10 game losing streak

[Political Hack]

the other thread was outdated.

don't worry guys. everything is fine.***

[engie]

So you keep telling us**

[Political Hack]

I honestly hope you and C34 are right about this one.

[Dirtbagdawg]

Bring back stans

[Intramural All-American]

I honestly hope you and C34 are right about this one.

Then why do you keep on about it? This season sucks. It's going to continue to suck. So why do you and others bash Ray during every game like something is supposed to magically change now? No one has said Ray is the answer, we just believe in giving the guy next year.

The bring back Stans crowd is retarded, though.

[Dawg61]

Because IAA it's not like we are going to not say anything during a 10 game losing streak. Get ****ing real.

[CadaverDawg]

Because IAA it's not like we are going to not say anything during a 10 game losing streak. Get ****ing real.

Bingo.

Just like those that say "all is well" have an opinion...others have opinions too. I'm not to the point of being as hard on Ray as some...but if we look similar next season, I'll be ready for us to pull the trigger. We're losing a lot of fairly close games lately. We're improving, but it's improvement from "horrible" to just "bad". Now...Can he take us from "bad" to "good"? We'll see.

He cant just inch his way towards better each year and us just accept it. This can't be a 10 year rebuild.

[HancockCountyDog]

Bingo.

Just like those that say "all is well" have an opinion...others have opinions too. I'm not to the point of being as hard on Ray as some...but if we look similar next season, I'll be ready for us to pull the trigger. We're losing a lot of fairly close games lately. We're improving, but it's improvement from "horrible" to just "bad". Now...Can he take us from "bad" to "good"? We'll see.

He cant just inch his way towards better each year and us just accept it. This can't be a 10 year rebuild.

I didn't watch a minute of last nights game. I checked the score, figured we would lose by about 10, that's about right.

This whole Stans/Ray argument is just so predictable. At the end of the day, it's being notorious versus being irrelevant. At least being notorious you care about games in February. Being irrelevant makes fans apathetic, which can really kills program.

[601Dawg]

I'm to the point I'm so frustrated with our basketball program I can't even bring myself to watch us play or even listen to Jim for the first time in my life.

I'm a younger guy so I guess I was spoiled by coach Williams and Stans

[thedawg]

Bingo.

Just like those that say "all is well" have an opinion...others have opinions too. I'm not to the point of being as hard on Ray as some...but if we look similar next season, I'll be ready for us to pull the trigger. We're losing a lot of fairly close games lately. We're improving, but it's improvement from "horrible" to just "bad". Now...Can he take us from "bad" to "good"? We'll see.

He cant just inch his way towards better each year and us just accept it. This can't be a 10 year rebuild.

Totally agree... NIT or bust next year... Im still in his corner but next year is the year if he wants me to remain.

[601Dawg]

Totally agree... NIT or bust next year... Im still in his corner but next year is the year if he wants me to remain.

I understand the support of Ray, but if we finish on a 14 game losing streak and last place in the SEC with an easier schedule than last year is there truly justifiable proof that our program is improving and getting better

[thedawg]

I understand the support of Ray, but if we finish on a 14 game losing streak and last place in the SEC with an easier schedule than last year is there truly justifiable proof that our program is improving and getting better

I have watched basically every game... I see with my eyes that even though we arnt winning right now we are improving... If you look at things statistically we are improved... So no the wins havnt happened but because of the shitty hand he was dealt I will allow moral victory improvements this year... Next year I want 20-22 wins and a minimum of .500 in the SEC or I will lead the message board charge to get him out. Based on what I see this year I think we will see that type of team next year.

[shannondawg]

Attendance was estimated about 1200 last night by a friend that was there. And I didn't go, and actually didn't watch the whole game on tv. Just the start and last 5 min.

They didn't quit, played hard, but damm this constant losing is not fun to watch.

I am not a bring back Stansbury fan. Didn't want him to leave, but don't think he should come back. That just don't work.

[Intramural All-American]

And there is literally no one that disagrees with that. Everyone is saying Ray has to do much better next year. No one here is saying Ray is for sure a good coach, we have only said lets give him a fair shake, and that is next year. It's the fact that every single game Ray is dragged over the coals by people expecting some drastic improvement which is not logical. Talk about the game, talk about how we played, but don't doom his career based on losses that we all expect to be losses. If we are here next year, he's gone. Simple as that.

[Percho]

Is all he has to sell is himself to HW and MN?

[HancockCountyDog]

I have watched basically every game... I see with my eyes that even though we arnt winning right now we are improving... If you look at things statistically we are improved... So no the wins havnt happened but because of the shitty hand he was dealt I will allow moral victory improvements this year... Next year I want 20-22 wins and a minimum of .500 in the SEC or I will lead the message board charge to get him out. Based on what I see this year I think we will see that type of team next year.

I agree we are improved, but my concern is that I haven't seen anything from a player that Ray has recruited that makes me think that he has an eye for talent. I also don't understand why he didn't hit the juco ranks hard last year. We should of had 4-5 new players, but instead we signed 3 and none that made an impact. His inability to recruit juco guys that can help is a major flaw, just as big a flaw as Stans lack of control of the program.

If you look at what we have coming in next year and who we return - it just seems like at best we are looking at a 5-7 win SEC season in year 3. I know Im not going to watch that.

[thedawg]

This may come across as me being an asshole but I promise I dont mean it that way... IF Ray rights the ship and gives us tangible improvement next year in wins are the people that have already made up their mind on him gonna then run to the message boards and repeat: He cant recruit hes winning with Stansbury's recruits. Im not sure I can bear to read that over and over.

[rabbitthedawg]

First time in 10 years I failed to purchase my two season tickets to the Hump. It just isn't pretty to watch. Embarrassing is more like it.

[SouthMsDawg]

Well to be honest, take away Roquez, Sword, Fred, and Gavin Ware and the rest of the players that Ray has brought in aren't very good. They play hard and get the most out of their abilities such as Bloodman who plays his guts out, but he's just not a solid SEC player IMO. Bortchert would have been a good sub on old teams of ours and I dont think that Davis or even Ready would have played much on old MSU teams based on Talent and ability.

[Political Hack]

if we give Ray another year it could be the end of the program. if he fails next season we'll be worse off than we were when Stans left.

1 thing matters rigt now because "winning" sure as shit doesn't. Attendance. Sell tickets and have butts in seats. Next year will be the worst year of ticket sales and attendance in the last decade if we keep Ray. That's a hell of a gamble to take IMO and it's not one you take on the chance that he may turn it around. You'd better damn well know. Otherwise the program is tanked for a decade barring Larry Brown leaving the State of Texas.

[Eric Nies Grind Time]

if we give Ray another year it could be the end of the program. if he fails next season we'll be worse off than we were when Stans left.

Otherwise the program is tanked for a decade barring Larry Brown leaving the State of Texas.

I am not a fan of Ray right now...but that is a pretty big overreaction.

[Dawg61]

He's on a snail's pace for his rebuild. Just like Croom. How about showing a little urgency on turning this around. It's not like his job depends on it.

[Political Hack]

I am not a fan of Ray right now...but that is a pretty big overreaction.

it's Croom part two. "clean up the program" and a decade of crap. The last few years of Stans were terrible. Ray's three would be awful and the next coach would need 2-3 to clean it up. Damn near a decade of shitastic basketball.

[Homedawg]

I have watched basically every game... I see with my eyes that even though we arnt winning right now we are improving... If you look at things statistically we are improved... So no the wins havnt happened but because of the shitty hand he was dealt I will allow moral victory improvements this year... Next year I want 20-22 wins and a minimum of .500 in the SEC or I will lead the message board charge to get him out. Based on what I see this year I think we will see that type of team next year.

I'm on board w ray because he inherited a mess. However, if these are your expectations for next year then you better put a parachute on before the plane comes crashing down.

[Political Hack]

I'm on board w ray because he inherited a mess. However, if these are your expectations for next year then you better put a parachute on before the plane comes crashing down.

that's my problem. we can't expect to even compete to have a winning conference record in the worst BCS basketball conference until MAYBE year 4? In basketball??? That's ridiculous. This ship needs to get righted in a hurry.

[engie]

that's my problem. we can't expect to even compete to have a winning conference record in the worst BCS basketball conference until MAYBE year 4? In basketball??? That's ridiculous. This ship needs to get righted in a hurry.

And if he doesn't accomplish what was spelled out in thedawg's post, he'll be gone at the end of year 3. That's not asking too much.

However, asking him to "fix it" midseason with 7 scholarship players IS asking him to do too much.

[Homedawg]

He's going to get 4 years. And he should. He took over a shipwreck.

[thedawg]

He's going to get 4 years. And he should. He took over a shipwreck.

Hes gonna get 4 years because we are going to go 20-12 next year.... We will again play a soft non conference schedule and alot people will say we are still no better.. just deeper

[engie]

1 thing matters rigt now because "winning" sure as shit doesn't. Attendance. Sell tickets and have butts in seats. Next year will be the worst year of ticket sales and attendance in the last decade if we keep Ray.

Then our fans are stupid. Which I already knew anyway by their lack of support in terms of showing up for games for Cohen for 4.5 years. Next year is the first time to actually BUY season tickets and show up under Ray. It's the first time he's had all the pieces to the puzzle. I hope it clears out like you are projecting -- and I'll be locked into good seats at the Hump for the first time in my life.

[quickstrike2]

We need to give Ray 4 years. I think that is fair for what he inherited. Based off his early recruiting, his first two years, and that the hire was mighty risky to begin with, I just don't have the confidence that he will get it done here. I support him since he is our coach and he needs the 4 years. I hope he proves me wrong.

[Coach34]

He's going to get 4 years. And he should. He took over a shipwreck.

yes he is- thinking he wont is being naive. When you ask a coach to completely change the culture of your program, you arent going to fire him when he is doing exactly what you asked him to do. These next two year his expectations will raise some now that he has cleaned things up.

[engie]

He's going to get 4 years. And he should. He took over a shipwreck.

Not if he doesn't show MARKED improvement, he won't. He'll have a full deck next year -- with likely 4 JR starters and a SO. He will be out of excuses to not be an NIT team in my eyes and in the eyes of the vast majority of our fanbase that's looking at this levelheaded.

[engie]

Hes gonna get 4 years because we are going to go 20-12 next year.... We will again play a soft non conference schedule and alot people will say we are still no better.. just deeper

We go 20-12 next year, we're in the NIT, and everyone will be on board with bringing him back.

[thedawg]

We go 20-12 next year, we're in the NIT, and everyone will be on board with bringing him back.

I think you are under estimating the attitude of some of the people with an agenda.. They wont be able to publicly say they want him fired they will just go silent and wait... The first sign of trouble they will be right back at it... I hope I am wrong.

[engie]

We need to give Ray 4 years. I think that is fair for what he inherited. Based off his early recruiting, his first two years, and that the hire was mighty risky to begin with, I just don't have the confidence that he will get it done here. I support him since he is our coach and he needs the 4 years. I hope he proves me wrong.

Cohen would have only gotten 3 if he had been equally terrible again in the 3rd. No one can blindly say "he gets 4 years" until they know what next year brings. Ray lays the same goose egg he did this year with a full roster(it's not going to happen, but I'm giving a theoretical), he's done in year 3.

Of course, I expect Ray to have an NIT team next year -- so I expect him to still be here for year 4 and finally building the momentum our fickle fans should have given him from the beginning.

[Jacksondevildog]

This is dead on. Croom wanted a 10 year rebuilding process. We don't need 4 years to make basketball better. But like how most people are, if there feet are hot held to the fire, they will not push themselves. I don't feel that there is any sense of urgency to get impact guys into the program. I feel like we are going after developmental guys that no one else wants. Don't give me the Mullen "finding diamonds" argument. Mullen has shown that he can evaluate talent and win at MSU. Ray has not. I understand that he was given a bad situation, but it seems like he's approaching this like he has a decade to turn it around, even if he doesn't truly feel that way. That's the same it feels as a fan watching and following the program. Even as shittastic as Stans was at the end, I always felt like we could get things back in line because he would recruit someone to come in. I don't feel that way now. Mullen has improved his recruiting and he develops talent. Cohen recruits his ass off. Ray, the jury is out and I'm not confident.


He's on a snail's pace for his rebuild. Just like Croom. How about showing a little urgency on turning this around. It's not like his job depends on it.

[engie]

I think you are under estimating the attitude of some of the people with an agenda.. They wont be able to publicly say they want him fired they will just go silent and wait... The first sign of trouble they will be right back at it... I hope I am wrong.

No, you are exactly right. The Cohen bashers didn't go radio silent until the end of year 5 when we made the CWS run. And they were trying to reemerge a bit when we started slow this year. They would disappear when things went well, but at the first sign of trouble, they would pounce. Ask Coach about the grief I caught on SPS last year during our baseball series losing streak -- because I consistently held from December last year that we were one of the 8-12 best teams in the country and never backed down from it. Some of those people were talking about us missing regionals when our RPI was in the top 20 -- and the same ones have fired that line up again this year having learned nothing from being dumbasses before. I'm just not fighting that battle anymore -- because at this point 99% of people see it for how stupid it really is and the other 1% isn't ever going to change.

[thedawg]

The first year wasnt real... He was brought in when there was no one left to sign... His best player and one of the best players in the country hit the road... Then the guys smoked there self off the team.. Then Wendell broke his kneecap... Then Jalen tore his ACL.... The first year had absolutely nothing to do with how good of a coach he is or isnt....

So we are are on year one of the rebuild... thats how I see it.. and like most of you think 4 years is too long in basketball... you can turn over a roster in two years... next year is my year 2

[engie]

The first year wasnt real... He was brought in when there was no one left to sign... His best player and one of the best players in the country hit the road... Then the guys smoked there self off the team.. Then Wendell broke his kneecap... Then Jalen tore his ACL.... The first year had absolutely nothing to do with how good of a coach he is or isnt....

And I would have/did expect year 2 to be alot better. Right up until Wendell and Jalen selfished their way off the team -- as did Applewhite. 3 key contributors gone -- down to 7 scholarship players again -- and still a nice improvement over last year.

[Johnson85]

We don't need 4 years to make basketball better. But like how most people are, if there feet are hot held to the fire, they will not push themselves.

We don't need 4 years, but he's going to get 4 years barring an absolute collapse. He'll win a few more games next year just by virtue of having more experienced players and a full team. He could still end up with a bad season and with no signs that we are on the right path and still get a 4th year though. He just took over a shitty situation and I think he's going to get 4 years if you canmake any argument that there has been consistent improvement on the court, even if it seems like it won't improve based on the recruits he's bringing in. The only way I could see us firing him next year if there is any improvement is that at least then, we'd give a new coach a team with some solid seniors and he'd get a year to show what he can do rather than having to start basically from scratch like Ray did.

[Johnson85]

Bingo.

We're losing a lot of fairly close games lately. We're improving, but it's improvement from "horrible" to just "bad".

It's very easy for a team that's undertalented and understaffed to lose their drive during a long season. Not saying it will happen next year with the players Ray is bringing in, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Ware, Sword, and FTF be much more effective next year if they have a full team complementing them. A shooter to help open things up for Sword and a big man to help on defense with Ware and this really is a much different team.

[Jacksondevildog]

I believe that everyone knows how dire the current situation is and how last year's situation was. The issue is that no one goes to the games anymore. They will stop buying tickets. Hell, I could have gotten a ticket package with a Kentucky, Ole Miss and Texas A&M ticket with a piece of pizza, coke and a hand job for 30 bucks. I feel that Ray is in a no-win situation. Many of our fans are pissed because we fired Stansbury. The other casual fans won't come because we suck. The dire hards are not coming now because they do not have any faith in Ray and many have been cut off from their "influence". I do understand that 18-10 or so will be marked improvement, but I don't see us averaging 7,500 per game because of that tectonic plate movement growth. I don't see how we will make money in hoops if this continues. People WILL stop buying tickets. They will invest their money into football and baseball because they see they are recruiting their tails off, winning and they are upgrading the facilities. I've even heard whispers that the administration is ok with us sucking in hoops because more focus and money can be put into the baseball upgrades. That is concerning if they are thinking that.

[engie]

Again -- the same argument about attendance was made from Stans last year to Ray's first about attendance and how we were bleeding money. I've posted the numbers before for basketball between FY2012 and FY2013 -- and the reality is, we aren't losing much in terms of overall $$.

[Jacksondevildog]

I remember the post that you made. I am just saying that people will stop buying tickets and supporting the program if they don't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I am very vocal and critical of Ray, but I do want him to succeed. I like the guy, but I think he's a lazy recruiter. I do not think that we can expect to be an NCAA team and compete for an SEC title (if that's what we want as a program) and not play the AAU game. If we are content signing kids with offers from Rust College and Lipscomb, then we will be fighting on Lunardi's first 4 our for the NIT year after year. We don't have Bill Self coaching us right now.

[BeardoMSU]

Next year I want 20-22 wins and a minimum of .500 in the SEC

The SEC being such a hopelessly shitty conference is your only hope in either of these happening.
I like Ray, and I hope he can get it done, but I really don't get people's optimism about next year. Yes, we're adding more players, but how many of those guys can shoot the J? How many of those big men are good at defense? Adding quantity doesn't mean you're also adding quality. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see us improving that much next year. Basketball is the type of game where you need talent above coaching an hustle. Consider how many games Stans won with how shitty of a coach he was......one word: Talent.

[Coach34]

I think he is the exact opposite of a lazy recruiter. A lazy recruiter can take the easy way out and just buy a couple of local AAU recruits. Ray is having to search far and wide to find guys that don't have their hand out to play college basketball

[thedawg]

I think if Ndoye and Daniels arnt corpses they had 3-5 wins by themselves simply because Ware has some help.. If Gavin gets in foul trouble this year game over we lose period... If those two guys are even average it will help... Im optimistic they will be better than corpses because Ray will have over a year to develop both of them and he has proven to me he can develop guys to a certain degree.. Yes obviously we need shooters.. My hope here lies in that the Freshman shooter can come in and provide a spark off the bench.. I also hope we sign that kid out of GA as he looks to be able to shoot if nothing else.. I am also optimistic for an improvement in IJ and Jacoby as both have shown potential shooting the ball at times.. I dont think FTF will ever be a "shooter" but I think he can be better than he is now... I would like to see him develop into being able to consistently knock down a mid range jumper...

So the ball is in Rays court... Develop Develop Develop... the only new players we are counting on to reach our goals are two freshman shooters and hopefully we will be counting on them minimally

[Jacksondevildog]

Reports out of practice is that Ndoye is the second coming of Olajuwon. That should be an improvement for next year.

[engie]

I remember the post that you made. I am just saying that people will stop buying tickets and supporting the program if they don't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I am very vocal and critical of Ray, but I do want him to succeed. I like the guy, but I think he's a lazy recruiter. I do not think that we can expect to be an NCAA team and compete for an SEC title (if that's what we want as a program) and not play the AAU game. If we are content signing kids with offers from Rust College and Lipscomb, then we will be fighting on Lunardi's first 4 our for the NIT year after year. We don't have Bill Self coaching us right now.

No one with good seats is going to stop buying tickets because they don't want to give up their seats when State is good again. If they were, they would have done it in year one when the first 2 years' results were all-but-set-in-stone. Most of the people that afford those seats have perspective and knew the uphill battle we were facing. They may not show up often -- but they are going to keep buying tickets.

[Johnson85]

I don't see us averaging 7,500 per game

This seems a little ridiculous. How many student tickets do we allow? I can't criticize because I don't go to basketball games, but if I lived within 30 minutes I think I could make half the home games. It seems like just Starkville, Columbus, and students could get decent crowds on Wednesdays and that adding in people that travel on Saturdays would get us to 7500 on average

[Jacksondevildog]

We've always struggled with pre-SEC crowds unless we had a big name team coming in. Mid week SEC crowds have always been around average unless we were playing Kentucky or Ole Miss.

[RougeDawg]

Not having all scholarships filled for a BCS conference team after 2 years is beyond excusable. Some of you treat this situation like its a brand new program that just started playing competitive D1 basketball and a coach is having to settle for bottom of the barrel players. That's inexcusable at a SEC program. Period. La Tech and other mid major piece of shit programs are pulling better players than us. That's inexcusable. All the ray defenders act like his training wheels approach to coaching is acceptable at a major program. **** that. This is pathetic. I used to love MSU basketball, but after the digression I've seen this year I cannot stand to watch a second of that shit.

And yes Ray is coaching like he ha training wheels on. Still don't understand how Strick let him past the initial interview. I think we should all focus on our incompetent AD. He made this hire. It's not RR's fault he is in over his head. It's Stricks fault for not making the right hire.

[thedawg]

He would have all of his scholarships filled if Steele and Wendell werent assholes, the NCAA werent assholes, and Daniels would have qualified on time... the only one of those that he has any control over was not better seeing Daniels not qualifying

[quickstrike2]

Cohen would have only gotten 3 if he had been equally terrible again in the 3rd. No one can blindly say "he gets 4 years" until they know what next year brings. Ray lays the same goose egg he did this year with a full roster(it's not going to happen, but I'm giving a theoretical), he's done in year 3.

Of course, I expect Ray to have an NIT team next year -- so I expect him to still be here for year 4 and finally building the momentum our fickle fans should have given him from the beginning.

I agree. If he lays an egg next year in year 3 then he should probably be gone. I give Ray the benefit of the doubt and support him. He just wasn't the guy i would have chosen, and hadn't done anything yet to really show me any different. I fully expect him to have a NIT caliber team next year and show some signs of life.

[BeardoMSU]

Olajuwan? Only one of the greatest centers of all time...

[Jacksondevildog]

I was being sarcastic. Our fans always hear positive reports of practice and blow things out of proportion.
Olajuwan? Only one of the greatest centers of all time...

[BeardoMSU]

I was being sarcastic. Our fans always hear positive reports of practice and blow things out of proportion.

Ok, good, lol. You forgot your sarcasterics. I was gonna respond again with "Bold strategy, Cotton", but you beat me.

[BeardoMSU]

Speaking of 7' Africans that can ball, I wish John Riek was on this team. I'd be really interested to see what Ray could do with him. Stans hated playing zone, but still tried to put a 7'2" dude with bad knees and slow feet out there guarding pick'n'rolls...wtf? I think Riek would have done well as a rim protector in Ray's 1-3-1, but who knows.

[engie]

I agree. If he lays an egg next year in year 3 then he should probably be gone. I give Ray the benefit of the doubt and support him. He just wasn't the guy i would have chosen, and hadn't done anything yet to really show me any different. I fully expect him to have a NIT caliber team next year and show some signs of life.

Agreed with this 100%.

In a perfect world, we get rid of Stans in 2011. We have Gardner, Smith, Hood incoming -- to go along with Bryant, Steele, Bost, Moultrie coming back. We offer a new coach a job walking into a Sweet 16ish roster situation and a fanbase that's hungry to take the next step, where he could have severed ties with Sidney on day 1 if he couldn't get him to buy in. Our job is triple as attractive if we handle it that way and then maybe we actually get a Greg Marshall type of successful midmajor coach.

My point is, however, that while Ray wasn't anyone's first choice -- and everyone agrees that the search process itself was botched -- it doesn't mean that he's the wrong guy or that the search arrived at the wrong conclusion. Next year will begin to really tell that story conclusively.

[JOHNHEVESYMADE]

Why would Marshall leave for a tougher job? He makes close to 2 million and is in a weak conference. He's solidifying himself and his program as a top 5 mid major program throughout the country. I wouldn't leave if I were him unless a Duke/North Carolina/UCLA type program becomes open.

[JOHNHEVESYMADE]

Bottom line is with the Ray players we have seen so far are Trivante Bloodman, Colin Borchert, Jacoby Davis, IJ Ready, and Andre Applewhite. None of those are game/program changers. I hear Travis Daniels is practicing well, but we need players to be difference makers. We are signing a bunch of Sunbelt players and expecting them to perform in the SEC. I don't see how he can get the job done. I wish Ray could pull it off but when we are "searching the country" and find a guy in Georgia that has offers from UNC-Wilmington and New Hampshire you are digging your own grave. Ray won't succeed and keeping him around is only delaying the inevitable. Hope Stricklin won't screw up the next hire. Maybe he should look at the fact we hired an assistant coach from a 16-15 team. I blame Stricklin for all this mess. He's the one to blame, and he put Ray in a situation where he couldn't win.

[engie]

Why would Marshall leave for a tougher job? He makes close to 2 million and is in a weak conference. He's solidifying himself and his program as a top 5 mid major program throughout the country. I wouldn't leave if I were him unless a Duke/North Carolina/UCLA type program becomes open.

Not that common sense will be found anywhere near anything you post on this topic -- because it obviously won't. It was 2011 I'm talking about. And I didn't say Marshall specifically -- but a similar name/reputation coach. Marshall was making $900k at that point in time and had no guarantees of getting that program to the level he currently is at. We would have paid him $2mil+. So, obviously, the timeframe I'm talking about was WELL BEFORE his Final 4 run and big pay day. They were a NCAA team for the first time in his 5th year and bowed out in the first round.

[Dawg61]

We would have paid him $2mil+.

When Stansbury resigned we were paying him $1.4 MM so unless we're hiring a proven winner like Bruce Pearl I don't expect SS to be paying any bball coach a higher salary at first than our winningest coach of all-time. We are so cheap until we are forced to not be. With everything.

[Dawg61]

Not having all scholarships filled for a BCS conference team after 2 years is beyond excusable. Some of you treat this situation like its a brand new program that just started playing competitive D1 basketball and a coach is having to settle for bottom of the barrel players. That's inexcusable at a SEC program. Period. La Tech and other mid major piece of shit programs are pulling better players than us. That's inexcusable. All the ray defenders act like his training wheels approach to coaching is acceptable at a major program. **** that. This is pathetic. I used to love MSU basketball, but after the digression I've seen this year I cannot stand to watch a second of that shit.

And yes Ray is coaching like he ha training wheels on. Still don't understand how Strick let him past the initial interview. I think we should all focus on our incompetent AD. He made this hire. It's not RR's fault he is in over his head. It's Stricks fault for not making the right hire.

http://lornasvoice.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/clapping-gif.gif

I also blame Ray for trying to pull a fast one over an SEC school by skipping the necessary steps it takes to be a HC at an SEC bball program. Like being a HC first. That's a new level of arrogance to think you can skip over HC training and become a HC of MSU the 4th winningest basketball program in the SEC over the last 15 years. What is this 2004 all over again? "Poor Ol Miss State gonna need 10 years to try and compete in the SEC". **** that shit!! That's EXACTLY what got Croom fired.

[mic]

Not having all scholarships filled for a BCS conference team after 2 years is beyond excusable. Some of you treat this situation like its a brand new program that just started playing competitive D1 basketball and a coach is having to settle for bottom of the barrel players. That's inexcusable at a SEC program. Period. La Tech and other mid major piece of shit programs are pulling better players than us. That's inexcusable. All the ray defenders act like his training wheels approach to coaching is acceptable at a major program. **** that. This is pathetic. I used to love MSU basketball, but after the digression I've seen this year I cannot stand to watch a second of that shit.

And yes Ray is coaching like he ha training wheels on. Still don't understand how Strick let him past the initial interview. I think we should all focus on our incompetent AD. He made this hire. It's not RR's fault he is in over his head. It's Stricks fault for not making the right hire.

Have you ever talked basketball with RR??
Have you ever been to one of his practices.??
And yes its bad with 10 straight loses. But everyone feels like we are getting beat by 20-25 points a game.. No one in this conference besides UK and Fla can win on the road.. Hell Bama hasn't won a road game all year period. there have been a few games where we never had a shot and played very poorly. One of those was at home to UGA. Who is all alone in 3rd place. We were in the games at home with UK and Fla. I bet our margin of defeats in all our loses are very close to everyone else in the league except the 2 big boys.
But for any of our fans to say this is worse basketball or crap they have ever seen is stupid. No its not great or sometimes even that good. But with the hand that he has and lack of players he has its still a mystery to me sometimes how we are even in games at time.
Judge OUR coach next year. If he lays an egg then pile on. Everyone else probably will too.
But just because you think RR probably wasn't a good interview or doesn't speak the way you think he should or doesn't sound like you want him to sound at a presser is the reason we shouldn't have hired him then you are 100% wrong...