Enough is enough already

Just so frustrating to see a "veteran " team so consistently confused as to what their assignments are.

Other than Wagner, every major contributor in our top seven rotational players has been in the program 3+ years, and he’s in his second.

We are constantly reminded of their “sleep walking brain freezes on D” and their inability to process things fast enough.

Why should it still be a “learning process” at this stage of development? Those are Freshmen complaints not Senior and Junior ones.

This team should be winning close games based on maturity, execution and poise alone, not fishing for post game excuses about continuing development every press conference afterwards.

This start is just so disappointing in relation to all of the “youngsters” our opponents have been parading out there in relation to our mature returnees.

A lot of us were “predicting-hoping” for a 4-1 B1G start to build some momentum going into the meat of our schedule.

After these first three showings is it possible we could have 3-4 conference losses after five games? Illinois is going to be no picnic on the road, and even though we “should” beat Nebraska at home, that is no certainty.

Thank goodness we came back to beat Penn State. I can only imagine the vitriol directed at the program if we had started 0-3.

If we can somehow get these next two games we may be able to resuscitate our B1G season. Sure hope so.

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They are all year 1 in terms of Donlon’s defense. It’s a culture change. Wagner’s post game comments offer some insight into their own frustration over the returns on practice efforts.

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Said Irvin: “We’ve just got to be able to back it up now. We do a lot of talking how we want to get stops, want to do this, want to do that, and it’s not showing. It didn’t show this afternoon. That’s why we lost.”

I will say this and am strong in my opinion on this. While Walton and Irvin are both underachievers Irvin is at least passionate and plays for something. He seems like he cares. Walton seems like he is ready for the NBA even though he wont be going there.

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Yeah… Irvin has a bit of Devin Gardner syndrome. A great guy who does play with passion, but the circumstances around him forced him into failure. As much as we hate hero ball, what else is anyone trying to do to score? It’s a shame that he’s been wasted, as as a second option I think we’d remember him fondly.

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JB on what is wrong with walton.

http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/010717aac.html

While these are frustrating times, in my opinion, to fire JB is ludicrous. After giving him the benefit of the doubt on recruiting for years, I’ll admit that it is a big weakness. While next year’s team seems to have a higher ceiling than this one, the lack of more talented recruits is an issue.

But this man came to Michigan when we were horrible. The program was always somewhere between laughable and underachieving since the Fab Five and we never made the tournament. He built a program that won two B1G titles (our first since the Bill Frieder era in the 80s) and played for a National Championship. Out of loyalty, you do not axe the guy that took you to college basketball’s biggest stage.

In the 9 seasons prior to JB’s arrival only one year did we ever even crack the top 25 during the entire season. 8 of his 10 years we’ve been in the top 25 during the season. And we were ranked #1 for the first time since 1993. Out of 347 D-1 programs, we are 14th for players in the NBA currently. Do these things make this year’s team a good team? No. Do these things make all his decisions this year good? No. Do they allow us to describe the defensive lapses as anything other than embarrassing? No. Do they buy him another year in good standing if we don’t make the tournament? Of course. If we miss the tournament 2 years in a row then the hot seat would be earned. But we made it last year and won 23 games with our star player injured. C’mon.

Who’s an overall better coach right now who would want to leave where they are for the job if it was offered? Just curious.

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Now I’m not saying fire Beilein now (I might be at the end of the season…) or that a change is forthcoming, but IF it were to happen, some semi-young (less than 55) guys who are at lower level programs and have not said they won’t leave who I’d be interested in are people like Randy Bennett (St. Mary’s), Chris Holtmann (Butler), Chris Mack (Xavier), Steve Prohm (Iowa State), Brad Underwood (Oklahoma St), and Archie Miller (Dayton). They’ve all had consistent success at places much harder to win at than Michigan, most are much younger than the 55 limit I set, and I searched for quotes saying they aren’t taking offers and didn’t find any.

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People act like nobody successful would want to come here for a rebuild but – even putting aside the stature of the school and the resources of the athletic dept – the money alone would have to be pretty enticing. I remember reading in the Freep that JB makes almost 3.4M under his current deal, which is a top 10 salary. I don’t think it would be hard to find interested candidates. (And with that salary, it’s amazing that the bar for success for many folks is to make the 68-team tournament field and finish in the top half of the Big Ten.)

Hypothetically, of course. Season’s not over, etc. etc.

I can chime in on this since I speak with recruits all the time. Detroit area kids LOVE Chris Mack. Obviously he’s doing a better job on the court and the recruiting trail at this point. I think he would come to UM and have top 15 recruiting classes and top 4 B10 teams consistently. No doubt in my mind he would win his fair share of battles vs Izzo in terms of recruiting and then the on court results would follow.

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I would have no doubt he’d be the top name on the list of replacements when JB’s time here is done.

I LOVE JB, but Mack is probably the only realistic (I guess?) option who I’d say farewell to JB for, immediately. He’s young, been very successful, and somehow manages to recruit kids to Cincinnati (actually ‘Norwood’) Ohio. I also like the combination of effort and tactics his teams play with. But, in the real world that we live in, JB will almost certainly, and certainly he deserves it, get at least one more year.

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Said it at the beginning of the year and I’m sticking to it. In no way should Beilein be terminated mid season, but if we are a bubble team, and especially fail to make the tournament, it’s time to move in a new direction. We can talk about recruiting/scheme all we want, but results are what truly matters. If we are a bubble team/fail to make the tournament we simply cannot justify keeping a coach whose results are not acceptable all things considered in terms of salary, facilities, resources, trajectory.

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If we fail to make the tourney this year with a 4 yr PG and Irvin, I’m doubtful we’d make it next year either. And that’s sad if we were to miss the tourney 3/4 years paying a guy $3+ million.
Though I think the unfortunate reality is that JB has bought himself at least next year in the eyes of the higher ups. I don’t envision them getting out in front of this one.

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Would you feel better if Coach were making $800K?

I’d feel better if we were performing better and winning more.

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Chris Mack ain’t leaving Xavier. He has said as much when his name comes up for other openings.

I dont know… I almost feel like Irvin and Walton will be an addition by subtraction for next season. Both are great players but with addition of a solid recruiting class, addition of Matthews, and the team actually being able to compete outside of the shadows of their seniors, I think that next season could be a fun team. Maybe inconsistent but at least fun and with a higher ceiling

Tough to pull a guy away from coaching at his alma mater.

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I disagree. I think this team will be much better next year. It would be addition by subtraction losing those two. Also I think the mind frame will change for players as it will be moes team for instance which will really help us and the offense .

I actually think next year is the start of our turn around. I expect a good team the next few years after this one,