This is a nightmare! Team has lost 11 out of its last 12 and has not played one team so far this season that a well-coached GW team would not have beaten. Coach makes no adjustments on offense or defense during a game-- a recipe for failure. 

We’re not firing him for the simple fact we have no money. Unless we get some of Auburn’s fans to light some more money on fire, the school is in no position to pay any sort of buyout. Coupled with the fact that the optics of firing professors but coming up with the cash to pay someone not to coach would be a PR nightmare. Only hope is that a coconut hits JC on the head (like a 60s sitcom) and he reverts to his MSM style.

No No No No No!  This loss is squarely on the back of the kids on the court, who are either remarkably slow afoot on defense or downright lazy.  That's not coaching.  That's effort, or lack thereof! 

And watch the last play of the game.  Jameer was WIDE OPEN under the basket and Bishop either didn't see him (not sure how) or wanted to take a shot himself.  I think the call was to get the ball to Jameer for the slam or layup, which he had.

GW0509 wrote:

We’re not firing him for the simple fact we have no money. Unless we get some of Auburn’s fans to light some more money on fire, the school is in no position to pay any sort of buyout. Coupled with the fact that the optics of firing professors but coming up with the cash to pay someone not to coach would be a PR nightmare. Only hope is that a coconut hits JC on the head (like a 60s sitcom) and he reverts to his MSM style.

Yup. He gets 5 years. We're in Year 2. No guarantee it ends with a better hire or even staying in the A-10. Certainly not coming out of the pandemic with the enthusiasm the program needs to be revenue-stable, especially as spectator sports of all kinds get crunched by fans staying away. You have to wonder (more than we already do) why someone would give up a night in the nation's capital to go watch us blow a 20-point lead to William & Mary.
Our last NCAA appearance was 2014, seven years ago this March. Our last NCAA win was 2005, 16 years ago. GW Basketball will go a decade between NCAA appearances and a quarter century between NCAA wins. You get the feeling that the admin is, if not OK with that, preternaturally unable to figure it out or else swamped by other crises.

What GW0509 and Mentzinger said.

And even if a buyout/money was no object, this would just be the wrong thing to do, even at the end of this season if we don't win another game (which we will).  

What is admittedly troubling is the dichotomy between JC's feelings about this team ("we are very close", '"I like what I'm seeing", "I'd tell you if this wasn't the case") and the on-court product.  I understand that he is an incredibly positive thinker and I do admire his demeanor.  At the same time, the reality that's been unfolding before our eyes suggest otherwise.

In addition, I do feel like there is a certain sameness regarding the criticisms after most games.  Why in a year where we've been told we have more depth do all 5 starters play at least 32 minutes, a sixth plays 27 minutes, a 7th plays 12 minutes, and everyone else hardly plays at all (or doesn't play)?  Where are the in-game adjustments?  Why are we doing nothing to free up our three point shooters?  

The thing about the players on this team is that most if not all are capable of performing very well at certain aspects of the game, but we don't seem to have any who are complete basketball players.  That said, we know there's talent out there but it's not just being brought together cohesively, aside from the game's first 19 minutes last night.

JC is not going anywhere and any Fire Jamion Christian chant being made last night or today is a premature one.  He does need time to figure this out, but even the most cynical GW fan in the world would not have predicted 1-5 against this schedule.
 

Last edited by Gwmayhem (12/15/2020 10:30 am)

keithgreene wrote:

No No No No No!  This loss is squarely on the back of the kids on the court, who are either remarkably slow afoot on defense or downright lazy.  That's not coaching.  That's effort, or lack thereof! 

And watch the last play of the game.  Jameer was WIDE OPEN under the basket and Bishop either didn't see him (not sure how) or wanted to take a shot himself.  I think the call was to get the ball to Jameer for the slam or layup, which he had.

Of course Keith. Anybody who thinks JC drew that last play up for a step back 30-footer by Bishop just isn't very bright.

At some point players have to play to their capabilities and make plays. This isn't about X's and O's its about leadership and grit. Right now, this team doesn't have much of any of that. That's why we play just well enough to lose every game we should win. We don't get the key stop, we don't get the big rebound, we don't get the 50/50 ball. We can't score in stretches or we are careless with the ball leading to a run of turnovers. We have players making "look at me plays" rather than winning plays. While you can make the case that JC recruited these guys (mostly other than Paar, Battle and Jack), it is very hard for a coach to just "adjust" those things. It takes some leadership from within the team and a willingness to keep working. I am quite certain JC knows what the hell he is doing. I am also quite certain that this group isn't buying in right now. The question is why?. And how does JC fix that. Still very confident he will get it fixed because he is a worker and very willing to self-analyze. I am sure he is not satisfied not sleeping well these days.

As far as firing JC, that's kind of the pavlovian fan response we've seen on message boards at GW time and time again. I think every coach has seen it at GW. Fire Jarvis! Fire Penders! Fire Hobbs! Fire Lonergan!  It's funny that we expect our players to play with poise under adversity but many in the fan base lack this same poise. However, what I have realized over more than 35 years is some of the same people yelling "fire" are the first ones to try to kiss the coach's ass when we later have success. Thank God we didn't fire Hobbs after losses to American and Fairfield. Thank God we didn't fire Lonergan after losses to Mount St. Mary's or a 10-23 record in Year 2. Both would have been huge mistakes. Maybe this is why GW is unable to sustain a fan base.  

To me, this is pure entertainment. No one is forced to watch or support. If it is too much for you, plenty of other things to do. But when you are yelling to fire the coach 37 games into his tenure, I would suggest you are wound just a little too tight. 



 

Per GW Rising  "Anyone who thinks JC drew up that last play for a step back 30 footer by Bishop just isn't very bright"   Although I agree with that statement, I am not so sure that the designed play wasn't simply to give the ball to Bishop and have him make something happen, ala Mo Creek vs. Maryland.   
 

Last edited by Long Suffering Fan (12/15/2020 11:36 am)

GWRising, I'm sorry but you just can't exonerate the coaching and say it's all on the players to make plays.  There are enough problems to go around between the coaches and the players.  Since I made a big point of mentioning Maceo's defense on Loewe on another thread, I'll throw that out here.  When it became evident to anyone paying attention that Maceo could not guard this guy, why was he permitted to do so throughout the second half?  Anytime Loewe took the ball to the hole resulted in his scoring.  The only stops came when Loewe attempted long jump shots.  And, after making the change to start overtime, why did he go back to Maceo over the final minute of overtime, where Loewe proceeded to score two more baskets after being shut out by Matt the first 4 minutes of OT?  This is just inexplicably terrible coaching and there's no real way to sugar-coat this.

There were likely 3 options on that play after watching it 10 times.

Lob to JNJ
Ball screen drive for Bishop to his right as other 2 players were set up to left side of court
Pick and pop to Battle for three

2 attempts to get a 2 and then fail safe option for a three if everything was taken away. Bishop unfortunately took Option 4 which wasn't in the plan..

I noticed Covington but you're missing the point.  The point is how many times does a coach have to watch something not work before trying something different?  Try JNJ.  If he's not tall enough and getting beat as a result, try Ball or Brelsford.  I have no way of guaranteeing that something different would have worked but after getting beat so many times, you just have to try something different.

Good coaches put their players in positions to succeed.  Maceo was failing repeatedly at defending Loewe.  (And undoubtedly, his technical foul which brought a 6 point GW lead down to 2, was the result of his frustration over not being able to stop his man.)  JC has to be better at adjusting when situations like this arise.