SEMIFINALS: James Madison at North Dakota State

[Grizbeer]

The Delaney years destroyed the talent.

Just not sure why that's so difficult to grasp for some people.

Makes sense, Delaney signed 2 recruiting classes, the same as Stitt has, and Delaney did manage to make the 2nd round of the playoffs in years 2 and 3 with his no talent recruits - but I'm still unclear how Delaney's recruiting killed the 2010 season?

Since we are talking about talent though, how did you feel when Delaney signed those kids? I don't seem to remember anybody saying at the time those kids had no talent. How about the last 2 years and this years recruits - lack of talent there as well, or with Delaney gone for 3 years should we expect to be back at the top of the Big Sky and deep playoff runs?

Grizbeer, you do realize that many of the kids in Stitt's first recruiting class were kids recruited by Delaney. Second, Delaney was using a majority of kids recruited by the previous head coaches in years 2 and 3 of his reign. I am not even here to say that the kids that Stitt recruited will be difference makers, but Stitt inherited a program that was very thin on FCS talent in the upper classes.

Yep I realize that. I also realize there was a couple kids offered by Delaney that Stitt pulled the offer, and one kid that had committed to the Cats that Stitt got that Delaney couldn't (who is now a Cat again).

In truth I don't believe the Griz ever had the best talent, though better than they have now. Under Hauck only Bierman won a BB award, while EWU had multiple BB and Payton award winners. But Hauck got the most out of the talent.

I totally get that it will take years for Stitt to get "his guys" that can run his system. And when he does the Griz should be good again, and maybe really good. And if they are really really good Stitt might get a better job, then do we start over with a new coach who needs 3 - 5 years to get his guys in place? 2 - 3 good years followed by 3 - 5 bad years is not how you build a winning "program" and certainly not how you build a dynasty.

 

[get'em_griz]

It will be interesting to see how JMU recovers for the national championship. I remember after our emotional win over App State in 2009 we went flat against Villanova in the title game.

Granted that the national championship in 2009 was a week after the semis and JMU benefits by having a couple more weeks to prepare mentally and physically.

 

[GrizRanger]

It will be interesting to see how JMU recovers for the national championship. I remember after our emotional win over App State in 2009 we went flat against Villanova in the title game.

Granted that the national championship in 2009 was a week after the semis and JMU benefits by having a couple more weeks to prepare mentally and physically.

JMU appears to have a coach with a lot of fire. I don't think he will have a difficult time getting his team up for the national championship game.

If their coach was Stitt, then they would worry. Stitt's team was uninspired and dead against their in-state rival

 

[mtgriz]

It will be interesting to see how JMU recovers for the national championship. I remember after our emotional win over App State in 2009 we went flat against Villanova in the title game.

Granted that the national championship in 2009 was a week after the semis and JMU benefits by having a couple more weeks to prepare mentally and physically.

As I recall, the JMU game was a Saturday night, and then the Villanova game was the following Friday night...so cross-country twice in a week with a 6 day turnaround game to game. Not an excuse, but perhaps a partial reason.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

I remember one JMU game, and one JMU game only. #turfgate

 

[Grizzly Oredigger]

I remember one JMU game, and one JMU game only. #turfgate

Those dirty rotten cheaters adn their illegal spikes...I also remember us getting a bunch of stupid, dumb, no-good personal fouls