IMO, we should not be wasting time trying to compare which coach was left with what players. If people insist on comparing, and using the previous coach to justify the failures we've seen these past 3 1/2 years, we should be looking at what each coach did in recruiting and building their own set of players in those first 3-4 years.
Many could see that Les was recruiting and building a really talented set of players that would eventually gel into an NCAA Sweet 16 team his 4th year.
In his first 3 seasons, JL was not suffering repeated embarrassing 20 and 30 point blowouts. JL had just 5 such 20 point blowouts (the worst was 23 points) in his first 4 seasons including none in years 3 or 4, and none at home. Geno has already had an amazing 14 (fourteen!) such 20 point blowouts, including 7 blowouts of 30 or more points (including 37 and 39 point shellackings) in just 3 seasons, including 3 on our home floor!
JL was not posting 260+ RPI's like we have seen 2 of the last 3 years. His worst RPI in the first 4 years was 199, and the best was 39). Geno has had RPI's of 266, 191, and 265.
JL was not playing 300+ non-conference SOS's like we have seen the last 2 seasons. The last 2 seasons, the non-conference SOS has been 339 and 302.
And JL did not have any 20 loss seasons, like we have seen 2 of the last 3 years.
JL also did it without the advantage of new, 50-million dollar facilities like we have now.
I could go on with the comparisons if anyone wants more, and I haven't even touched on the massive and painful differences in fundraising, and revenues generated, as well as ticket renewals, sales, and attendance.
But I think most people could see by year 3 or 4 that JL was building a good team, headed for NCAA success, with solid talent and depth, with a lot more 4-year players and a lot less player turnover, and building record financial revenues for the Athletic Department that would eventually lead to the great new facilities which he never had the advantage of using to recruit his players.
It's difficult to see this current team playing in and winning NCAA games any time soon, though we can always hope. Just my opinion.
Many could see that Les was recruiting and building a really talented set of players that would eventually gel into an NCAA Sweet 16 team his 4th year.
In his first 3 seasons, JL was not suffering repeated embarrassing 20 and 30 point blowouts. JL had just 5 such 20 point blowouts (the worst was 23 points) in his first 4 seasons including none in years 3 or 4, and none at home. Geno has already had an amazing 14 (fourteen!) such 20 point blowouts, including 7 blowouts of 30 or more points (including 37 and 39 point shellackings) in just 3 seasons, including 3 on our home floor!
JL was not posting 260+ RPI's like we have seen 2 of the last 3 years. His worst RPI in the first 4 years was 199, and the best was 39). Geno has had RPI's of 266, 191, and 265.
JL was not playing 300+ non-conference SOS's like we have seen the last 2 seasons. The last 2 seasons, the non-conference SOS has been 339 and 302.
And JL did not have any 20 loss seasons, like we have seen 2 of the last 3 years.
JL also did it without the advantage of new, 50-million dollar facilities like we have now.
I could go on with the comparisons if anyone wants more, and I haven't even touched on the massive and painful differences in fundraising, and revenues generated, as well as ticket renewals, sales, and attendance.
But I think most people could see by year 3 or 4 that JL was building a good team, headed for NCAA success, with solid talent and depth, with a lot more 4-year players and a lot less player turnover, and building record financial revenues for the Athletic Department that would eventually lead to the great new facilities which he never had the advantage of using to recruit his players.
It's difficult to see this current team playing in and winning NCAA games any time soon, though we can always hope. Just my opinion.
I agree with you that I think the admins are ignoring the obvious. The problem doesn't just sit with the sports programs it is also with the academics and enrollment decline. Those need to be fixed with a greater urgency. With that being said at the rate the attendance decline is going the team could see their future playing at the Ren Col if time is not spent on cleaning the program up and making it back into an event where people want to attend. This may be my day dreaming but I wish we would've seen Jerrance Howard hired a few years ago. That might have at least keep the attendance intact.
