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Post by gbbrl97 on Mar 11, 2015 6:56:08 GMT -6
As far as other potential suitors for BW.....Here's the case for Bradley. Geno Ford who did well at Kent State is doing the exact opposite in 4 years at basketball-rich Bradley. Ford is making about $500K right now; Not to say BW would get that, but he would easily double what he makes at GB, which TK did when he left GB for Toledo 4 years ago: fansided.com/2015/01/31/frustration-mounting-bradley-basketball/ Things also don't look good for Oliver Purnell at DePaul. Since the new downtown arena won't be finished for a couple years, it's a good time to get a fresh start and have a good team going into the McCormack Place Arena: www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-depaul-oliver-purnell-spt-0309-20150308-story.htmlWith BW's success in recruiting Chicago, both jobs could be a natural fit. Both Ford and Purnell are not from the Chicago area, which did not help their respective causes so far. |
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Post by stillaphoenixphan on Mar 11, 2015 9:10:38 GMT -6
DePaul has to be the only power conference team that would be interested in Wardle at this point. His recruiting success in Chicago would make him a good candidate there and they need to make a change. Possibly he would take a pay increase and be an option for a MAC or MVC school? Next years club will have a couple of good core players in Fouse, Love and Francis as well as a promising freshman class. Hopefully Brian can find a player or two in the offseason via JC or a 5th year transfer that can either shoot the rock or provide some size. The thing that scares me the most is how much better the rest of the league will be. Id say the Phoenix will be ranked 5th or 6th in the preseason polls behind Valpo, CSU, Oakland, UWM and possibly Detroit. I'll agree with you on most of it. I'm just not sold on Love. I don't know if he can carry the team, he tries but fails more than he wins. We do have 2 very good looking recruits coming next year, that may help right away. I do think your slot of 5-6 it probably right on. |
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Post by knightlyfe920 on Mar 11, 2015 9:54:29 GMT -6
I can't stop thinking about this game. I would rather watch the 2015 NFC championship, the "4th&26" game, the Valpo buzzer beater and the Belmont game last year before even considering rewatching the second half of this one. It's just sickening to know this season had so much promise and now it's just washed away. It kills me to be a fan of this team because even though I expected them to blow it, it still isn't any easier to reconcile. The NIT literally means nothing to the players so the next real game isn't going to be for 8 more months. I can't wait that long. I want to see this same squad get redemption but that's never going to happen. I really hope Wardle leaves so we don't have any more wasted seasons, especially with a once in a decade team like this.
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Post by gbbrl97 on Mar 11, 2015 9:55:26 GMT -6
On one side you have to be impressed that BW did get 2 NIT bids (presumably) and a CIT bid from a program that had next to no consistent production from the 2 guard position the past 3 seasons, and usually towards the bottom of FT and 3-pt percentage; And your best 3-pt. shooter in that time was your 7'1" center (Alec Brown). I like the defense that GB has played the past 3 seasons, but offensively they seem lost at times against better competition and the lack of perimeter shooting and FT shooting has not helped......If GB was even in the median of FT and 3-pt. shooting in the HL, they may have had a chance to win last night, as they would have been able to stretch the lead they had and possibly weather that Valpo run. This emphasizes the point how the GB program was reliant on Brown's size and skill set (and potential as a budding NBA player) and Sykes' abilities as an NBA caliber PG, despite not having a perimeter shot (but STILL scored 2000+ points in his career; He could have broke TB's career scoring record if he had a modest outside shot).
Once Valpo got momentum going around that 10-min. mark, it seemed like GB had no answer and that GB's upperclassmen withered under the pressure of Valpo's 13-0 run. Love looked awful on offense. He seemed to turn the ball over every other possession.
There is still a big skills gap among many of the players on this team, even with the upperclassmen. You think that Sykes and Love would have made modest improvement with their perimeter shooting, but that is not the case.
You do have a decent core group coming back next season with Fouse, Love, Lowe, and Francis, but I don't see Fouse becoming a 13-14 pt. scorer, Lowe flirting with double-double games night in and night out, and C-Love being GB's leading scorer for 2015-2016. Which leaves Francis....but can he hit an outside shot? That core group makes up a nice set of complementary players, but I don't see a leading scorer out of that bunch right now. We will need a couple JC gun-slinging scorers for next season (without channeling their inner Chop Tang ;-) )......I also have the feeling that Uwadae won't make it to next season if he can't shore up his academics.
I will be happy if GB can be in the 4-6 range next season, which could net us a CIT bid, but if we can't get some bona-fide scorers next year may be brutal to watch offensively.
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Post by knightlyfe920 on Mar 11, 2015 10:04:06 GMT -6
I'm not content with mediocrity. There is nothing exciting about being a perennial NIT/CBI qualifier. We aren't going to progress by recruiting average guards every year, not to mention the complete lack of composure by both coaches and players whenever we face adversity. This team needs a makeover. A coach would be a good start. I'm optimistic about next years recruiting class but our juniors next year are not going to help turn this thing around.
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Post by shooting the J on Mar 11, 2015 10:07:15 GMT -6
I can't stop thinking about this game. I would rather watch the 2015 NFC championship, the "4th&26" game, the Valpo buzzer beater and the Belmont game last year before even considering rewatching the second half of this one. It's just sickening to know this season had so much promise and now it's just washed away. It kills me to be a fan of this team because even though I expected them to blow it, it still isn't any easier to reconcile. The NIT literally means nothing to the players so the next real game isn't going to be for 8 more months. I can't wait that long. I want to see this same squad get redemption but that's never going to happen. I really hope Wardle leaves so we don't have any more wasted seasons, especially with a once in a decade team like this. So you think Wardle leaving will result in no more wasted seasons? Interesting. The program just finished its best 2 seasons in 17 years. |
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Post by shooting the J on Mar 11, 2015 10:30:20 GMT -6
On one side you have to be impressed that BW did get 2 NIT bids (presumably) and a CIT bid from a program that had next to no consistent production from the 2 guard position the past 3 seasons, and usually towards the bottom of FT and 3-pt percentage; And your best 3-pt. shooter in that time was your 7'1" center (Alec Brown). I like the defense that GB has played the past 3 seasons, but offensively they seem lost at times against better competition and the lack of perimeter shooting and FT shooting has not helped......If GB was even in the median of FT and 3-pt. shooting in the HL, they may have had a chance to win last night, as they would have been able to stretch the lead they had and possibly weather that Valpo run. This emphasizes the point how the GB program was reliant on Brown's size and skill set (and potential as a budding NBA player) and Sykes' abilities as an NBA caliber PG, despite not having a perimeter shot (but STILL scored 2000+ points in his career; He could have broke TB's career scoring record if he had a modest outside shot). Once Valpo got momentum going around that 10-min. mark, it seemed like GB had no answer and that GB's upperclassmen withered under the pressure of Valpo's 13-0 run. Love looked awful on offense. He seemed to turn the ball over every other possession. There is still a big skills gap among many of the players on this team, even with the upperclassmen. You think that Sykes and Love would have made modest improvement with their perimeter shooting, but that is not the case. You do have a decent core group coming back next season with Fouse, Love, Lowe, and Francis, but I don't see Fouse becoming a 13-14 pt. scorer, Lowe flirting with double-double games night in and night out, and C-Love being GB's leading scorer for 2015-2016. Which leaves Francis....but can he hit an outside shot? That core group makes up a nice set of complementary players, but I don't see a leading scorer out of that bunch right now. We will need a couple JC gun-slinging scorers for next season (without channeling their inner Chop Tang ;-) )......I also have the feeling that Uwadae won't make it to next season if he can't shore up his academics. I will be happy if GB can be in the 4-6 range next season, which could net us a CIT bid, but if we can't get some bona-fide scorers next year may be brutal to watch offensively. I agree with your prjections for next year. Incoming Joel Okafor will play right away as the back-up PG. He's a true PG, a strong defender, and he made 41% of his 3s this year, a welcome addition. Recruiting got harder when Green Bay could no longer offer immediate major playing time. That was a major factor in Gren Bay losing out on Alec Peters to Valpo. Green Bay also lost out on David Skara, who killed the Phoenix last night. GB landed it's most sought after recruit in a few years in Okafor, because there was a clear path to playing time. Another player who'll play a major role in Kerem Kanter. He can pass, shoot, and score in the post. The downside is he's a work in progress on the defensive end, and will never be a big shot-blocker. Green Bay wins with defense, and its perimeter defense will be uneffected by the loss of Keifer. However, the interior defense will see a sharp decline from losing McKinnie and Mays. The offense will lack a go to scorer. |
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Post by knightlyfe920 on Mar 11, 2015 10:40:06 GMT -6
I can't stop thinking about this game. I would rather watch the 2015 NFC championship, the "4th&26" game, the Valpo buzzer beater and the Belmont game last year before even considering rewatching the second half of this one. It's just sickening to know this season had so much promise and now it's just washed away. It kills me to be a fan of this team because even though I expected them to blow it, it still isn't any easier to reconcile. The NIT literally means nothing to the players so the next real game isn't going to be for 8 more months. I can't wait that long. I want to see this same squad get redemption but that's never going to happen. I really hope Wardle leaves so we don't have any more wasted seasons, especially with a once in a decade team like this. So you think Wardle leaving will result in no more wasted seasons? Interesting. The program just finished its best 2 seasons in 17 years. It really is wasted because of the talent level we had this year, and a good coach could have made the most out of it. Being an NIT/CBI team each year isn't "success" when you had the talent pool we had this year. |
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Post by phoenixphan87 on Mar 11, 2015 10:59:55 GMT -6
We are not Butler, Wichita State, Northern Iowa or Gonzaga...just cant reload every year given our situation. We had a great senior class and a nice two year run that resulted in a lot of wins and two extremely disappointing finishes. This program is doing well given the budget, lack of interest from students, being an outcast school in terms of recruiting areas ect. Hopefully they can keep being competitive and stay in the upper half of the conference and finally put a March run together one of these years. Missing the tournament that last two years will be talked about for decades.
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Post by shooting the J on Mar 11, 2015 11:19:43 GMT -6
So you think Wardle leaving will result in no more wasted seasons? Interesting. The program just finished its best 2 seasons in 17 years. It really is wasted because of the talent level we had this year, and a good coach could have made the most out of it. Being an NIT/CBI team each year isn't "success" when you had the talent pool we had this year. Who recruited and developed the talent pool? |
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Post by knightlyfe920 on Mar 11, 2015 11:26:17 GMT -6
It really is wasted because of the talent level we had this year, and a good coach could have made the most out of it. Being an NIT/CBI team each year isn't "success" when you had the talent pool we had this year. Who recruited and developed the talent pool? Other than Sykes, Mays and Fouse, Wardle hasn't successfully developed anyone. Wardle got lucky that his guys were typically able to produce. If he was so great at development we would have actually had a bench to turn to, not to mention guys that could actually make free throws. |
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Post by shooting the J on Mar 11, 2015 12:47:55 GMT -6
Who recruited and developed the talent pool? Other than Sykes, Mays and Fouse, Wardle hasn't successfully developed anyone. Wardle got lucky that his guys were typically able to produce. If he was so great at development we would have actually had a bench to turn to, not to mention guys that could actually make free throws. I think we could add Brown and McKinnie to that list. That's alot of players especially considering the coach has only had 1 full recruiting class for 4 years. Not many mid-majors are doing more. The idea that luck is fueling the success is quite funny. A RPI of 58 and 59 in back to back years speaks for itself. Also, you've mentioned you like next years recruiting class. Yes, it looks solid. However, if the coach leaves, you can likely kiss the best of those recruits goodbye. That's just how college basketball works. |
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Post by phearthephoenix on Mar 11, 2015 14:32:04 GMT -6
I drove down to Valpo for the game last night and made my first visit to the ARC in over a decade. Not much has changed inside the gym since my last time down there. The atmosphere was great and the crowd was into the game and loud despite there being ~1000 empty seats, which is pretty sad considering it's only a 5,500 seat gym for a conference championship game.
I ran into a couple groups of GB fans at Buffalo Wild Wings before the game. There were more GB fans at the game than I was expecting, but to be fair I wasn't expecting a whole lot. I should've known it was going to be a bad night when the bartender at BWW said they were unable to pour tap beer as apparently the taps weren't working.
As for the game itself: the first half was fun. The second half was like a swift kick to the groin 500 times. It hurt watching those last 12 minutes of the game, missing shot after shot and turning it over multiple times. I felt like I was watching our 2 year window of opportunity to make the NCAA Tournament and make a run in the tournament closing in slow motion right before my very eyes. The way we've gone out the past 3 years has been devastating.
Congrats to Valpo and good luck in the NCAA Tournament. Win a game or two and win everybody in the conference some money.
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Post by knightlyfe920 on Mar 11, 2015 16:16:17 GMT -6
Other than Sykes, Mays and Fouse, Wardle hasn't successfully developed anyone. Wardle got lucky that his guys were typically able to produce. If he was so great at development we would have actually had a bench to turn to, not to mention guys that could actually make free throws. I think we could add Brown and McKinnie to that list. That's alot of players especially considering the coach has only had 1 full recruiting class for 4 years. Not many mid-majors are doing more. The idea that luck is fueling the success is quite funny. A RPI of 58 and 59 in back to back years speaks for itself. Also, you've mentioned you like next years recruiting class. Yes, it looks solid. However, if the coach leaves, you can likely kiss the best of those recruits goodbye. That's just how college basketball works. I'm just really not impressed with 4 decent players in 4 years. McKinnie was a transfer so I'm not going to credit Wardle there. Considering what the rest of the league has produced, especially Bryce Drew, Gary Waters and dare I say, even throw Howard Moore in there with the limited pool and resources he has, I'm just not all that satisfied. The talent is out there, but when you limit your recruiting to NE Wisco and the Chicago area, you're not always gonna get the best guys. It also kills us that he can never get any good juco or 5th year transfers either. The only guy I thought had potential was Vince Garrett, but Wardle ended up merely not liking him which inhibited his ability to contribute. Everyone has to get lucky sometimes and in Wardle's case that was his first recruiting class. Since then he has failed to impress other than a few players like Francis, Fouse and possibly some of next years freshmen. We have to start branching out of the area to find some guys that can contribute ( I do like the "idea" of Kanter but he never really got to showcase himself). I don't see any championships on the horizon with the way things are headed, unless of course Wardle miraculously pulls a 180 and gets some decent transfers this offseason. I do think we have a shot to be alright or even contend next year barring injuries, but after next year that ship will have sailed so the most must be made out of it. If Wardle were to leave and lose some recruits however, so be it. It will hurt in the short term but will ultimately payoff in the following years. |
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Post by GBPhoenix1 on Mar 11, 2015 21:03:57 GMT -6
Last night hurt. With 7 guys that play GB didn't have a margin for error especially when 3 guys (Mays, Love and Lowe) were not good last night. Mays looked rattled all night. Love had a bad slump down the stretch of the season. Lowe made a few week plays especially on defense. He didn't close out high on Peters made 3, he got beat for dunks by Fernandez and his post game reverted back to early in the year. Some experienced guys didn't come up big, I wasn't expecting that.
Valpo missed all 4 of their free throws in the last 30 seconds when the game was decided. GB missed 5 before the 7 minute mark of the second half. If they make 3 of those 5 from Francis and Love the game is looking different. With 3 minutes left they would have been winning 47 to 46 instead of down 46 to 44. With two minutes left it would have been 48 to 47 instead of 48 to 44. I know this is a case of would of, could of, should of but that was a big factor. Especially when guys were turning it over which led to Valpo transition hoops. Man that hurts to think of how many easy buckets they got off of turnovers. They really couldn't score that well against GB's half court defense.
Hopefully they have a favorable NIT selection.
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