Topic: Why D’Antoni is a better coach than Holliday

[MicDrass1]

D’Antoni teams continue improving and peak at the end of the season
Hollidays teams peak early in the season if any at all and regress as the season goes on

Championships are the last game of a season.  The Best programs play well all year and it’s best at the end. 
Coach D is closer to this bc he consistently peaks his team at the end while Hollidays team either peak early to mid season or do not peak at all. 

[herdorbust]

D’Antoni teams continue improving and peak at the end of the season
Hollidays teams peak early in the season if any at all and regress as the season goes on

Championships are the last game of a season.  The Best programs play well all year and it’s best at the end. 
Coach D is closer to this bc he consistently peaks his team at the end while Hollidays team either peak early to mid season or do not peak at all.

I will agree with that. Dannys teams every year has been better at the end than they were at the beginning. And his style is also entertaining and fun to watch. But I will say I’m getting a little tired of the early season struggles like the Toledo game. If we are going to go to another level you have got to win those games. We played very poorly and lost in OT. That was really sad. And also Danny has got to pick up recruiting imo. He has got a few good players but way to many projects like some of the Euros, Dillon, Rucker, cam Harris, etc.. I’m all for the instate guys like Jon, CJ, obinna, Early, Stevie, West. But you have got to bring in better players out of state also because there isn’t enough instate guys. We have got Kinsey, Peneva, Williams and Beyers in 6 years of recruiting outside the state. And second imo they have to get more serious about the strength program. We don’t look any different as a senior as they did out of high school. Jmo!!!

[MicDrass1]

Agree with that, but a good coach will consistently peak teams for their best at the end.  That’s part of being a good coach.  The end.  Recruiting prowess is not there a HC with good end game can hire better recruiters to help the total season but they have end game thing down pat.

[herdorbust]

Agree with that, but a good coach will consistently peak teams for their best at the end.  That’s part of being a good coach.  The end.  Recruiting prowess is not there a HC with good end game can hire better recruiters to help the total season but they have end game thing down pat.

Agree 100% about the end game. But if we ever want to be in a discussion about the top 25 which is very hard to attain in basketball then you can’t lay those type of eggs against a very winnable Toledo. And I get tired of hearing the tournament is all that matters. Why doesn’t Gonzaga look at it like that? They don’t come from a power conference. I don’t care if you are in CUSA you can still be a National player. Period!!!!

[DC01HERD]

Dan and Bobby P both sold their programs to the public. Having open practices, media friendly, exciting offenses, and being active at alumni events go a long way in building your prgrams.

Pruett was a master at halftime adjustments. That is non-existent with the current head coach.

[herdorbust]

Dan and Bobby P both sold their programs to the public. Having open practices, media friendly, exciting offenses, and being active at alumni events go a long way in building your prgrams.

Pruett was a master at halftime adjustments. That is non-existent with the current head coach.

This is huge with me. Doc wants nothing to do with interaction and trying to build fan interest. We need a hungry energetic guy that is looking to make a name so he can get a bigtime job. That is how you become good. Not holding onto a guy that nobody wants.

[MicDrass1]

Better players a uptick in talent would help D’Antoni achieve this.  His teams develop and evolve.  He needs a little bit higher caliber player in my opinion.  Maybe his staff can deliver this.  If not hire better recruiters.

[MicDrass1]

Dan and Bobby P both sold their programs to the public. Having open practices, media friendly, exciting offenses, and being active at alumni events go a long way in building your prgrams.

Pruett was a master at halftime adjustments. That is non-existent with the current head coach.

And Holliday is truly frightened of playing new players until he has too. 

[MicDrass1]

In the college D1 game, programs must attempt to recruit the best out there.  It’s ok to fail in doing so.  But getting (1) can change everything.  A HC can’t ever think a player is too good for their program.  If so you settle for players that are not good enough for your program.  Don’t ever sell your school and program short.  Recruiting is an art.  It’s easy for some people.  Recruiters are out there believe that.

[wasbarryb]

Dan and Bobby P both sold their programs to the public. Having open practices, media friendly, exciting offenses, and being active at alumni events go a long way in building your prgrams.

Pruett was a master at halftime adjustments. That is non-existent with the current head coach.

He, BP, also had an  eye for spotting  and developing talent that many coaches missed.  I not sure any one eve did it better.

[parshall2marshall]

Hopefully DD will learn to put the ball in the hands of his most explosive player with the game on the line next time. If a double-team then comes someone will be open.

[lexkyherdfan]

I will agree with that. Dannys teams every year has been better at the end than they were at the beginning. And his style is also entertaining and fun to watch. But I will say I’m getting a little tired of the early season struggles like the Toledo game. If we are going to go to another level you have got to win those games. We played very poorly and lost in OT. That was really sad. And also Danny has got to pick up recruiting imo. He has got a few good players but way to many projects like some of the Euros, Dillon, Rucker, cam Harris, etc.. I’m all for the instate guys like Jon, CJ, obinna, Early, Stevie, West. But you have got to bring in better players out of state also because there isn’t enough instate guys. We have got Kinsey, Peneva, Williams and Beyers in 6 years of recruiting outside the state. And second imo they have to get more serious about the strength program. We don’t look any different as a senior as they did out of high school. Jmo!!!

Great post. 

We can’t lose games like we do against the Toledo’s of the world if we want to become a team consistently winning.  If Buffalo and ETSU can do things then why can’t we?

[lexkyherdfan]

Agree 100% about the end game. But if we ever want to be in a discussion about the top 25 which is very hard to attain in basketball then you can’t lay those type of eggs against a very winnable Toledo. And I get tired of hearing the tournament is all that matters. Why doesn’t Gonzaga look at it like that? They don’t come from a power conference. I don’t care if you are in CUSA you can still be a National player. Period!!!!

I agree.  This can be done. We can do it. Until a priority is out on getting bigger stronger players to bang and out an emphasis on the OOC games we can’t get where we need to be.  And it is very obtainable.  Just need the effort

[Herdmeister]

Hopefully DD will learn to put the ball in the hands of his most explosive player with the game on the line next time. If a double-team then comes someone will be open.

Do you really believe that the play that was drawn up? No way.  Most likely Toledo did something defensively to stop it from developing..

[whf]

Do you really believe that the play that was drawn up? No way.  Most likely Toledo did something defensively to stop it from developing..

In the post game, he said that was the play; had to make a choice between Jared and Taveon, went with Jared as he is a senior, who knows whether it should have gone the other way.  His words, not mine.

[coalherd]

Great post. 

We can’t lose games like we do against the Toledo’s of the world if we want to become a team consistently winning.  If Buffalo and ETSU can do things then why can’t we?

But the head coach has to realize what it takes to do these things!!  Danny can say, almost flippantly, that our goal "every year is to win the NCAA championship", but then turn around and do the same things that stand NO chance to produce a NCAA champ in a Century!!  Assistant Coaches can only recruit players, and types of players, that the HEAD COACH tells them to recruit!  Therefore, we see a lot of tall, not very athletic types of players with no physicality.  What they have in common, apparently, is the desire to shoot a lot of 3 point shots, and in some cases, some of them can shoot said shoot satisfactorily.

But it seems we think, or our head coach thinks, that they all could "potentially" be another Austin Loop.  Remember that player from Spring Valley who was a preferred walk on to MU, and was a WV POY and an outstanding student?  He got into a few Herd games at mop up time, IIRC, because he apparently could do very little effectively for extended periods of time.  Now we've got another "304" boy sitting out.  Tall skinny kid with perhaps a 6 inch leaping ability.  No doubt the next Larry Bird in Coach's mind.  Perhaps he'll step into the slot (on the bench) held currently by the kid from Mingo Central!

Think ETSU, in Steve Forbes' 4 or 5 season there won 20 plus games 4 years in a row, one trip to the NCAA and with THIRTY wins last season and who would have most certainly been back in the big dance, think they got that way by constantly recruiting heavily in projects from Eastern Europe along with guys within one or two AREA CODES in and around Tennessee?  Forbes brought in JUCO, mixed with good, athletic high school talent, and an occasional transfer or two from quality programs elsewhere (Wichita State, etc.).  That kind of recruiting, multi faceted, and the results it produced at a Southern Conference school is a major reason why Forbes is now a HC in the ACC!!

If Danny really wants to up MU to the next level, then he's got to rethink his recruiting "philosophy" and definitely ramp up the caliber of his recruiting.  Getting "lucky" with an occasional recruit from Eastern Europe out of 5 or 6 recruits and maybe one out of every 2 or 3 from the "304" is not going to make any one, much less Marshall, into a yearly NCAA champion threat!!

[herdorbust]

Sometimes coaches make that call because they think the other coach is drawing up a play to stop Kinsey. If West goes up with his right hand instead of his left, he probably makes the shot. And if Danny had went to Kinsey and he missed, then everyone would be saying Toledo knew he was getting it. It’s called armchair coaching. If west shot had of went in Danny would have been a genius on the boards.

[herdfifteen]

He, BP, also had an  eye for spotting  and developing talent that many coaches missed.  I not sure any one eve did it better.

You are right about BP, and one of the things I really liked about him was he could coach every position. I used to love to see him working with a group and stop and shoot back to the quarterback when he noticed something, throwing motion, etc he didn’t like. Great teacher and communicator.

[The Right Stuff]

BP had Randy Moss, Eric Kresser, Chad Pennington Byron Leftwich, and Doug Chapman.  Hell elgin Herd and I could coach those guys.  Here is the ball.  Go out and play. Enough said.

TRS
MU 71

[sleeinwv]

It doesn’t matter who the better coach is.  Both of them are not living up to the hype they came in with.  Show both of them the door. 

[herdorbust]

BP had Randy Moss, Eric Kresser, Chad Pennington Byron Leftwich, and Doug Chapman.  Hell elgin Herd and I could coach those guys.  Here is the ball.  Go out and play. Enough said.

TRS
MU 71

Bob Pruett was light years ahead of Doc. Anyone can see that and how Pruett actually made in game adjustments and just his schemes, especially on offense. Doc never was nothing but a recruiter and couldn’t even land a coordinator position all of those years for a reason. If you are great at something, people want you and that is a fact. Every coach goes and tries to find the best OC and DC they can find. Nobody ever thought he was that guy. Pruett was at Florida DC and Donnan OC at Oklahoma.

[Herdalum83]

It doesn’t matter who the better coach is.  Both of them are not living up to the hype they came in with.  Show both of them the door.

DD has exceeded expectations. Everyone said he was a bad hire. All he's done is accomplish more than any coach here in the last 45 years.

[parshall2marshall]

Modified and re-posted below.

[sleeinwv]

DD has exceeded expectations. Everyone said he was a bad hire. All he's done is accomplish more than any coach here in the last 45 years.

Having a 55% winning percentage while head coach is not considered exceeding expectations in my book.   That’s below Greg White and Donnie Jones.  But if you want to count 2 wins as a qualification to beat expectations go ahead.   (Those 2 wins....CUSA championship and NCAA win.....which were both milestone wins).   Would mention the  CTI win but that Is on par with my state high school championship plaque I have on my wall. Nobody  will remember but those who played.    (THANK YOU WILL KING)

[parshall2marshall]

The opposition can "draw up" all they want to. A good coach has plays to get Kinsey the ball off the in-bounds with a screen(s). After he gets the ball all bets are off as to what he does with it. If he is double-teamed then with proper spacing someone has to be open. If he is not double-teamed then he has an excellent chance of making the shot or getting fouled on a drive. There was plenty of time to execute that scenario. I don't give the ball to someone having a relatively bad game ( FR or SR ) with several missed layups (potentially just to "prove himself" (?)).

It's called playing the percentages.

Some on here think DD walks on water. I don't. As some have  pointed out, Marko shot too early at the end of the first half. Then at the end of regulation we should have lost with proper Toledo fast break execution. I'm as big a DD fan as there is but there is no excuse for that. I love to hear him talk of a national ch. But he has to do a better job recruiting and on game day.

But for now all I can do as a fan is watch who gets the ball next time in that situation.