OLD VandyMania.com (ARCHIVE)

Greetings fellow VandyFans (and Mrs. Drew),

I've been checking regularly on this board for positive "news" for our next-year's team. I would have to describe many posts as quite despairing. It is clearly a bummer to see folks leave, but I have observed that "the collective" has had these cycles of panic and, ultimately some relief, quite regularly. If you doubt me, go back to late January and read the posts. If you still don't believe me, go back to the posts about Scotty Pippen Junior's departure. When we are as invested in a team sport as we are (hey, the board lurkers and posters ARE the most passionate fans), we feel all the pain and ambiguity acutely. Years of VandyFanHood have conditioned us for catastrophe.

BUT.....

Perhaps, we are moving towards a bunch of positive outcomes here. Our first transfer portal signee is excellent by all accounts. Matthew Fisher-Davis referred to him as (and I paraphrase) a better and taller version of Lawrence. We have some excellent targets as well. And don't discount the highly touted incoming freshman crew. NIL and the transfer portal have disrupted fanhood beyond recognition, but I plan on continuing to root for the Black and Gold. I have also learned to trust Stack and his coaches. He's made the naysayers quiet on quite a few occasions. So, I will keep checking here for news, but wanted to give my fellow rabid fans something positive to dwell on, if only for a moment.

I think the jury is still out on next year's team. Many parts have yet to fall into place. But I still declare that MFD's assessment is likely to be black and gold tinged horse crap,

geeznotagain wrote: ↑Tue May 09, 2023 9:38 am I think the jury is still out on next year's team. Many parts have yet to fall into place. But I still declare that MFD's assessment is likely to be black and gold tinged horse crap,

Where did you play division one NCAA basketball again?

You didn't?? Sorry, but I'll have to go with MFD on this one.

I don't know how anyone who has been a Vandy fan for more than 20 years- and there are some of us who have been for 50+ -doesn't panic when they hear anything from the AD and/or Kirkland... or don't for awhile. Even with all the actual proof, decades of being lied to don't vanish in a few months.

What we have traded so far with this off-season is certainty for uncertainty.

We will be less experienced. We seem that we will be smaller. We will need freshmen and/or transfers to make immediate impacts.

We will also be well coached. With a coach whose teams get better throughout the season. And we will not be short on talent.


But with so much new talent and sophomore talent ... we could catch a few breaks, integrate new guys seamlessly and be really good. Or we could have freshman have trouble getting up to speed, a transfer that doesn't get along with teammates and end up sucking.

A month ago I though we had a decent floor ... tht floor has dropped away. But I don't think our ceiling has really changed.

mathguy wrote: ↑Tue May 09, 2023 9:24 pm What we have traded so far with this off-season is certainty for uncertainty.

We will be less experienced. We seem that we will be smaller. We will need freshmen and/or transfers to make immediate impacts.

We will also be well coached. With a coach whose teams get better throughout the season. And we will not be short on talent.


But with so much new talent and sophomore talent ... we could catch a few breaks, integrate new guys seamlessly and be really good. Or we could have freshman have trouble getting up to speed, a transfer that doesn't get along with teammates and end up sucking.

A month ago I though we had a decent floor ... tht floor has dropped away. But I don't think our ceiling has really changed.

We have a very good coach and we will be asking him to win immediately this season with an unknown team. Or we have a repeat of last year where we miss the tournament even though stack coached them right by seasons end.

mathguy wrote: ↑Tue May 09, 2023 9:24 pm What we have traded so far with this off-season is certainty for uncertainty.

We will be less experienced. We seem that we will be smaller. We will need freshmen and/or transfers to make immediate impacts.

We will also be well coached. With a coach whose teams get better throughout the season. And we will not be short on talent.


But with so much new talent and sophomore talent ... we could catch a few breaks, integrate new guys seamlessly and be really good. Or we could have freshman have trouble getting up to speed, a transfer that doesn't get along with teammates and end up sucking.

A month ago I though we had a decent floor ... tht floor has dropped away. But I don't think our ceiling has really changed.

Agree with most of this except the “smaller” comment. Yes, VU lost Robbins and QMB. But if we’re being honest, QMB didn’t always play tall. There are a BUNCH of 6’6 guys coming in to replace smaller guards. Even Stute, despite being taller than some of our incoming players, didn’t exactly pad the rebounding stats or defend especially well for his height. I think length and athleticism overall will be a step up from last year’s squad. Inexperience may be the real downfall.

I agree with those who say we will be well-coached. The evidence of how good a coach is, is how well his team is playing at the end of the season. Everyone is bringing in new pieces every year (now more than ever) and if you've got them playing well by the end of the year, that shows you're a good coach. Consistency is a preference, but its good to know that we have someone that seems to be pretty good at bringing the pieces together over the course of a season.