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Post by golions1444 on Jun 2, 2014 14:38:26 GMT -5
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Post by thx4leavinjimlynam on Jun 2, 2014 15:04:14 GMT -5
Thanks for the link.
I had to chuckle at the end, though, when it mentions the "historically good program". Gosh, I don't know about you guys, but our last NCAA tournament appearance (1990) seems like a LONG time ago.
Let's hope the next one is much sooner (I think it will be within five years with Dunlap).
Go Lions!
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Post by LIONS90045 on Jun 2, 2014 15:11:04 GMT -5
Interesting that the author seems to think LMU would have been better next season with Good retained, which is counter to most opinions I've seen on the board to date. Dunlap's recruits come with less fanfare than Good's U.S. players but perhaps that is due to lack of good scouting coverage of international players vs their U.S. counterparts. "Historically good program" - like thx this makes me question the author's judgement about LMU.
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Post by Mr. LMU '04 on Jun 2, 2014 16:28:51 GMT -5
I actually agree with the article. I have heard other programs said that we were the hardest team to prep for under Coach Good. Coaches would say that we never ran the same offense but we did run an offense. He definately recruited great talent and his players never gave up. The reason we were not successful last season was squarely because of injuries. When you have only 7-8 scholarship players playing, it is hardly the coaches fault and none of the injuries were do to lack of conditioning. One was landing on a basketball during layup drills, another was a car accident and if I remember correctly the others were either because of hard fouls or collisions with the other team. I am a little concerned about Dunlap, but from what I hear Dunlap was the USC AD's first choice, but he was not a big enough splash for the major donors. I am concerned as soon as dunalap as any kind of success then he is gone.
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Post by husky on Jun 2, 2014 18:02:21 GMT -5
I mostly agree with the article. However, I did not rate Good's recruiting as so great and wonderful until recently; unfortunately the last line-up was easily the best we have had since the Westhead era. However, Max was, well, pretty old and his contract was probably up; for all we know he may have held out for a longer term deal. Also nobody could accuse Max of being a luck coach. I believe Dunlap will be able to get us on track and have a feeling that he will stick around longer than some might guess.
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Post by LIONS90045 on Jun 2, 2014 20:19:23 GMT -5
Seemed to me Tommy Abemoto (sp?) boosted our recruiting last year especially with local talent but Max did land them.
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Post by ADG'99 on Jun 2, 2014 20:42:16 GMT -5
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Post by LIONS90045 on Jun 2, 2014 21:56:31 GMT -5
Thanks for the info. As an 18 year old (as I recall) the opinion is based on limited life experiences but I appreciate his activism to speak out - maybe a future Julia Pine? Needs a bit more refinement perhaps. As to opinions, sorta like Lions Den? Me included!
Makes for some lively discussion in any case
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Post by guarddad on Jun 2, 2014 22:12:37 GMT -5
My understanding is that this is coach Dunlap last stop. So however long his contract is or isn't, this is it. I don't think with good success or even mediocre success he's going to leave LMU. he wants to retire at some point. I guarantee he won't be coaching into his sixties. He's gone full circle.
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Post by LIONS90045 on Jun 2, 2014 22:18:23 GMT -5
Great insights - I hope you are correct guarddad. Maybe he is our own Coach K? LA is not a bad area to settle into for the long run - despite taxes. I'm here for the long run but could be in Florida!
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Post by slblions08 on Jun 3, 2014 0:01:16 GMT -5
My understanding is that this is coach Dunlap last stop. So however long his contract is or isn't, this is it. I don't think with good success or even mediocre success he's going to leave LMU. he wants to retire at some point. I guarantee he won't be coaching into his sixties. He's gone full circle. Dunlap is already 57 years old according to Wikipedia. If he has no interest in coaching into his 60s, then this was a major fail of a hire. Let's say he's here for 5 years, which is how long its going to take to rebuild the program. Lets look on the best possible outcome. He gets his first recruiting class next year, and has to train them for like two seasons to get going. That's year 3 of his coaching tenure at age 60. Lets say a bunch of sophomores, Evan Payne the senior and Junior Petr Herman play a great season and give us a birth into the NIT. Now lets enter year 4 and 5 (or age 61 and 62) where there's basically a two-three year window to beat both St. Mary's/BYU and Gonzaga in a WCC tournament to get an NCAA bid. Essentially we're waiting for Dunlap to get to the same place as Tention and Good, and hope that his coaching prowess is the difference-maker over the span of 3 days. I do not see how this is any different than years past. Of course best case scenario is that we make it back to the NCAA tournament and Dunlap retires off into the sunset, and the program hits the skids for another 20 years. Geez. Wow. Unbelievable. Husak needs to be fired. We all hoped that we'd get a coach to come in and really instill something and lay the foundation for some kind of success for more than 1-2 years at best. I seriously imagined a guy that would be hired here would coach here for like 8-10 years...or maybe a young coach who might be using this job as a stepping stone but who brings in a whole slew of young assistants that can just pick up where he left off and thus the whole program is changed for about 8-10 years in total. Considering there is nobody waiting in the wings as an assistant coach to be the future head coach, then this hire seriously shows a lack of vision. Of course, Husak will be old and forgetful and probably doesn't even care about the program 5 years from now! I've heard of literally 6-8 coaching candidates who are assistants at other schools who desperately wanted to interview for this job who are all young enthused, have a connection to the city and remember growing up during the Hank Era who remember a "rocking Gersten Pavillion", the place where "you wanted to be at to watch basketball." By the time Dunlap is done these guys will all be coaching at hire levels and LMU will be further forgotten. Yes, there is a time urgency that Husak seems to not care about. Or the Administration chooses to ignore. All I can say is this is lame!!!
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Post by thx4leavinjimlynam on Jun 3, 2014 0:43:51 GMT -5
What are you talking about?
I think will be Dunlap's last job, too. I think he really wanted the job. He graduated from here and, eventually, will have come full circle to retire at LMU.
I am excited for the upcoming season. Am I expecting NCAA this year? No. Is it impossible? No!
As you said yourself, it comes down to "3 days" in March. If we finish in the middle of the pack and are peaking at the right time, no reason we can't be making a run in March.
Can't wait to see this team on the court. Go Lions!
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Post by ALioninWinter on Jun 3, 2014 0:46:04 GMT -5
I believe we will see Dunlap stay at LMU longer than probably just about any "young" coach we could hire who would be enticed away by a larger school if he had success at LMU. A younger coach who has success would have a tough time turning down a big pay package that just about any BCS school could offer. Dunlap is motivated to be successful at LMU because he went to school here. He could easily stay 8-10 years and then retire. Don't expect him to leave in two years unless he fails at the job. He is highly motivated to prove himself and he recognizes Westchester is a good place to do just that. You can't expect any more tenure than that.
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Post by husky on Jun 3, 2014 7:58:30 GMT -5
Wow, 18 years old, very insightful - and look how he managed to get things spinning. Be interesting to see if he sticks with sports stuff professionally. Those young "analysts" on KLXU last year were also quite knowledgeable. Makes me recall my oldest son when back in the 80's he would accompany me to summer Pro League games in Gertson. He was uncanny in predicting which (very few) players would make it to the NBA. Like my other son who as a teenager almost never missed a 12 foot putt. Young people just don't know how difficult things really are yet. Now the oldest almost has time to watch basketball and the golfer can't putt for crap.
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Post by guarddad on Jun 3, 2014 11:07:12 GMT -5
You guys are awesome! My mistake on coaching into his sixties, I was basing it off of the wrong coaches age. I was using Coach Peterson's age which 46 I believe. Now I don't think he'll want to coach into his sixties. GO LIONS!!!
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