PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

[HockeyMan2000]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Actual exchange from Keno Davis on WPRO with Dan Yorke this morning:

Yorke: "Do you know the kid's name who was assaulted"

Davis: "yes"

Yorke: "What is it?"

Davis: [Long Pause]"....I don't know"

He's going to have a difficult time recovering from that one...

I do give Davis credit for going on but he doesn't seem to be overly bright, and is clearly being advised by those in the athletic department (surprise!) even more clueless than he is. As Yorke says, and we did a few days ago, the "bubble" that seems to surround anyone associated with this situation is shocking, and appalling for a Catholic institution whose first motivation should be outrage over this act. Certainly there shouldn't have been ANY talk about what the assault meant to the team or the school -- i.e. Driscoll's "teaching moment" line....so inappropriate at the time that it's just jaw-dropping.

The school seems to be hiding behind "there are legal ramifications if we talk about the assault party" type of lines. The school's PR guy advised Davis NOT to visit the kid too out of fears that he would be "grandstanding" (this also was on Yorke's show) -- just seems to be one bad, unreal decision after another by these people.

You can download the whole interview at 630wpro.com later today. Anyone with a slight interest in this situation should hear it for themselves.

 

[The Freds]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Here is the interview HM talks about at www.630wpro.com.

Talk about making a bad situation worse. PC needs new lawyers in addtion to a new athletic coaches and administration. You gotta love the compassion shown to this kid.

I wish a speedy recovery to Yerkin Abdrakhmanov. According to Channel 12 news he was released from the hospital today.

 

[HockeyMan2000]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Talk about making a bad situation worse. PC needs new lawyers in addtion to a new athletic coaches and administration. You gotta love the compassion shown to this kid.

Arthur Parks, PC's SID, accompanied Davis to the interview because, after the first commercial break, Yorke said that Parks had told him Davis couldn't mention the kid by name legally. As Yorke mentioned, that's not why Davis couldn't name him at the time however, which Davis at least owned up to.

Freds you got it completely right. The administration and these coaches need to go. Davis shouldn't have to apologize for what he said the other day -- if he had any common sense, he would've gotten it right the first time. Everyone down there seems to be more interested in their own self-preservation than anything else. Time to clean house...

 

[squidjigger]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Are people really calling to clean house for this coaching staff and administration? Obviously they are handling this situation in the worst possible way and I agree that driscoll and the higher ups have keno on a tight leash, but clean house?? Maybe we are forgetting who beat up this inocent student. Keno and Driscoll weren't standing by like we assume Duke Mondy was. Keno does deserve part of the blame and I've read elsewhere that discipline had been lacking on and off the court all season. Getting rid of keno after his first incident is a little over the top. Getting rid of Driscoll would be well deserved. Getting rid of Lacy and Still immediately is a necessity. I read somewhere that in the 70's Lou had a list of off campus bars that were off limits to the hockey team, maybe he had the right idea. From what I remeber it was always a little strange seeing bball players at a place like brads. They're still students who have a social life but....

 

[satyking]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

First the term "student" is not the right word for either of these two and second it was Keno's job to be sure the players he brings to the school have some moral discipline and are responsible individuals, he absolutely failed to do that and after a full season Driscoll should have known what they were and already tossed them out of the college. So both the coach and the AD should resign or be sent packing with the two "students".

 

[HockeyMan2000]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Are people really calling to clean house for this coaching staff and administration? Obviously they are handling this situation in the worst possible way and I agree that driscoll and the higher ups have keno on a tight leash, but clean house?? Maybe we are forgetting who beat up this inocent student. Keno and Driscoll weren't standing by like we assume Duke Mondy was. Keno does deserve part of the blame and I've read elsewhere that discipline had been lacking on and off the court all season. Getting rid of keno after his first incident is a little over the top. Getting rid of Driscoll would be well deserved. Getting rid of Lacy and Still immediately is a necessity. I read somewhere that in the 70's Lou had a list of off campus bars that were off limits to the hockey team, maybe he had the right idea. From what I remeber it was always a little strange seeing bball players at a place like brads. They're still students who have a social life but....

I guess I'm not disagreeing with you completely, but I do think irreparable damage has been done to Davis already. He couldn't even name the kid who was assaulted 4 days after it took place. His only interest from the lions share of comments that were made seemed to be only about the program, and he showed what seemed to be a crucial lack of perspective and understanding about what happened the other night. Maybe canning him over this is over the top, but I'm not sure anything he can do short of putting blinders on everyone by just winning (at any cost, apparently) will be able to change the bad rep he's going to have for a long time after something like this. Is it all his fault? No. But some of it is.

As far as Driscoll goes -- I'm surprised more people haven't picked up on his statements, but he's as guilty as Davis for some of the comments he made the other day. You shouldn't be trying to "protect the brand" in your first remarks to the media and start with the "we're going through the learning process" and "we'll use this as a teaching moment" kind of statements. Let the situation settle, at least show remorse and regret for having these players on your team, focus the talk on expressing anger for what happened to the young man, and then worry about the "brand" and the program later. They not only did not do that, they both looked like they only thing they cared about was their own self-preservation and that this kind of event was something that "just happens." It was appalling to see and hear.

Everything about the way PC has handled this situation is a disgrace. I know Father Shanley is on the west coast -- is whatever he's doing really so important that he couldn't come back or make himself available to interviews or statements?

And this athletic department under Driscoll has become a virtual disaster. From the performance of coaches like Army in the game to off-field stuff like the hoops team, I think it's time that major changes were made from the top down. In that regard it's time clean house and dump the AD, SID, and others with an advisory position who have botched this situation so badly. And Davis, I guess he's just going to take the hits until when, and if, he's ever able to shake off not just what happened but his own reaction to it. The latter is something not to be brushed off IMO -- I don't know if wins can overcome a critical lack of character and judgment (and by that I'm talking about his reaction to this situation as well as his role in admitting kids with what appear to have been major character issues).

But as anyone who has followed PC athletics for many years will tell you -- is it really that surprising? That's the sad reality of how things are being run there.

 

[squidjigger]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

I can't go without responding to hockydads initial reply to my first post adressing the situation. As much as I like to see that I brought some board unity, I can't help but defend my comments.
1) "He recruited them and than spends the year tyrying to weed them off the etam?"----Of course not. Keno recruits the best players he can, to fit into a certain role. If a player underperforms in that position, his role will probably change and this would potentially bring less minutes. In the majority of the cases a player will not accept this role and assume he can get more minutes elsewhere. Example, lacy, along with numerous other pc bballers that have come and gone. In a perfect world everyone would stay, but why not go to a smaller school in a less known conference and become the superstar.
2) "The hockey team might take a chance on a kid who has not fully developed on the ice but does not take chances on kids who "don't have particularly stellar backgrounds"That should not even be an option at a school like PC."----In my first post, I wasn't referring to the hockey team in terms of recruiting. The bball team may take a gamble on someone with a questionable background if he can help the program. "ruthless" rob sanders comes to mind along with a slew of others that may or may not have worked out. Remember a fan can often overlook the bad if the team is playing well. And in the long run those fans are putting money into the schools pocket. Quoting Driscoll but in a completely different context maybe in terms of recruiting this is a "teaching moment." In the long run maybe it doesnt pay off to gamble with players who have questionable backgrounds, who may be great players but difficult to coach on and off the court. It's not worth having a great team, if that team publicly tarnishes the reputation of the entire school.

 

[Hokydad]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

I can't go without responding to hockydads initial reply to my first post adressing the situation. As much as I like to see that I brought some board unity, I can't help but defend my comments.
1) "He recruited them and than spends the year tyrying to weed them off the etam?"----Of course not. Keno recruits the best players he can, to fit into a certain role. If a player underperforms in that position, his role will probably change and this would potentially bring less minutes. In the majority of the cases a player will not accept this role and assume he can get more minutes elsewhere. Example, lacy, along with numerous other pc bballers that have come and gone. In a perfect world everyone would stay, but why not go to a smaller school in a less known conference and become the superstar.
2) "The hockey team might take a chance on a kid who has not fully developed on the ice but does not take chances on kids who "don't have particularly stellar backgrounds"That should not even be an option at a school like PC."----In my first post, I wasn't referring to the hockey team in terms of recruiting. The bball team may take a gamble on someone with a questionable background if he can help the program. "ruthless" rob sanders comes to mind along with a slew of others that may or may not have worked out. Remember a fan can often overlook the bad if the team is playing well. And in the long run those fans are putting money into the schools pocket. Quoting Driscoll but in a completely different context maybe in terms of recruiting this is a "teaching moment." In the long run maybe it doesnt pay off to gamble with players who have questionable backgrounds, who may be great players but difficult to coach on and off the court. It's not worth having a great team, if that team publicly tarnishes the reputation of the entire school.

0/2 in my eyes.
You bring them in and develop them.
Should not even be a remote option to bring in a questionable off the court kid. Absurd to think that a school like PC would ever consider that. Punks dont deserve breaks.. We are on the same page

 

[HockeyMan2000]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Should not even be a remote option to bring in a questionable off the court kid. Absurd to think that a school like PC would ever consider that. Punks dont deserve breaks.. We are on the same page

Not only do I also agree with Hokydad, but I think it's almost a turning point here for PC. You're only going to be seeing more of this if the school intends to continue to compete in the Big East, because with the lack of success they've had, they're more than likely going to keep taking chances on kids that, let's just say, would have a hard time being admitted into the school otherwise.

Seton Hall struggled on and recently off the court as well with kids of questionable character who committed crimes once the season was over. Like PC, they've had a hard time competing in the conference for some time now. So PC isn't alone in this -- it's a reality facing these smaller, non-football schools in a power conference like the Big East. And that divide is only going to increase.

The PC PR guy said on Dan Yorke's show the other day that he'd like PC to be like Butler and emulate their success. If that's true then there's no way that's ever going to happen in the Big East. Butler would be no more than a Top 4 program in the Big East more than likely. But they are able to have success in and out of the classroom because they're a so called "mid major" -- the regular season may not thrill everyone out there, but I'm sure they'd take the ability to make a Final Four run every few years over sitting in the middle or bottom of a major conference. More over their kids are fully representative of the school -- they even bussed them back to campus the day of the championship game to go to class!

The problem with this is that PC basketball is basically Rhode Island's "pro sports franchise." It generates loads of money not just for the school but also the city of Providence and the Dunkin Donuts Center. A regression out of the league might be more appropriate in the long run for the school, but fans would be irate if they no longer saw the likes of powers Uconn, Syracuse, etc. coming into the Dunk, and you wonder if the city could sustain losing the amount of cash PC hoops generates downtown.

Sadly though we all know it's about the money and that's the reality. You just wonder how much longer PC is going to keep selling its soul to try and compete in a conference that it's possibly no longer feasible for them to run with "the big boys" in.

 

[squidjigger]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Hockeyman, I think our mind set isn't that different. Your last post was dead on. PC basketball brings in a ton of revenue for numerous parties, most importantly the school itself. There in lies the problem. The great players who fortunately have a promising academic standing go to perenial powerhouse teams. When we get to recruiting we must balance between academics and athletic skill. As much as we would like to see a championship team with 4.0 gpa's this rarely happens. (not impossible but improbable) A losing team with great academics doesn't sell seats. Theres no perfect solution.

As for the 0-2 hockydad gave me, I assumed that would happen. Thats what I get for trying to be reasonable. But I'll take a bite at your other comments.
1)"You bring them in and develop them."
Yes, agreed. But unfortunately college bball is on a little bigger stage than college hockey, especially in the big east. As much as I'm sure the NCAA hates it, transferring has become a big part of the game. On a stage like this young egos often lead to short stints at different schools. In a perfect world everyone would be happy with the schools they chose and be good little students for all 4 years. Keno developed Jamine peterson, he played his freshman year, redshirted, and now is the best player on the team. Some players are willing to put in the effort to develop, while others think they're ready to go pro.
2) "Should not even be a remote option to bring in a questionable off the court kid. Absurd to think that a school like PC would ever consider that. Punks dont deserve breaks.." I hate to break the news but guess what, they recruit kids like this all the time, obviously they arent gonna recruit a convicted murderer but, questionable kids are going to pass through the halls of pc. Often times if a kid is a superstar, while you may take his personality into account, sometimes you can overlook things or think that maybe PC will really change a kid. PC is a catholic institution, "punks don't deserve breaks"? Wheres your love and forgiveness? (Not referring to the recent situation, I've already voiced my disgust for that.) If a kid is a good player he'll land somewhere big.

 

[Hokydad]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Hockeyman, I think our mind set isn't that different. Your last post was dead on. PC basketball brings in a ton of revenue for numerous parties, most importantly the school itself. There in lies the problem. The great players who fortunately have a promising academic standing go to perenial powerhouse teams. When we get to recruiting we must balance between academics and athletic skill. As much as we would like to see a championship team with 4.0 gpa's this rarely happens. (not impossible but improbable) A losing team with great academics doesn't sell seats. Theres no perfect solution.

As for the 0-2 hockydad gave me, I assumed that would happen. Thats what I get for trying to be reasonable. But I'll take a bite at your other comments.
1)"You bring them in and develop them."
Yes, agreed. But unfortunately college bball is on a little bigger stage than college hockey, especially in the big east. As much as I'm sure the NCAA hates it, transferring has become a big part of the game. On a stage like this young egos often lead to short stints at different schools. In a perfect world everyone would be happy with the schools they chose and be good little students for all 4 years. Keno developed Jamine peterson, he played his freshman year, redshirted, and now is the best player on the team. Some players are willing to put in the effort to develop, while others think they're ready to go pro.
2) "Should not even be a remote option to bring in a questionable off the court kid. Absurd to think that a school like PC would ever consider that. Punks dont deserve breaks.." I hate to break the news but guess what, they recruit kids like this all the time, obviously they arent gonna recruit a convicted murderer but, questionable kids are going to pass through the halls of pc. Often times if a kid is a superstar, while you may take his personality into account, sometimes you can overlook things or think that maybe PC will really change a kid. PC is a catholic institution, "punks don't deserve breaks"? Wheres your love and forgiveness? (Not referring to the recent situation, I've already voiced my disgust for that.) If a kid is a good player he'll land somewhere big.

Not dissing you. Your comments are reasonable.

You dont take chance on a kids character with a scholarship. You dont.

A punk can ruin a team for 3 or 4 years and be a cancer to the program. Character is a huge part of being an athlete

You can forgive him, hope he straightens up but you sure as heck wouldnt reward him with the honor of attending PC and crossing your fingers that he wins a few games for you.

PC is not Cinncinati or Memphis State.

 

[satyking]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Go back to the days of Jimmy Walker and Marvin Barnes I don't think either one knows what the inside of a PC classroom looks like but they were somewhat controlled

 

[BC/HE]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Here's some good news for PC: I have predicted them to finish 5th in Hockey East next year on the 2010-2011 thread. As anemic as PC's scoring was they lose very little in firepower while other Hockey East schools lost a ton of goal scoring. Hang tough and Beaudry will win a lot of games next year.

 

[satyking]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Its nice to be thought of that well but even with what I think is one of the top 5 goaltenders in Div 1 he still has to be surrounded by good players and coaching and I believe that the coaching and recruiting will again be our downfall......I hope I am wrong but I see nothing changing at that level

 

[PcFriars13]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

well i mean c'mon...derek and his best friend are coming next year. we're saved.

i mean...they can't really get any worse, can they?

 

[The Freds]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Here's some good news for PC: I have predicted them to finish 5th in Hockey East next year on the 2010-2011 thread. As anemic as PC's scoring was they lose very little in firepower while other Hockey East schools lost a ton of goal scoring. Hang tough and Beaudry will win a lot of games next year.

I sincerely hope it does happen. Frankly I would sincerely hope the team makes it to Boston and beyond.

I wish I could find my rose colored glasses.

 

[satyking]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Freds you have to wait until I'm finished using them !!!!

 

[HockeyMan2000]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Here's some good news for PC: I have predicted them to finish 5th in Hockey East next year on the 2010-2011 thread. As anemic as PC's scoring was they lose very little in firepower while other Hockey East schools lost a ton of goal scoring. Hang tough and Beaudry will win a lot of games next year.

Unfortunately they really don't have any firepower to begin with. You have to remember not only was this team near the bottom of Division 1 in scoring goals, but they were a good 10 points behind the rest of a mostly-mediocre Hockey East conference. It's not like they scrapped and just missed the playoffs -- this team has a major gap to make up that's going to not only take time but an influx of several players who can actually score goals in Division 1 and a coach who knows how to deal with them. I don't think either of those are coming anytime soon, but hope springs eternal on the former (the latter I'm convinced isn't going to happen).

Makes you feel bad for Beaudry, if they can't win 1-0 or 2-1 types of games he'll be one of the better players most people have never heard of.

 

[steven22]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Does anyone here think that Lou will be making a call to the hockey guy looking for his new head coaching job in NJ?

 

[Jon]

Re: PC hockey offseason and TOURNAMENT MODE!

Does anyone here think that Lou will be making a call to the hockey guy looking for his new head coaching job in NJ?

If he takes Army and Driscoll, I'll throw in Davis as well. (man, I'm harsh!)