PennFan10
Postdoc
Posts: 3580
Reg: 02-15-15
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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?
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PennFan10
Postdoc
Posts: 3580
Reg: 02-15-15
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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.
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10Q
Professor
Posts: 23199
Loc: Suburban Philly
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-26-18 11:53 AM - Post#249576
In response to PennFan10
Hopefully Penn is treating him well.
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SomeGuy
Professor
Posts: 6391
Reg: 11-22-04
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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.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32685
Reg: 11-21-04
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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.
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T.P.F.K.A.D.W.
PhD Student
Posts: 1169
Loc: Our Nation's Capital
Reg: 01-18-05
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02-26-18 01:10 PM - Post#249594
In response to palestra38
And none of the starters have gotten hurt...
If you just jinxed this team, I swear I will hunt you down and dispense justice.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32685
Reg: 11-21-04
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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.
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Silver Maple
Postdoc
Posts: 3765
Loc: Westfield, New Jersey
Reg: 11-23-04
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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.
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yoyo
Senior
Posts: 354
Reg: 03-25-09
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02-26-18 01:33 PM - Post#249598
In response to 10Q
Bilsky isn't around to muck it up
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penn nation
Professor
Posts: 21086
Reg: 12-02-04
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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.
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Penndemonium
PhD Student
Posts: 1878
Reg: 11-29-04
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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.
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SRP
Postdoc
Posts: 4894
Reg: 02-04-06
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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.
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whitakk
Masters Student
Posts: 523
Age: 32
Reg: 11-11-14
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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).
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Silver Maple
Postdoc
Posts: 3765
Loc: Westfield, New Jersey
Reg: 11-23-04
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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.
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PennFan10
Postdoc
Posts: 3580
Reg: 02-15-15
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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.
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mrjames
Professor
Posts: 6062
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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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.
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penn nation
Professor
Posts: 21086
Reg: 12-02-04
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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.
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PennFan10
Postdoc
Posts: 3580
Reg: 02-15-15
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02-27-18 11:16 PM - Post#249790
In response to PennFan10
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.
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Charlie Fog
Masters Student
Posts: 586
Age: 55
Loc: Philly
Reg: 11-12-13
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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?
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10Q
Professor
Posts: 23199
Loc: Suburban Philly
Reg: 11-21-04
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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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