2021-2022 Season

Anything and everything that is UMass Minutemen Basketball.
bobolink
Senior
Posts: 896
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2016 10:03 am

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by bobolink » Wed Dec 08, 2021 5:47 pm

jrdupe wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 12:35 pm I know there has been a lot of talk about McCall wanting to go to a 7-8 man rotation and I'm all for it, but IMO, this is not the 7-8 guys I'd be using...

I think 7 is a little unrealistic...I think they need to go 9 and I would not start CJ...the kid cannot play D and he's always in foul trouble. I'd start TJ...he's a better defender and better rebounder...and if on, just as good if not better scorer. ...
Agree with you about 9 in rotation, not sure why you're saying CJ is always in foul trouble. In 9 games played, he's fouled out twice: last night (very bad night for him) and vs. UNCG, where he got foul #5 near the end of OT after playing 34 minutes. In his other 7 games played, he's averaging about 2 per game (only had 3 once, never 4 and 3 games with just 1).

I think it was that UNCG game (where Dibaji was key; I don't think that could have been won without him) when CJ started instead of TJ for the first time. So before last night the team was 4-1 with CJ starting. Before starting CJ over TJ, the team was 2-2, having just been beaten badly by Yale and Weber, with a nice win over Penn State in between. But vs Penn State CJ scored 17 (3 of 5 on 3s) and TJ was invisible. Hard to know much so far due to the home vs away differences, as UMass has been horrible away from Mullins (and perfect there).

CJ is a bit longer, and TJ seems a better rebounder. Which one would be better starting vs better off the bench is complete mystery to me.

Juice Stand
Hall of Fame
Posts: 2506
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:37 am
Location: Eastern Ma

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by Juice Stand » Sun Dec 12, 2021 8:03 am

Another road/neutral loss, and another huge first half deficit. With this team at 6-5, and students about to go on winter break, the Mullins Center is going to be totally dead. Ryan Bamford can't be looking at ticket sales and be pleased with the financial returns. The interest in this program is at the lowest it's been pre-Calipari. Does anyone out there keep average attendance figures? I'd wager that McCall's tenure has seen the lowest attendance since the building opened.

My question isn't about whether you like McCall, want him back, or want him fired yesterday. My question is what do the astute posters on this board think McCall needs to do to save his job, or is it already over for him? I loathe the thought of starting all over again and trying to find the "right" coach and going back into rebuilding mode, but I'm also realistic enough to know that this isn't working.

minutefanjsf
Hall of Fame
Posts: 2791
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:17 am

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by minutefanjsf » Sun Dec 12, 2021 8:14 am

Juice Stand wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 8:03 am Another road/neutral loss, and another huge first half deficit. With this team at 6-5, and students about to go on winter break, the Mullins Center is going to be totally dead. Ryan Bamford can't be looking at ticket sales and be pleased with the financial returns. The interest in this program is at the lowest it's been pre-Calipari. Does anyone out there keep average attendance figures? I'd wager that McCall's tenure has seen the lowest attendance since the building opened.

My question isn't about whether you like McCall, want him back, or want him fired yesterday. My question is what do the astute posters on this board think McCall needs to do to save his job, or is it already over for him? I loathe the thought of starting all over again and trying to find the "right" coach and going back into rebuilding mode, but I'm also realistic enough to know that this isn't working.
I think it is over already. I think this OOC schedule needed more road wins. Not undefeated, maybe 2 or 3 more and to not get blown out in the others. I don’t think a total reboot will be necessary. I think the team is far enough away from the Kelsey debacle and DK shenanigans that this transition will be smoother. With the portal, every year, for non Duke types, might feel like starting over from here on out.

Worcester_To_Amherst
Senior
Posts: 894
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 1:02 pm

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by Worcester_To_Amherst » Sun Dec 12, 2021 9:46 am

The bar for McCall keeping his job is still the same for me, he needs to get the team into the NIT. Inexcusable for a program like UMass in a solid conference with above average facilities to go without at least an NIT appearance for 5 years.

Assuming they win the next 2 games, I’d guess they need to come in the top 4 in conference to have a chance at the post season. I don’t see that happening with this team. If JG, Preston, and Cairo were in the rotation and playing well I’d have a little optimism since those guys can bring some D and toughness, but the current lineup is going to get bullied by A10 teams.

Besides the lack of wins, McCall doesn’t have the team set up for next season. And he’s now shown in 2 separate seasons that he can’t turn a team into a winner through the portal.

UMass is an attractive job for a non P5 school and they should be able to bring in a coach that can bring instant success. Bamford is supposed to be a basketball guy, he needs to earn that 5 year deal by hiring the right guy in the off-season.

Floyd
Hall of Fame
Posts: 9558
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2003 8:50 am
Location: Not where I should be

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by Floyd » Sun Dec 12, 2021 9:54 am

I don't know man, at this point you just have to wonder if this "system" being run is the issue, the team makeup is the issue, or is it about effort? Or is it they're not being coached up enough to succeed?

Something is off because its been the same thing every year. Why can't this team win on the road?
Time to Win

jrdupe
Junior
Posts: 612
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 8:03 am
Location: Western Mass

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by jrdupe » Sun Dec 12, 2021 10:27 am

I wasn't one who wanted Kellogg gone and the timing of his firing after he had just brought in a great recruiting class was horrible. If you look back at what DK did in his 9 years, that is EXACTLY the type of program I want. 2-3 NIT appearances - 1 all the way to the Final 4 ...got UMass back to the Top 15 in the country, an NCAA appearance, 5 straight .500 or better seasons, 3 of which were 20+ wins and I don't think anyone can honestly say with that incoming class he had they wouldn't have been a Top 25 team again and made at least another 1-2 NCAA appearances. That is what UMass is...they are not Duke or Kansas and will not compete for a National Championship every year but they were on the right path with DK. He wasn't going anywhere...if he had success with that incoming class he wasn't going to bolt for a bigger job. Thats what this program needs right now, stability! They don't need to go out and get the "hot" coach...those are the type that WILL leave one they have success. I'm not saying bring back DK, but looking back on it, he was much better than what we have now and not nearly as bad as everyone thought while he was here. As great as Cal was, I remember him saying what kid wants to come to Amherst, MA...that coming from a HOF coach speaks volumes about just how hard it is to recruit at UMass.

minutefanjsf
Hall of Fame
Posts: 2791
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:17 am

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by minutefanjsf » Sun Dec 12, 2021 10:44 am

Floyd wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 9:54 am I don't know man, at this point you just have to wonder if this "system" being run is the issue, the team makeup is the issue, or is it about effort? Or is it they're not being coached up enough to succeed?

Something is off because its been the same thing every year. Why can't this team win on the road?
It is all of the above. And, all of those things point to the coach not doing a good job.

minutefanjsf
Hall of Fame
Posts: 2791
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:17 am

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by minutefanjsf » Sun Dec 12, 2021 10:49 am

jrdupe wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 10:27 am I wasn't one who wanted Kellogg gone and the timing of his firing after he had just brought in a great recruiting class was horrible. If you look back at what DK did in his 9 years, that is EXACTLY the type of program I want. 2-3 NIT appearances - 1 all the way to the Final 4 ...got UMass back to the Top 15 in the country, an NCAA appearance, 5 straight .500 or better seasons, 3 of which were 20+ wins and I don't think anyone can honestly say with that incoming class he had they wouldn't have been a Top 25 team again and made at least another 1-2 NCAA appearances. That is what UMass is...they are not Duke or Kansas and will not compete for a National Championship every year but they were on the right path with DK. He wasn't going anywhere...if he had success with that incoming class he wasn't going to bolt for a bigger job. Thats what this program needs right now, stability! They don't need to go out and get the "hot" coach...those are the type that WILL leave one they have success. I'm not saying bring back DK, but looking back on it, he was much better than what we have now and not nearly as bad as everyone thought while he was here. As great as Cal was, I remember him saying what kid wants to come to Amherst, MA...that coming from a HOF coach speaks volumes about just how hard it is to recruit at UMass.
DK definitely had a better on court run than McCall and he would have stayed forever, for sure. I don’t think his dismissal was all about on court production or lack of production. The only coaches who would consider staying at UMass have UMass ties already. None of the “hot, young” coaches have UMass ties. Coach Cal or Bruiser’s coaching tree is not doing well. I don’t know of any Lappas or Ford proteges doing well that spent time at UMass. That means we are going to be a stepping stone for sure. Get someone like Jared Grasso, and see what he can do with A10 facilities and talent.

69MG
Hall of Fame
Posts: 12093
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 11:07 pm
Location: Western Mass

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by 69MG » Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:00 am

I'm long past the DK saga but I am becoming more and more convinced that something is lacking in the way McCall coaches. We're equally as talented as almost all of the teams we've played yet we constantly fall behind by double digits early in the game.

If there is such a thing as scouting/game planning in college basketball we suck at it.

Juice Stand
Hall of Fame
Posts: 2506
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:37 am
Location: Eastern Ma

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by Juice Stand » Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:06 am

If McCall could just win some of these road games, his record would be immensely better. I think he's only won around 20% of his games away from Amherst. That's just mind boggling. What is the damn difference between playing home and away, especially when some of those away games are only an hour or two from Amherst with a solid group of UMass fans in the stands (Yale, Northeastern, Harvard a couple years ago).

That's the next piece he needs to figure out, and I'm not sure there's enough time for him to do it as we're 11 games into the season. For years it has been his lack of adjustments and rotations, and I think that has improved. He's shortened the bench this year, and clearly made some adjustments that have worked. The problem is that they dig themselves 20-point deficits, so he needs to have a better game plan and focus from the tip.

We have three homes games coming up as we head towards conference play. Get some wins here, time is running out.

Juice Stand
Hall of Fame
Posts: 2506
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:37 am
Location: Eastern Ma

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by Juice Stand » Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:10 am

69MG wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:00 am If there is such a thing as scouting/game planning in college basketball we suck at it.
McCall has mentioned it a few times in interviews this year. He said that early in the year they didn't have much time for scouting other teams as they played so many games in a short period of time, and in the week off before Harvard he talked a bit about having more time for scouting/game planning. They have another week off now before Fairfield. McCall also mentioned in the last Plant the Flag podcast that he watches a lot of tape.

Floyd
Hall of Fame
Posts: 9558
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2003 8:50 am
Location: Not where I should be

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by Floyd » Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:17 am

minutefanjsf wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 10:44 am
Floyd wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 9:54 am I don't know man, at this point you just have to wonder if this "system" being run is the issue, the team makeup is the issue, or is it about effort? Or is it they're not being coached up enough to succeed?

Something is off because its been the same thing every year. Why can't this team win on the road?
It is all of the above. And, all of those things point to the coach not doing a good job.
Honestly I think what we really need is a big guy with a strong inside game to compliment what we have. Imagine Tre with this group, or RFreeman type keep the inside honest
Time to Win

minutefanjsf
Hall of Fame
Posts: 2791
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:17 am

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by minutefanjsf » Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:21 am

Juice Stand wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:10 am
69MG wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:00 am If there is such a thing as scouting/game planning in college basketball we suck at it.
McCall has mentioned it a few times in interviews this year. He said that early in the year they didn't have much time for scouting other teams as they played so many games in a short period of time, and in the week off before Harvard he talked a bit about having more time for scouting/game planning. They have another week off now before Fairfield. McCall also mentioned in the last Plant the Flag podcast that he watches a lot of tape.
I missed him saying this. If that is the case, he should be fired right now. He has a staff. There should be one person on the staff scouting at least one if not two to three games ahead. If McCall watches a lot of tape, it is not translating. If he is the only one watching tape, that is a problem. If he assumes others will not game plan or adjust in game to disrupt what others have seen on tape, that is another mark against him. This sounds like the kid who always says “I study real hard all the time, but still can’t pass the tests”.

Floyd
Hall of Fame
Posts: 9558
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2003 8:50 am
Location: Not where I should be

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by Floyd » Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:30 am

Doug Heffernan? :?
Time to Win

User avatar
uz2b-len
Hall of Fame
Posts: 11717
Joined: Fri May 27, 2005 6:03 pm
Location: Deerfield, MA

Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by uz2b-len » Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:54 am

Unfortunately, Dwayne Killings is off to a poor start at Albany.
"All credit to my teammates, all glory to God."-- Chaz Williams

Post Reply