Some thoughts on this year's team

[northbeachsf]

I have been hearing on this board for the last two years that this team is full of talent. Really? This roster does not have anywhere near the talent that the last elite 8 team had, plus they are younger than that team was. Check it out:

The current roster consists of:
Two 2-star players (Longmire / Armstead)
Nine 3-star players (Singler, Jacob, Wiley, Humphrey, Crittle, Williams, Sim, Porter, Catron, Porter)
Two 4-star players (Wilson, Dunigan)
Zero 5-star players

The Elite 8 roster had lineup that included:
One 5-star player (Malik Hairston)
Four 4-star players (Taylor, Leunen, Brooks, Platt)
And eight 2- and 3-star guys that were mostly roll players (Zahn, Lincoln, Kent, etc)

Still that is not an excuse for Kent getting about the same results out of his players for 2 consecutive seasons as Monson did with his team in 1991-1992. This team still has enough talent to have made an NIT run last season and pushed for a NCAA bid this season, if coached properly. It is still extremely hard to imagine that last years team only managed to match Monson’s 1992 two conference win record. That 1992 team was filled with a bunch of guys that were not even Division I talent, except for maybe Antoine Stoudamire, Jordy Lyden, and Orlando Williams. And I am not even sure Lyden played that season, wasn’t he hurt? Stoudamire may have missed some games for eligibility reasons stemming from his transfer too? So, how in the hell did a team with a McDonald’s All American Center and some decent guards win the same amount of conference games as Johnny Reese, Clyde Jordan, and company during the 1992 season? Coaching or no coaching, that is insane when you think about it!

I wonder who would win if they played each other today? My money is on Monson’s “clear out for Stoudamire” offense. At least they had a guy that could score the ball consistently………I guess.

[bellsduck]

I have been hearing on this board for the last two years that this team is full of talent. Really? This roster does not have anywhere near the talent that the last elite 8 team had, plus they are younger than that team was. Check it out:

The current roster consists of:
Two 2-star players (Longmire / Armstead)
Nine 3-star players (Singler, Jacob, Wiley, Humphrey, Crittle, Williams, Sim, Porter, Catron, Porter)
Two 4-star players (Wilson, Dunigan)
Zero 5-star players

The Elite 8 roster had lineup that included:
One 5-star player (Malik Hairston)
Four 4-star players (Taylor, Leunen, Brooks, Platt)
And eight 2- and 3-star guys that were mostly roll players (Zahn, Lincoln, Kent, etc)

Still that is not an excuse for Kent getting about the same results out of his players for 2 consecutive seasons as Monson did with his team in 1991-1992. This team still has enough talent to have made an NIT run last season and pushed for a NCAA bid this season, if coached properly. It is still extremely hard to imagine that last years team only managed to match Monson’s 1992 two conference win record. That 1992 team was filled with a bunch of guys that were not even Division I talent, except for maybe Antoine Stoudamire, Jordy Lyden, and Orlando Williams. And I am not even sure Lyden played that season, wasn’t he hurt? Stoudamire may have missed some games for eligibility reasons stemming from his transfer too? So, how in the hell did a team with a McDonald’s All American Center and some decent guards win the same amount of conference games as Johnny Reese, Clyde Jordan, and company during the 1992 season? Coaching or no coaching, that is insane when you think about it!

I wonder who would win if they played each other today? My money is on Monson’s “clear out for Stoudamire” offense. At least they had a guy that could score the ball consistently………I guess.

Agree totally with this post. For all the great recruiting hype Kent gets, this team is not exactly loaded like some think. It has athletic players with potential to become good basketball players if coached right. Obviously not happening.

[Elduderino]

So, how in the hell did a team with a McDonald’s All American Center and some decent guards win the same amount of conference games as Johnny Reese, Clyde Jordan, and company during the 1992 season? Coaching or no coaching, that is insane when you think about it!

Even more insane when you look at the depth in the Conference. This is as week as the Pac 10 will be for a while, and we're getting blasted by ~30 on an almost routine basis.

[duckgrad99]

So, how in the hell did a team with a McDonald’s All American Center and some decent guards win the same amount of conference games as Johnny Reese, Clyde Jordan, and company during the 1992 season? Coaching or no coaching, that is insane when you think about it!

Even more insane when you look at the depth in the Conference. This is as week as the Pac 10 will be for a while, and we're getting blasted by ~30 on an almost routine basis.

Yeah, I think that's an important point. What this team is doing would be bad enough in a year where the pac-10 was good, but this is as bad as I've seen it in a long time. If Kent couldn't get it done this year, then sorry, no more chances.

[dd10snoop28]

According to rivals, both Matthew Humphrey and Drew Viney were 4 stars. Look how were using them now. One transfered and is having a lot of success, while the other is stuck on the bench because of all the supposed "talent" we have.

I've seen Humphrey play along with Tyreke Evans and Dunigan in a tournament in Portland and of course Evans was amazing, but Humphrey was also exceeding the expectations I had. He knocked down some tough 3's, and wasn't afraid to take it to the rim. So far, I don't think he's gotten the opportunity to show what he's about. You can blame Kent for that.

I was so excited with the our future because of those two players, but now I realize that talent can't develop if talent isn't on the court.

[Boom]

According to rivals, both Matthew Humphrey and Drew Viney were 4 stars. Look how were using them now. One transfered and is having a lot of success, while the other is stuck on the bench because of all the supposed "talent" we have.

I've seen Humphrey play along with Tyreke Evans and Dunigan in a tournament in Portland and of course Evans was amazing, but Humphrey was also exceeding the expectations I had. He knocked down some tough 3's, and wasn't afraid to take it to the rim. So far, I don't think he's gotten the opportunity to show what he's about. You can blame Kent for that.

I was so excited with the our future because of those two players, but now I realize that talent can't develop if talent isn't on the court.

Wrong, you can blame injuries for that.

Humphrey got a lot of run last year, he's been injured this year.

[buckmarkduck]

Jacob may have been a 3* after going to JC, but he was La St player of the year and a 4* out of HS, and I think he was in the McD AA game.

[dthomas=ddixon]

You're putting way too much stock into the recruiting services. Guys like Longmire, Crittle, Humphrey, Williams & Armstead are very talented & have a lot of potential. I couldn't care less what they were rated out of HS, you can see they have a ton of talent just by watching them play for a few minutes. They just need a coach that will make them better, not worse. This team is deeper than any of the Elite 8 teams & its not even close IMO. We don't have a stand alone star like those teams did but we have so much mor talent overall.

[duckgrad99]

Here is another thing I can't stand about Ernie. A player gets on fire shooting. If they then pick up a foul or turn the ball over, Kent panics and makes a substitution. Let your best players play. That would be a good start.

[dd10snoop28]

According to rivals, both Matthew Humphrey and Drew Viney were 4 stars. Look how were using them now. One transfered and is having a lot of success, while the other is stuck on the bench because of all the supposed "talent" we have.

I've seen Humphrey play along with Tyreke Evans and Dunigan in a tournament in Portland and of course Evans was amazing, but Humphrey was also exceeding the expectations I had. He knocked down some tough 3's, and wasn't afraid to take it to the rim. So far, I don't think he's gotten the opportunity to show what he's about. You can blame Kent for that.

I was so excited with the our future because of those two players, but now I realize that talent can't develop if talent isn't on the court.

Wrong, you can blame injuries for that.

Humphrey got a lot of run last year, he's been injured this year.

He played 8mpg in the first 5 games.

[Boom]

According to rivals, both Matthew Humphrey and Drew Viney were 4 stars. Look how were using them now. One transfered and is having a lot of success, while the other is stuck on the bench because of all the supposed "talent" we have.

I've seen Humphrey play along with Tyreke Evans and Dunigan in a tournament in Portland and of course Evans was amazing, but Humphrey was also exceeding the expectations I had. He knocked down some tough 3's, and wasn't afraid to take it to the rim. So far, I don't think he's gotten the opportunity to show what he's about. You can blame Kent for that.

I was so excited with the our future because of those two players, but now I realize that talent can't develop if talent isn't on the court.

Wrong, you can blame injuries for that.

Humphrey got a lot of run last year, he's been injured this year.

He played 8mpg in the first 5 games.

That was 2 months ago.... he has been injured this year

[UOducksTK1]

I have been hearing on this board for the last two years that this team is full of talent. Really? This roster does not have anywhere near the talent that the last elite 8 team had, plus they are younger than that team was. Check it out:

The current roster consists of:
Two 2-star players (Longmire / Armstead)
Nine 3-star players (Singler, Jacob, Wiley, Humphrey, Crittle, Williams, Sim, Porter, Catron, Porter)
Two 4-star players (Wilson, Dunigan)
Zero 5-star players

The Elite 8 roster had lineup that included:
One 5-star player (Malik Hairston)
Four 4-star players (Taylor, Leunen, Brooks, Platt)
And eight 2- and 3-star guys that were mostly roll players (Zahn, Lincoln, Kent, etc)

Still that is not an excuse for Kent getting about the same results out of his players for 2 consecutive seasons as Monson did with his team in 1991-1992. This team still has enough talent to have made an NIT run last season and pushed for a NCAA bid this season, if coached properly. It is still extremely hard to imagine that last years team only managed to match Monson’s 1992 two conference win record. That 1992 team was filled with a bunch of guys that were not even Division I talent, except for maybe Antoine Stoudamire, Jordy Lyden, and Orlando Williams. And I am not even sure Lyden played that season, wasn’t he hurt? Stoudamire may have missed some games for eligibility reasons stemming from his transfer too? So, how in the hell did a team with a McDonald’s All American Center and some decent guards win the same amount of conference games as Johnny Reese, Clyde Jordan, and company during the 1992 season? Coaching or no coaching, that is insane when you think about it!

I wonder who would win if they played each other today? My money is on Monson’s “clear out for Stoudamire” offense. At least they had a guy that could score the ball consistently………I guess.

I'm sorry, we have plenty of Talent.
Wiley was ranked a 4 star recruit the entire process until the very end when he was bumped down to a 3 star. Also ranked as the #131 recruit in the country by rivals.
Humphrey is a 4 star by rivals. And like Wiley, he was also a four star on scout until the final scout update. #95 recruit nationally.
Teondre Williams is a 3 star, but he had some impressive offers. #123 recruit nationally.

Perhaps not as talented as the most recent elite 8 squad, but we have plenty of high quality talent. Kent is just showing his true poor coaching skills. You can thank Brooks and Ridnour for making him look good 2 years.

[gofightingducks]

Well then I guess Kent isn't the great recruiter everybody thinks he is if this team doesn't have much talent. So he is an overrated recruiter and a terrible coach. There are plenty of other teams with similar talent, playing against similar opponents that are winning their games. It is time for the discussion to end, Kent simply needs to go, bring in some fresh blood, whoever the next coach is couldn't do much worse.

[bellsduck]

I have been hearing on this board for the last two years that this team is full of talent. Really? This roster does not have anywhere near the talent that the last elite 8 team had, plus they are younger than that team was. Check it out:

The current roster consists of:
Two 2-star players (Longmire / Armstead)
Nine 3-star players (Singler, Jacob, Wiley, Humphrey, Crittle, Williams, Sim, Porter, Catron, Porter)
Two 4-star players (Wilson, Dunigan)
Zero 5-star players

The Elite 8 roster had lineup that included:
One 5-star player (Malik Hairston)
Four 4-star players (Taylor, Leunen, Brooks, Platt)
And eight 2- and 3-star guys that were mostly roll players (Zahn, Lincoln, Kent, etc)

Still that is not an excuse for Kent getting about the same results out of his players for 2 consecutive seasons as Monson did with his team in 1991-1992. This team still has enough talent to have made an NIT run last season and pushed for a NCAA bid this season, if coached properly. It is still extremely hard to imagine that last years team only managed to match Monson’s 1992 two conference win record. That 1992 team was filled with a bunch of guys that were not even Division I talent, except for maybe Antoine Stoudamire, Jordy Lyden, and Orlando Williams. And I am not even sure Lyden played that season, wasn’t he hurt? Stoudamire may have missed some games for eligibility reasons stemming from his transfer too? So, how in the hell did a team with a McDonald’s All American Center and some decent guards win the same amount of conference games as Johnny Reese, Clyde Jordan, and company during the 1992 season? Coaching or no coaching, that is insane when you think about it!

I wonder who would win if they played each other today? My money is on Monson’s “clear out for Stoudamire” offense. At least they had a guy that could score the ball consistently………I guess.

I'm sorry, we have plenty of Talent.
Wiley was ranked a 4 star recruit the entire process until the very end when he was bumped down to a 3 star. Also ranked as the #131 recruit in the country by rivals.
Humphrey is a 4 star by rivals. And like Wiley, he was also a four star on scout until the final scout update. #95 recruit nationally.
Teondre Williams is a 3 star, but he had some impressive offers. #123 recruit nationally.

Perhaps not as talented as the most recent elite 8 squad, but we have plenty of high quality talent. Kent is just showing his true poor coaching skills. You can thank Brooks and Ridnour for making him look good 2 years.

My point is just that Kent's recruiting over the last few years has been overrated in my opinion. The last few years you would say going by recruiting services that we're middle of the Pac-10, possibly 4 or 5 in recruiting. Compared to older Oregon teams it is much better there's no doubt. However, it's not at the level that we would automatically win games because we're much more talented than everyone else. This level of talent still needs a lot of good coaching, which it's not getting.

[UOducksTK1]

I have been hearing on this board for the last two years that this team is full of talent. Really? This roster does not have anywhere near the talent that the last elite 8 team had, plus they are younger than that team was. Check it out:

The current roster consists of:
Two 2-star players (Longmire / Armstead)
Nine 3-star players (Singler, Jacob, Wiley, Humphrey, Crittle, Williams, Sim, Porter, Catron, Porter)
Two 4-star players (Wilson, Dunigan)
Zero 5-star players

The Elite 8 roster had lineup that included:
One 5-star player (Malik Hairston)
Four 4-star players (Taylor, Leunen, Brooks, Platt)
And eight 2- and 3-star guys that were mostly roll players (Zahn, Lincoln, Kent, etc)

Still that is not an excuse for Kent getting about the same results out of his players for 2 consecutive seasons as Monson did with his team in 1991-1992. This team still has enough talent to have made an NIT run last season and pushed for a NCAA bid this season, if coached properly. It is still extremely hard to imagine that last years team only managed to match Monson’s 1992 two conference win record. That 1992 team was filled with a bunch of guys that were not even Division I talent, except for maybe Antoine Stoudamire, Jordy Lyden, and Orlando Williams. And I am not even sure Lyden played that season, wasn’t he hurt? Stoudamire may have missed some games for eligibility reasons stemming from his transfer too? So, how in the hell did a team with a McDonald’s All American Center and some decent guards win the same amount of conference games as Johnny Reese, Clyde Jordan, and company during the 1992 season? Coaching or no coaching, that is insane when you think about it!

I wonder who would win if they played each other today? My money is on Monson’s “clear out for Stoudamire” offense. At least they had a guy that could score the ball consistently………I guess.

I'm sorry, we have plenty of Talent.
Wiley was ranked a 4 star recruit the entire process until the very end when he was bumped down to a 3 star. Also ranked as the #131 recruit in the country by rivals.
Humphrey is a 4 star by rivals. And like Wiley, he was also a four star on scout until the final scout update. #95 recruit nationally.
Teondre Williams is a 3 star, but he had some impressive offers. #123 recruit nationally.

Perhaps not as talented as the most recent elite 8 squad, but we have plenty of high quality talent. Kent is just showing his true poor coaching skills. You can thank Brooks and Ridnour for making him look good 2 years.

My point is just that Kent's recruiting over the last few years has been overrated in my opinion. The last few years you would say going by recruiting services that we're middle of the Pac-10, possibly 4 or 5 in recruiting. Compared to older Oregon teams it is much better there's no doubt. However, it's not at the level that we would automatically win games because we're much more talented than everyone else. This level of talent still needs a lot of good coaching, which it's not getting.

This is where I disagree.. Talentwise, I think we are up there with any team in the Pac-10 except probably Cal. Maybe our recruiting stars aren't as high of some of the Pac-10 teams, but we are loaded with quality players. Kent just can't convert them into wins.