Friday, February 6, 2009

OK, the Coach

Usually on these pages, you read long, drawn out posts that typically have little by way of organization and actual content. This post will be no different. However, I will say, since I've given this some thought, that this one may not be so blowhard-ish. I think there's a difference between being a blowhard and being outspoken, and I'll try and land nearer to the latter.

OK, we're bad, and it's his fault. Well, maybe not entirely his fault, but primarily his fault. There's this stupid "rule" that I see being passed around on message boards and blogs about giving the coach 3 years to turn a team around. However, that rule cannot be applied to every coaching change.

For instance, Bill Self didn't need 3 years to turn Kansas around, because KU was good when he got there. The hope is, when a new coach is hired, that the team improves. When Pitino got to Louisville, they were awful. Then, they were less awful, and now, they're good. That's oversimplified, to be sure, but if you apply this to Gillispie's progress, we'd go from kind-of-alright under Tubby, to embarrassingly bad, to...embarrassingly bad.

This is really where the crux of my argument lies: we have made no improvement. Individually, guys like Crawford, Bradley, and Meeks may have gotten better; or, it can be argued, they were just given the opportunity to shoot constantly. Either way, we've collectively remained the same underachieving team we were when Gillispie arrived. There's nothing more frustrating than watching this team turn the ball over fifty fucking times one game, then do the exact same stupid shit the next game. Then, when the camera pans to the sideline, you see our coach with that same vacant shit-eating grin. What is that? Teach them; tell them what they did wrong. MAKE THEM LEARN.

I've never seen the Gardner-Webb game. I DVR'ed it, then found out what happened, and deleted it. I didn't want to watch the most embarrassing game in UK's history. Little did I fucking know, we still had San Diego and Houston and Vandy and VMI and Ole Miss to come. I don't think there are any games when we were so thoroughly embarrassed in UK's history. We got blasted by KU, but we were terrible then. It's different when bad players lose to better players. We have good players--we should be beating these teams that are bad. Everyone gets upset--it happens--but mid-majors shouldn't consistently be beating us at home.

In each of those games that we lost, and even in games that we win, the team is not ready to play. Ever. They come out jittery, turn the ball over, and are forced to play catch-up. Surprisingly, Gillispie teams play very well from behind. They fight, and they don't give up. That's a credit to the coach. However, that mindset is outweighed by the complete lack of preparation this staff has for games. OK, no one knew Vaden would go off, or any of the other guys that shoot us down. But, when guys start hitting, you have to figure out a way to stop them. Vaden was hot, and he was going to make everything. But it's not always bad luck; when the best 3 point shooter (percentage-wise) in the country gets 8 fucking clean looks, he's going to hit some.

I know Gillispie can't play defense for them. But it's rarely their effort. They're either lost, or they go under screens, or they are out of position. Or, they are too fucking short. No matter how gritty a guy is, if he's 6'0'', a 6'4'' guy with hops will shoot over him at will.

It's bad coaching. You don't see these breakdowns at UNC or Michigan State (side note: Shuey's wet dream is for Izzo to coach UK). We put the opponent in a position to win every game by playing the guys we play. It's not fair to talk shit about the guys on the floor; they bust their ass. They just aren't good enough. Because of these batshit insane rotations, guys like Liggins, Miller, Galloway, and Harrellsson have had their growth processes hindered and their confidence destroyed. I'm all for rewarding guys that practice hard; but playing Landon Slone just to fuck with guys' heads is crazy. Give Liggins and co. a chance to produce on the floor. Some guys are bad practice players. If they're good, let them play.

It is becoming less of a secret that there is a clear divide between the players and the coach. I don't know if that will be resolved. And if it's not, than Meeks and Patterson are gone, and we're fucked.

Look, the guy didn't enter the job with an "empty cupboard," as all those dickholes love to say. he inherited the #22 preseason team in the country, and we have been ranked exactly once since then (we subsequently lost 3 (and counting) straight). He has the players. For some reason, he can't scheme his way into either getting Meeks or Patterson good looks. That's what coaches do, and he sucks at it.

I hope I'm wrong. I really do. But I want to announce that I am firmly in the "this guy is not getting it done, and he will never" group. I'm tired of typing.

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