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Message: [QUOTE="Zelda Zonk, post: 2969518, member: 966"] No one said JB has "dementia." You don't have to have dementia to have age-related decline in efficacy. // There's a non-JB-related component to what is always attributed to 'JB's consistency': The Dome, which i believe is tremendously underappreciated as a factor in our success. // It's kinda moot, to discuss whether or not we will experience a decline when JB leaves. He [I]will [/I]leave, at some point. Wanting to keep him around longer, during his decline years, seems more about fear and sentimentality than pragmatism. // We can't blame not having a quality C or PG and therewith exonerate JB, because part of JB's charge is to [I]have[/I] a quality C and PG. Announcing a retirement doesn't help. Being 'super old' in the mindset of a teenager doesn't help. Playing exclusively zone doesn't help. Playing at a super slow, low-scoring pace doesn't help. Quick-yanking players for one ambiguous 'error' and then reaming him out doesn't help. Being known for playing a short bench doesn't help. Not 'playing the NCAA game' and getting harsh sanctions instituted doesn't help. Having a bench staff full of assistants who only know your way might make you comfortable, but it doesn't help. Being ly instead of charming in PCs doesn't help. Not being the big dog in your own, geographically-appropriate conference doesn't help. Seriously, though, you can quote KenPom til you're blue in the face, about how we rank in terms of 'defense,' but i just don't buy those statistics. The eyes tell me something else. Bottom line, if i'm a top 20 high school player, i cannot imagine saying 'hell yeah' at the prospect of playing for a 74-year old, irascible 'whiner,' committed to playing all zone, with as few offensive possessions as possible. No one—no one—plays hoops for fun and yells out Let's play zone! No one. No one i'd [I]want,[/I] anyway. We have had some success doing things that way, and we have gotten some nice players that way. But, as those comments from announcers grew more persistent, we've seen our decline. Too often those successes are attributed to zone, when wins might have come despite zone. Our recruiting has been confused by the fact that we initially lost the battle for Battle, we didn't recruit Gbinije, we didn't recruit Bazely, we didn't recruit Chukwu, we didn't get Elijah. And we've lost some kids who we thought we should have had. Why? We are not as attractive as we have been. We are not as attractive as we, as alums, think we are. [/QUOTE]

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