The last 4 years have each been bottom 12 seasons in school history based on the Simple Rating System metric.

(02-20-2024 09:39 AM)WMInTheBurg Wrote:  The last 4 years have each been bottom 12 seasons in school history based on the Simple Rating System metric.

Still, bringing back Dane is the current top vote getter in the other thread. I don't need to tell this to anybody here, but it's still unbelievable how far we've fallen.

(02-20-2024 10:20 AM)mrjoolius Wrote:  

(02-20-2024 09:39 AM)WMInTheBurg Wrote:  The last 4 years have each been bottom 12 seasons in school history based on the Simple Rating System metric.

Still, bringing back Dane is the current top vote getter in the other thread. I don't need to tell this to anybody here, but it's still unbelievable how far we've fallen.

I think the most insane thing to me is thinking back to a conversation with Fast Break Club (R.I.P.) when they shared some insight into the decrease in donors following Tony being fired. There was a “we’ve hit rock bottom and we’re on the way back up” tone to it and we, collectively, were creating a way to build back.

Nearly 2 years later, I don’t think we’re at rock bottom yet on or off the court.

We’re losing big on the court. We’ve lost the casual fans a while ago. We’re losing diehards now.

And I have zero confidence in that changing anytime soon.

One bright spot from yesterday, we did not lose to Richmond by 34 points...

Va Tech 75 - UVA: 41

I know that it is very hard to find any positives, but my eyeballs tell me that we are a much better defensive team than we have had in a number of years. There is a good amount of athleticism on the roster and it shows up in our defense.

(02-20-2024 11:21 AM)WMTRIBE75 Wrote:  I know that it is very hard to find any positives, but my eyeballs tell me that we are a much better defensive team than we have had in a number of years. There is a good amount of athleticism on the roster and it shows up in our defense.

hilariously, all the advanced metrics say this is our worst defensive team in recent history. KenPom has us 332 out of 362 teams. Finished 329th last year. 2018 was the only pre-Dane year with that poor of an output, and that year we paired a 335th ranked defense with a top 30 offensive (which we very much do not have this year).

(02-20-2024 12:18 PM)tribalwarfare Wrote:  

(02-20-2024 11:21 AM)WMTRIBE75 Wrote:  I know that it is very hard to find any positives, but my eyeballs tell me that we are a much better defensive team than we have had in a number of years. There is a good amount of athleticism on the roster and it shows up in our defense.

hilariously, all the advanced metrics say this is our worst defensive team in recent history. KenPom has us 332 out of 362 teams. Finished 329th last year. 2018 was the only pre-Dane year with that poor of an output, and that year we paired a 335th ranked defense with a top 30 offensive (which we very much do not have this year).

I should have been more specific. I am basing my judgment on the last 4 games.

(02-20-2024 12:24 PM)WMTRIBE75 Wrote:  

(02-20-2024 12:18 PM)tribalwarfare Wrote:  

(02-20-2024 11:21 AM)WMTRIBE75 Wrote:  I know that it is very hard to find any positives, but my eyeballs tell me that we are a much better defensive team than we have had in a number of years. There is a good amount of athleticism on the roster and it shows up in our defense.

hilariously, all the advanced metrics say this is our worst defensive team in recent history. KenPom has us 332 out of 362 teams. Finished 329th last year. 2018 was the only pre-Dane year with that poor of an output, and that year we paired a 335th ranked defense with a top 30 offensive (which we very much do not have this year).

I should have been more specific. I am basing my judgment on the last 4 games.

I'd argue that the basis for a good defensive team is there. We don't rotate particularly well, although we do switch on screens effectively. Usually all a team has to do is be willing to make the extra pass because we'll help and leave someone open. IMO, just more coaching issues. The effort is there and the first part of defense is there, but there's no team concept to our defense. There's no "I'll give you this move because I know that the rest of my team is ready for it and we're prepared to defend the whole play". Just like the offense, it's players dealing with what's in front of them and figuring out the rest as they go.

(02-20-2024 12:24 PM)WMTRIBE75 Wrote:  

(02-20-2024 12:18 PM)tribalwarfare Wrote:  

(02-20-2024 11:21 AM)WMTRIBE75 Wrote:  I know that it is very hard to find any positives, but my eyeballs tell me that we are a much better defensive team than we have had in a number of years. There is a good amount of athleticism on the roster and it shows up in our defense.

hilariously, all the advanced metrics say this is our worst defensive team in recent history. KenPom has us 332 out of 362 teams. Finished 329th last year. 2018 was the only pre-Dane year with that poor of an output, and that year we paired a 335th ranked defense with a top 30 offensive (which we very much do not have this year).

I should have been more specific. I am basing my judgment on the last 4 games.

Yeah Torvik has last night as our best defensive performance of the year actually. We're on an upswing (from abysmal).


Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

(02-20-2024 12:24 PM)WMTRIBE75 Wrote:  

(02-20-2024 12:18 PM)tribalwarfare Wrote:  

(02-20-2024 11:21 AM)WMTRIBE75 Wrote:  I know that it is very hard to find any positives, but my eyeballs tell me that we are a much better defensive team than we have had in a number of years. There is a good amount of athleticism on the roster and it shows up in our defense.

hilariously, all the advanced metrics say this is our worst defensive team in recent history. KenPom has us 332 out of 362 teams. Finished 329th last year. 2018 was the only pre-Dane year with that poor of an output, and that year we paired a 335th ranked defense with a top 30 offensive (which we very much do not have this year).

I should have been more specific. I am basing my judgment on the last 4 games.

Based on the last 4 games, Hampton is also improving. But, unless they catch the Tribe they will finish last and be a quick out in DC in front of very few fans 2 days before the real tournament even begins in the quarters. The last thing the administration needs to hear is that the next month or next year could be better with the current staff. That just further continues the 5 year mistake to several more years. We are in Swenson/Boyages territory where you could show up 2 minutes before tip off and get a great seat. This is the exact path none of us wanted in March of 2019. Hopefully, Mann can move the program from the bottom in a month, but the plan needs to be rapidly moving forward behind the scenes already.