way too early Field of 68 for 2021-22

[muskieman]

Agree coach, UC was more talented than ND. I was excited to hear from Steele that we were taller this year.

we got you, sky, just like others hated Skip, Matta, Miller, we all know you hate Travis . It got old when they expressed it every game, even when X was winning, and it has gotten old with you, and someone else always remembers to slam the coach on every little thing . You know every coach uses the same coach speak!

SO while everyone hopes for a great season, you and your friend will be our Debbie Downers again.

[skyhops]

MM, I don't hate "Travis", I like most I know think he is over his head and is not a top level D1 coach. We have had five good ones in a row and we were bound to hit a bump in the road with a hire. I unlike you have higher standards for the program, but I do admire your blind love for the program and "Travis". Average 19 wins, three wins below .500 in BE, and no NCAA tournaments is just unacceptable as is hearing used car salesman saying each year that we are going to run more, pass more, and practice harder. Blah, blah, blah. Good try MM

[AirJordan]

MM, I don't hate "Travis", I like most I know think he is over his head and is not a top level D1 coach. We have had five good ones in a row and we were bound to hit a bump in the road with a hire. I unlike you have higher standards for the program, but I do admire your blind love for the program and "Travis". Average 19 wins, three wins below .500 in BE, and no NCAA tournaments is just unacceptable as is hearing used car salesman saying each year that we are going to run more, pass more, and practice harder. Blah, blah, blah. Good try MM

While I have been mystified and, at times, very frustrated with Steele's substitution patterns and game mgmt. over the last three years, I have not concluded that he isn't D1 material. He was young when he took over and the stops and starts due to Covid make any determination based on last year incomplete. Not minimizing the issues---like two season-ending collapses.

But, any coach in his situation, deserves a fair chance to grow into the job. Clearly, this is a year we all need to see improvement. I do think this year's team has an abundance of talent. There are always going to be questions so while I think of this team as talented, lots could go wrong. Will returning players perform consistently with prior years? Will injuries derail key players? What happens to the locker room after a couple of tough losses? Those are questions with any team, not just X. And, of course, none of what X is doing to improve occurs in a vacuum. It is safe to assume that all the other teams in the B.E. are also trying to get better. We all know little about what those teams are doing.

So, while I have questions and definitely understand from where you, AH and others are coming, I don't think it is obvious that Steele lacks coaching chops. He's recruited new talent and convinced, in some way, fifth year players to return. It does not, to me, appear the players think of him as the "used car salesman" you describe. Granted, in the end, your assessment of Steele may be accurate. But, at his point in the season, I'm not ready to concede the argument.

I am excited for the season to start and, at the same time, a little nervous as to how Steele will perform.

[muskieman]

MM, I don't hate "Travis", I like most I know think he is over his head and is not a top level D1 coach. We have had five good ones in a row and we were bound to hit a bump in the road with a hire. I unlike you have higher standards for the program, but I do admire your blind love for the program and "Travis". Average 19 wins, three wins below .500 in BE, and no NCAA tournaments is just unacceptable as is hearing used car salesman saying each year that we are going to run more, pass more, and practice harder. Blah, blah, blah. Good try MM

While I have been mystified and, at times, very frustrated with Steele's substitution patterns and game mgmt. over the last three years, I have not concluded that he isn't D1 material. He was young when he took over and the stops and starts due to Covid make any determination based on last year incomplete. Not minimizing the issues---like two season-ending collapses.

But, any coach in his situation, deserves a fair chance to grow into the job. Clearly, this is a year we all need to see improvement. I do think this year's team has an abundance of talent. There are always going to be questions so while I think of this team as talented, lots could go wrong. Will returning players perform consistently with prior years? Will injuries derail key players? What happens to the locker room after a couple of tough losses? Those are questions with any team, not just X. And, of course, none of what X is doing to improve occurs in a vacuum. It is safe to assume that all the other teams in the B.E. are also trying to get better. We all know little about what those teams are doing.

So, while I have questions and definitely understand from where you, AH and others are coming, I don't think it is obvious that Steele lacks coaching chops. He's recruited new talent and convinced, in some way, fifth year players to return. It does not, to me, appear the players think of him as the "used car salesman" you describe. Granted, in the end, your assessment of Steele may be accurate. But, at his point in the season, I'm not ready to concede the argument.

I am excited for the season to start and, at the same time, a little nervous as to how Steele will perform.

I agree with your assessment of Travis, AirJordan, and do think barring some devastating injuries Travis must prove himself this year. He has guys that have stayed and it is to be hoped that did it for the team. I think Sky needs to understand that CONSTANT cheap shots at Travis don't normally come from a person claiming to be a fan or even a person that is critical of some aspect of a team. Constant cheap shots are just boring.

[skyhops]

I forgot you have to be a jock sniffer to be a fan.

[muskieman]

I forgot you have to be a jock sniffer to be a fan.

and yet you are an expert doing it without being a fan.

[Anti-Homer]

Agree coach, UC was more talented than ND. I was excited to hear from Steele that we were taller this year.

we got you, sky, just like others hated Skip, Matta, Miller, we all know you hate Travis . It got old when they expressed it every game, even when X was winning, and it has gotten old with you, and someone else always remembers to slam the coach on every little thing . You know every coach uses the same coach speak!

SO while everyone hopes for a great season, you and your friend will be our Debbie Downers again.

Mman,

I too get turned off by my good friend LLS' occasional criticisms of Coach Steele, but I as a Mod will protect his right to voice them. BTW, exciting, exciting news to announce. A Kunkel won the Gold jersey this week!! Also, Coach Steele let Kyky play more than three minutes in the scrimmage, because he learned that Kyky likes the same flavor of Capri Sun as Winston does.

Lastly, Hops, before you criticize Coach Steele for allowing X to shoot threes again this year like they are doing a perpetual rebounding drill, remember the oil spill off the Catalina Islands last month. He's so unlucky. 2019, he had to coach during the tsunami off the coast of Fiji. Last year the pandemic. Now, the oil spill. Brad Stevens couldn't win 8 games under those conditions.

[Anti-Homer]

MM, I don't hate "Travis", I like most I know think he is over his head and is not a top level D1 coach. We have had five good ones in a row and we were bound to hit a bump in the road with a hire. I unlike you have higher standards for the program, but I do admire your blind love for the program and "Travis". Average 19 wins, three wins below .500 in BE, and no NCAA tournaments is just unacceptable as is hearing used car salesman saying each year that we are going to run more, pass more, and practice harder. Blah, blah, blah. Good try MM

While I have been mystified and, at times, very frustrated with Steele's substitution patterns and game mgmt. over the last three years, I have not concluded that he isn't D1 material. He was young when he took over and the stops and starts due to Covid make any determination based on last year incomplete. Not minimizing the issues---like two season-ending collapses.

But, any coach in his situation, deserves a fair chance to grow into the job. Clearly, this is a year we all need to see improvement. I do think this year's team has an abundance of talent. There are always going to be questions so while I think of this team as talented, lots could go wrong. Will returning players perform consistently with prior years? Will injuries derail key players? What happens to the locker room after a couple of tough losses? Those are questions with any team, not just X. And, of course, none of what X is doing to improve occurs in a vacuum. It is safe to assume that all the other teams in the B.E. are also trying to get better. We all know little about what those teams are doing.

So, while I have questions and definitely understand from where you, AH and others are coming, I don't think it is obvious that Steele lacks coaching chops. He's recruited new talent and convinced, in some way, fifth year players to return. It does not, to me, appear the players think of him as the "used car salesman" you describe. Granted, in the end, your assessment of Steele may be accurate. But, at his point in the season, I'm not ready to concede the argument.

I am excited for the season to start and, at the same time, a little nervous as to how Steele will perform.

I agree with your assessment of Travis, AirJordan, and do think barring some devastating injuries Travis must prove himself this year. He has guys that have stayed and it is to be hoped that did it for the team. I think Sky needs to understand that CONSTANT cheap shots at Travis don't normally come from a person claiming to be a fan or even a person that is critical of some aspect of a team. Constant cheap shots are just boring.

Mman,

Do you think Steele saying something nice about EVERYBODY except for KYKY was a cheap shot?????? I mean, I now he had the audacity of scoring 8 points and had one assist in 3 minutes in a game last year, but he did miss a shot. I wonder if he changed his name to Carter if he would ever be taken out of the game?

[joeabe]

Thoughts on Coach Steele: Walked into a difficult situation, First crack at HC, Average talent, very competitive league, Covid and lots of injuries. I personally like the young man. He has class and reps the school very well. He's learning on the job. He's coaching against seasoned and very good coaches in our league. I feel he will improve our record and perhaps get us back to the dance. He is recruiting well and it will certainly pay off. This season will tell us much about our coach and I believe he will pass with flying colors.....Go X