I love the selective memories of our fans.  We needed to win three games (not two like this year-hint) in the tournament last year to even make the tourney.  It's not like we walked into the NCAA Tournament.  Our RPI was nearly identical this year as it was last year.  If Brian Walsh hits that shot we are sitting in the exact position last year that we are this year except for, of course, without a co-championship. I'll be the first to admit that last year's team was better but it wasn't remarkable better.  But last year's team had been playing in the same system for the third straight season.  There is a certain amount of confidence that goes along with that.  And call it sugar coating if you like but changing coaches is a big deal. A real big deal.

Yes, this season has been well south of what we all had HOPED for.  But every season is a living breathing being. This isn't Madden where you automatically improve in all your traits every season.   

It would appear you have no idea yourself what a coach can or can't do, since you have no coaching experience. Perhaps your question could better be asked if you first started coaching at the say "sixth grade level" and then move up to the junior high level and then the high school level. I would think at that point you would understand the nuances of coaching.

From the sarcastic tone of your reponse to my post, I would say at this point you have no idea what a coach can and can't do. Perhaps a little on the job training might help.

And from the appearance of your answer, you've not answered the question. I'll give you some concrete examples. Pete Gillen leaves a successful Xavier team. Skip Prosser comes in, and with the same players, in a more difficult league (Gillen never coached Xavier in the A-10), and they actually do better. Perhaps I should find a college coach and ask him or her.

I absolutely do.  However, we are a one bid league.  We are also not the only team chasing that one bid.  Akron wanted it just as bad, and, they were a terrible matchup for us.

So if you'd like, join the rest of the crowd blaming the coach and who are disappointed that we aren't playing in the Big Dance and think we underachieved epically.  Ill be happy that we won a co-share of the league by beating every single other team.  I'll remember it forever.  

If Big Dance appearances are the only thing that will make you happy, I suggest you find a team from a multi-bid conference to root for primarily.  We will get there plenty under JC. I believe that.  But you'll be unhappy more often than not, as I highly doubt we will get in every other year. 

Go Bobcats!

Van and Oz--You are smart guys.  And, you may be correct here.  But you have points of view that you are too rigid about.  You shouldn't change when the wind blows.  But you should be open to new possibilities.  Don't have to adopt them all.  But you should consider them.

The "luck" factor plays a major role in athletic competition. It was good luck last year and unfortunately, bad luck this year. Making only one three is terrible luck. The coach can't be held accountable for the poor shooting percentage but it is the coaches job to try and keep those offensive woes from affecting the defensive play. I can't judge whether he did or didn't but I am inclined to think that he did since he is a D1 coach but the players just didn't respond. It seemed to me that they threw in the towell way before the coach did. The "we're done" looks on their faces was way too early and so the game got completely out of hand. Disappointing to the fans but that's the way it is. These guys gave us a lot of entertainment the last four years so they shouldn't be judged by one game of misfortune. Whether or not we get the same type of entertainment value for the next several years is on what the coach will be judged. Let's hope he can do it!

Too many people are unwilling to accept this. There must be a reason why the team lost. It's not random chance; it's something that could have been done or been changed. Sorry, but sometimes it's not.

Magic coached the Lakers.

These^^

Some nights you're off, and some nights you're on.  Saturday was one of the biggest "fails" in terms of shooting I've ever seen (and I've seen a high school boys team held scoreless until the final minute of an entire quarter.)  That doesn't mean that we suck or that Christian is a horrible coach, sometimes in life you get the short end of the stick and that's all you get.  (Thank you, Billy Bob Thorton, for the quote.)

Akron won.  We lost.  The battle for the MAC and NCAA bid is over.  Our season is not.  The only question remaining:

Do we go out with a whimper?  Or do we go out with a BANG!

cc cat, nicely said.  Next year we have three bigs coming in.  I really am looking forward to pounding teams on the boards consistently and being able to go inside some.  We only rebounded once against Akron in three chances.  That can certainly make up for nights when you would have gone 1-20 from three.  As for offenses, I hate that high post screen stuff.  Loved the way the Wisconsins move the ball and players around and set picks in the lane for easier shots and/or back door attempts.

Seems like most teams are now one v one or jump shot oriented on offense.  And, we wonder why the Big 10ers couldn't score 60 points in the Big 10 final?

The A-10 wasn't as tough then as it is now.

That's not really true. XU jumped into the A-10 when UMass was a powerful national team, and Temple was better than they are now. Even Dayton was better then before their coach left. At that time, they could count on two to three teams going to the NCAA tournament.  XU enjoyed the prestige the A-10 provided them, but over the last few years their fans have grumbled about how the A-10 has lost some of its luster. They certainly see their move from the A-10 as a step up.

Get over Groce!

I am. This is not about JG. This is about a team that went to the "next level" last year, like so many here have wanted for so long, and then dropped from that level this year with the same team. When TOS was hired, how many people here who now apparently are satisfied with a MAC co-championship (despite the fact they are not REALLY co-champions, have lost the tie-breaker), defined "the next level" not as winning the MAC, but making the tournament? So, the 'Cats did not make the next level, and apparently those same people are satisfied with winning the MAC. Apparently, winning (actually finishing runner up) is good enough. No excuses. He needs to beat Akron to get to the next level. This team beat Akron twice last year. They found a way. If they played over their heads, fine. But they did not find a way this year. Akron was a better team on paper. The Tigers were better than the Giants on paper last year. The year before that, the Cardinals were a worse team. On paper.

I used the example of JG because some suggest that with a new coach, a natural decline is in the normal order of things. I merely pointed out that JG produced the "next level" with the same players at his new school, and therefore, perhaps, not making the NCAA is not the normal order of things for a new coach. Perhaps a coach can, and should be, expected to at least be able to beat a team one time when the same team beat said team twice the previous year? Should a team be competitive against the more difficult teams it faces when the same team was competitive in those games the prior year?

Some here want to to give JC a pass and make excuses for a season that by every meaningful metric, that being the NCAA tournament, was less successful than last year. Forgive me if I don't share in the excuses. You may not agree, but making excuses leads to more excuses.

At least he will have legitimate excuses next year. They lose four starters. He will need to get virtually a new team to gel on the court, and learn to play with each other.

Next year we have three bigs coming in. 

Hopefully that helps. But defense and rebounding is about effort and work. How did this same team rebound last year? I remember when Danny Fortson talking about being recruited by Michigan. He chose not to go to Michigan because Fisher did not run, according to Fortson, a disciplined practice. He chose Cincinnati and Huggins because he thought Huggins would, one, make him work, two, instill discipline in him, and three, Huggins would, more so than any other coach, make him the best player he could be. So, yea, bring in the bigs. But that is only the beginning.

You slam Coach Christian for losing to only one team in the MAC Season (who had superior talent) which hasn't happened in some 50 years. I make a reference to coaching and you slam my coaching knowledge, background, record etc, something you would have no knowledge of or way to judge. Part of me thinks this might be some kind of experiment  from a Psychology class.

Then you've not been paying attention. I'll try again. I am, to use your word "slamming," JC because of the fact that in EVERY big game they played this year, not only Akron, they not only lost, they were not even competitive. I am looking at you, Memphis. You, Oklahoma. You, Belmont. And you, Akron, twice. You, apparently, are of the opinion that the coach has NOTHING to do with those results. And, I presume, you believe that last year JG had NOTHING to do with them being competitive, and even winning, those competitive games. I am looking at you, Louisville. You, Akron, twice (against virtually the same team). You, Michigan. You, Southern Florida, and you North Carolina. And I presume that you believe JG had NOTHING to do with taking the same players at Illinois who were terrible last year, and turning them into an NCAA team this year.

I am not slamming your coaching, because, well, I know nothing about your 'coaching' because all you have really said is that you are, or were, a coach. That, in and of itself, means nothing. If you are going to be vague or non-forthcoming on the details of your coaching career, then don't blame me for trying to fill in the details. I simply surmise that perhaps the reason you mitigate the importance of a coach to the performance of the team is because you racked up more losses than wins, did not win championships, etc., and to acknowlege that a coach has some responsibility or blame for a team's performance is to admit that perhaps you were, in some manner, responsible for your team's lack of success. But then you could always fill in the details. I guess that is a form of psychology. Pay the receptionist on your way out.

Making excuses if a poor way to go through life, son.

Redrustler,
I don't understand your point, either.

I don't think any of the fans are happy that we aren't getting back to the NCAA. I think everyone is disappointed. I am disappointed.

I am also disappointed that we didn't win a big OCC game, although we haven't won a big OCC in a long time. (I would disagree about Oklahoma not being competitive, I think that game was competitive, along with UMASS. I agree on the others).

Are you saying the season was a total failure? And it is a total failure because of the coach?

What are you saying? All this back and forth about coaching changes/John Groce, etc...what's your point?

Here's what I think:

• Dissapointed we didn't make the NCAA. Making the tournament and winning the regular season championship are my criteria for an outstanding season. (Winning games in the tournament is a crapshoot).
•  
• Coming up short wasn't anyone's fault - it was a combination of things. And I think Coach Christian did an above average job this year - not great, but not terrible.
•  
• Happy that we shared the regular season championship - to me it was a legitimate share - what's worse, losing at home to Akron or on the road to Buffalo? We didn't lose to Buffalo or Kent St. I know a team that did.
•  
• Happy that we made the NIT...not an easy thing to do (haven't done this in awhile).

redrustler,

Not only do I disagree with you on blaming JC for everything you can think of, but I can't take you seriously as you apparently don't know how many times OUr team has played Akron this year.

Just how close have you been following the team?  Seems like most of your "interest" has been in the last 48 hours.  I also can't figure out just what salient point you're trying to make and am of the opinion you're just a member of the Complain Clan.

Go Cats, beat Denver.

And ending a response to someone by referring to them as "son" is highly condescending and unnecessary.