How do you view JTIII as a coach today?

[the_way]

Does your view today differ than when around...say... the Final Four team or the year after that?

Me personally, I'm still on board. I still think we have one of the best coaches in the country. He'll get it right. Even in our "down years" we still made the NCAA's 2 out of 3 times.

What is your take?

[btb (Account Inactive)]

May 26, 2011 12:41:42 GMT -5 the_way said:

Does your view today differ than when around...say... the Final Four team or the year after that?

Me personally, I'm still on board. I still think we have one of the best coaches in the country. He'll get it right. Even in our "down years" we still made the NCAA's 2 out of 3 times.

What is your take?

Agreed!

[HoyaSinceBirth]

I agree 100% the_way.

Frankly I think part of the problem with the way we view coach is we got spoiled by early success.

[bigelephant]

He surprised the BE with the PO but now they pretty well have figured out how to neutralize it - sooooo III has to come up with different stuff to neutralize that. You got to stay 1 step ahead of your opponents. Let me be clear - I am Not saying deep six the PO, I'm saying variations. I like Pick and Roll. I think Markel and Nate could do this to perfection eventually. Markel is a good passer and Nate can thunder dunk it with 2 hands. If the lane isn't open he's got to get the short J in the hole.

III needs effective O coaches on the bench. I think he's made moves in the right direction.

He's perfect for GT and I think any other opinion is wrong..

[hoyas big supporter]

May 26, 2011 13:08:52 GMT -5 bigelephant said:

He surprised the BE with the PO but now they pretty well have figured out how to neutralize it - sooooo III has to come up with different stuff to neutralize that. You got to stay 1 step ahead of your opponents. Let me be clear - I am Not saying deep six the PO, I'm saying variations. I like Pick and Roll. I think Markel and Nate could do this to perfection eventually. Markel is a good passer and Nate can thunder dunk it with 2 hands. If the lane isn't open he's got to get the short J in the hole.

III needs effective O coaches on the bench. I think he's made moves in the right direction.

He's perfect for GT and I think any other opinion is wrong..

Wait.... i didnt know Georgia Tech was even looking for a new coach??!?

[RDF]

I'd view him as hungry and ready to get back to work. Think he's made some assessments of what didn't work and will try to add a few things but also going to see an emphasis on improving defense. Think he'll be placing a big emphasis on recruiting to what he wants to do as well.

[bronxhoya87]

Keep recruiting well and he will be magically a better coach. Continue to recruit last minute kids and he will continue to flounder.

Edited.--Admin

[bigelephant]

Of course recruting is key. No horses, no race.
III is getting better kids and this needs to continue and improve also.

[SirSaxa]

I like JT3 as much now as I did his first season.
Since then, he surprised (me at least) with the Sweet Sixteen in year two -- including the close loss to eventual champ UF, and even more so with the Final Four in year three.

But, I was disappointed the way the team fell apart in '09 due to internal dissension. I had not expected to see that on a 3 coached team.

Disappointments in recruiting? JT3 feels those even more than we do. Unlike some, I don't believe he intentionally went "small ball", rather that was a result of misses on the recruiting trail. I suspect he's also been disappointed in some of his Assistant Coaches in recent years... hence the GREAT move to go out and sign Kirby - and get the Admin on board to cough up the necessary big bucks. But the more success Kirby and Team have, the sooner he'll get his own (well-deserved) shot at a HC position somewhere, so JT3 needs to reinforce the staff and keep it strong.

From a coaching rather than recruiting POV, I'd say bringing back O is an excellent step to strengthen our staff.

I have to disagree with those who say the Princeton Offense is no longer effective because the rest of the conference has caught on.

First - Our offensive efficiency has continued to be among the best.
Second - It takes talent AND commitment on the floor to maximize the Princeton/Georgetown offense.
Third - JT3 has continually made adjustments such as running more and attacking the press.
But yes, I'd like to see the pick & roll worked into the Offense and Othella seems like the perfect guy to make that happen.

Our biggest issues on the court have been Defense and Rebounding... and maybe some toughness/intimidation. I believe we are recruiting to address that.

JT3 has laid the groundwork for a really good team in a year or two, but he still needs to add a top flight PG and C. If we get those two next year, we will be in great shape.

Well, that was a long answer wasn't it? The gist is, I still love JT3 and believe he is uniquely qualified to run GU hoops. There were times I was disappointed -- like most of us -- but all teams go through disappointing times. Doesn't mean I want to change the HC. JT3 is the best thing to happen to GU basketball since JT2.

[HometownHoya]

I agree theway...I still believe in JTIII and think he can regain NCAA success.

One element that our latest teams have sadly been missing is our through season development. JTIII's early teams always got better throughout the season but we didn't see that as much with the AF/CW teams. Hopefully that was an aberration because development/improvement throughout the season is very important for NCAA success.

[bronxhoya87]

Depth issues have hurt us and led to a decline at the end of the season. Frankly if he plays the bench this year and develops the youngsters and we recruit strong for 2012 we could be a national title team in April of 2013.

May 26, 2011 14:58:11 GMT -5 HometownHoya said:

I agree theway...I still believe in JTIII and think he can regain NCAA success.

One element that our latest teams have sadly been missing is our through season development. JTIII's early teams always got better throughout the season but we didn't see that as much with the AF/CW teams. Hopefully that was an aberration because development/improvement throughout the season is very important for NCAA success.

[gtowndynasty]

I know these are all opinions, but I do not see how anyone can have the same amount of confidence in a coach that has failed to make any adjustments three years straight.

The lineup Ill grant was more a function of recruiting misses, though there is room to argue that HT should have been getting the mins at the 3 with Clark coming off the bench. However, I think the bigger issue to take with III is that the PO is no longer novel. So when teams (just about every big east team) have it figured out, there has to be an alternative to it. The past two postseasons have seen us get punched in the mouth, go down by 20 to much lesser teams, and look completely foolish trying to get back in the game running an offense that is bleeding clock.

To me, he seems like a one-trick pony at this point. He has shown a complete unwillingness to try anything other than the PO. He needs to add a few wrinkles to the offensive and defensive sets and become a MUCH better in game coach that can call plays out of timeouts and adjust throughout the game when things arent going well.

But as far as the man he is, he is the right guy for the program. Love how helps transform these young boys to men. Scandal free as well.

[kchoya]

May 26, 2011 13:08:52 GMT -5 bigelephant said:

He surprised the BE with the PO but now they pretty well have figured out how to neutralize it - sooooo III has to come up with different stuff to neutralize that. You got to stay 1 step ahead of your opponents. Let me be clear - I am Not saying deep six the PO, I'm saying variations. I like Pick and Roll. I think Markel and Nate could do this to perfection eventually. Markel is a good passer and Nate can thunder dunk it with 2 hands. If the lane isn't open he's got to get the short J in the hole.

III needs effective O coaches on the bench. I think he's made moves in the right direction.

He's perfect for GT and I think any other opinion is wrong..

Umm, how have teams "neutralized" the offense? Statistics don't bear that out.

[prhoya]

On board! No change from the FF teams...

I think it's taken JT3 some time to adjust to BE and Top 20 basketball from his Princeton days. His first roster helped him take off quickly, but then early NBA departures, transfers, recruits not wanting to accept roles, recruits not fulfilling expectations, playing the toughest league in the business, the BE coaches adjusting to the Princetown, etc... brought him down to earth. He's gone from balanced teams to frontcourt-deep teams to backcourt deep teams, teams with no seniors or only one, etc... Having a senior Jeff or soph Greg in those teams would've made JT3 look like a super coach. But it's the reality of big-time CBB. He has to adjust to getting a Top #5 C, losing him in one year or two, and having the next Top #5 C recruit right behind. Easier said than done, but the best programs do it.

Another example is his defense. Generally, we've seen strong offensive JT3 teams have great defensive success, but good to average offensive teams have average defenses. It goes back to personnel, but JT3 has to figure out how to get the most from the cards he's dealt and adjust accordingly. I don't think he has adjusted his defense too much. For example, we've seen his big man come out to the perimeter and expose the interior too often throughout the years. A strong defense (and rebounding!) should be a constant, no matter how good the offense is.

Finally, he needs balance on his team in terms of experience and numbers in positions. Next year we'll have an inexperienced roster, with just three upperclassmen. If Hollis leaves after next season, the 2012-13 roster will not include a senior. Get top recruits for 2012, continue to recruit hard, and play as many kids as possible to develop them and keep them involved.

By now, he's seen everything (or almost) and should know what works in offense and defense, what to look for in recruits and what to watch out for to get there. His adjustment period is over and, IMO, we're going to see great results.

[bigelephant]

How about Won/Lost record?

[the_way]

Based on some of the comments, I have a few questions:

If the Princeton has been "Figured out", how we do relatively well in the Big East and yet get spanked by lesser opponents in the NCAA's.

What adjustments should III have made, where offensively, we have been pretty strong.

I think with defense, its more attitude and "just do it" then it is scheme. I think we just lacked defensive-minded players.

I think the last 3 years has shown that III has gotten the most out of those 3 teams.

The problem is that those collection players weren't as talented as they were billed. That ties into the development issue.

The Jeff Green era had talented group of players. Not only that, they were all self-driven. Tyler Crawford, despite playing sparingly, had one of the best attitudes on the team and was considered a leader. Hibbert, through his self-determination, probably was one of the greatest transformation of a basketball player in Georgetown or even college basketball history. I mean, the kid could barely run up and down the basketball court. He turned himself into an NBA 1st round draft pick. And we all know about Jeff Green, and the understated, quiet leader in Jon Wallace. PE2, with his constant motor, enthusiasm and selflessness, would be more than happy to go to the bench for the betterment of the team. III would always say PE2 had a great impact on the Sweet Sixteen team, despite sitting out during his transfer year.

III didn't have to worry about motivating those guys or staying on them. He didn't have to play psychologist with them. All he had to do was what he does best, coach. As the years went on, the different players he recruited had different temperaments, different attitudes, what you normally experience with young players, and young people in general. Maybe that is where some of the problems arose too.

[hoya95]

Without getting into the weeds of the "system" debate that will go on forever, it sure hasn't seemed to me that the offense was the big problem. Weren't we 2nd in the country in FG% until Chris got hurt last year? The year before, we could score at will. Unfortunately, the defense was inconsistent at best and poor if we're being honest. Seems like the problems have been defense, lack of depth, some recruits that didn't pan out, and a serious lack of size last year. Hopefully that's all being addressed now.

I know people don't want to hear this, but college basketball has become an incredibly random sport. (We know all the reasons: teams don't stay together, the best talent goes right to the NBA, etc.) The way it is set up means that it's not how good of a season you had, but how well you play in March. Everyone would like to peak at the right time, but it's one hell of a lot easier said than done. Duke and UConn got hot in March the last two years and drew some good matchups in the tournament. Doesn't diminish their titles, but neither had terrific seasons. They both had great endings. From November through mid-February of last year, we were having a great season. It fell apart at the wrong time. Frustrating as hell, but I just can't call it a bad season.

If anyone knows the secret formula of how to navigate the pre-season, Big East regular season, Big East tournament, and then get hot in the final one and done tournament in March, bottle it. You'll make a fortune.

[hoyarooter]

I agree with 95 - the problem over the last few years has been much more the defense than the offense. Yes, the offense fell apart last season after CW went down, and that memory is the freshest, but that was more because of a combination of CW's absence and AF's horrendous slump than anything else.

I'm also amused by the notion that we have been regularly "spanked by lesser teams" in the Dance. To my mind, that has happened exactly....once. Ohio. Davidson was 5 on 8, and anyone who watched VCU during the tournament knows they were hardly a lesser team.

[alleninxis]

still love III.

but, not as fond as the overall program right now. And some of that does have to fall on him. Strength and conditioning and overall recruiting approach (and effectiveness). not on III directly, but it's his staff and program.

On court..

would just like to see more accountability and more use of a bench if things are going bad..see if a spark is there.

still would like to see more pressure on defense and a faster tempo...but, I can accept the fact that it's just not him. So, if he is going to stay true to his philosophies on court, he has to have players that fit better. I don't think we totally had that the past few years, but he has taken steps forward with the FR & SO classes. More size, more length.

[kellycpcm]

Edited. We do not post phone numbers on the site.--Admin