Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
Sounds sort of like trolls to me. Wesleyan has won 8 National
Championships with a small student enrollment. That is intentional, btw. If the college wanted a larger student enrollment it would lower the admission standards, buy up surrounding property and build more dorms. Crestview Hills has a population of around 3,100 as compared to around 65,000 in Owensboro, I think.
KWC is also regarded as not only one of the best private liberal arts colleges in Kentucky, but also in the South. Wesleyan started competing in College Basketball soon after James Naismith invented the game and one of their first rivals in basketball was the University of Kentucky. I don't remember the last time KWC had a losing season in basketball.
Wesleyan's practice facility, in the WHRC, with a nice weight room and coaches office complex has to be nearly as nice as the Thomas More home game facility. The Owensboro Sportscenter seats 5,000 with a practically new court and new scoreboard system. It would not surprise me to see the facility enhanced even further in the near future should Wesleyan win a Regional. If that happens, Boom goes the dynamite!
I don't know what type of team or teams KWC will have over the upcoming years under the new coach. What I do know is that if the college does not improve their basketball program significantly under this new coach, it could spell the end of a winning basketball tradition at Wesleyan for awhile. And, if that happens it will be a travesty.
I am NOT one who believes Wesleyan can never win big again. That is a load of horse sh#!
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
Originally posted by Oiler View PostDidn't KWC go 15-16 this season? Also I heard KWC wasn't going to play in the sports center next season... any truth to that?
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
I don't remember the last time Wesleyan had a losing sea
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
Originally posted by BlueBlood View PostI was thinking the same thing. TMC is actually the larger school. If they were going D2 (and potentially moving to the same conference), I don't know that you move your family. KWC's past history is the only thing TMC can't replicate. So yeah, it made me re-think the rumors too.
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
Originally posted by KnightStalker View PostMakes me wonder if the rumors of Thomas More going D2 are not true. Granted, the KWC job is higher up in esteem factor from a D3 school but Thomas More going to D2 would have evened that up a little bit (not all the way of course, TM would have a ways to go before coming close to KWC tradition) and he would have some loyalty to the school that gave him his first HC job.
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
Going D2 may help with hiring new coach. Maybe go to Bell again. TM seems like a good job and no moving.
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
A small diversion, but Kdub said that Cooper was pursuing the KWC job. Makes me wonder if the rumors of Thomas More going D2 are not true. Granted, the KWC job is higher up in esteem factor from a D3 school but Thomas More going to D2 would have evened that up a little bit (not all the way of course, TM would have a ways to go before coming close to KWC tradition) and he would have some loyalty to the school that gave him his first HC job.
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Congrats on the hire. I remember him on the sidelines at Bellarmine. Seems like a good dude. Also had some time at nku I guess and played overseas. Should be familiar with the recruiting area and most of the league.
Just wish usi would wise up.
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
thank you...your messages are always interesting and informative. I am sure Colton wants to play...but mom may want him closer to home.
Different subject: How is Bosley doing on the local pro team??
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
Originally posted by Looking For 9 View PostUnless he needs to be closer to home I do not believe Colton could find a better place to go than KWC.
It looks like he will keep Bret Miller on his staff. A good move if he does. I wonder if Cardell would be interested in coaching? I think he runs a skill camp in Evansville.
Cardell helped coach (home games) for much of this past season. It was great to have him on the bench. He is running the skills camp you mentioned and is also currently back at KWC finishing his degree, which is great. And I will also be pleased if he keeps Coach Miller on staff. I said many times this past year that he should have been the interim coach...not as a knock on Jason Mays, but more because Coach Miller recruited most of those players and also has been here for several years and knows the program inside and out.
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
Unless he needs to be closer to home I do not believe Colton could find a better place to go than KWC.
It looks like he will keep Bret Miller on his staff. A good move if he does. I wonder if Cardell would be interested in coaching? I think he runs a skill camp in Evansville.
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
Originally posted by Looking For 9 View PostGood review. He was asked a question about one player..who was that player? My guess it was Colton or Harris. He said group but I suspect it was really small group.
Okay to get really carried away he reminds me of Brad Stevens. Knows where he wants to take this team and how to do it. Seems he is bringing his chief asst. with him.
If Owensboro treats him well he will be around awhile. Everyone must must shake off the hang over of the past7/8 eight years and support this man and his team.
I think they will deserve it.
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
It is so refreshing to see the excitement that y'all have towards your new coach, the KWSC legacy and the future. Good luck!
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
Good review. He was asked a question about one player..who was that player? My guess it was Colton or Harris. He said group but I suspect it was really small group.
Okay to get really carried away he reminds me of Brad Stevens. Knows where he wants to take this team and how to do it. Seems he is bringing his chief asst. with him.
If Owensboro treats him well he will be around awhile. Everyone must must shake off the hang over of the past7/8 eight years and support this man and his team.
I think they will deserve it.
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Re: Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball
As to why I felt as I did after the presser, here are my takeaways from the event:
Coach Cooper is charismatic, well spoken, and understands the tradition that he is taking over. He's young, he's driven, and he's dedicated to building the program back up to the top tier of D2 using exactly what we've said is the ideal mix - a few transfers mixed in with 4 year players.
Some of the specifics that were said during his comments and subsequent questions (as I think of them, no particular order):
*When asked about recruiting mix he stated that his ideal mix - with the understanding that starting from where we are it's going to take a few years probably to get there - but the ideal mix would be to have about 25% each freshmen, sophs, juniors, and seniors on the team, and ideally about 25% of the total could be transfers. That's pretty much exactly what I wanted to hear from that.
*He stated that his family does plan to move to Owensboro. His wife was at the presser, and they have a middle school aged daughter and 5 year old twin boys. I think they will really appreciate the Owensboro area as it's a great place to raise your kids.
*Offensively the team will be something of a Bellarmine clone. The intent will be to have a very high assist to made FG percentage. Giving up the good shots in favor of GREAT shots. Quick sets leading into motion offense.
*We will play multiple defenses. Man to man will be the base, but expect to see different zones mixed in as well.
*He wants the community, alumni, and everyone else to be as excited for the future as they are proud of the past.
*Academically, the goal is to reach and maintain a 3.0 GPA as a team.
*He stated that he intends the culture of the program to be a winning culture on and off the court. He plans to recruit high character kids that will play selflessly and be willing to do what is best for the team.
He also said that he had met with "the group of players that are dedicated to returning" and started building a relationship with them. The roster is absolutely up in the air right now. We could have a few players return...we could have zero players return. He did say when talking about the ideal recruiting mix mentioned above that the plan is to hit the ground running and certainly the intent is to be competitive immediately, so in all likelihood we can expect a heavier mix of transfers for the first year or two as he works to fill the roster. He didn't explicitly say it like that - those are MY words - but that was heavily implied. And I think that's the right way to go. For one thing, say we do have 10 roster spots open...if you go recruit 10 freshmen then in 4 years you're graduating the entire roster again.
A note on the hiring process ... unbeknownst to me prior to today, I actually had a family member on my wife's side that was involved in the hiring process. Groups from all of the various departments on campus performed parts of the interviews with the finalists. I asked her if they interviewed the candidate from New York and she said yes, but that the general feeling that her group (and others) got from him was that he was "waiting for a D1 offer", so take that for what you will. Coach Cooper's name was the first specific name that my unofficial source mentioned to me about 2-3 weeks before any of the other finalists came up. He pursued the job impressively, and in full knowledge of the tradition and expectations that comes along with it. Everything I have learned unofficially, combined with the press conference and subsequent interviews I have seen and listened to afterwards makes me fully agree that he is the right man for the job. Hopefully Owensboro will welcome him with open arms and will get behind this program as we get back to doing what we do best - win championships.
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