(01-29-2024 03:29 PM)DDrum1961 Wrote:  I've never been a fan of the "Penny has to go' mindset .... That being said, the ESPN segments in which each coach was 'miked up' for a 4 minute run showed a HUGE difference in what I consider to be good X/O's coaching .... Kennedy was not only interacting with the announcers, but calling offensive sets, changing up defenses on the fly, etc .... Penny was barely coherent .... Jimmy Dykes said it best that Memphis looked like it was playing in a Peach Jam game ....

Exactly what I noted. The problem isn't the players. The problem is the fact we don't have an X/O's coach. Penny is a good front man to bring in the recruits. But we need an assistant coach who means business and will get the job done behind the scenes. Until then, it's going to be the same story every season. Sure we might get to the tournament often, but unlikely to advance much. People liked to joke about how Cal didn't know how to coach back in the day. Yeah right. The way he coached when he left here is exactly what this team needs.

(01-29-2024 04:03 PM)scorpius Wrote:  

(01-29-2024 03:29 PM)DDrum1961 Wrote:  I've never been a fan of the "Penny has to go' mindset .... That being said, the ESPN segments in which each coach was 'miked up' for a 4 minute run showed a HUGE difference in what I consider to be good X/O's coaching .... Kennedy was not only interacting with the announcers, but calling offensive sets, changing up defenses on the fly, etc .... Penny was barely coherent .... Jimmy Dykes said it best that Memphis looked like it was playing in a Peach Jam game ....

Exactly what I noted. The problem isn't the players. The problem is the fact we don't have an X/O's coach. Penny is a good front man to bring in the recruits. But we need an assistant coach who means business and will get the job done behind the scenes. Until then, it's going to be the same story every season. Sure we might get to the tournament often, but unlikely to advance much. People liked to joke about how Cal didn't know how to coach back in the day. Yeah right. The way he coached when he left here is exactly what this team needs.

I thought we've had some pretty good assistant coaches. It just appears from watching the games that Penny doesn't rely on them very much.

If Malcom is calling out others, I have to wonder if it's the old case of "The dog with the loudest bark is the one that is most afraid."

(01-29-2024 01:02 PM)cscottl1981 Wrote:  Not saying this guy is the main issue, but NJ is one of the most wildly inconsistent players on the team. One game he looks like a force and the next he looks like he isn’t a D1 player.

Maybe Tomlin coming in messed with his head, I don’t know. He played with great energy at the beginning of the season, but he isn’t offering much on either end of the court now.

I agree. I think it's time to move him to the bench. Maybe it will light a fire under him and be that spark we need off the bench.

(01-29-2024 04:16 PM)oldmangrizz Wrote:  

(01-29-2024 04:03 PM)scorpius Wrote:  

(01-29-2024 03:29 PM)DDrum1961 Wrote:  I've never been a fan of the "Penny has to go' mindset .... That being said, the ESPN segments in which each coach was 'miked up' for a 4 minute run showed a HUGE difference in what I consider to be good X/O's coaching .... Kennedy was not only interacting with the announcers, but calling offensive sets, changing up defenses on the fly, etc .... Penny was barely coherent .... Jimmy Dykes said it best that Memphis looked like it was playing in a Peach Jam game ....

Exactly what I noted. The problem isn't the players. The problem is the fact we don't have an X/O's coach. Penny is a good front man to bring in the recruits. But we need an assistant coach who means business and will get the job done behind the scenes. Until then, it's going to be the same story every season. Sure we might get to the tournament often, but unlikely to advance much. People liked to joke about how Cal didn't know how to coach back in the day. Yeah right. The way he coached when he left here is exactly what this team needs.

I thought we've had some pretty good assistant coaches. It just appears from watching the games that Penny doesn't rely on them very much.

He won't. It's been 6 years. It's not going to change.

may be a reason why Pitino had DJ on a shorter leash at St Johns.

(01-29-2024 04:51 PM)TonyG Wrote:  may be a reason why Pitino had DJ on a shorter leash at St Johns.

I mean, Pitino never coached DJ at St. John's.

(01-29-2024 04:20 PM)former guest Wrote:  If Malcom is calling out others, I have to wonder if it's the old case of "The dog with the loudest bark is the one that is most afraid."

Malcolm may be the wrong one to take the leadership role and call anyone out.

He and DJ had to be restrained during a TO recently and he been seen yelling at a coach.

This team may have already been lost.

The Major always instilled one concept in those under him.

You can start off hard and ease up if needed.

But can never start off easy and later get hard.

Well, judging from the quotes in the CA from Malcom, dude is just plain telling it like it is, and be damned if you don't want to hear it. Somebody gotta talk about the elephant in the room and Malco is stepping up. My respect for the guy has just increase tremendously. Hopefully, what he is saying will not fall on deft ears.
Need to make up some t-shirts that say "I'm with the Goon Squad!!!"

For those who refuse to pay to read, here is a portion of the article:

“I think we disconnected somewhere, where people’s goals are different,” he said. “If your goal isn’t for the team to win the game, then you’re thinking about self. When guys aren’t locked in on the ultimate assignment, they’re focused on what they want to focus on because they think we’re going to win the game regardless, that’s what happens.”

Hardaway, without naming names and refusing to single out leading scorers David Jones and Jahvon Quinerly (who have combined for 22 of the Tigers’ 36 turnovers the past two games), echoed Dandridge’s sentiments.

“I don’t think everyone’s pulling the rope in the same direction,” he said. “Guys are feeling like they can do it individually, by themselves, because they’ve done it where they’ve been. Obviously, we see that’s not true.”
Bring back ‘The Goon Squad’

As the Tigers bused back to Memphis late Sunday, Dandridge’s mind was wandering toward the future. Specifically, the former East High star was pondering the first order of business for the team once it reconvenes for practice Monday.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out right now: Where do we go from here?” he said.

The answer, in his mind, is simple. The team has no issues scoring points. Dandridge is no coach, but he knows a solution when he sees it.

“I don’t make those decisions. But if I did, I’m riding with the guts of the team,” he said. “What Penny likes to call ‘The Goon Squad.’ We’ve done lost three games in a row, we’re not walking on eggshells anymore. It’s time to make some changes.

“Just making sure, at all times, it’s five dogs on the court. We need more dogs on the court. People that understand defense, that’s what we’re lacking right now.”

Dandridge said that right now, there is no "Goon Squad."

“(But) that should be the word of the year for the rest of the year, man. ‘Goon Squad,’ ” he said. “Fighters. Dogs. Nothing else.”

(01-29-2024 03:50 PM)SeñorTiger Wrote:  

(01-29-2024 03:15 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  It starts with Jones. If he left tomorrow, we’d be a significantly better team within 2 weeks.

That is crazy talk. He led the team in every single category except blocks. We had 1 total blocked shot in the UAB game, Tomlin...

Jones is 5th in the country in scoring and has been in serious consideration as an All American. Take Jones off this team and we are still giving up an incredible amount of points and no longer have a player able to create his own shot and open the floor for others, very similar to offensive issues we have had in the past with Penny's teams.

This^

Anyone saying we should get rid of the 5th best scorer in the country needs their head examined.

You guys are not going to like my answer-It's coaching (lack of strategy, lack of identity, lack of adjustment, wrong personnel on the floor (if it's upto me Jayden won't see a single minute rest of teh season), not call TO's before it's too late.

Boys are fighting and hustling, but without any direction. If this is what we put out after a week long preparation, then it's coaching.

And even, if we have chemistry issues, CPH do not need to air the dirty laundry in front of the whole world, after each loss; and not taking any responsibility. You ae the COACH, deal with it and fix it; and most improtantly, take responsibility and ACCOUNTABILTY, rather than throwing your kids under the bus, every time. Just Pathetic.

We’d be awful without Jones. Starting over from the beginning w/out him, we wouldn’t make the NIT. However, he needs to learn to play within the team concept.

DJ and JQ have bailed us out a lot, but you can tell teams are just swarming them b/c they know they won’t pass or they’ll hold onto the ball too long.

(01-29-2024 06:27 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(01-29-2024 04:51 PM)TonyG Wrote:  may be a reason why Pitino had DJ on a shorter leash at St Johns.

I mean, Pitino never coached DJ at St. John's.

(01-29-2024 03:15 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  It starts with Jones. If he left tomorrow, we’d be a significantly better team within 2 weeks.

If Jones left tomorrow, you can kiss any shot at the NCAA tourney goodbye. He’s still our go-to guy when we need a score.

(01-29-2024 12:47 PM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  JQ doesn’t exactly play hard on defense. I think a better thread would be who we don’t call out. Malcolm was saying we need dogs yet he didn’t have a single defensive rebound

And only had 3 rebounds total. Getting out rebounded has been a problem all year. They don't jump to get the rebound but wait on the floor for the ball to come down. I think about the Tigers Omar Sneed who was 6'4'' and was a top rebounder. Dane Bradshaw from (excuse pls) Tennessee. He could barely raise his arms above his head but still managed to battle to get rebounds successfully. Charles Barkley led the league in the NBA several times in rebounding but was about 6'6" at best. DeAndre was the Tigers leading rebounder and one of the conference leaders and weighed about 210 lbs. There is no excuse for a player 6'8'' and 260 lbs to get beat out for rebounds in so many games.

(01-29-2024 08:12 PM)presskh Wrote:  

(01-29-2024 03:15 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  It starts with Jones. If he left tomorrow, we’d be a significantly better team within 2 weeks.

If Jones left tomorrow, you can kiss any shot at the NCAA tourney goodbye. He’s still our go-to guy when we need a score.

Being the team or league leader in scoring is not always what's best for the team. See Wilt Chamberlain or Pete Maravich.

(01-29-2024 08:17 PM)Antonio5fan Wrote:  

(01-29-2024 08:12 PM)presskh Wrote:  

(01-29-2024 03:15 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  It starts with Jones. If he left tomorrow, we’d be a significantly better team within 2 weeks.

If Jones left tomorrow, you can kiss any shot at the NCAA tourney goodbye. He’s still our go-to guy when we need a score.

Being the team or league leader in scoring is not always what's best for the team. See Wilt Chamberlain or Pete Maravich.

Agreed

If you score 28 & turn it over 9 times… refuse to close out & defend… shoot instead of passing to the open man… and in so doing alienate your team & kill morale, then you’re costing your team far more than you’re contributing.

Jones is on his 3rd team for a reason…

(01-29-2024 06:53 PM)mapdude Wrote:  Well, judging from the quotes in the CA from Malcom, dude is just plain telling it like it is, and be damned if you don't want to hear it. Somebody gotta talk about the elephant in the room and Malco is stepping up. My respect for the guy has just increase tremendously. Hopefully, what he is saying will not fall on deft ears.
Need to make up some t-shirts that say "I'm with the Goon Squad!!!"

For those who refuse to pay to read, here is a portion of the article:

“I think we disconnected somewhere, where people’s goals are different,” he said. “If your goal isn’t for the team to win the game, then you’re thinking about self. When guys aren’t locked in on the ultimate assignment, they’re focused on what they want to focus on because they think we’re going to win the game regardless, that’s what happens.”

Hardaway, without naming names and refusing to single out leading scorers David Jones and Jahvon Quinerly (who have combined for 22 of the Tigers’ 36 turnovers the past two games), echoed Dandridge’s sentiments.

“I don’t think everyone’s pulling the rope in the same direction,” he said. “Guys are feeling like they can do it individually, by themselves, because they’ve done it where they’ve been. Obviously, we see that’s not true.”
Bring back ‘The Goon Squad’

As the Tigers bused back to Memphis late Sunday, Dandridge’s mind was wandering toward the future. Specifically, the former East High star was pondering the first order of business for the team once it reconvenes for practice Monday.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out right now: Where do we go from here?” he said.

The answer, in his mind, is simple. The team has no issues scoring points. Dandridge is no coach, but he knows a solution when he sees it.

“I don’t make those decisions. But if I did, I’m riding with the guts of the team,” he said. “What Penny likes to call ‘The Goon Squad.’ We’ve done lost three games in a row, we’re not walking on eggshells anymore. It’s time to make some changes.

“Just making sure, at all times, it’s five dogs on the court. We need more dogs on the court. People that understand defense, that’s what we’re lacking right now.”

Dandridge said that right now, there is no "Goon Squad."

“(But) that should be the word of the year for the rest of the year, man. ‘Goon Squad,’ ” he said. “Fighters. Dogs. Nothing else.”

Basically, Memphis is NOT playing defense.. Yesterday, ESPN said the same sh*t.. "Memphis looks suspect coming March if they are not tightening on defense."

Hate to say it, but i am beginning to lose interest in this team. They take no pride in themselves and especially no pride in their team.

(01-29-2024 08:37 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(01-29-2024 08:17 PM)Antonio5fan Wrote:  

(01-29-2024 08:12 PM)presskh Wrote:  

(01-29-2024 03:15 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  It starts with Jones. If he left tomorrow, we’d be a significantly better team within 2 weeks.

If Jones left tomorrow, you can kiss any shot at the NCAA tourney goodbye. He’s still our go-to guy when we need a score.

Being the team or league leader in scoring is not always what's best for the team. See Wilt Chamberlain or Pete Maravich.

Agreed

If you score 28 & turn it over 9 times… refuse to close out & defend… shoot instead of passing to the open man… and in so doing alienate your team & kill morale, then you’re costing your team far more than you’re contributing.

Jones is on his 3rd team for a reason…

Hit that nail right on the head....

Can you just imagine what it would be like with a kid that had Mikey's mental attitude?