Don't give up on this team

[mbraue]

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The way we lost yesterday was horrible. I was as critical as many posters of our poor all-around showing. But all we can do now is put the game behind us and support the team and staff, pray that Powell and Mamu heal well enough to lead us into the tournament again, and hope the staff makes the right adjustments to keep us afloat until our two best players return.

Halldan has spoken often of Kevin’s low-key style. I have no problem with it - the late John Wooden was the farthest thing from a screamer and won 10 national championships at UCLA. Of course, he was an amazing teacher and tactician and had legendary talent. But the point is he was quiet and refined and was as much a teacher of life skills as of basketball. Let’s not lose sight of that here at Seton Hall.

Diehard Seton Hall fans are extremely frustrated, but many of us will be at the Maryland game rooting for our players and coaches and hoping for something positive to take hold.

I recently read this quote from Kevin’s friend, Coach Cronin, at UCLA. “John Wooden sure as hell wouldn’t be looking at message boards or blogs to see how people felt about him or his program,” Cronin says with a smirk. “And I won’t either.”

I hope Kevin isn’t looking at these message boards either - we vent our frustrations here - and some of our comments are as ugly as our performance against Rutgers. But let’s support our team and staff and get back to winning very soon.

 

[SPK145]

I hope Kevin isn’t looking at these message boards either - we vent our frustrations here - and some of our comments are as ugly as our performance against Rutgers.

He shouldn't:

“You don’t worry about criticism from people you wouldn’t seek advice from.” - Dabo Swinney, Clemson Football Coach, 12/03/19

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

He shouldn't:

“You don’t worry about criticism from people you wouldn’t seek advice from.” - Dabo Swinney, Clemson Football Coach, 12/03/19

Exactly the criticisms and attacks on here and all message boards are pointless. It's like a safe place for snowflakes to feel better about themselves. I'm curious what percentage of people would say the stuff they say on here to Willard or the players?

My hope is the players realize there are people that aren't going to get down because of a couple bad games.

 

[anon_ezos2e9wn1ob0]

Exactly the criticisms and attacks on here and all message boards are pointless. It's like a safe place for snowflakes to feel better about themselves. I'm curious what percentage of people would say the stuff they say on here to Willard or the players?

My hope is the players realize there are people that aren't going to get down because of a couple bad games.

Just give Willard a life-time contract because we can never expect there is anyone else in coaching who can do a good job here or maybe take what Willard has done and take it to the next level.

On second thought he may already have said lifetime deal.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

Just give Willard a life-time contract because we can never expect there is anyone else in coaching who can do a good job here or maybe take what Willard has done and take it to the next level.

On second thought he may already have said lifetime deal.

Have a name in mind. If you truly believe in that someone could also take Duke, Michigan State, Kentucky, etc to the next level. Kansas one national title under Self? Shouldn't they want more? Until you have a real plan, that's pointless. Hypothetically there's always someone better out there. But you need to know who that is and how we're getting them. Tell me you're going to get the guys on here to raise $4 mill a year for a coach and someone like Scott Drew is going to leave Baylor for here. Have a plan. You have the same dream that I have when I play the lottery. Here's my $10 and I'm hoping for the best.

 

[Piratebuckeye]

Classy post Dan. Thank you for your work with this board and for sharing some grounding thoughts.

 

[Hall91]

If you thought this was a Top 15 team and Final Four contended (majority here), the season so far has been an abject failure.

If you thought it was a top 25-35 team (like me), you are/should be disappointed but still plenty of time to still be this.

This is where I was pre season. Team needed to show it was more than 1 player to be deserving of a top 15 pre-season and with the exception of Mamu, there really hasn’t been any evolution of the rest of the team. Not to mention Ike has been a huge letdown which also means we were unable to fulfill Nzei’s shoes who was a very important player for us last year.

If we can somehow avoid going into a prolonged losing streak before Powell and/or Mamu get back, we still have a shot at being a NCAA team if everything goes well. I’m just not counting on it. But I will be at just about all the games supporting the team/program.

 

[HallLine69]

I don’t want Willard to be shown the door.

I’d be working my ass off. I am sure all of us have faced professional (maybe personal) criticism and have been in situations where it got nasty. That’s the real world, right or wrong. You have to be tough, overcome it, focus on what you can control. There are a lot of JO’s out there you have to deal with.

Unless someone is totally oblivious or just living in a fantasy world, in sports like D1 college basketball where you’re the face of a university and receive A TON of perks for it, you have to expect this when you perform so poorly. This should not be new to them.

That's a very good post, sir.

 

[HallLine69]

It’s always the fair weather fans who are hit hardest during trying times. Hopefully they pull through.

By the same token, it's always the pollyannas who see no faults or flaws and decry any post that isn't 100% positive. There's no arguing that --injuries notwithstanding-- Seton Hall was completelyunprepared for yesterday's huge rivalry game. Even Willard himself owned up to that.

 

[Halldan1]

Classy post Dan. Thank you for your work with this board and for sharing some grounding thoughts.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

Amen Myles Cale

 

[HallBall7392]

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These guys have been posting stuff like this for weeks. When are they gonna pull through for the fans?!?! The fans have been pulling harder than ever for this team and we’re losing steam.

 

[Halldan1]

 

[shupat08]

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Stop reading the press and go work on our offense and defense and go scout Maryland. Reading Piratecrew ain't doing anything for the players or coaches. In good times or bad.

Maybe they shouldn't have been reading all the preseason articles, polls, tweets and posts here calling them a final 4 team.

 

[SHUSource]

These guys have been posting stuff like this for weeks. When are they gonna pull through for the fans?!?! The fans have been pulling harder than ever for this team and we’re losing steam.

This is true. It does become trite after a while when it never gets backed up.

 

[IHM Pirate]

A couple of years ago when rating the season and performance of our head coach (on the Trove) I made a comment, one that has become a common refrain now on the internet. Kevin Willard coaches better when expectations are low and conversely struggles when they are high. In short I said the Hall performs better as the hunter than as the hunted.

Once again, injuries and bad luck notwithstanding, the Pirates are facing a similar situation just 10 games into a season that seemed so promising just a few short weeks ago.

Sure excuses can be made that McKnight (cramps), Mamu (broken wrist) and Powell (ankle/concussion) have contributed to the Pirates struggles, and they have. But on few occasions this season has Seton Hall looked like the team that so many expected.

Now the situation has done a full circle. The Pirates are no longer the hunted, the preseason best team in the league as voted on by the conference coaches. Instead they are struggling with the question now being do they even get invited to the Dance.

That takes enormous pressure off the team and even more importantly the head coach whose track record clearly shows his shortcomings when considered the front runner.

When and if healthy this team, albeit in short spurts, has proven it can go toe to toe with some of the best teams in the country. So now when the squad's two star players come back the focus will no longer be on national rankings, scoring titles, player of the year recognition, etc. Instead the focus will be on a game by game basis to play as a team to win each outing.

In that situation Willard excels and as down as everyone is right now I can see a distant silver lining. One that we as fans must aid.

I for one am in no way giving up on this team and neither should you. The pieces are still in place, but the journey has now become different, more difficult, but achievable.

Without Powell and Sandro the start of this new journey might take another step back before it takes what I hope will be many steps forward. It's up to the fans to support this team. It's easy to do that when you're winning, but more difficult when you're not. Let's show these kids we're with them throughout the season and not just as front runners when things are going well.

Your preaching to the choir.
Why would any loyal supporter give up on this squad.
If they want to hop off the Bandwagon than let them, they never should have been on it in the first place.
Lets Go Pirates.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

Your preaching to the choir.
Why would any loyal supporter give up on this squad.
If they want to hop off the Bandwagon than let them, they never should have been on it in the first place.
Lets Go Pirates.

They don’t call this giving up. They call it supporting our guys. LOL

 

[SHUsez]

I went to school 2006-2010 if I was going to give up on this team it would have been after I graduated. That being said yesterday was dumbfounding. I know we are better than what was on display. I think my frustration is mostly with Willard. The pieces are there to work with but in the State, Nike U and yesterday's losses he didn't seem to utilize them. I'll be there in my seats Thursday ready to cheer the team on and will be behind them 100%.

 

[Turiddu]

Having been a Hall fan for a zillion years I have known the pain of defeats and some fabulous times.I am with SPK in that I thought we were a top 25 team with possibly a chance to be even more.We are at the low point now, and the injuries make the immediate future less than stellar. However,there is still a lot of the schedule left ,and hopefully they will get through this.I have never quit on any Hall team and am not about to begin now.

 

[cernjSHU]

I thought this was a Sweet 16 team. But my concerns of not having a point guard was always there. What I didn’t expect was how bad the defense would be. What I didn’t expect was no progression of play from Cale, Rhoden and Nelson. I expected even more from Mamu.

The worst case scenario has just played itself out and combine that with injuries to Mamu and Powell. Does the coach and the team have it in them to fight? We shall see Thursday. Will they play a competitive game or will they just be an embarrassment. I’m not looking for a win. Just be respectable and play well with good defense and ball movement on the offensive end.

 

[jmt6762]

 

[Piratz]

Good, maybe they can play the world-against-us card.

 

[PosterFormallyKnownAsShuathelete]

Exactly the criticisms and attacks on here and all message boards are pointless. It's like a safe place for snowflakes to feel better about themselves. I'm curious what percentage of people would say the stuff they say on here to Willard or the players?

My hope is the players realize there are people that aren't going to get down because of a couple bad games.

I would say it right to willards face i hope somebody is saying something. The most fragile person is willard hes too scared to win LOL

what world are we living in? The fans and students have done their part. Got hearts crushed vs michigan st. Then fans traveled to bahamas on thanksgiving to support them. They incurred another crushing heartbreaking loss. Then they watched the team miserably slip by a borderline Q2 (best win) team only to lose to them the next week looking even more miserable. Then fans even showed up at rutgers where everyone on the planet was ready for and they got embarrassed.

theyre not defending, they cant finish 3 v 1s, they are being embarrassed. Theyre lucky they even have fans who care. Instead of hitting social media hit the gym. The pity party is over.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

Good, maybe they can play the world-against-us card.

I have no problem with us against the world mentality however it’s usually us (Seton Hall) against the world. Not the team by themselves vs the world. That’s pretty crappy and not the Seton Hall way.

 

[SHUMatt]

By the same token, it's always the pollyannas who see no faults or flaws and decry any post that isn't 100% positive. There's no arguing that --injuries notwithstanding-- Seton Hall was completelyunprepared for yesterday's huge rivalry game. Even Willard himself owned up to that.

What Willard said was they “were not prepared to play at the RAC”. In reality they would not have been prepared to play at the RAC, on a neutral court or even in the park. RU was more prepared and wanted the game much more than we did.

 

[Section112]

Gotta keep supporting our Pirates! I’m as pissed as anyone but I can’t imagine how the team feels. No way but up at this point. Go Pirates!!

 

[hallgrad80]

The way we lost yesterday was horrible. I was as critical as many posters of our poor all-around showing. But all we can do now is put the game behind us and support the team and staff, pray that Powell and Mamu heal well enough to lead us into the tournament again, and hope the staff makes the right adjustments to keep us afloat until our two best players return.

Halldan has spoken often of Kevin’s low-key style. I have no problem with it - the late John Wooden was the farthest thing from a screamer and won 10 national championships at UCLA. Of course, he was an amazing teacher and tactician and had legendary talent. But the point is he was quiet and refined and was as much a teacher of life skills as of basketball. Let’s not lose sight of that here at Seton Hall.

Diehard Seton Hall fans are extremely frustrated, but many of us will be at the Maryland game rooting for our players and coaches and hoping for something positive to take hold.

I recently read this quote from Kevin’s friend, Coach Cronin, at UCLA. “John Wooden sure as hell wouldn’t be looking at message boards or blogs to see how people felt about him or his program,” Cronin says with a smirk. “And I won’t either.”

I hope Kevin isn’t looking at these message boards either - we vent our frustrations here - and some of our comments are as ugly as our performance against Rutgers. But let’s support our team and staff and get back to winning very soon.

Just remember when Wooden was coaching their were no scholarship limits and UCLA used to stack talent in the days when you had both a freshman and varsity team and they used to have as many as twenty players on ship.

 

[TheHall87]

Just remember when Wooden was coaching their were no scholarship limits and UCLA used to stack talent in the days when you had both a freshman and varsity team and they used to have as many as twenty players on ship.

You left out the influence of Sam Gilbert.

 

[Halldan1]

Clearly considering the tweets from Myles Cale and Anthony Nelson they are very aware of this board. And I'm sure as I have noted often in the past so too are their teammates.

Some of the posts made here are understandable, borne out of frustration and the desire for our school to succeed. But others have crossed the line. We are adults talking about young men who want to win as much as we want them to win. The fact that they don't always succeed doesn't mean that we should turn on them.

You don't need to support them blindly, but they do need our support. Think about that the next time you're posting and about to hit the enter key. Post responsibly.

Willard has constructed a roster full of kids we would all be proud to claim as our own. Obviously we want them to win but that's not happening without the support of our fans. How often have you read comments from the players noting the importance of the crowds backing them at the Rock? It's no different here. At the Prudential Center they hear our support. Here, they can read it, or read the opposite.

Think about your words when you want to state an opinion. Criticize if you want, but do so in a manner you would if you were face to face with the person you are criticizing. After all these are teenagers or young men playing in front of crowds in the thousands and viewers on TV in the millions. That's more pressure ten fold than most all of us will ever face in our athletic careers.

Go Pirates

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

Clearly considering the tweets from Myles Cale and Anthony Nelson they are very aware of this board. And I'm sure as I have noted often in the past so too are their teammates.

Some of the posts made here are understandable, borne out of frustration and the desire for our school to succeed. But others have crossed the line. We are adults talking about young men who want to win as much as we want them to win. The fact that they don't always succeed doesn't mean that we should turn on them.

You don't need to support them blindly, but they do need our support. Think about that the next time you're posting and about to hit the enter key. Post responsibly.

Willard has constructed a roster full of kids we would all be proud to claim as our own. Obviously we want them to win but that's not happening without the support of our fans. How often have you read comments from the players noting the importance of the crowds backing them at the Rock? It's no different here. At the Prudential Center they hear our support. Here, they can read it, or read the opposite.

Think about your words when you want to state an opinion. Criticize if you want, but do so in a manner you would if you were face to face with the person you are criticizing. After all these are teenagers or young men playing in front of crowds in the thousands and viewers on TV in the millions. That's more pressure ten fold than most all of us will ever face in our athletic careers.

Go Pirates

Those guys fight for us when on the court. We need more people to fight back against the jerks who cross the line. We need fans who show we got their back as Myles Cale say when things are dark. We didn’t play well last game, but their still our guys who put on the Seton Hall uniform. We can’t sit back and let people eat our own in good times or bad times. They need to feel the love of the Seton Hall community regardless. What is Seton Hall if not community? Some people want them to prove things as if they’ve shown us nothing in their time here. Seton Hall is better than that. Heads up, hearts full, keep fighting Myles, Anthony, and the rest of the team.

 

[Hallsome]

Clearly considering the tweets from Myles Cale and Anthony Nelson they are very aware of this board. And I'm sure as I have noted often in the past so too are their teammates.

Some of the posts made here are understandable, borne out of frustration and the desire for our school to succeed. But others have crossed the line. We are adults talking about young men who want to win as much as we want them to win. The fact that they don't always succeed doesn't mean that we should turn on them.

You don't need to support them blindly, but they do need our support. Think about that the next time you're posting and about to hit the enter key. Post responsibly.

Willard has constructed a roster full of kids we would all be proud to claim as our own. Obviously we want them to win but that's not happening without the support of our fans. How often have you read comments from the players noting the importance of the crowds backing them at the Rock? It's no different here. At the Prudential Center they hear our support. Here, they can read it, or read the opposite.

Think about your words when you want to state an opinion. Criticize if you want, but do so in a manner you would if you were face to face with the person you are criticizing. After all these are teenagers or young men playing in front of crowds in the thousands and viewers on TV in the millions. That's more pressure ten fold than most all of us will ever face in our athletic careers.

Go Pirates

Even good teams lose games and hit speed bumps.

Frequently, a coach, after losing a game, will say he didn’t prepare his team, or he was out coached, etc. - so I don’t get the criticism there.

I think they will learn from the different type losses.

I think some of the posters here are too negative and some post absurdly critical comments because they use this place to anonymously vent.

As a fan for 35 years, I don’t think these boards are representative of the fan base.

This team will get fan support because they’re good players and good kids. 2/3 of the season is left. Go Pirates!

 

[sami]

I would say it right to willards face i hope somebody is saying something. The most fragile person is willard hes too scared to win LOL

what world are we living in? The fans and students have done their part. Got hearts crushed vs michigan st. Then fans traveled to bahamas on thanksgiving to support them. They incurred another crushing heartbreaking loss. Then they watched the team miserably slip by a borderline Q2 (best win) team only to lose to them the next week looking even more miserable. Then fans even showed up at rutgers where everyone on the planet was ready for and they got embarrassed.

theyre not defending, they cant finish 3 v 1s, they are being embarrassed. Theyre lucky they even have fans who care. Instead of hitting social media hit the gym. The pity party is over.

Good, Maryland, this Thursday. Come down to the broadcast desk while the team is warming up. Won’t get Kevin, but we’ll get Grant, Skinn or 40 over. You can tell them your thoughts. Mamu won’t be in layup lines so maybe we can grab him as well. Maybe you can even throw a “walk-on” dig at Shavar.

 

[PosterFormallyKnownAsShuathelete]

Good, Maryland, this Thursday. Come down to the broadcast desk while the team is warming up. Won’t get Kevin, but we’ll get Grant, Skinn or 40 over. You can tell them your thoughts. Mamu won’t be in layup lines so maybe we can grab him as well. Maybe you can even throw a “walk-on” dig at Shavar.

why wont i get willard?

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

why wont i get willard?

No head coach is out there during warmups. They’re in the tunnel until 2 minutes to go. Then they go over greet the opposing head coach and it’s national anthem time.