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current group photo of the "I Want a Different Coach than Thad Matta Club"

AndyVance's picture
AndyVance on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:09pm #

Current photo of those who make fun of folks who criticize Coach Matta:

johnblairgobucks's picture
johnblairgobucks on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:19pm #

same ass, moments earlier...............

AndyVance's picture
AndyVance on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:23pm #

BME_Buckeye's picture
BME_Buckeye on 24 Feb 2013 - 10:08pm #

Stuff I notice in the background 

  • Ideal Gas law
  • Quality
  • Enthalpy 
  • Energy conservation
  • Attractive force coefficient 
  • Mass flow rate
  • Volumetric flow rate
  • Thermo garbage-UGGG!

I need to drink more if I paid attention to THAT before the donkey...

That said; I haven't bashed our coaches this year. I knew this year was a down year and we've been spoiled in the past. Matta is entitled to down year even if we don't win a B1G title or go far in the Tourny. Its the reality of basketball. Indiana/Michigan didn't just roll over and become good. Ease up on Matta. Funny roach picture btw.

Swung you an upvote for bringing back a few good memories! 

You tell the SEC when they can learn to read and write, then they can figure out what we're doing. - Gordon Gee

GoBucksToledo's picture
GoBucksToledo on 25 Feb 2013 - 10:11am #

Actually, I think those are crickets.  Just saying...

cajunbuckeye's picture
cajunbuckeye on 25 Feb 2013 - 7:50am #

If we can't post pictures of Kate Uptons a$$, why is Andy allowed to post a picture of his????

An angry fan...rooting for an angry team...led by angry coaches

AndyVance's picture
AndyVance on 25 Feb 2013 - 9:14am #

Ask and ye shall receive... I give you, Kate Upton's ass:

cajunbuckeye's picture
cajunbuckeye on 25 Feb 2013 - 9:19am #

YOU ARE.... THE MAN!!!!!

An angry fan...rooting for an angry team...led by angry coaches

LouGroza's picture
LouGroza on 25 Feb 2013 - 9:43am #

After all the back and forth over the weekend I thought KUs ass was NSFW. Boy, am I confused.

gobucks96's picture
gobucks96 on 25 Feb 2013 - 10:25am #

Andy,

Thank you..... That was awesome!

 

Run_Fido_Run's picture
Run_Fido_Run on 25 Feb 2013 - 11:03am #

Andy - Are you trying to get me fired by randomly dropping-in a NSFW pic without warning me?

AndyVance's picture
AndyVance on 25 Feb 2013 - 11:10am #

Damn - you figured me out!

Poison nuts's picture
Poison nuts on 25 Feb 2013 - 12:55pm #

On February 25, 2013, Eleven Warriors member in good standing, AndyVance wins the the entire Internet for the period of 24 hours for his post, titled "Kate Uptons Ass". Congratulations Andy, I reward you with an upvote. Enjoy your award.

The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.

Unky Buck's picture
Unky Buck on 25 Feb 2013 - 12:59pm #

Greatest. Gif. Ever.

Gametime's picture
Gametime on 25 Feb 2013 - 4:23pm #

Well played Andy, well played.

"Leave...Your...Mark..."

cajunbuckeye's picture
cajunbuckeye on 26 Feb 2013 - 7:56am #

I don't have a leg to stand on in this argument.......

An angry fan...rooting for an angry team...led by angry coaches

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rightfield on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:09pm #

Anyone who wants a different OSU bball coach than Matta is as smart as these cockroaches and need to stomped on like these bugs.

  Thad Matta is OSU basketball and we should all thank him everyday for brining our program out of the darkages.  

Its good to be the king

johnblairgobucks's picture
johnblairgobucks on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:16pm #

those are crickets.  lol.

buck-I.8's picture
buck-I.8 on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:16pm #

Ironic, then, that those are crickets, which is the joke...

AndyVance's picture
AndyVance on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:20pm #

Look, the bottom line is that one game neither makes or breaks a coach. They all look brilliant after a big win, and are all goats after a big loss.

Anyone remember halfway through the football season when people were calling for Urban Meyer's head on a pike (or Luke Fickell's, etc.)? 'Cause I sure do...

That said, just because you offer a critique of the coach doesn't make you a cretin. You need to be man enough to acknowledge Matta's successes when the team pulls off a big win - as they did today - but "Matta's so much better than everybody before him" doesn't mean all criticism should be off limits.

(And by the way, I've said in other threads today that Matta gets a lot of credit for today's win, and I've blogged more than once about Matta's prowess as a coach - he's really, really good - it just rubs me the wrong way that people act as though you should never question the head basketball coach at The Ohio State University.)

johnblairgobucks's picture
johnblairgobucks on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:23pm #

Look, the bottom line is that one game neither makes or breaks a coach. They all look brilliant after a big win, and are all goats after a big loss.

Anyone remember halfway through the football season when people were calling for Urban Meyer's head on a pike (or Luke Fickell's, etc.)? 'Cause I sure do...

That said, just because you offer a critique of the coach doesn't make you a cretin. You need to be man enough to acknowledge Matta's successes when the team pulls off a big win - as they did today - but "Matta's so much better than everybody before him" doesn't mean all criticism should be off limits.

(And by the way, I've said in other threads today that Matta gets a lot of credit for today's win, and I've blogged more than once about Matta's prowess as a coach - he's really, really good - it just rubs me the wrong way that people act as though you should never question the head basketball coach at The Ohio State University.)
.

didn't realize anyone thought that Matta should be devoid of criticism. 

 

 

 

AndyVance's picture
AndyVance on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:35pm #

Oh, I don't know, maybe a thread popping up within an hour of a Buckeye victory with a humorous depiction of Matta critics as insects would give one reason to think there is a vocal chorus of Matta fans who think it is inappropriate to criticize the coach. There have been several threads and/or comments during the painful stretches of the current season that would tend to back up that notion, I think.

johnblairgobucks's picture
johnblairgobucks on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:46pm #

look, brother, It's all in fun.  I have read the posts of more than a few people that blame every loss on Matta or Matta's techniques.  Poking a little fun, here.    I believe we all want to see the Buckeyes win, and they did.  Before this starts another thread that goes sideways, I'll be glad to delete the content I can delete.  Come here for enjoyment, not the pins and needles.

cajunbuckeye's picture
cajunbuckeye on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:52pm #

I found the humor in it. Andy, that donkey picture is classic!!

An angry fan...rooting for an angry team...led by angry coaches

AndyVance's picture
AndyVance on 25 Feb 2013 - 12:26am #

No worries, John - I'm more than happy to eat crow or humble pie when the Buckeyes win like they did tonight, and as Tampa pointed out, Matta gets a big slice of the credit for the adjustments he made in-game, as well as in the improvements over the previous losses.

Let's all hope the improvement continues over the next few weeks :)

b_pbucksfans's picture
b_pbucksfans on 25 Feb 2013 - 9:40am #

Too late John! Football needs to hurry up and get here!

ShowThemOhiosHere's picture
ShowThemOhiosHere on 25 Feb 2013 - 12:10am #

He's not exempt from criticism, but some of the criticism I've heard is ridiculous so I tend to agree with the photo.

Class of 2010.

sir rickithda3rd's picture
sir rickithda3rd on 26 Feb 2013 - 7:28pm #

i remember mr fickell. but never for ufm's head.

mark may wins douchebag of the year... again

Qujo's picture
Qujo on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:42pm #

Rather see the people wanting matta and Fickell fired find a different university if they are attending OSU or just go away. If they are that miserable just leave, your blood pressure will thank you later, hater.

"Tough times don't last, tough people do" - Gregory Peck

buck-I.8's picture
buck-I.8 on 24 Feb 2013 - 10:07pm #

Believe it or not, some people don't attend a school because of their sports teams.

Qujo's picture
Qujo on 24 Feb 2013 - 10:59pm #

Your argument is rather lame... I am speaking about the people calling for mattas head ( you maybe) and that by default means they are following the athletic program. There is a school up north that specializes in delusional thoughts, much like your argument. They could really use your talents....

"Tough times don't last, tough people do" - Gregory Peck

buck-I.8's picture
buck-I.8 on 24 Feb 2013 - 11:23pm #

Well firstly, one can follow an athletic program without that being the purpose of attending a school, so you didn't really address that. 

Second, a person is entitled to their opinion, which while not mirroring mine, means that those opinions are welcome in the arena for discourse, rather than telling anyone that doesn't share your feelings to go to a different school.

Finally, had Michigan offered me more money, I'd very likely be one of many Buckeye fans that go north to get one of the most prestigious business degrees in the nation.

Qujo's picture
Qujo on 24 Feb 2013 - 11:41pm #

Just what I thought.  You aren't really all in, why then are you on 11 Warriors if you aren't a fan of the Buckeyes and would have easily went to aa if they would have thrown a few more bucks your way.  I paid my way through college and went to the school of MY choice. i didn't let a couple bucks stand in the way of going where i wanted to, get the degree i wanted and I have done quite nicely with my degree (s). If you really wanted the Michigun degree you wouldn't have let a few dollars stand in your way. There are " academia" websites you can argue the value of your degree on, this happens to be primarily an athletic website. No wonder why your comments are of the negative variety. 

"Tough times don't last, tough people do" - Gregory Peck

buck-I.8's picture
buck-I.8 on 25 Feb 2013 - 12:10am #

Regardless of how many times you can repeat the same sentence in a different order, you're missing the point. I've been an OSU fan since birth, without regard to where I acquire my education. Michigan was in a group with Georgetown and few others which were schools to which I was accepted but felt that they were not in a range of prices that I was willing to pay. Thus, I never considered those schools in final. 

My entire point is that education can be separate from sports allegiance. Can I assume, from your reliance on such an argument, that you went to Ohio State? if so, I applaud you as a fellow Buckeye, but with all due respect, I would be on this site daily no matter what school I'd chosen, and I hope I speak for you as well. 

Please step back and have some perspective in your argument, because it seems as if you're saying that only OSU students/alumni can be OSU fans, and if that's not your argument, then you're being contradictory in addition to redundant.

Statutoryglory's picture
Statutoryglory on 26 Feb 2013 - 12:16am #

Made the same call on Georgetown...and that was with 98 pricing.

LuckyDAWG685's picture
LuckyDAWG685 on 26 Feb 2013 - 7:20pm #

it may not be the entire reason, but for some people it does play a decent size aspect to consider.  I started at Bowling Green State University and since they don't have any good sports teams (aside from women basketball when I was there) the only alternative was to drink and I hated it.  I transferred to Ohio State and with since they have sports teams and events I can go to I absolutely love it.  So, it may not be a deciding factor but it can make a difference.

Buckeye Nuthouse Member 2011-13 season
Block "O" 2012 season

tampa buckeye's picture
tampa buckeye on 24 Feb 2013 - 9:52pm #

I've been critical of Thad in the past. That said,  He made some good moves tonight using a timeout to rip the guys for not playing defense in the early going of the second half was one of them.

 However, he did still blow the end of the first half and hard to agree with not playing ADV when the team shoots 1 for 11 from deep in the first half.  What happened to Smith Jr this year?   Craft saved them tonight.  If he continues to play at that level this team can win it all.  Yes I said it win it all.  

johnblairgobucks's picture
johnblairgobucks on 24 Feb 2013 - 10:30pm #

Glad to hear from you Tampa Buckeye, for you have been one of the more vocal Matta critics.  OSU's trip to Bloomington will be my Final Litmus take on this teams destiny in this year's NCAA Tourney.

OSU playing a possible 4 games in 4 nights/days in the Big 10 Tourney, would be a tiring experience on the legs of OSU's starters, that play a ton of minutes.  OSU, at most, in the NCAA Tournament will play 2 games in 3 nights/days.

tampa buckeye's picture
tampa buckeye on 25 Feb 2013 - 12:21am #

Well you have to give credit when credit is due.  Thad did his best coaching job since leaving Xavier U.  Finally getting these bigs to play some decent basketball against a physical MSU team is going to go a long way the rest of the year.  That was a great win vs a top 5 opponent with two really good bigs, you have to be excited about that.  

I agree IU will be a good test to see if they are legit to make a run.  I don't expect them to win on the road but I would atleast like to see them make it interesting.  Still tons of basketball left to be played and the Bucks are trending upward right now.  

 

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awydontucry on 24 Feb 2013 - 10:31pm #

I like your enthusiasm but perhaps the result of not playing ADV is +5 in turnover margin and also MSU shot 18% from behind the arc.

And also if I may. Craft did not "save" us he LED tOSU.

tampa buckeye's picture
tampa buckeye on 25 Feb 2013 - 12:26am #

Even the Bulls with MJ needed Steve Kerr or a John Paxton type player.  ADV can be that type of guy off the bench and come in and bury some big shots or at least force the defense to not cheat on Thomas.  

Either way you have to like our chances come march if Craft keeps being agressive.  Very impressive performance tonight from him.

LuckyDAWG685's picture
LuckyDAWG685 on 26 Feb 2013 - 7:29pm #

To your point about Smith Jr., he has never been that great of a player overall.  His defense is above average, and his shooting is average.  Think about last year's team: 1- Craft, 2- Smith Jr., 3- Buford, 4- Thomas, 5- Sullinger.  You could have inserted anyone as the fifth starter in place of Smith Jr. and still gotten the same results.  The opposing defenses were so focused on stopping Thomas, Buford, Craft, and Sullinger that the other guy would have been wide open on any sort of dribble-drive penetration or pick-and-roll.

Also, Craft finally did what his game is, as well.  Craft was never the type of player to come off a pick and shoot a jumper from 20+ feet out.  His game at the college level has, and always will be, penetrating for lay-ups or kicking it out to open shooters when the defense collapses.  He is a smart player and can find the open guy.  The main reason he is even starting though is because his defense is phenomenal.  Just my two cents on these two guys.

Buckeye Nuthouse Member 2011-13 season
Block "O" 2012 season

Kevbo714's picture
Kevbo714 on 24 Feb 2013 - 10:02pm #

I feel that we as Buckeye fans are lucky to have Matta as our bball coach and it always pained me when someone asked for his job...  I love the job that he has done and there are very few out there (if any) that I would rather have... 

Tom Crean listens to Nickelback...

AndyVance's picture
AndyVance on 24 Feb 2013 - 10:43pm #

You're right that it's wrong to call for Matta's head given the success he's afforded us in the near-decade he's been here.

That said, calling for his head is but one extreme - the opposite extreme is that almost every time I've seen him fairly criticized in threads here this season, folks pop up saying (I'm paraphrasing heavily and exaggerating a little), "He's so much better than everyone since Fred Taylor that we should just be happy to have him."

I'm one who thinks both extremes are foolish, that's all. We shouldn't have his head on the block every time the team loses, but we can't be a bunch of Pollyannas who say there is no room for criticism just because we win 20 games a season.

Qujo's picture
Qujo on 24 Feb 2013 - 11:01pm #

Yes we are all pollyana's. thanks for labeling everyone. 

"Tough times don't last, tough people do" - Gregory Peck

skid21's picture
skid21 on 25 Feb 2013 - 10:15am #

I agree that the extremes are just silly. The Thad critics can cut and paste this picture into their own thread if the Buckeyes get humiliated again. To judge a player or a coach on one performance is stretching it. The saying you're only as good (or bad) as your last game reigns supreme in the world of sports.

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BuckeyeNinja on 24 Feb 2013 - 10:55pm #

I BLAME FICKELL...... Fire him right now!!!

Poison nuts's picture
Poison nuts on 25 Feb 2013 - 3:12am #

Off with his head!!!

The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.

BrewstersMillions's picture
BrewstersMillions on 25 Feb 2013 - 9:25am #

I'm a pro Thad guy myself, given that admission one win doesn't silence the right full arguments his critics have. He isn't the best X's and O's guy out there. He's a fantastic recruiter. In the long run, talent will eventually win out. John Callipari isn't a great coach but understands that if you load your roster with talented, NBA caliber players, you will win more than you won't-sometimes (like this year) that doesn't work.

I guess its a matter of preference, which would you prefer? A guy who can coach less talented players up or a guy who can consistently bring in elite level players? That's assuming you had to choose one or the other.

I'm good with Thad, and a deep run in the tourney would go a long way. However, until he wins the whole ball of wax, his critics will be out and have legs to stand on.

4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off

AndyVance's picture
AndyVance on 25 Feb 2013 - 9:29am #

Well said, as always.

BrewstersMillions's picture
BrewstersMillions on 25 Feb 2013 - 9:38am #

Good talks today Andy. Appriciate the back and forth.

4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off

LouGroza's picture
LouGroza on 25 Feb 2013 - 9:40am #

Using Calipari here is a prime example. What would the 11W faithful have to say if Thad had the recruits on board that most salivate after, ala Kentucky in 2013, only to be on the verge of not making the tourney in March? It all comes down to players, heart, and chemistry, folks. (That's chemistry as in working together, not PEDs, so as not to start something....)

Buckeyevstheworld's picture
Buckeyevstheworld on 25 Feb 2013 - 9:55am #

I'm good with Thad, and a deep run in the tourney would go a long way. However, until he wins the whole ball of wax, his critics will be out and have legs to stand on.

It seems to me like Thad is just one of those coaches that will always have that "Yeah, but he had so and so" critique around him no matter what.

"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.

Gray Box's picture
Gray Box on 25 Feb 2013 - 9:47am #

actionstanleyjackson's picture
actionstanleyjackson on 25 Feb 2013 - 10:12am #

This has been a slower process with this group. They are really athletic but wildly inconsistent. 

Getting into the NCAA tourney will actually help this team more than anything. Big Ten is loaded.

 

Look OSU is going to win 2 out of their 3 final games and at least one in the B10 tournament. If they can get to the Big 10 tourney final I think they are a 4 seed. If they only win one game I think they are a solid 5 seed. I will be happy with anywhere from a 4, 5 or 6 seed. 

Right now...looking at 22-8 overall and 12-6 in the Big 10 after the regular season. That is pretty good with a group that struggles to score

Stay golden, Ponyboy.

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btalbert25 on 25 Feb 2013 - 11:11am #

I'm trying to come up with a good way to approach this topic without turning people off.  So what I'll say is, I think every coach deserves criticism from time to time.  I also think people really don't appreciate how good Thad is and maybe what level of coach Ohio State basketball can really attract.  Thad is our version of Billy Donovan.  He came here  pretty young, he has had a lot of success, and he's elected to stay here instead of bolting for higher profile jobs, and he could of landed higher profile jobs.  I mean Kentucky hired Billy freakin Gillespie for goodness sake!  He doesn't have the hardware yet, and Billy was lucky he put together an amazing recruiting class and the top 6 contributors off of the first title team came back(honestly they didn't need a coach at all to win the 2nd title, kind of kidding  here of course)

We all love Ohio State and have a vision that it's facilities and huge athletic department make it just as attractive as any other gig in America and I just don't think that's true.  Ohio State is emerging as quite a program and that's largely because of the coach a lot of people want to boot out.  The thing is, if Thad were forced out or got a different job(Syracuse and Duke will be open soon, don't rule out them calling) who takes over?  A guy like Brad Stevens is going to get interviewed for those bigger jobs too, and he'll probably get one if he elects to leave. 

Since I mentioned Syracuse, I'd like to ask would everyone be happy if we had a coach like Boeheim.  I'm not talking the personality I'm talking the on court success.  The 900+ wins, and stream of NBA players he's coached?  I mean he's one of the most respected guys in college basketball.  I think most would agree it'd be great to have a guy in place who still puts top 5 teams out after being in the role for 37 years. 

Well, I'd argue that Thad is already on pace to have a better career than Boeheim.  Jim has made it to 3 final fours during his entire tenure at Syracuse.  3 since 1976!  He's got 1 title.  He has one the Big East tournament 5 times and has 9 Big East regular season titles.  He's only been National Coach of the year 1 time, and he has about a 750 win percentage . 

Thad has 3 Big 10 tournament championships, 5 regular season titles, 2 final fours and a 773 win percentage.  Granted, it's far far less time than Boeheim, has coached, but he has accomplished almost as much in March as Boeheim.  So I guess what I'm saying is if Thad can give us 2 final fours every 8 years over a 30 year career at this school, and continue to win at the clip he is now, he'll be a basketball hall of famer.

 

 

cajunbuckeye's picture
cajunbuckeye on 25 Feb 2013 - 11:23am #

Great post BT. Personally, I'm a big fan of Thad and appreciate where he has been able to take the program. I don't always agree with way the he utilizes players or with his best "5" on the court, but I'm always satisfied that he's a Buckeye.

An angry fan...rooting for an angry team...led by angry coaches

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chitown buckeye on 25 Feb 2013 - 11:40am #

Well stated Talbert. That's a great way to put it into perspective. I've often questioned Matta's x's and o's but I understand that he has changed the level of basketball here at OSU. By having all this success, he has changed expectation levels from the fan base as well. As critical as I am with him at times, I will always dance with the woman I brought. Meaning, he built these expectations so I am willing to see his time through here.

I look around the country and where do you rank Matta on the list of best active coaches? Top 10? Top 15? Top 20? etc... the next question is how much is the gap between a top 1-10 coach vs an 11-20 coach? These are questions I try to ask myself when getting ready to dump on Matta for something.

"I'll fire when I'm god damn good and ready! You got that?" - Pete "Maverick" Mitchel

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btalbert25 on 25 Feb 2013 - 12:13pm #

The problem with coaching is, there are 3 big categories in my mind they have to hit.  You have recruiting, actual coaching, and then getting the players to buy in or Motivation.  Strait up X's and O's, in my opinion few are better than Bob Huggins, but I wouldn't consider him an elite coach coach especially recently.  He used to be a tremendous recruiter, great X's and O's guy, but his personality was horrible and he often had teams that just didn't buy in.  Look at the talent at UC that lost in the first or 2nd round of the tournament most years.

Coach K is probably the best at all 3 facets.  He can recruit, he's a great coach, and he gets guys to buy in with no problem.  That 2010 team that won the title, was probably the least talented final four team he's ever had.  I never would of dreamed Sheirer and Singlar would lead a team to a title.

Cal is the best recruiter out there and he typically gets the best of his players.  This year is bad, but in 2010 they had a rough regular season and he took that team to the final four with Harrelson leading the way in the tournament.

So, do I think Thad is a top 10 coach strictly on X's and O's?   No way.  Do I think he's top 10 if you take everything into consideration?  Possibly.  I honestly can't think of 10 I'd rather have.

 

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chitown buckeye on 25 Feb 2013 - 2:11pm #

I was thinking along the same lines. Very few coaches out there have all three attributes you described. Coach K, obviously comes to mind but what other coach would you absolutely want to trade for Matta. There are probably a handful of coaches out there that if they came calling you would listen, but even then you are looking at a "name" factor and they may not necessarily have all 3 attributes.

I see Matta as having 2 out 3 attributes. Strong recruiter, gets alot out of his players (ie players buying into his system, players generally enjoy playing for him, etc) but not as strong when it comes to in game x's and o's. Outside of those top few coaches it becomes a preference on what strengths you want your coach to have. You may gain an x's and o's guy but lose a recruiter. I personally prefer a guy that can recruit well. It all starts with talent.

I don't see 10 other coaches out there that I would say I would "hands down" want over Matta. I guess that means I see Matta as a top 10 all-around coach. Criticizing him on a game by game basis is certainly fair as it has been stated on this thread already, but when you break down Matta and compare him to the other coaches across the country he is a damn solid coach.

"I'll fire when I'm god damn good and ready! You got that?" - Pete "Maverick" Mitchel

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btalbert25 on 25 Feb 2013 - 2:59pm #

I think Coach K, Pitino, and Roy Williams(he's having a rough year) are guys that do all 3 really well.  Another guy, and this won't be popular, is Crean.  He can recruit well, he can flat out coach, and obviously, the guys are buying in.  He's turned that program around fast.

tennbuckeye19's picture
tennbuckeye19 on 25 Feb 2013 - 3:23pm #

I wouldn't throw Roy Williams on that list. Williams himself has said that it's a good thing he's been blessed to have really good players and teams to coach over the years because it masks the fact that he believes he's an average at best head coach.

Crean? Maybe. But it certainly has helped him to get better players. This is Crean's 5th year at IU. Although, their program was decimated by the Sampson violations for his first three years, so I guess I'll give him a little credit.

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btalbert25 on 25 Feb 2013 - 5:19pm #

I'm not buying Roy's comments there though.  He's always been the type to divert attention away from himself and toward his players.  I think he's a better X's and O's coach than a lot of other guys at elite programs.

As for Crean, I didn't necessarily think he is as accomplished as some of the others I mentioned, just that I think he will be there. 

tennbuckeye19's picture
tennbuckeye19 on 25 Feb 2013 - 10:34pm #

I was kinda tossing the Roy Williams comment out in jest. When I heard that he supposedly had said that, I was thinking, yeah okay. He's an aw shucks kinda guy, so he's definitely downplaying his coaching abilities. I don't doubt his abilities as a coach.

It is kind of the age old question though that I always think about, how much credit should a coach get for a team's success? 

AndyVance's picture
AndyVance on 26 Feb 2013 - 12:07am #

A coach is like the director of a movie - half the time if the movie bombs, the director gets the blame, but if it is a rousing success, the actors were brilliant! Same deal with coaching - if the team sucks, fire the coach. If the team is amazing, the players were Gods among men.

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btalbert25 on 26 Feb 2013 - 12:33am #

Last year Cal kept saying that about Kentucky's players.  It had everything to do with them, it's all about them, blah blah blah.  However, every chance he gets he talks about how 6 of them were drafted last year and he wants to have 7 drafted off the same team.  He always talks about 2 times now having record number of kids drafted off of one team.  Part of it is to say come here and you'll be in the NBA and part of it is him patting his own back.  

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chitown buckeye on 25 Feb 2013 - 4:01pm #

I can agree with those. I would like to see more of Crean before I put him in that category. There is no doubt he has them turned around right now but I want to see where they are a few years from now.

After those top 5-7 coaches is where you begin to see parody. I always try to find where guys like Jim Larranaga fit in. He has won everywhere he has gone. Brought programs from nothing to being relevant. (at least while he was there). Yet isn't ever really mentioned or talked about in the same light as many "top 10" coaches.   

"I'll fire when I'm god damn good and ready! You got that?" - Pete "Maverick" Mitchel

NW Buckeye's picture
NW Buckeye on 25 Feb 2013 - 3:14pm #

BT, Great post!  Could not have said it better.  I have often wondered who the "fire Matta" folks would bring in to replace him.  As a Buckeye, I think that OSU is the best place to be a coach for any sport.  However, reality is probably much different than that view.  

Perhaps, too many of us have the Urban Meyer syndrome.  I mean, we lost one of the best coaches in college football (I know, arguably!) only to land Urban Meyer.  Wham!  Replace one top ten coach with another.   I'm not so sure that would happen in basketball.  Heck, we have even lost BB coaches in the past because they moved to what they thought was a better gig at schools with athletic departments that pale in comparison to OSU's! 

I do not consider myself one of the "Matta is above criticism" folks.  His offense really frustrates me at times.  But, I refuse to buy into the "fire the coach" mentality on this.  He deserves his criticism, but when you look at his overall performance record, like you so eloquently expressed in your comparison to  Boeheim, he stacks up pretty well.  And, I do believe we are lucky to have him. 

 

Run_Fido_Run's picture
Run_Fido_Run on 25 Feb 2013 - 11:38am #

AndyVance:

[It's] wrong to call for Matta's head given the success he's afforded us in the near-decade he's been here . . . [but]  the opposite extreme is that almost every time I've seen him fairly criticized in threads here this season, folks pop up saying . . . "we should just be happy to have him."

BT:

. . . every coach deserves criticism from time to time.

I agree on both counts: 1). That both extremes described by Andy lack perspective; and 2). Even the best coaches make mistakes and thus are "fair game" for criticism.

Here's where I'm coming from, though . . . rarely do the fans who criticize Matta have even 1-percent of his bball coaching knowledge and experience. It's fun for all of us fans to rehash games, analyze what went right and what went wrong, and even criticize coaches for obvious errors or missed opportunities. As long as we remember that the exact same dynamics that make Matta fair game for criticism - humans, including experts, being prone to making errors - you can pretty much multiply those error-tendencies by 100 when applied to our analysis of college bball.

AndyVance's picture
AndyVance on 25 Feb 2013 - 11:46am #

Here's where I'm coming from, though . . . rarely do the fans who criticize Matta have even 1-percent of his bball coaching knowledge and experience. It's fun for all of us fans to rehash games, analyze what went right and what went wrong, and even criticize coaches for obvious errors or missed opportunities. As long as we remember that the exact same dynamics that make Matta fair game for criticism - humans, including experts, being prone to making errors - you can pretty much multiply those error-tendencies by 100 when applied to our analysis of college bball.

By that rationale, though, most of the content and especially the commentary here at 11w is not valid. I know that isn't what you're saying - at least to the extreme - but it sort of misses the point of my argument.

I wouldn't want Thad Matta's job in a million years, couldn't do Thad Matta's job and wouldn't claim to have his knowledge or acumen. And yes, he's better than most of his predecessors (we're not going to compare Thad to Fred Taylor in a "who's better" sense for the same reason we aren't going to has Woody vs. Urban in 10 years time) and I'm happy for the success he's brought to the program with some level of consistency.

I do not think, however, that he is the best coach in the game today, and I don't think he's as good as he could be. He's still a young coach and a work in progress. As I've blogged before, the legendary coaches still active today - Coach K and Roy Williams, as examples - didn't hit their peak until their second decade, so by that count he's got time and room to grow yet.

I'm just tired of hearing what I'll call the "Matta apologists" tell me and others like me that we should shut our pie holes when we voice fair criticisms. You will not hear me suggesting he should be fired or replaced, and I agree that those who do are the loonies among us. It's the extremes, as I noted above, that irk me in these discussions.

Set your avi
btalbert25 on 25 Feb 2013 - 12:06pm #

I agree completely with you about people telling you to shut your piehole about Matta.  Criticism is always fair to a coach and as was linked in the Skully today Izzo is getting plenty of it from Spartan nation and there are few coaches better than him out there right now.  I just have yet to see a compelling option at coach to replace him.  He's not perfect, but as a total package, I'm not sure there's 10 better coaches in America.  I'm talking about from a recruiting, coaching, and motivational standpoint. 

We've got Urban in football, but I don't see us every landing the equivalent in basketball.

Run_Fido_Run's picture
Run_Fido_Run on 25 Feb 2013 - 12:34pm #

I probably could have worded things more clearly. I'm suggesting that the best way to avoid such extremes is by searching for a balanced perspective. Well, that same search for balance works in both directions - how we view (and criticize) others, but also by turning the critiques back on ourselves.

With that in mind, I was definitely not suggesting that the criticism was invalid - quite the opposite. I very explicitly stated that criticism was fair game and that Matta - even being an "expert" bball coach - regularly makes mistakes. Some mistakes are pretty obvious even to non-experts like us fans. Other times, it's debatable if Matta made really a mistake, per se, but it's just fun for us fans to analyze the game scenarios and give our two cents worth. It's not only perfectly fine for Buckeye fans to criticize Matta's game management, substitution patterns, recent recruiting, etc.; it's also part of the fun of being a fan.

That said, I was getting at two points related to "balance":

  1. It's another step altogether for fans to go from criticizing individual coaching decisions to concluding that the program should go in a different direction (the best way for us to evaluate that is to wait and see how the staff does over 2, 3, 4 years in the standings and in the NCAA tournament). What keeps us from reacting to a bad game and/or bad coaching decision by jumping to a knee-jerk, emotional, irrational response like, "Thad sucks!" or "Fire Thad!" or "Thad is an overrated game-coach who got lucky with a few recruiting classes and is now on a downward spiral"? One thing that helps keep us grounded is to remember that our criticisms are all in good fun and not based out of anything even remotely approaching bball expertise - e.g., no athletic program would ever hire any of us to assess their coaching situations. 
  2. Along those lines, as much fun (and valid) as it is for us to criticize coaches like Matta, such criticism tends to be more valuable to ourselves (the criticizers) than to the audience/readers. If Jim Boeheim retired from coaching and spent all of his time watching Ohio State bball and critiquing Matta at 11W, his insights are probably going to be considerably more astute than ours and/or potentially more valuable to the Buckeye coaching staff. If Boeheim argued that Matta was doing a poor job, readers should probably take serious notice. In contrast, our criticisms are almost like we're writing in our Buckeye journals, or something, i.e., writing/criticizing as Buckeye therapy. If Matta actually made adjustments to his coaching based on reading our criticisms, then we could all agree that our coach is a lost cause.     
AndyVance's picture
AndyVance on 25 Feb 2013 - 1:22pm #

Well said. We're on the same page, mi amigo. Keep on keepin' on.

skid21's picture
skid21 on 25 Feb 2013 - 10:21pm #

I agree. With this rationale we shouldn't be able to criticize the president because 99.9% of us, at the most, don't have his political experience. We shouldn't be able to complain about our waitress or the guy who changes our oil because we don't have their experience. We are all best served by open discussion...with a little help from the mods who weed out all the trolls.

johnblairgobucks's picture
johnblairgobucks on 19 Mar 2013 - 8:51pm #

I'm just tired of hearing what I'll call the "Matta apologists" tell me and others like me that we should shut our pie holes when we voice fair criticisms. You will not hear me suggesting he should be fired or replaced, and I agree that those who do are the loonies among us. It's the extremes, as I noted above, that irk me in these discussions.
.

see who this thread was dedicated to?  maybe you shouldn't be so uptight about other's opinions of your opinions, when your opinion of other's opinions are sometimes equally faulty.  The first post in this thread, you posted as picture of a mule, referencing me to be an ass..... insinuating I was an ass for starting this thread  An ass for what?   calling out the posters who you above ^^^^^^ have admitted loonies?  have fun finding the time I said Matta should go forward at his job without critique. 

just because someone counters your critique with a differing comment or perspective, doesn't make them "the Dreaded Matta Apologist". 

cajunbuckeye's picture
cajunbuckeye on 25 Feb 2013 - 11:59am #

Obviously, no one has seen me "coach" from my favorite stool at the local watering hole. My post game analysis, from what I'm told, is spot on but "rambling" in some instances.

An angry fan...rooting for an angry team...led by angry coaches

jeremytwoface's picture
jeremytwoface on 25 Feb 2013 - 1:49pm #

I actually thing Thad is addressing some of his criticisms this season more than previous seasons. He seems to be playing more of the bench than usual and that I think was his biggest criticism in previous years.

And last night was one of his best coaching jobs to date.

tennbuckeye19's picture
tennbuckeye19 on 25 Feb 2013 - 2:40pm #

FWIW: With yesterday's win over MSU, Matta has @ least 10 wins in conference play for the 8th straight season. That means the only year he didn't do that was his first season in Columbus. That ties him with Fred Taylor for that mark. 

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