outside perspectives are funny...

[wakedeac98]

dook has a coach that knows what he has to do and the type of player he must recruit in order to remain an elite program. As much as I hate the rat, he's a good coach and he has balls enough to change the "personality" of his program to match changes in the sport and the way it's played, the type of athlete playing the sport, and what the fans want.

We do not have that. We won't have that as long as RW is the AD and Hatch is President.

Agree, with one addition.

 

[deputydeacon]

In fact Coron is the only player on Wake's roster to make the All-Academic team, which Parker did. Undermines yet another aspect of the mythical "culture" change.

In fact, Duke had three to make it: Jefferson, Hood, & Parker. Of those three, Hood is very likely gone to the NBA and Parker is undecided. They desperately need RW's culture police in Durham!

 

[Ayo]

In fact Coron is the only player on Wake's roster to make the All-Academic team, which Parker did. Undermines yet another aspect of the mythical "culture" change.

Cav made the All-Academic team last year, but yeah, I get your point.

 

[RacerDeac]

In fact Coron is the only player on Wake's roster to make the All-Academic team, which Parker did. Undermines yet another aspect of the mythical "culture" change.

But the leak all year has been that our team GPA has never been better...

Which, even if true, makes perfect sense considering the entire team is still taking BS Freshman and Sophomore level classes.

 

[SC DEAC]

but the reality is before Foster, Duke was mediocre at best. So their patience wasn't quite at the same level as WF fans.

Vic Bubas had a fantastic run at Duke and went to 3 final fours and won multiple ACC championships.

 

[dalbertthekid]

But the leak all year has been that our team GPA has never been better...

Which, even if true, makes perfect sense considering the entire team is still taking BS Freshman and Sophomore level classes.

Cav and Moto both do pretty well in the classroom

 

[bullets]

I am against punching women or men for that matter, but I wouldn't have blamed you if you slapped one of them. Duke and Unc fans are smug and worthless. I pray for the day Wake has a coach and AD. Perhaps it is today

Middle aged smugness about one's chosen favorite team is usually directly negatively correlated with one's actual achievements so battery against an individual like that really does no good

 

[MDTD]

Remember in the mid 2000's when Wake thought it could compete with anyone (and did)?
And when people didn't really like Wake that much?
There was a correlation there.

A Coach I know liked to say "If everyone else hates your team, you're doing something right."

 

[coredeac]

Can someone PLEASE detail what the hell we needed to clean up in a program that had ZERO NCAA infractions?!?!?

I'm still stuck as to how that myth gained so much traction.

 

[Deac83]

Working with a Syracuse alumnus now. Before ever going into any more detail than our won loss record for the last 4 years, he said the coach has to go.

Anybody that I meant who is a sports fan at some level has the same response, Bzz can't be brought back. And this is before sharing anything more than his w/l record.

In fact they look at me like I'm crazy when I suggest it's not a forgone conclusion that he's going to be fired this year.

 

[DirkTheDeac]

Can someone PLEASE detail what the hell we needed to clean up in a program that had ZERO NCAA infractions?!?!?

I'm still stuck as to how that myth gained so much traction.

Clear thinking people know that was a smokescreen. We would not have been good the following year. We all know that. Something happened between Wellman and Dino and the rest was history. I have a pretty good idea what happened but I can't confirm it. It's all meaningless now. Dino moved on and is happy with ESPN. Players were driven off in the name of culture and I don't think any of them were sorry to go. The move didn't work out for them but staying with Bzz wouldn't have worked either. It's just a lost four years. The middle ages of Wake basketball.

 

[PhDeac]

Were players "driven off?"

 

[DirkTheDeac]

Were players "driven off?"

You don't think some were?

 

[DirkTheDeac]

We could start with JTT and work down the list if you like.

 

[PhDeac]

JTT drove himself off. Literally and figuratively. I guess I'll give you Ari.

 

[DirkTheDeac]

JTT drove himself off. Literally and figuratively. I guess I'll give you Ari.

Look, all the players who left have their reasons and who knows what their motivations really were? But when I say drive off I mean to say the player might have talked to Bzz and was told something to the effect, "well, if you think that's best for you I support you leaving the program." I'm sure you could imagine that scenario. I'm not saying Bzz told them to go in so many words. And in hindsight I think Bzz was doing them a favor. It's a shame more of them didn't make the most of the opportunity.

 

[PhDeac]

Sure, but I don't think that's what people are talking about when they say Bz cleaned up the program. They're saying he came in and kicked out a bunch of players and started the program over from scratch. That's just not true.

 

[deacfreke2]

Probably not worth a new thread but what the heck - it probably wouldn't get seen otherwise.

I went to the ACC tourney games last night and sat next to a couple of older ladies who were pretty typical Duke fans. They found out I was a Wake fan and asked if I had been at our game. I said no and they said "just as well - it was awful".

When I said we, as a fanbase, were just waiting for Bzz to be fired, they kind of agreed but said things like, "Yea, I think he just had to be brought in to clean up after Gaudio." I didn't feel like asking them what exactly needed to be cleaned up. Then they brought out the old wisdom of "we would have fired Coach K after 3 years if it had been up to the fans, so you never know." Really? My only response was, "yea, sometimes you do know".

Revisionist history is revisionist - I don't think the Duke fans were really that upset with K after 3 years. Sure, there were grumblings over the record and such, but, during that 3rd season he also signed the class of Dawkins, Bilas, Alarie and Henderson which, to anyone that was paying attention, showed that the program was going in the right direction.

You're wrong here. There was lots of talk about the K hire being a mistake. Duke fans were ready to run him out of town. I worked in Durham at the time and one of my co-workers was a long-time Duke fan. He was upset about the K hire and was ready to see him go. Also, recruiting info wasn't nearly as available to the average fan at the time. You might have heard of players but really had little idea how good they'd be until you saw them play.

 

[buckets]

You're wrong here. There was lots of talk about the K hire being a mistake. Duke fans were ready to run him out of town. I worked in Durham at the time and one of my co-workers was a long-time Duke fan. He was upset about the K hire and was ready to see him go. Also, recruiting info wasn't nearly as available to the average fan at the time. You might have heard of players but really had little idea how good they'd be until you saw them play.

wgaf
Coach K was super young at that point and [Redacted] is old as shit, Bz has no room to grow he's a career loser

 

[VaDeac]

Sure, but I don't think that's what people are talking about when they say Bz cleaned up the program. They're saying he came in and kicked out a bunch of players and started the program over from scratch. That's just not true.

They also conveniently leave out the part about Bz's own guys leaving the program. Carson, Fields, Fischer, Chennault, plus any guys who leave this year. No one remembers that Bz's recruits have left in droves either because they can't stand him or because they can't hack the level if play.