When does Pastner feel heat

[alagold]

In Sept, I asked some friends who would have the fewest conference wins--football or bball ??--my guess was bball even though we play a lot more bballl games

 

[AUFC]

He is well liked by his guys from what I’m told. Others would know better.

I think this is the case. He’s a pretty polarizing guy as far as college basketball head coaches. Most recruits (especially the top ones) probably get 30 seconds into the initial phone call before they thank him for the offer and ghost him. If his genuine nerdiness clicks, I’m guessing he (and Tech) are a great fit for you.

 

[Techster]

Ya'll know the heat started when Pastner welched on his promise to let the team choose his next hair style after we won the ACCCG game, right? Moses gets covid, we lose in the first round of the NCAAT, 2021-2022 season with Devoe and Usher goes flat, and this season with the highest ranked roster Pastner has had is circling the drain.

It's not too late to correct the wrong, Pastner...

 

[g0lftime]

I would like to see Rodney either moving closer to the basket to set low screens and rebound or move a little farther out and face the basket. We have not been good using him as a screen at the foul line and he has his back to the basket most of the time. We need to open up the lane.

 

[Ramble1885]

Pastner is digging his own grave.

 

[Tech93]

Getting throttled again tonight. Horrible offense, stupid turnovers, ugly basketball.

 

[awbuzz]

Need a 55 gallon container of lipstick to try and pretty this pig up.

 

[MWBATL]

Pastner must know he’s in deep trouble. But then Collins surely knew as well, and clearly did not know what to do to improve things. I guess Pastner is in the same bucket…

 

[Peacone36]

Shocking, truly shocking. Who could have even seen this coming? Wait. I seem to remember…

Lost four out of five at home, all by double figures.

We can still go 13-7 in conference play and get to that 20 win plateau that the “good fans” predicted in the preseason.

 

[orientalnc]

We can still go 13-7 in conference play and get to that 20 win plateau that the “good fans” predicted in the preseason.

I was one who thought we would be a lot better, but it hasn't happened. Why have things gone south for this GT basketball team?

1- We are not a good shooting team. Our percentages are down from last year all over the floor.
2- Neither of our two "bigs" are very effective on the offensive end. So the guards have to play 4 on 5.
3- Our defense has never gelled and no matter what combination Pastner puts on the floor, it isn't working consistently.

But mostly it's the terrible shooting we see night after night. Coleman was recruited because he was a Dennis Scott level shooter. He is hitting less than 30% from outside, less than 40% overall, and less than 70% on FTs. Terry is at least hitting his FTs, but is clearly not an ACC level player. I don't even want to mention Sturdivant's and Smith's poor shooting. These are all great kids who are better players than they are showing. But something is terribly wrong right now. Can it be fixed? If we were losing by two and three points in final seconds I would have more optimism. These recent games have drained that from me.

Given all that, the end of our 2023 ACC schedule is easier than the beginning. But, this "good fan" is not expecting that 13-7 record.

 

[MaverickGT]

The ACC is trash this year and we are the worst of the worst

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I was one who thought we would be a lot better, but it hasn't happened. Why have things gone south for this GT basketball team?

1- We are not a good shooting team. Our percentages are down from last year all over the floor.
2- Neither of our two "bigs" are very effective on the offensive end. So the guards have to play 4 on 5.
3- Our defense has never gelled and no matter what combination Pastner puts on the floor, it isn't working consistently.

But mostly it's the terrible shooting we see night after night. Coleman was recruited because he was a Dennis Scott level shooter. He is hitting less than 30% from outside, less than 40% overall, and less than 70% on FTs. Terry is at least hitting his FTs, but is clearly not an ACC level player. I don't even want to mention Sturdivant's and Smith's poor shooting. These are all great kids who are better players than they are showing. But something is terribly wrong right now. Can it be fixed? If we were losing by two and three points in final seconds I would have more optimism. These recent games have drained that from me.

Given all that, the end of our 2023 ACC schedule is easier than the beginning. But, this "good fan" is not expecting that 13-7 record.

Good analysis.

One additional thought is that we don’t have anyone who is a floor leader. Several of these players would play excellent support roles but none seem good at opening the court up for other players.

I also don’t see anyone stepping forward to right this sheep. As a team, this feels like Pastner’s worst.

 

[ESPNjacket]

I also don’t see anyone stepping forward to right this sheep.

This is an excellent typo.

 

[iopjacket]

Good analysis.

One additional thought is that we don’t have anyone who is a floor leader. Several of these players would play excellent support roles but none seem good at opening the court up for other players.

I also don’t see anyone stepping forward to right this sheep. As a team, this feels like Pastner’s worst.

This team needs a Border Collie.

 

[kg01]

Only solace is CPast's teams usually get better later in the year. We just gotta wait for it.

Who me? Nah, I'm not nervous. Like, at all .....

 

[slugboy]

This team needs a Border Collie.

This team needs at least one border collie every year

I feel like we’re at the point where a few alumni players who made it big need to get together and start a fund and a campaign

 

[TampaBuzz]

This team needs a Border Collie.

 

[Steverc]

The ACC is trash this year and we are the worst of the worst

Second to the worst.

 

[pittkesh99]

Only solace is CPast's teams usually get better later in the year. We just gotta wait for it.

Who me? Nah, I'm not nervous. Like, at all .....

The good news is, as mentioned earlier, the schedule gets way easier after Duke, and we could realistically end the year 5-5…But even that would give us the worst 2 year stretch a single GT Basketball coach has had since Dwayne Morrison’s last two years in the early 80s (And essentially tied with the Hewitt-Gregory transition for the worst 2 year stretch since the early 80s)

 

[daddee724]

When you have players that are talented enough to get things done, but are not then usually I think what may be going on with them from a mental standpoint. Are they truly engaged with what is going on, are they happy, do they feel valued, are they responding to the coach, do they believe in what he is coaching, does he put them in the best position to win, those are my initial thoughts. There is an old cliché that players take on the energy of the head coach so if he is unsure and uncertain about what is working or not then that confusion is translated. Our guards are great shooters, but when they can't consistently from game-game make shots or free throws it is either lack of confidence or mental disconnect. Do our players look eager to play the whole game or just in spurts? It is easy to be full of energy and hustling when all is going right, but when there is adversity how resilient are we. I have watched those guys body language coming out of timeouts and it doesn't signal yes this play is going to work. When your back is against the wall you have to hope/believe that whatever strategy is in place is going to work. We are not successful with our BLOB plays you are right under the basket there should be several plays at least 5 for each scenario...... 1. Man-man, 2. Zone d, 3. man on ball 4. quick hitter for 3 5. Wildcard (something you try that you have worked on in practice but no team have ever seen/remember you running. I mostly see the same BLOB play 4 & 5 double stack at hi-post and Miles or Devion curl off the top in effort to get it on the baseline for a shot, when he doesn't get it, its panic mode I haven't seen the next options. The other is 4 across where the in bounder throws it over the top to the ball side guy on the block and I'm guessing he is supposed to just chuck something up. We have the ball literally under our basket on a dead ball so more options should be going towards the basket and we should have an 50%-65% efficiency rate that close. That is just an example of do they believe that execution will deliver the positive outcome which is ultimately a foul, foul plus basket, or basket. Their body language doesn't show it, in the flow of the game cuts are not hard hell I cringe out of fear of them running into each other, 50-50 balls are not in our favor effort so when your players lack effort its a true sign of not believing in what is happening. So has CJP lost this team??? Do they still believe in this Princeton offense, do they believe it works? We all unanimously feel that it does not fit our players it is outdated and he needs to scrap it. So if we feel that way on the outside looking in I can only imagine what they thing or feel.

So , if CJP is on the hot seat how does that effect his recruiting, will he be able to get anyone to commit with his job in jeopardy? If Blue Cain knows this information now when he committed would he still come here or if he is fired does he still stick by his commitment. If CJP is here until next season, who does he get to commit out of the portal if they have more than a year of eligibility remaining knowing that there could be a coaching change.

Most importantly with current players, knowing he could be gone either this season, but if is next season, that means they would be playing for a new coach their senior season, knowing that, do they enter the transfer portal after this season so that they have 2 seasons at new place or wait and roll the dice with a new coach their senior year who very well may bring some of his own players with him. Something to think about