Howard Gensler
Postdoc
Posts: 4141
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-25-10 11:28 AM - Post#80084
In response to Chet Forte
Both. But you're talking about an amazing confluence of events that only happens once in a Big Red moon. (Not to say Cornell won't be good, but this year they're freakishly good.) Wittman may not have ended up at Cornell if he doesn't get hurt in high school. Dale may not have ended up at Cornell if Penn isn't in the middle of its first coaching change in 16 years when his tape comes into the office. Foote, the one position player they needed to complement the guards and wings, may not have ended up at Cornell if Gant doesn't have a traumatic injury in practice. Instead they ALL ended up at Cornell and they ended up there at the exact same time when there's scads of playing time available so they can all grow together. And at the same time the Ps were in decline.
Then add in that none of the large senior class except for Tyler got hurt for any period of time, Wittman grew a couple inches, Foote put on weight and, perhaps most importantly, they all ended up liking each other. Throw in the perfect environment to nurture this embarrassment of unexpected riches set up by Coach Donahue and his staff, and the players' willingness and desire to work hard combined with their ability to improve (some kids work hard but just don't get much better) and you've got an incredibly experienced, senior dominated team that's playing its butt off and Donahue is making every right coaching move. Sometimes you get all the good things but can't make use of it. Donahue and Cornell are making use of everything.
The difference is that at the major level this type of thing is routine and those programs and coaches can make their own good fortune, but at the mid-major and lower level it's not - so many things have to go right. It's David Robinson at Navy, Gathers and Kimble together at Loyola Marymount, it's the 7-footer and the PG and the wing player showing up at Bucknell at the same time. It's awesome when it happens but you can't plan on it happening. And if you're going to blame Joe Jones for not making it happen there are 300+ other coaches who need to share blame with him.
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