Realtime RPI has us projected to finish the season 11-19 (5-13)

[starkvegasdawg]

If that is how we end up, does that seal Ray's fate or give him another season?

[maroonmania]

If that is how we end up, does that seal Ray's fate or give him another season?

I don't know but they are not very good at math. We are 9-9 with 2 SEC wins. Therefore, if we get to 5 SEC wins we will be 12 and something. Not a big difference in record but worth pointing out. 5-13 with no Malik Newman would be very iffy on coming back. Guess it would be dependent on how well we play the rest of the year in terms of staying competitive in our games and improving. Personally I would like to see 6-12 minimum in the SEC for a return and even then I wouldn't exactly be excited about next year unless he somehow snags Newman. We lose Roq Johnson for next year which will hurt and I'm not sure we have any instant impact players coming in at this point for next year.

[msstate7]

Zuppardo/black should fill in just fine for johnson

[Goat from MSU]

Ray should not have lost to SC Upstate , Tulane, Ark. St. and Mcneese St. That is where he shit in his pants Big Time, 5 SEC wins will not cut it either. He needs to get 9 total that's 7 of the last 14. It is can be done .
If that is how we end up, does that seal Ray's fate or give him another season?

[Goat from MSU]

Clayton State does not count for some reason.
I don't know but they are not very good at math. We are 9-9 with 2 SEC wins. Therefore, if we get to 5 SEC wins we will be 12 and something. Not a big difference in record but worth pointing out. 5-13 with no Malik Newman would be very iffy on coming back. Guess it would be dependent on how well we play the rest of the year in terms of staying competitive in our games and improving. Personally I would like to see 6-12 minimum in the SEC for a return and even then I wouldn't exactly be excited about next year unless he somehow snags Newman. We lose Roq Johnson for next year which will hurt and I'm not sure we have any instant impact players coming in at this point for next year.

[HSVDawg]

Is this a serious question? 5 SEC wins and 11-12 total wins in year 3 is an embarrassment. No way he should get a 4th year. That being said, still a lot of basketball left to be played. I personally wanted him gone if he didn't at least make the NIT this year, as it shouldn't be that difficult to have a top 100 program in 3 years no matter how dire the situation is at the beginning. However, I doubt Stricklin feels the same way I do. I think if he gets to .500 overall and in conference he will definitely be back. Anything less and it becomes iffy.

[NewTweederEndzoneDance]

If that's where we end up, then Ray needs to be released from his duties. I've been vocal about giving him enough time to see if he can get it done, but that does not equate to getting it done. I really think that the Sword, Ready and Ware injuries (and maybe the Zuppardo injury, but I've never seen the guy play) really hurt us in December. We are playing better now that we have some health again, but it may be too late.

[engie]

I'd be ready to move on in that situation, and I think the entire fanbase would be as well.

I still think 9-9 is the worst thing that could happen for the fanbase(in other words -- enough to get another year without truly winning over the fanbase). 6-12 or 12-6 and everyone is unified on what needs to happen and we can actually start moving the basketball program forward again.

[klong-dog]

We're not finishing any where close to .500 overall. We may can find 3 more SEC wins, though if I were betting on a number, I'd say 2 more W's. Mizzou at home is our most likely. Can't think of another game we'd be favored in.

[msstate7]

We're not finishing any where close to .500 overall. We may can find 3 more SEC wins, though if I were betting on a number, I'd say 2 more W's. Mizzou at home is our most likely. Can't think of another game we'd be favored in.

Not that I think we're get to .500, but we weren't favored in our last 2 games either

[klong-dog]

True, I didn't think we'd win either of those. Especially at Aub. I just feel most all of our home games left are tough, even Mizzou is not a given. Which are some of the games that you think we could pull out? I wished we had that home game with Tenn again.

[Aces High]

If we finish 11-19 on year 3 in any sport, should be a firing.

Im not sure why we give him any more time. The team is all his and veteran. So what, we luck up and win 16 next year and make NIt. Do you give him another 2 years? We will lose every starter and be back to 8 wins.

He needs to make the post season this year or he is done IMO. I dont think strick fires him this year but I would. I think he is here regardless next year. Strick likes ray.

[engie]

We're not finishing any where close to .500 overall. We may can find 3 more SEC wins, though if I were betting on a number, I'd say 2 more W's. Mizzou at home is our most likely. Can't think of another game we'd be favored in.

There is no way that you watched the last 3 games and have chalked up basically the entire rest of the season as losses. We may very well lose -- but I'll never understand conceding on the front end.

- 7.5 point underdogs @ Auburn -- won by 7.
- 4 point underdogs against Vandy -- won by 3.
- 10 point underdogs against aTm -- lost by 4.

[klong-dog]

I totally agree we've played better. I just don't see us winning against Arkansas, LSU, Kentucky, @UT, @SCe, Alabama, OM at home we have a slight chance. Our game tomorrow I'd give us about a 40% chance.

[codeDawg]

It makes no sense to give him an extension. At best, he's a mediocre coach put in a bad situation. Are we committed to winning, or mediocrity?

I don't care what happened in the past, whose fault it was, or what we should have done. Let's just move on from this situation to a better one.

[klong-dog]

Would you even call it mediocrity in year 3? I'd be more acceptable being in the middle of the league with a shot at some post season, at this point in the season.

[starkvegasdawg]

Since we're debating which teams we may win or lose, here is how they see our season unfolding:

They have our remaining SEC wins coming against LSU, Alabama, and Missouri at home. They are also saying some of our losses will be close. They are:

UGA: -1
@Mizz: -4
TSUN: -1
Arkansas: -3
@Vandy: -4

They also had us losing by a large margin against TSUN, LSU, and Arkansas on the road so they think our 75 fans at the Hump provides a real home court advantage.

Either way, they have us with three more wins and 5 close losses.

[maroonmania]

Clayton State does not count for some reason.

Well, may not count in the RPI but I don't see how it wouldn't count in our record. Its not like it was an exhibition game.

[maroonmania]

I'd be ready to move on in that situation, and I think the entire fanbase would be as well.

I still think 9-9 is the worst thing that could happen for the fanbase(in other words -- enough to get another year without truly winning over the fanbase). 6-12 or 12-6 and everyone is unified on what needs to happen and we can actually start moving the basketball program forward again.

I don't think I agree with that. If we get to .500 in the league that is a big jump from Ray's first 2 years and he should get another year. Yes, we played like dog crap for much of December but if we actually go 9-9 in SEC play that poor early play can somewhat be written off to players either being injured or being slowed by coming back from injuries. I think its going to be that 6 to 7 win range where the fanbase will be really divided. I personally think 8 wins or better in the league most reasonable fans are more than willing to keep backing Ray. I mean, in the SEC, we won 4 games in 2013 and 3 games in 2014. Why would we not be OK with a jump to 8 wins in year 3? Even 6-7 wins is showing improvement.

[sleepy dawg]

Well, may not count in the RPI but I don't see how it wouldn't count in our record. Its not like it was an exhibition game.

Clayton State is a D2 school. It doesn't count toward anything meaningful.

[maroonmania]

Clayton State is a D2 school. It doesn't count toward anything meaningful.

OK then, I guess every time someone says we are 9-9 right now we have to correct them to 8-9.

[dawgs]

If that's where we end up, then Ray needs to be released from his duties. I've been vocal about giving him enough time to see if he can get it done, but that does not equate to getting it done. I really think that the Sword, Ready and Ware injuries (and maybe the Zuppardo injury, but I've never seen the guy play) really hurt us in December. We are playing better now that we have some health again, but it may be too late.

In year 3, a P5 program should be able to beat Tulane and sc upstate and arkansas st more often than not even with a few injuries. Even 1 upset is acceptable, shit happens, but a 5 game losing streak and losing 6 of 7 to those types plus P5 bottom feeders like tcu and oregon st (who were both bad last year like us, but *shocker* have managed to make more improvement in a single offseason than we have in 3 years) is unacceptable. And as I said, the turnarounds from tcu and Oregon st in 1 offseason is as big of an indictment of ray's lack of progress than the Ls imo. No excuses for not having us in much better shape right now, injuries or not.

[Goat from MSU]

Engie right on this plus if Ray gets enough wins ,our Ad might give him a one year extra on his deal. 12 he stays 6 he leaves and anything in between ,Elite Dawgs vote on it.
I'd be ready to move on in that situation, and I think the entire fanbase would be as well.

I still think 9-9 is the worst thing that could happen for the fanbase(in other words -- enough to get another year without truly winning over the fanbase). 6-12 or 12-6 and everyone is unified on what needs to happen and we can actually start moving the basketball program forward again.

[Goat from MSU]

Correct
OK then, I guess every time someone says we are 9-9 right now we have to correct them to 8-9.

[Liverpooldawg]

If it ends up that way then he has to go.

[maroonmania]

If it ends up that way then he has to go.

I'm saying it now, 7 SEC wins or more during the regular season and Keenum and Strick will NOT pull the trigger on Ray.

[Dawg61]

Mizzou sucks. So does USC. We should finish no worse than 10th in the league.