Dunlap is the new coach

[uncurselmu]

Well I liked the idea of bringing in someone like Wyking Jones, but this is still a move in the right direction. As brasive as Dunlap could possibly be there's no way he could be as bad as Max. When I brought up my concerns w/ his style and performance w/ the bobcats I cautioned that there are a lot of great college coaches who would struggle w/ professional players (coach K is known to have an extremely foul mouth). I just hope the admin is conscious of this concern. We've had way too many injuries over the last few years to have a coach running 4-5 hr practices and freezing up a locker room w/ a chilling attitude. There were seasons where it looked like players weren't even having fun playing basketball for max, and only rallied around eachother at the end to send off our senior's w/ a respectable run. Dunlap's post bobcats comments seem to reflect an appreciation for resting players and how different the college/nba game are so maybe we can hope he's grown as a coach. Greg popovich, aka the best in the game, is the king of managing rest and it shows.

I don't see Payne as someone who wouldn't want to play for dunlap. Sure he seemed out of control at times, but really we had a loose offense that forced us to ask payne and AI to bail us out. Payne has balls, and the best players often take shots that to other people would look terrible. When we play hot potato on the perimeter I'm not going to blame the one guy willing to do something about it. I'm just saying that a little structure might actually bring out the best in a player like Payne. Imagine him off the high pick and roll, or actually curling off of a few screens to get an open look? He's got so much defensive potential but inconsistent discipline. I feel like a lot of times max asked for effort w/o providing a serious gameplan and I could understand how a player would be frustrated (it seemed as though Viney soured on Max after our team appeared leaderless and directionless). We've been playing checkers for a while, I'd like to see our guys play some chess.

As much as Corey Gaines or Wyking Jones could have brought from the player-relationship side, Dunlap has been a head coach and there is no doubt about his basketball knowledge. Players like Payne and Levin seem to really love playing the game, and I don't know why a player like that wouldn't want to think about basketball at the next level. Our team has looked so hamstrung by our BS offense over the last few years it'll be a breath of fresh air to see them reach a new level of basketball.

I've been crying for years about how Max never developed a good two man game w/ our teams despite having solid big/small combos (viney/teel, Viney/AI, Hamilton/AI, Levin/AI). Gabe levin can face up and shoot. Why in the hell have we not seen any of those combos running a decent two man, pick and roll game where we force teams into tough defensive assignments? Why do we refuse to press outside of the last two minutes of a game (when we are in a scoring slump we need to disrupt. Granted this last year was tough w/ limited numbers)? Why do our players set the softest, most half hearted and predictable screens ever? Hopefully this all changes.

I would love to see what Dunlap can design between just the combo of Payne and Levin. While the WCC has improved a lot since then, Tention took a single combo of Knight/Worthy and nearly took us t the tournament (yeah knight was a low post player unlike anyone we've had since). Payne/levin two could be such a deadly combo. Levin is really one of my favorite prospects to come around in a long long time. W/ a little more bulk and an improved outside shot he could be an absolute beast. He's got a great motor and some amazing grit (you could tell he was playing far from 100% at many points during the season).

[TexasCat]

From a coaching perspective, I'm glad we're on to the next phase and probably a year or two too late for my taste. That being said, I feel for coach Good as a human being - I think he is a good person and this will be a tough time in his career.

I think Dunlap will help us overall - it might take a few years but we will be better. His initial decisions are not that encouraging but I'm sure there is a lot going on that we don't have line of sight to.
1. Claiming he knows the "No. & So. Cal student athletes that will be recruiting" seems very limiting since we have African, European, East coast, Midwest and West coast players on the team - all I can guess is he is trying to influence the recruits, two of which are LA guys.
2. A high school coach - a good one - as a first assistant seems unspectacular but maybe this guy can run a practice like no other. The PG recruit seems middle of the table as well even when compared to our two guard commits.

All the best to a fellow alumn - I can only root for him and our Lions.

[uncurselmu]

Mar 13, 2014 12:50:40 GMT -5 TexasCat said:

From a coaching perspective, I'm glad we're on to the next phase and probably a year or two too late for my taste. That being said, I feel for coach Good as a human being - I think he is a good person and this will be a tough time in his career.

I think Dunlap will help us overall - it might take a few years but we will be better. His initial decisions are not that encouraging but I'm sure there is a lot going on that we don't have line of sight to.
1. Claiming he knows the "No. & So. Cal student athletes that will be recruiting" seems very limiting since we have African, European, East coast, Midwest and West coast players on the team - all I can guess is he is trying to influence the recruits, two of which are LA guys.
2. A high school coach - a good one - as a first assistant seems unspectacular but maybe this guy can run a practice like no other. The PG recruit seems middle of the table as well even when compared to our two guard commits.

All the best to a fellow alumn - I can only root for him and our Lions.

As far as the HS coach goes my thinking goes here. This guy has been coaching HS ball for 33 years, and he was a teacher (which takes even more patience). Maybe he can bring the touch and connection w/ younger players that someone like Dunlap might have a tougher time with.

Even if we lost all of our incoming recruits and only retained Levin and Payne that's a solid enough foundation to be a very competitive team immediately. Those two could quickly become the best one two punch in the WCC if they keep on putting in the time necessary to elevate their game.

[frankieboy]

I am class of 80 like Dunlap and in my extremely limited dealings with him when he attended LMU the personality traits attributed to him seem right on the money....

[LIONS90045]

Hmmm! I really don't know Dunlap other than what I'm reading here and on the internet.
It seems Dunlap has all the credentials to either succeed or fail in his new position.
His experience and knowledge of basketball are on the pro side.
But ultimately his people skills may cause him to fail - players will respond if you are a tough taskmaster but if you have no ability to relate on the human level, you will fail in the end. I'm hoping he has learned from his own misfortunes and shows a human side to his players.

Re uncurselmu's characterization, "not as bad as Max" is a luke-warm description indeed.

Crossing my fingers at the moment.

[LIONS90045]

More Mike Dunlap you tube concepts on coaching (the circle drill might be here twice but they were different links):













These speak for themselves.

Go Lions!

[ALioninWinter]

90045 - thanks for the research!

[LIONS90045]

I've been thinking about the roster and reaching a higher level of play in the NCAA's.
Like others, I have been a fan of keeping this team's talent together but now I'm rethinking things and asking if some of our guys are really going to get LMU to the next level.
My real keepers are Evan Payne and Gabe Levin - we would like these guys to become new LMU record setters as they have done so far.
Any walk on is expendable but I would like them to be around as practice players and to step up in a pinch.
Now for the tough part:
Stover is showing flashes of brillance but mostly during games in Vegas. His length makes him a strength on defense and the boards and his offensive game is there if he uses it.
CJ can shoot lights out but is an undersized wing. His rebounding is good as he uses his strength under the basket.
Mornar is a defender under and has a nice shot. He has been conservative asserting his offensive skills, which count in his favor. Makes his free throws routinely - a nice attribute for a lengthy 6'9" player.
Deji is our most well rounded player - uses his athleticism and strength on the boards and can score under and from 15 feet.
Okonji is mostly a defender who can dunk and make free throws (that's good) but is not an offensive threat and is a bit undersized at the center post.
Siame is a big question mark. Other bigs from the Africa connection that did not land up here have generally disappointed with their play. Can Patson be an exception? He has the size which is a big plus.
I'd like these guys to stay but they are all "bubble" players if Dunlap can come up with talent either from the JC ranks or incoming freshmen that will do more for the team.
Regarding recruits, they are all quality players but the key is Elijah Stewart from Westchester. Let's keep him in any case.
These are my random thoughts on Sunday evening.

In summary, we have a few real quality players and recruits (as another noted) and we're hoping for greener pastures if Dunlap and his team can deliver.

[LMUpepbander]

Regarding the roster, it would be interesting to see if guys like CJ and Nick can thrive more with an offense that utilizes set plays with design picks. I think they might have been hampered by the constant reliance on AI to find them after driving down the middle.

[ALioninWinter]

Evan and Gabe showed strong promise in their freshmen year. Both have some weaknesses in both physical attributes and capabilities, but both did a lot of good things as freshmen. If I were Dunlap, I would be working hard to keep them. Regarding the rest of the roster, I'm ambivalent. Bringing in too many new players can be disruptive to team cohesion, but it sounds like this new staff isn't going to mind some disruption. While each player on current roster has some good things going for him (CJ's shot, Nick's and Money's length, Deji's strength), there are other players out there who have those same attributes.....and perhaps at a higher level.

This actually takes me back to another point -- I think Max's recruiting skills were overrated. Sure AI was great, Evan and Gabe had strong first years, and Elijah looks like a winner. But most of his recruits were not that strong. In 6 years, Max produced 3 true impact players. That's not that impressive. Stewart may prove to be a fourth, but he was really Abatemarco's recruit, not Max's. Everyone else has proven to be a role player... or worse.

It's not going to bother me to see Dunlap re-make the roster. I agree that a significant roster shake-up will be required to produce a truly NCAA-competitive team. Payne, Levin and Stewart seem like an awfully strong start...and if Dunlap keeps those guys, Max deserves credit for planting the seeds by bringing those guys in. But I am anxiously waiting to see who Dunlap recruits........not just this off-season, but also over the next couple of years.

[ALioninWinter]

One more thing -- Pepbander makes a good point. I stated in a post the other day that it would be interesting to see Dunlap work with the existing roster. How much better would the same team be with some player development and effective, well executed offensive and defensive game plans? Obviously, we will never know but I'm sure some of the current roster will stay. It's going to be interesting to see if Dunlap can turn CJ and Nick into consistently effective players. Can Godwin and Money be a presence inside? I felt all year long that CJ should have been a solid 15+ points/game scorer if there were a solid slate of plays and screens that would give him the open looks he needs. The guy can shoot when he has an opening.

[slblions08]

Because of our size issues, CJ was miscast as a PF who could live on the block and score inside, while stretching the defense to get his deep shots. I actually thought of CJ has a Rob Jones kind of player (like he was at San Diego) but I was wrong, but it's been wrong since the middle of his freshman year two years ago. CJ is a big body but he's not a banger. He needs to be given space to get his jumper off. I'd really like to see him get some picks for open looks.

I am also interested in how this could effect Nick Stover. I'd really like to see him fare under Dunlap. I've always thought of Nick as an old-Paul Pierce type of player, using junk moves, body positioning and a little step back to get going, with the ball in his hands a bit more. That's what I remember from the high school videos. Unfortunately since he's been entirely misused as a spot up corner shooter his skill set has diminished such as his dribbling looking bad, turnovers, etc and his shot can often literally miss the mark. But I think he could use a few screens and utilize some moves to hit some midrange or even drive to the basket. He's been a victim of the ball being totally in Anthony's hands for the past two years.

As far as Levin is concerned, he does have offensive limitations in that he hasn't yet developed an outside shot. He works hard, and he makes high bball IQ plays which Dunlap would love. He also has a little elite level athlete in him that he only uses sparingly. But I'm not sure what his ceiling is. He is a 6-7 PF who is kind of slender without an outside shot. If he was 6-9, he'd be at Wisconsin or Michigan State. But he's 6-7. I can totally see him becoming a 12-8-4 type of player in the WCC which would be outstanding. Don't get me wrong. But I'm not sure he's elite. Remember, don't compare Levin to former LMU players, or teams like San Diego and Portland. If LMU is ever going to threaten for a WCC title or get an NCAA At-Large bid, they have to win games against Gonzaga and BYU. BYU has big tall guys who can shoot at the PF spot. Gonzaga has big burly post players who can bang down low and guys who are taller than Gabe who can shoot. That's why some of us on the board go ape when we keep saying we have these tremendous recruits. For LMU? Perhaps. But for what it takes to win the WCC? Not neccesarily. If this were the NBA I'd trade him for prospects. But I could totally see Dunlap using him on the defensive end and creating screens and positioning on the floor. Or he might tell Gabe to get in the gym and shoot 1,000 jumpers a day.


I really like Payne. He obviously has the scoring ability, and also just enough size to match-up with most guards at both the mid-major and high major levels. I think he shows a real fierce competitiveness and is not afraid to back down anybody. This is both offensively and defensively. I definitely see the inklings of one of the best two-way guards on the West Coast. I think he has some super athleticism which he knows when to uncork. There is a feel for the game when he is on a roll. The question is if he can stay wired for the whole game and trust his teammates. I also see potential for headcase on the floor. Don't underestimate the role of Anthony's leadership. Payne could could turn into ballhog if he sees nobody else doing anything at the position (like Chase Flint). Dunlap needs to get into his head and build faith that he wants him to become the best player he can be for the team and his career. Payne is the guy on the team that I can see jump at all his skills. He knows it too. I think Dunlap not only has to promise to develop him but also promise to schedule good opponents to get him some exposure.

I think Dunlap has a big task ahead of him, but he seems like he's a basketball junkie in a serious sense. This is literally business to him. His coaching skills and videos, etc are on the line with his success. He seems like a fairly confident guy who is no BS, probably not a ton of fun either.

[ALioninWinter]

slb - I fully agree with your last comment. I wouldn't want to be an assistant coach under the guy!

You provided some specifics on Gabe's and Evan's shortcomings that I merely alluded to. Despite those shortcomings, if I were Dunlap I would be trying to keep those guys knowing that I could only accomplish so much in the way of recruiting new players over the next couple of months . Gabe and Evan are good enough to build next year's team around. Dunlap needs to concentrate on getting a point guard and some interior size. A shooter or two wouldn't hurt either, although we seem to agree that CJ (used correctly) could give us more outside shooting than we've been getting.

From reports we're hearing, it sounds like Dunlap is also actively working with Stewart. That's good. The entire WCC (including Gonzaga and BYU) doesn't see many 4-star recruits. Get him onto the team and then figure out how to use him.

[uncurselmu]

I think you are severely underrating Gabe Levin. Ashley hamilton didn't make a single three pointer until his junior year and turned into a stretch 4. Levin's freshman numbers are just as good as Ashley Hamilton's senior numbers.

espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/41439/ashley-hamilton
espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/68087/gabe-levin

I agree with your overall take, that he needs to bulk up, develop a reliable 3pt shot (which take's a lot of time putting up shots) but I think you underestimate his potential. Yes he needs some better upper body strength but he's got a good lower base. He's aggressive, relentless, and pretty physical. He's a natural rebounder. Part of the problem right now is that when you are a 6'7 pf and lack upper body strength you end up having to get lower to hold your ground, ultimately that leads to an even greater advantage for the offensive player who might outsize him. Once he puts on another 10-15 pounds he'll be able to play much better defense. Offensively he has a good touch around the rim and can face up pretty well. He's got a decent stroke, he just needs to refine it. I think he averages double digit rebounds next year no problem. I would also expect scoring in the 14-16ppg range.

Edit: Also just wanted to add what kind of grit Levin showed this year. He played nearly 1k minutes and was far from healthy for a decent chunk of it.

[pumpfake]

I agree with you uncurse. We must remember that Levin is a freshman. He really accomplished a lot and is going to get a lot better. If he stays, I predict All WCC by junior year.