Dan Muller

[Mikovio]

I agree it was an underachieving season, but some of that was self-imposed. We gave Drake and Bradley a win. 10-8 gets an NIT bid. That's not too shabby for a team that didn't 'buy in.'

I was at that Bradley game. ISU got up 15 points and when the horn sounded for the media timeout started dancing around like they won the Super Bowl. Then they seemed to let up and at one point let Walt Lemon drive the paint for what seemed like 10 straight times. If that's what you mean by "self imposed" then I agree. ISU clearly was the more talented team and blew it, and it wasn't the only time.

I don't know enough to say whether the players "bought in" or not. Carmichael and Wilkins didn't give me that impression with their statements and body language. Maybe there was some of it I missed. It's too early to tell but if a pattern like that is established in the future we'll know where to point fingers.

[Redbird Recon]

I agree it was an underachieving season, but some of that was self-imposed. We gave Drake and Bradley a win. 10-8 gets an NIT bid. That's not too shabby for a team that didn't 'buy in.'

I was at that Bradley game. ISU got up 15 points and when the horn sounded for the media timeout started dancing around like they won the Super Bowl. Then they seemed to let up and at one point let Walt Lemon drive the paint for what seemed like 10 straight times. If that's what you mean by "self imposed" then I agree. ISU clearly was the more talented team and blew it, and it wasn't the only time.

Hill’s absence was just as glaring on the defensive end. Bradley got to the basket at will in the second half and Hill, among the Redbirds’ best defenders, watched it all plopped on his backside.

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/column ... f887a.html

[Mikovio]

Hill? You mean that guy who couldn't carry Nic Moore's jockstrap?

If I recall his benching was a questionable tactic that cost them a game. It ended up not mattering much in the standings but it was quite the gamble at the time.

[rlh04d]

Seems like there's a lot of "subjective backpedaling" going on here by IlSU fans trying to explain why a team that didn't live up to its talent level isn't the fault of the head coach.

[Redbird Recon]

Seems like there's a lot of "subjective backpedaling" going on here by IlSU fans trying to explain why a team that didn't live up to its talent level isn't the fault of the head coach.

In order to have that conversation, we would have to agree on the talent. Under two different regimes I saw flashes of brilliance, periods of solid play, but mostly mediocre performances. Jank was 13-23 in the MVC post-Osiris. Muller underachieved, but, without a good point guard, that was never an at-large team to begin with.

[rlh04d]

Seems like there's a lot of "subjective backpedaling" going on here by IlSU fans trying to explain why a team that didn't live up to its talent level isn't the fault of the head coach.

In order to have that conversation, we would have to agree on the talent. Under two different regimes I saw flashes of brilliance, periods of solid play, but mostly mediocre performances. Jank was 13-23 in the MVC post-Osiris. Muller underachieved, but, without a good point guard, that was never an at-large team to begin with.

This isn't what IlSU fans were saying going into last season

[Redbird Recon]

Seems like there's a lot of "subjective backpedaling" going on here by IlSU fans trying to explain why a team that didn't live up to its talent level isn't the fault of the head coach.

In order to have that conversation, we would have to agree on the talent. Under two different regimes I saw flashes of brilliance, periods of solid play, but mostly mediocre performances. Jank was 13-23 in the MVC post-Osiris. Muller underachieved, but, without a good point guard, that was never an at-large team to begin with.

This isn't what IlSU fans were saying going into last season

Kaza Keane < Nic Moore

[Bmarq04]

Seems like there's a lot of "subjective backpedaling" going on here by IlSU fans trying to explain why a team that didn't live up to its talent level isn't the fault of the head coach.

In order to have that conversation, we would have to agree on the talent. Under two different regimes I saw flashes of brilliance, periods of solid play, but mostly mediocre performances. Jank was 13-23 in the MVC post-Osiris. Muller underachieved, but, without a good point guard, that was never an at-large team to begin with.

This isn't what IlSU fans were saying going into last season

You're right. I think a lot of ISU fans (myself included) just thought too highly of the players coming back (even after we knew Moore was gone). I know I expected more from this player or that player to accompany Jackie and Tyler. However, as I said before, I think that's where I was just flat out wrong. I expected more out of Ekey, Wilkens, Allen, etc. But looking back, each player had a couple (just a couple) games per year where they were an impact player. I think I just looked at it with flawed biased glasses thinking they would turn it up a notch when there was next to nothing in their past for me to have made that decision logically.

Did ISU underachieve last year, ABSOLUTELY. No debating that. Were they as good going into the season as the media, fans, opponents thought? Thats where I think many people overestimated this team.

[rlh04d]

You're right. I think a lot of ISU fans (myself included) just thought too highly of the players coming back (even after we knew Moore was gone). I know I expected more from this player or that player to accompany Jackie and Tyler. However, as I said before, I think that's where I was just flat out wrong. I expected more out of Ekey, Wilkens, Allen, etc. But looking back, each player had a couple (just a couple) games per year where they were an impact player. I think I just looked at it with flawed biased glasses thinking they would turn it up a notch when there was next to nothing in their past for me to have made that decision logically.

Did ISU underachieve last year, ABSOLUTELY. No debating that. Were they as good going into the season as the media, fans, opponents thought? Thats where I think many people overestimated this team.

The question for me is, what would IlSU with this roster have done with Jank as the HC?

I think they would have been a third place team, and no worse than fourth. But how much of that is based on Muller as a coach, or not being as familiar with the players, or not having the players for his style, or not having the players buy into his system ... I don't know.

[mvcfan]

Muller deserves several years to 1) learn how to be a head coach on his first gig as a head coach (not many coaches are good their first try at it). 2) recruit his own players. After that we can make a fair and balanced assessment on how successful his hiring was.

That being said, this year was a disaster for Muller and I hope he learned from it because he's learning under fire. It's difficult to blame the talent of the players on the ISUR team this year. You had some very good talent.

Best of Luck ISUR because the bad news continues. If you do become as good as you think and as the MVC needs, your athletic department won't have the money to pay him and unless he is the most loyal coach (after all it is his alma mater) in the Unites States that I've ever seen. In my opinion, he's going to leave to be paid a fair wage for a top mid major program. The investment will have to be in excess of a million.