https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.yahoo....00399.html

the AD public show of support comes on March 31
At least Pat Ewing got his public show on March 2.

Mann oh Mann. This guy is tying his fate to Dane. I try to see both sides but I can’t wrap my head around this lack of insight.

“I still think that Coach Fischer is the right guy for the program and he’s got my full support,” said Mann, whose experience includes oversight of the University of California men’s basketball program when he was in Berkeley. “What I’m learning about this and hearing about this is that this is not a program in trouble.

“It’s not about a bad culture. It’s not about a poor student-athlete experience. (The transferring players) are making their own individual decisions.

“I think Dane has created and built a really strong culture and he cares deeply about our student-athletes. That means a lot to me.”

Maybe Mann is over his head, too.

I’m officially DONE with MBB until Mann gets his head out of his [blank].

Sounds like Mann is ready to extend Dane. Maybe he can get a discounted rate.

The comments from Dane make it sound like Tyler and Wight are not transfering. Though it is pretty obvious, he did indicate that they plan on hitting the transfer portal to fill the holes

I wouldn't overead into Mann's comments. I think all you can get out of it is Dane won't be fired this offseason. In order for Dane to have any hope of recruiting he needs to be able to convince kids he's not getting fired.

I agree. The “we can’t afford to fire Dane” decision had already been made and was final, so Mann’s only option is to stick his thumb into the raging torrent where the dike used to be.

"Mann said he also cares about winning and expects to see “progress” next year as Fischer continues to build. He indicated he is hearing from a fan base that expects that, too — many still bristling from the surprise dismissal of head coach Tony Shaver in 2019 — and said that is fine."

I guess you can't flat out say your head coach is on the hot seat, but I really hope "progress" doesn't just mean exceeding this year's win total by a couple wins. They could easily beat up on 2-3 D3 teams, get a couple wins over Hampton and North Carolina A&T (two opportunities each?), and schedule a few more sub 300 teams in nonconference play in an effort to show "progress".

I think the best takeaway from the article is that Dane is finally coming around on the the transfer portal. Curious to see if he backs it up with actions but I think hitting a home run portal guys is the only way he saves his job at this point.

(03-31-2022 10:18 PM)Prestige Wrote:  ... I guess you can't flat out say your head coach is on the hot seat, but I really hope "progress" doesn't just mean exceeding this year's win total by a couple wins. They could easily beat up on 2-3 D3 teams, get a couple wins over Hampton and North Carolina A&T (two opportunities each?), and schedule a few more sub 300 teams in nonconference play in an effort to show "progress".

To counteract that approach...to me, progress is wins in the CAA. He can start by achieving 10 CAA wins --- something that Tony did, what, 8 or 10 years in a row (before getting canned by someone who was too stupid to know how great that was).

Very interesting news outlet to say the least. It almost seems like a pure PR piece to help find the transfers. Mann certainly can spin it. I'll trust what the players say/do. They know way more than Mann ever will.

Of all of the players on our roster, I really believe that Ben Wight has the most to offer another program, just from his effort alone. I really thought that he would be the next domino to fall and then I realized that while he still has three years of eligibility left (he redshirted his first year and can also bank his Covid year), he is a Junior academically and should be on schedule to graduate next year. I am probably very naïve for thinking this but I would hope that he would not want to forgo his opportunity to earn a degree from W&M after spending three years here. My guess is that he would wait and transfer after next year.

Both the athletes and administration are putting a pretty public bow on this. I get it. The transfer kids are trying not to kick the program on the way out and the AD/coaches want to convey all is well. I also understand kids being frustrated by losing and liking the thought of greener pastures. If that is all it is, than it is what it is.

What bothers me is this unofficial talk that kids love W&M, but had to leave because "circumstances made it uncomfortable" for a return. What does that even mean? Was Dane unreasonable or out of line? Did they not like getting recruited over? Was there coaching abuse or are some of these student athletes, for lack of a better term, soft?
Mann's public position, whether driven by finances, program viability necessity, being in the know, or ignorance - is that the direction of the program is sound and that the departures are simply kids looking for something different. I'll guess we will have a better idea of the whole truth if Dane gets an extension or we are looking for a new coach this coming off season.

(04-01-2022 07:59 AM)WMTRIBE75 Wrote:  Of all of the players on our roster, I really believe that Ben Wight has the most to offer another program, just from his effort alone. I really thought that he would be the next domino to fall and then I realized that while he still has three years of eligibility left (he redshirted his first year and can also bank his Covid year), he is a Junior academically and should be on schedule to graduate next year. I am probably very naïve for thinking this but I would hope that he would not want to forgo his opportunity to earn a degree from W&M after spending three years here. My guess is that he would wait and transfer after next year.

If you follow these kids on social media, which I unfortunately do, you'd see that he is head over heels for a W&M girl. That may not be the overriding decision maker, but it would certainly be an incentive to stay. I think you are right though. The wise move is to earn his degree and then I envision him moving on diploma in hand.

Tyler is the one that shocks me. His entire recruiting class and backcourt mate transferred out and they just got a commitment from a kid at his position.

(04-01-2022 08:22 AM)mrjoolius Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 07:59 AM)WMTRIBE75 Wrote:  Of all of the players on our roster, I really believe that Ben Wight has the most to offer another program, just from his effort alone. I really thought that he would be the next domino to fall and then I realized that while he still has three years of eligibility left (he redshirted his first year and can also bank his Covid year), he is a Junior academically and should be on schedule to graduate next year. I am probably very naïve for thinking this but I would hope that he would not want to forgo his opportunity to earn a degree from W&M after spending three years here. My guess is that he would wait and transfer after next year.

If you follow these kids on social media, which I unfortunately do, you'd see that he is head over heels for a W&M girl. That may not be the overriding decision maker, but it would certainly be an incentive to stay. I think you are right though. The wise move is to earn his degree and then I envision him moving on diploma in hand.

Tyler is the one that shocks me. His entire recruiting class and backcourt mate transferred out and they just got a commitment from a kid at his position.

The girlfriend factor for Ben is a huge part of the reason. Rule 1 should be to get a player, that you want to keep, a girlfriend, right away...


I was also surprised by Tyler not putting his name in the Portal, as his was one of the earliest rumors out there, of players considering a transfer.


One thing that has not been discussed here is the ridiculous set of hoops and barrels you have to go through and around, just to get into W&M, as a transfer. Ask anyone you know, who went through it to get in and you will be amazed at how hard it is to get credits to transfer over and how long the process generally takes.

The Admissions Office has had an ultra elitist attitude for decades (for transfers and freshmen), but when it comes to getting athletes in to the program, (as we need to do now) the process of checking out their scholastic record and whether the former school's program is good enough to measure up to W&M's standards, definitely slows up everything. Which, in real world scenarios says that a player considering transferring to W&M or another school, will get accepted much quicker into the other school, and possibly decide because of that, it might be better to take the bird in the hand...

(03-31-2022 11:10 PM)Zorch Wrote:  

(03-31-2022 10:18 PM)Prestige Wrote:  ... I guess you can't flat out say your head coach is on the hot seat, but I really hope "progress" doesn't just mean exceeding this year's win total by a couple wins. They could easily beat up on 2-3 D3 teams, get a couple wins over Hampton and North Carolina A&T (two opportunities each?), and schedule a few more sub 300 teams in nonconference play in an effort to show "progress".

To counteract that approach...to me, progress is wins in the CAA. He can start by achieving 10 CAA wins --- something that Tony did, what, 8 or 10 years in a row (before getting canned by someone who was too stupid to know how great that was).

This is the problem with progress. We're adding more bottom tier D1 teams to the conference so naturally the CAA win total is going to increase and naturally our place in the conference is going to rise.

So at bare minimum success needs to be a higher finish in the standings. So we were 9th this year, take out JMU, puts us 8th so progress is at least 6th or 7th at the minimum and that should be the floor despite next year 6th would technically be a top half of the conference finish.

(04-01-2022 08:22 AM)mrjoolius Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 07:59 AM)WMTRIBE75 Wrote:  Of all of the players on our roster, I really believe that Ben Wight has the most to offer another program, just from his effort alone. I really thought that he would be the next domino to fall and then I realized that while he still has three years of eligibility left (he redshirted his first year and can also bank his Covid year), he is a Junior academically and should be on schedule to graduate next year. I am probably very naïve for thinking this but I would hope that he would not want to forgo his opportunity to earn a degree from W&M after spending three years here. My guess is that he would wait and transfer after next year.

If you follow these kids on social media, which I unfortunately do, you'd see that he is head over heels for a W&M girl. That may not be the overriding decision maker, but it would certainly be an incentive to stay. I think you are right though. The wise move is to earn his degree and then I envision him moving on diploma in hand.

Tyler is the one that shocks me. His entire recruiting class and backcourt mate transferred out and they just got a commitment from a kid at his position.

I was in DC for our tourney game and the one positive that I walked away with was that I thought that it was the best game that Tyler played all year at the point. He ran the team with confidence and I felt that he was the one player who really improved for us this year in spite of everything. I heard his post game interview and he just sounded like a player who was ready to take ownership of the team. Sadly, at this point, he does not currently have much of a team to take ownership of.

I really hope that he stays with us because I believe that he has the potential to become a very good CAA point guard. I am choosing to look at Lowe's arrival as giving us an additional ball handler that we desperately need alongside Tyler rather than one who will challenge the minutes that Tyler gets to play.

Having said that, I would not be shocked at all if Tyler entered to portal unless he has been reassured by the coaching staff that the talent level that he will direct next year will ultimately greatly exceed the talent level that he directed this year.

I have nothing to base this on and I could be proven wrong at any minute, but I got the feel from the Dane quotes in the article that he was not taken by surprise by the sudden departure of those in the portal and mentioned Ben and Tyler staying as if he already had spoken to them.

(04-01-2022 09:24 AM)mrjoolius Wrote:  I have nothing to base this on and I could be proven wrong at any minute, but I got the feel from the Dane quotes in the article that he was not taken by surprise by the sudden departure of those in the portal and mentioned Ben and Tyler staying as if he already had spoken to them.

Yep. Absolutely my read as well.

(04-01-2022 08:47 AM)billymac Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 08:22 AM)mrjoolius Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 07:59 AM)WMTRIBE75 Wrote:  Of all of the players on our roster, I really believe that Ben Wight has the most to offer another program, just from his effort alone. I really thought that he would be the next domino to fall and then I realized that while he still has three years of eligibility left (he redshirted his first year and can also bank his Covid year), he is a Junior academically and should be on schedule to graduate next year. I am probably very naïve for thinking this but I would hope that he would not want to forgo his opportunity to earn a degree from W&M after spending three years here. My guess is that he would wait and transfer after next year.

If you follow these kids on social media, which I unfortunately do, you'd see that he is head over heels for a W&M girl. That may not be the overriding decision maker, but it would certainly be an incentive to stay. I think you are right though. The wise move is to earn his degree and then I envision him moving on diploma in hand.

Tyler is the one that shocks me. His entire recruiting class and backcourt mate transferred out and they just got a commitment from a kid at his position.

The girlfriend factor for Ben is a huge part of the reason. Rule 1 should be to get a player, that you want to keep, a girlfriend, right away...


I was also surprised by Tyler not putting his name in the Portal, as his was one of the earliest rumors out there, of players considering a transfer.


One thing that has not been discussed here is the ridiculous set of hoops and barrels you have to go through and around, just to get into W&M, as a transfer. Ask anyone you know, who went through it to get in and you will be amazed at how hard it is to get credits to transfer over and how long the process generally takes.

The Admissions Office has had an ultra elitist attitude for decades (for transfers and freshmen), but when it comes to getting athletes in to the program, (as we need to do now) the process of checking out their scholastic record and whether the former school's program is good enough to measure up to W&M's standards, definitely slows up everything. Which, in real world scenarios says that a player considering transferring to W&M or another school, will get accepted much quicker into the other school, and possibly decide because of that, it might be better to take the bird in the hand...

I made a fuss about our ridiculous admissions mandates and no athletics or admissions administrator responded. Not even an acknowledgment of receipt. Other than finances, it’s the biggest problem we have at W&M Athletics. I loathe our elitist snobby attitude.

(04-01-2022 10:47 AM)Tribal Wrote:  Other than finances, it’s the biggest problem we have at W&M Athletics. I loathe our elitist snobby attitude.

Yep, completely unnecessary and holds us back all the time. No one is advocating taking poor students. Just eliminate this meaningless GPA requirement hurdle that has no bearing on whether a student athlete will thrive and graduate.