2013/14 BC Basketball -- Coach D on the hot seat

FelixMantilla

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What happened to this guy? Seemed like a very nice hire at the time. Team seemed to improve last season and then we get this shitshow of a season.
 

mabrowndog

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Cuse's defense is starting to wear them out. Can't get the ball inside, shot clock keeps wearing down, forcing desperation from long range. Three shot clock violations in the past few minutes.
 
And there goes the final BC timeout with 1:09 left.
 

mabrowndog

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Wow. What a drive and bucket by Hanlan. He's playing with 4 fouls, but smartly went right at Christmas who's also got 4.
 

Greg29fan

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That was an obvious reach in foul at the end, BC should have had a one and one.  Missed a clear foul on a 3 pointer earlier too.
 

richgedman'sghost

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BoSoxFink said:
Almost makes up for their completely shitty and useless season.......... But no, fuck You Donahue I still hate you!
You don't think this win is enough to save his job, right? I hope not..Anyways, he seems like a real classy guy including bringing up DK in the post game interview. It's just a shame it did not work out here.
 

BoSoxFink

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richgedman'sghost said:
You don't think this win is enough to save his job, right? I hope not..Anyways, he seems like a real classy guy including bringing up DK in the post game interview. It's just a shame it did not work out here.
yea he's not a bad guy I don't think, i wish it worked it out as well but he didn't bring in enough talent. I doubt this one win will save his job. I would think Bates would like to bring in his own guy if possible anyways and this season has made that easier for him to do.
 

SaveBooFerriss

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Great, great win for BC.  I only watched the overtime, but it was very exciting.  A 57% foul shooter making four straight down the stretch was impressive.  
 
Refs blew the call on the out of bounds play.  I couldn't see any evidence that he touched the ball.  I understand, you have to overrule the call on the court, but it can be hard to prove a negative, that he didn't touch it.  SO, I think we need to see it there is evidence that he touched it, not evidence that he didn't touch it.   
 

doldmoose34

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richgedman'sghost said:
You don't think this win is enough to save his job, right? I hope not..Anyways, he seems like a real classy guy including bringing up DK in the post game interview. It's just a shame it did not work out here.
I think Donaghue is a great guy, and brining up DK in the interviews not to mention everything the players did for DK in his final months shows what a class guy he is. He also picked up a 4 star commit for '15.
That being said no it's not enough, he'll land on his feet at another Ivy (across the river if Amaker moves up and up?) but he's not an ACC coach
 

Dave Stapleton

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I think the bigger question is whether he gets another top recruit before the end of the season. He finally got a top 100 player. If he gets another I think he gets another year. Just my gut instinct.
 

Dave Stapleton

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BigSoxFan said:
I think Miller's interest is more in staying local and the school. We've all seen Donahue's personality - he doesn't exactly seem like the coach that recruits want to run through a brick wall. He's a perfectly nice guy but I think the Miller commitment will stick if we bring in someone else. If he were a 2014 recruit, it'd probably be a little different. I think Dave is probably right on Donahue potentially staying another year if he lines up another solid 2014 or 2015 recruit. I'm not very bullish on Donahue but if Clifford and Hicks come back healthy next year, this team may be able to work their way into the tournament discussion. And there'd be no excuse not to be with Clifford/Anderson as seniors, Hanlan/Rahon at juniors, etc.
 
A few things ... For all of Donahue's weaknesses, he has not lost this team.  Listen to their comments and watch them.  They are still with him and that it clear to me.  He may drive us crazy but it seems the kids still want and do play for him.  Some really nice comments from the kids after the game about how they stormed and lifted the coach in the locker room when he talked about DK and the win.
 
Donahue's biggest mistake on the court this year was going all in on Drago.  Heck may be frustrating at times but he is an offensive talent and the only one other than OH who can create his own offense.  Heck's minutes have been up and down all year and this is a real problem.  Ultimately this decision could cost Donahue his job.
 
It sounds like Donahue may have a rising star on his staff in Waheed.  It appears he is making some inroads with the local AAU programs and may have had something to do with landing Miller.  He's young but a good coach and seems like he could develop into a good recruiter.
 

Dave Stapleton

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BigSoxFan said:
Yes, it's fine and dandy that the players want to play for him. But that's not our problem - the talent and athleticism of our players is horrible when compared to top 25 teams. If Donahue can't bring in those kind of players, then he needs to go. Miller's verbal is a positive step forward but we need more. He can't even sign an early LOI until this fall so Bates is now entering a complicated stage. I personally think Donahue will get one more year with Clifford, Hicks, and the rest of the gang.
 
Absolutely agree.  I do think Cliff would make a huge difference on the defensive end but he failed to build any depth at all to help out Anderson.  He basically has a team full of complementary players other than OH, Anderson and maybe Heck.  As disappointing as his recruiting has been, I have been very troubled by his in-game coaching this year.  That is supposed to be a strength.
 

Jeff Van GULLY

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If for some godawful reason they keep Donahue, the deciding factor will be that BC doesn't want to have to buyout Donahue and pay two head coaches at the same time, not because of a turnaround on the floor or the recruiting trail. 
 
BC has 7 or 8 scholarships in 2015 and one unfilled for 2014, it would be tragic to have them filled up by Donahue recruits and could potentially devastate the already-withered BC basketball program. One top-100 player does not make a rule and he and his staff have no history of being able to recruit on the same level as other ACC coaches.  Does anyone really have faith that Donahue could recruit a top-30 class in 2015?
 
If Miller is committed to the school more than the coach than the decision should be even easier to dump Donahue but I fear that economics may trump all other reasoning here. 
 

BigMike

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Jeff Van GULLY said:
If Miller is committed to the school more than the coach than the decision should be even easier to dump Donahue but I fear that economics may trump all other reasoning here. 
 
 
If it is a pure economic decision he is gone.  He has one year left on the deal, and Conte is empty on a nightly basis.   In a pursely economic decision you fire Donahue, and hire someone with a rep, a pulse etc.   and you more than make up the economic difference in seats sold.
 
It's nice that Coach D got Miller,  but at the end of the day he appears to be another 6'9" 2 guard,  much like Magarrity is a 6'11" 2 guard.
 

mikcou

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BigMike said:
 
 
If it is a pure economic decision he is gone.  He has one year left on the deal, and Conte is empty on a nightly basis.   In a pursely economic decision you fire Donahue, and hire someone with a rep, a pulse etc.   and you more than make up the economic difference in seats sold.
 
It's nice that Coach D got Miller,  but at the end of the day he appears to be another 6'9" 2 guard,  much like Magarrity is a 6'11" 2 guard.
 
Donahue is gone. One win and one 4 star recruit dont change that. But I hope you see the difference between a 2 star 20 year old Euro and a 4 star recruit who is still only 16. Most of the guys who are much bigger than Miller at this point have weight that you dont want them to have. He has plenty of time to get bigger.
 

scottyno

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I know the talent isn't there which makes it harder, but Donahue's rotations beyond Hanlan Anderson and Rahon seem so completely random.  There's no consistency at all for who plays and how often, particularly Heckmann and Owens.
 

BigMike

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mikcou said:
 
Donahue is gone. One win and one 4 star recruit dont change that. But I hope you see the difference between a 2 star 20 year old Euro and a 4 star recruit who is still only 16. Most of the guys who are much bigger than Miller at this point have weight that you dont want them to have. He has plenty of time to get bigger.
 
I totally understand the difference.   It is not a matter of his weight.   His game right now, on tape, and of those who have seen him play is basically a 2 guard's game. He likes to hang out beyond the perimeter and shoot three pointers. 
 
 
Back to normal for BC today,  blown off the court by a 10th place Miami team
 

doldmoose34

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Jeff Van GULLY said:
 
BC has 7 or 8 scholarships in 2015 and one unfilled for 2014, it would be tragic to have them filled up by Donahue recruits and could potentially devastate the already-withered BC basketball program. One top-100 player does not make a rule and he and his staff have no history of being able to recruit on the same level as other ACC coaches.  Does anyone really have faith that Donahue could recruit a top-30 class in 2015?
For on campus example check the quotes from Daz after signing day about the lack of talent left him while Spaz was all in on Hingham Baseball

At least some of the kids who want to play have see the light and transferred out to more suitable D2 schools where they can play right away
 

BigMike

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Hey at least BC will always be able to point out that we completely broke Syracuse this year.  
 

mabrowndog

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Here's the tournament schedule. I've highlighted the Eagles' potential matchups.
 
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
All games at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro NC ... All times EDT ... In addition to the ESPN family of networks, all games will also air on the Raycom ACC Network.
 
First Round - Weds, March 12
01:00 pm - Game 1 - #12 Wake Forest vs #13 Notre Dame (ESPNU)
03:30 pm - Game 2 - #10 Miami FL vs #15 Virginia Tech (ESPNU)
07:00 pm - Game 3 - #11 Georgia Tech vs #14 Boston College (ESPNU)
 
Second Round - Thur, March 13
12:00 pm - Game 4 - #8 Maryland vs #9 Florida State (ESPNU)
02:00 pm - Game 5 - #5 Pittsburgh vs Game 1 winner (ESPNU)
07:00 pm - Game 6 - #7 N.C. State vs Game 2 winner (ESPNU)
09:00 pm - Game 7 - #6 Clemson vs Game 3 winner (ESPNU)
 
Quarterfinals - Fri, March 14
12:00 pm - Game 8 - #1 Virginia vs Game 4 winner (ESPN2)
02:00 pm - Game 9 - #4 North Carolina vs Game 5 winner (ESPN2)
07:00 pm - Game 10 - #2 Syracuse vs Game 6 winner (ESPN2)
09:00 pm - Game 11 - #3 Duke vs Game 7 winner (ESPN2)
 
Semifinals - Sat, March 15
01:00 pm - Game 12 - Game 8 winner vs Game 9 winner (ESPN)
03:00 pm - Game 13 - Game 10 winner vs Game 11 winner (ESPN) 
 
Championship - Sun, March 16
01:00 pm - Game 12 winner vs Game 13 winner (ESPN)
 

mabrowndog

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BigSoxFan said:
All you needed to do was highlight the first one...
 
Yeah, I know. I'm just trying to curry favor with doldmoose34 to ensure he'll still buy me beers when we next meet up at TK O'Malley's.
 

Dave Stapleton

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The most frustrating thing to me is that Donahue's supposed strength (in game coaching) has been his biggest challenge.  I actually think this team has enough pieces to have a winning record BUT Donahue insists on playing the wrong guys at the wrong times and to micromanage the game. 
 
1.  Drago shouldn't see the court.  He is a defensive liability and he rebounds poorly for a guy his size. (15.2 per game)
2.  Jackson should see 15 minutes and only more in match up situations and if he is hot. (23.5)
3.  Owens needs more minutes.  In a game like yesterday, he should be playing D against Warren and if necessary take minutes from Rahon. (15.3)
4.  You need to take the good with the bad with Heck.  He's the most "skilled" offensive player next to Hanlan and needs to see the court. (15.7)
5.  Magarity/Caudill -- They need to play.  Anderson has to play the 4 otherwise he is playing at a significant disadvantage.  You leave yourself thin at the 5?   Oh well ... you still need to play a 5.  A weak 5 and a solid 4 is still better than a weak 5 (Anderson) with Drago and/or Heck and/or Odio playing the 4. (10.5/8.1)
6.  Odio is an energy guy ... 15-20 minutes tops. (21.5)
7.  Anderson -- I like him more than most.  I think he is a very good player who has received a raw deal.  Has to play the 4. (31.1)
8.  Rahon -- Nice player who is often overmatched defensively and needs to shoot the 3 better.  25-30 minutes would be ideal.  I'd give Owens some of his minutes and force Hanlan to play the point. (33.3)
9.  Hanlan -- Only take him out before media timeouts.  Had to play 38-40 minutes. (36.1)
 
Donahue's substitution patterns are mind-numbing.  He subs at every FT and seems to sub 3 guys at every turn. 
 
He has missed on recruiting but if he loses his job it's going to be because he couldn't get the most out of the talent he has.
 

Bleedred

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Losing Hanlan and Anderson would truly be like stripping the house to the studs and starting over. I assume Donahue is fired already, but if there was any question about it, I presume their departures would answer it.
 

Dave Stapleton

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I think that the importance of be article is that I felt there was a pretty good chance Donahue would return. After seeing this article I don't think that's happening.
 

BigMike

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My goodness that was about as ugly a game as you can watch.
 
Give Heckman credit, the kid busted his ass out there in the second half.   I will never understand why he didn't play 28 minutes a night for this team.   He is one of the few if not only kid who brings intensity out to the court.
 
GT made one basket in the last 11 minutes, 2 in the final 13,   and still get out with the win
 
And Mr clutch did it again.  Game on the line, elite free throw shooter, once again clang's out #1 with a chance to win
 
Oh and the last great moment of the Donahue era had to be when he called a timeout as a red hot Patrick Heckman had a wide open look from the corner which he drained late in regulation
 

scottyno

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early april fools joke? his players quit on him, he sucks at recruiting, he sucks at subs, he sucks at timeouts, his offense sucks, his defense sucks they've gotten worse each year. what exactly has be done well other than be a nice guy
 

BigMike

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It now looks like a real chance BC will go a decade without going to the NCAA tournament.
 
This decision basically renders BC down to the level of Northwestern under Carmody.   
 
And the frightening part is they will send up a schedule of patsies next year in out of conference, and win 17/18 games and that will give the administration the option to say he has turned the corner and extend him
 
I've said before I really believe Skinner was fired because of all the crap that happened off the court. They couldn't fire him when he was winning, but the first time he hit a speedbump they fired his ass as fast as they could.   By the same token, I fear that Donahue's collection of choir boys is the reason he is keeping his job
 

BoSoxFink

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If Hanlan leaves and Anderson and Rahon transfer as has been reported, they won't win more than 5 games next year anyways. He should be gone next year, if the above happens. If all of them stay, we could be stuck in purgatory for quite awhile.
 

doldmoose34

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this is all about dead money on the AA salary cap...we're still paying GDF, Spaz, the old nags hoop coach,  Leahey wasn't  going to write another check for a coach sitting on the sidelines 
 
Donoghue is a good guy who is a horrid game day coach (makes Al look like John Wooden) and can't recruit ACC level talent...we're doomed