Slippery Rock

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Gannon has a private (it's online, so not that private) message board geared directly for Gannon Basketball. Over the years I've come to check in on it. It's a well-run site (minus a few IUP bashers). I also see the Gannon/IUP rivarly as a mutually respected one. This past weekend a piece ran focused on Slippery Rock and coach Kevin Reynolds. It brings up some interesting thoughts and perspectives. It would be very interesting to hear from any Rock fans, although I don't think any come to this side of the board.



Knights Still On Solid Footing, Rock Reputation Slipping

This week Gannon extended its winning streak to eight games with a rugged 57-54 win Wednesday over Slippery Rock but came crashing back down to earth Saturday when they fell to #6 Indiana (Pa.), 72-62. Unless some cataclysmic event takes place, IUP will win the PSAC West going away (they're three full games ahead of our Knights).



With Gannon still in good shape and no overtime games to discuss, I'd like us to look beyond basketball for a bit. The late, great Dean Smith describes the purpose of an athletic program this way: "Athletics is to the university like the front porch is to a home. It is the most visible part, yet certainly not the most important."

I've written before about



Before I share details behind that statement, let me explain why a Gannon grad like me cares about The Rock. SRU is where my parents met and both graduated with teaching degrees, and they were proud of their experiences there. I grew up before kids had phones and everyone had cable TV, so I spent many rainy days poring over the black-and-white photos in Slippery Rock yearbooks. Soccer photos from the 1960s, when the game was foreign to most Western Pennsylvanians, were particularly entertaining to me.

My mom would laugh while telling stories about her quirky roommates, overbearing residence hall monitors, and her time in class with soon-to-be rock legend Donny Iris. I don't know much about music, but I know his real last name is Ierace and that teachers would scold him by saying "Mr. I-ROTCH-EE!" because of my mom's fond college memories. I don't want to overstate it and say the place seemed magical to me, but it certainly was admirable.

Today, when I see how men's basketball coach Kevin Reynolds represents Slippery Rock, I have a much different opinion of the school. I sit by the opposing bench most every Gannon game in part to observe the coaches (I'm a student of leadershipand try to use every situation to learn), and here's some of what I recall from Wednesday:

• You know how when a fan says the coach complained about every call or whined the whole game, they don't literally mean every call and the whole game. But I'm being literal here when I say Reynolds barked at the officials -- or sometimes just shouted at the wind -- for essentially all 40 minutes Wednesday.
• He received a warning for being outside the coaching box early in the game and was unapologetic about committing the infraction. In fact, it seemed like for the rest of the game he was baiting the officials by regularly wandering to half court or stomping three steps onto the floor during a dead ball.
• After coach Reilly vociferously (but briefly) argued a block foul call against Evan Phoenix, Reynolds made sure to harangue each referee one-by-one on the ensuing possessions. "Why didn't he get a box warning? Why didn't he get one? How come I got one and he doesn't?" he yelled at each official. Then he started shouting to nobody in particular, "Isn't it sportsmanship week? I thought this was sportsmanship week," to the bewilderment of the folks sitting around me. (P.S. Happy belated unofficial sportsmanship week, everybody!)
• The capper for me came with 11 seconds left in regulation when -- I'll spare you all the technical details -- Reynolds was denied inserting a player back into the game because time hadn't run off the clock since the player subbed out. Gannon official scorer Rick "Stats" Klapthor caught it, and then one of the officials informed Reynolds. "The clock moved," stated Reynolds, who clearly embraces the concept of alternative facts. When informed that wasn't the case, he continued to state his false claim: "The clock moved. The clock moved." When the official walked away from him, he started shouting at him, "You're crazy! This is crazy! You're absolutely crazy!"

The thing is, I've seen a version of this all before. The only new part was the bald-faced lying. This wasn't just a "bad day" for Reynolds or him justifiably standing up for his kids because his team was getting manhandled. I recall in 2009 at Slippery Rock

[Guest]

Re: Slippery Rock

He should be speaking up about the about the Gannon women's program before he hurls insults at other schools. Remember the booster calling for Brunelli to be fired. im pretty sure it was about verbal abuse of players. I'm pretty sure it's still happening. Nice record Brunelli. Take care of your own porch. Real piece of crap article. I would post it on his website but he deletes any criticism.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Slippery Rock

I tend to disagree with the article, also. Knowing Kevin Reynolds off the court and on the court are very different things.

Reynolds is coaching at a school that could care less about basketball. Slippery Rock is purely a football school in the eyes of its athletic department. He's playing with half the scholarship money (perhaps less than half) than the schools he's told to compete against yearly. Cut IUP or Gannon's budget in half and see what happens. Division II recruiting is for the rich schools. Top transfers basically cause bidding wars.

Morrow Field House is a complete dump. The only gym in the West worse is Tippin Gymnasium at Clarion -- and they are pretty much equally awful.

Reynolds gets a little wound up on the sidelines. OK ... he gets over-animated. The others in the West aren't angels, either. Joe, Manchel, Reilly ... they aren't a whole lot better. All three hammer the officials non-stop. All game. They are older and run more respected programs. That helps.

The thing Reynolds does with the wooden stools in the center of the court for timeouts ... yeah ... that needs to stop. It's disrespectful to the home team which is I'm sure why he does it. No other team does it.

One thing Reynolds has done, almost miraculously, is win. He brings one rag-tag group in after another and on any given night can hang with the 'rich' boys of the PSAC. He knocked Gannon out of the Regional two years ago after losing to the Knights THREE times in the regular season/PSAC Tournament. That's impressive. He's been a major thorn to IUP at times over the past 3-4 years. And, with what ... 3 to 4 scholarships to spread over a whole roster.

Basketball COACHING ... pound for pound ... he's one of the best in the PSAC. His theatrics are a different story but he's far from the only annoying coach in the league.

He'd be scary with a budget.

And, keep in mind, it's Slippery Rock. Mini Me is on the front porch of the University. Reynolds is out back in Storage B.

[Guest]

Re: Slippery Rock

I think SRU proved Gannon isn't as physical as past seasons and iup showed gannon is not as talented as they are. Possibly next year depending on recruiting. Joe making Evan Phoenix play pick and roll defense and Reilly having no answer could have been mentioned. Many other topics could have been covered. Talking about another coach and school takes focus off of your own shortcomings. Sad

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Slippery Rock

Valid point. The IUP game Saturday was essentially ignored.

I particularly liked two items:

* The complaint of Reynolds being constantly outside the coaches' box. Reilly lives outside of said box. In Indiana this year he spent more time out of it than in it. That's classic pot calling the kettle black.

* In reference to Reynolds ... "(his) team was getting manhandled" .... What am I missing here .... SRU lost in the final seconds of the game. An ending, by the way, that had a controversial call turned over against Slippery Rock with 12 seconds to play. Winning a game, on your home floor, against a near .500 team, by three points, whom you likely have more than double the scholarship money, is hardly 'manhandling' them.


Gannon is much better this year. No doubt about it. That said, they couldn't have gotten much worse than last year. But, when you break down the 13-6 record, there are some things that jump out:

Their best win is arguably against UPJ. The vast majority of the other 12 wins came against teams at or below the .500 mark.

The losses have all come against teams with winning records: IUP (twice), an average at best West Chester, Ohio Dominican, East Stroudsburg and Wheeling Jesuit. WCU is actually under .500 currently.

It's their site ... write whatever they want to write about ... the timing just seemed weird. Four days after the Rock game but right after the IUP loss.

I like Kevin Reynolds and know him personally. I would have ZERO problem -- none at all -- with him being the eventual replacement for Joe (when he retires). In fact, I hope he is the heir apparent.

Maybe there's still a grudge over that Regional upset. I just think it's hard to write a degrading sermon about the man whom, as admitted, you don't know. If whiny coaches define people then the NCAA is doomed.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Re: Slippery Rock

Chris Fite would be a great heir apparent for Bravado Joe as well. But I hope that Joe will be staying on for a long time here.

[Guest]

Re: Slippery Rock

Gannon shot 59 free throws to 29 in the SRU and IUP games. i find that stat hard to believe. Another topic that could have been discussed. Sad

[Chuck Norris]

Re: Slippery Rock

Valid point. The IUP game Saturday was essentially ignored.

I particularly liked two items:

* The complaint of Reynolds being constantly outside the coaches' box. Reilly lives outside of said box. In Indiana this year he spent more time out of it than in it. That's classic pot calling the kettle black.

* In reference to Reynolds ... "(his) team was getting manhandled" .... What am I missing here .... SRU lost in the final seconds of the game. An ending, by the way, that had a controversial call turned over against Slippery Rock with 12 seconds to play. Winning a game, on your home floor, against a near .500 team, by three points, whom you likely have more than double the scholarship money, is hardly 'manhandling' them.


Gannon is much better this year. No doubt about it. That said, they couldn't have gotten much worse than last year. But, when you break down the 13-6 record, there are some things that jump out:

Their best win is arguably against UPJ. The vast majority of the other 12 wins came against teams at or below the .500 mark.

The losses have all come against teams with winning records: IUP (twice), an average at best West Chester, Ohio Dominican, East Stroudsburg and Wheeling Jesuit. WCU is actually under .500 currently.

It's their site ... write whatever they want to write about ... the timing just seemed weird. Four days after the Rock game but right after the IUP loss.

I like Kevin Reynolds and know him personally. I would have ZERO problem -- none at all -- with him being the eventual replacement for Joe (when he retires). In fact, I hope he is the heir apparent.

Maybe there's still a grudge over that Regional upset. I just think it's hard to write a degrading sermon about the man whom, as admitted, you don't know. If whiny coaches define people then the NCAA is doomed.

A few years ago there was pretty much a full on revolt on this board against IUP men's hoops when the team morphed into a slow, plodding PSAC West style team that played the ugly West style games nearly every night. Today we pull our hair out when IUP is lured into that type of game. I can't imagine bringing in a guy who has made his name playing that way, even without all the sideline histrionics.

Some guys are better suited for the role of the spunky underdog. Put them in the big dog seat and it just doesn't work. That's Kevin Reynolds to me. He'd wear out his welcome pretty fast at a place like IUP in my opinion.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Slippery Rock

Valid point.

I am looking forward to his visit Saturday. You know he's good at being annoying when he can even get the KCAC crowd fired up. That takes a magician of sorts.

They are playing well lately. It will be a grinder.

[Golden89]

Re: Slippery Rock

I think that the Gannon web site person was unable to make the IUP game (I didn't see him there) and may have prepared his piece ahead of time knowing that fact. Unfortunate scheduling.

The site is a Gannon men's basketball site, so I don't know why it should broach the Brunelli issue.

[Golden89]

Re: Slippery Rock

Gannon is much better this year. No doubt about it. That said, they couldn't have gotten much worse than last year. But, when you break down the 13-6 record, there are some things that jump out:

Their best win is arguably against UPJ. The vast majority of the other 12 wins came against teams at or below the .500 mark.

The losses have all come against teams with winning records: IUP (twice), an average at best West Chester, Ohio Dominican, East Stroudsburg and Wheeling Jesuit. WCU is actually under .500 currently.

I agree that Gannon's schedule has been quite weak this year, compared to what the other posters on the Gannon site say. Look at the Key Performance Indicators. GU's strength of schedule is something like 33rd out of 43. The cancellation of the PSAC / CIAA games in early November didn't help matters. And the UPJ win in Johnstown was a small miracle. Once could make the case that Gannon could have lost three of those five OT games in regulation. (Cal missed FT with 11 seconds to go, UPJ 9-3 run in final 8 seconds, Clarion -- had to make 3 FTs in closing seconds).

[Guest]

Re: Slippery Rock

I think that the Gannon web site person was unable to make the IUP game (I didn't see him there) and may have prepared his piece ahead of time knowing that fact. Unfortunate scheduling.

The site is a Gannon men's basketball site, so I don't know why it should broach the Brunelli issue.

stick to Gannon men's basketball then. dont point fingers unless both your houses are in order. Extremely hypocritical. hard to believe he is not aware of the issues surrounding Brunelli.

[thefauves1]

Re: Slippery Rock

stick to Gannon men's basketball then. dont point fingers unless both your houses are in order. Extremely hypocritical. hard to believe he is not aware of the issues surrounding Brunelli.

Such anger. False equivalency here. Writer of GU blog is a hypocrite? It's men's basketball site. And I sat behind the Rock bench during the game, as I have for years and Reynolds was more boorish and than usual. And I'm glad it was written about. Sad.

I can seperate his behavior from his ability to coach and compete with less resources.

[Guest]

Re: Slippery Rock

Such anger. False equivalency here. Writer of GU blog is a hypocrite? It's men's basketball site. And I sat behind the Rock bench during the game, as I have for years and Reynolds was more boorish and than usual. And I'm glad it was written about. Sad.

I can seperate his behavior from his ability to coach and compete with less resources.

the only difference is one coaches men and one coaches women. The behavior and the way it represents a school is equivalent. Having that behavior continue is equivalent. I agree with the last paragraph of the article. Practice what you preach.

[thefauves1]

Re: Slippery Rock

the only difference is one coaches men and one coaches women. The behavior and the way it represents a school is equivalent. Having that behavior continue is equivalent. I agree with the last paragraph of the article. Practice what you preach.

Agree, but somehow you think it is the responsibility of the GU Men's B-Basketball blog to report on this. I don't care about women's basketball. If you are so concerned, start a women's basketball blog. Sad.