I bet that guy in his 70s wanted CPB gone when he had some rough seasons in the late 60s. That is probably one reason why he changed to the wishbone.
Commentary on CAG Not Being Fired This Year
- Thread starter RTR91
- Start date
I bet that guy in his 70s wanted CPB gone when he had some rough seasons in the late 60s. That is probably one reason why he changed to the wishbone.
Apparently I haven't kept up in a while. I know the last President was strifing for this.
I for one thought the improvement of the team would come faster, but I still think CAG should be kept for at least 2 more years. If he improves the team, then see how his teams can improve year to year after that. If his performance declines, then I'm okay with hiring another coach, but only if we better have a coach in mind that isn't just using us for a raise with his current employer.
Here is my 2 cents worth.
I have been critical of CAG this year. I knew coming into this year, that the lack of a decent big man was trouble with a Capital T so I understand some of the problems we have had. I really thought we were done after the non conference schedule when we lost to a bunch of also rans. We've done well in the SEC, but I think that is more of a product of a really bad conference than anything else. Ultimately it is on Grant that we signed 5 kids one year and 1 the next when we had open slots. We had an obvious need he chose not to address thru JUCO ranks or a promising high school kid with potential.
Recruiting and offensive coaching are the areas where I have questions. We are a terrible in the half court offensive set. The kids are so concerned about running the play that they are hesitant to take an open shot. We cut them lose at the end of the Ole Miss game and look what happened 6 straight 3's. Offense is about the kids feeling comfortable when they take shots. We clearly are not comfortable shooting unless we are wide open and even then our shots don't drop sometimes. Grant recruits hard no question, but we have to get more than kids that fill our needs, not just a bunch of 2 guards.
I've said this before we need to give him another year at least and then evaluate where we are then. Next year, he has 2 decent bigs coming in and lets see if he can coach em up and get us to the big dance without praying we have to win the SEC tourney. Anyway, he will get 2 more years unless the wheels fall off and I don't see that happening, but I still have to wonder if he is a good fit here. Something just does not feel right.
I have been critical of CAG this year. I knew coming into this year, that the lack of a decent big man was trouble with a Capital T so I understand some of the problems we have had. I really thought we were done after the non conference schedule when we lost to a bunch of also rans. We've done well in the SEC, but I think that is more of a product of a really bad conference than anything else. Ultimately it is on Grant that we signed 5 kids one year and 1 the next when we had open slots. We had an obvious need he chose not to address thru JUCO ranks or a promising high school kid with potential.
Recruiting and offensive coaching are the areas where I have questions. We are a terrible in the half court offensive set. The kids are so concerned about running the play that they are hesitant to take an open shot. We cut them lose at the end of the Ole Miss game and look what happened 6 straight 3's. Offense is about the kids feeling comfortable when they take shots. We clearly are not comfortable shooting unless we are wide open and even then our shots don't drop sometimes. Grant recruits hard no question, but we have to get more than kids that fill our needs, not just a bunch of 2 guards.
I've said this before we need to give him another year at least and then evaluate where we are then. Next year, he has 2 decent bigs coming in and lets see if he can coach em up and get us to the big dance without praying we have to win the SEC tourney. Anyway, he will get 2 more years unless the wheels fall off and I don't see that happening, but I still have to wonder if he is a good fit here. Something just does not feel right.
college basketball is all about development. and developing to cater to a certain system. progression. no matter what type of talent you have, you better be up to par in those 3 categories if you want to be a championship caliber basketball team. we are lacking in all 3 area's. But i'd like to see Coach given the chance to improve and get better with each. He's IMO learning on the job.
But it's grown tremendously in the last decade. There weren't 30,000 students on campus during the Gottfried years. I do think Grant could do a better PR job with the students that are there now.
One being move the student section to next to the court instead of its current spot.
I know off topic but the student seating is the worst I have seen. Yes they added the standing section and half under the basket but it just stupid how they do the students so far from the court.
Any way next year should be CAG big improvement and if not then time to move on. Basketball is a sport that is easier and much quicker to build than football. And you win with Offense and pretty good defense not just defense because this is not football.
I am glad you brought that up because I am sure a big name coach would want that. That is what I have been saying, are the old guard willing to give up their luxury seats for a big name coach. RTR!
In his first full class we needed everything. Grant got Releford, Jason Carter (top 100 big man), Hankerson (top 150 SG/SF), and Carl. Unfortunately Carter was bounced. He's since been bounced from Ole Miss as well. In his 2nd class he got Lacey, Cooper, Randolph, Gueye, and Jacobs. Last year he got Pollard. Most of the year we only had one open spot. We missed on all of our top targets. The 2nd tier guy we went after aren't setting the world on fire at their current schools. They would have been a waste of space. This year we signed Hale and Taylor. Next year we will have 5 bigs plus Pollard on the roster. What more do people want? It can be argued that he should have found a Juco big last year. I can get with that.
I have stayed off the basketball boards this season because I really felt like there was nothing I could say that would be very constructive. There have been times this year that I have been steamed (cannot say what I want), but I will say that I think it would be a mistake if we fired CAG after this year or even after next year. After saying that it can be hard to watch this team play basketball. The style we play is such that we work the shot clock so far down as to limit the amount of offensive sets the other team gets because in my opinion not only are we very good offensively but we are not that great defensively either. I know some of you will say look at the stats and the numbers but I have seen us give up a good amount of second half points this season in various games and I have seen us win while holding the opposition to a low point total after they missed as many open looks as we passed up on the other end of the floor. CAG does seem to be somewhat of a micromanager and we reminds me a little of CGS where he is not going to let the offensive philosophy dictate or hurt his defense. I just think that he needs to let the offense somewhat loose because I sit there and struggle watching the pace of our offense and the constant passing up of open shots and body language of players looking over their shoulders scared to make a mistake on the offensive end. If I see that and cringe, I worry what recruits will think.
However, I will say that CAG has had his hands tied with the injury to Engstrom and the back issues with Jacobs (who I sometimes see running up the floor stiff trying to releve the discomfort). Engstrom and Gueye look to have both worked very hard and seemed to have improved and were willing to give us everything they had. If I were in CAG shoes I may play the same way because I would have no choice with no big man in the middle. You have to give the man credit for going 12-6 in conference while being picked 6th or worse in the preseason.
However, I will say that CAG has had his hands tied with the injury to Engstrom and the back issues with Jacobs (who I sometimes see running up the floor stiff trying to releve the discomfort). Engstrom and Gueye look to have both worked very hard and seemed to have improved and were willing to give us everything they had. If I were in CAG shoes I may play the same way because I would have no choice with no big man in the middle. You have to give the man credit for going 12-6 in conference while being picked 6th or worse in the preseason.
I also see him as a man forced into playing an offense he doesn't like and probably can't coach very well. I know he wasn't familiar with it at UF and he didn't run it at VCU. When we run what he ran at VCU, we score and look good. I realize that some of the talent shortage falls at Grant's feet and I'm sure he knows that also. That said, I've seen what happens to schools who flip coaches every four years. He'll get his extra year or even two. Let me stick this in here: game threads are not for rants. They are strictly for following the action, particularly for those who haven't a TV signal or are at work, etc. It's not the place for bashing coaching or players. Criticism can wait for the postgame thread. Tolerance for violation of this rule has been zero here and on the football forum in the past and I've probably not been quick enough to suspend for breach of this rule, but I won't be for the postseason...
One thing I will say I rather not win it all if it puts our football team in jeopardy due to some under-handed recruiting. If he wins you will know he earned it and he did it the right way. Besides every team in the top 25 have lost at least 2 games this year they should not have. Think about this Duke lost 90-63 to Miami than turn around and lose to Maryland. Maryland loses to FSU 2 times. Florida State loses to one of the teams we consider our terrible losses the Mercer Bears who are 23-11 by the way. The only real bad loss we have is Tulane and I watched that game their big man had himself an out of body game that night. Auburn is a game we should have won but it is a rivalry game so that comes with the territory. My point is even the great basketball teams, especially this year, lose some games they should win.
Stating that Bama lost games it shouldn't have isn't an avalanche of data justifying CAG should be fired either.
I don't think you can fire him at this point, unless he has lost the team.
There are some issues this year and the past year in terms of players getting with the program. If he's lost the team, there's no advantage to keeping him around. However, if there is reason to believe the core will follow his lead, then this team should do quite well next year. They are not really losing anyone, so there's nowhere to go but up.
There are some issues this year and the past year in terms of players getting with the program. If he's lost the team, there's no advantage to keeping him around. However, if there is reason to believe the core will follow his lead, then this team should do quite well next year. They are not really losing anyone, so there's nowhere to go but up.
Last edited:
If this isn't the offense he ran at VCU, why did he make the hire? He didn't run what UF runs while he was at VCU, so why is Bama trying to run that? Like you said, when Bama traps and gets steals, the offense goes up.
And folks wonder why Bama is seen as only a football school...
Trending content
Latest threads
-
ESPN: From Culver's, with love: Meet Gennings Dunker, the NFL draft's viral star- Started by TideFans Reporter
- Replies: 0
-
ESPN: Updated college football Top 25: Where teams stand in spring, including a new No. 1
- Started by TideFans Reporter
- Replies: 0
-
-
ESPN: Alabama says WR Rogers to miss start of season
- Started by TideFans Reporter
- Replies: 0
-
ESPN: Sources: '27 QB Lopati decommits from Illinois
- Started by TideFans Reporter
- Replies: 0
-