Why to be Wooly about Holand IMO

[Bully13]

the commits and who we are bout to get committed. it shows he still has the energy. yes his resume helps the sell but you don't get the results he's getting without enthusiasm and hard word.

he's doing it. he ain't just restin' around looking for a few extra bucks. Guy still has a burning desire to win.

it's looking like he ain't sad TN and MO didn't make the move. looks like he's starting to like the 'crootin' position he finds himself in Vegas, results say that.. .. I think he likes it more today than when he signed on...just saying

he's done powerful things in other conferences., I don't want to create any hate here or anything, but I think the SEC is overall is WAY far from being a "dominant" conference in college hoops.

Howland has dominated in conferences I would consider superior top to bottom than the SEC . I think he's gonna school a lot of programs in the next few years. maybe not his 1st year, but this 2nd one should have SEC hoops nation concerned big time IMO..

[sleepy dawg]

Yep, I agree. I just hope he still wants to coach for a while.

[SDDawg]

We get 3 years with Howland, but it's really all we need to rebuild based on his momentum so far.

[smootness]

We get 3 years with Howland, but it's really all we need to rebuild based on his momentum so far.

We'll have more than that. I don't think he's going anywhere.

[SDDawg]

We'll have more than that. I don't think he's going anywhere.

I hope you are right, would love to be his last stop.

[ScottH]

I hope you are right, would love to be his last stop.

He says this is it.

He says he loves Starkville and feels he has some distinct advantages here.

What he is doing in recruiting is amazing.

He has multiple Final Fours. has coached at UCLA and I assume is more than financially secure.

I tend to take him at his word.

[SDDawg]

He says this is it.

He says he loves Starkville and feels he has some distinct advantages here.

What he is doing in recruiting is amazing.

He has multiple Final Fours. has coached at UCLA and I assume is more than financially secure.

I tend to take him at his word.

I think you're right to take him at his word, just hope we can keep him long enough to have some great success.

[thf24]

Next year's recruiting is exciting, no doubt, but I'm also excited with what he's got going right now. Yeah, I know you can't take a lot from an exhibition against a D2 team, but the radical transformation that several of our guys have undergone in the few short months he's been here... wow. Fred, IJ, Ndoye, and Daniels barely looked like the same players, and Gavin finally looks like complete. We've got the complete package running our basketball program - elite recruiting, development, and coaching. We're in for a treat for at least the next several years.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Next year's recruiting is exciting, no doubt, but I'm also excited with what he's got going right now. Yeah, I know you can't take a lot from an exhibition against a D2 team, but the radical transformation that several of our guys have undergone in the few short months he's been here... wow. Fred, IJ, Ndoye, and Daniels barely looked like the same players, and Gavin finally looks like complete. We've got the complete package running our basketball program - elite recruiting, development, and coaching. We're in for a treat for at least the next several years.

This is how I feel about this year...

We've essentially traded Howland for Ray and Newman for Bloodman. Every other variable between the two seasons is almost the exact same, except the returning players have improved at least somewhat plus we also added a good player in Weatherspoon.

Howland's Xs and Os and player development alone will win us some games we lost last year because of Ray's incompetence and not worrying about offense.

Then, all due respect to Bloodman, but he was one of the worst PGs I've ever seen play at MSU. He was anemic offensively and a huge reason why we always went on those 8 minute scoring draughts. Replace him with Newman and it's a whole new ballgame. Plus it allows Ready to come off the bench and be a spark plug- while also providing a finally healthy Craig Sword with someone to take the pressure off of him.

Six of our 12 conference losses were by 6 points or less... I think these two changes alone are easily worth over six points per game.

[tcdog70]

I am excited because we now know how to set a pick. Plus we can actually execute an entry pass to Ware. Ndoye has really improved and will help in the post.

[Bothrops]

3 years? Ha...he'll be coaching all his own recruits for the first time in year 3. I'd think he will want to be past that.

[engie]

3 years? Ha...he'll be coaching all his own recruits for the first time in year 3. I'd think he will want to be past that.

Since we're looking at 8-9 of 13 scholarship players being Howland recruits in his second year, and quite possibly all 5 starters, it will essentially be totally his team next year IMO...

[smootness]

I would just like someone to list the basketball jobs that a State coach would clearly leave for, then start eliminating the ones who won't hire a coach in his 60s. Because I get the instinct to say that if a coach has enough success he might leave, but Howland is in a pretty unique situation. In 3 years, he'll be past 60 and I would imagine is already starting to think about his retirement. If he sees that he can recruit at this level here, and if he truly believes our facilities are as good as he claims (and I don't know why he wouldn't, they legitimately are that good), then I don't see any way he would leave here to go rebuild at a similar program and take a few years to get things going. The only possible way I could see him leaving is for a truly elite job, but I just don't see any of those coming after him.

And why would he not want to stay for at least a little while and enjoy the fruits of his labor here? If it takes 2-3 years to fully build the program, why leave immediately to go somewhere else that probably just fired their coach?

[shannondawg]

What does he and his assistants have at their disposal for air travel for recruiting? Please tell me its not just commercial.