I believe a little leniency is in order just because you had a covid year with a 2nd year coach still trying to find his way covidhad to hurt recruiting and now you have a new recruiter trying to get back in the game but I do think the staff needs a couple of homeruns this fall or next spring to show some progress
I agree. If Mullins demonstrated that D1 coaching was really beyond him and we ended up with an awful record, then he might get the axe. I think he'll get another year or two to see if recruiting improves and things start looking up.
I believe a little leniency is in order just because you had a covid year with a 2nd year coach still trying to find his way covidhad to hurt recruiting and now you have a new recruiter trying to get back in the game but I do think the staff needs a couple of homeruns this fall or next spring to show some progress
I agree with this assessment, but it remains frustrating in that we were told to be patient in years 1 and 2, and now year 5. How many more years do 'we' give him the benefit of the doubt? I'll answer my own question. Here are a list of things I think MUST happen in order for our University to seriously consider an extension (not in any order).
1. Team needs to show significant improvement throughout the season.
2. ** Staff must retain key players ** This was one of the few strengths (IMO) of this staff prior to last year, but my concern is that the 2 players who left may have "broke the seal" (at this time, this is only a concern and not a prediction).
3. Staff MUST recruit better in the portal. I feel last years class (if the stay) will be VERY good in the Valley and I think at least one can or will be all valley at some point, but they really need to get no brainer / significant help in the portal. As I go through teams for my $ hoops pool draft (in process right now), I see so many higher level mid majors getting TOP Power 5 transfers, I dont see any reason why SIU cannot do the same.
Surely there are more, but these are my top 3 things that I personally need to see before I would extend Coach.
We have started making excuses on why the HC should be kept around a few more years.
Not good. If you can’t see what is obvious because he was such a nice man and a great player, don’t know what to tell you.
Good luck getting crowds with a boring product and system. You won’t. Nobody wants to watch hustle ball.
Fire away.
Supporter of the Fab 4: Scottie Ebube, Foster Wonders, AJ Ferguson & Cade Hornecker.
They’re the ones that can get us where we haven’t been in 15 years.
I believe a little leniency is in order just because you had a covid year with a 2nd year coach still trying to find his way covidhad to hurt recruiting and now you have a new recruiter trying to get back in the game but I do think the staff needs a couple of homeruns this fall or next spring to show some progress
I agree with this assessment, but it remains frustrating in that we were told to be patient in years 1 and 2, and now year 5. How many more years do 'we' give him the benefit of the doubt? I'll answer my own question. Here are a list of things I think MUST happen in order for our University to seriously consider an extension (not in any order).
1. Team needs to show significant improvement throughout the season.
2. ** Staff must retain key players ** This was one of the few strengths (IMO) of this staff prior to last year, but my concern is that the 2 players who left may have "broke the seal" (at this time, this is only a concern and not a prediction).
3. Staff MUST recruit better in the portal. I feel last years class (if the stay) will be VERY good in the Valley and I think at least one can or will be all valley at some point, but they really need to get no brainer / significant help in the portal. As I go through teams for my $ hoops pool draft (in process right now), I see so many higher level mid majors getting TOP Power 5 transfers, I dont see any reason why SIU cannot do the same.
Surely there are more, but these are my top 3 things that I personally need to see before I would extend Coach.
I agree the retaining key players piece is very important these days but what's tricky is retain/dismiss decisions with coaches are usually made quickly after the season ends and sometimes these player portal decisions take several weeks to play out (see SIU players last year).
I agree with much of what you post above but personally I would add seeing improved offensive efficiency and production. I guess that goes hand-in-hand with team results/improvement because you're not going to contend for championships struggling to hit 60 most nights.
We have started making excuses on why the HC should be kept around a few more years.
Not good. If you can’t see what is obvious because he was such a nice man and a great player, don’t know what to tell you.
Good luck getting crowds with a boring product and system. You won’t. Nobody wants to watch hustle ball.
Fire away.
SIU absolutely needs to get better offensively under Mullins but disagree with "nobody wants to watch hustle ball." That's a deep-rooted identity within the program and if you attend games at the Arena, it's pretty clear fans appreciate that mentality and effort.
Scoring more points and playing with great effort shouldn't be mutually exclusive.
We have started making excuses on why the HC should be kept around a few more years.
Not good. If you can’t see what is obvious because he was such a nice man and a great player, don’t know what to tell you.
Good luck getting crowds with a boring product and system. You won’t. Nobody wants to watch hustle ball.
Fire away.
I agree with you on the boring product and system. Since I live too far away to attend games I can't speak to the crowd reactions. However, I have said and still maintain that the Mullins style of play is not conducive to the recruitment of high level players who, I believe, view the system as boring and do not want to play in it. The current generation of players want fun, speed and action. I actually wonder if rival coaches us the Mullins system as a recruitment tool against SIU.
I agree with you on the boring product and system. Since I live too far away to attend games I can't speak to the crowd reactions. However, I have said and still maintain that the Mullins style of play is not conducive to the recruitment of high level players who, I believe, view the system as boring and do not want to play in it. The current generation of players want fun, speed and action. I actually wonder if rival coaches us the Mullins system as a recruitment tool against SIU.
Would you rather play for Josh Schertz and the style Indiana Stare plays or Mullins and the style SIU plays? I think I know my answer and I think we saw recruits answer this Summer when the Trees got 3 players SIU was after.
I think Mullins’ style can still work but it takes the combination of talent and right fit and we haven’t seen it so far. But a similar style just worked at San Diego State. They have way more talent though.
I agree with you on the boring product and system. Since I live too far away to attend games I can't speak to the crowd reactions. However, I have said and still maintain that the Mullins style of play is not conducive to the recruitment of high level players who, I believe, view the system as boring and do not want to play in it. The current generation of players want fun, speed and action. I actually wonder if rival coaches us the Mullins system as a recruitment tool against SIU.
Would you rather play for Josh Schertz and the style Indiana Stare plays or Mullins and the style SIU plays? I think I know my answer and I think we saw recruits answer this Summer when the Trees got 3 players SIU was after.
I think Mullins’ style can still work but it takes the combination of talent and right fit and we haven’t seen it so far. But a similar style just worked at San Diego State. They have way more talent though.
Maybe, but on the bright side, Luke Martin apparently would rather broadcast games in the low-60s than the 80s. 😀
As the late great Al McGuire said just win baby. When you win style doesn't matter the fans love winning not how you do it
Good luck getting crowds with a boring product and system. You won’t. Nobody wants to watch hustle ball.
Fire away.
You must not have been around during 2002 to 2007. There were a lot of people in the building in those days. As long as you win.....
Totally agree! JUST WIN and the fans will pack the Arena.
Note: I think it was Al Davis of the Raiders that said "just win baby"
I do think BM and this team need to exceed the expectations of their per-season pick of 8th in the league. I have been an SIU basketball optimist for 40 years or so. I sat through (I believe) was the 1980 version of Saluki basketball the went 0-16 in conference play (attended every home game), and every year since I have had high hopes for the team. I do again this year.
Here's to looking forward to hopefully an exciting an winning year for SIU Basketball.
@obd I have been around and a supporter of SIU since I entered school in 1960! 🙂
Good luck getting crowds with a boring product and system. You won’t. Nobody wants to watch hustle ball.
Fire away.
You must not have been around during 2002 to 2007. There were a lot of people in the building in those days. As long as you win.....
First memory that comes to mind on this is at the midnight bracket buster game when the Arena went nuts after Tony Young picked up Hawaii's point guard at full court and gave him about 1 inch of space to bring the ball up the court.
