Vs Wright State - 11/22/23 - 4 pm - FloHoops -Gulf Coast Showcase Game 3

[redbirds2000]

Evansville came back from a 20 pt 2nd half deficit to win to go 5-0. Led by a 6’8 NAIA transfer who scored 28. Gonna be worrisome if a 2nd year Evansville coach or worse a first year Valpo coach we didn’t want finish ahead of us. Don’t think they will but the bottom of the league has been playing pretty well.

If Evansville or Valpo finishes ahead of us, that would be real disappointing. Pedon more than likely gets the 5 years. No way he gets extended without a NCAA appearance. Drake turned it around, BU turned it around, I expect the same results in the same amount of time. A side note. I think the way to play the portal is to look at D2, NAIA, "lower" D1 guys that are scoring like Evansville did.

 

[Metamoron]

Yes BU has certainly turned it around. Do you remember how close that was to not happening? Wardle focused on recruiting freshman, the portal wasnt quite as crazy as now. Focused on getting kids that played the way he wanted them to play, high BBIQ, hard nosed defense. His first team was 5-27. Second team 13-20. In his fifth year (2018-19) they had made some progress but people were calling for his head having not done enough. They got the 5 seed and won Arch Madness. The next year they won March Madness again.

AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY (kids can look that phrase up)

2018/19 was the year ISU lost 2 games to last second half court shots. BU/ISU/UNI finish 9-9 in Valley play. If EITHER of those shots do not go in, ISU gets 5 seed and Bradley is 7 seed, playing on Thursday, and not 5 seed Playing Friday afternoon. 99% chance they don’t win Tourney. Good chance Wardle may have been fired.

What’s it all mean, IDK. I guess sometimes patience and luck can play a big part in what happens. After 20+ years it seems we have had little luck, and many have run out of patience.

My old coach used to say “the harder I work, the luckier I get”. Time for us to get some luck and have a little patience.

 

[Scipio]

ISU allowed the men’s basketball program to devolve to s#%t under Muller. It’s not going to recover quickly. It sucks; but we’re going to have to exhibit some patience. Frankly, I don’t care what the record is as long as we beat Bradley. But I’m at peace with the fact that’s probably not going to happen this year. I’m willing to give Pedon 4 years. Four years and if we’re not competitive in the MVC then I’ll have to give up.

 

[WoodlandWarrior]

ISU allowed the men’s basketball program to devolve to s#%t under Muller. It’s not going to recover quickly. It sucks; but we’re going to have to exhibit some patience. Frankly, I don’t care what the record is as long as we beat Bradley. But I’m at peace with the fact that’s probably not going to happen this year. I’m willing to give Pedon 4 years. Four years and if we’re not competitive in the MVC then I’ll have to give up.

It truly makes me appreciate the glory years under Donewald. How did he recruit those great players that were apparently overlooked by the basketball powers of the day? Lamb, Cornley, Rickie Johnson, Stefanovich, McKenney!, Brad Duncan, Zwart? And his coaching effort was the best we will ever see at ISU.

 

[SoCalRedbird]

Great post.
I said I’ll give Pedon three years to put his “stamp” on this program before I start to question the direction of this program under him.
I’ll stick with that plan…

Not me.

We're in the fastmoving land of internet marketing, coordinated social media efforts, and a booming free agency market. The right guy can and should win early in his tenure. If he doesn't, he's not the right fit in this landscape of college ball.

We saw Dan Muller swallowed whole by the changing aspect of the game: recruiting, salesmanship, social media, and player motivations. (He also gets credit for leading during the BLM year and Covid. Both presented coaches with unprecedented challenges.)

Can we point to anything Pedon is doing to improve in these areas?

 

[CaliRdBrd]

It truly makes me appreciate the glory years under Donewald. How did he recruit those great players that were apparently overlooked by the basketball powers of the day? Lamb, Cornley, Rickie Johnson, Stefanovich, McKenney!, Brad Duncan, Zwart? And his coaching effort was the best we will ever see at ISU.

Stallings was pretty good.

 

[Redbird82]

Stallings was pretty good.

Agree, Loeved Stallings. Donewald was 65-57 his last 4 years. I don’t think he was gonna recapture his previous success, he didn’t come close at W Michigan. But we will never know because he wasn’t given a couple more years to get it back.

 

[Aggie]

Yes, Donewald and Stallings were good, but could they play the “game” the way it is played today? And, the game I am talking about is not the on court game. Maybe they could maybe the couldn’t. Looks to me in the age of portal and NIL a coach may need an entirely different skill set than a successful coach had to have just five years ago. The big boys and girls in the super conferences will sell themselves on money and prestige alone. But, and this is a huge but, at our level it’s a whole new ballgame. My guess even at the big conference level it is a much different ballgame.

 

[Buffett1]

Agree, Loeved Stallings. Donewald was 65-57 his last 4 years. I don’t think he was gonna recapture his previous success, he didn’t come close at W Michigan. But we will never know because he wasn’t given a couple more years to get it back.

Donewald s 1997–98 season—his 9th season as head coach at WMU—the Broncos qualified for the NCAA tournament, where they advanced to the second round before being eliminated

 

[Hamdonger]

Yes BU has certainly turned it around. Do you remember how close that was to not happening? Wardle focused on recruiting freshman, the portal wasnt quite as crazy as now. Focused on getting kids that played the way he wanted them to play, high BBIQ, hard nosed defense. His first team was 5-27. Second team 13-20. In his fifth year (2018-19) they had made some progress but people were calling for his head having not done enough. They got the 5 seed and won Arch Madness. The next year they won March Madness again.

AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY (kids can look that phrase up)

2018/19 was the year ISU lost 2 games to last second half court shots. BU/ISU/UNI finish 9-9 in Valley play. If EITHER of those shots do not go in, ISU gets 5 seed and Bradley is 7 seed, playing on Thursday, and not 5 seed Playing Friday afternoon. 99% chance they don’t win Tourney. Good chance Wardle may have been fired.

What’s it all mean, IDK. I guess sometimes patience and luck can play a big part in what happens. After 20+ years it seems we have had little luck, and many have run out of patience.

My old coach used to say “the harder I work, the luckier I get”. Time for us to get some luck and have a little patience.

Heckuva post.

 

[Redbird82]

Donewald s 1997–98 season—his 9th season as head coach at WMU—the Broncos qualified for the NCAA tournament, where they advanced to the second round before being eliminated

My point exactly, in 11 years he had 1 NCAA that isn’t recapturping his past success.

 

[isuquinndog]

We don’t have dedicated reporter for RB basketball anymore. I think you can pretty much count on limited content for away games, and not much more for home games.

Randy is the only sports reporter at all, period, right? When he retires (which I assume is much sooner than later) than the Pantagraph will no longer have a sports department.

 

[Adunk33]

Pedon not talking after the game or having any quotes anywhere strikes me as odd. After the game, there are a few possibilities as to why there wasn't an interview:
1. Pedon was fed up and took an extra long time talking to the team and didn't want to come out. (feels unlikely)
2. Fitz did his three or four post game segments and Pedon took too long to come out and Fitz ended the show.
2a. Fitz waited as long as he could but when Pedon didn't come out by a certain time, Fitz had to wrap up because there was a game after ours and he had to give up his radio spot to the next broadcast.

I know Randy is stretched thin and the Vidette doesn't have resources to send a kid to Florida. This is where it comes down to ISU sports info to provide quotes in a press release from the coach. After the Long Beach game, Pedon did WJBC and a video on Twitter talking about the game. After High Point, he was on JBC. After Wright State, neither. It's strange that after the worst game of his tenure, there is radio silence.

The coach's show is tonight, we'll see what he has to say then.

 

[Birgs]

Randy is the only sports reporter at all, period, right? When he retires (which I assume is much sooner than later) than the Pantagraph will no longer have a sports department.

I'm about as loyal to a fault as it comes to WAY to many things; but I'm THIS|CLOSE to calling it quits on my long time Panty subscription when all's I get is a paste-up of a bunch of mediocre AP Wire stories.

 

[isuquinndog]

I'm about as loyal to a fault as it comes to WAY to many things; but I'm THIS|CLOSE to calling it quits on my long time Panty subscription when all's I get is a paste-up of a bunch of mediocre AP Wire stories.

I understand. It's a vicious circle. People quit paying for it, so they had to make cuts, which makes people made and they quit paying for it, which leads to more cuts which leads to more people quit paying for it......

 

[Bird Friend]

I understand. It's a vicious circle. People quit paying for it, so they had to make cuts, which makes people made and they quit paying for it, which leads to more cuts which leads to more people quit paying for it......

 

[BirdGrad2011]

I understand. It's a vicious circle. People quit paying for it, so they had to make cuts, which makes people made and they quit paying for it, which leads to more cuts which leads to more people quit paying for it......

Local sports coverage is one of the few things people want. You can only read the sports about El Paso, LeRoy, Lexington, UHigh, on and on in local papers.

 

[SgtHulka]

I understand. It's a vicious circle. People quit paying for it, so they had to make cuts, which makes people made and they quit paying for it, which leads to more cuts which leads to more people quit paying for it......

Adapt or die.

 

[Bird Friend]

Even the Gridley News has more ISU coverage than the pantagraph. Two full pages covering all the Redbird teams most weeks with stats, notes, and pics. It’s pretty funny.

Link?