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Post by PhoenixFan19 on Feb 26, 2018 21:27:16 GMT -5
This has been the same starting lineup the past two seasons, we were healthy for the majority of this season, and as a second place projected team, we fell to last place in our conference. This team, and more specifically the coach, embarrassed us. Worse so, with the roster as constructed now, this is the type of season we will probably expect for at least the next two seasons.
I think it's time to start discussing coaching candidates we would like to see. Personally, I'd love a guy who many are probably unfamiliar with, which is Bob Simon. He's currently an assistant at Maine. He had a stint as an assistant at Alabama and was a top assistant at Providence when they turned their programs around. He's regarded as a big time recruiter, and I think that is really what this school could use going into the new arena.
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Post by EU on Feb 26, 2018 21:39:29 GMT -5
I know everyone wants to over react and wants change, but the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Look at the football program and how much money they spent and how many coaches they went through. I do not want the basketball program to go through that. Matt is a great coach. He was not prepared as he should have been for the change to the CAA but he will get better. Also you will lose a huge fanbase and support system if you bring in a new coach. The players under Matheny are very good at supporting the program and if Matt is gone they will not follow the program as much. It will be hard with a new arena and not having the support of previous players. Keep believing in Matheny and what he has done. Look at last year as they exceeded expectations by far. Good luck to the team in the conference tournament, anything can happen!
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Post by SoarPhoenix19 on Feb 26, 2018 21:43:09 GMT -5
This season has been a complete disappointment from non-conference schedule to the CAA. From losing to UNCG by 31 to going a combined 2-6 against Delaware, Drexel, UNCW, and JMU (who are all in rebuilding years), this season has been one to forget. There needs to be a head coaching change made after this season ends. This has happened twice in Matheny's career when we have returned a strong roster that had success the previous year and they under achieved the following year (2013-2014 and 2017-2018).
I don't blame the players at all because I have the upmost respect for my classmates, but the head coach needs to go. He's never going to take us to the next level and reach the NCAA tournament and I feel a new coach in the new arena next year will create new optimism around this basketball program. I believe the new coach can come in and he will have a strong senior class to compete in the top 6 of the conference next year. I'm tired of playing in first round and quarterfinal conference tournament games. I want to see semifinals and finals appearances with the hope of reaching our first NCAA tournament soon.
#NewArenaNewCoach
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Post by Phoenix15 on Feb 26, 2018 21:53:06 GMT -5
@eu - not sure what team or coach you have been watching. This program has consistently underperformed. Matheny has proven over 9 seasons to be mediocre at best. He has filled out his staff with young coaches (several elon grads), rather than coaches that with experience or that complement his deficiencies. We are a program going backwards, which is quite an accomplishment for a perennial middle to bottom of the conference team. There are no excuses for a regression with an experienced team like this one. I am fed up with this team and it’s embarrassing as an alum and fan to watch this team consistently underperform.
I bought tickets awhile back for the last game at alumni gym and chose not to go because having to watch this team play wasn’t worth the ceremony. That sums up how I feel about this team. #firematheny
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Post by Guy on Feb 26, 2018 21:53:59 GMT -5
I know everyone wants to over react and wants change, but the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Look at the football program and how much money they spent and how many coaches they went through. I do not want the basketball program to go through that. Matt is a great coach. He was not prepared as he should have been for the change to the CAA but he will get better. Also you will lose a huge fanbase and support system if you bring in a new coach. The players under Matheny are very good at supporting the program and if Matt is gone they will not follow the program as much. It will be hard with a new arena and not having the support of previous players. Keep believing in Matheny and what he has done. Look at last year as they exceeded expectations by far. Good luck to the team in the conference tournament, anything can happen! This doesn’t make any sense to me. I don’t think the football program is a good comparison, but even still, we made a change and had tremendous success making the playoffs! Not sure how you can say you wouldn’t want the same success. And sure, the former players support their coach, but do you really think they’d turn their backs to the school? Winning trumps everything and if you want to grow your fan base, that’s all you need to do. Matheny hasn’t done that and the teams continue to underachieve.
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Post by euphoenix99 on Feb 26, 2018 21:55:59 GMT -5
I know everyone wants to over react and wants change, but the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Look at the football program and how much money they spent and how many coaches they went through. I do not want the basketball program to go through that. Matt is a great coach. He was not prepared as he should have been for the change to the CAA but he will get better. Also you will lose a huge fanbase and support system if you bring in a new coach. The players under Matheny are very good at supporting the program and if Matt is gone they will not follow the program as much. It will be hard with a new arena and not having the support of previous players. Keep believing in Matheny and what he has done. Look at last year as they exceeded expectations by far. Good luck to the team in the conference tournament, anything can happen! If you really want what's best for Elon basketball Matt going is a no-brainer. You refer to the football program which just returned to the playoffs in nearly a decade because they made the necessary changes. Sure they whiffed twice, but they took action and look at this season. By your logic we should have stuck with Swepson for 10 years? Those former players might be the only one in the new arena if this continues. He took failing to a new level this year. He's not a little league coach. He's making decent money to crap the bed for a decade. It's not a good product and those of us who invest our time and money in Elon athletics expect more. Tell us how long we should wait? 20 years? I'm not trying to be a jerk, but it's just crazy you can rationalize Matt hanging around. The grass may not be greener right away, but we have a mud pit in the front yard right now. Go Phoenix!
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Post by Phoenix Rising on Feb 26, 2018 22:05:28 GMT -5
Matheny must go. Has anyone else been bothered by his sideline demeanor? I don't think I've seen a coach with a weaker sideline presence, and utter inability to work the refs during a game. We are so predictable game in and game out, and that falls solely on the coaches. it shouldn't take 12+ made three pointers to be able to win a conference game.
@eu you're wrong to think this will affect student outlook on the team. It is pretty clear the students don't care for the mediocrity that is this program under Matt. Change would be a welcome opportunity. Yes, a new coach is always a risk, but we can only go up from this last place season.
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Post by Dougie on Feb 26, 2018 22:17:47 GMT -5
If you say Matt is a great coach, EU, it is not based on any real data. And the students will come if the product iss entertaining. Also, tthey did not exceed expectations by far. The finished #5 and lost in the first round. My goodness, a change absolutely has to be made. I will give some thought to candidates
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Post by Dougie on Feb 26, 2018 22:24:00 GMT -5
That got me so mad, I lost my ability to spell
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Post by fc4life on Feb 26, 2018 22:41:05 GMT -5
It’s obvious. If we want a program worthy of the millions being spent on the Schar Center, a change has to be made.
That being said, I doubt Blank makes a move. Basketball is his expertise and doing this admits a failed hire.
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Post by whoanellie on Feb 26, 2018 22:47:36 GMT -5
He made a good Subway Commercial
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2018 8:06:25 GMT -5
I know everyone wants to over react and wants change, but the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Look at the football program and how much money they spent and how many coaches they went through. I do not want the basketball program to go through that. Matt is a great coach. He was not prepared as he should have been for the change to the CAA but he will get better. Also you will lose a huge fanbase and support system if you bring in a new coach. The players under Matheny are very good at supporting the program and if Matt is gone they will not follow the program as much. It will be hard with a new arena and not having the support of previous players. Keep believing in Matheny and what he has done. Look at last year as they exceeded expectations by far. Good luck to the team in the conference tournament, anything can happen!There's a lot to discuss with regard to your post: Our grass is pretty brown right now. I think most fans would rather take a chance on a change than put up with the same thing another year. I think stats and results determine how great a coach is. As an example, Mike Krzyzewski had a rough 4-5 years when he began at Duke. Not NINE. I would expect a great coach to have had things turned around after nine years. I respect every player we have had in the program and appreciate their effort. I know it isn't easy being a student athlete that works a full time job, for which he or she is paid much less than they are worth. However, no one coach or player is bigger than the school they work for. I would argue that a loss of former Matheny players is much less a loss than other alumni, students, friends and the greater Elon University community. Maybe the team exceeded expectations, but the program did not. I agree with good luck to the team, anything can happen. Irrespective of my satisfaction of the team's performance I am first an Elon Alumnus and always am hopeful for the team and will always cheer for the team. Having said all that, I would still prefer to keep Matheny, IF he can give details on how he plans to make the program better, with deadlines. I personally feel that recruiting at Elon has been difficult due to Alumni Gym. I thought a little pre selling of the Schar would've made our next incoming class better, which apparently didn't. But I'm still willing to give him a break on that. IMO the "system" as it currently exists at Elon, is dead. Either it isn't effective, or it's too difficult for reasonably intelligent student athletes to run. So, if the plan is to continue to run the "system" with no modifications, I think parting ways is appropriate.
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Post by ElonHoops on Feb 27, 2018 12:36:17 GMT -5
Criticism for Matt is certainly warranted after this recent 7-game skid, but I firmly believe he has earned the chance to try and right the ship next season. I know he and his staff have missed on some recruits, but Elijah Bryant really hurt this program when he left. He would have been a senior this year and I just pulled up his stats - he's averaging 17.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game at BYU who is 22-9. And for those that want to try and blame Matt's coaching for why EB left, just remember EB was named MVP of the team, freshman POY in the conference and was given the green light to launch as soon as he crossed half court - the offense was run through him and he would have set all-time scoring records if he stayed here. I'm not going to judge his decision to go to BYU, it looks like it was the right move for him personally, but the fact is it left us in a major hole on offense and his rebounding would have really helped us as well. This year has ended very poorly, can't argue that. I think Matt will have the boys ready for the Tourney this weekend though. Go Elon!
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Post by Phoenix15 on Feb 27, 2018 13:11:07 GMT -5
This was discussed in a prior thread. Losing one transfer is not an excuse for not making a single conference tournament semi-final/final and only finishing above .500 twice in nine years. Face the facts. Matheny has had his chance (9 years!!) and hasn't come through.
Take this for example: Elon was picked to finish 3rd in the CAA this year. We finished 10th (DEAD LAST).
He isn't a good coach. His recruiting has been hit and miss. But these are not mutually exclusive. As a college basketball coach he has to do both. In 9 years he has proven to not be good at either. Enough is enough. New arena, new coach. Get it done AD Blank.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2018 16:11:21 GMT -5
I don't think the Elijah Bryant argument holds water. Who's to say he wouldn't have gone the way of so many others who came to Elon over the last nine years and regressed? Bryant, had he stayed, may have also become a victim of "the system".
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