It is what it is...

[bub94]

Re: It is what it is...

Adversity - either overcome it, or succumb to it. Lots of 18-23 year olds deal with a lot tougher stuff than having the opportunity to play basketball for SDSU and concentrate on finals for five days out of the semester (or a few more, if they are studying prior). Don't forget, this is an opportunity to represent a Division I university, not a chore.

I think we also have to look at the amount of time at practice, lifting weights, etc. that goes along with being a college athlete. Then you pile on road trips and finals. Some college students find it hard enough with just the classes. Add on the holidays, which is stressful for some people, and this is just a FUBAR time of year for college students/athletes.

[NoVaJack]

Re: It is what it is...

I just don't understand the need for opening or continuing a thread that debates whether the coach should be fired or retained when the season has started....

Aren't topics like these kinda the whole purpose of having a forum board like this one?

[SoDakJack]

Re: It is what it is...

Aren't topics like these kinda the whole purpose of having a forum board like this one?

I would like to point out that, as far as I can see, since I started in on the conversation no person has said that he should be fired. I think that the discussion was more the way the team was playing as a whole. I don't think that anyone here is so short sighted that they would fire Nagy after this few games.

They way the jacks are playing isn't just unique to this year. I think that we all have seen the same story told the last few years. This team has a couple good wins and then they seem to have some unexplainable losses. Before we could chalk that up to the fact that we had a very young team on the court. Now that those guys are the elder statesmen I think that fans have a right to discuss what the real problem could be.

[BTownJack]

Re: It is what it is...

I totally agree with your second paragraph.

However, Cal Poly arrived in Brookings on Sunday and basically had a 1 day team building retreat on Monday. Their coach alluded to this as a big part of how they were able to win on Tuesday night.

That's a little different than the travel we've been doing.

Actually their coach was quoted that they arrived on Saturday before the game. I'm guessing their finals were over the previous week. There is an NCAA rule that states you cannot leave for a contest more than 48-hours prior to a contest. The only way around that is if the travel occurs during a vacation period. I'm guessing Cal Poly was already on Christmas break.

[RowdyRabbit]

Re: It is what it is...

and it isn't what it isn't...



Sorry, I had to.

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: It is what it is...

Its a good point about the travel and the scheduling of the game. However, Cal Poly made the long flight to South Dakota, with what many people here deemed an inferior team, and won. Long road trip around finals time for them as well.

Adversity - either overcome it, or succumb to it. Lots of 18-23 year olds deal with a lot tougher stuff than having the opportunity to play basketball for SDSU and concentrate on finals for five days out of the semester (or a few more, if they are studying prior). Don't forget, this is an opportunity to represent a Division I university, not a chore.

A friend of mine that goes to school here decided to do a year at Cal Poly this year and I saw him on campus last week cause Cal Poly was done with finals a week earlier. I agree with the rest that you are saying, but finals weren't nearly as big of a factor for Cal Poly.

Edit: I see someone else already posted something to that affect.

[Nidaros]

Re: It is what it is...

Nice post Zoo. I've refrained from posting on this thread (and this will be my only one) because I just don't understand the need for opening or continuing a thread that debates whether the coach should be fired or retained when the season has started...and hasn't ended. No decision is going to be made on the men's basketball coaching until this season has ended. Until the very latter stages of the season, I'm just going to tune out this and similar threads...because I don't think there is a single poster on here who really knows how this season is going to pan out.

As for the team, I get just as down as a number of you, because I want this team to win (who doesn't?) very much. But let's be realistic here: There were four games on our schedule so far that I don't believe a single poster could have justified picking the Jacks to win: All on the road, they were (team, Sagarin rating) Boston College #91; Purdue #4; Nevada #77, and IUPUI #109 (and picked 2nd in the Summit). There were two games some posters thought weren't tough teams, that we lost to: Denver #123, and East Carolina #184. SDSU's#243 rating belies that belief. That leaves one game that was certainly winnable, and we lost, in Cal Poly #228. That's an accurate look at our seven losses.

We beat Wyoming handily on the road, and we played one of the top teams in the country tough in our game against Purdue. And we ended our conference losing streak on the road in beating Western Illinois, and won the other games we were supposed to win. Am I giving up on this team already...hell no!! Having said that, I do know that continual losses leave players not believe in their coaches, or in themselves and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy...a culture.

In closing, SF Rabbit Fans graph is a lot more than just a "nice graph". It is a visual look at how we moved through the first three years of transition in a continual down trend, and have increase our rise each of the past two years. In the market we were on a bearish trend the first three years, and are now in a bullish trend. I will continue to be bullish on this team, because I believe they will better last year's record, which would continue an improving situation. Adios to this thread and the in-season debate over the future of the coaching staff.

Hey a great writing and full of senior wisdom. Jack #1 Fan should not shy away from expressing the truth. My feeling no matter what sport, one game or one match does not make the entire season. Case in point, and a long time ago, the one and only D2 National Champ team. In their pre-season, they split with Minn-Duluth and St Cloud State. Neither team was in the NCC yet, and both were NAIA games and should have been gimmee games, as we had two D1 transfers in Nick Brod and Tom Black and a group of young juniors who had really cut their teeth the season before. So going into NCC play, they were 4 and 4. Their best game in the preseason was against Utah who was tough that year and we lost at their house 64-78, and the next night they played Wyoming and due to a long train ride from Salt Lake City to Larimie, they lost by about 20, but they probably had given it their best against Utah and were drained when they got their late in Larimie. This is in my opinion thee best season in SDSU history, and it was not smooth starting with the preseason and that is my point.

Once they got into leage play they lost only one game and that was at the cracker box called Allee Gym , on the campus of Morningside College. Winning at Morningside was never easy and this game went two or three overtimes and I believe we ended up with four players due to fouls. Back then the home team hired their own refs. So to win on the road, you had to be darn good.

So my point is we need not give up so easy because we did not win over Cal Poly nor Denver,two winnable games. Put it all prespective, and remember there is a great deal of basketball to be played, and think about the ORU game last season in SF.

[zooropa]

Re: It is what it is...

Aw shoot!!!!! I just gave you neg. rep. Nidaros. Not what I intended. Wasn't paying attention. Everyone else give Nidaros some positive rep to make up for that gaffe.

[CatchEmAll]

Re: It is what it is...

Aw shoot!!!!! I just gave you neg. rep. Nidaros. Not what I intended. Wasn't paying attention. Everyone else give Nidaros some positive rep to make up for that gaffe.

Done.

[slosho]

Re: It is what it is...

Aw shoot!!!!! I just gave you neg. rep. Nidaros. Not what I intended. Wasn't paying attention. Everyone else give Nidaros some positive rep to make up for that gaffe.

and done

[Nidaros]

Re: It is what it is...

Thanks everyone rep points. I probably did not deserve them. When ever a team starts slow I always think about 1963, a team that took out Fresno State and SIU to get to the finals, and struggled with now D3 Wittenberg to win it all. Times have changed though so we now have better talent, coaching and you name it. I think having a conference commissioner full time with a staff is very important and fair for all members of any conference.

I was just over at the Argus site and Stu has a blog, and as usual he tells us what we already know. The season is not going too good for SDSU or USD. No sense in letting him rent space in our minds.

[packer_tattoo]

Re: It is what it is...

This isn't directed at you Tea, so please don't take it that way because I know plenty of others share the same thoughts.

How many "after next years" does coach Nagy get? It's a recurring theme every season on this board, and I'm sure among those that interact face to face as well. Every pre-season starts the same way...we're excited for the incoming class...this year will be different...this is our year...I see a 17+ win season...the list goes on. And then every year about this time people start grumbling about how poorly the team is playing, yet always want to give Nagy one more year to figure it out.

I respect Nagy as much as anyone, but there comes a point in time when things just aren't working. And I know people believe that if you change coaches at this point you're just setting the program back another four or five years. Well what's the program going to look like in four or five years under Nagy? The early returns are it's going to look just like it does today, and someone will think he deserves another year.

Am I calling for Nagy's head? Nope. Do I think our new AD needs to take a long hard look at the MBB program and evaluate whether he thinks Nagy is the right man for the job and the man that Sell wants in. Absolutely. Until the end of the season Nagy needs to figure out how to get the most out of what he has and prove that this job is his to keep. He recruited them, no get them to play up to the potential that so many believe they have.

The days we all long for are long, long gone. This program needs to figure out a way to get the fans excited again before its way, way too late.

And if you want to question my stance, feel free. Four years ago I wanted Stig replaced (OK, I didn't want him hired in the first place), but I swallowed my pride and stayed quiet on the matter and am now a supporter of how he's running my program. I'll admit I was wrong on that one. In those four years Stig has made the FB program a contender. In those same four years what has the MBB team done?

Of all of the posts I have read here...this is the most complete and concise and thoughtful one I have ever read...Thank you for putting it in a respectful way.

[Theee Catrabbit]

Re: It is what it is...

My little opinion for what it is: How can you fire a guy if he doesn't have all the necessary tools? He lacks assistants currently does he not? I can use a flathead screwdriver to turn a phillips screw but it takes me longer(that was an analogy, I'm not a mechanic) but I get the job done. Nagy gets the job done and it isn't always pretty. Now if he had a full staff and a few years after that things were about the same, then I say OK, maybe things need to change. But I won't attack a guys livelihood when he doesn't have everything that the other schools have. I mean we need to admit that the Women's BB and the Football teams are anomalies(very good anomalies). 9 out of 10 other schools would not enjoy that success that quickly in those sports(some who have been there forever still don't)and we know it. If all the sports were having issues(i.e. .500 or below seasons) would we ask that all the coaching staffs be replaced even though we know they aren't funded as adequately as their competitors?

[JACKGUYII]

Re: It is what it is...

My little opinion for what it is: How can you fire a guy if he doesn't have all the necessary tools? He lacks assistants currently does he not? I can use a flathead screwdriver to turn a phillips screw but it takes me longer(that was an analogy, I'm not a mechanic) but I get the job done. Nagy gets the job done and it isn't always pretty. Now if he had a full staff and a few years after that things were about the same, then I say OK, maybe things need to change. But I won't attack a guys livelihood when he doesn't have everything that the other schools have. I mean we need to admit that the Women's BB and the Football teams are anomalies(very good anomalies). 9 out of 10 other schools would not enjoy that success that quickly in those sports(some who have been there forever still don't)and we know it. If all the sports were having issues(i.e. .500 or below seasons) would we ask that all the coaching staffs be replaced even though we know they aren't funded as adequately as their competitors?

I have not and do not advocate we fire Nagy at this point, but don't believe lack of a full staff or funding are the root causes of our issues.