The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Oh and BTWgood for Coach Haase. Too bad he couldn't nick them for another 500k

(03-26-2015 01:01 AM)linus Wrote:  This is a deviously brilliant move on Watts part. Combine this with the MVC trial balloon and you split the opposition, while giving credence to your supporting champions tripe. IMHO to some degree he's succeeded because we're splitting into hoops vs football parties.


Unfortunately for Watts even the hoops first fans want him to burn in hell so....

True, but the Haase contract came two days after the bombshell exposing Watts' trail of lies. Watts has cooked himself.

(03-25-2015 11:52 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  Big Dee, if I had told you at the start of the season that we'd go 20-16, win the conference tournament, and win a round in the dance, what would you have bet me? If I had come back to you at Christmas time, would you have double or tripled down on it?

Haase did a good job recruiting these kids and an even better job of coaching them up and getting them to buy into playing unselfish team ball. With all the uncertainty swirling around the program, if he got away the fans, students and alumni would burn down the admin building... and its built of UAB red brick.

The raise was sizable, but they simply could not afford to let him get away for any number of reasons, sixteen pages worth of them now.

Yeah I would've, look we won the tournament in Birmingham plus other things fell in place. I don't call

54-46 quite a rising star, plus 26-24 conference record, 28-22 ooc, 4-2 cusa tourney record, and finally 1-1 postseason record worthy of school mil. I barely agreed with the first extension I was only happy he got it because of the situation around Watts and how terrible it would be to lose Haase and not have an A. D. So Watts wouldn't kill bball

(03-26-2015 01:01 AM)linus Wrote:  This is a deviously brilliant move on Watts part. Combine this with the MVC trial balloon and you split the opposition, while giving credence to your supporting champions tripe. IMHO to some degree he's succeeded because we're splitting into hoops vs football parties.


Unfortunately for Watts even the hoops first fans want him to burn in hell so....

I don't see where our fans are split. I see basketball fans saying this is a good thing, or the mvc isn't the worst alternative, and I see football fans responding with you don't know anything, football is the best. I have not seen one person state that going to the mvc is ideal for the future of UAB athletics. I've seen it's likely the best option in a crappy situation.

From day 1, we have had some fanatical football folks who would rather burn the athletic department down than not have a football team. I want the football team back as bad as the next guy, but I have come to terms with the fight that is now on our hands. we need to be proud of everything our other athletic programs are doing, and we need to keep fighting for football. The two can be separated

(03-26-2015 08:37 AM)Big Dee Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 11:52 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  Big Dee, if I had told you at the start of the season that we'd go 20-16, win the conference tournament, and win a round in the dance, what would you have bet me? If I had come back to you at Christmas time, would you have double or tripled down on it?

Haase did a good job recruiting these kids and an even better job of coaching them up and getting them to buy into playing unselfish team ball. With all the uncertainty swirling around the program, if he got away the fans, students and alumni would burn down the admin building... and its built of UAB red brick.

The raise was sizable, but they simply could not afford to let him get away for any number of reasons, sixteen pages worth of them now.

Yeah I would've, look we won the tournament in Birmingham plus other things fell in place. I don't call

54-46 quite a rising star, plus 26-24 conference record, 28-22 ooc, 4-2 cusa tourney record, and finally 1-1 postseason record worthy of school mil. I barely agreed with the first extension I was only happy he got it because of the situation around Watts and how terrible it would be to lose Haase and not have an A. D. So Watts wouldn't kill bball

I'm just curious, what are your expectations for next year? I feel like the first year Haase had was a complete joke, and I always will. I can't really fault him for that one. The next two are more on him, but only to a certain extent. Next year is the first year that I feel like I can completely judge him. I know he knows the game, we now need to see what he can do with expectations.

I've been a supporter of Haase from day 1, but if you were questioning Haase before the CUSA tournament, there is absolutely no reason winning 3 games and one ncaa tournament game should cause you to do a 180 on how you feel about him as a coach.

Personally, I feel like the guy can coach. I also feel like he put really good pieces around himself.

My take is that while the early season was rough he had to integrate six freshmen, he didn't have a lot of upperclassmen to show them the way, and he played a very tough schedule. Add in that William Lee was gimping around on surgery repaired knees. Once we got into the conference schedule the team began to gel. I felt that he was making better coaching decisions, certainly in the home games I was watching. The team grew into a well integrated and unselfish unit, and we kicked butt at home and were, meh, ok on the road. I kinda forgave the Florida swing on the last week of the season because Mehinti was out.

Those are the things we need to clean up next season. The team needs to stay focused and win those road games. We should never have lost to the F_U schools. We probably should have beaten LaTech. The guys need to understand what it takes and then do it, and I think being a year older and more experienced, both as a unit working together and in terms of what is expected and what it takes to succeed, will lead to those road wins.

I hate making predicitions, but I see no reason short of an injury onslaught why we should not compete for both the regular season and tournament championships. Get that done and we are positioned for another chance to dance. Lots can happen, but I'm optimistic about the next couple of years.

(03-26-2015 08:49 AM)blazers9911 Wrote:  

(03-26-2015 08:37 AM)Big Dee Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 11:52 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  Big Dee, if I had told you at the start of the season that we'd go 20-16, win the conference tournament, and win a round in the dance, what would you have bet me? If I had come back to you at Christmas time, would you have double or tripled down on it?

Haase did a good job recruiting these kids and an even better job of coaching them up and getting them to buy into playing unselfish team ball. With all the uncertainty swirling around the program, if he got away the fans, students and alumni would burn down the admin building... and its built of UAB red brick.

The raise was sizable, but they simply could not afford to let him get away for any number of reasons, sixteen pages worth of them now.

Yeah I would've, look we won the tournament in Birmingham plus other things fell in place. I don't call

54-46 quite a rising star, plus 26-24 conference record, 28-22 ooc, 4-2 cusa tourney record, and finally 1-1 postseason record worthy of school mil. I barely agreed with the first extension I was only happy he got it because of the situation around Watts and how terrible it would be to lose Haase and not have an A. D. So Watts wouldn't kill bball

I'm just curious, what are your expectations for next year? I feel like the first year Haase had was a complete joke, and I always will. I can't really fault him for that one. The next two are more on him, but only to a certain extent. Next year is the first year that I feel like I can completely judge him. I know he knows the game, we now need to see what he can do with expectations.

I've been a supporter of Haase from day 1, but if you were questioning Haase before the CUSA tournament, there is absolutely no reason winning 3 games and one ncaa tournament game should cause you to do a 180 on how you feel about him as a coach.

Personally, I feel like the guy can coach. I also feel like he put really good pieces around himself.

Don't really have any this was as great of a ride as the Rampage this season. Tim Floyd said it best we can't win on the road until these youngsters prove this wrong and continue the Bartow beatdowns it's hard to judge. Also other squads aren't gonna lay down because UAB is in town. Shooting was terrible until the NCAA tournament and we still need size and a playmaker.

Charlotte just made a great hire, LaTech lost a great class, Utep could lose Hunter, and Rice and Fau's recruiting has improved. Odu is still pretty much the same top three team. I'm pretty much waiting on the dust to settle with cusa coaches and this spring recruiting period before I write us in the top three of cusa.

Until the conference RPI increases, we are in the same shape every year that we were in this year.

(03-26-2015 09:15 AM)the_blazerman Wrote:  Until the conference RPI increases, we are in the same shape every year that we were in this year.

ODU was one wtf loss away from being in the tournament. That blanket statement just isn't true. The conference rpi moving up would be nice, but we can still make it as an at large in CUSA.

I just hope Haase makes the right roster moves. Tony Parker abused us and Quadree Smith is the biggest prospect with an offer. I know alot of us love Norton but he's better suited coming off the bench to me and getting Ingram or Dylan Smith kills two birds with one stone in the need of a playmaker guard and another big guard. I wish we could go back to a more traditional lineup like year one and two.

Something extremely big that is being overlooked is that Haase is essentially publicly acknowledging that UAB will not be in Conference USA for the 2016-2017 season. Not a "maybe" or whatever, but flat out said "we hope to be in CUSA next year and after that we're looking for what will be a good fit". The narrative has already changed from "We expect to stay in CUSA, period."

(03-26-2015 09:39 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Something extremely big that is being overlooked is that Haase is essentially publicly acknowledging that UAB will not be in Conference USA for the 2016-2017 season. Not a "maybe" or whatever, but flat out said "we hope to be in CUSA next year and after that we're looking for what will be a good fit". The narrative has already changed from "We expect to stay in CUSA, period."

It's on the assumption that football does not come back. If there is no football, there is no Conference USA in 2016-2017.

(03-26-2015 09:30 AM)Big Dee Wrote:  I just hope Haase makes the right roster moves. Tony Parker abused us and Quadree Smith is the biggest prospect with an offer. I know alot of us love Norton but he's better suited coming off the bench to me and getting Ingram or Dylan Smith kills two birds with one stone in the need of a playmaker guard and another big guard. I wish we could go back to a more traditional lineup like year one and two.

Woah that Quadree dude is big. I could see him having a ton of upside.

Watts wants us out of C-USA. There is a lot going on out of the public eye. (No not commenting, just trust me) He wants us in a league that does not have FBS football. He has done things to anger BB and other Presidents in the league. Unless we save football there is zero chance of staying. It would not surprise me if he quickly brokers a deal to another league before any legislation has a chance to take effect.

I agree Mix, I bet he has told Haase you won't be in C-USA.

No the MVC or A-10 would not be a bad landing place but I would rather stay right here, keep football, and continue to build in the league we area charter member of. I can certainly travel to road games cheaper in C-USA.

(03-26-2015 09:47 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Watts wants us out of C-USA. There is a lot going on out of the public eye. (No not commenting, just trust me) He wants us in a league that does not have FBS football. He has done things to anger BB and other Presidents in the league. Unless we save football there is zero chance of staying. It would not surprise me if he quickly brokers a deal to another league before any legislation has a chance to take effect.

I agree Mix, I bet he has told Haase you won't be in C-USA.

No the MVC or A-10 would not be a bad landing place but I would rather stay right here, keep football, and continue to build in the league we area charter member of. I can certainly travel to road games cheaper in C-USA.

If the legislation passes i dont give a damn if we have to start over in the sunbelt because with UABs profile it'll be easy to move up the food chain so to speak.

(03-26-2015 09:47 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Watts wants us out of C-USA. There is a lot going on out of the public eye. (No not commenting, just trust me) He wants us in a league that does not have FBS football. He has done things to anger BB and other Presidents in the league. Unless we save football there is zero chance of staying. It would not surprise me if he quickly brokers a deal to another league before any legislation has a chance to take effect.

I agree Mix, I bet he has told Haase you won't be in C-USA.

No the MVC or A-10 would not be a bad landing place but I would rather stay right here, keep football, and continue to build in the league we area charter member of. I can certainly travel to road games cheaper in C-USA.

^^^

Exactly. Not sure how people could be so ignorant not to see this.

I'm expecting a conference announcement before the legislation has a chance to get through. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a done deal and he is sitting on it until he needs some positive PR.

You're right on Mixdup. Haase and Watts both know they are getting out of CUSA. Like I've said before, if Watts get us in A10, MVS, or AAC, it's over for football.

& it is over for Watts.

That's the plan.

(03-26-2015 09:55 AM)BlazerGold09 Wrote:  I'm expecting a conference announcement before the legislation has a chance to get through. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a done deal and he is sitting on it until he needs some positive PR.

You're right on Mixdup. Haase and Watts both know they are getting out of CUSA. Like I've said before, if Watts get us in A10, MVS, or AAC, it's over for football.

If/when Marshal leaves Wichita State (in the immediate or long-term future) the image of the MVC will take a major hit. They have other good teams but Wichita State is the bell cow. Marshal's replacement will make or break the conference. Of course, it'll take years to determine that. The point is life in a mid-major BB conference is cyclical and make no mistake the MVC is a mid-major basketball conference. Five years from now UAB could be in a one-bid conference based hundreds of miles from Birmingham.