While watching the game Saturday while JD Thomas was going off. I wasn't the only one watching him. The whole SDSU team, just stopped and watched him score 3 baskets in a row, knifing through their defenses like a hot knife through butter. Dutcher was watching too, until he called a time out and raised hell with his team. I talked with my season ticket holder friends this Sunday, and we all agreed as we have about 120 years of watching Rebel and other programs, that seeing him play even with coaches and players who don't appreciate and support him with effort and determination, we will go and cheer for this young Rebel Las Vegas man in a uniform. I have seen many great players over the years, Dr. J, Jerry West, Russell, LJ, and so many great UCLA, Arizona, UW, UNLV hall of famers but DJ is different. He is 18 and trying to lead a unorganized, out of shape, black hole shooters to victory. It is worth it for me and my friends, I hope it is for you too.
JD Thomas, a Reason to Go the Game
- Thread starter billd99s
- Start date
There have been a several individuals over the post Tark years that I consider “price of admission” type of players. JR Rider, Keon Clark, Marcus Banks, Shawn Marion to name a few. There are others.
But with each of those instances, the teams competed at a much higher level so it left you more open to the “just maybe” vibes.
If the team is bad and there’s a really good player, it’s not going to be enough to pique the interest of most fans, imo.
I enjoy watching him play. He’s mature beyond his years, he’s already better than his father was for Tark, IMO.
Way better than his pop. Wasn’t he promoted as “Mark Wade with a jump shot”? DJ is the real deal. Stronger than he looks. I hope beyond hope that he stays and tries to rebuild the program but I’m not expecting it at all. He may be the only thing that keeps CKK around another year (along with the buyout).
I think we are probably past the point of players or incoming recruits saving coaches jobs. If it were more traditional, players essentially stay for 3 or four years, I think it carries more weight.
I think the unstable nature of rosters makes it less of a safety net for coaches. If schools like USU show they don’t have to skip a beat with all new players ….
If we didn't have DJ this year it would be very very ugly
Kid is good. He is worth the price of admission
Good thing we landed him...
Otherwise I'd want my money back !!!
DJ may very well determine whether I renew my season tickets this year. If he leaves I’ll likely let them go short of sharp making a huge move for a new coach.
It will be really tough to even keep him on the team next season unless we can hit a home run hire for the next coach.
I'll renew because I'm a pathetic homer and I always believe the preseason hype. At least until mid-January.
Sad part is the preseason hype didn’t even make it past November 8th this year.
I’ve always tried to live by the principle of supporting my alma mater win or lose and not be a fair weather fan. However, that requires an equal commitment from the institution in the program. The last 3 coaching hires just don’t cut it. Arguably Rice could be included in that as well but at least he recruited at a high level and set high expectations for the program. I’m at the point where I need to see the AD show me the commitment is there, otherwise I can no longer justify making my commitment (investment). If UNLV’s commitment is just to run it back (ie, do nothing), my commitment will be exactly the same.
I feel the same. I’ve been loyal, but the school hasn’t been loyal back. Some say the school owes us nothing, allegiance is blind. Well, not missing a game for 35 plus years, I gave my allegiance. I expect a good faith effort back to the fans, not by the players and coaches, I feel they do their best and it’s not all that good. But the admin has been rotten to the core from the Tark times and it hasn’t become better over time, it’s become worse. The school itself hasn’t had any commitment or pride, they just do the bare minimum and hope and when it’s not enough they spend OT trying to change perceptions, lie, fluff crap up and some blind fans echo it and brand others as “not real fans” for not swallowing things hook, line and sinker.
Maybe Harp changes that, he did with football (so far).
Leadership from the pres/ad angle has been downright awful and we did too many back to backs with it. I want the most qualified in positions of power, not the one who checks the most boxes at that moment in time.
So this is different than “just losing”. “Just losing” isn’t all that difficult, yeah, it sucks. But when the heart of the problem is essentially a lack of vision, low effort/easy way out, playing the victim … it gnaws more deeply than just losing.
Im getting to that point as well. Skipping the game tonight. I’ll still go to a few more games this year, but interest is definitely waning.
On the contrary, actually found myself looking up the remaining schedule for the lady rebels. There’s a team with a coach and players who are competing for conference championships. Cool to see that, don’t know why that hasn’t happened with MBB for what, 15 years now?
Great point about the Lady Rebs. Maybe I switch my season tickets to them next season.
