You can throw in the towel....

[HoosierPal]

Is McDermott a good coach or did he have a great son?

At N. Iowa, ISU and Creighton without son = 168 - 153
At Creighton with son = 107-38

[maxpowers]

It's been a rough stretch for Jays' fans, not just MBB.

MBB: Two humbling losses in the span of 72 hours, one to our replacement in the MVC. The Huskers are coming to town, and we look vulnerable. Looks like we're a long-term project. St. John's has company at the bottom.
WBB: Our star player, former BE player of the year, Marissa Janning, breaks her leg and is out indefinitely. We lose a twenty point lead and lose to the Huskers.
Soccer: One of our most talented teams ever is eliminated in the Elite 8 on a penalty kick in 2OT. Next year's team will be decimated by graduation and the draft.
The lone bright spot was our volleyball team qualifying for their first Sweet 16 ever. Their reward is a matchup against number 1 USC.

Sports can just break your heart sometimes.
Go Bluejays...

[stever20]

It's been a rough stretch for Jays' fans, not just MBB.

MBB: Two humbling losses in the span of 72 hours, one to our replacement in the MVC. The Huskers are coming to town, and we look vulnerable. Looks like we're a long-term project. St. John's has company at the bottom.
WBB: Our star player, former BE player of the year, Marissa Janning, breaks her leg and is out indefinitely. We lose a twenty point lead and lose to the Huskers.
Soccer: One of our most talented teams ever is eliminated in the Elite 8 on a penalty kick in 2OT. Next year's team will be decimated by graduation and the draft.
The lone bright spot was our volleyball team qualifying for their first Sweet 16 ever. Their reward is a matchup against number 1 USC.

Sports can just break your heart sometimes.
Go Bluejays...

yep, and it's never all that fair seemingly.

[Rum_Ham]

Really next year is Creighton's year to compete with Patton and Marcus Foster coming in and essentially everyone coming back

[SJHooper]

I think McDermott gets one more year. Assuming CU is bad this year and doesn't show vast improvement next year, I'd say his seat is pretty hot. It's tough because I think his son (one of best college players ever) covered all of his shortcomings as a coach. After 4 years of Doug making what seemed like 95% of his shots, it was easy to be confident and assume it would last forever. But now he's gone and CU has been reeling a bit. I still say he has the rest of this year and next year to prove he can lead CU.

[Jet915]

Next year will be make it or break it imo (our AD probably doesnt agree though). We will have most of our core back along with Marcus Foster and a redshirted Justin Patton. If we dont make the ncaas next year, we have no hope...

[GumbyDamnit!]

Next year will be make it or break it imo (our AD probably doesnt agree though). We will have most of our core back along with Marcus Foster and a redshirted Justin Patton. If we dont make the ncaas next year, we have no hope...

I think you guys are starting to see what a jump in conference really means. Fans of teams like SHU and DePaul can tell you that playing in a top (not just major) conference is a grind that is not for the feint of heart. When you have 4-5 conference mates who make the tourney consistently, you have to figure out a way to overcome the odds. In the old BE you could expect that programs like Cuse, UCONN, L'ville, even Pitt were going to grab their spots near the top of the league. So the rest of us had to fight like hell to get our own. It toughened us up as programs.

I think year one of the nBE was somewhat of a down year. X was OK; Gtwn, BU & MU all down, and you guys had your once-in-a-generation type player. Now we are seeing these teams return to where they are used to being, so that puts added pressure on the Jays and on a team like SHU to break through and join the party. I love the addition of CU. Great history; the best fans in the BE IMO. I like the style of play McD is installing. I just think you need a few more horses. May not happen this year or even next. But you guys will be fine IMO. I don't think you are far off at all. And as a power conference will often show, just get to the dance and you never know. That's how a 8th place team in the oBE won the NC.

[milksteak]

Next year will be make it or break it imo (our AD probably doesnt agree though). We will have most of our core back along with Marcus Foster and a redshirted Justin Patton. If we dont make the ncaas next year, we have no hope...

I think you guys are starting to see what a jump in conference really means. Fans of teams like SHU and DePaul can tell you that playing in a top (not just major) conference is a grind that is not for the feint of heart.

CU's loss to Loyola is not due to the "grind" of the Big East. Same with G'Town's loss to Radford, SJU's loss to Fordham, etc.

I know he is speaking in general about CU, but the loss to Loyola has really sent their fan base over the edge.

[billyjack]

In the last 2 games if Creighton...
- had hit late key free throws,
- or late key under-10-seconds-left 3-pointers,
- or if their shooting guards didn't go a combined 0-12 from the field.
- or if Loyola's backup SG, averaging 4 minutes a game, didn't hit three 3-ptrs (the 1st of his college career)...

if any one of these improbable things hadn't happened, then the Jays would've won each game...
and then McDermott would be in conversations for Coach of the Year.

I know, "if, if, if...", but you can't talk about firing a coach based on couple-few razor thin close losses.

My opinion here, but I thought 5 Big East teams would make the NCAA's, and the 5th would be one of Providence, Marquette or Creighton... whichever team works in their new players best... whichever team can avoid dumb losses due to players not having enough court time together... PC lucked out vs Illinois and Rhody... a missed layup, a missed dunk, a missed 3 pointer... and a tip in with 0.2 on the clock. Hey, last year we lost to freakin Brown and BC.

With Creighton, they should look at their blowout win vs a good UMass team as what to expect going forward. Again, just my opinion, but in the games I've seen Creighton play, I've thought that Watson needs to slow down and play at a more sensible pace... sometimes it's better to go at 90% speed... the guy sometimes plays out of control.

As far as the talent goes, Creighton looks noticeably better than in the past. They look more athletic, muscular, and look to have more raw talent and a higher ceilings. They just need more time. Huff looks like a stud. Thomas is only a freshman and is fantastic. I hope CU continues being a running, 3-point shooting group, rather than falling too much in love with Groselle's post up game, cuz (my opinion) that slower pace can sometimes affect outside shooters' rhythms.

Oh yeah, one last thing... I was never a fan of the thought that "Coach X has never won without Player X"... or "Coach X has never recruited a stud that didn't live within 50 miles of campus"... that type of thing... usually it involves small samples sizes and a zillion other issues. McDermott's last 3 years at Northern Iowa (which he built from nothing) he went like 65-31 with 3 NCAA bids. Then he was like at .500 at Iowa State in a stacked Big 12. I don't see the problem.

Anyway, I talk too much...

[billyjack]

Is McDermott a good coach or did he have a great son?

At N. Iowa, ISU and Creighton without son = 168 - 153
At Creighton with son = 107-38

Extremely misleading since McDermott built Northern Iowa from absolutely nothing to a perennial NCAA team in 3 years.