Upside/Downside: GMac Edition

[OttoinGrotto]

GMAC won't have more momentum and support now without making the tournament.

Thus, it is imperative he makes the tournament in his first season.

It will just get so much harder if that doesn't happen.

 

[Niastri]

Upside: Siena Boxes out on defense, and seems to have an idea where they are going on offense and defense.

Downside: GMAC wasn't a great recruiter when he was here. Maybe JB held him back? Red had a pretty dramatic increase in his recruiting chops once JB left.

 

[tptcuse]

I was told he should be fired if he doesn't make the tournament next year.

Someone said fired? Yikes. It’s a nice expectation with all the NIL, but firing him is a stretch.

 

[tptcuse]

His biggest test of loyalty will be if Doty is better than Kiyan.

Or vice versa, perhaps

 

[Scooch]

Yep. Of course I’ve been in the more optimistic side of this but as someone among others willing to put money towards this year, I absolutely expect we make the tourney and honestly this kind of investment behind him we should quietly demand it.

As to the bolded... bingo.

We're in an era of college basketball where a coach has to be able to refuel the plane in mid air. If Gerry is good, and our donor class hands over the checks they've been promising, then we should expect to nab 1 of the ~38 power 5 bids next season.

This can't be merely about being better than Red. It has to be about getting SU back to the elite level we were at 15 years ago. Now, that can't possibly be a year 1 expectation. But year 1 should start the process in a meaningful way.

 

[hoopsupstate]

If he has $11+ million to spend, he better be top five in ACC and a top 7 seed in the tournament. There is no “breaking in” for his first year. With the portal, those days are gone. I expect Miami, Virginia type seasons.

 

[Cuse117]

His biggest test of loyalty will be if Doty is better than Kiyan.

Especially since we all know the answer to this one.

 

[Orangezoo]

As to the bolded... bingo.

We're in an era of college basketball where a coach has to be able to refuel the plane in mid air. If Gerry is good, and our donor class hands over the checks they've been promising, then we should expect to nab 1 of the ~38 power 5 bids next season.

This can't be merely about being better than Red. It has to be about getting SU back to the elite level we were at 15 years ago. Now, that can't possibly be a year 1 expectation. But year 1 should start the process in a meaningful way.

Kelsey won 27 games in year 1 with the Ville. Now the ACC was way down helping that fact so that is a bit high with the resurgence of the league but to me that’s where I expect year 1 to be. 22-25 wins dependent on schedule and difficulty. That’s a tourney team, nationally relevant and whatever else happens , happens. That’s to me realistic with the amount of investment being floated - it was the bigtime additions Kelsey brought in alongside his best holdovers from C of C that got them there alongside a solid system.

 

[Briancuse]

Someone said fired? Yikes. It’s a nice expectation with all the NIL, but firing him is a stretch.

Big time stretch but he doesnt get the same leash that an outside hire would have had. This was a must hit hire.

 

[Orangezoo]

His biggest test of loyalty will be if Doty is better than Kiyan.

Kiyans goal should be to mold his game as a more skilled Kris Joseph. He is probably an inch shorter maybe a tad more but to me that’s his sweet spot. Make plays off the wing attacking close outs, become a more reliable 3 pt threat and get to the line using the array of moves he has. He can learn from Doty in regards to you attack the close out and attack more, dance around less.

He also needs to get stronger and work on his agility to make defense and rebounding a bigger priority. Maybe one of the biggest off season tasks after finishing the roster is working to make it clear the role guys are going to play and development. I really hope Gerry, ankle issue or not, tries to do an overseas trip or just a trip in general.Given he will be on the mend it would be a great chance to just assess his new team and coach them in comfort so to speak while he is in a cast/scooter etc.

 

[upperdeck]

Siennas problem when Duke went zone were two fold. One they were running out of gas. The missed dunks and Duke getting a dunk turned up Dukes energy

But things got worse when thier best player got his ankle rolled and became mostly a non factor for the rest of the game as he tried to limp his way thru on offense.

When bigger better faster teams play harder many teams struggle.

 

[Newhouser]

Kiyans goal should be to mold his game as a more skilled Kris Joseph. He is probably an inch shorter maybe a tad more but to me that’s his sweet spot. Make plays off the wing attacking close outs, become a more reliable 3 pt threat and get to the line using the array of moves he has. He can learn from Doty in regards to you attack the close out and attack more, dance around less.

He also needs to get stronger and work on his agility to make defense and rebounding a bigger priority. Maybe one of the biggest off season tasks after finishing the roster is working to make it clear the role guys are going to play and development. I really hope Gerry, ankle issue or not, tries to do an overseas trip or just a trip in general.Given he will be on the mend it would be a great chance to just assess his new team and coach them in comfort so to speak while he is in a cast/scooter etc.

Hope your right but I'm doubting the involved parties recognize some flaws. He's been tutored by one of the best offensive players of all time, and he arrive with a lot of flaws.

I also get concerned when effort and want is involved. Not the easiest thing to coach.

 

[HenryC]

Kelsey won 27 games in year 1 with the Ville. Now the ACC was way down helping that fact so that is a bit high with the resurgence of the league but to me that’s where I expect year 1 to be. 22-25 wins dependent on schedule and difficulty. That’s a tourney team, nationally relevant and whatever else happens , happens. That’s to me realistic with the amount of investment being floated - it was the bigtime additions Kelsey brought in alongside his best holdovers from C of C that got them there alongside a solid system.

The question is whether will G-Mac grow as a coach like Danny Hurley? Hurley's teams were always fundamentally sound and played hard. I watched them at URI. Yet the first three seasons at UConn were not good. Today, UConn's edge is not just about effort. The motion offence is a beautiful thing. It is like watching Golden State. UConn is the standard. Can G-Mac measure up? Provided there is sufficient financial support, the answer will depend on G-Mac and his staff's ability to innovate and build a special program. We simply don't have enough data to whether G-Mac has the right stuff to build an elite program. It is much more than playing with effort and grit. Perhaps only G-Mac knows knows whether he has the vision to achieve success like Hurley. However, most leaders don't know until they are in the fire meeting the challenge that's before them.

 

[DoctahLexus]

Kiyan currently plays at the level of a deep bench guy who should only be getting spot minutes at most on a half way decent team. He should barely be on our minds for next season. We can not be counting on him making the massive improvements needed to be a guard getting major minutes for us. We have to bring in enough guards next year where we can not play him at all if necessary. If he improves that is great, and he can compete for the main rotation of guys. If it is more of the same, he has to be deeeep on the bench. Eye test, analytics, whatever you want to go by, he was no bueno least year. If GMac is playing him next year for his name/that Melo NIL check then this program will truly be donezo.

 

[Orangezoo]

Hope your right but I'm doubting the involved parties recognize some flaws. He's been tutored by one of the best offensive players of all time, and he arrive with a lot of flaws.

I also get concerned when effort and want is involved. Not the easiest thing to coach.

It’s not but generally speaking it’s also why you want to be extremely picky with who you choose to try and keep. For me - Sadiq and Kingz ( if eligible) would be the primary targets beyond Kiyan and maybe just Sadiq even. No poisoning the well with bad habits or guys that don’t know how to win be it unfair or not.

 

[RedtheGOB]

It’s not but generally speaking it’s also why you want to be extremely picky with who you choose to try and keep. For me - Sadiq and Kingz ( if eligible) would be the primary targets beyond Kiyan and maybe just Sadiq even. No poisoning the well with bad habits or guys that don’t know how to win be it unfair or not.

Correct answer.

 

[BludOrange]

GMac is probably going to have to lean heavily on the portal his first two years, as he most likely doesn't have the same inroads others have set with top 100 recruits in the Sophmore/Junior classes after recruiting for a mid major the last two years.

 

[chadvader]

Siennas problem when Duke went zone were two fold. One they were running out of gas. The missed dunks and Duke getting a dunk turned up Dukes energy

But things got worse when thier best player got his ankle rolled and became mostly a non factor for the rest of the game as he tried to limp his way thru on offense.

When bigger better faster teams play harder many teams struggle.

The other issue is that Siena was not a volume 3 pt shooting team. Even though Shoats, Doty, and Folefac made some that was not their style. Siena was an elite 3 and D type of player away from really dominating this year. Coyle struggled shooting all year also.