2021-2022 Season

Anything and everything that is UMass Minutemen Basketball.
minutefanjsf
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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by minutefanjsf » Sun Dec 12, 2021 12:31 pm

Floyd wrote: 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
Also need better in game coaching. Tre is a not the type of player we can get without a situation like that which got him here. I don’t want a TB rerun.

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DoctorJ
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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by DoctorJ » Sun Dec 12, 2021 1:06 pm

The whole off season, I kept saying that we needed more bigs. Couple people were adamant that it's possible to excel in the A10 without bigs. Maybe it is possible, but it isn't likely.

I see some things I still l like. The 3 point and free throw shooting are solid this year. We move the ball better than in some of McCall's teams, I think.

But we don't get to the foul line enough by attacking the basket (Garcia could help there). We will win more games if opponents are contending with foul trouble. We don't rebound well other than Jones in the front court.

I'm cool with a short rotation but players are obviously playing with injuries. It was obvious with Baji from game 1 he was limping. Steadman clearly is not recovered yet. Pay close attention to his gait. Weeks must have some issue, no production in 2 games. Nobody seems to be pushing for minutes when opportunities arise.

As far as development, DD has gone from totally lost and almost useless to much improved but still the things he struggles with are dominating the things he's good at (passing). Cairo, Preston, Kolton and JG are stagnant in terms of development from what I've seen. But only DK seems to get the label of players regressing. MM hasn't done better.

Recruiting cupboard is completely bare other than a high probability of landing another on from our beloved Weeks clan. But that's a problem. There are not enough legacy recruits. Camby didn't have boys. Ketner's son playing as a reserve at Albany but not doing much. Lou's kid playing somewhere but not a real D1 project.

We need to be able to recruit without gimmicks like hiring Tony B and taking an entire Woodstock recruiting class.

MM has some strengths but he hasn't had the program firing on all cylinders since he's been here.

I'm not saying to fire him yet, but we need to get some holes plugged. Start to scout our damn opponents and have a damn game plan.
Refuse To Lose!!!

jrdupe
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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by jrdupe » Sun Dec 12, 2021 2:03 pm

The transfer portal has completely changed the way teams recruit...especially teams like UMass! McCall does not have 2-3 years to win...he needs to win NOW. The fact that he has absolutely no one signed for next year tells me the philosophy is to get transfers with a couple years of experience and at least 2 years left of eligibility and hope he can make it work. these kids aren't transferring to sit the bench, they want to play so thats also an issue trying to get 10-11 kids enough playing time. In years past if a kid transferred you really didn't worry about them transferring again...now it's not unrealistic to think if a kid like CJ Kelly or Noah aren't happy, they will be playing for their 3rd team next year.

I think of a kid like Ronnie Degray...his stat lines from last year are almost exactly the same as they are this year., like mirror images...and if he stayed at UMass I'd bet they would be even better. I don't blame kids for transferring, but Ronnie went to Missouri, not back home to Colorado. And don't tell me TB leaving had anything to do with it...Ronnie was signed after Femi committed to Pitt and he really had no other options that late in the process.

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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by 69MG » Sun Dec 12, 2021 3:36 pm

It goes without saying that we need to win the next 2 games, and we may have to win them convincingly to get the students back. Fairfield isn't horrible. They're 7-3 and they're big. They start 2 guys who are 6'9. I haven't looked at NJIT and probably shouldn't have to.

Anybody know what's up with TJ? After 4 pretty good games he disappeared in the last 2 losses.

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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by DoctorJ » Sun Dec 12, 2021 4:41 pm

Look at TJ's last 2 games. 35 minutes of nothing. He's either hurt or sick.

Steadman is obviously still hobbled.

Trent's numbers are down too and he's shooting markedly fewer 3 pointers.

I'm interested to hear what mccall says about the injury/academic side.
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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by Kelz626 » Sun Dec 12, 2021 6:50 pm

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.
Kellogg went to LIU-Brooklyn where he should’ve been able to recruit elite talent (in relative terms to other teams) and run away with that league based on having better talent than anyone else. Instead he’s gone 59-67 in 4.5 years including 1-7 this year. He wasn’t the answer here and neither was that class. He was a players coach to a fault and that class especially took advantage of it. From what ppl have said not one guy in that class could tell you where the weight room was and Jarreau and Gresham essentially failed out and had to go to JuCo and were academically ineligble to play at that JuCo. Not to mention the group before that (Chaz, TV, Put, Samp, Freddie etc) wildly underachieved. Kellogg’s style has a shelf life because when you get the wrong group in there they’ll take advantage of it and not do the things they’re supposed to be doing. And based on some of the stories the Kellogg era was hardly a stable environment aside from the fact he was the coach

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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by Kelz626 » Sun Dec 12, 2021 7:04 pm

69MG wrote: 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.
This is 100% accurate. It’s almost like Bell with football where he hired a bunch of his buddies and guys with next to no experience. If you look at McCalls staffs every assistant outside of Bergeron and Rasheen Davis have all been ops guys that haven’t coached before. This years staff is Wheeler (was the ops guy at Fairfield for 10 years prior to UMass) Jordan (ops guys at Albany and UMass before being promoted) and Kurtz (ops guy at Chattanooga and UMass before being promoted) these guys have no recruiting ties and no game plan. This is why UMass has been relying on the portal and we’re not a team that’s going to get winning players, we’re going to get 1-2 year guys that just want to get minutes and shots

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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by 69MG » Sun Dec 12, 2021 7:20 pm

^ I agree with your view but need to clarify a bit on the assistants. Wheeler was an assistant coach at Fairfield for 8 years and Jordan was an assistant for 3 years at Siena. So those 2 do have some coaching experience (and I assume they recruited as assistant coaches). But regardless of experience, we don't scout and game plan very well.

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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by Juice Stand » Fri Dec 17, 2021 3:00 pm

If UMass has to start dealing with a Covid situation, I hope they do more critical thinking about it than just shutting the team down or kicking fans out. Now that vaccines are available and proven to be effective, maybe they could restrict games to vaccinated season ticket holders, or block off every other row of seats. Lord knows that place hasn't been at 50% capacity in years.

If UMass claims to follow scientific guidance, then they have to also believe in the vaccine, masking, and distancing recommendations. That is enough to stop the spread, and in a post-vaccine world, there is no reason to completely shut things down, especially in a venue that is notoriously cavernous.

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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by mdogt12 » Fri Dec 17, 2021 7:45 pm

No fans at Fordham on 1/2.

vanmeter
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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by vanmeter » Fri Dec 17, 2021 7:58 pm

I was actually planning on going to Fordham on 1/2. Oh well

TheInsider
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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by TheInsider » Fri Dec 17, 2021 9:16 pm

Apparently they didnt learn from the first time this approach doesn't stop anything

inthescoop
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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by inthescoop » Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:02 pm

vanmeter wrote: Fri Dec 17, 2021 7:58 pm I was actually planning on going to Fordham on 1/2. Oh well
Same here.. but I get it. So many folks I know have tested positive for Covid in the last week here in the city.

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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by capezona » Sat Dec 18, 2021 9:57 pm

Another piece in the crazy season puzzle: Hofstra beat #24 Arkansas (9-2) tonight.

TheInsider
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Re: 2021-2022 Season

Post by TheInsider » Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:26 am

inthescoop wrote: Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:02 pm
vanmeter wrote: Fri Dec 17, 2021 7:58 pm I was actually planning on going to Fordham on 1/2. Oh well
Same here.. but I get it. So many folks I know have tested positive for Covid in the last week here in the city.
Vaccinated?? Hopefully they all feel ok.. I hope between vaccinations and treatments this can just become something you get.. feel shitty for a few days and move on.. it's not going away and at some point we have to get back to some form of normalcy.. if you choose not to get vaxed it's your choice but it's also your choice accept the risk

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