100%. And that's the HUGE difference to last season. Last year, we played close with the top teams repeatedly and, of course, beat UCONN and Ohio State.
So, what's the difference between this year and last year? It's clearly not Kim, her staff, or the approach they take to the game, a/k/a "the system." So, what's different? The players.
1. We lost 3 great 3 point shooters and clearly didn't replace them. Kim said she was "looking for 10 more points per game. I have said before and say again, there are some good questions to be asked of Kim after the season. I doubt a reporter will ask and would advise Coach to be circumspect in answering, but clearly Danny White should be asking. We'll never know if he does or what the answers are, but some good ones are: How did you expect to replace that lost 3 point shooting?
2. What else is different about the players? Upper class leadership. Kim talked a lot last year about how much that team bought in, and especially how hard they worked which showed up in physicial changes for some players. Many of us thought Tess and Ace and some others weren't "well-suited" to Kim's style, but they bought in and tried, and the team out-performed pre-season expectations. And, as noted, was at least competitive in just about every game, even against the very best. It certainly left me excited for this year, and that seems to have been an outlook that was widely shared.
This year? She talked a lot about how the freshmen came in and worked hard, leading the effort in the practices. I suspect she didn't mention the upperclassmen because, frankly, they weren't leading. And, as far as I can tell, they haven't stepped up yet. Ruby's choices were a HUGE disappointment and distraction. Zee has taking a step back. Talaysia looked better early in the year and shows flashes, but she hasn't been the player overall that she was last year, and I don't see a lot of evidence that she's leading this team. Janiah? Her emotional/behavioral lapses on the court undeercut leadership, and she's been spotty in effort.
I know that blaming the system or claiming that Kim isn't up to the job is easy, but neither of those accounts for last year, for Marshall, or for her record at Glenville State. And, yes, there were differences to where she is now, including managing players with big dreams and often a group of people constantly talking to them about those dreams. That's something Coach Kim has never experienced, and evidence suggests she needs to adapt, both in recruiting (although the freshmen seem good) and in management. She's adapted over the course of her career. I'm still open to the possibility she will continue to adapt.
GBO!
..kick them out the locker room maybe they’ll laugh more
