Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!
Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!
Random observations in no particular order.
The vast majority of concerns/problems expressed by Swami and DG are, IMHO, valid. And the solutions for most of those problems are behind the bench. I'm making no argument for change here, I'm simply pointing out the implications of what we're saying.
Yeah, I think sometimes we're too much a finesse team. And yet bad azz North Dakota (which ALWAYS peaks at the end of the season) got bumped by Yale and that intimidating style played in the Ivy Leauge! There was a time (mandatory historical reference) when DU was also a finesse team--Tom Miller, Cliff Koroll, Jim Wiste, Craig Patrick and George Morrison just to name a few. But they were also quite capable of knocking your d**k in the dirt if need be. And one would think, based on the talent level of the players we've recruited over the past several years, that we would be able to play either style when appropriate. I remember a game between the US Nationals and the Soviets at the Broadmoor. The US came out very chippy in the first period. Then, suddenly, one US player went down with a mouthful of blood, followed by another and another. And then the US calmed down and played their normal style. The Russians had temporarily adjusted their style of play and put the US back in its box.
And not being mentally prepared for the NCAA's is a huge puzzler. What is it about Tom Izzo, for instance, that has enabled him to get MSU back to the Final Four six times in the last 12 years in a much bigger tournament? Upsets are part of the huge attraction of these "one and done" tournaments. But why has the "done" been us lately? And is there anything that can be done about it? Gwoz has shown that he can win with a team of over achievers and a team favored. So what's the problem? Swami inferentially suggested that somehow the game or coaching or something has passed Gwoz by. Well, if that's true, it's time to figure out what it is and fix it. Why does DU seem to get to the post season and consistently play under its potential (at least for the last 5 years)? How could we have lost to RIT, playing in its first-ever NCAA game? It's time to get an answer to these questions and fast. Else all the good work that been done by DG and others to improve school spirit will go to waste.
I reiterate: the answer to the majority of these questions comes from behind the bench.
Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!
Random observations in no particular order.
The vast majority of concerns/problems expressed by Swami and DG are, IMHO, valid. And the solutions for most of those problems are behind the bench. I'm making no argument for change here, I'm simply pointing out the implications of what we're saying.
Yeah, I think sometimes we're too much a finesse team. And yet bad azz North Dakota (which ALWAYS peaks at the end of the season) got bumped by Yale and that intimidating style played in the Ivy Leauge! There was a time (mandatory historical reference) when DU was also a finesse team--Tom Miller, Cliff Koroll, Jim Wiste, Craig Patrick and George Morrison just to name a few. But they were also quite capable of knocking your d**k in the dirt if need be. And one would think, based on the talent level of the players we've recruited over the past several years, that we would be able to play either style when appropriate. I remember a game between the US Nationals and the Soviets at the Broadmoor. The US came out very chippy in the first period. Then, suddenly, one US player went down with a mouthful of blood, followed by another and another. And then the US calmed down and played their normal style. The Russians had temporarily adjusted their style of play and put the US back in its box.
And not being mentally prepared for the NCAA's is a huge puzzler. What is it about Tom Izzo, for instance, that has enabled him to get MSU back to the Final Four six times in the last 12 years in a much bigger tournament? Upsets are part of the huge attraction of these "one and done" tournaments. But why has the "done" been us lately? And is there anything that can be done about it? Gwoz has shown that he can win with a team of over achievers and a team favored. So what's the problem? Swami inferentially suggested that somehow the game or coaching or something has passed Gwoz by. Well, if that's true, it's time to figure out what it is and fix it. Why does DU seem to get to the post season and consistently play under its potential (at least for the last 5 years)? How could we have lost to RIT, playing in its first-ever NCAA game? It's time to get an answer to these questions and fast. Else all the good work that been done by DG and others to improve school spirit will go to waste.
I reiterate: the answer to the majority of these questions comes from behind the bench.
And only the head coach can fix this. Speaking of coaching, you wrote: "clearly what worked in prior years no longer works."
