Postby Anti-Homer » Sun Feb 06, 2022 1:02 pm
Paraphrasing some quotes from our eloquent coach’s post-game interview:
We gotta play smarter. We gotta work to get Xavier a great shot. Not me a great shot, not myself, the individual, Steele said. What?? WTF is he talking about? Mirrors the jumbled strategy, execution, and collective bball IQs of the team and coaches (Odom, Jones, and Nunge being the exceptions). He also said X took eight bad shots in the first half (which poster has consistently pointed this out???) and singled out guard play. Scruggs has had a disappointing year to date, and is the poster child of taking multiple bad shots, but suffers no negative consequences, like Johnson, who has had a better year does. Free is also Teflon in this regard as well.
He went on to say “We gotta figure it out, and we will.” Shew! I feel better now, though admittedly didn’t the previous 37x he has said the same things during his tenure. I’m sure to be riveted by the string of cliché’s that he will spout tomorrow during his Coach’s Show.. I love Joe Sunderman as X’s play by play guy, but he lobs softballs like Joe Nuxhall did. No one will ask the hard questions, including, seemingly, Christopher.
One thing I notice is after the 2nd straight meltdown in 19-20, X fans, though upset, no longer seem surprised, but resigned to our fate as X fans.. I still expect X to make a tourney, and possibly make a mini-run. But as I’ve said previously, if so, it will be due to the many highly ranked, talented players on the team executing like an AAU team. Talent has to trump lack of direction, accountability, and strategic management. The undisciplined way X plays is a reflection of Steele, and I am starting to fear our administration can’t/won’t fix it, especially due to a certain BOT. We have a guy in Christopher who was a steward of unsuccessful sports programs at a low mid-major in BG, including with their two most, prominent programs: bball and fball. It doesn’t mean he isn’t capable, but as someone once said, “Your record is what it is.” I don’t think I’ve won Most Influential Moderator by Moderator’s Weekly three years in a row by accident. My record is what it is. Thank you in advance for the many props btw.
I truly hope Steele has an epiphany and practices what he preaches, and goes back to see how Miller in particular and Mack coached games and managed the personnel. He did a hell of a job his first yr by getting Hankins after being left an empty cupboard, but has consistently misused transfers and has a poor track record of developing talent. Look at all the high level recruits who flamed out, and one who was freshman of the year but has been exiled for two years now, despite being the guard equivalent of Free-Bluiett. He constantly contradicts himself, especially with the famous mantra of “You play only if you bring it and participate in practice.” Then Carter, who didn’t practice the whole week, started and played over 30 minutes the next game.
We have possibly the best collection of recruits (at least on paper) coming in next year. This will be cumulative to the highly rated recruits already on the team. If Nunge stays, even Patrick Ewing could win 23 games next year in the regular season. There is still a lot of basketball to be played, and as a “glass is ¾ full” guy, I believe X will make the tourney and win at least one game. Anything less is another unsuccessful season. My quandary is the same as when Free and Hunter make threes. Would it be better for them to miss to discourage their indiscriminate, poor three point shots? I think just getting into the tourney (no hard feat when you see so many mediocre programs who make it annually, even outside of the automatic qualifiers) will get two-three more years added to his contract. Then as an X fan, I’ll die by 10,000 cuts instead of 1,000.
Go Bengals! Who Dey!!!
