Re: The problem with not firing Brownell this year.

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well heres the thing...it all has to do with being fortunate

Mar 14, 2019, 4:31 PM

or not..with recruits.

A 15-17 win team is good. And i'd go out on a limb and say he's gotten good recruits/transfers that have helped us be average to above average. Mid Pack in the ACC is not a gimme. It takes good players and sound preparation/coaching to maintain that level in this conference. What we have yet to see is what would happen if we got a legit NBA-like stud player to complement our base of average/above average talent.

If Brad were to have gotten lucky and added a Zion or a Brice Johnson or player like that which we've been in on right until the end but have yet to snag (which Oliver PUrnell did the same with Shumphert, Favors, etc. If we end up eventually signing a guy like that to go with a good base like we tend to have...then that takes us to that level we're looking for. B/c at the end of the day I think Brad does a good job with what he has. WE just didn't have any killer instinct in the leadership of this team. If we could somehow have gotten Terrell McIntyre out of his coaching gear and back in playing gear we would have won 8 of the 10 of those close games b/c he was a baller that was going to win and be clutch.

But we don't seem to ever have "that guy" to be the head and shoulders leader that puts us over the hump. If Brad had snagged Zion for this season we're probably 3rd/4th in the ACC and looking like a legit pick to go to the final four. Mitchell and Reed at 1 and 2 Guard, Skara/Simms, Zion, and Thomas to round out the lineup..

Pretty sure we walk the dog in this conference and its a struggle between Clemson/UNC/Duke/UVA for the top spot. But didnt' happen. And we're back to battle for the 8th spot.

So do we hold out hope for somethign that hasn't happened yet or do we cut bait and risk a Shyatt hire? If you cut bait you gotta be right.

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This is a good take.

Purnell's entire NCAA run was based on Trevor Booker. A unknown mid-level NBA talent that was not recruited by any other program (save Wofford). Even then, Booker's most impactful season was his sophomore year and as other teams knew we were one deep there, the return on his skillset diminished.

What hurt this year was that we were unexpectedly awful from 3. You don't see teams shooting 32% from the arc and limited big-men make it to .500. That was some coaching to make that work. Also, I don't think Reed was 100%, he hustled like heck but you could see in the end-games that he was tapped out and did not have Grantham or Mitchell to be a major option. You are right, add another major talent/weapon and this suddenly becomes a 23+ win team and 11-5 in conference easily.

I agree also about knowing what we would bring in before getting rid of a very good coach. I don't see a lot of young potential right now. Even then, a lot of other mid-majors are a lot more attractive (the VCU teams). Any young "can win" coach will look at us as being a team that fires a guy for being .500 is a very top heavy conference while being a bottom-dweller in resources.

And dang, BB is keeping our head above water and doing it cleanly. I know that IF we get rid of Brad, a couple of major/former major programs with "issues" will take a good long look at him knowing that he could keep them from pitting and maybe do better with the right support.

So who do we get? Is there a Tony Bennett coach: a Sweet Sixteen Coach is getting his purse cut or is being fired... oh wait...

The problem with not firing Brownell this year.

It drops 425k, 850k to 425k. That's peanuts