Is the Lillard effect actually hurting us?

[Webergrad02]

For the past 3 or so years we have been hearing about Dames positive impact in recruiting. Coach has acknowledged that Dame has help us land athletes that we probably would not have landed without him. Earlier today Tal posted about blue collar team oriented guys that Randy has recruited like Mahoney, Nick Hansen, Arturas, Panos and Van Brocklin. We don't appear to have many guys like that getting on the floor.

I wonder if we have too many guys trying to be the next big thing out of Weber State and we don't have enough of the team element. One of Dames greatest qualities is that he was a good team player. He knew when to get others involved and he also knew when it was DAME TIME. I am just trying to make sense of this season and am wondering if one of our greatest assests on the recruiting trail is actually leading to us getting players with the wrong focus. Do we have too many guys trying to be the man?

 

[Wildcat_Fan]

Very interesting thought. You can see that at times with almost every player in our starting five. None of them are "the man" and when they try to be the team suffers greatly. When it comes to blue collar players I would think James and maybe Johnson Coston are in that category.
But I think you have a very plausible point

 

[Itiger]

I respect the possibility, but don't see it. I wish we had players trying to be the man! What we have is a lack of a post presence. We are ok at the guard and SF spot, but weak at the 4 and 5. The 4 and 5 spot has killed us all year! I'm not sure where the planning was for this season, but our front court is just weak! It started at Utah State when Collette became a household name up to the bigs at SUU who beat up our bigs and broke our PG's jaw.

The problem with Weber State is we get punked every night..... Guards waltz the paint like its prom season and don't have to worry about anyone laying wood to them because we're soft! It's when your Coach wants your big shooting 3's instead of having blood on his jersey because he broke someone's nose. Old's said it early in the season, Rahe decided to go finesse so we have a bunch of ballerinas on the court! You don't think the scouting report on Weber isn't to just take it inside? Our bigs hate contact.... Last night Rahe finally told Bolomboy to quit crying and play basketball!

Can't blame this on the Lillard effect..... This is about a program losing its identity.

 

[Webergrad02]

Being soft inside doesn't explain the fact that we have problems sharing the ball. All five of our starters have a flashy, showtime mentality. I really think there may be something to this. We are recruiting a different type of player than we were 5 years ago.

 

[Itiger]

Being soft inside doesn't explain the fact that we have problems sharing the ball. All five of our starters have a flashy, showtime mentality. I really think there may be something to this. We are recruiting a different type of player than we were 5 years ago.

That's a coach issue! If a player doesn't share the ball in most programs it means you sit your butt on the bench! That's not a type of player problem! There are teams with talents so much better than Weber and they share the ball! Rahe should easily be able to address that issue! Is Golden so valuable that they can't sit him down?
Last year Trez lived off the dump pass in the paint for an easy dunk..... This year, nonexistent. You never have too much talent! The problem is a coach not making the most out of the talent on the team!

 

[Cats meow!]

Weber grad....
You're kidding right? The "type" of player we're recruiting? These kids are great athletes! It's the coaches responsibility to mold the talent! Rahe is stubborn and until he makes adjustments to better utilize his talent we're going to continue to get punched in the mouth..... I watched Kentucky play the other night..... Best talent in the country and they pass the ball! Until Rahe gets some help to better utilize the talents available to him we're going to continue to get punched in the mouth!

Our problem is very simple..... We decided to go smaller and faster to compete with other schools and they got bigger and stronger at the same time to match up better with Weber..... Youngguns is right... Now we get punked every night. If you're going to have a problem have too much talent. Obviously by our tight rotations we don't have enough....

 

[Born2BleedPurpleGuy]

From where i sit. ..let me put this spin on it. Very short and sweet. NOT ENOUGH "IN YOUR FACE " DEFENSE.
TEAMS ARE KILLING US IN THE PAINT. ..OUT OF THE PAINT AND FROM THE PARKING LOT. Give me a blue collar guy who will play defense. That's my story and I'm stickin to it.
We will rebound Saturday night cuz it's valentines day and we love Weber state basketball.

 

[Da Bears]

Being soft inside doesn't explain the fact that we have problems sharing the ball. All five of our starters have a flashy, showtime mentality. I really think there may be something to this. We are recruiting a different type of player than we were 5 years ago.

A coach's job is to assemble the best talent possible and put them in a position to win! I love Randy Rahe, but this year he's doing a very poor job!
It's crazy to think that Dame has an influence on this team....... Hajek, Bolmboy and Hill were already at Weber! Gittens and Senglin where already being recruited before a Dame blew up in the league. The 2014 class and this years class would be the two classes that Dame really influenced. We are finally starting to sign 3 star athletes, but they haven't played yet!

This team really doesn't have a man...... Senglin and Golden are shooters, passing is not something they aspire to do. We also have a pass first PG who is afraid to shoot! Gittens gets lost in watching Senglin and Golden and forgets to keep moving! All things that should be covered in film session!

I once was watching ESPN and the announcer said something that I'll never forget...... "If you love by the 3, you will die by the 3"! At Weber, everyone wants to shoot the three! The best big in the country is Okafor at Duke! Bolomboy shoots more threes in one game than Okafor has shot all season! That's the small ball that Rahe changed to this year. It was a very bad move!

 

[n.ogdencat]

Interesting topic. Who knows? I really don't know what to say. I think it might have some effect but I think the biggest issue is that Weber went away from what was working. The type of players the Cats have had success with are fundamentally sound, tenacious defenders, and great shooters; high basketball IQ included. Funny that Wheels got pushed off because he was "too" finesse and now that's the team. Weber can get talented recruits but they have to fit the system. If they don't...change the system to fit the players abilities. Defense and team play has been Rahes bread and butter. Weird that he went away from that. I'm thinking there might be some serious changes in the off season.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again, expecting different results.