Fair enough. I was using no excuses as a figure of speech. I know he's not making excuses for his team shortcomings. Trust me, I'm not about to say he should be fired or anything. I know they are young, and in college athletics it takes time to build a team. Gary pretty much left him a pile of problem child garbage.
I'm going vent just a little more. Sorry. Now, I'm not a coach, so maybe I shouldn't speculate on how to run a team, and I'm not even talking baout Xs and Os. Let me use Alex Len as an example. I'm very critical of him because he's suppossedly an NBA lottery pick. Not even picking on his lack of physicality, but more so his lack of hustle. He is the last player down the court, every time. Taking his sweet ass time jogging down there. Sometimes his own team or the other team gets a shot off before he even reaches the paint to get a rebound. If he makes it down there he plants his feet like he's knee deep in quicksand on the edge of the paint. Does Turgeon get in his ass about not hustling, or not creating a shot for himself? I don't know. Does Turg jump his shit and does Len not care to break a sweat becasue he sees millions of dollars in the near future as long as he doesnt get hurt? Maybe. Probably. If Turg is getting on his case about it, he's not doing anything about it. Len could be the best player in the ACC if he wanted to be. Theres been games when we say that they didn't get the ball to Len enough. Well, they aren't going to pass it to him when he has a guy draped all over him and he doesn't move.
Can't bench him either, for all of the reasons you guys already discussed. He must have worked hard to put on that extra muscle in the offseason. Where did that dedication go since the Kentucky game?
I just think that coaches are responsible for making adjustments, for fixing problems. I saw a UNC game a couple years ago, @ GA Tech as a matter of fact. Tar Heels trailed by at least 20, Roy Williams sat all 5 starters and put the bottom five guys on his bench in the game. Our equivelent of Susskind, Barks, etc... For the 2 or 3 minutes these guys were in the game, he had his back turned to the court and was coaching up his 5 star players. Basically a "wake the f*** up" type moment. UNC erased that 20 point deficit. Ultimately they lost by a couple points. Yeah, they lost, but Coach Williams put his team in the best position he could to win the game.
If a ball player swings at three pitches in the dirt, and you tell him to lay off that junk, and the next at bat he lays off the pitches in the dirt, you did your job as a coach. If your down by 20 and you do something to motivate your team and cut down on silly mistakes and they erase that deficit, you did your job as a coach. When you fire your offensive coordinator because you feel he's dragging a Super Bowl caliber team down, you did your job as a coach. So maybe what Turg is trying to teach is not getting through to his guys. Is that on him or them? I mean, what is he teaching these guys if they keep reverting to the same bad habits over and over again?
Also, I know I was venting, but I don't approve of boycotting the NIT games if they host one. That would be bad and send the wrong message. Some people will show up, thats cool. I guess a better choice of words maybe that if they play in the NIT in front of 1,000 people, it'll leave them hungrier for more next season.
Not picking on you, we are all frustrated with maryland but I see things a lot different then you. First Len, I do not see any lack of effort. i think he plays soft especially around the rim but he works hard on the court. i really do not see him being the last man down on O or D much. I think part of the problem, a large part is the Maryland guards do not have the patience or basketball IQ to allow Len and the other bigs to get to theeir spot and then get them the ball in the proper position. Alex needs to be more forceful in doing that and as I mentioned more aggressive around the rim. He tries to often to lay the ball up softly. You are 7'1", slam the damn thing down. That however is not because he is giving a lack of effort. On D you see him scrambling often because Turgeon uses his big men to show off picks. Len is actually very active in that aspect, but he does have a tendency to pick up cheap fouls off showing and also turns his back to much in scrambling back to his man.
One other thing, Len is not a lottery pick because of his play, he is a lottery pick because he is 7'1", and a good athlete who should be better as he gets older. Semantics but there is a difference.
I really think Turgeon is subbing too much. He is frustrated with the team but he yanks guys after every mistake. Guys like Faust, Allen, Howard, Cleare etc are in and out so much, they have to be looking over their shoulders.
marylands problems are their guards. Everyone is flawed to some extent, and not one gets them into an offensive flow. It is not only the turnovers, it is the wasted possesions. The wild shots, the 1on 3 fast breaks that result in stupid or blocked shots. Maryland has good bigs but they are never set up properly.
If Roddy Peters is as good as advertised, and if Allen improves as much as I think he will from year 1 to 2, next year will be much better.
I also think that Layman, Allen and Evan Smotrycz ( a stretch 4) will give Maryland much better outside shooting next year which will make the opposition clear the paint more. Watch the Terps opponnents, there are very few trips where 4 or 5 defenders do not have at least one foot in the paint.
better times are ahead.
