The current reality of GT Hoops - A Primer

[dtm1997]

As we've started careening towards hoops season, I wanted to lay out some information for everybody so they understand where we are in life with regard to GT Hoops.

1. We have a senior laden squad with 2 players with established All-ACC potential, a hard working 3pt marksmen, a gifted post scorer to go along with potentially solid to excellent backcourt starters for the next 3 years. To go along with this, we have some potentially good role players & youth.
2. I don't know what this team ultimately does, but there are public opinions that we could see the postseason this year.
3. While we've been in the mix with a variety of very good recruits, as we've moved throughout the cycle, we've faced the difficulties expected, given the performance under BG.
4. We have 4 more years of paying Paul Hewitt what's believed to be $900,000 annually.
5. BG's annual salary is approximately $1.1MM annually. Buying out his remaining contract after this year is approximately $1.4MM.
6. The combined money owed to both BG & Hewitt after this year is approximately $4.1MM in total.
7. When deciding to keep BG, MBob stated that the GTAA had the cash to buy out BG. This is factually correct, in the sense that the GTAA does have that amount of cash in its bank accounts.
8. If you believe for even a second that the board of trustees are going to allow MBob to use GTAA cash resources to buy out BG, you'd be sadly mistaken. Just because the GTAA had that cash, doesn't mean MBob was ever going to be authorized to use it.
9. Additionally, the powers that be that control the GTAA's coffers likely want out from under the expense of Hewitt's contract as well.
10. When told to go raise funds for GT Hoops, various sources have indicated that MBob was offered help for a new coach and to a degree, the various buyouts, but when it was revealed how he managed to increase the financial obligations in executing BG's extension, many big money boosters told him to pound sand.
11. Amidst all of this, it's believed in some circles that MBob has not done a good job of developing relationships with existing & new donors and he's gone back to the same well too often.
12. If MBob didn't have $6MM+ available after last season for the purpose of buyouts, I'd place a pretty low likelihood he's going to have $4MM+ after this season if we see poor results, regardless of what MBob said had to happen this year (better offense, better results, impact recruiting, etc.).
13. If the day comes that we have to go out & hire a new coach, you can expect a hungry up & comer, likely to cost less than $2MM annually. So the dreams of some day attracting Archie Miller, Chris Mack, or whoever else might as well be put to bed.

So why am I laying all of this out now? What's my point?

I'm not here to endorse Brian Gregory, but I know that what little interest people have on this board in terms of hoops will have the buckets of bile (for lack of a better term) ready to spill at the first signs of trouble. You can already feel it in the air.

To that I say, you've got a couple of choices:

1. Criticize constructively, vent frustration respectfully, praise if earned as we embark through the season
2. Spout off and take potshots at the program, players, & staff

If you choose option #2, I'll take comfort in the fact this site has a great ignore function and I hope you take advantage of it and hit ignore on my profile.

Remember this though... I've made peace with reality. The reality that it's more likely BG is here after this season unless he leaves of his own accord. The reality that BG's record this season may not ultimately matter for hot seat purposes. The reality that GT's very own version of Boone Pickens ain't walking through that door to magically wipe clean the combined questionable handiwork of 3 athletic directors.

If you can face that reality and get past it, you'll find it easier to choose Choice #1 and participate in a conversation about GT hoops with balanced expectations.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Thanks for the overview. Especially of players and potential since I don't follow the comings and goings of BB players much. I agree with the money situation and just hope (without good basis) that something clicks and BG gets on a hot streak like CPJ has the last two years.

I plan on option #3 of focusing more on Beesball. At least college baseball isn't affected by big time money; it's strongly influenced by the MLB taking who they want in HS and then after three years. But then basketball seems to be one and done for many of the best players. It's kind of hard to get excited about kids who come and play for a year or two and leave; at least for me.

But I agree with the overall point - just because there is GTAA money available that doesn't mean that basketball has the priority to spend it.

 

[4shotB]

well written and constructive post. I'll add another option 3 - which is what I do. I ignore it (GT BB). Basketball can be a beautiful game when played well but when there is no apparent system and general lack of grade school skills (dribbling, passing, shooting, etc.) it is brutal to watch. Worse than watching 9 year-old kids play soccer or baseball.Can't make myself do it and I haven't seen a GT BB game in roughly 5 or 6 years. I have nothing to offer in terms of constructive criticism that would help people who are drawing 7 figure salaries to correct the issues and I am certainly not going to take potshots either. I am pleased that there is someone who still cares enough to post something as well written about the program as you did.

 

[RamblinRed]

That was very well written DTM.
I think you summed up things well. The rumor was MBob was able to garner about $2M in commitments last spring for buyouts. That would suggest 2 years before we could pay off all buyouts and start with a clean slate.

This team has some potential. It is a team with alot of guys with college experience. 2 of the players (MGH and Smith) were the leading scorers on their teams. Jacobs was a 4 star big man in HS who should fit in well with what Gregory likes to do. Hopefully we have a better season.

 

[kg01]

Great rundown @dtm1997. I do think we'll have a better record this year. We have too many vets not to be improved. My hope is that CBG is able to propel himself into a fresh situation. I just think that'd be the best outcome for all parties.

That said, there's no reason to run down the program/players at this point. Like you, I'm basically at peace with the reality of our situation.

I do still think we should have a stickied 'vent' thread just dedicated to those who just have to spew that bile. Lookin' at you @Peacone36 (kidding, kidding)

 

[AE 87]

Great rundown @dtm1997. I do think we'll have a better record this year. We have too many vets not to be improved. My hope is that CBG is able to propel himself into a fresh situation. I just think that'd be the best outcome for all parties.

That said, there's no reason to run down the program/players at this point. Like you, I'm basically at peace with the reality of our situation.

I do still think we should have a stickied 'vent' thread just dedicated to those who just have to spew that bile. Lookin' at you @Peacone36 (kidding, kidding)

I suspect once the season starts that you won't need to officially sticky a vent thread for it to stay at the top. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Peacone36]

Its not all sun shines and rainbows and i will never say it is when it isnt. I spit truth i dont blow smoke.

BG will be here after this year, that much is clear and ive made peace with that. Will i still make fun of ridiculous in game decisions along with poor discipline and fundamentals? You bet your arse. I need to entertain myself and fight with C62 somehow.

That said, Mathews is a strong pickup, preferred him to Baker, not sure hes a volume ACC scorer but should be a better option than would-be deep threats in the past, hopefully at the very least in decision making both on and off the court. We are strong with White BRob and Okogie which is great and unlike J. Brown whom i never thought we had a shot at, the longer BRob is available, the better chance we have. Throw in Marfo (whom i know just north of zero about)and the potential is there for a nice, impact class. Realistically we can probably get 3/5 (mathews included). If thats the case i like where we are at with White and BRob. BG excels in recruiting PG players so if we have some ships to spend on 1 year guys im ok with that too for the simple reason that when he inevitably leaves the next coach has more room to maneuver in recruiting.

IMHO we will see a nice step forward this year (especially in the BC). I dont think an NIT birth is out of the question as long as MGH comes back full strength and Tadric makes a steady contribution

 

[kg01]

I suspect once the season starts that you won't need to officially sticky a vent thread for it to stay at the top. I hope I'm wrong.

Yeah, I'm sure y'all will find a way to keep it alive w/o the sticky.

Also, hate to rain on the actually positive portion of your tirade @Peacone36 but I'm pretty sure Marfo eliminated us yesterday. Or I guess I should say that his supposed top 5 didn't include us.

 

[Peacone36]

Yeah I was made aware shortly after. That's too bad.

 

[dtm1997]

Let me start by mentioning this thread didn't originate based on @Peacone36 's behavior.

Second, Nuke & 4Shot, I appreciate your 3rd options. Certainly respectful of those trying to have a fair & balanced conversation.

Third, I posted this on the Rivals site when someone mentioned this thread there and I said I'd post it here when I got home. For all the snarky cheapshot artists out there, this is how I've decided to end your debate in 2 simple steps. Leave you with what's probably a horrific thought for you & put you on ignore. I certainly welcome your decision to put me on ignore.

I can't post on gtswarm from work, but I'll say there later what I'll say here now. I know that people will be coming out of the woodwork soon enough to resume flippant, snarky potshots at all aspects of the program. While I'm not happy with the way things are, I've accepted reality and do my best to move forward with balanced information gathering & analysis, as well as hoping for better results.

I'm all for exhibiting reasonable, respectful levels of frustration, but instead of getting in to p*ssing matches with snarks, I've decided to make sure they have the gnaw in the back of their heads of the high likelihood BG is safe after this season regardless of outcome. They'll hem & haw about a dumpster fire this or BG is terrible that, but in the back of their heads, they'll be left to realize that all the bellyaching is on deaf ears. Especially, since I'll have them on ignore and, hopefully, they'll do the same to me.

 

[orientalnc]

The first basic accounting principle: Forget sunk costs.

I am not advocating we firs BG. I did that last year and it got me nowhere. What I think is that GT needs to take a forward approach to the basketball program and lay out a vision for where the program can be and how is the best way to get there. There are costs associated with dumping BG if he fails this season, but there are also costs associated with keeping him in that case.

 

[Connell62]

Well said dtm!! You really cannot make it much clearer than that. We should field a very solid team this season, and hopefully it serves as a springboard moving forward.

If we can manage to land Brandon Robinson and/or Josh Okogie, and maybe even Maliek White, that would allow us to get the positive momentum started sooner than later.

Steps for returning to Glory:
1. Sign a solid/underrated class in 2016
2. Perform well on the court and make postseason (hopefully the Big Dance)
3. Capitalize on good season and uncle Mo and sign an even better class with difference makers
4. Do it all over again.

The above alone certainly wouldn't return us to the glory days, but as another fine font (@kg01 ) mentioned, having BG right the ship is probably the best outcome for all parties.

Outside of my boy @Peacone36 ..I am going to do a better job of staying out of the fray this year.. I'll just have to use my ignore button more often.

 

[awbuzz]

All well said. Hope that stuff improves this year to make it easier/desirable to watch GT basketball for the masses.
Note, I still watch every game and pull for GT victories. Cannot bring myself to hope for a lose or loses to drive an agenda.

 

[orientalnc]

I know it sounds weird for me to say this, but I like the make-up of this year's team better than the last two. The schedule is a killer, but we could look back on this season as a turning point with a 9-9 league record while holding our OOC losses to only 2-3. While I know it's a stretch, it is not totally out of reach.

Keys for the season (in my view): Tadric finding his shot; Lammers being worthy of an expanded role; White being willing to play inside at least part of the time; Q improving his defense. I am sure I will think of others once I get my mind off the ND game.

 

[Ramblingon]

I know it sounds weird for me to say this, but I like the make-up of this year's team better than the last two. The schedule is a killer, but we could look back on this season as a turning point with a 9-9 league record while holding our OOC losses to only 2-3. While I know it's a stretch, it is not totally out of reach.

Keys for the season (in my view): Tadric finding his shot; Lammers being worthy of an expanded role; White being willing to play inside at least part of the time; Q improving his defense. I am sure I will think of others once I get my mind off the ND game.

...and Jorgenson becoming the PG we hope he will become.

 

[Peacone36]

My excitement for this year runs deep because im going to be attending my fir 1st GT games after being a fan for about 22 years. Living in Wilmington and ill be able to make both UnC and NCST.

Stoked

 

[orientalnc]

You're in Wilmington! We're only about 2 hours apart. I am going to Durham next weekend.

 

[LibertyTurns]

DTM, thanks for starting this thread. I love all GT sports but unfortunately Basketball has been driven to the point I can't hardly follow it except to turn on every game I can watch and hope for the best.

I will offer up Option #4. I believe that GT should scour the universe and find someone young & inexperienced and make him the Asst Coach. Reach deep and hope you hit paydirt by allowing someone we would normally not consider to "run the Team". Leave Gregory as the Head Coach, but take all his responsibilities away except those he's good at whatever they are. Let the Asst Coach recruit, teach, coach the game, etc kind of like the "coach in waiting scenario" we see in football at some places. Invest $100-200K or so in this, no more, maybe expenses to make sure the nugget can live off his salary. There has to be someone willing to jump start their career by taking over this sinking ship and getting valuable ACC Coaching experience while we ride out the bad contracts.

Gregory seems like a decent enough guy and I'd welcome him in an "ambassadorial" role. Kind of like the Queen of England. No real power but everyone seems to like the lady. I believe Gregory has GT's best interests at heart & this role would be a natural fit. He just has no business running GT Basketball's core operations.

 

[orientalnc]

DTM, thanks for starting this thread. I love all GT sports but unfortunately Basketball has been driven to the point I can't hardly follow it except to turn on every game I can watch and hope for the best.

I will offer up Option #4. I believe that GT should scour the universe and find someone young & inexperienced and make him the Asst Coach. Reach deep and hope you hit paydirt by allowing someone we would normally not consider to "run the Team". Leave Gregory as the Head Coach, but take all his responsibilities away except those he's good at whatever they are. Let the Asst Coach recruit, teach, coach the game, etc kind of like the "coach in waiting scenario" we see in football at some places. Invest $100-200K or so in this, no more, maybe expenses to make sure the nugget can live off his salary. There has to be someone willing to jump start their career by taking over this sinking ship and getting valuable ACC Coaching experience while we ride out the bad contracts.

Gregory seems like a decent enough guy and I'd welcome him in an "ambassadorial" role. Kind of like the Queen of England. No real power but everyone seems to like the lady. I believe Gregory has GT's best interests at heart & this role would be a natural fit. He just has no business running GT Basketball's core operations.

I hope we never do anything this disrespectful.

 

[Peacone36]

I hope we never do anything this disrespectful.

Amen. This is a mailing it in type response. IF you are going to go young and sell out on the future do it from the top down not plant a land mine within the staff, which i think MBob in all his infinite wisdom would never do. If you ever thought that we could never sink lower, surely, pulling that nonsense would prove that theory incorrect.