WTF is Rick Ray doing?

[DawgatAuburn]

I have no ill will against the man. But every time I see his name, it's for something negative. Today, another of his players is leaving. Here's the scorecard.

When Ray started there last year, he inherited two signees and added five more. Six of those seven are now gone. SIX! I'm using last names only because first names wouldn't help you know who any of them are.

Angus - still there, God bless him.
Anderson - declared for NBA after a freshman year in which he averaged 14.7. That's minutes of course. He scored 5 ppg and snagged 2 rebounds per contest. He's signed with an agent.
Stewart - transferring
Santee - never qualified
McGill - kicked off the team
Dillon - left in Oct for personal reasons (not a Ray signee)
Dosier - transferring (not a Ray signee)

Add to this that during last season, Ray kicked three more players off the team. If I am counting right, he has five players on the roster right now, four scholarship players (one of whom is a former walkon) and one walkon who of course played in 23 games last year because who else was there to put in? He's an intimidating looking post guy.

They will be joined this fall by a three man recruiting class, all whom are guard in the 6'2"-6'4" range. Ray's tallest guy next year will be 6'7", followed by the aforementioned walkon at 6'6" and another 6'6" guy who is listed as a guard.

I guess some of this is out of his control, but C'MON MAN - you are a D-I head coach. Get a roster together!

 

[aTotal360]

He could be the 76er's GM.

 

[thf24]

The huge red flag here is that players he added are leaving. Sometimes a new HC can't reach guys they inherited despite their best efforts, but when you're losing players in year 1 you solely recruited and signed, you might be doing it wrong.

Also, how did the Anderson kid find an agent who would sign him?

 

[Philly Dawg]

He has no idea how to coach and the players figure it out when they get there. Add to that he's sort of a hard ***. It still utterly astounds me that we hired him.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

He makes Sam Hinkie look like a genius.

 

[121Josey]

He has no idea how to coach and the players figure it out when they get there. Add to that he's sort of a hard ***. It still utterly astounds me that we hired him.

No head coach with any level of success at any level of collegiate basketball would have touched this dumpster fire. Or at least that's what they tell you.**

Hiring RR was "the most MSU thing ever" for this decade. No surprise. He couldn't coach fundamentals much less X's n O's.

 

[mcdawg22]

You are clearly letting your bias show. Just because you think that below average performance and massive attrition of talent should be a barometer of accomplishment, doesn't mean you should judge.

 

[KurtRambis4]

That's what happens when

your first 6 choices turn you down.

 

[olblue.sixpack]

He has no idea how to coach and the players figure it out when they get there. Add to that he's sort of a hard ***. It still utterly astounds me that we hired him.

Its even more puzzling that someone else hired him after he DID have a track record.

 

[BiscuitEater]

your first 6 choices turn you down.

That is the ONLY problem I had with the whole 'Stanbury' firing/retirement thing. When an AD needs to make a change .. he HAS to have someone lined up as a replacement BEFORE he lets the other guy go.

Am totally convinced that Howland had agreed to come here BEFORE Rick Ray was canned.

 

[thekimmer]

Perhaps the worst hire in the history of State athletics.

 

[thekimmer]

No head coach with any level of success at any level of collegiate basketball would have touched this dumpster fire. Or at least that's what they tell you.**

Hiring RR was "the most MSU thing ever" for this decade. No surprise. He couldn't coach fundamentals much less X's n O's.

That 'dumpster fire' had a winning record and made it to post season. I don't think the state of the program had much to do with nobody worth a flip wanting the job. It was the summary dismissal of the most consistently successful coach in our history.

 

[Shmuley]

You can bet your starched khakis and both pennies in your loaferz that this is the TRUTH.

 

[dogmatic]

College players have less trouble

Also, how did the Anderson kid find an agent who would sign him?

... finding an agent that will sign them than they do finding a dealer that will sell to them. I'm not saying this kid's agent is a scumbag, but the supply of scumbag agents is not scarce on the ground.

It's a good deal more trouble to find an agent that's not a scumbag. There's no telling what the kid's deal with the agent says. Maybe he can shop him to Europe or some other far-flung league and take half his pay after the NBA passes on him.