In Game: vs. Richmond

[stevelee]

[JerseyLawyer]

Just good enough to lose

[i77cat]

We've had some all-conference players since Steph. Even some conference POY winners. What we haven't had since 2008 is an NCAA win. The other thing we've failed to produce is an NBA player. JRich would have made it without the knee problems. Kellan and Lee got close and could possibly get there some year. If you look around at NBA rosters, you'll see a fair number of A10 guys. We aren't getting players of that caliber. We need them. I guess it is still possible in the new world of NIL and free portal, but it is certainly harder. Go Cats.

[ScootCat]

Here’s an important question. Why can’t we free up Bobby Durkin for open looks from three? If we could, he’d be lightning it up.

[stevelee]

Exercise for the reader: Compare the 2007–08 team with the 2008–09 team.

[DC69Wildcat]

Exercise for the reader: Compare the 2007–08 team with the 2008–09 team.

JRich vs no JRich.

[jamesdhogan]

We've had some all-conference players since Steph. Even some conference POY winners. What we haven't had since 2008 is an NCAA win. The other thing we've failed to produce is an NBA player. JRich would have made it without the knee problems. Kellan and Lee got close and could possibly get there some year. If you look around at NBA rosters, you'll see a fair number of A10 guys. We aren't getting players of that caliber. We need them. I guess it is still possible in the new world of NIL and free portal, but it is certainly harder. Go Cats.

Just curious: would any of the NBA's former A-10 players meet Davidson's admission standards? I mean, we obviously don't know those players' grades or their academic backgrounds, so the question is rhetorical.

Maybe the choice isn't between academic and NBA caliber. If it is, there's probably a good business case for relaxing admission standards, because high-profile success in a revenue-generating sport can be fruitful. If it isn't, I cannot imagine the needle-in-a-haystack search that it must involve. What do you think?

[MrMac]

Exercise for the reader: Compare the 2007–08 team with the 2008–09 team.

2009 showed the significance of losing some glue guys, defensive stoppers, role players, enforcers, ball distributors, emotional leaders. Steph's brilliance as a scorer and ball handler helped us overcome a lot--but not all--of those losses.

[DC69Wildcat]

One of the reasons the so-called vibes are off, is that the forward looking view is very murky. Fans typically like to project forward, based on the next year’s returning talent; and for us that is problematic. One of the reasons we’ve struggled this year is because our portal transfer guys do not yet appear ready to contribute in any meaningful way. If that same circumstance presents itself again next year, with whoever we bring in from the portal, the program is going to be seriously challenged to stay competitive, in my opinion.

A lot depends on whether Skogman decides to come back for a 5th year.

[Cat Forever]

Davidson has never won an NCAA tournament game without an All American on our team.

I think most of us remember one game we should have won but cross-court passed it away. I think that team may have had an Honorable Mention AA.

Need another Lefty Driesell or Steph Curry to show up ...

[ScootCat]

There's really no reason we can't put together a relatively competitive NIL collective that is sufficient to recruit well within the A10. It seems to me Steph could jump-start it with a few million. Like it or not, this may be what it takes to stay competitive.

[MLC67]

Dear Formerly Freehold: relaxing admission standards is not the answer to high quality bb for several reasons. Foremost among them is the immutable fact that DC is not a business. Moreover, are you advocating a less rigorous academic program for those admitted pursuant to this two tiered admissions process? Finally, do you announce this special athletics admissions to thereby stigmatize the recipients thereof, or do you conduct it on a wholly confidential basis. Any one of these three admission tenets disqualify us as being Camelot. All three together would make Larry Brown still our head coach. Davidson exists to educate young minds for humane lives of leadership and service, not to facilitate basketball players to get to the NBA.

[collegecoach8502]

Dear Formerly Freehold: relaxing admission standards is not the answer to high quality bb for several reasons. Foremost among them is the immutable fact that DC is not a business. Moreover, are you advocating a less rigorous academic program for those admitted pursuant to this two tiered admissions process? Finally, do you announce this special athletics admissions to thereby stigmatize the recipients thereof, or do you conduct it on a wholly confidential basis. Any one of these three admission tenets disqualify us as being Camelot. All three together would make Larry Brown still our head coach. Davidson exists to educate young minds for humane lives of leadership and service, not to facilitate basketball players to get to the NBA.

I'm not advocating that we relax academic standards, but we already have a two tiered - if not three tiered system already.

[MLC67]

Okay then, what are these several admission tiers - male, female and non-binary?

[Acorn]

We like our guys. That’s great (and a big part of why is because our coaches select on more than just basketball ability). But it’s easy to conflate our warm feelings toward the individuals wearing Davidson uniform with our evaluation of them as players. Every team has its best player and players. A relevant question to ask when assessing a team’s best player(s) is whether and which other teams would be willing to do a straight-up trade for their best player(s).