Do YOU want Eric Coleman to start???

[jman2004]

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

Or, on the flip side, does this (losing games we could easily win) beg the question, "do we really have the talent?" We keep saying that our three point shooting slump is going to end soon but how long can you really call it a slump if you never show signs of being able to hit them in the first place?

[Back2BackCats]

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

I believe we have the talent, I also think at this point they need to consider putting a medical redshirt on Reed. If they do that I think we are loaded for the next couple of years with the redshirts and recruits we have coming in. This year you have to lay some of the blame on the injuries and extenuating circumstances prior to the season, now if we do not win next year.

[clenz]

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

I agree with the medical redshirt. Unless he gets major minutes really soon the MR is the best way to go with him, espcially if he can't get healthy like Jake says.

[Matt Trump]

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

Exactly! Well said!

And in the midst of all this crap, we're 7-3 when we very easily should be 9-1 or at worst 8-2. AND, for 3 games now, we've had a somewhat healthy Reed sitting on the bench because Jacobson can't "get him into the flow of the offense." Duh.

I can't say I've been terribly blown away by anything Jacobson has done while at the helm, and this decision just takes the cake. It's dumb. He was left with some great big crumbs and he's decided to kind of brush them off the table.

The Valley is supposed to be down this year. We've got great young players and one of the best in the league in Coleman. If he can't put a winning product on the court after this season, I'm going to be very concerned.

The whole benefit of choosing a coach within your own system is an easy transition period. I don't think we've had an easy transition period. We've gotten worse in the wins column and our offense looks more confused than ever. And I know this is only his second season, but come on, this wasn't supposed to be like this. We've got the talent to win ballgames, so when we're not winning games we should, why can't we point the finger at the coach, no matter how young or inexperienced his coaching career is?

Not to mention the extra couple weeks of practice the team had over the summer. Thought that was supposed to help groom some of the inexperienced players...

[Kyle]

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

The courier had an article Tuesday on this very topic. Titled "Big picture: Coleman fresh for MVC play."

Someone have a link? I couldn't find one.

[clenz]

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

He should be fresh playing 6 less minutes a game. That is 60 minutes less he played at this point than he did last season roughly. That means he has had basically another game and a half off compared to what he should be at, if not more time off of what he should be at.

[Schack]

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

The courier had an article Tuesday on this very topic. Titled "Big picture: Coleman fresh for MVC play."

Someone have a link? I couldn't find one.

http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2007/12/24/sports/local/doc47707c99034d5722286392.txt

[UNI MadCat]

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

I believe we have the talent, I also think at this point they need to consider putting a medical redshirt on Reed.

You can't just "put" a medical redshirt on someone. That is up to the NCAA. I think he would have a pretty good case but, again, its not something the team can just decide to do.

[BCPanther]

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

Because he voluntarily transferred, I don't believe that he is eligible for a 6th year of eligibility. Therefore, I don't believe that a medical redshirt is even something that he can apply for...

[UNI MadCat]

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

Because he voluntarily transferred, I don't believe that he is eligible for a 6th year of eligibility. Therefore, I don't believe that a medical redshirt is even something that he can apply for...

Good point, that may very well be true.

[UNI MadCat]

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

Recently, Coleman's fresh legs have paid off for UNI. He was instrumental in the win over UMKC, scoring five of the Panthers' first seven points in the extra five-minute frame.

Then, in last Saturday's 55-52 defeat to Nevada, Coleman resurrected his team, scoring 10 of his game-high 18 points during the closing 5-plus minutes.

Point of contention with Matt here. I could easily argue the other way that had he started they would have A) handled UMKC and put them away early and B) never had to play so much catch up with Nevada. Its moot because you can't go back and change it and we could never prove what would have happened.

"He hasn't played as many minutes this year, so I think he is fresher," Jacobson said. "Because of that, he's better down the stretch. He's better the last 10 minutes of games this year than he was last year."

Point of contention here for Jake... look at the "controversy" you've caused by being so stubborn. No one is against keeping Coleman fresher for the end of games & MVC play. But can't you do that DURING the game less systematically instead of drawing attention to it??? Give him a mandatory longer break each half or something. Also, why give the opposition a better idea of how to gameplan? And why add this pyschological element that I'm nearly 100% confident IS affecting this team? Its like the Giant players getting sick and tired of answering questions about Barry Bonds. You can't deny it takes its toll over time.

[Kyle]

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

I wonder how this is affecting how recruits look at UNI. If I were contemplating my basketball career and saw how UNI treated it's star player, it wouldn't bode well with me.

I would think to myself, "Wow, I could be one of the best players in the history of the school, score 1,000 pts before my Senior year, maybe be the first UNI player ever to make it pro in the US, and it still wouldn't be enough to earn a starting spot on my team."

[KansasCityPanther]

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

Everyone including the media is making too much of EC not starting. If they hit their outside shots, it won't matter who is posting up. On the defensive end, I think (based on field goal % for the opposing team) Jordon and Adam have performed very well. I am sure coach Jake has a better feel for his team than anyone else. If EC came off the bench and stunk the place up, then I say people need to ask why he isn't starting........that hasn't happened. Besides, EC won't be on the team next year and these younger guys need the experience.

I saw first hand Saturday, how much better this team performed with a loud McLeod. It's time to get past this and cheer loud and proud.......it's MVC time!

[UNI MadCat]

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

Well said. EC coming off the bench is not hurting UNI and it doesn't seem to bother EC. So....who cares?

A lot of people, obviously.

Please prove that it hasn't hurt them. You have no more proof than I would if I said, "If EC had started all 11 games, we'd be 11-0." It's one person's opinion vs another. However, I'd say you're opinion represents the minority on this one.

[Khan4Cats]

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

A lot of people, obviously.

Please prove that it hasn't hurt them. You have no more proof than I would if I said, "If EC had started all 11 games, we'd be 11-0." It's one person's opinion vs another. However, I'd say you're opinion represents the minority on this one.

We are 8-3. I know, I know, if Coleman was starting, we'd be at least 15 and 0, maybe better. He's just that unbelievably good.

I have no problem with the coaching staff's decision to bring a fresh Coleman off the bench. It IS working, post play is not the reason we have lost three games.

Question for those of you who think it is easy to game plan against us with Coleman playing the 6th man? How many MVC teams go 3-4 players deep in the post? How many have a post player that can play 3-5 minutes of a game and then have fresh enough legs still to be ready to take on Coleman when he comes in? How many have a reserve forward who can come to match up with Coleman when he comes in? I don't see any teams that have more than 2 pots players before a fall off. We go Jordan, Koch, and Coleman in terms of starting abilities with O'Rear not that far behind, and still have Green on the bench who could probably come in and at least bang away down low in a pinch.

I just like the fact that other coaches DO have to gameplan for how to deal with our size at the start while still accounting for Coleman coming in fresh part way in. It looks like we might finally be trying to use our post size/depth to our advantage. Maybe we won't see Jordan on the bench for entire games because the other team has no one he matches up with.