[grm]

Yeah, maybe that is his plan. We'll see how it all unfolds, and we wish him well. Go LU!!

[Cider Jim]

Well, if we RM's basketball team skips the Alaska tournament, it will be similar to DR's football team skipping the game with I-A Rutgers last year (had we played Rutgers last year, we most likely wouldn't have had a winning season).

[SuperJon]

I love how people are saying rebuilding because we're possibly pulling out of a tournament where we likely won't win a game and will take a week to recover from time-wise. If you're claiming you have sources that know about us pulling out of this tournament (if it's even true) then you've obviously got to know some of the teams we're playing next year in the regular season.

[grm]

It's a very, very, good source, and it's from the Alaska side. I don't see how it could be anything but true, but, I guess nothing is certain until it's official.

[TDDance234]

I think this team would represent us well in Alaska -- but if Coach McKay says this team isn't ready, then they're probably not ready.

[olldflame]

Us being in the Shootout twice in 5 years was all RD and his roots/connections in Alaska. It doesn't make nearly as much sense in a new era. Without knowing all of RMc's reasons for pulling out, I can understand why he would do it.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

Im Glad to see we give a man credibility and he hasnt coached a single game for us yet.

[El Scorcho]

Im Glad to see we give a man credibility and he hasnt coached a single game for us yet.

So you would prefer guilty until proven innocent?

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

No I would rather Human Before God

[LUconn]

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

He Just hasnt Done anything I dont see how his Decisions and what he does is the automatic right thing.

[LUconn]

I guess we all just trust him before he's had a chance to show us we can't.

[El Scorcho]

He Just hasnt Done anything I dont see how his Decisions and what he does is the automatic right thing.

Exactly. You're saying the guy shouldn't get the backing of the fans until he gets some wins. We're saying the guy should have our backing no matter what unless he gives us some reason to think he shouldn't.

Guilty until proven innocent versus innocent until proven guilty. Just two opposing philosophies. That's all.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

He Just hasnt Done anything I dont see how his Decisions and what he does is the automatic right thing.

Exactly. You're saying the guy shouldn't get the backing of the fans until he gets some wins. We're saying the guy should have our backing no matter what unless he gives us some reason to think he shouldn't.

Guilty until proven innocent versus innocent until proven guilty. Just two opposing philosophies. That's all.

Ok.

[olldflame]

I, for one, was just putting myself in RMc's place and thinking "OK, going to this tourney was a natural thing for coach Dunton because he lived and coached in Alaska for years and has connections there, but none of our current coaches or players do." Paid for or not, it's a killer trip, and we're going to be "playing up" in at least 2 of our 3 games. I can see where a new coach would want to clear the slate and make his own schedule which he feels will best meet what his team needs to develop and prepare to succeed in conference play.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

Yeah Dont take the chance at winning a big game... Lets just keep playing southern VA and Cinci Christian and Charleston Southern (haha) and not get any better

[TallyW]

I'm fine with his decisions. A new coach is hired to do a job. We can't hire the guy and second guess any changes he makes. When you hire someone you have to give them the authority to make whatever changes they feel need to be made to set themselves up for success. You can't hire someone and handicap them by doubting their decisions. Remember, he's looking at building a program. Not winning a few games in a tournament that the old coach scheduled. He's thinking in terms of what he was brought here to do.


Secondly... I don't think we should care how many games he's won for us... he's won at a much higher level throughout his career. I think it'd be pretty stupid for fans of a mediocre team in the Big South to start off doubting a brand new coach from a MUCH tougher conference (and his assistant from that same conference). I'd think their Basketball IQ deserves our respect.

As for the cost. Who cares. Again, let him have the freedom to win. It may cost a little cash upfront but it will be worth it in the long run. Getting spanked in a tournament isn't exactly a good start to a new coaches tenure.

As Bill Parcells once said "If you ask the man to make the meal at least you can let him pick the ingredients."

[jcmanson]

I agree with Tally. I also think he should be innocent until proven guilty. He must have our backing and trust from the get go. Until he messes up we should believe in him.

[TIMSCAR20]

I can tell you that GRM's sources are impeccable. If they are saying Liberty is out, then Liberty is out...Actually those same sources told me that it might happen at the final 4 and those guys were not happy about it. Tough decision for RMK but I support him if he feels that his team is not ready for a trip like that. However, this may have burned a bridge for that tournament down the road. Liberty may not get invited back to the shootout for a long, long time. Not the end of the world though IMO.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

He Can Do what he wants I just dont agree thats all. He just wont have my respect, or in the case of some others, I wont be all over his ::cough cough:: until he actually does something

[olldflame]

Someone p** in your Wheaties this morning TBGBG?? Other than the monitary aspects, I don't see what has been lost by cancelling, or for that matter any great benefit we would have derived from going. Let's wait and at least see the schedule before getting all negative about this and assuming we're going to play a bunch of patsies.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

Im not saying by canceling the tourny we are playing a bunch of deaf and blind schools... Im just saying that its good competition with the chance of winning a big game, a change to grow on the contacts the program has, but now we just blow them off. It just my opinion though that its a bad idea, Im not saying the final result will be bad, Im just saying its a bad idea and I dont agree with him being a god and he hasnt done anything but bring in a kid from NM and buy cell phones for his staff

[jcmanson]

Nobody is calling him God or a god so you need to get that out of your vocabulary.

[grm]

We do what we have to do, and RMK ought to have some slack starting out (Are we to assume that RMK backed out of this all by himself, and that JB is just finding out about it? Who knows, maybe it was JB's call from the get-go?) The thing is, at every and any level, your schedule is something that has to be held as semi-sacred. When you commit to it, generally speaking you keep it. UAA now has to scramble a bit, and that probably upsets them. Others in the D-1 community probably think, unless it's an emergency, it's not a good practice... and on it goes.

If it had to be done, it had to be done, but it seems a strange blueprint for moving LU athletics forward.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

Nobody is calling him God or a god so you need to get that out of your vocabulary.

Well when People treat him like he is, I will use it