A win tonight could make up for a lot, but it's hard to stay optimistic after that loss in the Ferrell. Brady seems massively under used for the second straight year. Gathers seems under used as the most physical player on a soft team. Wainright seems under used as the best high school recruit we've had in the last 2 years, on a team who struggles to score consistently. Unlike a freshman Quincy Miller, Wainwrights limited minutes have been fairly productive. Feels like we're looking at an embarrassingly talented NIT team again.
Thanksfully I didn't get to see this one. Was busy watching my kid hit three 3's down the stretch including one to force OT and the other to win the game and tournament. Looking at the score though...were we ever even in this game?
Too bad for Baylor. They're pretty much stuck with Scott Drew since I can't see them doing any better than that. Doing less with more talent.
Well, it looks like the Elite 8/no tourney/Elite 8 pattern will be broken this year. What a complete and utter meltdown.
Well that esclated quickly. This team has obviously lost all confidence. To make matters worse, Drew isn't recruiting that well any longer. We only have like two 3 star recruits committed for next season. UT looks to have turned the corner some, but the state of Texas is leaving a lot to be desired as far as men's college hoops is concerned.
Less than 2 weeks ago, I would've disagreed with you. Now... I'm starting to think we'd be better off moving on while there's still some memory of being a quality recruiting program.
I'm shocked that we would even be discussing this, but we need an X's and O's guy. Find a sleeper like Brad Stevens. Drew = Mchale. No offensive system that tries to wing it on talent alone.
The program has been run like an AAU team including the assistant coaches that have come and gone (and in the case of Tang, stayed). They never seem to have continuity or a real game plan. That being said, I'm not sure a program with no history of winning should be kicking its only successful coach out the door. Things can change year to year. I would have thought Rick Barnes was dead coach walking after last season, but he has miraculously put together a good squad.
I struggle with this too. I understand the sentiment that Drew has taken Baylor to a whole different level. It's difficult to fire a guy like that. Having said that, at some point being good gets in the way of attempts to be great. If the goal is to be great, settling for good isn't going to get it done. Difficult decision to make for sure.
With the success Baylor has had in football and basketball, there is no reason they shouldn't have higher expectations and aspirations for basketball. I sure hope the AD's office isn't working under the mindset that Drew's the best they can do.
If your program gets to the Elite 8, to me you are great. Baylor did it twice in the last 5 years. I just think it's very silly to have a "Kentucky-esque" sense of entitlement. It's too hard to be great every single year. Even North Carolina and UCLA who probably have more winning history than anyone go through dry spells.
Of course that would be silly. Too bad no one here is expressing a Kentucky-esque sense of entitlement.
I agree. As a Baylor fan, I have zero sense of entitlement, I promise you. But I think there is a problem with coaching. If I'm right, it can either be addressed or it can be ignored. I'd rather choose to address it, frankly. This isn't a new thing. I've been saying this for a long time now.
It's amazing how many of these star recruits Baylor gets that go on to do absolutely nothing at the next level. Not only are they not playing up to expectations in college, they seem to be taking steps backwards.
I agree with you. I don't think Drew is a great X's and O's guy, but he wasn't when they went to the Elite 8 either. It seems unlikely to me that Baylor is going to get a more proven commodity to replace him. I don't see Shaka Smart leaving VCU to go to Baylor. He's turned down better jobs. That doesn't mean that a top assistant or smaller school coach wouldn't do well at Baylor, I just think it's a big gamble. Who would you want to go after?
