Player Development under Red

[brian williams]

And yet other teams win lots of games and are good.

Have the rules changed on how to build and maintain a competitive program?

Yes.

Is it some impossible conundrum that we can't possibly figure out?

No.

Red should give Rick Barnes a call. Tennessee seems to have figured it out.

 

[KevMonstah]

I could dupe this post in the "Die hards giving up" thread, cuz much applies.

I'm not sure anyone on the coaching staff really focused that much on player
development over the last several (many?) years. Regardless of how well any player
was going to improve at the end of JB's tenure, it was very obvious that the goal
was to maximize his son's exposure at the expense of all else. Doubling down with
his other son proved that, cuz the program would've been more successful had that
collection of guys not been run off. You keep those guys, set up the next guy to win,
and the program is way better off. Maybe more successful, maybe winning more,
maybe the talent remains high, and you aren't stuck trying to fill a team to go tooth
and nail with the LeMoynes.

But that doesn't change the fact that players don't develop. I know JB expected
players to put in the work and do it on their own, but did they? Girard improve?
Buddy become a more complete player, as in, can handle the ball? Nope. That's
what a player is behind, and sees they aren't getting ahead of those guys despite
being better? Is that a surprise that Bell doesn't improve, cuz he maybe doesn't
do the work? Also nope. But I remember his recruitment, and I think I joked on
one of his boxscores, where he went for 28 pts, and one whole rebound, as the
tallest guy on the court. James Southerland was about the same player, but he at
least got to the point where he'd average 5 rpg. I mean, back to the late 80s, Derek
Brower had the comment of all-time when asked about either improving or getting
in shape: "I'm not playing ahead of DC, so why bother?" That quote is almost 40
years old, but apply it to Kadary playing less than Girard, and it still works. Maybe
Straughn and Engelstad can coach improvement, I have little faith in Griffin, but I'd
like to hope Red is way more hands on than JB, and it shows going forward.

Roster (mis)management is a totally different issue. I see a panicky "let's get anyone
who we can to win due to a roster swapout" this year, which isn't exactly working. A
complete fail on the initial wave of NIL and a pissing match with Weitsman, who
maybe - MAYBE - had the juice to help, that really hurt the program. At least consider
those with the ability and interest in helping. Lots of people can give $44, but it'd
take the surrounding area to add up to what Dybantsa got. And I think they are
attempting to pick the lane with recruiting accumen, they just gotta coach it.

Kev

 

[NortheastOHSUfan]

The development of Jesse Edwards was remarkable in my opinion.

Very true. I think the most remarkable development I can remember in a player was the rise of David Johnson. He went from a pure athlete only to a hell of an all-around basketball player by his senior season. Him hitting that last-second shot over Georgetown’s Alonzo Mourning to win the Big East Tournament championship was the final culmination of his incredible progression.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Very true. I think the most remarkable development I can remember in a player was the rise of David Johnson. He went from a pure athlete only to a hell of an all-around basketball player by his senior season. Him hitting that last-second shot over Georgetown’s Alonzo Mourning to win the Big East Tournament championship was the final culmination of his incredible progression.

I got a high five from David on the court seconds later. Big thrill for the Young Me.