mtgrizrule
Well-known member
Sorry to not posted this under any of the other numerous threads, but just not sure where it belongs. This post will be a mixed bag, but I want to vent a few things. So here it goes, hope to have the strength not to get too personal with anyone here. If I do, I apologize in advance.
1st of all, a few of you really are overblowing this season and the losses we do have. It really disappoints me a few of you next to never post on GRIZ basketball, yet when we have tough loss, you come on here spitting fire and venom. Calling for Tinkle's and O'day's job, that is plain wrong. Then again, why does it surprise me? The same posters do it in football too. So what does that tell me? It tells me no matter what the GRIZ accomplish in revenue sport, you are never happy and always find something to bitch about. How about this? Try supporting good teams, great coaches, and great players/people. Why not appreciate we win way more than we lose in the revenue sports? Appreciate we have coaches that work very hard to run clean programs and make their players good students.
With that said, onto basketball and Tinkle. Is Tinkle perfect? Hell no, but he is improving every year. Name me a coach at Montana, or BSC basketball history that has been? Name one coach that won a national championship as a BSC member? Name one BSC program that was even considered a National Championship contender and got national respect? To my recollection, Idaho has been the only BSC program to even make the top 10 nationally. That was in the 80's, I believe. The majority of us were kids or not even born yet! The point being, in the realm of college basketball, BSC programs do not figure nationally. As much as we hate to admit it, Montana and all BSC programs are nothing more than stepping stone programs. I believe only 1 time has a program won 3 straight BSC championships in BSC history. God knows, like anyone, I would again love to see Montana or any BSC program be nationally recognized in div 1 basketball. Some of you act like we are a national power and are relevant. FYI, in the real world, we have never been a power or relevant in basketball.
Do you guys realize the coaches that go on to be successful nationally do so after leaving Montana? To be honest the ceiling has not ever been set real high at Montana by any coach for more than 1 or 2 years. The high ceiling has been set by some over presumptious and unrealistic fans, not set by the powers to be at the university. Basically Tinkle has not done worse than past coaches. Unlike past coaches though, he is actually committed to Montana. I do not know one coach that has been here the period of time Tinkle has been that bled more GRIZ blood, and represented our university with the pride, dignity, and respect he has.
Another thing many of us are overlooking is his confidence in his abilities to go after a higher caliber of player than past coaches have. Tinkle is showing he is not afraid or intimidated by bigger name coaches, programs, and conferences. He is willing to exchange blows and sell the program to highly ranked players. His attitude is, "Who is to say we cannot get the kid? What do we have to lose? Let's sell this kid." Tinkle appears to get a handful to hear him out every year, and of that handful convince 1 or 2 to be GRIZ. Selvig and Qvale were highly respected players and had some great offers from great programs. Those 2 were a package deal, and 1 happened to have been born a GRIZ, so I will not make a big deal about those 2. Last year Tinkle landed Pac 10 borderline caliber talent in Cherry and Hutchison. This year he has landed 3 Pac 10 level players in Jammar, Reader, and Autry . By the way in those 5 players we have 5 positions filled Cherry PG, Autry (SG), Jammar (SF), Reader (PF), and Hutchison (C). That is damn impressive.
Health and grades permitting, no later than 2011 this will be a dominating BSC team. it all depends on the surrounding cast Tinkle puts around them, and unfortunately these kids have to adjust to college basketball. Tbat will be Cherry's JR year and Selvig's SR year. If all these kids come aboard, are healthy, and are in the program then, and we still are still the same as we are now, then and only then will I
reconsider Tinkle's standing as coach here.
As for this year, not many of you realize what a disadvantage he is working with only 1 healthy big (Qvale). This would not be a problem if Selvig were healthier, but that is not the case. If you ask me, Tinkle has done a damn fine job working with only 1healthy big man this year. Try coaching at any level with lack of frontcourt depth. It is not easy.
I will give we have no business losing to ISU and EWU this year, but that happens in all conferences to most any team. Conference play is damn tough. However, putting this into perspective, I expected the GRIZ to be 12-4 this year, but only with a completely healthy Selvig, 10-6 as it turned out. So this team did as I expected they would. What I did not expect was for UNC and MSU have the records they did.
For those that say we do not play defense, are not coached well, and do not work hard....."BS"! Do you not realize we are ranked in the top 40 in FG% defense, Points allowed per game, and FG% (despite strugging badly a few games.) Bad teams do not rank high in those categories. Those rankings take well coached, smart, disciplined teams. Do you not realize we have only one double digit loss this year? We have lost 9 games by a total of 49 points! That is an average of about 5.5 points per loss. That is a matter of 2 possessions a game our average loss is by, 2 possessions, or 1 more defensive stop and 1 more made basket. 1 of the losses was a complete homer job (UW) by officials.
Unlike the last few years, there are not any embarassing blowouts (Weber State and PSU). This team is awfully close to being a 22-6 or 23-5. The past few years we were nowhere near being that competitive. With the talent coming aboard we will be even more competitive when the young guys mature. By my calculations we are already 7 deep the next 2 years, the means we need to land 4 role or specialty guys and we have everything we need. For the record, 1 or 2 of those players have to be great rebounders and defenders.
As frustrated as I am by our losses, in hindsight and after evaluating the welfare of this program, in my opinion this program is on the verge of great things. Those great things just are not as soon as some think. The present is good, verging on great. The future is great, verging on excellent. We have the right man directing this program, and the man I feel is committed to success at Montana, not elsewhere.
For the record, Tinkle has my 100% support as long as progress is continued and this is subject to be reevaluated after the 2011 season. Now go get the BSC championship guys, some egrizzers need to be proven wrong, PLEASE!
1st of all, a few of you really are overblowing this season and the losses we do have. It really disappoints me a few of you next to never post on GRIZ basketball, yet when we have tough loss, you come on here spitting fire and venom. Calling for Tinkle's and O'day's job, that is plain wrong. Then again, why does it surprise me? The same posters do it in football too. So what does that tell me? It tells me no matter what the GRIZ accomplish in revenue sport, you are never happy and always find something to bitch about. How about this? Try supporting good teams, great coaches, and great players/people. Why not appreciate we win way more than we lose in the revenue sports? Appreciate we have coaches that work very hard to run clean programs and make their players good students.
With that said, onto basketball and Tinkle. Is Tinkle perfect? Hell no, but he is improving every year. Name me a coach at Montana, or BSC basketball history that has been? Name one coach that won a national championship as a BSC member? Name one BSC program that was even considered a National Championship contender and got national respect? To my recollection, Idaho has been the only BSC program to even make the top 10 nationally. That was in the 80's, I believe. The majority of us were kids or not even born yet! The point being, in the realm of college basketball, BSC programs do not figure nationally. As much as we hate to admit it, Montana and all BSC programs are nothing more than stepping stone programs. I believe only 1 time has a program won 3 straight BSC championships in BSC history. God knows, like anyone, I would again love to see Montana or any BSC program be nationally recognized in div 1 basketball. Some of you act like we are a national power and are relevant. FYI, in the real world, we have never been a power or relevant in basketball.
Do you guys realize the coaches that go on to be successful nationally do so after leaving Montana? To be honest the ceiling has not ever been set real high at Montana by any coach for more than 1 or 2 years. The high ceiling has been set by some over presumptious and unrealistic fans, not set by the powers to be at the university. Basically Tinkle has not done worse than past coaches. Unlike past coaches though, he is actually committed to Montana. I do not know one coach that has been here the period of time Tinkle has been that bled more GRIZ blood, and represented our university with the pride, dignity, and respect he has.
Another thing many of us are overlooking is his confidence in his abilities to go after a higher caliber of player than past coaches have. Tinkle is showing he is not afraid or intimidated by bigger name coaches, programs, and conferences. He is willing to exchange blows and sell the program to highly ranked players. His attitude is, "Who is to say we cannot get the kid? What do we have to lose? Let's sell this kid." Tinkle appears to get a handful to hear him out every year, and of that handful convince 1 or 2 to be GRIZ. Selvig and Qvale were highly respected players and had some great offers from great programs. Those 2 were a package deal, and 1 happened to have been born a GRIZ, so I will not make a big deal about those 2. Last year Tinkle landed Pac 10 borderline caliber talent in Cherry and Hutchison. This year he has landed 3 Pac 10 level players in Jammar, Reader, and Autry . By the way in those 5 players we have 5 positions filled Cherry PG, Autry (SG), Jammar (SF), Reader (PF), and Hutchison (C). That is damn impressive.
Health and grades permitting, no later than 2011 this will be a dominating BSC team. it all depends on the surrounding cast Tinkle puts around them, and unfortunately these kids have to adjust to college basketball. Tbat will be Cherry's JR year and Selvig's SR year. If all these kids come aboard, are healthy, and are in the program then, and we still are still the same as we are now, then and only then will I
reconsider Tinkle's standing as coach here.
As for this year, not many of you realize what a disadvantage he is working with only 1 healthy big (Qvale). This would not be a problem if Selvig were healthier, but that is not the case. If you ask me, Tinkle has done a damn fine job working with only 1healthy big man this year. Try coaching at any level with lack of frontcourt depth. It is not easy.
I will give we have no business losing to ISU and EWU this year, but that happens in all conferences to most any team. Conference play is damn tough. However, putting this into perspective, I expected the GRIZ to be 12-4 this year, but only with a completely healthy Selvig, 10-6 as it turned out. So this team did as I expected they would. What I did not expect was for UNC and MSU have the records they did.
For those that say we do not play defense, are not coached well, and do not work hard....."BS"! Do you not realize we are ranked in the top 40 in FG% defense, Points allowed per game, and FG% (despite strugging badly a few games.) Bad teams do not rank high in those categories. Those rankings take well coached, smart, disciplined teams. Do you not realize we have only one double digit loss this year? We have lost 9 games by a total of 49 points! That is an average of about 5.5 points per loss. That is a matter of 2 possessions a game our average loss is by, 2 possessions, or 1 more defensive stop and 1 more made basket. 1 of the losses was a complete homer job (UW) by officials.
Unlike the last few years, there are not any embarassing blowouts (Weber State and PSU). This team is awfully close to being a 22-6 or 23-5. The past few years we were nowhere near being that competitive. With the talent coming aboard we will be even more competitive when the young guys mature. By my calculations we are already 7 deep the next 2 years, the means we need to land 4 role or specialty guys and we have everything we need. For the record, 1 or 2 of those players have to be great rebounders and defenders.
As frustrated as I am by our losses, in hindsight and after evaluating the welfare of this program, in my opinion this program is on the verge of great things. Those great things just are not as soon as some think. The present is good, verging on great. The future is great, verging on excellent. We have the right man directing this program, and the man I feel is committed to success at Montana, not elsewhere.
For the record, Tinkle has my 100% support as long as progress is continued and this is subject to be reevaluated after the 2011 season. Now go get the BSC championship guys, some egrizzers need to be proven wrong, PLEASE!
