I truly believe you could give Mooney a 10 mil Nil budget and the results

[sman]

I think we've all agreed it hasn't been good enough, and nobody wants to give him more time.
but he's back next year with NIL money to spend.
you can either root for UR ... knowing that success means he'll continue to be back.
or root against UR to end his time ... which most of us can't do.

 

[Spiderguy]

I think we've all agreed it hasn't been good enough, and nobody wants to give him more time.
but he's back next year with NIL money to spend.
you can either root for UR ... knowing that success means he'll continue to be back.
or root against UR to end his time ... which most of us can't do.

I'll go on record as someone who was cooked long ago by Mooney. I've seen this coming for years & watched all the bad coaching & admin decisions about the program. Nothing surprises me how bad we are. It should surprise no one. I realize we've picked up some converts along the way.

I'll always root for the team & players regardless of my opinions about CM & Hardt.

 

[SpiderRick]

I will simplify this. Mooney has been running the same coaching system and scheme for 21 years. Richmond has been playing the same teams in the A10 for 21 years. I would say that they all know what's coming next year.

 

[vt4700]

work with me here, vt. it's just a dream.
I'm not saying add these players after their peak seasons.
if all 3 of those former great Spiders hit the portal from wherever in this dream scenario after their freshman years, they could each be had for way less than $700k. Burton might get expensive after his sophomore season, but the others still wouldn't.
now Mooney just has to find those future studs.

So, you are asking to hit on 3 guys in this coming portal year who are like our best or one of our best players from 3 different eras. Well, yes, I think if any team could name 3 of their best players ever, over a 13 year period, and get them in the portal this year, that would be great for them.

 

[vt4700]

say for argument's sake we were offering transfers $100k.
say now we're able to offer $500k+.

that gets you in the door with a different level of transfer.

If he is playing in the same easy to coach against offense and defense, does it matter?

 

[sman]

So, you are asking to hit on 3 guys in this coming portal year who are like our best or one of our best players from 3 different eras. Well, yes, I think if any team could name 3 of their best players ever, over a 13 year period, and get them in the portal this year, that would be great for them.

the point is we seem to have a totally different budget.
you miss on high school recruits.
you even miss on $100k transfers. you kind of know what you're getting and they're good. it's just not top talent.

it's not proven yet, but I'm confident that barring injury you won't miss on $700k transfers. those are "best players on our roster" guys.

 

[Spider B]

If you are going to increase NIL to top of A10 that indicates that UR is serious about winning (i will believe it when i see it). But you just can't throw money at it. Why not reset the entire program leadership like SLU did. A total reset. This is the perfect time. Go all in and get the right coach in place.

 

[Urmite]

I’m still upset about missing the NCAA in 2015 because we only had 40% of the NIL of the top teams in the A10…

 

[Spider17]

If you are going to increase NIL to top of A10 that indicates that UR is serious about winning (i will believe it when i see it). But you just can't throw money at it. Why not reset the entire program leadership like SLU did. A total reset. This is the perfect time. Go all in and get the right coach in place.

The cynical view is that the university wants Mooney to be the coach for life so they’ll do anything they can to help even if it’s at the expense of what’s best for the program.

I think the practical, nuanced answer is that increasing the funds for next year is still cheaper than buying out Mooney’s contract. He is well respected and has had success in recent years so they want to give him the benefit of the doubt and whatever opportunities necessary to help him succeed. If we have another year like this next season with a doubled NIL, he will surely be gone.

 

[sman]

If he is playing in the same easy to coach against offense and defense, does it matter?

imo ... yes, the players matter.

 

[Spider17]

Think of players like having the ingredients and the coach is the chef to put things together. An average chef can only do so much with a few, simple ingredients. A great chef can still create a wonderful dish by making the most of the ingredients he has. A bad chef can look better than he is when working with the best ingredients (this is what UR hopes can happen with Mooney).

Ideally we have a great chef and give him the best ingredients possible. Then a masterpiece is created. This is what I’m hoping UR sees with Roussell.

 

[Spider17]

So to complete this analogy.

The owner of a steakhouse restaurant (UR’s leadership) has a chef (Mooney) making dishes (winning games) with ingredients he has (players) to serve to the customer (us fans).

The chef who has worked at the restaurant for 21 years has had adequate ingredients and while revenue hasn’t been the greatest, hasn’t been the worst either over the years. The restaurant has gotten some awards over this stretch. However, 3 of the past 4 years, the chef began serving customers burnt steak. The customers complain to the owner that they’re paying for this food that is burnt.

The owner talks to the chef who says the reason his steaks are burnt is because there is a Michelin star restaurant (VCU) down the street serving Wagyu/Kobe beef. The owner, rather than asking the chef to perhaps change the way he cooks the steak or find another chef who can prepare the steaks adequately with the kitchen and ingredients they have, decides to give the chef Wagyu beef as well.

 

[Spiderguy]

If he is playing in the same easy to coach against offense and defense, does it matter?

imo ... yes, the players matter.

My thinking is that better players can make some marginal difference but not some panacea. As long as CM is coach, he will always be an anchor on the players and the fans. I doubt the expected benefits of more money and assuming supposed better players will be neutralized with coach for life.

 

[vt4700]

imo ... yes, the players matter.

I agree, but will better players matter as far as getting to the dance is concerned? I think it is painfully obvious good coaches out there have figured out how to play us. And, even if we get NIL to match the top A-10 teams, I don't see us winning as much as them. So, wow, better players gives us a few more wins if the coach is the same. Yawn.

I feel confident saying a new coach would recruit better, spend NIL better, and coach better than Mooney. We need a coaching change before we worry about anything else.

 

[MrTbone]

man this is tougher than I expected. ok, to further clarify my dream:
we find guys comparable to but not necessarily the same as Cline, Harper and Burton ... not at their peak and not when they're raw ... but at the specific time in each of their careers when they're so good the world is willing to offer them $600k ... and we offer them $700k.

I would be shocked if our staff had the sophistication required to make this assessment.

 

[RichmondNative]

Money is only part of the equation.

Have to find a player who wants to come to Richmond, which means being an actual student and most importantly have to find a player who wants to play for Mooney.

I just don’t feel like there is a long list of players that UR missed on because of money. It is going to be interesting to see who ends up getting recruited and who ends up signing with the Spiders. Will also be interesting to see who leaves. The offseason will probably be the most interesting part of the entire season.

 

[Eight Legger]

I thought we were beyond the academics bit. If we’re not, we need to be immediately. There are what, 13 scholarship players? I don’t want us recruiting criminals who can’t read, but we won’t. I really don’t care if we sign a bunch of C students who can play basketball well and pass their courses. Literally everyone else in the league is doing whatever it takes to build the best roster — we need to do the exact same thing or else fold the program.

No more tying one arm behind our back and crying about the disadvantage we have.

 

[vt4700]

the point is we seem to have a totally different budget.
you miss on high school recruits.
you even miss on $100k transfers. you kind of know what you're getting and they're good. it's just not top talent.

it's not proven yet, but I'm confident that barring injury you won't miss on $700k transfers. those are "best players on our roster" guys.

You say this like we would be the only team willing to go to 700k. And, on not one player, but 3. So, everything will line up perfectly for us where we get 3 players at 700k each, all 3 of which will end up being like TJ, Harper, and Tyler, but no other team out there saw their potential so they only offered 600k. If so, that concerns me about the guys we are getting. Not one of the 3 was worth an extra 100k to any other team? And, if they are sure things and all A-10 guys that we need to land, then chances are a power team would offer the same or more.

I don't think 700k is this magic number you think it is for a stud player, but how about if several coaches offer 700k, we find a coach who can win a recruiting battle. And, be smart enough to go higher than 700k for a difference maker. And, find good fits for much less than that. And, worry about getting some defensive guys. And, not start 4 guards who don't seem to fit together. And not put our under 6 feet guys in mismatches. And not play our 6"11 guy 20 feet from the basket. And not struggle down the stretch in nearly every freaking game we play. And not have an offense and a defense that is so easy to coach against. And not schedule garbage teams OOC. And not make excuse after excuse after we lose. And not act like losing doesn't bother you at least one time.

 

[RichmondNative]

You say this like we would be the only team willing to go to 700k. And, on not one player, but 3. So, everything will line up perfectly for us where we get 3 players at 700k each, all 3 of which will end up being like TJ, Harper, and Tyler, but no other team out there saw their potential so they only offered 600k. If so, that concerns me about the guys we are getting. Not one of the 3 was worth an extra 100k to any other team? And, if they are sure things and all A-10 guys that we need to land, then chances are a power team would offer the same or more.

I don't think 700k is this magic number you think it is for a stud player, but how about if several coaches offer 700k, we find a coach who can win a recruiting battle. And, be smart enough to go higher than 700k for a difference maker. And, find good fits for much less than that. And, worry about getting some defensive guys. And, not start 4 guards who don't seem to fit together. And not put our under 6 feet guys in mismatches. And not play our 6"11 guy 20 feet from the basket. And not struggle down the stretch in nearly every freaking game we play. And not have an offense and a defense that is so easy to coach against. And not schedule garbage teams OOC. And not make excuse after excuse after we lose. And not act like losing doesn't bother you at least one time.

One thing has changed. VT is officially PO’d