It's Time to Support Coach Mac & Co. (Why?)

[Papa_Bull]

I hope everything you say comes true...however we still more players including a guy to distribute the ball. The USF Rivals site had a great article on incoming freshman Chris Howard who is slated to play the point.  A lot of potential but there but once again not proven. I want CRM to succeed but IMO.....the blind faith some of you guys are giving him needs to be earned. To date, other than the big win last Saturday there haven't been many positives over the last two seasons.

BTW the last big conference transfer we had who had a significant impact was Jesse Salter from FSU. Yet he never did live up to his high school press clippiongs and projected greatness. Good player but not great. Ironically enough, the transfer from the school in Oviedo...James Harper....was just as effective as Salters despite not having all the accolades.

There are some other Rivals articles which mentioned Chris Howard before he was even listed in their database. In case you haven't read them they are in the previous Howard thread listed below.

From everything I've read about him he is a true point guard.

Here is another article which was in that same thread:

FEATURED ARTICLE:

Friendly High School has best season ever

by Denise Jones

03/25/2004    

Friendly High School has best season ever.

Winning one Championship is a great accomplishment but back to back championships are a dream come true. That dream came true for the Washington DC area most dominant tandem and the Friendly basketball program. The dynamic duo dominated the DC area precise passing from true all around point guard Chris Howard who has court vision like a hawk (had 8 triple doubles this season) and Sam Young who stands at 6-6 and displayed his athleticism with a combination of flips, after wining the state champion game, that I gave a perfect ten.

The Friendly Patriots, of Fort Washington, MD, has come full circle in more than one way. Winning the state championship in 2003 and repeating in 2004. They started the season ranked # 1, loss early and fell in the rankings went on a 19 game win streak and still finished ranked # 1 in the Washington Post.

Friendly dropped from the 3A class to the 2A classification and had to prove too many that they were still the team to beat. They did this by beating 2003 4AState champion/2004 4A league champion Oxon Hill, and the 2003 State 2A Champion during the season. Some people would say the higher the class the best ball is being played. Not in the eyes of many Patriots fans who used the Hoosier Movie as reason. In the past 2 years Friendly has managed 2 State Championships (3A and 2A class), 2 Regional titles, 2 County League Championships, 1 Inaugural PG County Championship and a 51-3 (1 forfeit) record.

Though many think Friendly is done bullying the area and will miss the Chris Howard and the high flying acrobats of Sam Young show. They could be wrong. They had a good jv team that finished 18-3 and a group of young talent like lone returning starter 6’-5" Junior WF Justin Jack (brother of Georgia Tech standout Jaren Jack), 6’-4 Kenny Francis, Sophomores Mike Wright, Walter Scott, 6’-7" Freshman Augustus Gilchrist and Freshman Rakeem Vick who all will be returning to this PG County power.

http://www.usfbullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1097236271;start=25

[CyberBull]

There are some other Rivals articles which mentioned Chris Howard before he was even listed in their database. In case you haven't read them they are in the previous Howard thread listed below.

From everything I've read about him he is a true point guard.

Here is another article which was in that same thread:

FEATURED ARTICLE:

Friendly High School has best season ever

by Denise Jones

03/25/2004    

Friendly High School has best season ever.

Winning one Championship is a great accomplishment but back to back championships are a dream come true. That dream came true for the Washington DC area most dominant tandem and the Friendly basketball program. The dynamic duo dominated the DC area precise passing from true all around point guard Chris Howard who has court vision like a hawk (had 8 triple doubles this season) and Sam Young who stands at 6-6 and displayed his athleticism with a combination of flips, after wining the state champion game, that I gave a perfect ten.

The Friendly Patriots, of Fort Washington, MD, has come full circle in more than one way. Winning the state championship in 2003 and repeating in 2004. They started the season ranked # 1, loss early and fell in the rankings went on a 19 game win streak and still finished ranked # 1 in the Washington Post.

Friendly dropped from the 3A class to the 2A classification and had to prove too many that they were still the team to beat. They did this by beating 2003 4AState champion/2004 4A league champion Oxon Hill, and the 2003 State 2A Champion during the season. Some people would say the higher the class the best ball is being played. Not in the eyes of many Patriots fans who used the Hoosier Movie as reason. In the past 2 years Friendly has managed 2 State Championships (3A and 2A class), 2 Regional titles, 2 County League Championships, 1 Inaugural PG County Championship and a 51-3 (1 forfeit) record.

Though many think Friendly is done bullying the area and will miss the Chris Howard and the high flying acrobats of Sam Young show. They could be wrong. They had a good jv team that finished 18-3 and a group of young talent like lone returning starter 6’-5" Junior WF Justin Jack (brother of Georgia Tech standout Jaren Jack), 6’-4 Kenny Francis, Sophomores Mike Wright, Walter Scott, 6’-7" Freshman Augustus Gilchrist and Freshman Rakeem Vick who all will be returning to this PG County power.

http://www.usfbullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1097236271;start=25

We haven't had a true point guard with all the tools since Chucky Atkins. If Howard can fulfill this role then I can handle the losses while he learns and grows into a BE point guard. I guess the big question is if CRM brings in a JUCO PG as insurance.

[Velcro]

I'm sure we need an insurance policy.  Capko and Prek as backup PG's is scary.

[TripleB]

I want CRM to succeed but IMO.....the blind faith some of you guys are giving him needs to be earned. To date, other than the big win last Saturday there haven't been many positives over the last two seasons.

Cyber, I don't think there are many who have blind faith in CRM. Most are just saying just give the man a decent chance. He hasn't proven he can he can make us competitive in the Big East but he hasn't proven he can't either, no matter what certain knuckleheads say. At the end of his fourth year, it will be more clear if he can or can't ......... IMO.

[TripleB]

Melvin posted here about that:

melbuck30

Guest

 Re: Basketball Adds Purdue Transfer Melvin Buckley

« Reply #41 on: May 27th, 2004, 2:22am »  Quote  Modify  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What up south florida this is melvin buckley and with the whole purdue thing and my comments in the paper its all funny to me.  The comment in the paper about jacking up 22fts was a joke i was playing with the journalist but making a point that i was on a short leash.  If anybody looked it up a 3pt shot is from 21 feet i hit it 42% my freshmen year and half way through my soph year i was hitting 45%. Fact of the matter is they wanted me in the post at purdue im a slashing, shooting guard not a post player.  Im out to prove everybody wrong and dont worry we are going to be contenders in the Big East. I dont lost never have been one and dont plan to start.  Thanks for letting me be a part of your program wont let you down.

 http://www.usfbullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1085002895;start=25

OK, now I'm a little confused. If Melvin is going to be a shooting guard, like Dennis and Prek, who do we have at forward for next year?

[Omniscientbull]

We'll be running a lot of 3 guard sets, his description of his play fits the description of our small forward.

[beastiebull]

I was a bit optimistic.  I need to remember that CUSA was always overlooked for the bigger name conferences on selection day.  Using the Vtech logic then there are at least 8 more teams in C-USA as deserving or more- Houston, Memphis, Marquette, TCU, and Depaul.

At this point four are nearly assured providing that UAB wins 1 game in the CUSA- UL, Charlotte (their RPI, Sagarin are too high, plus they've got quality wins), Cinci....then UAB if they can get that 21st win.

We got five in last year, but to get that fifth team in we need Depaul, or Marquette to go on a major conference tourney run.  This could get interesting as you alluded to because if Depaul (and they should) wins their first round game, they've got UAB who probably needs to win that game to insure their tourney spot, but if they beat Depaul then that will probably knock the Blue Demons out, if they beat them then it will put them in.  

It should be an interesting tourney.   A lot hinges on that game in determining many teams fates.  As you mentioned Charlotte probably needs one win to improve their seeding possibly guarantee that at-large.  Which is why it doesn't make sense Charlotte was overlooking USF, again they might have been road-weary, or flat, but not overlooking.  A win over us would have been pivotal, win 1-2 in the conference tourney and they would have been staring at a 3-5 seed.  Now their staring at a 7-9 seed, and a one and done situation.  Bobby Lutz knew that.

The VTech logic?  VTech has beaten DUKE and MARYLAND!  And their record is against an ACC schedule.  Those teams you listed don't have any quality wins of that calibre.

[go_usfbulls]

I believe Houston beat UL and I believe they are better than Maryland this year.

[Velcro]

correct go_usfbulls...  and if i rememer right, they beat them bad.

[Bull94]

The VTech logic?  VTech has beaten DUKE and MARYLAND!  And their record is against an ACC schedule.  Those teams you listed don't have any quality wins of that calibre.

Not to take anything away from VTech but the ACC is way overrated this year. Top 3 teams  good. Everyone else average at best actually. I wish the "expert" TV analysts would give up trying to sell the ACC as the best conference both in football and basketball. Maryland wasn't .500 in conference and was barely .500 overall. They shouldn't make the tourney.