MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[depew24]

I think I am going to be at the MU/WU game on wednesday. Being an alum of WU I try to get to some games now but with work it seems to be a little more trying. Brad Robinson is still learning how to play the game in a sense. With the lack of a teacher at the post position he hasn't or won't develop into what he could/should have.

[furbug]

Thanks, again, Eureka SID. Even though they may not have been hitting from the outside, the doubling on Robinson couldn't have been stopping him much if he had 14 points and 7 rebounds in 19 minutes. Who knows? I hope that he isn't hurt.  We'll see what happens Wednesday night.

[hopefan]

My impression is opposite our new contributor's Mr Depew.  It's always been my opinion that coach Bunch must be a very good teacher of post men. 

When I first saw Hogget he seemed to me to be a slow footed, non jumping guy who was no where near the level of other big men in the league such as Bash, Davis,  Djedovich etc.  He became a first team All conference player.

As recently as last year I remember telling Yjak that Robinson was awful- he seemed to be very athletic with limited basketball skills - this year he has been turned into a pivot man who consistently attacks the basket and is now capable of producingg double double numbers virtually any game..
I think Coach Bunch is an outstanding teacher of post players.....

[depew24]

Having played for Bunch and have close friends that also play/played for him there is not a whole lot of teaching when it comes to Bunch. I have my own opinions of CB, he's a great guy and enjoy talking with him but could do somethings different to create better results on the court. Darrin has put in the time and work on his own to become the player he has. He still struggles with taller, athletic players but still puts up solid numbers against them.

[furbug]

I think that Hopefan is right on target with that comment. Robinson has really come up big this year. That is why I was surprised to see only 19 minutes in the last game.

[depew24]

I agree with hopefan too. In the fact the Robinson has inproved a lot but having been around the players that are there now i know that it's a lot of teammates that are helping him on his footwork which is his downfall

[BunchTime]

Also having played for Coach Bunch for 3 years, I strongly disagree with Mr. Depew's comments.  I think Coach Bunch is an excellent teacher in regards to post players.  To make my point, one need only look at the results of some of his post players during his tenure at Webster.  First, Kaniela Aiona.  This was a guy who came to Webster and played very little his freshman year and then went on to become a dominant force in the SLIAC for a few years.  Darrin Hoggat and Brad Robinson are also prime examples.  Brad Robinson, arguably, has made the greatest strides of any big man in recent history at Webster.  And this improvement is not an anomaly or coincidence.  Like I said, one need only to look at the improvement of Coach Bunch's post players to notice a trend.  I guess Depew would think that these improvements are all attributed to that individual players own work ethic.  While work ethic is definitely a neccesary compenent to becoming a better player, it is Coach Bunch that instills the desire to become better in these players, while also showing/teaching these players ways in which to improve.

[buncheriffic]

With the lack of a teacher at the post position he hasn't or won't develop into what he could/should have.

BunchTime and some others have already commented on this, but I have got to chime in. This is the most ridiculous statement on D3hoops. Coach Bunch has developed some of the best big men in recent SLIAC history.

I agree with Y-jack and Hopefan, Robinson's turn around was unlikely and thanks to Coach Bunch's guidance you are looking at an all-conference SLIAC player. What year did you play for Webster? Did you see Robinson as a freshman? I am not down on Robinson, I think he is a great guy and has worked hard to get where he is, but he didn't do it without guidance.

BunchTime is spot on about Aiona. Aiona was much further along in development than Robinson, but through Coach Bunch's diligence Aiona became an all conference hit as a Gorlok. In fact, the skills he learned from Coach Bunch have paid off as Aiona is now in his third year as an assistant coach - specializing in developing post players. By the way, congrats on that 4 game win streak out there in Fayette, Coach Aiona.

Basilio was another player developed in the Bunch pipeline. He wasn't as big as Hoggatt, Aiona, or Robinson but he put together a very nice career. Ended up on the Webster career blocks chart and was a big contributer his JR and SR years.

And finally, don't look past Hoggatt. He has also came a long way since his first year at Webster.

One other point, I bet if you asked Robinson how he feels about Coach Bunch he would probably tell you that Coach Bunch not only taught him about the game of basketball, but the game of life.

[BunchTime]

Buncheriffic, I am glad you made that last point about Coach Bunch teaching his players about the "game of life."  Coach Bunch is a very loyal person and would do anything for any of his players.  I am quite certain that Robinson would ditto this statement as well.  So not only has Coach Bunch been pivotal in developing his players, but more importantly, it is his off-the-court guidance that have made his former players successful in life after basketball.  Personally speaking, I am indebted to Coach Bunch for all that he has done for me, and taught me!

[depew24]

I agree with the Bunch bunch about him teaching life and things that are bigger than basketball. He is a great guy and no one can debate that. I am going keep my opinions to myself about this from here out, because they are my own opinions and those of most of the names that you have mentioned. But thats not the point. Im happy to be posting though!

[y_jack_lok]

I agree with Y-jack and Hopefan, Robinson's turn around was unlikely and thanks to Coach Bunch's guidance you are looking at an all-conference SLIAC player.

While I appreciate that buncherrific says he agrees with me, I have not participated in this discussion of the development of post players at Webster. I don't know what takes place in practices so I hope I am successful in refraining from making comments about how Coach Bunch, or any coach, is teaching the players. However I am occcasionally inclined to make observations about coaching decisions during a game, or generalized statements about the success of a team under a given coach or coaches. I think Coach Bunch and his staff are doing a fine job.

depew 24, we are glad you have joined our conversation.

[BunchTime]

My last comment about the subject and then I will move on, but having played for Coach Bunch for 3 years I am in position to make observations about this topic that most others cannot.  He is a fine teacher of the game and always maxmizes the talent of each individual player.

Depew:  You should always feel welcome to share your opinions, even if they are provocative.  A simple disagreement should not deter you from sharing your candid thoughts on this board.  However, you should be prepared to support your assertion.  And the facts clearly support my opinion regarding this topic as I have provided evidence of Webster's post players and their improvement while playing for Coach Bunch.

[fcnews]

Every coach prepares and handles his team in the best way he see's fit. Coach Bunch is a great guy. Coaches are measured by their won-loss column, but there is so much more to the job then just that stat. Fans, players and former players all have a right to their own opinion. Most fans do not know the enter workings of pracice preperations over a season. A head coach is only as good as his staff. Maybe in this case Coach Bunch has one of his assistants working with the bigs. If so, it is still under his direction. It's hard to knock Bunch's regular season success. Webster ought to be very proud of this guy.

Looking forward to Hopefan's tuesday morning break down. I have a +Karma waiting.

[hopefan]

ok  here it goes

first of all, I've decided I'm going to Westminster at Fontbonne.  While the Maryville at Webster game offers the potential of a huge upset, I'm more anxious to see Westminster for the first time this year.  So Yjak, keep the phone line open!!

Westminster leads the league in defense, giving up only 52 points per game while Fontbonne is second in the conference in offense at 78.3 points per game.  Maryville showed that the way to shut down Fontbonne is to disrupt the offense with pressure on the guards, generating fewer touches for Fogerty and Storandt.  Westminster has the personnel to be able to do that.  But Coach McKinney learns from his mistakes- likely will be better prepared to deal with that kind of pressure.  I don't think Westminster will be able to stop Fontbonne's inside game.  Also, Westminster showed on Saturday that if their guards aren't shooting well, they have little else to rely on - Fontbonne can defend well enough to make it tough on that perimeter game.  Surprisingly, I thing Fontbonne wins this one in a score that may not be that close.

Maryville is really hitting their stride and should give Webster a real tussle.
Maryville's pressure defense could hurt a Webster team that doesn't have a true point guard starting,  but they have no answer for the Hoggit Robinson duo.  Webster's bench can also make a difference.  I'm trying to talk myself into predicting a Maryville upset, because several Maryville players (Goodwin, Holland, McKoy) have really stepped it up, but reality sets in and I have too think that Webster is just that much better - a Webster win...

Greenville at Eureka   I've seen each team once - and because I like Coach Barber, and Cochran and Ellis, and Greenville has the edge on depth, I lean towards Greenville.

Hopefully Blackburn didn't use themselves up in the near upset of Westminster - if not, they should get that first League win over Prin.

[Gem Shooz]

Looked at a couple this week's predictions for Wednesday night from regular posters, but didn't see anyone mention the LCC at Mac game. They're still in the SLIAC aren't they? For those who have seen both teams, what do you think?