Oh, where to start
As one who was in a supervisory role on campus during the previous two coaching tenures, Jeff [Redacted] has done exactly what was asked of him by the AD and the administration; and, rightly so. The character of the team players has improved, they are playing together as a team, and they are competing (and completing work) in the classroom again. That is the traditional Wake Forest way (a.k.a. the right way) and I'm proud [Redacted] is restoring integrity to the program we all love.
This implies that we somehow lost integrity. I'm not sure when this occurred. Most of the players brought in during the Prosser era were great guys. Proud representatives of Wake Forest University. The players brought in by Gaudio are harder to evaluate since most of them did not survive the transition to the new coaching staff. Only three remained on this years team. Harris, Mckie, Fischer. All stand up guys.
While there are real and visible growing pains, I believe he is also restoring our winning basketball tradition.
Don't you actually have to win in order to restore a winning tradition?
I do not believe he trounced the program. WFU began a new basketball program with a new vision when [Redacted] was hired three years ago--he had two years to clean house; and, now one year with his players (7 freshmen). With those 7 freshmen leading the way, we defeated the same #2 team in the country who is now widely predicted (by many of the same experts calling for [Redacted]'s firing) as a final four team.
And we also were blown out by Iona, Nebraska, and every team in the ACC not named Miami, Boston College or Virginia Tech.
Again, [Redacted] accomplished this with 7 true freshmen, 1 above average ACC (but not NBA talent) senior who gave his heart for the team and school, and a junior who lazily turned the ball over or shot an ill-advised three pointer at just about every critical juncture possible this season.
This is just terrible. Attacking Travis?? Without him how many wins do you think the team would actually have? Maybe 4-5. On most nights he was our second best player.
Further, I don't believe you can use [Redacted]'s W-L record at Colorado to distort the larger picture of what Wellman brought him in to do. He cleaned house at CU and was hired by WFU in part (and I am OK with JB as Wellman's long-time friend--that kind of hiring happens every day in rural and urban cooperate America) because he was willing to take a stand and not give-in to pressure in this age of the win at all costs sports culture.
Are you sure that you are an educated person? 'cooperate' I am guessing you mean corporate America. But what exactly is rural corporate America? Plus if that was your actual plan. Just dismiss the entire team, lose for a few years and then eventually start winning again, you need to work on your PR around that. [Redacted] may be the worst head basketball coach at talking in an interview. He stumbles around for words, loses his train of thought, then usually spits out a few cliches. If you are going to do this, you should hire someone with a personality that allows the fans in to understand the process. But I don't believe that this was the plan. Cleaning house just happened. Chennault, McKie and Desrosiers were begged to stay. That doesn't seem like the actions of someone cleaning house.
This season IMO was [Redacted]'s first real shot at coaching his WFU team after using the first two seasons cleaning house and babysitting AAU street ballers who had no business playing in a team system. Anyone who has played serious high school or college basketball (4 years HS, 1 year college) or has the smallest inkling of basketball knowledge (beyond rec league) and who also paid attention during the Skip Prosser (may he RIP) and Dino Gaudio tenures cannot honestly say the offensive sets haven't improved.
Sure they can. Did you see many of the late game play calling? Most of our best plays this year were Harris taking someone off the dribble in a clear out set. That's the essence of 'street ball'
They were near awful during the previous two coaching tenures prior to [Redacted] and our most recent regular season success was due to primarily two recruits (Paul and Teague) and namely their ability to run a transition-based offense. See the postseason record the year after Chris Paul left if you need proof.
The post-season record after Paul left? What does that have to do with anything? In the five years after Paul left but before [Redacted], WF went to the NIT and the NCAA twice). WF was 3-5 in the ACC Tourney during that time period. What is [Redacted]'s post-season record at Wake? 0-3 in the ACC Tourney with no other post-season games.
No one on these boards has named the difficult truth--that with arguably the most talented team our school ever fielded (Paul, Downey, Levy, Williams, Strickland, etc) we still lost to a slightly above average West Virginia team in the second round of the NCAA tourney.
The phrase talented and NCAA tourney are both used here. Two phrases that are not ever associated with [Redacted]. Lost -- that's right. In the NCAA Tourney -- also right. At this point I would love to lose in teh second round of the NCAA Tourney.
And by the reaction of many in the WFU fan base today you would think the deacons were once a national championship powerhouse and by some overnight conspiracy our AD decided to tear down that house. This belief predicated on a false ideal that achieving a regular season #1 ranking is consistent with being a national championship program is what psychologists refer to as "delusional."
I do not recall one instance where anyone on this board stated that a regular season #1 ranking was equivalent to a national championship. However, most on the Board, rightly believe that Wake Forest should be in the upper half of the ACC every year. That they should make it to the NCAA Tourney regularly.
In the NCAA's, Odom lost, Prosser lost twice, and, of course, Dino lost. When you lose (with four NBA prospects--Smith, Teague, Johnson, Aminu) in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Cleveland State, you can safely assume your program is DOA and you need a fresh start.
This one made me laugh. Yes, how terrible to bring in all of that talent and be so good for such a long period of time. If you consistently make it to the NCAA but do not win it all your program is DOA? Whoever thinks this is certifiable.
With [Redacted], we may not have the most previously decorated or even socially polished coach--and to the former point, primarily, because he hasn't stayed at any one school longer than the typical three year rebuilding period as he keeps getting hired away--still we do have someone who emphasizes to almost to a fault the principles of integrity, discipline, and character (not saying former coaches did not do this); but who also runs a true team offense not intended only one or two players to showcase individual talent.
I would rephrase the beginning part here -- he keeps jumping ship every three years. No one hires you unless you are willing to listen to their offer. Then I love how you slam both Prosser and Gaudio and then try to quickly backtrack from it. If there was a problem with the integrity of the players brought in then it necessarily has to be Prosser and Gaudio. And a transition based offense, is an offense. A really good, and entertaining one at that.
The argument for firing [Redacted] based on the WFU team record and frankly, what know one will say but what can be attributed to his lack of sex appeal in the good ole boy south, displays ignorance of what really happened with WFU basketball and our student-athletes in the previous 6 seasons.
I am very disturbed by your use of teh word 'sex appeal' here. Prosser was beloved here and he was from Pittsburgh. So calling all Wake fans here a bunch of no account Southerners who hate carpetbaggers is ridiculous. What really happened by the way? No NCAA violations. Several NCAA Tournaments. Many NBA quality players. An exciting brand of basketball.
Our rabid fan base attacking [Redacted]'s persona is at best a sad example of what has become of college fans in American amateur athletics. Have we as a WFU fan base succumbed to the win-at-all-costs culture, which in public admonishes sports agents and two-timing athletes for shredding the last threads of wholesome student-athlete amateurism left in American college athletics while secretly celebrating those very same players and agents when their own team defeats the cross town rival all in the name of bragging rights, success, and greed?
This is old man talk about how much better it used too be in the 60s when players really only played for the love of the game crap. No one is saying win at all costs, they are just saying to actually win. Like we traditionally have done. Plus what about this integrity thing that you espouse includes cursing at fans, blaming the players routinely for losses, and refusing to even take real fans calls on his radio show? I don't recall Prosser or Gaudio doing any of these things. If you are looking for lack of integrity, [Redacted] would be a great example.
