MrTbone
All A-10 player
I absolutely feel for the players. As I was listening yesterday it definitely is a good reminder that these guys are out there busting their asses. I wish they’d be put in a better position to win.
Game thread - A10 Pillow fight vs. Loyola - Wed 3/11 2pm USA
- Thread starter Section9_RowD
- Start date
Me too. Mooney let them down. I think we were hard on all our guys at times this year, but I could see Johnston and Lopez being key pieces on a team that had more talent around them. Even this year's exact team would have been a lot better with better coaching. But, these guys had no chance for success this year.
sman
All A-10 player
brutally honest question, but who on this team would you see getting major minutes on one of our good teams?
Lopez certainly. maybe or maybe not a starter, but he could play.
AA as a freshman would get time, but probably not anywhere near the minutes he got this year if he's on a team with King, or Gilly, or SDJ, or Ced ... etc ...
who else would play ... much less start?
I mentioned Johnston and Lopez in my post, and of course, AA as well, but he got a lot of love all year. Not saying they are all A-10 guys, but I think we all likely would have appreciated them more had they played with an all A-10 guy or 2.
For example, in 2024, we liked Hunt and talked about how good he was. He played with King and Bigs. I think Johnston could have had a much better year playing with King and Bigs than he did playing with Tyne and Tanner, and we would have been giving him more love.
I mentioned earlier we had too many starters this year who should be reserves and too many reserves or even starters who should not be rotation guys, so I am not saying we were a talented team. But, I do think Johnston, Lopez, and AA could be key pieces on good teams with right guys around them.
Back to 2024, Noyes started early. Certainly, AJ could have started over him. Then, once Dji started, our bench was Tyne, a freshman, Roche, Walz, a freshman, and Harris. I definitely think Johnston, Lopez, and AA all could have been key pieces on that team. And this year's Beagle would have been a better option backing up Quinn than a freshman Walz.
sman
All A-10 player
that's a fair evaluation. some pieces, no stars. we had a team of role players. which is why I don't think a better coach coaches them anywhere near the top 4 of the conference.
and again ... not making any excuses for Mooney. feel like I have to footnote that. it's his team. he built the roster.
and again ... not making any excuses for Mooney. feel like I have to footnote that. it's his team. he built the roster.
Spiders4ever
Starter
No one else in the league was interested in the players Mooney had come in, other than Lopez, maybe.....
I think top 4 is almost always doable in the A-10. We probably had mid tier talent this year, and the right coach, with 2 million to spend, could have gotten us top 4.
SpiderTrue
Walk-on
Gut-wrenching way to end the season, no other way to put it. Letting a 15-point lead slip away right on the heels of the 30-point collapse last game is brutal for Spiders everywhere but personally I attribute them to fatigue at the end of what was a trying season. The guys were in games all year. Ten of the losses were by five points or less. We weren't getting run out of the gym every night, that’s a squad that was a couple possessions, a bounce, or a stop away from a very different record. Flip even half of those and the whole conversation around the season changes. We are right at the tipping point of another 23-24 campaign.
Now add the rumors about a serious infusion of NIL cash coming this offseason. If the program finally has more resources to bring in impact players while returning key guys who went through the growing pains this year, the roster could look very different next season. Again, tough ending but the gap between this year and a major bounce-back doesn't feel large at all in my eyes.
Now add the rumors about a serious infusion of NIL cash coming this offseason. If the program finally has more resources to bring in impact players while returning key guys who went through the growing pains this year, the roster could look very different next season. Again, tough ending but the gap between this year and a major bounce-back doesn't feel large at all in my eyes.
Spiders4ever
Starter
I wonder if Caputo gets fired if they lose this game?
sman
All A-10 player
lol ... I forgot the tournament was still going on!
sman
All A-10 player
feels extention-worthy.
Consensus seems to be that Miami is still in, so a bubble team just got the boot. VCU currently seems to be a spot or two above the bubble cutoff in most brackets though.
sman
All A-10 player
so do they ignore the NET, which was supposed to pretty much solve these disputes?
Miami OH was 54 in NET and lost to 204 UMass
KenPom 90 to start the day.
26 of their wins were vs. Quad 3 and 4.
I think the bubble is so bad tho. Miami will probably get in over one those high loss, non deserving majors. Fine by me.
Go Bonnies!
