This thing should have worked. It’s going no where. We have roster cycles where we sign 2, then 5 the next year leaving the team deficient and unbalanced. We bring in players…too many of them that contribute nothing to a system built on depth. The system does not work. Traps leading to easy baskets. Where are the shooters? Too many non blue bloods are far better programs than us.
You give 3 more years to just hit repeat? NIT followed by NCAA first round? If I was AD I’d make a change and then go beat my head over firing an incredibly great man and good coach who failed at a situation that should have succeeded.
I’m not talking about just tonight. I’m not really sure what you mean by when this this turns around? It’s been 7 years. Is there anything implied in my post to indicate I don’t respect the man? AD’s are paid to make tough decisions. The basketball program is probably going to end with one in 2-3 years. TT, UT, Marquette are decent comparisons of the direction we should be moving toward.
I’m not a big fan of the system, leaves too many open shots and puts you in bad rebounding position but you bring in better players any system will work I guess that’s probably my biggest gripe. We’re bringing in players that can’t shoot
or handle the basketball. I hope we turn it around this year but I’ll be very shocked. I think unless he brings in some real impact players, next year maybe his last.
Guys got a point and I think I’m there too. I so wanted Mike to be the man to get us back to being a top 20 program. In 7 plus years he has proven unable to achieve that. He is a solid coach and had put us back on solid ground but we should be more than just solid. I know this team is young but his points are still valid. We are so very young because of so many recruiting misses and transfers. We haven’t had a balanced roster since Mike has been coach. Also, our defense under him has never been consistently strong and I thought that was his calling card. We should be somewhat better next year but without Gafford we will have a huge hole in the post, making it hard to be much better. Finally, after 7 years of evidence, I’m convinced that his switching man D doesn’t work. We give up way too many open 3s and uncontested drives to the rim due to failed switches. This is not just a “this year” problem.
He brought in players that were supposed to be able to shoot. Jones and Joe are good shooters. Phillips was supposed to be but got hurt, never caught up and then quit. Embery-Simpson was supposed to be a shooter. He was a 4 star. His shot looks good. It just isn’t going in the hole.
So to say he brought in players who can’t shoot isn’t really accurate. He brought in players who haven’t shot well the last week.
They shot really well last week in a win at TAMU, who just beat Bama on the road.
The problem hasn’t been shooting. It has been horrible Ft shooting and tons of unforced turnovers and freshmen panicking at the end of close games.
Is it on him to figure it out? Yes. Is he probably on thin ice? Yes. But it wasn’t because he chose to bring in guys who couldn’t shoot. It’s more complicated than that.
But, it’s also simple in a way. If they shot FTs the way they had throughout his tenure as the HC with teams with the best collective FT % of an UA HC, they’d probably be 12-3 or so and most people would be excited.
But, again, it’s all on him and that’s why he gets paid the big bucks.
Did I say anything about you no respecting the man?
I mean if this team does what it normally does and falls behind only to dig themselves out like most years. It’s frustrating as watching paint dry but we do tend to do that.
Well PIG I’m talking about pretty much every player but Joe and Jones.the reason we can’t hit free throws is because they’re not good shooters that’s pretty obvious nobody guarding you and you still can’t make them, not a whole lot of chance of making it when they are. I like Mike he is a great guy but I’m not really sure he’s going to make it,sad deal but it is what it is.
The thing that gets me about MA is the fact that he can coach but he can’t continue to play this style and win consistently with the players he is getting and the way games are being called. WPS
I’m not arguing that it’s a good shooting team—just that it appeared to have a decent number of shooters when recruited.
When 2 guys you were counting on to come in and play significant minutes and be shooters but give you nothing and your primary PG had gone from a below average shooter to the worst in the country and your dead eye shooter is in a major funk) that compounds the problems.
I agree that Mike is in trouble. He will probably get nexy year, but his “quick fix” type recruiting possibilities (Moody, etc) are 2020 guys.
He’s definitely in a very tough spot and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s not here after next year.
If things don’t turn around this year, he’s going to have some decisions to make this off-season if he wants to stay at Arkansas, because I’m with you that I don’t think he’ll make it past next year without a really good season.
First thing he’s going to have to address is the 4 spot. That’s been the glaring weakness during his tenure here at Arkansas outside of the Clarke/Harris years. I think if things don’t get better he’s going to have to choose 1 between Gabe and Adrio to ask to leave to make room for someone that can give us something at that position. We can’t continue to essentially be 4 v 5 on offense when one of those guys is on the court, and neither can shoot a lick. I think that’s where a guy like Gueye fits in really well.
It doesn’t matter who our coach is because it is difficult to recruit top players to Fayetteville and our recruiting base is smaller. There are almost always 4 to 6 SEC teams that are better than us because they can recruit and sign more top players.
Fair enough. I only saw the last 5 minutes of that game. Should have checked the box score. It’s not a good shooting team. I just don’t think it’s this bad. Joe being in a funk really hurts.
You can add guards that can stay in front of guards like Waters to that glaring weakness. That just as much of a problem as the 4 spot. Chaney is a good one and Gabe is decent on defense but he just isn’t
able to shoot effectively yet.
Unlike you guys I don’t think this season is lost and can remember several years where the hogs rebounded and went on winning streaks late in the year. This is a young team. Let’s see what happens between now and the first of February.
I don’t think CMA is on a warm or hot seat. I hope not anyway.
Most of the schools people say that are better than the hogs pay cash to recruits and we don’t! I can live with that.
I have to disagree with you there, we’ve had several guards that were known for their good defense… Gulley, Haydar, Watkins, and Durham those guys were individually really good on ball defenders. On this year’s squad, I think Sills and Embery are very good at staying in front of their man and playing good defense as well from the guard position. Our defense hasn’t been the problem at all this year, defense has played well enough for us to win games, it’s actually the only thing that’s kept us in some of these games, because our offense has been horrible. We’re missing free throws, open 3’s, layups, dunks, and having problems finishing around the rim outside of Gafford and Jones.
And looking at that 4 spot when talking about offense. I’ve lost count of how many times Bailey has blew an easy shot around the rim or how many times the other team has blocked his shot. And Gabe while he is better at finishing around the rim, he’s a horrible free throw shooter shooing in the 30% range. It’s pointless for him to even attack the rim unless it’s completely wide open because if he gets fouled, him going to the free throw line is the equivalent of a turnover.
I’m telling you guys the 4 spot is difference, it was the difference on that 15-16 team as well. I’m not trying to down anyone but Bailey and Gabe are not good at all, and I sat and tried to think of a nicer way to say it, and that’s the best I could come up with. I watch a lot of SEC basketball and I’ve looked at the players that play the 4 spot on other teams for comparison, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I don’t think either one of them could make the rotation for any other team in the SEC. People call me an apologist for CMA, I won’t apologize for saying that, that’s absolutely on CMA failing to recruit guys at that position that can play at an SEC level. Chaney, I think can fill in at that spot, however he’s been primarily backing up the 5 spot, if that was their intentions with him there’s absolutely no excuse for them not signing another 4 this Spring instead of taking on Ibby as a project.
The roster management is his fault. If we don’t have anyone besides Chaney and Dan for the 4-5, it goes back to recruiting. He will likely get next season but that seems like a waste of time, losing Daniel won’t make us better. No question that he’s rebuilt the program and done a good job the last 5 years but It sure feels like we’ve seen our ceiling with Mike. Make the tourney every other year or so and bow out in the first or second round.
I reluctantly have to somewhat agree with the OP. I’ve been a Mike supporter and love what he stands for as a man and mentor to his players. But, it’s painfully obvious he is not a master of X’s and O’s, and he isn’t an elite recruiter to bring in 5* Jimmy and Joes.
I don’t see any way you can realistically fire him this year, but assuming we don’t make the post season this year and then fall into the NIT next year (which is very likely losing Gafford next year), does he really deserve another year?
People want to point out that Barnes et al stepped into better situations. Ok, true, but after 8 years our situation is entirely on Mike’s shoulders. He’s never been an elite recruiter and never will be, but he’s really struggled with our roster construction his entire time here.
I also thought Portis’ comments from the other day were very telling and confirmed what many of us have believed from the start. If you have a team full of absolute ballers, maybe giving them so much freedom would be ok. But it’s no mystery why we have always had these long scoring droughts under Mike. If the D is getting turnovers we can score in bunches, but when it’s up to our offensive sets (or lack thereof) to generate scoring, we will lose every time.
I really, really want Mike to turn it around this year and work out but I have very little optimism left at this point.