This is the third time in the last two years we've gotten our doors blown off by a conference opponent. No, this isn't like Boise or Milwaukee from the Final Four season. That team had a few bad games but they weren't like these. Hell, that team could've played itself to the Final Four without a coach. They had six options who could score 20 any given night. They were the best college basketball team to come through the state since our 1963, only NCAA hoops champion in Illinois history, team. These losses are embarrassing, damaging losses to the program, and they occur due to horrendous coaching. We had a top 100 recruit in the building for our win against Bradley. We are likely competing with power schools for this player. You think it helps us lure him in when he sees us getting beat by 30 on national tv to Indiana State the next game? These losses should never happen. You won't ever see them at other prominent mid-majors. I understand that Porter was the head coach of our wonderful team from 2018, and we should all be eternally grateful for what those young men did for our school, but as I stated, that team was talented enough to not need a lot of help in the huddle. Think about the iconic moments from that season. Donte Ingram hitting a three-pointer in transition to send us through to the second round. No timeout from Porter to draw something up. The talented kids made a play. A Clayton Custer corner three-pointer on a high school hammer play with under a minute left that put us in position to hit that game winner, but guess what? Porter has run that same play like four times this season in "need a three" moments and it hasn't been successful once. 2018 was his first successful season as a coach. There was no book on him so his poor coaching ability didn't get exploited the way it does all too frequently now. Against Tennessee we blew a lead in the second half and the best thing we got drawn up was Clay coming off a pick at the elbow for a fall away jumper that the Lord willed in? How about Nevada? Another lead blown in the second half when adjustments could be made by the other coach. No plays drawn up to seal that one. Just Marques Townes making a play because he was a great talent. Kansas State was probably the best coached game. Maybe the best game I've ever seen Loyola play in my life. Michigan? Oh, another second half lead down the drain and foreshadowing into what the future would hold as the Wolverines suffocated us in the second half after the coaches could do their job. We saw the turnover stricken, field goalless droughts we have gotten all too used to seeing these last two seasons. Look at what Bryan Mullins is doing with a team that isn't even his players right now a SIU! Are we too crazy to think that maybe he had a lot more to do with our success than Moser? The Illinois Wolves pipeline, the impeccable defensive resume as a coach and player, the ability to relate to the kids instead of belittle them and pull them every time they make a mistake? How are kids supposed to get into a rhythm or be able to shoot with confidence knowing they're coming out if they miss a three-pointer early in the shot clock? I'm sorry. It is just so frustrating watching us lose the same way every time. We double the post from the backside and get burned by skip passes every game. Why? Cam can't defend on his own? Or just because that was successful in 2018? We run all the same things we did two years ago, except we don't have the same players!!!! There has been no adaptation or adjustments in two years. It is coaching! Now the entire Valley knows they can double, heck even triple Krutwig and literally put our team into scoring droughts for close to 10 minutes because we don't have an answer and the other players we have aren't being put in a position to succeed. It sucks because there is a path to sustained success for this program, which has the potential to be tremendous for our school, but the window is quickly shutting. It would be a huge disappointment if we were a one year wonder. I anticipate most will charge me with pitchforks after reading this, but let me leave you with this fact... Of all D1 coaches with at least 50 games under their belt, Porter Moser has the 19th lowest winning percentage in close games...under 40%. But hey! At least he has culture to hang his hat on! I'm sure you can read about that in his book that he got his buddy Tim Doyle to push at halftime of our game tonight. Nothing like trying to get some sales when your team is down 20+ at half...Come to think of it, he actually might've skipped the scouting meeting to get our guys ready to make sure Doyle had his lines down on where and when you could purchase the book! That infuriated me. On the bright side, at least it's Thursday tomorrow. Go Ramblers.
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