Western Illinois at Macomb

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

Lets say we finish 2-3, that makes a 10-18 season against Div I teams. Yup, thats real progress. I am tired of excuses. This has been our fifth terrible season in a row with no end in sight. That is our sad reality no matter how anyone spins it by blaming youth, bad luck etc. Someone has to be held accountable.

Let me add a quote from your post on 11-28-2008: People have been saying the same thing for years, be patient talent is coming and things will improve. I hate to tell you, they wont improve under the current coaching staff.

I've read your posts through the season and 90% of them have the same theme...we are no better...we need a new coach...we will never win with this coaching staff...etc. Your position is clear...and as I noted on another post...repeating the same position over and over again becomes "old news". Got anything new...and constructive to add to the discourse?

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

Lets say we finish 2-3, that makes a 10-18 season against Div I teams. Yup, thats real progress. I am tired of excuses. This has been our fifth terrible season in a row with no end in sight. That is our sad reality no matter how anyone spins it by blaming youth, bad luck etc. Someone has to be held accountable.

The last couple of years have been very tough and I've been right there with you as saying someone has to be held accountable. But, this year has been different. I honestly feel we can play with, and beat, anyone in the conference. Jackrabbit basketball is very close to once again being a top team in the conference.

[filbert]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

Surprised no one has mentioned Nagy's quote from TV's Argus article:

"When we have leads going late in games, instead of our kids staying on the attack, they tend to pull it out and they're not aggressive," Nagy said. "Then we end up having to run a set and getting a guard a tough shot. I just haven't been able to get them out of that mode when they get a lead. They just play really careful."

I'm not sure Nagy can be much more explicit about calling out his team for being weak and tentative at the end of games. That's the problem.

Get tougher, get aggressive, start wanting the game more than the other guy in the last five minutes and start being willing to take the game completely away from the other guy, and they'll start winning their share of road games. But not before.

Playing careful on the road gets you beat.

[zooropa]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

I am tired of excuses.

Okay, then here's what you do:

You call up Chicoine and tell him you want the job.

[zooropa]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

I'm not sure Nagy can be much more explicit about calling out his team for being weak and tentative at the end of games. That's the problem.

I wouldn't say he was 'calling out' the team (BTW: I hate that phrase). I don't think he tries to motivate his players through TV or anyone else.

Rather, he's saying what he thinks is the problem. Honest answer to an honest question. What's he supposed to say?

Confidence is an issue with this team, and it's not because Nagy's undermining them. It's not because Nagy doesn't think they can win. Rather, it's what Nagy said after beating Oakland in overtime:

The kids, against NDSU, let their past affect the present.

And that's not something that Nagy can 'fix'. That's the result of losing track of how to 'win' a close game. And you can't teach that in practice. Practice is practice. It's not real. It doesn't count. These players need to sort out on their own how they're going to win games.

[filbert]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

Oh, I'm quite sure that what Nagy said to TV he's said to his players numerous times.

But sometimes if you hear something too often, you stop hearing it at all.

Bottom line is that the players need to execute more assertively and effectively at the end of road games instead of trying to wait out the clock. Then and only then will they start winning their share of games on the road.

I did post a while back that winning on the road is one of the last things a young team learns before they "turn the corner."

My hope is that we're at that corner and the turn signal is now on. Time to crank the wheel over, guys!

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

oh, i'm quite sure that what nagy said to tv he's said to his players numerous times.

But sometimes if you hear something too often, you stop hearing it at all.

Bottom line is that the players need to execute more assertively and effectively at the end of road games instead of trying to wait out the clock. Then and only then will they start winning their share of games on the road.

I did post a while back that winning on the road is one of the last things a young team learns before they "turn the corner."

my hope is that we're at that corner and the turn signal is now on. Time to crank the wheel over, guys!

amen!!!

Gb, gb, gj!

Superbunny

[zooropa]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

Bottom line is that the players need to execute more assertively and effectively at the end of road games instead of trying to wait out the clock. Then and only then will they start winning their share of games on the road.

I've noticed that tentative behavior throughout games, though. The team, at times, plays as though they're, well, for lack of better words, getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

In short, they play as though they have no business leading a ball game.

The way the Jacks have played at the end of games is, IMO, just a special subset of the kind of tentative play that they have a tendency to fall into.

--

And I'm sticking with the 'double bottom' analysis of their game against WIU. The team, obviously isn't going to continue to lose games by 2 or 3 points indefinitely, and just as obviously, they aren't going to start losing games by 15 or 20, the only other course of action is that they start winning.

[jacks nl]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

not sure if it was posted yet but if you want to watch the last 20 sec here it is

http://www.wiuathletics.com/ViewArti...ATCLID=3665426

[Jacks99]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this team finally won a close game at the end, but it took a crowd of 4,000 to energize them. They still haven't figured out mentally how to close out the games. I agree with Nagy in that they play tentative at the end "not to lose" vs. win. (I'll throw out the reference to the Denny Green Vikes here also) It's obvious that Nagy hasn't asked them to play different at the end.

Looking back I think they have made huge steps forward and are soooo close. Is the competition in the lower half of the Summit league up that much this year? If so, than I would argue that we would be comfortably in 6th spot not worrying about tie breakers right now.

[zooropa]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

It's obvious that Nagy hasn't asked them to play different at the end.

Huh?

What do you think he's said, instead?

[State_fan]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

Huh?

What do you think he's said, instead?

I think what 99 means is that the guys tend to seize up at the end of games. Nagy isn't telling them to back off, the guys just seem to do it accidently on their own.

[GBGBGJ]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

Lets say we finish 2-3, that makes a 10-18 season against Div I teams. Yup, thats real progress. I am tired of excuses. This has been our fifth terrible season in a row with no end in sight. That is our sad reality no matter how anyone spins it by blaming youth, bad luck etc. Someone has to be held accountable.

You have to be kidding me!! We are still very young. For about a 7 game stretch we didnt have a senior even see the floor. We only have two juniors that see significant time. And we have not had a 9 game stretch like the one we are on in a long, LONG, time. If you look at that stretch, we have only won four games but we have been right there in the other five. That consistency used to never happen. And Nagy has obviously figured out recruiting. We have arguably the top two players in the state coming here next year and then also have the top player in the 2011 class and if we offer Jacobsen I also think that he will come and the kid is the real deal. Reminds me very much of Garrett when I see him play. He can shoot the three, has the mid range game, and can even post up if he has an undersized man on him. I believe the future is very bright for the program and if you cant see that you are delusional.

[joeboo22]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

You have to be kidding me!! We are still very young. For about a 7 game stretch we didnt have a senior even see the floor. We only have two juniors that see significant time. And we have not had a 9 game stretch like the one we are on in a long, LONG, time. If you look at that stretch, we have only won four games but we have been right there in the other five. That consistency used to never happen. And Nagy has obviously figured out recruiting. We have arguably the top two players in the state coming here next year and then also have the top player in the 2011 class and if we offer Jacobsen I also think that he will come and the kid is the real deal. Reminds me very much of Garrett when I see him play. He can shoot the three, has the mid range game, and can even post up if he has an undersized man on him. I believe the future is very bright for the program and if you cant see that you are delusional.

I think your right..... I think too many people put the coach, not to many people could go through what he did, he went from being on of the top coaches in D-II, he had an alleged rape, recruits leaving for numerous reasons (some his fault, most not), injuries, bad luck and everything else, and all and all came to work everyday and expected the same out of his players even if they weren't D-I talent.... my view is have they lost games that they should of won? Yes but they have also won games that they shouldn't have... If you would of said last year ago that they'd beat Oakland, Iowa State, IUPUI, and several others and say that the downside is that they lost a bunch of games in the final minute.... I'd say I'll take it..... my view is next year is the year to grade the team, it should be the first year with solid D-I talent senior leadership both on and off the court that has been there for 4 years.... solid recruits coming in, deeper bench, hopefully no coaching changes (last couple of years there has been some changes with the assistants)
Recruiting we have the best 3 in the 09 class coming to brookings, we have the best of 11 and have a leg up on the 2nd best....

just calm down everybody... ok... breath in, breath out....

[zooropa]

Re: Western Illinois at Macomb

And Nagy has obviously figured out recruiting.

He's got recruiting and playing style in sync, and that's great. The world is full of great coaches that can't recruit, and great recruiters that can't coach. You can recruit mid 6 footers that can shoot the lights out for days in the upper midwest, and by giving them a program where they can really shine (instead of playing back-burner to one-and-dones or bigs), you've made the program attractive to them.

By developing a system that doesn't rely on individual players having exceptional athletic ability, but hard workers that can think on their feet, Nagy's perhaps unconsciously imitating AJ who's done great things with a slew of talent that no one else was all that interested in.

Also, by staffing the team with a bunch of players in the 6'-4 to 6'-6 range that are flexible, you can create a number of different looks on offense. Heck, Dale Moss was running the point for a while against Oakland.

I'm very bullish on Nagy & the Jacks. His record at the D-2 level showed Nagy is a complete coach, and I think he's finally gotten 'comfortable' with where he needs to be as a coach and a recruiter at the D-1 level.

Give Nagy a year or two, and IMO he'll be in contention for the conference title almost every year.