I think it's silly to think that Coach didn't work hard to keep them here.
And although I can't speak to your football situation, Mar, I can't disagree more with your point. I think you absolutely can't have a kid around that isn't buying in.. particularly when you're building a program.
Would we be better off with a Calhoun and Wright who worked their tails off in practice and on defense? Of course. But that isn't who they were, and I think we're better off without them.
I'm a huge program guy. No one man is bigger than the team and everybody has to buy into the coach's philosophy. But when you are building a program from RUBBLE, you have to make exceptions. It made me sick to my stomach to have to accomodate lazy whiners, but what were my alternatives?
Roberts couldn't have afforded losing Calhoun and Wright. IMO, we are in the NIT this year and on the cusp of the NCAA's with them even in spite of Norm's horrific lack of coaching. And he keeps his job.
So he lets Q take some three pointers and play a little SF. Aren't we better off with him. The great thing about freshman is that they become sophomores in a year, right?
There is no way he could have kept Calhoun stay around here. The kid had NO desire to work hard with the rest of his team. If he let Calhoun stay what does that say to the rest of the team??
I think that your football analogy is ridiculous because you coached a HIGH SCHOOL team!! Yeah you had limited numbers and the reality is you couldn't get more guys. Norm can get guys who will work and maybe they won't be as talented at first but with hardwork they will go right past the likes of Calhoun (aka Sean Evans who I think most on this board wouldn't have taken over Q last year but now would easily take him on their squad instead of the lazy Calhoun). Even in Norm's early days he got a guy like Missere who had no bball skills at all to work his tail off and bring something positive to the table.
My favorite thing about our team is how hard all these guys have worked. EVERY guy on this team has improved in some way or another from last year (and I don't think its coaching). They improved because personally, these guys wanted to get better. No one told them to have a practice after Providence, but they did because thats how these kids are!! Calhoun wouldn't have been with those guys doing the extra thing (in fact, he wasnt when they were all freshman that summer) and in no time his minutes would be nothing and he'd have run away just as he did.
The bottom line in basketball is if you give a crazy effort you have a chance. That first Norm team was disgusting but they worked so hard that they were either in a game or winning it. If this team plays that hard they can be real special now and in the future as they keep getting better.
Losing Q will end up costing Norm his job. Simple as that.
I agree with you up to that point. Losing Q will not end up costing Norm his job. Having Q around could have cost him his job, if he was an underachieving malcontent. The recruiting and retention won't be a reason the administration would consider reliving Coach of his duties, it's the winning and losing.
An aside: if 2 players left per year and the team was winning at near-NIT levels, Norm's job wouldn't be so much in question. Then again, the previous year always builds expectations, so if the team was on the way to a third straight 14-15 win season, let's say, his job would still be in trouble.