Tinkle last night

[On the Griz Side]

I think a key series in last night's game showed that coach Tinkle doesn't deserve the blasting he gets sometimes, in my opinion, and I know you're free to express yours.

UNC had whittled the lead down at the 8 minute mark, and after 3's by Figures and Loyd, 2 buckets by Kingman and a slam by Montgomery, MT was down by 6. Obviously the team had lost some focus at that point and Tinkle called 2 timeouts in a short period of time to set plays for Stauds, (he cans 3 treys in a row), set the defense, (which the kids still didn't execute right away), and get his kids heads back in the game. MT didn't recover fully until five minutes later, but their heads were back in the game, fought aggressively again, and was a different team then the ones that hadn't got over the hump in previous close road games, and UNC knew it.

He's recruited a good to excellent team, position by position, on paper, but one that has had it's difficulities putting the pieces together on the floor, yet he's known all along that it sometimes takes a full season to do that. I'll tell you, rarely has he been outcoached this year, again IMHO.

He may not have been ready for the job when Coach K took the reins, and was probably still a little green four years ago, but I think he's learned a great deal from all his predecessors, and certainly has a great deal of experience.

Just wanted to put in my 2-cents against the Tinkle critics. I think he's going to make an impact before it's all said and done.

 

[grizonbob]

Maybe he's been reading egriz and picking up some tips.

He did do a better job last night of keeping control of the game, particularly in the face of so many turnovers and the runs made by UNC.

I think a lot of Griz fans know that Tinkle knows the Xs and Os, but wonder if he has what it takes to inspire the players, or light a fire under them.

I happened to notice this passage today in the Greely paper, and I had a hard time imagining Tinkle saying it. IT had to do with UNC coach Tad Boyle expressing his frustration over his team's shooting only 29 percent against the Grizzlies and have trouble against their zone defense.

“It is the same thing that happened against Sacramento State, and if it continues, you will see some changes in our starting lineup and you will see some guys that haven't been playing will be playing,” Boyle said. “We have got to play better. There are certain things we will put up with and certain things we won't and that first-half effort makes me sick to my stomach. But I am proud of our guys in the second half.”

 

[On the Griz Side]

heard those very same words from Tinkle in the radio post-game after MT State, and pre-game vs UNC, anybody else hear 'em?

I am bothered by the fact that sometimes he talks about his team like he's not a part of them.