Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

[GonzoCat]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

Here's something I've been worried about. Eric is a team player and says all the right things about this.

However, I worry that inside he is pissed about this and it will affect his play. This is a guy who started for 3 years and is easily our best player. I'm sure he has aspirations of playing professionally somewhere after this year. Now in his senior year when normally players like that get to showcase their talents for scouts he has his minutes per game reduced by 20% and his scoring and rebounding numbers are down. The only justification I've heard for it is so he can leave 3 fouls on the board instead of 2.

It's hard to imagine he's really very happy about the situtation. I'm trying not to question Jake's coaching because I don't know anything about basketball. But you don't really need to know anything about bb to scratch your head over this situation. I hope the master plan starts to bear fruit soon.

[Panther Alum 83]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

A couple of questions.

When was the last time an All Valley 1st Team player came off the bench?

Does anyone think that there may be more to this starting thing than is being released to the public?

Yes, I think we will eventually find out the real reason for it. This has always seemed fishy to me from the start. I have never heard of this strategy before - Keep your best player on the bench more, and improve the team? It doesn't pass the smell test.

[Coachdags]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

Has anybody asked Coach...?

[clenz]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

Has anybody asked Coach...?

Like we'd get a real answer out of him

[BCPanther]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

Mac left the program young. With or without Mac we were going to take a step back last year. Crawford, Jacobsen, and Little were great players, but they were also experienced players.

To be honest, all that Jake was left was Coleman, Stout, McKowen, and an inexperienced mix of good freshmen and sophomores. This program is still on firm footing.

Can we at least play ONE Valley game before we start claiming the sky is falling??

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

"All that Jake was left was Coleman, Stout, McKowen, and an inexperienced mix of good freshman and sophomores."

Oh, that's ALL?...Wow, the cupboard was left pretty bare...

[williebat]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

"All that Jake was left was Coleman, Stout, McKowen, and an inexperienced mix of good freshman and sophomores."

Oh, that's ALL?...Wow, the cupboard was left pretty bare...

CRAWFORD, JACOBSEN, AND LITTLE ARE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO REPLACE.

MCKOWEN HAD A ROUGH GO OF IT.

COLEMAN AND SOUT OF COURSE WERE AND ARE MEN AMONG MEN.

[Panther in Hoosier Land]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

From Reno Gazette Journal...

Pack basketball: N. Iowa's Coleman makes bench marks

http://news.rgj.com//apps/pbcs.dll/a...712210496/1053

[jman2004]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

Huh . . . now I'm scratching my head. I thought Coleman wasn't only okay with this, but that part of it was his idea. From the sound of those quotes from both sides, doesn't sound like it's his idea at all, or that he necessarily likes it.

I'm standing by my opinion that it's a ridiculous coaching move. I think it's stupid.

[jman2004]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

Mac left the program young. With or without Mac we were going to take a step back last year. Crawford, Jacobsen, and Little were great players, but they were also experienced players.

To be honest, all that Jake was left was Coleman, Stout, McKowen, and an inexperienced mix of good freshmen and sophomores. This program is still on firm footing.

Can we at least play ONE Valley game before we start claiming the sky is falling??

I'm not claiming the sky is falling. I'm claiming that Jake has done a few things that leave me wondering . . . whether we've played a conference game or not.

I really wonder what the rest of the team thinks about Coleman not starting, now after reading that article. What kind of precedent is he setting?

We've got one of the most talented players in our conference, who has had a brilliant career at our University, and Jake has decided to turn his senior season into this kind of spectacle. I really really don't get it.

I could live with the decision if he was getting more than 22 minutes a game. That's like playing an entire half of basketball, and not hardly stepping on the court the second half of the ballgame. That's pathetic, especially when we're talking about a guy like Coleman.

[BCPanther]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

22 minutes is also the average. He didn't play much against Wartburg, NIU, or Iowa (sick) and when we have only played 10 games, three is pretty significant.

He will end up averaging around 30 when it is all said and done. Starting or not...

[jman2004]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

If that's the case, I will be OKAY (I guess) with him not starting. The problem I still see is in the fact that he's not happy with the decision. The guy's busted his butt for three seasons as a starter and this is how he's repaid. Why not give him his 30 minutes, starting AND finishing a game?

[UNIGrainer]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

I think we should start Haak, Lundberg, Greene, Molestead and take away Barz's red shirt so he can start too. Imagine the energy and talent we could get off the bench and we would never be in foul trouble in the first few minutes.

[Panther-Sheik]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

I think we need to wait til the second half of the season to judge the minutes he gets per game. I seem to remember a team that faded hard at the end of last year and talk was that their legs were pretty shot. I imagine we will see the rotation tighten up once the MVC starts and the fact that so many played (with less minutes) in the non conference season might be just what we point to when we see a strong finish this year. You know that Jake has to have the last two seasons firmly planted in his mind when considering how to set up this season.

[Coachdags]

Re: Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

It is about productive minutes, EC has a tendency to get lazy, stand around and watch the play, I believe the Coaches feel this was because maybe being tired or losing focus.

EC is the best all around basketball player on the floor for the Panthers, people are crazy to think Coach Jake doesn't want him on the floor as much as possible.

Productive minutes, with focus and energy are the key!