Muller seeks to restore 'toughness, effort'

[ISU FAN 1]

Gee DM said he wants a point guard! He wants effort! He wants toughness! He wants Defense! Appears he evaluated his own coaching like some of you wanted and it’s seemingly not enough.

7 years in. Seems like his wish list of obvious components of a D1 basketball team shouldn’t be so extensive.

 

[ricohill]

Gee DM said he wants a point guard! He wants effort! He wants toughness! He wants Defense! Appears he evaluated his own coaching like some of you wanted and it’s seemingly not enough.

7 years in. Seems like his wish list of obvious components of a D1 basketball team shouldn’t be so extensive.

Back in the working days, I don't think they would give me 7 years to figure out how to do my job or celebrate being above average 1 out of 7 years...and I wasn't paid $600,00. It's good that he's acknowledging what went wrong this season, but there were several people that could have told him that on here for 5 months.

 

[V Boy]

When Dan was hired I expected we would have many players that reminded me of Dan.

Fundamentally sound
High basketball IQ
Defense focused.

In the 7 years I have seen two players that remind me of that.

Tony Wills and now Matt Chastain.

While we can’t have nothing but those types of players, we need more of those and less of some of the others that we have had.

I think Belmont, Lipscomb and Liberty have built their teams around that. After getting to that level consistently, I believe we can then start recruiting better athletes/ball players who already have those traits. As opposed to getting the best athletes and trying to teach them characteristics they don’t have. Like we try to do now.

Also in our conference, UNI - Jacobson has built a solid career and record around Iowa fundamental guys, supplemented by Twin Cities guys (Mpls/St.Paul and burbs) and an Illinois kid thrown in for good measure. Hard times the last couple years, but the formula has worked.

And of course I've watched Wisconsin work from that play book too for a couple decades, same thing, fundamentally sound Wisconsin and Minnesota and Ohio (for some reason) kids, with some Illinois guys sprinkled in (Happ, Kaminsky, Ben Brust, Alando Tucker, etc.). No reason it can't be done at ISU.

And of course that is what Donewald did, using Illinois and Indiana and Michigan guys, even Smithson had his solid fundamental guys to go along with the Roger Powells and , and MTXE.

Drake

 

[redblood]

“I’m not putting up with it again”.....you know....the guys I recruited.....the seniors who have been on the team for years.

The article missed by far the most important point, which is that he needs to be recruiting a different profile of kid. A kid who has CHARACTER.

Muller keeps recruiting the same kids over and over. Lofton, Banyard, Hawkins, Yarbrough....kids who want to score 20 ppg, don’t play defense, get benched because they **** up and then complain about it and act like babies....and then whine some more about it. They aren’t team-first guys. They are children.

And yet....he expects a different outcome....

Here’s the headline of the article....start recruiting ALL team-first kids who win that way in high school. Then you won’t have to give us bullshit lines about “effort” 7+ Years into your job.

It of particular concern when he says he wants every player to know what it takes to be successful. This would seem to indicate that they don’t already know this!! Gee, here’s an idea, start recruiting the kids who already know this and have already exemplified this. Then you can actually coach instead of babysitting your top players.

What the Christ.

My thoughts exactly after reading the article. Plus these guys who have no toughness, effort, etc. are still on campus, under the bus...

 

[Redbirds84]

Muller mentioned effort and playing hard as an issue multiple times this season. But he couldn't keep harping on it or eventually the team would just quit on them because the core of the team, outside of Phil, Hein, Chas, and Key just seemed to be soft and not like to hear it. I understand why Muller came away from that. Our last three regular season games, and select other times throughout the year, the team played hard, and with great effort. Unfortunately, I think the lack of effort on the defensive end paired with shots not falling because cyclical. One caused the other all season. Shots not falling led to poor defense, giving up a bucket led to a rushed shot ("you don't get to score on me without me scoring back on you,").

The initial report from Taylor was that he would be out 4-6 months. I bet he is back on his feet running and stuff by August and getting into full contact by October, which still gives him a month of practice before the season. Bummer he likely won't be playing in Italy, but it's important not to rush him back. If you need 8 months from surgery, take it.

I've said it before, but all in all I am excited for next year's team. It will be a completely new look. Will they be really good and compete for an MVC title? Who knows. But I do think the effort, energy, and buy-in will be there. Between the discussions I've had with the guys in the track suits, and practices I've seen, it leads me to believe next year's team will more reflect a Loyola type (higher basketball IQ, higher energy, and more discipline) than we've seen this season. While Phil will be tough to replace, I think the graduating class could be the cleanse the program needs.

Like anyone, I believe Muller has learned from his mistakes this season, as he enabled some members of the team to dictate everything. If you think about it, this is probably the first year the buy-in never came.

per my source.

everything with taylor is going well with foot. I would think he'll be rehabbing by the end of may/ 1st week of june.

 

[Bird Friend]

Yet he told them he wasn’t going to coach effort.

Which is it? Dan contradicts himself too much.

DJ Horne = Point Guard. I’ve was Horny for a point guard all year

Tarise led ISU in rebounding for a season. Wow, was he a stud.

If I’m teaching a college level course in theology, I’m not going to teach reading. But I’m going to expect my students to do so. I’m not going to teach them homework, but I’m going to expect they complete it. I’m not going to teach them the effort needed to complete the required work, but I’m going to expect they put in the effort required.

There was no contradiction to what Dan said.

https://youtu.be/8CVbku6nxhU

Can't provide a logical basis to respond so you resort to a meme? Is that the best you can do?

 

[Chi-bird]

The moment Muller decides to emphasize and prioritize “the desire to win” as a trait that his recruits must have will be the moment the program will start excelling,

Dan needs to realize that you can’t motivate players as much as you think you can....but you can teach and coach-up motivated players.

 

[Redbird222]

When we talk about athletic players I think about the following attributes for a D1 basketball player

1. Quickness
2. Strength
3. Leaping or Vertical Jumping Capabilities
4. Lateral Agility
5. Stamina

When we look at this roster, I don't believe we were the most athletic team. We have players that excel is a few areas and quite frankly several that I would say are marginal (at best) in many areas. As a point of clarification, I am not just talking about 1 or 2 individuals. I dont want to go down that path.

I would break the other basketball attributes in two other main categories ... technical skills and intangibles. I would include passing shooting, passing, ball handling etc. in technical. I would put leadership, effort, and other similar attributed in the intangibles. We have discussed these two areas to death and yes our weaknesses were exposed.

I think one part of the issue (emphasis on one) this year was we try to play a style of basketball ... especially beginning of year .. suited for athletic teams which quite frankly I would say we were not.

After the Central Florida game there was a change ... emphasis on defense and slight style change in offense. We saw improvements on rebounding and defense and an erosion on offense. My guess more energy on defense and lack of bench minutes equated to less shooting legs. When JJ became incapable of hitting a 3, and besides Key's brief positive shooting stint the rest of the team never could hit 3s with any consistency ... we became a very easy team to defend. We went to a lot of isolation with Phil as the counter and had limited success.

I think recruiting in the current Valley will be difficult to consistently fill a roster with above average athletic players (compared to other D1 basketball). Dan has to put a greater emphasis on shooters as well as some of the other attributes other posters have raised.

Maybe next year if we don't talk about the Birds as being the most athletic team (whether we are or not) we can assume a different identity. 2017 our identity was defense and they embraced it and delivered on it. A marginally athletic team can't be and play like an athletic team ... hence one (emphasis again on one) of the reasons for unmet expectations.

 

[birdballfan]

When we talk about athletic players I think about the following attributes for a D1 basketball player

1. Quickness
2. Strength
3. Leaping or Vertical Jumping Capabilities
4. Lateral Agility
5. Stamina

When we look at this roster, I don't believe we were the most athletic team. We have players that excel is a few areas and quite frankly several that I would say are marginal (at best) in many areas. As a point of clarification, I am not just talking about 1 or 2 individuals. I dont want to go down that path.

I would break the other basketball attributes in two other main categories ... technical skills and intangibles. I would include passing shooting, passing, ball handling etc. in technical. I would put leadership, effort, and other similar attributed in the intangibles. We have discussed these two areas to death and yes our weaknesses were exposed.

I think one part of the issue (emphasis on one) this year was we try to play a style of basketball ... especially beginning of year .. suited for athletic teams which quite frankly I would say we were not.

After the Central Florida game there was a change ... emphasis on defense and slight style change in offense. We saw improvements on rebounding and defense and an erosion on offense. My guess more energy on defense and lack of bench minutes equated to less shooting legs. When JJ became incapable of hitting a 3, and besides Key's brief positive shooting stint the rest of the team never could hit 3s with any consistency ... we became a very easy team to defend. We went to a lot of isolation with Phil as the counter and had limited success.

I think recruiting in the current Valley will be difficult to consistently fill a roster with above average athletic players (compared to other D1 basketball). Dan has to put a greater emphasis on shooters as well as some of the other attributes other posters have raised.

Maybe next year if we don't talk about the Birds as being the most athletic team (whether we are or not) we can assume a different identity. 2017 our identity was defense and they embraced it and delivered on it. A marginally athletic team can't be and play like an athletic team ... hence one (emphasis again on one) of the reasons for unmet expectations.

In my opinion the biggest attribute this team lacked was dicipline!!

 

[ISU FAN 1]

When we talk about athletic players I think about the following attributes for a D1 basketball player

1. Quickness
2. Strength
3. Leaping or Vertical Jumping Capabilities
4. Lateral Agility
5. Stamina

When we look at this roster, I don't believe we were the most athletic team. We have players that excel is a few areas and quite frankly several that I would say are marginal (at best) in many areas. As a point of clarification, I am not just talking about 1 or 2 individuals. I dont want to go down that path.

I would break the other basketball attributes in two other main categories ... technical skills and intangibles. I would include passing shooting, passing, ball handling etc. in technical. I would put leadership, effort, and other similar attributed in the intangibles. We have discussed these two areas to death and yes our weaknesses were exposed.

I think one part of the issue (emphasis on one) this year was we try to play a style of basketball ... especially beginning of year .. suited for athletic teams which quite frankly I would say we were not.

After the Central Florida game there was a change ... emphasis on defense and slight style change in offense. We saw improvements on rebounding and defense and an erosion on offense. My guess more energy on defense and lack of bench minutes equated to less shooting legs. When JJ became incapable of hitting a 3, and besides Key's brief positive shooting stint the rest of the team never could hit 3s with any consistency ... we became a very easy team to defend. We went to a lot of isolation with Phil as the counter and had limited success.

I think recruiting in the current Valley will be difficult to consistently fill a roster with above average athletic players (compared to other D1 basketball). Dan has to put a greater emphasis on shooters as well as some of the other attributes other posters have raised.

Maybe next year if we don't talk about the Birds as being the most athletic team (whether we are or not) we can assume a different identity. 2017 our identity was defense and they embraced it and delivered on it. A marginally athletic team can't be and play like an athletic team ... hence one (emphasis again on one) of the reasons for unmet expectations.

In my opinion the biggest attribute this team lacked was dicipline!!

I don’t think Dan has an attribute list. Just an eye test, and are they funny?

 

[bombay]

Retrospectively, as good as VY is, I think he poisoned the well.

 

[cubird]

With Clarence going pro and Madison knees forcing him to give up bb, Dan never filled the void at guard. Lack of penetration lessened 3 point good looks and trips to ft line.

 

[ISU FAN 1]

With Clarence going pro and Madison knees forcing him to give up bb, Dan never filled the void at guard. Lack of penetration lessened 3 point good looks and trips to ft line.

Those 2 were part of the already existing void at guard.

 

[cubird]

Yelp, but that team played for the MVC on Sunday.

 

[cubird]

Yelp, but that team played for the MVC on Sunday.

 

[Adunk33]

I wasn't really sure where to put this.... food for thought.


Wofford’s Mike Young went 74-103 without a winning season in his first 6 years. Since then, he has been to the NCAA tournament 5 times in 10 years. Sustaining a winning foundation takes time, patience, and losing seasons. Most coaches/staffs do not have that luxury.

 

[TheTruth]

I don't blame people for being pissed about Redbird basketball, this NCAA drought is entirely too long. I'm not in the "fire Muller" camp but I understand why some are. HCDM was 17-1 in conference just 2 years ago and was COY, he didn't just forget how to coach. Yes, he recruited the wrong kids for what he is trying to do but all we can do is hope he learns his lesson...... I believe he will. The bigger issues are the direction of the athletic dept and MVC.

 

[gobirds72]

I wasn't really sure where to put this.... food for thought.


Wofford’s Mike Young went 74-103 without a winning season in his first 6 years. Since then, he has been to the NCAA tournament 5 times in 10 years. Sustaining a winning foundation takes time, patience, and losing seasons. Most coaches/staffs do not have that luxury.

How long should it take? I know there isn’t a right or wrong answer. But, 1 great year doesn’t equal a lifetime appointment. Yeah, Muller had some decent years in between...but nothing to write home about.

 

[ricohill]

I wasn't really sure where to put this.... food for thought.


Wofford’s Mike Young went 74-103 without a winning season in his first 6 years. Since then, he has been to the NCAA tournament 5 times in 10 years. Sustaining a winning foundation takes time, patience, and losing seasons. Most coaches/staffs do not have that luxury.

How long should it take? I know there isn’t a right or wrong answer. But, 1 great year doesn’t equal a lifetime appointment. Yeah, Muller had some decent years in between...but nothing to write home about.

Wofford is also slightly different. They only went Division 1 in 1997-98 and Mike Young is only their second coach at Division 1.

 

[ricohill]

I don't blame people for being pissed about Redbird basketball, this NCAA drought is entirely too long. I'm not in the "fire Muller" camp but I understand why some are. HCDM was 17-1 in conference just 2 years ago and was COY, he didn't just forget how to coach. Yes, he recruited the wrong kids for what he is trying to do but all we can do is hope he learns his lesson...... I believe he will. The bigger issues are the direction of the athletic dept and MVC.

Very accurate. Our basketball budget is behind Arkansas Little Rock, UIC, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Oakland (MI), and other low major programs. Follow the $$$ or the lack of it and you get to the root of ISU's problems.

According to USA Today in 2017 here is where we stacked up in donor contributions against public MVC Schools (WSU is still included).

Wichita State - $9,876,928
Mo State - $4,582,616
UNI - $3,202,970
ISU - $2,244,718
SIU - $2,158,885
Indy State - $894,152