It's time....

[Raytoraid83]

No way he goes to LSU. Its UK, Duke, KU or UNC.

Why would he go to LSU over those schools?

As of a couple months ago LSU was his top choice. He loves Johnny Jones.

[Coach34]

You should be able to figure out if a player will qualify or not.

C'mon Fish- you are at the mercy of the player on that. Player A needs a B in a class to qualify in the last Summer session and he is good to go. Player A makes a C+ in the last summer session- leaving you with your dick in your hand. What else ya gonna do?

[Coach34]

As of a couple months ago LSU was his top choice. He loves Johnny Jones.

It's a good bit more involved than that

[shannondawg]

As far as LSU Malik situation, won't say all I heard, but it made sense to me, and with Johnny Jones reputation, don't be surprised if that doesn't happen.. But again that's just what I heard, and had reason to believe it.

I tend to think that Ray will be able to prove that he deserves more time after the season next year. If not something may or may not be done.

Hey, I even thought we had no choice but to hire Croom at the time, won't say it took me 5 years to think otherwise.

[JOHNHEVESYMADE]

We are getting ready to offer Troutman whose best offers are UNC-Wilmington and New Hampshire. Welcome to Rick Ray basketball.

[Coach34]

Everybody is in agreement that Ray needs to have and should have a better basketball team next year. He's had the 2 rebuilding years- now it's time to progress in more than the weighroom and discipline. It's time to get some more W's in 2015.

[Raytoraid83]

It's a good bit more involved than that

Yep as all recruiting situations are, and if we don't start playing the recruiting game again Ray does have no chance to win here.

[CadaverDawg]

It doesn't matter where Newman goes because it will NOT be MSU.

I want Ray to get it done, but you can't just have a bunch of average to below average D1 players and expect them to hustle their way to victories over good teams. At some point you have to recruit some above average talent, and so far Ray isn't even close to doing that.

We'll see what happens, but I feel like after next season we'll all be sharing Bogey's thoughts. Hope I'm wrong, but give me 1 good reason why you see things improving?

Are our terrible shooters going to learn how to shoot during the off season?
Do we have more talented players on deck in the recruiting classes?
There's just nothing to give you optimism right now except that our current decent guys have 2 more years. But you can mold a turd for a year straight, and it may look better the following year, but it's still a turd.

[Political Hack]

It doesn't matter where Newman goes because it will NOT be MSU.

I want Ray to get it done, but you can't just have a bunch of average to below average D1 players and expect them to hustle their way to victories over good teams. At some point you have to recruit some above average talent, and so far Ray isn't even close to doing that.

We'll see what happens, but I feel like after next season we'll all be sharing Bogey's thoughts. Hope I'm wrong, but give me 1 good reason why you see things improving?

Are our terrible shooters going to learn how to shoot during the off season?
Do we have more talented players on deck in the recruiting classes?
There's just nothing to give you optimism right now except that our current decent guys have 2 more years. But you can mold a turd for a year straight, and it may look better the following year, but it's still a turd.

I can't name a conference I think this years team could win & I can't name a conference I could predict next years team will win either. We're going nowhere fast.

[tcdog70]

We gave SYLVESTER CROOM 5 freaking years!! Shut the hell up! You are clueless.

Yep and how did that work out?.

[engie]

We are getting ready to offer Troutman whose best offers are UNC-Wilmington and New Hampshire. Welcome to Rick Ray basketball.

I'm confused by the moving goal posts of the "Ray can't recruit" crowd. Let's find a consensus here. The complaint on Troutman = lack of offers.
Well, Oliver Black had an offer from a last year Final 4 team that is about to be the first team in a number of years to make it through the regular season undefeated -- as well as Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Tulane. Demetrius Houston had offers from Bama, Auburn, and Seton Hall. So, which is it?

So, are we defining his ability to recruit JUST on stars or offers? Because we damn sure aren't defining it based on what "HIS" players from his first full term of recruiting are doing on the floor. He only has one and that one will be a tremendous player for us before he's done.

What is the actual complaint against Troutman's skill set? He's a hilariously underrated shooter because he took a mission trip and missed basically all of his AAU season before his senior year, while playing at a smaller high school in rural Georgia. Some people(totally unrelated to MSU) think he is one of the best shooters coming out this year. The guy hit 11 3s in a high school game and averaged in the mid 20s.

[Coach34]

It doesn't matter where Newman goes because it will NOT be MSU.

I want Ray to get it done, but you can't just have a bunch of average to below average D1 players and expect them to hustle their way to victories over good teams. At some point you have to recruit some above average talent, and so far Ray isn't even close to doing that.

We'll see what happens, but I feel like after next season we'll all be sharing Bogey's thoughts. Hope I'm wrong, but give me 1 good reason why you see things improving?

Are our terrible shooters going to learn how to shoot during the off season?
Do we have more talented players on deck in the recruiting classes?
There's just nothing to give you optimism right now except that our current decent guys have 2 more years. But you can mold a turd for a year straight, and it may look better the following year, but it's still a turd.

A) Agreed. We have no shot at Newman. We arent even it in at this point. We arent putting in what is necessary to get that signature.

B) Our shooters will indeed be better next year. They are better this year than last. Having 5 scholarship players on the court at all times will help them get easier shots also. For example- we had an 8-9 point lead on Auburn and then Sword got his 2nd foul with 10+ minutes left in the 1st half. We then began to turn the ball over and fall apart and allow Auburn to tie and then pass us. We have no bench right now and it kills us

C) Yes we have more talented players joining us in the Fall. Daniels is said to be as good as Ware. He doesnt shoot the 3 like Borchert but is a much better defender and is quicker.
NDoye will give us some more post prescence of the bench to rest Ware. We wont ever have to play Roq at the 5 next year- which kills us on defense.
Houston is going to give us a solid player at the 3 along with FTF- who should be a little better as well next year.
Ready and the other Freshman will have a year of SEC basketball under their belts and should play better next year.

Hell, we were getting beat last year by 20, 30, and 40...now we stay in games and compete for the most part- and we still arent playing with a full roster. Next year will be an improved basketball team.

[I seen it dawg]

Cohen couldn't recruit either...

[CadaverDawg]

A) Agreed. We have no shot at Newman. We arent even it in at this point. We arent putting in what is necessary to get that signature.

B) Our shooters will indeed be better next year. They are better this year than last. Having 5 scholarship players on the court at all times will help them get easier shots also. For example- we had an 8-9 point lead on Auburn and then Sword got his 2nd foul with 10+ minutes left in the 1st half. We then began to turn the ball over and fall apart and allow Auburn to tie and then pass us. We have no bench right now and it kills us

C) Yes we have more talented players joining us in the Fall. Daniels is said to be as good as Ware. He doesnt shoot the 3 like Borchert but is a much better defender and is quicker.
NDoye will give us some more post prescence of the bench to rest Ware. We wont ever have to play Roq at the 5 next year- which kills us on defense.
Houston is going to give us a solid player at the 3 along with FTF- who should be a little better as well next year.
Ready and the other Freshman will have a year of SEC basketball under their belts and should play better next year.

Hell, we were getting beat last year by 20, 30, and 40...now we stay in games and compete for the most part- and we still arent playing with a full roster. Next year will be an improved basketball team.

Hope so. I'm rooting for it

[CadaverDawg]

Cohen couldn't recruit either...

Only an idiot ever said that though. Anyone with any baseball knowledge knew Cohen was a great hire.

Most basketball minds knew Ray was a roll of the dice

[JOHNHEVESYMADE]

I'm confused by the moving goal posts of the "Ray can't recruit" crowd. Let's find a consensus here. The complaint on Troutman = lack of offers.
Well, Oliver Black had an offer from a least year's Final 4 team that is about to be the first team in a number of years to make it through the regular undefeated -- as well as Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Tulane. Demetrius Houston had offers from Bama, Auburn, and Seton Hall. So, which is it? Can Ray only "recruit" when he takes a player North Carolina, Duke, or Kentucky wants?

So, are we defining his ability to recruit JUST on stars or offers? Because we damn sure aren't defining it based on what "HIS" players from his first full term of recruiting are doing on the floor. He only has one and that one will be a tremendous player for us before he's done.

So, what is the actual complaint against Troutman's skill set? He's a hilariously underrated shooter because he took a mission trip and missed basically all of his AAU season before his senior year, while playing at a smaller high school in rural Georgia. Some people(totally unrelated to MSU) think he is one of the best shooters coming out this year. The guy hit 11 3s in a high school game and averaged in the mid 20s.

If you honestly think Oliver Black who averaged 7 pts and 7 rebounds his junior year was offered by all those schools then you are more ignorant than I thought. He is going to be very close on if he qualifies or not. On Troutman, I don't care if he lives in a town of 20 people somehow New Hampshire a school 1000 miles away heard of him. Demetrius Houston we actually did beat some people to sign him thanks to George Brooks. People complain about him not having a full recruiting cycle but he signed 4 guys in the Fall of 2012 and only one is eligible to play! What other program only gets 1 kid eligible out of 4? I guess we just completely sweep under the rug Applewhite transferring?

[Thrill1]

Yep and how did that work out?.

Not too good, but that's not the point. The point is that Ray should and will have time. Croom did and he failed. Cohen did and he succeeded. Ray hasn't even finished year two and folks are calling for his head after three starters have quit/been kicked off. And I haven't seen Shaun Smith or Kristers Ziedaks mentioned in a while - two guys he had to kick off before he coached his first game.

All I'm asking is for folks to use common sense and perspective ... And heck maybe even come to a game.

[I seen it dawg]

Only an idiot ever said that though. Anyone with any baseball knowledge knew Cohen was a great hire.

Most basketball minds knew Ray was a roll of the dice

Exactly. It's the "why aren't we in the tourney this year without having a clue" crowd.

[engie]

Not too good, but that's not the point. The point is that Ray should and will have time. Croom did and he failed. Cohen did and he succeeded. Ray hasn't even finished year two and folks are calling for his head after three starters have quit/been kicked off. And I haven't seen Shaun Smith or Kristers Ziedaks mentioned in a while - two guys he had to kick off before he coached his first game.

All I'm asking is for folks to use common sense and perspective ... And heck maybe even come to a game.

Exactly. That's all ANYONE is asking.

But it'll never happen. Too many people butt hurt about our former coach that are pushing an agenda. Same thing as with the baseball transition. Let Cohen lose a few more games and you'll see these same idiots resurface again in that sport....or should I say, the same people now pretending to have been on the Cohen bandwagon all along will remember and come forth with their anti-Cohen agenda again...

[engie]

Only an idiot ever said that though. Anyone with any baseball knowledge knew Cohen was a great hire.

Most basketball minds knew Ray was a roll of the dice

What has happened with Ray in year 2 that didn't happen with Cohen in year 2?

Why, then, are normally reasonable posters starting to pass judgement on Ray at a point in time when they were patient with Cohen?

The point being -- we don't know shit on Ray yet -- and won't until next year. There are COUNTLESS examples in the SEC right now of teams chock full of 4 and 5* players with hotshot "can't miss" coaches that currently suck. Why, then, is everyone dead set that WE have to follow those blueprints to success -- when it's being proven as not currently working all around us? And we're defining our coach's "failure" at recruiting based on all these teams that have "succeeded" in recruiting only to crash and burn on the court? Because Ray isn't recruiting players with enough "stars" -- when we've only seen one true Ray recruit on the court thusfar?

The last couple of weeks have been shit. No doubt about it. That doesn't change the fact that next year is the first time that the rubber has a legitimate chance to start meeting the road -- and consequently when we can begin actually judging Rick Ray.