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Steve Forbes credibility watch

Eh? What level? ACC level?

Or dealing with the new landscape of collegiate athletics level?

Or Nick Saban level?

What level?
 
WRS said:
This is a huge concern for me. People seem to think it’s a foregone conclusion but I believe we got 2 really rare players in consecutive years. I think we can continue to pull quality contributors from the portal but those 2 were elite and came out of nowhere.
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It is really hard to keep getting player of the year types in the portal once much less twice. Yet we also had a first round draft choice with it last season, have regressed this season and may not even make the NIT. Sorry but this is not progress. We had a stop gap year with numerous transfer portal players last season and just a few more this season. Still do not have that many signees playing showing young talent signing ability is just not there.
 
Team has been decimated by injuries, we got a slow start on NIL, and the prior decade eviscerated our program.

Forbes has been bringing in quality transfers and is picking up steam in HS recruiting.

Some of you are insane and need to go for a hike or something to decompress.
 
Year 1 was a shit show for every program in the country. Full stop.

Year 2 was lightning in a bottle with the transfer portal. It's tough to bring in a new team and make it click.

Year 3 has been a struggle with new players and injuries.

I'd argue there is as much to be disappointed about as there had been to be optimistic about this season. Wake needs some player continuity and health going in to next year.
 
2023-24 roster management is going to be very interesting

As of right now, we have 13 confirmed scholarships for next year and zero proven ACC level point guards. Hopefully Ituka can play at an ACC level. But this year has shown that one playable point guard is not enough. Throw in the shortcomings in the post, and we likely will have at least two exits - and Forbes will need to go 2 for 2 (or better) on transfer hits. And Ituka needs to be the real deal.

I had assumed due to his age and the fact that he’s been in college for 4 years that Damari would be leaving. His injury probably changes that equation. So the attrition will likely come from elsewhere. Hopefully not players we hope to keep.
 
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thatguy2016 said:
2023-24 roster management is going to be very interesting

As of right now, we have 13 confirmed scholarships for next year and zero proven ACC level point guards. Hopefully Ituka can play at an ACC level. But this year has shown that one playable point guard is not enough. Throw in the shortcomings in the post, and we likely will have at least two exits - and Forbes will need to go 2 for 2 (or better) on transfer hits. And Ituka needs to be the real deal.

I had assumed due to his age and the fact that he’s been in college for 4 years that Damari would be leaving. His injury probably changes that equation. So the attrition will likely come from elsewhere. Hopefully not players we hope to keep.
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Some non- ACC level players may need to be asked to leave.
 
i believe judging Forbes on the last 3 years is unfair. A global pandemic + the most monumental change to college athletics ever + the train wreck left by [Redacted] and Manning. I feel that it is all about timing right now. Jake leaving early. Walton not coming back (Walton on this team = dangerous NCAA team), Ituka injury. Carr injury. Monsanto injury. i am very excited about bobi, and the freshman we have coming in. Carr, Bradford, Marsh, and hildreth all have flaws but they are serviceable players who have been asked to do too much. I think Taylor can be a player. Jury still out on Ituka.

We just need the pieces to fit together at the same time. honestly do not think Forbes is the problem AT ALL except I would like him to recruit some defensive players.
 
Forbes put the roster together. He put last year's roster together. He is not and was not hamstrung by players leftover from Coach Manning.

This particular year, the injuries to Ituka, Carr, and Monsanto obviously had a major impact. That being said, the impact took the team from a ceiling of maybe a 9 seed in the tourney to missing the NIT. Its not like this team was going to be "good," as in a top 25 team, on its best day. The lack of playable centers made that certain.

I said it before, but he gets next year. If he doesn't make the tourney (and, if I had my druthers, show a path that involves the development of players over time) then he needs to go.

I have no idea what Currie will do, but that is my vote.
 
deaconson said:
Year 1 was a shit show for every program in the country. Full stop.

Year 2 was lightning in a bottle with the transfer portal. It's tough to bring in a new team and make it click.

Year 3 has been a struggle with new players and injuries.

I'd argue there is as much to be disappointed about as there had been to be optimistic about this season. Wake needs some player continuity and health going in to next year.
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Year 2 is CBB in the NIL/transfer era. You have to take advantage of individual seasons, becasue you likely won't be able to build off it. Not having a solid NIL collective in place last season hurt us.

We won't have continuity of our best players for the second-year in a row with Appleby out of eligibility and who knows about Monsanto's recovery time. We are starting over with our role players, hoping that we get another good transfer class and at least one of the freshmen is a legit ACC contributor right away.

Forbes has to win in that environment just like every other ACC coach does. Keatts and Capel managed to do it this season.
 
thatguy2016 said:
2023-24 roster management is going to be very interesting

As of right now, we have 13 confirmed scholarships for next year and zero proven ACC level point guards. Hopefully Ituka can play at an ACC level. But this year has shown that one playable point guard is not enough. Throw in the shortcomings in the post, and we likely will have at least two exits - and Forbes will need to go 2 for 2 (or better) on transfer hits. And Ituka needs to be the real deal.

I had assumed due to his age and the fact that he’s been in college for 4 years that Damari would be leaving. His injury probably changes that equation. So the attrition will likely come from elsewhere. Hopefully not players we hope to keep.
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This.
 
Has Keatts really done it? They are 12-8 in a poor ACC with no OOC wins of note. If they lose next Wednesday, I assume they are headed to NIT like Wake last year.
 
DeaconSig said:
Forbes put the roster together. He put last year's roster together. He is not and was not hamstrung by players leftover from Coach Manning.

This particular year, the injuries to Ituka, Carr, and Monsanto obviously had a major impact. That being said, the impact took the team from a ceiling of maybe a 9 seed in the tourney to missing the NIT. Its not like this team was going to be "good," as in a top 25 team, on its best day. The lack of playable centers made that certain.

I said it before, but he gets next year. If he doesn't make the tourney (and, if I had my druthers, show a path that involves the development of players over time) then he needs to go.

I have no idea what Currie will do, but that is my vote.
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Spot on. At some point we have to stop excusing away the present results by blaming Bzz/Manning. Time marches on. Every year that passes that talk track gets older and less applicable. It’s time to start winning and showing measurable progress now. This is Year 3 for Forbes.
 
thatguy2016 said:
2023-24 roster management is going to be very interesting

As of right now, we have 13 confirmed scholarships for next year and zero proven ACC level point guards. Hopefully Ituka can play at an ACC level. But this year has shown that one playable point guard is not enough. Throw in the shortcomings in the post, and we likely will have at least two exits - and Forbes will need to go 2 for 2 (or better) on transfer hits. And Ituka needs to be the real deal.

I had assumed due to his age and the fact that he’s been in college for 4 years that Damari would be leaving. His injury probably changes that equation. So the attrition will likely come from elsewhere. Hopefully not players we hope to keep.
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The whole PG conversation is my biggest worry right now. I worry about Ituka and the guys coming in are hyped yes and could be great, but still a huge unproven question mark as college freshmen. I hope they prove me wrong. But we were spoiled by Ty this year and how well he runs point and commands the offense. Something tells me we will be missing that badly next year. I hope I’m wrong.
 
DeacWatcher said:
Again I am firmly in Coach Forbes corner but somewhere along the line defense must be played and it has not been played since Dave Odom was roaming the sidelines.
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WF was a solid defensive team last year

I am concerned abut our defense next year, as I don't see any freshmen improving us in that area. So improvement will need to be organic (Klintman, Marsh, etc. improve) or through the portal.
 
I agree that Forbes gets a pass in terms of roster development, due to the mess he walked into right as the landscape of college basketball was changing. Players do seem to like coming to play for him.

But he coaches this particular team in practice every day. Never mind ten years ago, or what he walked into, or whatever. He should still be coaching these particular guys up so that they improve over the course of the season.

No coach gets a pass on that aspect of coaching. If they’re good, ought to be able to take a basketball team at any level and make major improvements in their play from the beginning of a season to the end, even if it’s his only year with them.

So that fundamentals and in-game stuff is what I want to see get firmly established in our program.
 
daaberry said:
Has Keatts really done it? They are 12-8 in a poor ACC with no OOC wins of note. If they lose next Wednesday, I assume they are headed to NIT like Wake last year.
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No. This is much more likely to be a flash in the pan than any type of sustained program building. And really the ACC is very mediocre this year despite how hard the announcers tried to convince me otherwise last night.
 
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