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Username Post: Coach of the Year        (Topic#21232)
PennFan10 
Postdoc
Posts: 3580

Reg: 02-15-15
02-26-18 12:59 AM - Post#249548    

http://www.thedp.com/article/2018/02/penn- mens-bas...


DP article arguing for SD for COY. I really think this is a done deal no matter the remaining result no? Is there even a close 2nd?

 
PennFan10 
Postdoc
Posts: 3580

Reg: 02-15-15
02-26-18 11:18 AM - Post#249568    
    In response to PennFan10

I can’t help but wonder how Donahue’s year off from coaching may have influenced his style now. He went a lot of years consecutively coaching a team and his year off after BC he was on ESPN where he got access to all the top programs, their coaches, players and their practices. It’s tough to get an inside look into how the top programs work and I’m certain Steve went to school during hat time.

His willingness and ability to create a style around his existing talent is a big part of Penn’s success this far.

 
10Q 
Professor
Posts: 23199

Loc: Suburban Philly
Reg: 11-21-04
02-26-18 11:53 AM - Post#249576    
    In response to PennFan10

Hopefully Penn is treating him well.

 
SomeGuy 
Professor
Posts: 6391

Reg: 11-22-04
02-26-18 12:45 PM - Post#249587    
    In response to PennFan10

What is remarkable is how he both forced some fundamental change (playing a 3 based style with guys who didn’t shoot it so well, losing the top player in the program who wasn’t a stylistic fit, etc.) along his traditional tendencies AND fashioned something new for him that maximizes the talent.

 
palestra38 
Professor
Posts: 32685

Reg: 11-21-04
02-26-18 12:56 PM - Post#249588    
    In response to SomeGuy

I think we also have to acknowledge the dramatic increase in athletic fitness and reduction in injuries over the pattern under Miller and Jerome. All of the guys in Donahue's program are much stronger and flexible after as little as a year---look at the difference in Caleb Wood's physique after one year. Guys like Foreman and Woods can play bigger men with their strength. Max and AJ both are much stronger than they were. And none of the starters have gotten hurt--just freshmen who probably need the year to get fit enough to play Donahue's way.

 
T.P.F.K.A.D.W. 
PhD Student
Posts: 1169

Loc: Our Nation's Capital
Reg: 01-18-05
02-26-18 01:10 PM - Post#249594    
    In response to palestra38

  • palestra38 Said:
And none of the starters have gotten hurt...


If you just jinxed this team, I swear I will hunt you down and dispense justice.

 
palestra38 
Professor
Posts: 32685

Reg: 11-21-04
02-26-18 01:11 PM - Post#249595    
    In response to T.P.F.K.A.D.W.

Sorry....none of the starters HAS gotten hurt.

 
Silver Maple 
Postdoc
Posts: 3765

Loc: Westfield, New Jersey
Reg: 11-23-04
02-26-18 01:14 PM - Post#249597    
    In response to palestra38

Don't forget about smart game strategies. For instance, they beat Harvard by going to the basket and shooting 76% from 2 pt range.

 
yoyo 
Senior
Posts: 354

Reg: 03-25-09
02-26-18 01:33 PM - Post#249598    
    In response to 10Q

Bilsky isn't around to muck it up

 
penn nation 
Professor
Posts: 21086

Reg: 12-02-04
Re: Coach of the Year
02-26-18 01:38 PM - Post#249600    
    In response to PennFan10

There's a case to be made for McLaughlin for 2nd.

Lose your way best player right before the season begins, but somehow be very competitive in the majority of the Ivy games played to date.

  • PennFan10 Said:
http://www.thedp.com/article/2018/02/penn- mens-bas...


DP article arguing for SD for COY. I really think this is a done deal no matter the remaining result no? Is there even a close 2nd?




 
Penndemonium 
PhD Student
Posts: 1878

Reg: 11-29-04
02-26-18 02:54 PM - Post#249615    
    In response to SomeGuy

The more amazing part to me is how he got everyone to play their strongest role. I complained earlier in the season about how Foreman holds the ball, doesn't keep his eyes up on the drive, and shoots the three - none of which are good for the team. Now he does none of those things and is also a physical defender and calming endgame presence.

AJ sacrificed a lot of his spacing and offense to make room for Max. He played this season as a defense-first power forward and now is facilitating (and finding his offense again). he is dishing out of double teams very effectively.

Max took way too many shots earlier in the season. Now he is making incredible lead passes.

Woods was a high variance high turnover PG. Now he is a defensive rock.

Wood was MIA last season and a turnover machine. Now he is a sharpshooter and catalyst on offense.

I could go on and on - but this has to be one of the most amazing coaching and teamwork stories I've seen. Getting everyone to emphasize their strengths as opposed to highlight their weaknesses (and get everyone's buy-in) has to be one of the most impressive coaching accomplishments I've seen.

Penn is not a dominant team, but they are not giving away games. The transformation through the season has just been a privilege to watch.



 
SRP 
Postdoc
Posts: 4894

Reg: 02-04-06
02-26-18 09:05 PM - Post#249691    
    In response to Penndemonium

You can see when a team has that cohesive "it" factor, where they make each other better and play within their skill sets while playing hard and reveling in team success. Penn has looked like that in all the games I've seen. Plus they've made a lot of good adjustments on both ends to overcome various challenges that came up. Hard to see how Donahue is not coach of the year.

 
whitakk 
Masters Student
Posts: 523

Age: 32
Reg: 11-11-14
02-27-18 01:08 AM - Post#249713    
    In response to SRP

Donahue will clearly win, and I agree he should, but don't dismiss the jobs done by Amaker (might share the title without getting anything from his best player) and Jones (lost two of his top three right before the season and still cruised to top four yet again).

 
Silver Maple 
Postdoc
Posts: 3765

Loc: Westfield, New Jersey
Reg: 11-23-04
02-27-18 12:10 PM - Post#249727    
    In response to whitakk

All true, but this’s is the Penn board, and Steve’s our boy. Plus, he got the program back to the top of the conference in three seasons. Did anybody expect that? I certainly didn’t.

 
PennFan10 
Postdoc
Posts: 3580

Reg: 02-15-15
02-27-18 12:34 PM - Post#249728    
    In response to Silver Maple

I think there is an argument that Amaker has underperformed. Losing Aiken is a big deal but he still has more talent than everyone else. Seth Towns is a POY candidate and Lewis is a periodic monster with a shield of invisibility at times. Overall, with the league down and Harvard clearly the most talented, I think they should have run away with the league.

McLaughlin has done a great job with less despite the disgruntled fans in Hanover.

 
mrjames 
Professor
Posts: 6062

Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
02-27-18 07:41 PM - Post#249761    
    In response to PennFan10

The award should go to Steve, and I can't see how it wouldn't. When you have people looking at a team a lot, and they can't figure out how *that* team is generating *those* results, that's often a clear signal of strong coaching.

 
penn nation 
Professor
Posts: 21086

Reg: 12-02-04
Coach of the Year
02-27-18 07:46 PM - Post#249762    
    In response to mrjames

Look, for example, at the Ivy POW awards.

If you followed the weekly honorees the whole year, you would have absolutely no idea that Penn has only one loss heading into the final week.

Edited by penn nation on 02-27-18 07:47 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

 
PennFan10 
Postdoc
Posts: 3580

Reg: 02-15-15
02-27-18 11:16 PM - Post#249790    
    In response to PennFan10

  • PennFan10 Said:
I think there is an argument that Amaker has underperformed. Losing Aiken is a big deal but he still has more talent than everyone else. Seth Towns is a POY candidate and Lewis is a periodic monster with a shield of invisibility at times. Overall, with the league down and Harvard clearly the most talented, I think they should have run away with the league.

McLaughlin has done a great job with less despite the disgruntled fans in Hanover.




Having thought more about this I need to amend my view. Amaker has lived up to expectations for the Ivy slate and this is a COY award for League play so he is certainly a viable candidate. He has turned his team into a defensive monster and genrall6 gotten enough offense to win. At 12-2 he would certainly merit COY. The OOC games was where I thought he didn’t do his best work, tinkering with lineups and losing winnable games against lesser competition.

 
Charlie Fog 
Masters Student
Posts: 586

Age: 55
Loc: Philly
Reg: 11-12-13
02-28-18 08:51 AM - Post#249804    
    In response to PennFan10

Ok let’s give Amaker COY and we get both the banner and the bid, deal?

 
10Q 
Professor
Posts: 23199

Loc: Suburban Philly
Reg: 11-21-04
02-28-18 08:59 AM - Post#249805    
    In response to Charlie Fog

Let's give him COY, forget the banner and just Dance Dance Dance. That means advancing to the Sweet.

 
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