Hendo can't win the big games

[LakeJack]

You're focused on pre-season rankings/expectations, but you refuse to admit Henderson was at the helm when Jacks greatly exceeded both last season

Not talking to you. Answer the question. Are they meeting your expectations? Yes or no? Or shut up.

[filbert]

I'm pretty sure Henderson didn't tell his team "hey guys, make sure you go out and play like crap and while you're at it, shoot the ball even worse!"

I think USD's kind of in the SDSU men's team's heads right now for whatever reason. Dealing with that is on the coach, but playing good basketball is on the players. It's not like they haven't shown that they can do that. A team that pretty much plays toe to toe with West Virginia shouldn't look like they looked against USD, unless it's a mental thing.

One of the ongoing criticisms of SDSU MBB teams over the years has been that they just aren't "tough enough." That's a program culture thing, not just a coach thing, I think. Seems to me that SDSU in general (the entire community, not just the basketball program itself) prefers "pretty" basketball--that is, finesse ball, shooting, passing...generally, offense rather than defense, and not the tough, gritty, get in their shorts/foul up and down the court 'cause they can't call them all that we always complain about from the likes of NDSU and USD among others. It ain't just the coach, IMHO.

[jakejc795]

I did not ignore your question reread the thread. I have sighted a number of examples. You want to defend the Ft. Wayne loss. Either of the USD loses, maybe the national TV beat down by St. Mary's.

This team is not meeting my expectations. Pre Season #1 currently 3rd. I want more than a win at the Summit Tournament. My expectation was to win and be playing for a 12 seed in the Dance. Now maybe we can go 1-2 against USD (with no games in Vermillion). Ugh

You're focused on pre-season rankings/expectations, but you refuse to admit Henderson was at the helm when Jacks greatly exceeded both last season

[LakeJack]

I expected the Jacks to beat the 'Yotes. The difference between us seems to be that you attribute all losses to Coach Henderson despite the likely influence of multiple other factors, including injury, pandemic disruption, and poor shooting (which is likely not due directly to coaching)

Answer the question. Is the team meeting your expectations? Yes or no? It's simple, you can do it.

[jakejc795]

Let's make this easy for you is this team meeting your expectations? Yes or no?

I expected the Jacks to beat the 'Yotes. The difference between us seems to be that you attribute all losses to Coach Henderson despite the likely influence of multiple other factors, including injury, pandemic disruption, and poor shooting (which is likely not due directly to coaching)

[Carolina010]

I did not ignore your question reread the thread. I have sighted a number of examples. You want to defend the Ft. Wayne loss. Either of the USD loses, maybe the national TV beat down by St. Mary's.

This team is not meeting my expectations. Pre Season #1 currently 3rd. I want more than a win at the Summit Tournament. My expectation was to win and be playing for a 12 seed in the Dance. Now maybe we can go 1-2 against USD (with no games in Vermillion). Ugh

Ft Wayne was a bad loss but it was also with out the summit league player of the year. First USD game last year in vermillion without summit league player of the year. First USD game this year without the reining summit league player of the year. St Mary’s they laid an agg. USD last night as much as I don’t like it 2 weeks off prior to that game definitely played a factor right or wrong.

They aren’t meeting my expectations either. I was hoping they could have less than 5 losses on the year and be looking at that 12 seed line but I guess that won’t happen...oh wait only 4 losses on the year 1 against the #17 team in the country (2nd in the big 12) 1 to st Mary’s who is 11-5 on the year and now 2 against USD who is turning out to maybe not be as bad as they looked early on when they were 0-6.

You are correct they are currently #3 by .018 in the summit really to no fault of their own when you lose 4 games against teams that are 1-14 in conference. But they are only 1 loss behind USD which with a win tonight they will be tied in the loss column and 1 loss ahead of NDSU who we will still have 2 games left with. So while yes today and this point in time they are not where I want them to be but everything I want from them is still attainable.

[LakeJack]

This team is not meeting expectations and often looks bad doing it. Who's fault is it?

[LakeJack]

These words definitely didn’t come out of my mouth. If he continues to lose summit league tournament games and never gets over the hump then we will have to move on and find someone else but let’s give him more than 1 before we say he can’t win them.

You did ignore my question about what you consider a big game though? Is it just tournament games? Rivalry games?

I did not ignore your question reread the thread. I have sighted a number of examples. You want to defend the Ft. Wayne loss. Either of the USD loses, maybe the national TV beat down by St. Mary's.

This team is not meeting my expectations. Pre Season #1 currently 3rd. I want more than a win at the Summit Tournament. My expectation was to win and be playing for a 12 seed in the Dance. Now maybe we can go 1-2 against USD (with no games in Vermillion). Ugh

[LakeJack]

I know we're an ag. school, but let's avoid straw men. I never said I was ok with losing. I'm also not ok with hyperbolic rants devoid of evidence and consistency. At least now you're admitting Henderson has that one win against the Aggies. Maybe you'll eventually acknowledge wins against Bison and 'Yotes that contributed to share of league title (and helped earn Henderson a Coach of the Year Award)

Let's make this easy for you is this team meeting your expectations? Yes or no?

[Carolina010]

You guys are right. Thanks for showing me the errors of my ways. This is really about the kids having fun and getting a participation ribbon after the Summit Tournament is over.

These words definitely didn’t come out of my mouth. If he continues to lose summit league tournament games and never gets over the hump then we will have to move on and find someone else but let’s give him more than 1 before we say he can’t win them.

You did ignore my question about what you consider a big game though? Is it just tournament games? Rivalry games?

[jakejc795]

We have been spaked twice by USD. USD HASN'T WON IN FROST for 29 straight trips before last night. Losing to Ft. Wayne, a team with a losing record, even without Wilson is not ok. They beat Utah State and then weren't ready the next day to play St. Mary's got run out of the gym. Not ok.

Losing is one thing, losing the big games badly playing terrible basketball without emotion is not ok.

I have high expectations for this team with this much talent. Perhaps you don't.. That is ok.

I know we're an ag. school, but let's avoid straw men. I never said I was ok with losing. I'm also not ok with hyperbolic rants devoid of evidence and consistency. At least now you're admitting Henderson has that one win against the Aggies. Maybe you'll eventually acknowledge wins against Bison and 'Yotes that contributed to share of league title (and helped earn Henderson a Coach of the Year Award)

[LakeJack]

If the Team can't get up for the USD games or the Summit League Tournament, why are they here?

[LakeJack]

We have been spaked twice by USD. USD HASN'T WON IN FROST for 29 straight trips before last night. Losing to Ft. Wayne, a team with a losing record, even without Wilson is not ok. They beat Utah State and then weren't ready the next day to play St. Mary's got run out of the gym. Not ok.

Losing is one thing, losing the big games badly playing terrible basketball without emotion is not ok.

I have high expectations for this team with this much talent. Perhaps you don't.. That is ok.

[jakejc795]

Who is supposed to help the college kids when they get frustrated? Who reminds them to run the offense and not take bad shots? Who needs to use timeouts effectively? Who needs to have the Team ready to go at tip off.

I'm not calling for Hendo 's head, but he and the Team struggle in Big games. He hasn't had a ton of them, he also hasn't done anything with his opportunities to this point. That is bad at the Mid Major level in a one bid league.

If he wins by 20 tonight I will be happy, but it won't change my opinion that they weren't ready to play last night (or in last year's Summit Tournament, or etc, etc, etc) and he didn't adjust during last night's game. They looked terrible all night. I believe that is on the Coaching Staff and I'll bet Hendo would agree.

He has nothing but head room. I hope he figures it out and becomes a great Coach in big games. He is not right now and your post help make my point.

You may not be "not calling for his head" but you are neglecting to mention Wilson's absence in Summit Tourney loss, the wins against Utah State and NDSU this season and NDSU and USD last season, and that they "overperformed" last year given expectations they'd finish in the middle of the standings. You're honestly saying you can't hear Hendo yelling guidance and support to the players during games (it's one of the silver linings of the pandemic, I suppose)?

I'm glad we both support the Athletics Dept. because if we want to cycle through Coach of the Year winners every couple seasons, they're going to need that money to entice coaches willing to deal with an incredibly fickle fanbase while they use SDSU for their own upward coaching mobility

[jakejc795]

I could not agree more. This thread is negative and not helpful. I really think this lay-off period really affected the team. Not being at the game, you would think that USD did some defensive planning on Friedel. Obviously when he misses three points shot like he did, something was planned an it worked to their credit. Maybe tonight it will be better.

The rebounding and FT shooting were disappointing for the good guys, and unless LakeJack has evidence that Coach Henderson neglects either of those during practice, it's ridiculous to countenance such a thread.

Nevertheless, the "big game" argument is wholly subjective, as it'd appear the win against Utah State (the Mountain West leader) this year, NDSU last year, and the 'Yotes last year weren't "big." Plus, Henderson helped lead a team that'd been picked to finish 5th last year to a share of the league title, and this year isn't nearly over, particularly after the Jacks thump the 'Yotes tonight.