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from http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/smu/stories/111807dnsposmuhoops.2c6e7be.html

Doherty promised some character-building practices in the next days.

"The good thing for me, we're not in school this week so there are no rules," Doherty said.

Based on what people have described as 'brutal' practices going on, I'm not sure whether I should be encouraged or concerned by this comment.

Last year the team was doing ok until the character building sessions right after the OU game. They weren't the same team after that in my opinion......

There is more than a little truth to that. I thought the team peaked last year around Thanksgiving, the blowout of La. Monroe was the best offensive performance of the year, and possibly the best all around effort of the season (Dayton arguably better, but close). After that, there were a couple of lackluster wins against Paul Quinn and Prairie View, where we won, but didnt look too inspired. Oklahoma rolled over us like a train, we were never in the game, and immediately after the OU slaughter we scraped bottom by losing to NCA&T. We managed to get past Brown, a cellar dweller in the Ivy league, but when the conference season started everything rolled steadily downhill.

If the team gets consistently worn down, or has injuries, things could get worse this year. I know that's going to be hard to even comprehend, but it's reality.

Forgot to mention, the "no rules" quote in the paper is kind of disturbing.

I get a sense that once Doherty gets "embarrassed" by his team, he takes it out on them big time. I too am concerned by the comment, "no rules."

Nothing good came out of the brutality checks last season. One guy got a busted nose.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Let's just hope the players respond well and improve their game quicker.

I saw the after effects of the "character building" and "no rules" last year. I don't know if it did much more than prove there were some pretty tough kids on last year's team. Guess we'll find out which freshmen are tough.............

As I mentioned earlier on a different thread - I have been to two practices, one of which was very "character building." If the players are committed then it may work; however, I am greatly concerned this could have a negative effect. I hope not.

There is no doubt we need work in rebounding, diving for loose balls, hustle in general, and toughness. Unless you have drills that teach those things along with conditioning, I'm not sure you can improve. But could you kill this team's spirit.

I am as befuddled by 0-3 as any of you and I just don't understand getting blown out by 3 supposedly lesser schools. It is depressing.

One thing does seem to point to the problem and that is the fact that they appear to be more concerned with running the offense and in setting screens and moving in the motion offense then they are with using their
basketball talents and instincts to score baskets - sometimes running the system takes away from instincts.

I hope Doh can find out what is wrong and fix it - I have no clue because the new guys appear to have some talent. But where did Roberts go? He has completely disappeared and is not leading.

The Falcon wrote: I am greatly concerned this could have a negative effect. I hope not.


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I hope not as well. I wasn't there, so I don't know...wasn't that what some claimed to be the issue at Carolina?

[disclaimer for Carolina question: I'm pro-Duke]

he was brutal at UNC and his character building practices lost the team, had parents of players turn on him, and created a riff w/ el-Deano. Doh needs to tread lightly, this is his team, and its performing at this level b/c of the way it was abruptly put together. Them sucking is more Dohs fault than the players right now. This bottoming out was done by design

i know a guy who walked on last year, but decided not to play this year to concentrate on school and he loves coach doh. they still keep in contact all the time, even though he complained after the hellacious practices involving a ton of running. he just likes to be the best conditioned team on the court

PonyDoh wrote:Doh needs to tread lightly, this is his team, and its performing at this level b/c of the way it was abruptly put together.

frightening, because he's already said he ain't gonna (tread lightly).

And it concerns me if there was a riff created with the guy Coach K anointed as "God coaching down the street." I mean, you get a hell of a job, and everyone knows that "whatever you do, don't [deleted] off ______." And you go and [deleted] off _____. Kind of disconcerting.

Hopefully these are hiccups/growing pains that we'll get over.

So a "no rules" practice involves a lot of running and conditioning drills? If that is the case I support Doherty 100%.

I think it's more. Like, no such thing as a foul, anything goes.

Or maybe it just means with no classes in session, they can practice harder and longer without worrying about them possibly missing classes or study time. I mean, why would no classes have anything to do with practice being brutal? The "no rules" I would think have to be linked to class attendance and to study time.