Branch Improvement & Opportunity

I never thought hardy would be that good. Not even close. I miss that season. Hopefully this one is close to it

Hardy and Horne, two of our best, were splitting time while Norm's beloved Malik was stinking it up.  Steve tried the same and at least realized that all the posters begging him to start Hardy at the Pt were right.  His flexibility and common sense impressed me at that point but his benching of Evans offset that somewhat.  He eventually figured that out too but lost games in the process.  Last year was a head scratcher w/o Dunlap and I hope Whitesell makes a difference.

Never thought hardy could play the point

Quote from: redmen4life on August 15, 2013, 04:15:43 PM

yes, but back in 2011 Lavin raved about Hardy during preseason, and that worked out great...

Also raved about Malik Stith.
Lesson is to not live and die by what is said. 

But Moose, Lavin never praised his game play. He just said that he was working out like a Navy Seal.

Quote from: Moose on August 15, 2013, 09:16:56 PM

Quote from: redmen4life on August 15, 2013, 04:15:43 PM

yes, but back in 2011 Lavin raved about Hardy during preseason, and that worked out great...

Also raved about Malik Stith.
Lesson is to not live and die by what is said. 

But Moose, Lavin never praised his game play. He just said that he was working out like a Navy Seal.

I do recall the Navy Seal statement but don't recall the specifics but it was a hype piece that got fans excited about what Stith could offer.  He also called Hardy the best shooter he's ever coached.  We know that he wasn't but Lavin is a PR master.  He knows what to say and when to say is what I was trying to say.

Lavin's great at creating hype for the team in general, and by necessity that means he needs to talk up a few of his players to reporters.  I'm fine with that.
Every year though we need to get used to hearing about how an unheralded recruit we got is a diamond in the rough, or somebody has added 15lbs of pure muscle by working his a$$ off in the weight room, or somebody has improved his jumpshot 10fold by being a gym rat all summer.
Are these things true?  Maybe to some degree.  But it all needs to be taken with a grain of salt.  I think our fans understand that by now.    You can't take everything coach says literally.