From Jon Rothstein podcast....
https://twitter.com/i/status/1395400079406768129
From Jon Rothstein podcast....
https://twitter.com/i/status/1395400079406768129
Nice
With the VERY high possibility of Rocket Watts coming over, Howland has some major talent.
He still can't coach an offense or how to break a press ...
Don't get your hopes up.... We know how this is gonna end...
It's make or break for Howland this year and everyone knows it. NCAA tourney or time to move on.
As everyone has stated before, with the addt. of all the transfers this is make or break for Howland. He'll have the team to make a run. If all the pistons are firing......WATCH OUT. We comin.
I've long said, Howland was a fantastic hire but he needed one assistant who was the offensive strategist and all offensive matters relegated to that one coach. I have yet to see that input and ability from any of our current assistants. Quickly developing chemistry, cohesiveness and leadership from within the team is now the challenge. Hopefully a Brooks embraces that opportunity like Lawrence Roberts did but the leader was Bowers then. Can Molinar become that team leader? I hope so. Quietly command the teammates' respect. Talent and ability will not be a problem with this roster though.
Could be a fun and interesting season. I doubt we will contend nationally because Howland doesn't teach offense...it's just one or two sets and if(when) nothing is there, he needs a Russell Westbrook to create for himself or we Jack a 3. Luckily we'll have more shooters and one on one type scorers, but it's not a recipe for success bc we'll have cold nights from 3 point range. I may be wrong, but at this point in his career Howland is who he is....we'll play good D and win a bunch of low scoring games, and we'll be left wondering the next year how guys weren't averaging 10-12 more points a game. The fact that Robert Woodard didn't average 20-25 a game last year is damn near criminal IMO, and is an example of Howland's offensive coaching ability.
But I'm just a guy that knows more about football and baseball than basketball. So feel free to tell me I'm way off
We all want to take the next steps but got to give Howland props, he can bring talent in and that is half the battle in basketball. Agree with others, if we had a dynamic O coach that Howland would give some authority, we could build our program.
If we can't get a slam dunk hire like Oats at Bama, I'd just soon keep Howland and roll the dice again with another talent turnover. He'll bring in another crop next year too. I don't want to return to Rick Ray recruiting days where we have no chance. At least we have a chance now.
And you are basing this off what??? Are you at the practices? In the training room when plays are being broken down on film? How can you watch a basketball team play but call the Assistant coaches the worst at teaching and developing in the SEC? If anything that falls on the Head Coach. If the assistants are that bad then it's Howlands responsibility to fire them. Howland has built winning programs, I'm sure he knows what a good Assistant coach is.
You do understand that Brooks brings in most of our talent right? He is the best recruiter we have. I know recruiting doesn't equate to coaching but trust and believe, good talent outweighs good coaching. Gotta have talented players to have a chance and we have that.
I get frustrated with Howland too and couldn't tell you why we haven't been better because we have had the talent, but you still can't deny his resume.. Back to Back National Championship appearances. And people keep talking about player development? Howland and his staffs have developed alot of NBA players to name a few (most are still active): Arron Afflalo, Darren Collison, Moute, Russell Westbrook, Jordan Farmer, Kevin Love, Josh Ship, Jrue Holiday, Dejuan Blair, Quinndary Weatherspoon, Reggie Perry, Robert Woodard. I can't think of more right now but Thats a pretty good list of NBA players coached by someone and his staffs who "don't know how to develop players"
Howland's offense was fine in 18-19. We had 1 of the best offenses in the SEC. People are taking that upset against Liberty & throwing the entire season out with it. That was a very good season with a disappointing ending.
Woodard couldn't beat anyone off the dribble. He was strictly a catch & shoot guy & finisher. To avg 20-25 you have to be able to create your own shot. Woodard couldn't do that.
Woodard would never have averaged 20-25. That's insane. He's in the NBA but played a total of like 50 minutes this year.