Paul Mills Slightly Toasty Seat

[rjl]

Mills is working out about as bad as possible. The only thing that could be worse is a NMSU-level scandal to hit the program -- the one that caused the NMSU to shut the team down for the year.

Actually, can we just shut the team down for the year anyway?

[ShockerFever]

It appeared that a decent size contingent of what I would assume are ‘A’ list fans made the trip with the teams on the game chartered flight which is a 175+ seat 737.

That has got to be a tense ride home. Can you imagine HCPM passing through the plane and thanking these supporters for making the trip!!

The real fans.

[shock]

Mississippi St looks rootable. Maybe we can just turn into a msu forum

[Onegreatracer]

Mississippi St looks rootable. Maybe we can just turn into a msu forum

They really are awesome to watch. It’s a HCGM team with a more modern offense.

[WuShock16]

He keeps popping up in my head. Not sure if he has any interest in coaching anymore but he could open some wallets.

I think WSU is the one place that he would consider at this point in his career and life. And one reason that he would consider it is that it would give him a chance to work with his son.

I got some mixed reviews when I suggested him in the past couple of years. Too blah, people said. Been there, done that.

I hope people understand now that we could have done a lot worse than Mark. And at this point, I’m not completely sure that we could do much better.

[shock]

I think WSU is the one place that he would consider at this point in his career and life. And one reason that he would consider it is that it would give him a chance to work with his son.

I got some mixed reviews when I suggested him in the past couple of years. Too blah, people said. Been there, done that.

I hope people understand now that we could have done a lot worse than Mark. And at this point, I’m not completely sure that we could do much better.

I’m not convinced a good coach is going to cut it. It used to be that a good coach could come into a lower university, recruit mid level guys that fit together, coach them up, and add guys the next two years to put them over the top. Now everyone is running a one and done program but without the ability to coach them up. I think this is the future unless we move NAIA, which I can’t believe I’m saying.

look at the 201X UK program. They rarely got it together before March. Look at Memphis under penny every year. Now all of us are going to underachieve.

NCAA is ruined.

[asiseeit]

And there you have it - the NCAA IS ruined. One of two things has to happen. Either the NCAA reverses course to amateur athleticism or a new amateur division established with strict amateur rules like we used to have. Personally, I despise what the NCAA has evolved into.

[SubGod22]

I think WSU is the one place that he would consider at this point in his career and life. And one reason that he would consider it is that it would give him a chance to work with his son.

I got some mixed reviews when I suggested him in the past couple of years. Too blah, people said. Been there, done that.

I hope people understand now that we could have done a lot worse than Mark. And at this point, I’m not completely sure that we could do much better.

I'm not a big fan of him but respect what he did while here. But I agree that we'd be much better off with him than what we've had the past five years.

[Good News]

And there you have it - the NCAA IS ruined. One of two things has to happen. Either the NCAA reverses course to amateur athleticism or a new amateur division established with strict amateur rules like we used to have. Personally, I despise what the NCAA has evolved into.

A friend of mine is a very experienced high school coach that has sent many players to D1 schools. He introduced me a few weeks ago to the person who runs a very highly regarded recruiting service. I took the opportunity to ask him his opinion of how NIL and removal of the transfer penalty had affected the quality of the college product.

He pointed out that there are a lot more bag men and middlemen than there used to be because it's not illegal anymore, and the people running things are concerned about it enough to be thinking about rules/regulations.

The other thing he mentioned was that everybody is very interested (or concerned) to see the next renewal of the March Madness television contract/rights, because "they are worried about killing the goose that lays the golden eggs".

At which point I took the opportunity to explain to him that 10 years ago I spent hundreds of hours of my time and thousand of dollars of my money every year on print, radio, TV, and travel related to college basketball... and last year I didn't even watch the NCAA tournament.

He stared at me.

I specifically referenced the dynamic where IF we found a Van Vleet or Shamet or Reaves, they either didn't develop their full potential or they did and we watch them get bought by a UT-Austin. Why do I want to spend my time and money supporting a mercenary culture when I can just watch the NBA - or G League, for that matter - and see a higher skill level?

I also said I didn't think I was the only person that felt like college basketball was broken and not worth my time.


TLDR: the NCAA *is* ruined. And I think people are starting to figure it out.

[rjl]

If you put the 2014 team in here as a 2025 team, the fan base was robust and devoted enough that there would have been substantial NIL contribution.

And I don't buy any theory that our current woes have anything to do with NIL. We're getting beat handily by teams that I can guarantee have next to nothing for NIL funds.

Yes, it does hurt us that we would have had Colby Rogers had he not left to go to Memphis. But who knows how much of that was money and how much of it was playing for Mills for a year and seeing the writing on the wall. Again, if Mills was even just decent as a coach the NIL funds would follow.

[Stickboy46]

If you put the 2014 team in here as a 2025 team, the fan base was robust and devoted enough that there would have been substantial NIL contribution.

And I don't buy any theory that our current woes have anything to do with NIL. We're getting beat handily by teams that I can guarantee have next to nothing for NIL funds.

Yes, it does hurt us that we would have had Colby Rogers had he not left to go to Memphis. But who knows how much of that was money and how much of it was playing for Mills for a year and seeing the writing on the wall. Again, if Mills was even just decent as a coach the NIL funds would follow.

We got blown out by UMKC .. if anyone tries to make that a "NIL" problem, they need to be banned from the forum and they can live the rest of their lives on the Shocker Faithful facebook page instead.

[Dan]

The fact that any of our players, other than Ballard or Washington, are receiving NIL money is embarrassing.

[BOBB]

What’s turg up to?

Well, the good news is we have a very long way to climb before we get back to “at this level.”

[Stickboy46]

The fact that any of our players, other than Ballard or Washington, are receiving NIL money is embarrassing.

Toss Bell in there. Local kid, never the effort problem and frankly has been the best player on the floor in multiple games. Frustrating at time sure... But he's earned his NIL

[Aargh]

Toss Bell in there. Local kid, never the effort problem and frankly has been the best player on the floor in multiple games. Frustrating at time sure... But he's earned his NIL

Something I posted during the UMKC game:

If Bell is the best player on the team we're in big trouble.