I am a huge Marrone supporter but I think its clear it is the coaching. As said before, the motivation is clearly there and the kids are more talented than they have been and really match up well against all opponents this year. While we might not be as deep with talent as some of these teams, the first team units are basically there.
So far during his tenure, he has actually improved both his staff and his job as the head coach. And while I maintain he is an upgrade from Robinson and the last part of Pasqualoni's tenure here, he is not where he expects to be and he is not where we expect him to be. I believe Boeheim went through this during his early years and I believe Marrone still has some growing to do as a coach. Whether he can get it done or not, that's another question. I believe Gross will give him at least 2 more years before he opens up any sort of job review.
If we had an experienced head coach who came in and had these issues, then I'd be worried. I do believe we are moving in the right direction, just not as fast as we want. If we played the perfect game and couldn't compete, then I'd say we have an even longer way to go. If Marrone and his staff can tighten up things like penalties, holding onto the ball and some of the other mental mistakes we saw, this team will have a chance against anyone. Right now, they only thing that is consistent is inconsistency.