"What the Techsters need"

[BlindDog]

I Thought this quote deserved it's on thread!
Not being an expert at the game, but just perhaps, an avid Fan of the Techsters program
I along with others input, would try and figure out just exactly why the program has sunken to it's current level.
It is apparent that many on this board, believe the sole problem is the head coach
Teresa Weatherspoon.
There others that believe it's anatheletic or lack of talent problem, which again would fall soley
on the head coach.
Others may have completely different opinions for the fall of the Techsters!
Unfortunatly, we don't have someone like TSpoon to come and save the season like she did when she replaced Coach Long....
Or, do we? Just what if the insertion of a player like Shelton comes along and the Techsters remarkably come to life again???
Just what would everyone think should the Techsters go and win the conference tournament like Tulsa did last year!
The biggest problem I think could be is the lack of substitutions,
the teams shooting percentage is in the dumps and it could be because the players are just tired! That would have to have an effect on a player shooting accuracy, wouldn't you think?
Also, the lack of ability to block out down in the post and repeatedly giving up lay-ups after lay-ups!
And of course, the lack of leadership on the team...I.E. and one of my biggest pet peaves was not playerng Jalena , the only 4 year Techster and Fan favorite on the team!

Maybe others with more basketball knowledge, can give specific problems that they can point out that could or would make a difference in the team and it's ability to start winning again?
I really don't think the administration is going to fire coach TSpoon, mostly because of financial reasons, but that is something that will play out just like the game does!

[Blue Dawg]

Play Jelly (obviously).
Substitute - see Tulsa game. You're right - whether due to bad conditioning or what, girls are EXHAUSTED with no time to recoup.
Learn to pass, court awareness in general, but especially we have sloppy passes.
Fight for rebounds.

[BruceWillisDawg]

Play Jelly (obviously).
Substitute - see Tulsa game. You're right - whether due to bad conditioning or what, girls are EXHAUSTED with no time to recoup.
Learn to pass, court awareness in general, but especially we have sloppy passes.
Fight for rebounds.

So for Spoon's entire tenure we have fielded an exhausted squad? Im sure the lack of good depth hurts but Spoon has never fielded a good team. One common denominator - the head coach. Whether it is lack of talent, coaching or both - it is definitely a head coaching problem. Now with that said, a new head coach has a tremendous uphill battle recruiting talent and building a competitive program. Elite is probably never possible again but competitive we can accomplish with the right leader. The TAC was built by the Techsters and sadly it is now empty when they play.

[Blue Dawg]

That's just what I've noticed this year.

[BlindDog]

So for Spoon's entire tenure we have fielded an exhausted squad? Im sure the lack of good depth hurts but Spoon has never fielded a good team. One common denominator - the head coach. Whether it is lack of talent, coaching or both - it is definitely a head coaching problem. Now with that said, a new head coach has a tremendous uphill battle recruiting talent and building a competitive program. Elite is probably never possible again but competitive we can accomplish with the right leader. The TAC was built by the Techsters and sadly it is now empty when they play.

***
I agree with what you stated, but just have a hard time with her getting the only reason for the downward spiral of the Techsters.
Shelton getting kicked off the team last year, missing out on the post player Dogo, Bryant leaveing the program after one year, Wingate not making the grades to make the squad this season,
Somethings are just out of the control of the head coach, and would have a definite impact on what
a coaches ability to achieve what personal and team goals they may have planned!
Now, I know it's not probable, but any thing is possible...
Should the insertion of Shelton to the line up make a huge difference in the team, and the Techsters by some chance go on to win the CUSA, would everyone still be calling for her dismissal?
My guess is YES, and it would not be because of her ability to coach, but some other reasons!

[champion110]

***
I agree with what you stated, but just have a hard time with her getting the only reason for the downward spiral of the Techsters.
Shelton getting kicked off the team last year, missing out on the post player Dogo, Bryant leaveing the program after one year, Wingate not making the grades to make the squad this season,
Somethings are just out of the control of the head coach, and would have a definite impact on what
a coaches ability to achieve what personal and team goals they may have planned!
Now, I know it's not probable, but any thing is possible...
Should the insertion of Shelton to the line up make a huge difference in the team, and the Techsters by some chance go on to win the CUSA, would everyone still be calling for her dismissal?
My guess is YES, and it would not be because of her ability to coach, but some other reasons!

You are correct........

I will add that there is not one person happy with what has happened. I do not believe it is all Spoon's fault, although I am sure she blames herself more than even some of the fans on this message board.

Fact is that we all knew that once the Techsters fell from the top 25, it was going to be an EXTREMELY difficult task to get back to elite status. Everyone knew that. We don't have the resources that the big schools are pouring into WBB now. While we were at the top, we just had to keep it going. It started to falter under Budke, Barmore kept us relevant when he came back for a short time, then it fell completely apart under Long. Spoon took over mid-season and showed SO much promise. We were not top 25, but she sure turned a season around quickly. It was tough to keep that, though. We were one of the regular programs then.

This is the worst year yet and I do believe it has a lot to do with depth. i think it is tough to sub a lot when you know we need certain defenders on the floor for match ups. Those players you talked about above would have definitely made a difference.

No matter what, though, it will always fall to the Head Coach. Circumstances and bad luck come under the HC's responsibility - fair or not.

Do I think Spoon can coach? YES. I think we have had some really bad luck with recruits. I am hoping that Shelton makes a difference, but this team has lost confidence. I don't know if they can get it back this year. I HOPE they can.

No matter what happens with Spoon, I hope we treat her with dignity. She was one of the ones that built the powerhouse in the first place. There are ways to handle this, so that we keep her supporting the program. My BIG wish is for her to turn it around, though. Bashing her does no good. We are turning on one of the biggest Tech fans of all time for all sports, when we do that. Plus the fact that we don't control the outcome. IF, but chance, Shelton makes a difference in our play in the CUSA tournament, I hope people will give Spoon credit. Whatever we do, we can't run one of the best to ever wear a Techster uniform off and have a fiasco like we had with another former player/coach.

Just my 2 cents......

[bulldogbacker2]

Dignity...fire her butt..past is the past

[Rooster]

Lets bring logic and common sense - there needs to be a thorough cleaning of the house. Start from scratch and build it back up!!

[Russdawg]

The biggest problem I think could be is the lack of substitutions,
the teams shooting percentage is in the dumps and it could be because the players are just tired! That would have to have an effect on a player shooting accuracy, wouldn't you think?
Also, the lack of ability to block out down in the post and repeatedly giving up lay-ups after lay-ups!
And of course, the lack of leadership on the team...I.E. and one of my biggest pet peaves was not playerng Jalena , the only 4 year Techster and Fan favorite on the team!

Play Jelly (obviously).
Substitute - see Tulsa game. You're right - whether due to bad conditioning or what, girls are EXHAUSTED with no time to recoup.
Learn to pass, court awareness in general, but especially we have sloppy passes.
Fight for rebounds.

Y'all certainly hit the big four needs I've seen for several seasons:

DEFENSE: "lay-up after lay-up" as BlindDog put it is bullseye!! Been seeing that several years and it is soooo frustrating to sit there and watch. Ive written it here before but our lane/paths to the goal defense just opens up for the other teams like "the Red Sea parting to the Promised Land." From our seats behind the Tech goal you can see it develop sometimes before the opposition has crossed mid court. Time-after-time-after-time game-after-game. Court awareness, playing defense with feet, desire just seems missing. And what about cutting off baseline drives? Opponents just go around our defenders, pop into the lane, LAY-IT-UP when a drive down the middle is inconvenient, over and over.

REBOUNDING: seems like lack of desire (hell bent on GETTING THE BALL); blocking out is sorely lacking. Cost us the game Saturday in my opinion. Second chance points for our opponents seem gift wrapped.

PASSING: Multiple turnovers are just maddening to watch. Often 20+ per game, sometimes 3 - 4 possessions in a row. Sometimes I just slap my head or beat it on the rail.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Just like y'all both said: they're irregular, got to be physically tiring for some and mentally devastating for others. And... we have a senior guard who is basketball savvy, intense on defense, shoots the three, clearly has leadership stamped all over her, who energizes the fans, yet who rarely plays--it's much worse than even how Holtz underutilizes Hunter Lee in football.

Address these and we'll see significantly more wins with this team.

Well, I've opened up, didn't mean to write this long but it's what I see. As much as it hurts, it's just what I see repeatedly. The first three are fundamentals. If these performances were in accounting or engineering or math whatever, we'd pin it on teaching and get better teachers for our students. We all know what that translates to in basketball. I think our players have a LOT more in them with the right coaching/teaching/motivation. LOOKING FORWARD TO CHEERING AND SUPPORTING OUR STUDENT ATHLETE LADIES WEDNESDAY and wishing them good luck tonight at ODU.

Love Tech athletics; love what our university stands for. LOVE OUR GIRLS!! Love Spoon the player and Spoon the person. LOVE OUR GIRLS.

[BlindDog]

Y'all certainly hit the big four needs I've seen for several seasons:

DEFENSE: "lay-up after lay-up" as BlindDog put it is bullseye!! Been seeing that several years and it is soooo frustrating to sit there and watch. Ive written it here before but our lane/paths to the goal defense just opens up for the other teams like "the Red Sea parting to the Promised Land." From our seats behind the Tech goal you can see it develop sometimes before the opposition has crossed mid court. Time-after-time-after-time game-after-game. Court awareness, playing defense with feet, desire just seems missing. And what about cutting off baseline drives? Opponents just go around our defenders, pop into the lane, LAY-IT-UP when a drive down the middle is inconvenient, over and over.

REBOUNDING: seems like lack of desire (hell bent on GETTING THE BALL); blocking out is sorely lacking. Cost us the game Saturday in my opinion. Second chance points for our opponents seem gift wrapped.

PASSING: Multiple turnovers are just maddening to watch. Often 20+ per game, sometimes 3 - 4 possessions in a row. Sometimes I just slap my head or beat it on the rail.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Just like y'all both said: they're irregular, got to be physically tiring for some and mentally devastating for others. And... we have a senior guard who is basketball savvy, intense on defense, shoots the three, clearly has leadership stamped all over her, who energizes the fans, yet who rarely plays--it's much worse than even how Holtz underutilizes Hunter Lee in football.

Address these and we'll see significantly more wins with this team.

Well, I've opened up, didn't mean to write this long but it's what I see. As much as it hurts, it's just what I see repeatedly. The first three are fundamentals. If these performances were in accounting or engineering or math whatever, we'd pin it on teaching and get better teachers for our students. We all know what that translates to in basketball. I think our players have a LOT more in them with the right coaching/teaching/motivation. LOOKING FORWARD TO CHEERING AND SUPPORTING OUR STUDENT ATHLETE LADIES WEDNESDAY and wishing them good luck tonight at ODU.

Love Tech athletics; love what our university stands for. LOVE OUR GIRLS!! Love Spoon the player and Spoon the person. LOVE OUR GIRLS.

***
Thanks Russ.. for the input!
Malcolm states on the broadcast that the Techsters would just be standing there, like just waiting for the ball to come to them!
Is it there afraid to get physical, tired, or haven't been instructed to get in and block out for a rebound?
The latter is somethingI here Coach TSpoon preaching about so, it must have been gone over and over in practices.
I think every teams that we play one goal, is to get to the rim, they all know we can not protect it!
Just often just scratch my head and go WOW!
coaching, or athelete?

[10cDawg]

What did Shelton do to get dismissed from the team last year? I know she is GOOD. I know she could have and can make a huge difference in the team. However, if she was dismissed from the team last year, why is it ok to let her on the team now? I'm not trying to start a debate on this. I don't have all the facts which is why I ask. To me (not knowing what happened), it sets a bad example. Again, I do not know all the facts.

[Blue Dawg]

What did Shelton do to get dismissed from the team last year? I know she is GOOD. I know she could have and can make a huge difference in the team. However, if she was dismissed from the team last year, why is it ok to let her on the team now? I'm not trying to start a debate on this. I don't have all the facts which is why I ask. To me (not knowing what happened), it sets a bad example. Again, I do not know all the facts.

I don't know either but I do know that somehow a one-game suspension turned into an expulsion.

[BlindDog]

What did Shelton do to get dismissed from the team last year? I know she is GOOD. I know she could have and can make a huge difference in the team. However, if she was dismissed from the team last year, why is it ok to let her on the team now? I'm not trying to start a debate on this. I don't have all the facts which is why I ask. To me (not knowing what happened), it sets a bad example. Again, I do not know all the facts.

*** Shelton, broke team rules and first got suspended from playing in a game and the second time got dismissed from the team!
Obviously now she has learned her lesson and is playing as a walk on with out a scholarship!

[Dwayne From Minden]

The same thing baseball needs

[BlindDog]

It seems that the zone defence is being very successful with the Techsters in the last few games and the insertion of Shelton has made a significant addition to the team and translated that in to 3 wins in a row!
I have always been a fan of the pressure defence, but it seems to not be as exhausting to the players even if it's an active zone... can someone educate me here?
The answer to the "quote" that came from another thread on this forum
which I titled this one ; can and will be easily answered
with a little luck and success in the next couple of games, if by chance we make it that far!
Ready for the Charlott game to tip off now!
Go Techsters!