Article from arkansas paper

[pioneerb]

How deep is usf going to be this year? Think conditioning will be a factor for usf?

http://wholehogsports.com/story.php?paper=adg&storyid=190268

“Individual workouts... effort and attitude was unbelievable,†Ostrom said. “Every kid tried to please, worked their tails off. They were sponges and tried to absorb everything we tried to teach. “ Now on the flip side of that, it is the worst-conditioned team I’ve ever been around in my life.â€Â

the down time that came with spring break, then Arkansas’ firing of Stan Heath on March 26 and Pelphrey’s hiring two weeks later could have contributed to reduced stamina. Also, the kind of conditioning needed to play Heath’s halfcourt style is different than what will be required in Pelphrey’s approach that emphasizes pressing and fast breaks.

“I told our team that those guys couldn’t get through 15 minutes of practice,†Ostrom said. “They would be looking for the closest garbage can. And it wasn’t just one. It wasn’t just two. It was the whole team. I’ve never been around a worse-conditioned group of athletes. I don’t really care whose fault it is, but it’s got to change.â€Â

[HarveyGlass]

Thanks for the link.

I sure hope Stan gets wind of this.  No offense hog, but the BigEast has too many styles of basketball to get away with that stuff.  There's no excuse to not have a team as conditioned as they can be.

Hey bullhog, any word on all the supposed "troubles" that were blamed on Heath?  Or have they gone away?

[pioneerb]

None taking. Also, pelphrey's style and heaths style is like night and day. Heath likes to run half court offense and milk the clock. Pelphrey likes to use a mother in law defense. Constant pressure and harassment.  ;D (he said that at the press conference)

What troubles are you talking about? The drug use and academic problems?

[Herman_Momart]

this stuff surfaces because the new coach has to make it like they have no easy task at hand.  Think, when Robert McCullum came to USF and said what Seth Greenberg called winning was not winning and how he had our fans believe our program was in shambles so when we were going 0 for the conference he had a scapegoat to put some blame on.  This is normal loser coach protocol.  Stan Heath is a winner, you dont hear a peep out of him about how our roster is empty or how bad our prior coach was.  You hear nothing.  He says "You wont hear from me in a while, i will be recruiting."  

Thats why, win or lose, guys like stan heath get credit and chances, while guys like Robert McCullum have no job.  

[smazza]

this stuff surfaces because the new coach has to make it like they have no easy task at hand.  Think, when Robert McCullum came to USF and said what Seth Greenberg called winning was not winning and how he had our fans believe our program was in shambles so when we were going 0 for the conference he had a scapegoat to put some blame on.  This is normal loser coach protocol.  Stan Heath is a winner, you dont hear a peep out of him about how our roster is empty or how bad our prior coach was.  You hear nothing.  He says "You wont hear from me in a while, i will be recruiting."  

Thats why, win or lose, guys like stan heath get credit and chances, while guys like Robert McCullum have no job.  

SOUNDS REASONABLE TO me

[HarveyGlass]

Yeah, bullhog, those problems.  Anybody going to be kicked off or suspended?  I'm just wondering how much of that was planted by your AD's office to take some heat off for firing Heath without a coach-in-hand.  We heard a lot about how Heath had to get out before he got found out.  Stuff like that.

I think you guys got a real winner in Pelphrey.  I wanted him for the Bulls, but I'm ecstatic about SH.  You will just have to hope that you can hang on to him when UK comes calling after Gillispie's second DUI in Lexington. ;D

[pioneerb]

Don't believe anybody will be kicked off but they will have to pay the price. The guys that tested positive will enter a drug program and do some extra running. I seriously doubt they will be benched for a game or games. University of Arkansas can't come out and publicly say who tested positive for drugs. The academic issues, the players will go to summer school.

[JoeB]

The Big East has always been about half court offense.  As long as they play as a team and execute on the offense, I don't have any concerns about the D.