The McGuire Room

I gave him a pass when Archie got hurt. This young garbage is all him.

But we're young and we play hard and we have the best coach in the business who only needs another 15 years to turn the program around!
:/

The 'youth' arguement isn't valid in college basketball. That's a football arguement and it's about 23 year olds being physically more able than 18 year olds. Basketball isn't the same. Kentucky is nothing but Freshman and Sophomores. Teams every year have a freshman come in and change the team. Youth isn't an excuse.
The problem is he can't coach the talent he has, there is some talent here and I'm telling you if we hired a good coach we'd be in the dance in two years.

Not sure who you're talking to. I merely presented facts.

ok, ok, I know who yall are trying to draw out. Let me 'splain something to you. The point is not whether or not Horn will get it done next yr, or whether our players will get better with age, or whatever. The point is, I believe it. I am an optimist, I think that next game, next yr, whatever, is the start of a nat'l championship run. I will never personally insult our coach, nor will I question our players ability or effort. If that upsets some of you, then I don't know what to tell you. I am not Horn, I am not the reason we lost. Ya'll are way off. If someone being optimistic bothers you, its not my fault. my conscious is clear, I assure you. I believe no matter who is the coach next year, we will get better, and none of you will convince me otherwise. I will also support our coaches until they are not here anymore, I do not know what else to say. I am not the one with the problem. A couple of you really are taking your frustrations out on people just because they are optimistic. I believe we are and will continue to get better, If that upsets you, I really could care less. Someone has a personal problem, maybe a one on one with coach Horn could resolve some issues I see out there. He does have a call in show, you know. Im sure he would be happy to change his hairstyle, or his ties, or his facial expressions if he were aware how much it upsets some of us. I will repeat, I am not Horn, Nor do I coach this team. Fussing at me will change nothing. PM me if you still cannot wrap your head around this, and we can talk about it one on one if you wish. otherwise, Im out.

are you off the horn bandwagon?

Noone insulted him. Saying he cant coach is fact.

I wasn't on the Horn bandwagon.

I probably defended certain aspects of his program and I did make some arguments as to certain realities of our program in the past that drew your ire. Namely, the fact that many of our recent NCAA tourney runs occurred as a result of having good in-state basketball talent. I also said that doesn't exonerate Horn and we have to find a coach that can overcome that issue.

I also cut him slack in year two, because the lost of Holmes and Archie was devastating to that team.

I also argued with FnKy on the older board during Horn's first year. I argued that I didn't think Horn was good at Xs and O's, but hoped he would learn those things. I mentioned I was overly concerned about our lack of defense. I thought he has the charisma to be a good recruiter and hoped the existing talent would carry him through a good year two. That would allow him to garner some recruits and learn how to be a better coach. I was chastised by several and told I was crazy if I couldn't see what Horn was building.

I did also defend his decision not to foul at Ole Miss this year down 1 with a 15 secod differential between the game clock and shot clock. Maybe that's how you define being on the bandwagon. Not me.

For the record, do you support giving him another year?

There is a difference in between supporting and what I'd probably do if it were my decision to make.

I'd make a change if it were me calling the shot. If we give him another year looking for some huge turnaround I won't bitch about it but I don't see the realistic upside barring some sort of crazy recruiting coup.

my willingness to give odom another year was based on the transfers and decent late recruiting. Mike jones not making it ended that little hope. If mike jones hadn't been mike jones in the head we probably Would have been good. We were decent without him actually year after Dave. Anyway. I don't see a narrative for major improvement.

I

Yeah, we are young.

But the reason we are so young is that there is only one player that Horn brought in his first two recruiting classes on the roster. And, that player Lakeem Jackson, is very limited in what he can provide.

In contrast, George Felton, Eddie Fogler and Dave Odom brought in considerably more talent in their first two seasons. And Horn didn't begin his tenure any later in the year than the other three.

Well youth is not an invalid excuse.
To use Arkansas as your barometer isn't really all that telling, they're a decent team but not all that special. I will grant you, I think Mike Anderson is terrific so we agree coaching is certainly a big factor there, very commendable job considering losing a talent like Marshawn Powell so early. But they're nowhere close to a tournament team. Now do you see any problem in the future when (as I expect) Mike Anderson has Arkansas routinely going to NCAAs to look back on year one and say, "They didn't go that year because they were so young"?
The reason we are so bad is any myriad of reasons, coaching included. Coaching including questionable recruiting decisions.
It is somewhat simplistic to say the problem lies in "one area." We have been a bad team (to varying degrees) for going on 40 years now...you are a smart guy, surely you can see that the problem is not so easy. Yes, a great coach cures all ills but sometimes those other factors you dismiss so easily prevent us from getting a great coach, it certainly narrows the potential pool.
But going back to the original point...often, very often, after games there are any # of posts on here calling out all these supposed Horn supporters, excuse makers, defenders, etc.
They are almost non-existent. So you're arguing with no one.