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Post by lmutex on Dec 28, 2007 18:03:23 GMT -5
I've been critical of RT and his staff before, but he should have until 09 to turn it around. Here's why:
-The same thing happened w/Aggers. He recruited Worthy/Knight, along with Wardrop, Ayer, Do, Osborne (who was a stud until he tranferred), and Haywood, who was supposed to be the coup of that class. Worthy goes down in 04, which led to our collapse (I think we went 11-20) and he was gone. Way too quick of a hook considering the youth of that team, which is exactly what we have now--an extremely young team with a chance to grow.
-Let's face the facts. Our program hasn't been relevant for quite some time. RT isn't ruining a great basketball school; he has an extremely tall order in front of him to create a winner from a losing program (save for 89-91).
-We're not Pepperdine/USF. Our standards won't allow us to take sketch Juco's, Prop 48's and recruit, ahem, in an underhanded manner. I feel this is much more of a blessing than a curse, and I'm happy that we can call our players student-athletes without the slightest hint of sarcasm/irony.
What's the answer? I sure as hell don't know; I'm just the semi-drunk guy who calling out screens as a ticket holder. Maybe RT knows, maybe he doesn't. I just hope he gets a chance.
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Post by fanblade on Dec 28, 2007 18:18:51 GMT -5
I agree lmutex. I do not want to see us chucking coaches because that will not necessarily give us any extra mojo. This team is extremely young. It is painful to watch the collapse but seriously many of these players are just not familiar with the D1 level. Next season will be far more telling. If we continue to spin our wheels in the mud then it will be time to reexamine. LMU does need to address it's athletics seriously. The president says he's for the best athletes and commited to sports but I'd like to see him put his money where his mouth is. LMU's recruiting budget is shameful and our general basketball budget could be boosted. LionsFund members did a great job raising funds and I hope that sort of momentum can continue. There are those in the admin who could care less about athletics and that was very noticeable during the icy response when Lawton mentioned sports during his convo.  Husak has done an ok job. I wouldn't call for his head. LMU did just win the commissioner cup a few years ago. We are the only other school outside of SCU and Pep to do that. He's updated some of the facilities and got NCAA championships here. But I do feel everyones frustration about leaving basketball behind. There is no excuse to be the laughing stock of LA hoops. I do not know what sort of academic requirements we have. I do not want thugs and doorknobs representing the school but this is not Stanford! We just have to keep supporting the teams and getting on Husak, Lawton et al and firmly remind them how important athletics are especially men's basketball! I think that things have gotten better. Overall winning percentage has risen across the board but there is still a ways to go. Pres Robert Lawton rlawtonsj@lmu.edu
Dr Bill Husak Bhusak@lmu.edu |
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Post by lionspride on Dec 28, 2007 18:38:04 GMT -5
nice takes on the subject lmutex and fanblade. I agree that RT should get to '09. But we as fans need to write letters to Lawton about our displeasure of LMU basketball. As LMU basketball goes, so does athletics. If we could have near sell out in Gersten for QUALITY basketball, that would be a great (financial besides morale) shot in the arm for LMU and its Athletics program.
The fans speak the loudest. ONE THING I DO FIND CONSISTENT AT LMU is that if NO ONE SPEAKS UP, NOTHING IS DONE. IF THINGS REACH THE PROPER PEOPLE, THINGS ARE DONE AND HANDLED QUICKLY. Let's make sure our voices are heard at the correct level within the administration.
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Post by fanblade on Dec 28, 2007 18:41:00 GMT -5
Read my mind. Just went and edited my post with the emails. Agree 100%. I've emailed Lawton before and never got a response but he DOES read them. Pres Robert Lawton rlawtonsj@lmu.edu
Dr Bill Husak Bhusak@lmu.edu |
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coal
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Post by coal on Dec 28, 2007 21:10:03 GMT -5
We are 3-10 or something. Too soon for a meltdown!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2007 19:22:39 GMT -5
nice takes on the subject lmutex and fanblade. I agree that RT should get to '09. But we as fans need to write letters to Lawton about our displeasure of LMU basketball. As LMU basketball goes, so does athletics. If we could have near sell out in Gersten for QUALITY basketball, that would be a great (financial besides morale) shot in the arm for LMU and its Athletics program. Yeah. I think the administration should hope they DID have take notice last season when Gersten was rockin. I'm sure they enjoyed those ticket receipts and that revenue probably helped get the baseball shed I mean training den built. If the team is playing well the fans will fill the stands. I think most people know where they were we Worthy hit the 3 or when the lions stopped Heytfelt and the zags. |
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coal
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Post by coal on Dec 30, 2007 0:38:55 GMT -5
I believe in Rodney and he is putting in the pipe work for some impressive runs in the future. Yea it is not easy to watch but the job will get done. This isn't about faith. We have seen some strides with Rodney over his past seasons even with serious injury bugs. This season is foundation and it is NOT OVER YET! Support the players and coaches. They are on our side!
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Post by newlionfan on Dec 30, 2007 2:58:50 GMT -5
It's way too early to call for RT's job. Take a look at the future. Most Midmajors are successful because they are a team of upperclassmen, but the Lions are lead by a freshmen. You are getting a guard that can completely light it up, and he is playing in Southern California next Friday and Saturday(against Sylmar and Dorsey). I will keep you guys updated with the time and place, it's still TBA.
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Post by lmu on Dec 30, 2007 3:33:52 GMT -5
we still have faith in RT, I just hope he doesn't lower his standard to accomodate the players, if anything, it's the players' responsibility to catch up to coach standard. I hope RT still remembers how it was back in arizona and push us up to that level because that's where we want to be eventually.
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Post by scoop on Dec 30, 2007 16:22:04 GMT -5
I know this is how boards go... but can you guys stop and take a breath for a second. Like one poster said, its not like Tention took a perrinial power and drove it into the ground. I thought he did a pretty damn good job his first 2 years. Obviously last year was rough with the injuries, but not many people could blame him. And it still seems a little early to be harping on inept recruiting. There are a few question marks in his first class, but his second class seems like the type we would like as the foundation for the future. And the coaches are doing it the right way. What was the last negative thing you heard about an LMU basketball player off the court? Face the facts. We have what might litterally be the youngest College basketball team in the country. We know Tention has the X's and O's. We saw that with what he was able to do with Aggers players. Now lets let these freshmen become sophomores before we start expecting too much. I think the conference season will tell a lot. I am not as worried about our W - L record as much as our ability to compete with the teams in our league day in and day out. If we can do that to some extent this year the sky is the limit for the future. Have faith. it took a Junior and senior filled team till league to get things figured out RT's first season. werent they like 3-11 in OOC. These kids will learn the system.
P.S. If something like 5 coaches have come in and out of LMU without much success, either we are hiring bad coaches repeatedly, or more likely:
There are some bigger problems with the program. I dont know what they are, but before we point fingers at another coach, seems like we need to find what else might be holding the program down.
Just my $.02
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Post by newlionfan on Dec 30, 2007 17:13:37 GMT -5
Great post scoop,
I may not know much about the program, but I'm beginning to learn as the season goes forth and into the future. But i always believed that a coach should be judge by the production of his players, not the previous staffs players. I wouldn't include his first senior class, since that usually is a short year of recruiting with the coaching change. Stability is very important in BUILDING a program.
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Post by lionboy on Jan 2, 2008 17:34:20 GMT -5
In my opinion its way too early to be talking about getting rid of tention, granted he may not have gotten the players he should have gotten his first couple years when he had the stable of Agger's Boys, I think the guys he got this year, and lined up for next year should be able to produce as they get older. Let's be honest, we aren't getting the Burger Boys who can step up and lead us to victories as freshman. I think in a school like ours not giving the coach sufficient time to set up a team is the major disaster that leads to constant finishes near the bottom of a conference. Everyone knew this would be a down year with the loss of our major senior leaders. Let's give it some time and keep cheering on our young guys. Next year should be more interesting.
On a side, my one peeve on Rodney is that he doesn't seem to be going after talented big men. I think that is the weakest part of our game right now. Our guards are pretty respecatble for their age. But we need some big guys to get a more balanced attack.
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Post by ironlions on Jan 2, 2008 17:56:50 GMT -5
On a side, my one peeve on Rodney is that he doesn't seem to be going after talented big men
Aside from our Tim our bigs need simply aren't that good.
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Post by lionspride on Jan 2, 2008 18:39:03 GMT -5
IRONLIONS:
I AGREE 100% with you. Sorry to inform everyone, but our 2008 Lions does not seem promising to fix this problem. Try winning a conference champion without big men. I don't think it is impossible, but it is highly doubtful. That means we need to hope that RT can recruit a high school big man that can make an immediate impact in the 2009-2010 season. Unless our current big men DRASTICALLY IMPROVE, we have an unbalanced attack. Here we go AGAIN with LOOKING FORWARD and BEING PATIENCE for 2 more years.
We need at least two stars on the team to succeed. OJ alone with a supporting cast will not win a conference title. Worthy out with an injury last year PROVED an opposing team can simply double team our other ALL-CONFERENCE player (Knight) and shut us down.
WE NEED A BIG MAN with SKILLS or else....hello NASA we have a problem.
RT needs to rope a big man in. Otherwise this may be his demise.
Go LIONS!
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Post by ironlions on Jan 3, 2008 11:48:42 GMT -5
Max showed some improvement against SHSU. I was watching a segment on College Game night on Tyler Hansborgh and how he lowers his body when he receives the ball from the guards. I think Max should work on this and some sort of drop step move. I really wish Max would have spent last summer at a big man camp. I think he can get much better.
Go Lions
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