 

[Coach34]

well, and Cowpower if you count his multiple accounts

 

[DAWG61]

other guy?

 

[Coach34]

.