Did Menzies?

[Pistol Pete 1]

1) Did Menzies miss 11 free throws last night?
2) Did Menzies airball 2 3point shots last night?
3) Did Menzies slam the ball in frustration and shout at the top of his lungs to draw a technical that led to the UNM run?
4) Did Menzies make stupid passes on fast break opportunities that led to turnovers at critical times?
5) Did Menzies repeatedly get trapped in the corner when inbounding the ball?

#1 Think everybody but Johnson
#2 Think Clyburn
#3 Think McCoy
#4 Think Juiston & others
# Think Johnson

If anybody thinks that Menzies is doing that or teaching that I would like to hear the explanation.

Players gotta make plays and these guys are not making the plays they need to win. This is getting to be more painful to watch than our football team!

As I see it we are an extremely challenged team offensively and it is becoming painfully apparent that the team that is being put on the floor doesn't defend very well. It's time to put some guys on the floor that want to play defense. Diong was fabulous last night. Hardy was fabulous last night. Both guys need starters minutes no matter what that may mean to Mooring & McCoy. Time to give a lot of Clyburns minutes to Beck.

6) Did Menzies make promises of playing time to guys to stick around or come here?

#6 If he did it's "WINNING TIME" for his job security if he doesn't make some changes ASAP!

 

[j. spilotro]

1) Did Menzies miss 11 free throws last night?
2) Did Menzies airball 2 3point shots last night?
3) Did Menzies slam the ball in frustration and shout at the top of his lungs to draw a technical that led to the UNM run?
4) Did Menzies make stupid passes on fast break opportunities that led to turnovers at critical times?
5) Did Menzies repeatedly get trapped in the corner when inbounding the ball?

#1 Think everybody but Johnson
#2 Think Clyburn
#3 Think McCoy
#4 Think Juiston & others
# Think Johnson

If anybody thinks that Menzies is doing that or teaching that I would like to hear the explanation.

Players gotta make plays and these guys are not making the plays they need to win. This is getting to be more painful to watch than our football team!

As I see it we are an extremely challenged team offensively and it is becoming painfully apparent that the team that is being put on the floor doesn't defend very well. It's time to put some guys on the floor that want to play defense. Diong was fabulous last night. Hardy was fabulous last night. Both guys need starters minutes no matter what that may mean to Mooring & McCoy. Time to give a lot of Clyburns minutes to Beck.

6) Did Menzies make promises of playing time to guys to stick around or come here?

#6 If he did it's "WINNING TIME" for his job security if he doesn't make some changes ASAP!

Coaches always get the blame when things go south, players and coaches get the credit when you are winning. It isn’t fair but that’s the way it is.

I agree with you, players gotta make plays. It’s easy to say “pull this guy, pull that guy, don’t recruit like this or that”.... this team has low IQ and lower poise. Players are not only NOT making plays, they’re making extremely harmful bad plays. It’s one thing to miss a shot. It’s another thing to miss a shot and not get back on defense.

So many games were winnable this year if a player would have made one smart play at the right time. Not even a spectacular play. Just one right play.

Players have to make the plays, I agree.

But it’ll always fall on the coach.

 

[Willden4UNLV]

This isn't one game. Its many games. It would be one thing if the team started out playing bad ball and continued playing that way. But when a team starts out red hot and shows that they can play then you hold the coach responsible for the regression when it continues game after game. That was why Dave Rice made everyone so nuts. Recruited top talent, showed in certain games that they could play with the best, then they tanked and regressed year after year.

 

[drmontehorne_a_yahoo.com]

I am ready for football. I do not see this team turning around at this juncture...Very sad.

 

[MonsterJam]

As far as I'm concerned, Menzies is in the clear with me. This is Year 1 of the rebuild. Last year was Year 0 and didnt count against him. I say give him 3 full years then evaluate.

Even if it turns out we have another mediocre coach in Menzies, I have come to the conclusion that might be exactly who we are. Your not going to fork over "Keep your coach" money, so I dont see the bother fretting over it.

 

[GiantKiller0]

The people who are already on the "Fire Menzies" train are ridiculous. There are a lot of factors at play here, but looking at nothing except the fact that Menzies even to the job under the circumstances he did should earn him at least another 2 years.

That being said, I have some concerns and can't fault anyone for having them as well. The drastic regression in play is a concern. I know the non-conference was weak, but we went from destroying Utah and going to OT with Arizona to squeaking by SJSU and AF and falling on our face in 3 straight home conference games, only one of which was against a quality team.

I'm not at practice or around the team everyday or anything, but I don't get why Anthony Smith isn't playing while our "senior captain" continues to make boneheaded plays that directly contribute to losses. He must be in the doghouse for something because I don't buy the ankle thing anymore.

All that being said, give what we have coming back next year, the more I see players like Hardy and Diong, the more excited I am about next season. I like our incoming guards and assuming we don't have any major unexpected defections (a big assumption given recent history), there is a solid foundation for a good run in 2019-20.

Of course, something working against Menzies is the fact that we have a new AD and I am sure she has some names in mind if she has to make a change. I don't see that happening this year, but I'm not so sure he survives if next season doesn't show a good amount of progression.

 

[YellowSpinE]

I've always felt there is a lot behind guys who play together over time. Said after some game earlier the year we have an inexperienced team. Perhaps the wrong choice of words, as we do have several players that have been around college ball a while. But I was trying to reference inexperienced playing together. Really need some glue guys that can stick around a while and lead the team.

I'm not sure why it seems this team has regressed..... it's....... sloppy.

Anyway. Menzies was handed a program destroyed by a nuclear missile. He did a great job this year bringing in the guys he did. Has some good prospects incoming. Needs more time. Plus 1st year w/ new AD. Little patience. And hopefully some correction in conference play. There are 3 teams with only 1 win more than us. Can still finish middle of the pack, which would be a good improvement from previous year. Hopefully we don't bomb and end worse though.

 

[TarkisGod]

The people who are already on the "Fire Menzies" train are ridiculous. There are a lot of factors at play here, but looking at nothing except the fact that Menzies even to the job under the circumstances he did should earn him at least another 2 year

Agreed 100%. Menzies deserves the time required to rebuild a program that was in total shambles when he arrived. The fact that he pulled off some incredible recruiting coups, and our early season successes, lured us into believing that we had a tournament-ready team. it turns out we were fooling ourselves.

Coaches continually harp on experience as being a key ingredient to success. We, as fans, tend to ignore that aspect when they see talented seven-foot kids suiting up. But the reality is that there is no substitute for game experience. Including, to the Rebels detriment, conference play. Which is obviously played at a different intensity level. And the Rebels aren’t ready for it.

And I definitely don’t buy blaming the coach. I’m certain that Menzies is trying to instill smart basketball in his players. Mooring blew the key play in the closing moments of the New Mexico game. He’s a senior, the captain. He should know better. But he did what he did. Marvin cannot be blamed for that. And there were numerous lapses before that, which led to their demise. But the other players are still learning the ropes. If they’re not “one-and-done” players, they will become better Rebels.

I don’t believe we’ve made a mistake hiring Marvin Menzies. He’s a good coach. He proved that at New Mexico State. First of all, I think all of the other names, with the exception of Stacey Augmon, would have viewed UNLV as a temporary position.

Obviously, Beard was waiting for a better offer. I believe the same would have been true of Mick Cronin. If he was successful here, the first P5 offer that came his way, he’d have been gone. With those names, it would be Catch-22. Succeed and they're gone or fail. As for names like Karl and Pitino, they were like Rollie Massimino. Coaches who’ve already made their name in the sport. Just looking for a comfortable spot to semi-retire.My feeling is that Menzies will have some degree of loyalty to UNLV.

Beyond that, I don’t buy the argument that his successes at NMSU don’t count, because it’s at a lower-level of college hoops. He was presented with an opportunity and he excelled. No one made that argument about Beard. His experience was at even lower levels. Yet he was offered a P5 post.

I don’t want to turn this into a different sort of discussion, but I honestly believe that Marvin Menzies, with the level of success that he’s had, would have been offered many jobs at our level, or even higher, if he was white. I know the sport is peopled by predominantly African-American players, but in the major-conferences, only 17% of head coaches are Black. They’re viewed as good assistants, and great recruiters, but very few are offered the opportunity to run their own program. And when they do, like Menzies, moving up the chain is a much steeper climb.I applaud UNLV for ultimately making a good choice and hiring a person of color.

I’ll get off of that angle, as I’m sure it will rile some who read this. But my point is that we’ve got a good coach. Let’s give him a reasonable opportunity to develop a program that can compete at the D-1 level.

Go Rebels!

 

[RebelScrub]

Didn’t Dave Rice get sh*tcanned for almost the same reason Menzies has this team coming out the gates?

 

[drmontehorne_a_yahoo.com]

Didn’t Dave Rice get sh*tcanned for almost the same reason Menzies has this team coming out the gates?

Pretty much. This is becoming the "New UNLV Basketball Culture". This team needs to correct it's course now or I see a bleak future for UNLV round ball.

 

[LuvMeSomeRebs]

Didn’t Dave Rice get sh*tcanned for almost the same reason Menzies has this team coming out the gates?

Yes.........after he did it for 3 years in a row with more talent. This is Menzies 1st year doing this unless you want to hold last year against him. Is this a serious post?

 

[UNLVAlumni]

Rice wasn’t left with an empty cupboard. Menzies was left with no team and had to recruit D2 players to fill a roster at a late stage.

His recruiting has already showed. He is a players coach. Players respect him.

Look at next years recruiting class. The players coming back will be better too. Hopefully Juiston stays.

 

[RebelScrub]

Didn’t Dave Rice get sh*tcanned for almost the same reason Menzies has this team coming out the gates?

Pretty much. This is becoming the "New UNLV Basketball Culture". This team needs to correct it's course now or I see a bleak future for UNLV round ball.

I honestly think the winterbreak is the worst thing for Unlv basketball. They gotta chorale these kids and put them in seclusion somewhere..away from the city.