Right. We have 5 players returning (Keke, Doyle, Turk, Crisman, Thomas), 2 already signed (Richardson and Ingram although given Porter's track record hopefully those kids don't decommit as well), and 3 verbal commits. I say the odds we get any one of the "big 3" are slim to none. Personally, I'd rather us not sign marginal JUCO/HS players (big 3 notwithstanding because I think any of Berry/Jones/Thomas will be good players for us) and leave the new coach 3 scholarships to play with. Maybe if we can get a decent transfer, I'd be OK with him burning a scholarship as he sits a year, but even then I don't see anybody being attracted to the tire fire that is a Porter Moser Basketball team.

I'm not quite sure I follow.

Your post seems to assume Porter gets fired this year so that a new coach has the three available scholarships to use next fall.

Is that right?

What happens if Porter stays another year or two?

And with a lame duck AD, what is to prevent Moser from using all the available scholarships this spring?

It's nice to know though that he's keeping himself occupied as the number of players on his team continues to dwindle.

I think he probably gets fired after this upcoming season.

As our old friend Grace could tell us, the athletic director has to be comfortable with the coach of the only marquee, revenue sport in the school. It'll be really tough to convince the incoming AD to let him stay on for one more year given his sub .344 win-loss record at Loyola, his previous track record, the player exodus, and not much more optimism around the program.

Also, Calhoun fired Whitesell even before she officially took over the office. The incoming AD will be around well before basketball season, which means they'll see this disaster completely play out over the course of an entire season.

So instead of being saddled with 5 meh JUCO players he didn't recruit, why not give the scholarship to Dokubo and let the new coach start fresh?

It is going to be a real dilemma for the new AD whether to keep Moser or fire him next year.

If Moser is fired before next season, and some of his new recruits ask for their releases as a result, Loyola may not have enough players to even field a team. The new coach will be scouting intramural games for players.

I'm not sure any new AD would have the nerve or political capital to preside over the ensuing debacle that would be the Rambler's 2014-2015 men's basketball season following a precipitous coaching change; much easier to push the problem down the road a year to see if the new recruits might actually pan out. This would also give the new AD time to get acclimated, and to lay the groundwork for the change.

On the other hand, Moser has to go. I agree. The question is when.

My guess is Moser gets one more year before he's gone. I'm not saying he's earned it, but that circumstances make this the best of admittedly bad options.

If a decision is to be made to fire Moser, it must be made NOW, before the Spring Signing Period. It is unfair to the recruits who hitch their stars to a lame duck coach, and it is unfair to Loyola to have a lame duck coach encumber their scholarships.

Garanzini may have to step into the leadership void now.

I think we agree on the same thing. They won't fire Moser now because no one is there to hire a new coach and it creates way too much chaos. I think they'll do it after the upcoming 2014-15 season.

As for players leaving, what's to say they won't leave anyway if we keep Porter? Also, if he has any sense of dignity, he won't sign guys to screw over Loyola's program.

Yeah,

I see now we agree on the timing. I misread your earlier post.

Wow. I hate to say it, but you guys are starting to look like you could finish 9th or 10th next season. I was optimistic about your returning talent getting you into 5th or 6th next year with a shot at the top 3 the year after, but with half of your team now gone....

There's no way Moser is coaching Loyola in '15-'16.

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The Roundhouse

Here's a pretty good Wiki article on the subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_Progress_Rate

I skimmed it, and my impression is that if the transfers left Loyola in good academic standing, it wouldn't adversely affect our APR.

But don't quote me on that...

I'm tempted to ask Porter, via twitter, what the hell is going on. My better judgement has prevailed...for now.

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Cigarboy sucks!