the redshirt monster, again

[citygriz]

so it looked like the basketball program was in total cosmic harmony for the first time in memory. we had two bigs--a jaycee transfer to play immediately, and a freshman to redshirt. we had an experienced ward up front, with hutchison, henderson and weisner possibly ready to blossom, such that we could also redshirt the athletically gifted but raw jake wiley. with the great will cherry ready to run the show, things never looked better for the bb program.

but...down goes cherry. out goes kovacevic. forget the redshirt years for martin and wiley. we need them now. as disappointed as i am in this (because i'm with sunny on the redshirt issue), i get it.

so what happens? we play lewis and clark, and martin gets what, four minutes? i'm not a big hutchison fan, so with kovacevic gone, it seems to me a key for this team this year is the devlopment of martin, especially when we get into conference, and beyond.

so i say, if you're going to burn martin's redshirt year, give him the minutes. let him develop. but if you're afraid to play him even against lewis and clark because his game isn't ready, then redshirt him. let's not pull another heidelberger here.

 

[grizindabox]

 

[granitegriz]

Good point citay regarding the playing time. Get Martin some time now and get him ready for conference play. Counts is the true mess up when Kirschner plays very well when they will put him in.

 

[IntuitiveGriz]

so it looked like the basketball program was in total cosmic harmony for the first time in memory. we had two bigs--a jaycee transfer to play immediately, and a freshman to redshirt. we had an experienced ward up front, with hutchison, henderson and weisner possibly ready to blossom, such that we could also redshirt the athletically gifted but raw jake wiley. with the great will cherry ready to run the show, things never looked better for the bb program.

but...down goes cherry. out goes kovacevic. forget the redshirt years for martin and wiley. we need them now. as disappointed as i am in this (because i'm with sunny on the redshirt issue), i get it.

so what happens? we play lewis and clark, and martin gets what, four minutes? i'm not a big hutchison fan, so with kovacevic gone, it seems to me a key for this team this year is the devlopment of martin, especially when we get into conference, and beyond.

so i say, if you're going to burn martin's redshirt year, give him the minutes. let him develop. but if you're afraid to play him even against lewis and clark because his game isn't ready, then redshirt him. let's not pull another heidelberger here.

A more recent example is this year, JABIN SAMBRANO!!! I think (understatement of the century) that UM could have used a 5th year Sambrano this season in the passing game :!: :shock:

 

[Grizfan-24]

I think you have to look at it as a form of economics.

Does player A increase probably of winning?

If that answer is most assuredly yes, then you have to play the kid. Basketball is a whole different animal than football in the regard to redshirting. This debate comes up every year. I honestly believe in most cases the long term wins over the short term in terms of player progress in regards to the advantage of a red shirt year. At the same point, if the short term prospects of success are greater than the long term for the program, then I think that wins out.

Also I believe that you play your cards as you have them now. As much as people malign the decisions of Pflugrad and Delaney to burn redshirts is because they equate long term potential with long term success. People don't want to be cheated out of watching a kid as a 5th year senior, even though there is no guarantee for increased chances of success at that point.

I do get the point though, because I think we all know that Martin probably could have benefitted from a red shirt year. That is the problem with a limited schollie sport like basketball, one variable or in this case two variables change and it impacts both the short and longterm. So thus we see Wiley and Martin in uniform because of this. Is it ideal? No.

 

[grizzlyjournal]

We'll be watching two young men on the Griz squad who redshrted as freshmen: Matthias Ward and Eric Hutchison. It's my opinion that both players benefitted greatly from their redshirt years, as we'll likely see this season for Ward (started last year, actually) and gradually through the year for Hutch.

But often the circumstances of a redshirt are such (oft discussed on this board) that a coach has no choice; this year provides a stark example. Losing jc recruit Marko Kovacevic will impact the careers of Andy Martin AND Jake Wiley (not to mention how losing a Kovacevic has affected Griz practices).

I think coaches learn to roll with the unexpected issues regarding players, because... well, something unexpected happens somewhere every year. Who knows how injury or academic issues will impact a player's career? Or, even the complexities of a "poor fit" with a certain school (as is now being cited regarding Mr. Bradshaw)?

I strongly believe, from my own observation, that Montana's coaches always have the best interests of each player (and his family) on the line. But sometimes (Mr. Reader, and in particular Vaughn Autry from two years back) a good player just doesn't fit at Montana. Attend any game or practice & it's not difficult to see that this is an extraordinary coaching staff... led by example of the head man.