#14/15 Houston at Wichita State Game Thread 2-20-22

[ShockerFever]

Yep, the activity on here during the off-season will be telling.

I’m all for supporting this program but the “Shut up and don’t complain” crowd really grate me the wrong way.

The Blind Apologists sometimes don’t realize how detrimental they can mean to a program.

[Regul8te]

No high horse here. I can promise you that. Not a blind optimist either. I’m just frustrated at the pure anger emanating from a portion of the fan base and I truly don’t understand.

Last year was a bizarre Covid fueled fluke and this is the rebuilding year we all expected last season. If HCIB can’t get this team back up into the mix for the AAC title and earn an at large next season, I’ll be right there too.

And to the people who are screaming no growth and regression…. Again, that shows nothing but bias. The offense looks better for longer stretches each game and the defense is showing signs of turning back into a scary unit. We are just short on interior defenders…. Coupled with some mental lapses that even 3G teams battled.

[Dan]

I would not feel bad popping Memphis’ bubble this weekend. I’ll take the little victories at this point.

[Regul8te]

Also agree about the passion. We are constantly reminded by our “engagement consultants” at work that the apathetic responses are the ones you worry about. The extremely engaged and disengaged aren’t that far apart.

[shock-it-to-me]

No high horse here. I can promise you that. Not a blind optimist either. I’m just frustrated at the pure anger emanating from a portion of the fan base and I truly don’t understand.

Last year was a bizarre Covid fueled fluke and this is the rebuilding year we all expected last season. If HCIB can’t get this team back up into the mix for the AAC title and earn an at large next season, I’ll be right there too.

And to the people who are screaming no growth and regression…. Again, that shows nothing but bias. The offense looks better for longer stretches each game and the defense is showing signs of turning back into a scary unit. We are just short on interior defenders…. Coupled with some mental lapses that even 3G teams battled.

How is this a ‘rebuilding year’? We returned a lot including player of the year!

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

[Onegreatracer]

Yep. When apathy sets in and no one posts anymore at all, that’s when you know the end is near.

Can't help but feel that our next coaching hire is make it or break it - not just for the team's success, but the program as a whole.

With the direction the NCAA is going, we have picked the WORST time to start trending down. There are going to be tough decisions made about the future of collegiate athletics at the highest level soon, and right now Wichita State would be left out of all of them, and aren't particularly close to being included. If we **** up our next coaching hire, our schedule by the '30s will likely be Newman, Friends, and Washburn.

[ShockTalk]

No high horse here. I can promise you that. Not a blind optimist either. I’m just frustrated at the pure anger emanating from a portion of the fan base and I truly don’t understand.

Last year was a bizarre Covid fueled fluke and this is the rebuilding year we all expected last season. If HCIB can’t get this team back up into the mix for the AAC title and earn an at large next season, I’ll be right there too.

And to the people who are screaming no growth and regression…. Again, that shows nothing but bias. The offense looks better for longer stretches each game and the defense is showing signs of turning back into a scary unit. We are just short on interior defenders…. Coupled with some mental lapses that even 3G teams battled.

I know for me, and I believe many others (may be wrong), that my change in demeanor on this board is not coming much from what the players are or are not doing or even what the coaching staff is doing as much as it's coming from the AD and, now, Muma.

1) I believe that Boatright knew a lot about what went on regarding fHCGM's problems. If he and the school did not know, why the big payout?

2) I believe the type of contract that IB, or ANY unexperienced head coach receives at this level should be incentive loaded with a much less amount of guarantee. But NO! We're already financially strapped with Marshall and now those obligations have just been piled on to. This is all on Boatright! However, the type of contract IB did receive means the pressure is fully on his back to succeed and succeed quickly.

3) Now we find out that Boatright's contract was "secretly" extended.

4) As has been said by others, college basketball is changing rapidly. The timing of all our financial and "on the court" problems could not have come at a worse time. Add to that, nothing is going to change for several years when taking into consideration the financial screw job. After 40+ years of donations and season tickets, I'm in no mood to put any more dollars into this type of ran athletic department and basketball program.

That does not mean that I will not support certain athletics as long as I'm assured those funds directly help those sports and its student athletes. If I cannot get those assurances, I'll have to review.

We need to see a lot out of our men's basketball program ASAP. So, yes, the pressure is on the school, the AD, the coaching staff, and players. It is unfortunate. Just don't look to me to financially bail them out of something they have created and added to. There are MUCH bigger pockets than mine that will have to do that.

[SubGod22]

I'm not sure many of us thought we were going to win the conference this year. I know I didn't expect that despite how last season ended up.

I still believe that this team has the talent level to be a top 4 team in this conference. Had they slid to 5th because of a surprise team or whatever, ok. Wouldn't be happy, but they'd be in the ballpark of where expectations should have reasonably been. The fact that we're near the bottom of the standings shouldn't be acceptable. Most of that is on coaching and the lack of accountability for most of the season which absolutely cost us games. There have been a number of head scratching moments coming from the bench. That should be expected from a first time head coach. But we shouldn't be paying a first time head coach like an experienced successful coach working his way up. If you're paying that kind of money to the head man, you should absolutely expect and demand a certain level of success.

I will say we have seen improvements the last week or two. Nothing earth shattering, but they're there. Why they took so long to be addressed, especially when many of them were known of last year, is a mystery. That doesn't change the fact that this team has vastly underperformed what they should be and we don't have injuries to blame. This team has no doubt been disappointing.

But, as to what ShockTalk said, he's absolutely right. The fanbase was pretty frustrated with performance and rightfully so. Many were upset at the kind of contact given to IB and rightfully so. Some were upset that there was no coaching search done and that's justified. But everyone wanted it to work out after the decision was made. People didn't like DB before 3G was pushed out. He was tolerated because we had a winning program. He's made some poor decisions and the secret extension that was given has justifiably pissed a lot of people off. I think most people didn't know much about Muma and were waiting to see how he handled things, and as soon as that news came out, Muma lost a lot of the wait and see crowd and justifiably so. Most of the anger is directly related to those two at the top.

I'm pretty sure everyone likes IB. Not everyone believes in him as the man that is going to keep us nationally relevant. He does absolutely need to find a way to score big with incoming recruits next year or things are going to go from bad to worse. The donations are already dialed way back. Ticket sales are bad, and season ticket renewals aren't going to be good this coming off season. There are going to be a lot more games on ESPN+ next year which probably means fewer reasons to offer $5 tickets to try and fill the arena for nationally televised games. So even less income coming in. I feel bad for the players and I feel bad for the fans, but the leadership at 21st and Hillside is lacking and not looking like much will change for a while.

Onegreatracer also made a good point about our next men's basketball hire. This assumes that IB doesn't figure things out quickly and makes vast improvement, but the next hire would be crucial and who here is comfortable with DB making that decision? I'm seriously interested if anyone here wants DB to make that next hire if things don't improve with IB. If Muma allows DB to hang around and steal money then this program has a very limited chance to return to being in the national spotlight at all. Again, assuming it doesn't just click with IB and he becomes the 2nd coming.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I'm not sure many of us thought we were going to win the conference this year. I know I didn't expect that despite how last season ended up.

I still believe that this team has the talent level to be a top 4 team in this conference. Had they slid to 5th because of a surprise team or whatever, ok. Wouldn't be happy, but they'd be in the ballpark of where expectations should have reasonably been. The fact that we're near the bottom of the standings shouldn't be acceptable. Most of that is on coaching and the lack of accountability for most of the season which absolutely cost us games. There have been a number of head scratching moments coming from the bench. That should be expected from a first time head coach. But we shouldn't be paying a first time head coach like an experienced successful coach working his way up. If you're paying that kind of money to the head man, you should absolutely expect and demand a certain level of success.

I will say we have seen improvements the last week or two. Nothing earth shattering, but they're there. Why they took so long to be addressed, especially when many of them were known of last year, is a mystery. That doesn't change the fact that this team has vastly underperformed what they should be and we don't have injuries to blame. This team has no doubt been disappointing.

But, as to what ShockTalk said, he's absolutely right. The fanbase was pretty frustrated with performance and rightfully so. Many were upset at the kind of contact given to IB and rightfully so. Some were upset that there was no coaching search done and that's justified. But everyone wanted it to work out after the decision was made. People didn't like DB before 3G was pushed out. He was tolerated because we had a winning program. He's made some poor decisions and the secret extension that was given has justifiably pissed a lot of people off. I think most people didn't know much about Muma and were waiting to see how he handled things, and as soon as that news came out, Muma lost a lot of the wait and see crowd and justifiably so. Most of the anger is directly related to those two at the top.

I'm pretty sure everyone likes IB. Not everyone believes in him as the man that is going to keep us nationally relevant. He does absolutely need to find a way to score big with incoming recruits next year or things are going to go from bad to worse. The donations are already dialed way back. Ticket sales are bad, and season ticket renewals aren't going to be good this coming off season. There are going to be a lot more games on ESPN+ next year which probably means fewer reasons to offer $5 tickets to try and fill the arena for nationally televised games. So even less income coming in. I feel bad for the players and I feel bad for the fans, but the leadership at 21st and Hillside is lacking and not looking like much will change for a while.

Onegreatracer also made a good point about our next men's basketball hire. This assumes that IB doesn't figure things out quickly and makes vast improvement, but the next hire would be crucial and who here is comfortable with DB making that decision? I'm seriously interested if anyone here wants DB to make that next hire if things don't improve with IB. If Muma allows DB to hang around and steal money then this program has a very limited chance to return to being in the national spotlight at all. Again, assuming it doesn't just click with IB and he becomes the 2nd coming.

There should be one name and one name only on the next coaching search. He is the man you fly to go meet in person and offer him the job and make say no before you move on.

ADDB will not even attempt to call him before moving on.

[shock]

There should be one name and one name only on the next coaching search. He is the man you fly to go meet in person and offer him the job and make say no before you move on.

ADDB will not even attempt to call him before moving on.

I hate this truth so much. Yes would come out of that man’s mouth faster than they could get to the money part. ****, he would probably have his bags packed and be standing on the tarmac when the CK jet touched down. It would be the best hire, the correct hire, and the fastest hire.

And the pilot would probably say, “Departing Las Cruces and setting a course for Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport.”

Chris
Greg
Lou

Now I’m just waiting for the cold bucket of reality to come splashing down.

[ShockerFever]

Boatramp knows he’d be a beta again if Jans was here.

[Kung Wu]

Boatramp knows he’d be a beta again if Jans was here.

He will never be anything but a beta. HCEW is the only alpha on campus right now and in the foreseeable future.

[WstateU]

He will never be anything but a beta. HCEW is the only alpha on campus right now and in the foreseeable future.

I think we have too many Lamba's...






P.S. My kind of Lamba's...

[Ted Lasso's Neighbor]

Interesting article about the game, especially the final seconds. Basically Houston had been in a similar situation and the experience paid off.

https://twitter.com/tayloreldridge/status/1495787325011419142