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Chambers bat signal up...

http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/071118aab.html
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November9 -- North Florida (BJC), First meeting W (1-0)
12 – Jacksonville State (BJC), First Meeting W (2-0)
15 – at DePaul – Gavitt Games, DePaul leads series, 6-1 Not a sure thing but W (3-0)
20 – at Cancun Challenge vs. Wright State, Penn State leads series, 1-0 W (4-0)
21 – at Cancun Challenge vs. Bradley/SMU, Bradley leads, 3-2/Penn State leads, 2-1 Either way its close but W (5-0)
27 – Virginia Tech – Big Ten/ACC Challenge (BJC), Virginia Tech leads series, 6-2 toss up but home court gives edge W (6-0)

December8 – Colgate (BJC), Penn State leads series, 51-24 W (7-0)
15 – vs. NC State (Boardwalk Classic, at Atlantic City), NC State leads series, 17-3 NC St has a young but talented roster L (7-1)
19 – at Duquesne, Penn State leads series, 28-20 W (8-1)
21 – at Alabama, Alabama leads series, 3-1 50-50 matchup on the road L (8-2)
29 – UMBC (BJC), Penn State leads series, 3-0 Loss 3 of top players from NCAA run W (9-2)
 
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From a Rivals hoops reporter:

Opposing the We R1 duo was Abdou Tsimbilia, a recent Penn State pledge that has improved exponentially since March. Seeing that Mike Watkins is now in his upperclassman years, Tsimbilia is the perfect replacement for the rim presence in Happy Valley. He already sports a college ready frame and a tenacity about him that only betters his effectiveness near the basket. Not much pub was given to his commitment a few days ago but by the looks of him, Tsimbilia is the type of guy that should and will uphold the strong culture that Pat Chambershas worked so diligently to establish at PSU.​

This was regarding his performance against a kid going to Nova and another 4 star prospect. This can't be true, everything sucks, Chambers is awful, we're the worst and screwed and AHHHHHHH.
 
I haven't seen one poster say every kid he signs should be top 100.

But is it unreasonable to believe he should be getting 3 star big men after a successful season, with all his Philly ties and other relationships he has been building for 8 recruiting classes??

Or unreasonable to expect that after getting 2 commits for the 2019 class, at least one of them should have at least 1 star??

If this is Pat's reality, it really is time to try another coach.


"If this is Pat's reality, it really is time to try another coach."]

Not really, My Good Friend...!

I think most people understand that the game is not about star ratings, which is relevant, but by no means not absolute.

Tsimbilia, a player recently acquired, is a perfect example of how Chambers is moving the team chemistry into a stronger profile.

I've said it before, that Chamers didn't really didn't start to get the the players he needs,
and create the culture that he invisions until the 2015/2016 years, when Philly Players started to come aboard.

With Watkins likely leaving in 2019, he has positioned the team with a player like
Tsimbilia to replace him. Remembering that the game is about a word called TEAM,
Understanding that PSU is still in a transitional state of creating something called Culture. Being a Philadelphia Boy, like J. Franklin, he has a love and commitment to PennState that a Coach, for instance like Moorehead, etc. will not...

With Chambers, we have a good Coach (maybe not great?) who will stay the course, through thick and thin to make this thing happen, and ultimately shift the PennState brand to something that all of us can be proud of !

At this Level, it's not going to be about the Star Ratings of players or how much money you can shell out to build a Basketball machine for a few years..

I went to Madison Square Garden and saw this team play 2 great games, with an amazing PSU Crowd in attendance and it was unbelievable.. And, it was by no means an accident- !!!

Chambers knows basketball...
My Good Friend...
 
Being a Philadelphia Boy, like J. Franklin, he has a love and commitment to PennState that a Coach, for instance like Moorehead, etc. will not...

While I share your enthusiasm for Chambers, how does being from Philly make you more of a Penn State fan than someone from Pittsburgh?
 
Everyone keeps talking about Philly recruiting and I get it, the best players in PA are from there and many of the top guys in the northeast. But to me, Nova will always get the top guys there and national guys like Lonnie Walker will always go to a top 20 program so it wasn't as much about Philly as just getting your foot in to the major areas for recruits which include the DMV and Richmond and NC and Atlanta, etc... While PC still has some in game things to work on, he has made the hoops recruiting footprint substantially bigger along the east coast.

Kids who play in the WCAC like Dread and BCL like Tsimbila are tough kids who are challenged every day in practice against other top guys so it's not like getting a bunch of Donovan Jacks who dominate lesser competition in HS.
 
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"If this is Pat's reality, it really is time to try another coach."]

Not really, My Good Friend...!

I think most people understand that the game is not about star ratings, which is relevant, but by no means not absolute.

Tsimbilia, a player recently acquired, is a perfect example of how Chambers is moving the team chemistry into a stronger profile.

I've said it before, that Chamers didn't really didn't start to get the the players he needs,
and create the culture that he invisions until the 2015/2016 years, when Philly Players started to come aboard.

With Watkins likely leaving in 2019, he has positioned the team with a player like
Tsimbilia to replace him. Remembering that the game is about a word called TEAM,
Understanding that PSU is still in a transitional state of creating something called Culture. Being a Philadelphia Boy, like J. Franklin, he has a love and commitment to PennState that a Coach, for instance like Moorehead, etc. will not...

With Chambers, we have a good Coach (maybe not great?) who will stay the course, through thick and thin to make this thing happen, and ultimately shift the PennState brand to something that all of us can be proud of !

At this Level, it's not going to be about the Star Ratings of players or how much money you can shell out to build a Basketball machine for a few years..

I went to Madison Square Garden and saw this team play 2 great games, with an amazing PSU Crowd in attendance and it was unbelievable.. And, it was by no means an accident- !!!

Chambers knows basketball...
My Good Friend...
So how long til we get to the tournament?
 
[QUOTE"]
Being a Philadelphia Boy, like J. Franklin, he has a love and commitment to PennState that a Coach, for instance like Moorehead, etc. will not...[/QUOTE]
Lol....pretty sure if Moorehead were offered the PSU job he would show the love and commitment too.
 
Everyone keeps talking about Philly recruiting and I get it, the best players in PA are from there and many of the top guys in the northeast. But to me, Nova will always get the top guys there

Actually, Nova doesn't recruit a lot from the Philadelphia area.

Let's look at recent classes:

2018:
#1 player, Cameron Reddish -- went to Duke
#2 player, Jake Forrester -- went to Indiana
'Nova signed a player from Hackensack, NJ, a player from Rhode Island, a player from Fairfax VA, and player from Washington D.C.

2017:
#1 player, Mohamed Bamba -- went to Texas
#2 player, Quade Green -- went to Kentucky
#3 player, Brandon Randolph -- went to Arizona
#4 player, Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree -- went to Villanova
#5 player, Clifton Moore -- went to Indiana
'Nova signed a player from Weston, MA, and the aforementioned Cosby-Roundtree

2016:
#1 player, Tony Carr -- went to PSU
#2 player, DeAndre Hunter -- went to UVA
#3 player, Lamar Stevens -- went to PSU
'Nova signed a player from Oakdale, CT

2015:
#1 player, Derrick Jones -- went to UNLV
#2 player, Levan Alston -- went to Temple
#3 player, Mike Watkins -- went to PSU
'Nova signed a player from Wilmington, DE, a player from Lincolnshire, IL

2014:
#1 player, Ja'Quan Newton -- went to Miami
#2 player, Terry Larrier -- went to VA Commonwealth
#3 player, Mikal Bridges -- went to Villanova
#4 player, Jared Nickens -- went to Maryland
'Nova signed a player from Baltimore, MD, and the aforementioned Bridges
 
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BUt if Nova wanted a guy vs PSU they are much more likely to go to nova
 
"If this is Pat's reality, it really is time to try another coach."]

Not really, My Good Friend...!

I think most people understand that the game is not about star ratings, which is relevant, but by no means not absolute.

Tsimbilia, a player recently acquired, is a perfect example of how Chambers is moving the team chemistry into a stronger profile.

I've said it before, that Chamers didn't really didn't start to get the the players he needs,
and create the culture that he invisions until the 2015/2016 years, when Philly Players started to come aboard.

With Watkins likely leaving in 2019, he has positioned the team with a player like
Tsimbilia to replace him. Remembering that the game is about a word called TEAM,
Understanding that PSU is still in a transitional state of creating something called Culture. Being a Philadelphia Boy, like J. Franklin, he has a love and commitment to PennState that a Coach, for instance like Moorehead, etc. will not...

With Chambers, we have a good Coach (maybe not great?) who will stay the course, through thick and thin to make this thing happen, and ultimately shift the PennState brand to something that all of us can be proud of !

At this Level, it's not going to be about the Star Ratings of players or how much money you can shell out to build a Basketball machine for a few years..

I went to Madison Square Garden and saw this team play 2 great games, with an amazing PSU Crowd in attendance and it was unbelievable.. And, it was by no means an accident- !!!

Chambers knows basketball...
My Good Friend...

Yes, my friend, if this is Pat's reality, I and many others believe it really is time to try another coach.

Saying Chambers knows basketball is not convincing. Saying it does not make it true. Yes, the team played very well in MSG, but that was in my opinion an aberration. Garner was unconscious from 3 point land and Carr was also on fire. Watching Chambers' game day coaching during his tenure at PSU has convinced me that he does not know BB in relation to other game day coaches. Some coaches consistently steal games from teams that are more talented. Pat's teams are not among them. But he does manage to lose games to less talented teams, as we saw last year, when the team lost to teams less talented before the hot streak in the NIT.

Pat could overcome his average game day coaching with more talent, or superior player development. And I am not criticizing his game player development. But for him to win and make the NCAA on a regular basis he will need more talent. And he is not getting that talent, based upon his first 8 years. Saying that Tsimbilia will replace Watkins is beyond a stretch, and is more wishful thinking than rational thinking.

Stay the course. Be happy with mediocrity. NOPE!

Time for a change, in my opinion.
 
While I share your enthusiasm for Chambers, how does being from Philly make you more of a Penn State fan than someone from Pittsburgh?

Good question Ranger Dan,

Remember, we're talking about Basketball in this case, not football.
And I'll assume you're not from Philly, like myself, having grown up
up watching Wilt Chamberlain, Nova, Temple and Big 5 Basketball etc.
Penn State has a special place in the hearts of Philadelphians and
Joe Paterno, along with the Eagles, etc. Chambers is from Philly.

The same traditions are not, per say comparable to the sports
flavor in Pittsburg, where there is no Pro Basketball tradition
and the college teams of choice there are PITT and Duquesne
University, etc. Not to overlook the fact that Penn State has a
very big following and Alumni in Pittsburgh.

So, what I'm saying is that, being from Philly for Chambers is
a natural transition for for him to come to PSU and feel a
special loyalty and affinity for PSU, as opposed to The
University of Pittsburgh, which I also attended.

So, having Urban Meyer at Ohio State and Harbo Sleepover
as the Coaches at Michigan is cause for a higher level of
allegiance and commitment, given their deeper roots from
their respective schools and regions.

Now. all you have to do is tell me you're actually from Philly
and we'll really have a good conversation.

My Friend...
 
Good question Ranger Dan,

Remember, we're talking about Basketball in this case, not football.
And I'll assume you're not from Philly, like myself, having grown up
up watching Wilt Chamberlain, Nova, Temple and Big 5 Basketball etc.
Penn State has a special place in the hearts of Philadelphians and
Joe Paterno, along with the Eagles, etc. Chambers is from Philly.

The same traditions are not, per say comparable to the sports
flavor in Pittsburg, where there is no Pro Basketball tradition
and the college teams of choice there are PITT and Duquesne
University, etc. Not to overlook the fact that Penn State has a
very big following and Alumni in Pittsburgh.

So, what I'm saying is that, being from Philly for Chambers is
a natural transition for for him to come to PSU and feel a
special loyalty and affinity for PSU, as opposed to The
University of Pittsburgh, which I also attended.

So, having Urban Meyer at Ohio State and Harbo Sleepover
as the Coaches at Michigan is cause for a higher level of
allegiance and commitment, given their deeper roots from
their respective schools and regions.

Now. all you have to do is tell me you're actually from Philly
and we'll really have a good conversation.

My Friend...
There is absolutely no traditional connection between Penn State and Philly basketball. College basketball in Philadelphia was always the big five, and now is more Nova than the other four. Chambers’ Philly roots are making inroads, in Philly, but Penn State is still an afterthought, I think.
 
For some people, this will always be the measure of success. For myself, there are other ways for the program to succeed besides just the NCAA tourney.
But at some point a team has to make the tournament....if not, then there’s no success.
 
There is absolutely no traditional connection between Penn State and Philly basketball. College basketball in Philadelphia was always the big five, and now is more Nova than the other four. Chambers’ Philly roots are making inroads, in Philly, but Penn State is still an afterthought, I think.


There is absolutely no traditional connection between Penn State and Philly basketball. College basketball in Philadelphia was always the big five, and now is more Nova than the other four. Chambers’ Philly roots are making inroads, in Philly, but Penn State is still an afterthought, I think.

Ranger Dan...
.
You're absolutely right about what you said....

But that's not what I was discussing.
I was commenting on Chambers being a Natural Fit for Penn State Basketball - given that he knows the Philadelphia Basketball culture..

Why do you think Chambers chose to do a Special game arrangement for the team to play at the Philadelphia Palestra against Michigan State 2 years ago.? In his own words, in a half-time speach, he said to the team that growing up watching Philly Ball in the Palestra and the Convention Center had Special meaning to him and he wanted the team to remember the tradition they had to live up to.

And, by the way, that night the Palestra was packed to watch PENN STATE BASKETBALL, in Philadelphia..... And, Freshmen, Tony Carr and team upset a highly favored Michigan State. If memory serves me correctly, PSU won that game in a big upset...
 
And, by the way, that night the Palestra was packed to watch PENN STATE BASKETBALL, in Philadelphia..... And, Freshmen, Tony Carr and team upset a highly favored Michigan State. If memory serves me correctly, PSU won that game in a big upset...

I am aware... I attended the game at the Palestra.
 
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Yes, the team played very well in MSG, but that was in my opinion an aberration.

So it was smoke and mirrors that got them to MSG in the first place? And without Watkins for the entire run? Hmmm.

Some coaches consistently steal games from teams that are more talented. Pat's teams are not among them.

Going 3-0 vs. Ohio State counts for nothing in this category?

The four game stretch during Reaves suspension (team went 1-3 including a 4 point loss at Indiana and an OT loss to Minnesota) is what cost the team a spot on the tournament. Not the coaching.

Mike Watkins getting injured early in the Michigan game and then missing the game at Nebraska also hurt.
 
So it was smoke and mirrors that got them to MSG in the first place? And without Watkins for the entire run? Hmmm.



Going 3-0 vs. Ohio State counts for nothing in this category?

The four game stretch during Reaves suspension (team went 1-3 including a 4 point loss at Indiana and an OT loss to Minnesota) is what cost the team a spot on the tournament. Not the coaching.

Mike Watkins getting injured early in the Michigan game and then missing the game at Nebraska also hurt.

Part of that 4 game stretch was on coaching yes. Mismanaging TO's, offensive sets, etc thats on Pat no matter who is playing. The IU and Minn losses are on PC. Why wasn't Harrah, who played great in the NIT, given more minutes earlier in the year? Would have helped....
 
Part of that 4 game stretch was on coaching yes. Mismanaging TO's, offensive sets, etc thats on Pat no matter who is playing. The IU and Minn losses are on PC. Why wasn't Harrah, who played great in the NIT, given more minutes earlier in the year? Would have helped....

We can only speculate. Perhaps "the light went on" with Harrah down the stretch. He is a young kid. We could have used him earlier in the season the way he played down the stretch, but perhaps he didn't show that game earlier in the season (in practice).
 
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We can only speculate. Perhaps "the light went on" with Harrah down the stretch. He is a young kid. We could have used him earlier in the season the way he played down the stretch, but perhaps he didn't show that game earlier in the season (in practice).

True, I think he had a big learning curve. I'm just saying that to the people who give PC a pass for the stretches where Reaves was out and Watkins out are wrong. He mismanages the end of games more than he should and he could have found a way to get Harrar a couple more 2-3 minute stretches earlier in the season.
 
Mismanaging TO's, offensive sets, etc thats on Pat no matter who is playing. The IU and Minn losses are on PC.

We were watching different games. The games I watched were on the players, not the coaching.

Why wasn't Harrah, who played great in the NIT, given more minutes earlier in the year? Would have helped....

Perhaps he wasn't ready to contribute. Some guys grow with early playing time. Others regress. Let's not pretend we know something the staff doesn't.
 
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True, I think he had a big learning curve. I'm just saying that to the people who give PC a pass for the stretches where Reaves was out and Watkins out are wrong. He mismanages the end of games more than he should and he could have found a way to get Harrar a couple more 2-3 minute stretches earlier in the season.


Bottom line is that the 2017-18 Nittany Lions had enough talent to make the NCAA Tournament, despite the injuries and suspensions that occurred. It was a huge missed opportunity. Did Pat learn from that missed opportunity? We get to find out this coming year, because the 2018-19 Nittany Lions also have enough talent to make the NCAA Tournament.

There are quite a few coaches at this level who would be able to find a way to get both squads to the NCAA's. To Pat's credit, the list of coaches who could have gotten the talent to PSU in the first place AND coached them up to get to the NCAA's is a lot smaller than the first list.
 
So it was smoke and mirrors that got them to MSG in the first place? And without Watkins for the entire run? Hmmm.



Going 3-0 vs. Ohio State counts for nothing in this category?

The four game stretch during Reaves suspension (team went 1-3 including a 4 point loss at Indiana and an OT loss to Minnesota) is what cost the team a spot on the tournament. Not the coaching.

Mike Watkins getting injured early in the Michigan game and then missing the game at Nebraska also hurt.

As I explained my opinion, it was Garner and Carr that got them to MSG. Watkins is a very good player, but if Garner and Carr were not there and playing great, three or four "Watkins" would not have won the NIT.

Not going too far into this, but it is also the coaches job to keep on top of his players being eligible. That is somewhat on Pat as well. And Pat was free to get Harrar more time earlier in the season which would have made the loss of Reaves easier to negotiate. As well as the injury to Watkins (missing the Nebraska game). Yep, we don't know more than Pat. We don't see practice. But the play of Harrar down the stretch likely didn't just appear from outer space.

Lot of circumstance "hurt" every team in the NCAA. Some coaches negotiate the issues better than others and manage to win games they should still win......

Plenty of excuses. 8 years of them.
 
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"b
.

As I explained my opinion, it was Garner and Carr that got them to MSG. Watkins is a very good player, but if Garner and Carr were not there and playing great, three or four "Watkins" would not have won the NIT.

Not going too far into this, but it is also the coaches job to keep on top of his players being eligible. That is somewhat on Pat as well. And Pat was free to get Harrar more time earlier in the season which would have made the loss of Reaves easier to negotiate. As well as the injury to Watkins (missing the Nebraska game). Yep, we don't know more than Pat. We don't see practice. But the play of Harrar down the stretch likely didn't just appear from outer space.

Lot of circumstance "hurt" every team in the NCAA. Some coaches negotiate the issues better than others and manage to win games they should still win......

Plenty of excuses. 8 years of them.


:

Per NewEra 2014
Well-


"There are quite a few coaches at this level who would be able to find a way to get both squads to the NCAA's. To Pat's credit, the list of coaches who could have gotten the talent to PSU in the first place AND coached them up to get to the NCAA's is a lot smaller than the first list..."

Well spoken. NewEra 2015 ...!!!

So the Pholosophical question of the day is: Is the glass half full or is the glass half empty.."?
 
We were watching different games. The games I watched were on the players, not the coaching.



Perhaps he wasn't ready to contribute. Some guys grow with early playing time. Others regress. Let's not pretend we know something the staff doesn't.

Nope I watched all of both of those PC played an absolutely terrible defensive scheme vs Minn and it killed him. Watkins doesnt need double team post help against any player in the Big but yet thats what PC did, he ran big-big doubles, even when he had both Moore and Watkins in. Left shooters wide open all game.
 
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