Long Season Ahead

A 50 point loss (fact). A team GPA barely over 2.0 (fact). Failed portal recruiting (fact). New guys in the doghouse every week. (Fact). The worst player rotations and playing time decisions I have ever seen (opinion). Like 2 guys + redshirts cheering on the bench (fact).

This culture and leadership has to be questioned. How long are we tied to Legans for?

brooke_PPFan@proton.me wrote:How long are we tied to Legans for?

The original contract was 4 seasons, so one more season, unless there was some extension I'm not aware of.

(Disclaimer: I have zero insider knowledge of what goes on at practice or off the court and the like besides what I read on here.)

Personally, I wouldn't be firing up the hot seat yet, but if we can't win against the conference bottom-feeders...maybe. I think the true test will be next season once T-Rob, the last of the old EWU guard and I feel the one guy keeping this team together, is gone. If no one steps up then it'll most likely be a return to the days of the previous regime.

I'd say a lot is just a perfect storm of bad luck; how much of it is on the coaches besides maybe team GPA idk (see disclaimer). We lost Moses and Kristian to $$$, there's a lot of players who never got serious playing time last year, Juanse not like his freshman year form, Austin not like his pre-injury self, losing Noah and Ali right before conference when we need rebounding the most. Portal recruitment failures in general, I'd say it's tough given the new transfer rules and NIL and the difficulty to attract good players here in the first place.

Overall it does seem like a down year overall across the conference apart from probably USF. Gonzaga won't be ranked next week, Saint Mary's not great as years past (besides this one game   ), Santa Clara was sloppy with the ball last night and was lucky the Zags choked when it mattered, LMU not up to expectations, the rest of the bottom feeders continuing to be bottom feeders.

Good comments, SV.

As I recall, Legs received a salary boost and an extension through 2027 at the beginning of this season.

I have not heard any grumbling from fans in the Chiles Center about Coach Legans, but UP fans are generally a patient bunch....and after the 5 years of futility under the previous coach, Legs teams are far better than before.

Hey, the Pilots only lost by 43. And look on the bright side. Last night the Pilots did not have the worst loss for a team from Portland. The Blazers lost by 62.

up7587 wrote:Hey, the Pilots only lost by 43.  And look on the bright side. Last night the Pilots did not have the worst loss for a team from Portland.  The Blazers lost by 62.  

I just don’t follow NBA ball …. How are the Chiles Center Remix doing?

DoubleDipper wrote:

up7587 wrote:Hey, the Pilots only lost by 43.  And look on the bright side. Last night the Pilots did not have the worst loss for a team from Portland.  The Blazers lost by 62.  

I just don’t follow NBA ball …. How are the Chiles Center Remix doing?

No idea. I haven't watched an NBA game this year. I just heard about their thrashing defeat.

And if you thought our first half was bad, Saint Mary's has a 47-18 lead over Santa Clara at the half. Granted the Broncos are gassed from Thursday, but technically their 29 point halftime gap is greater than our 27 point halftime gap.

brooke_PPFan@proton.me wrote:A 50 point loss (fact). A team GPA barely over 2.0 (fact). Failed portal recruiting (fact). New guys in the doghouse every week. (Fact). The worst player rotations and playing time decisions I have  ever  seen (opinion). Like 2 guys + redshirts cheering on the bench (fact).

This culture and leadership has to be questioned.  How long are we tied to Legans for?

This article from a couple days ago is a great reminder of where the program was prior to Coach Legans taking over.

https://themessenger.com/sports/ncaa-mens-college-basketball-worst-coach-hires

Yeah it's obviously a down season for the Pilots. But we had some great moments from the first two years under the new coaching staff which inherited a disaster from the previous regime. The question should be, how can we/UP best support a younger coach in this new era of college sports?

Dean Murdoch wrote:

brooke_PPFan@proton.me wrote:A 50 point loss (fact). A team GPA barely over 2.0 (fact). Failed portal recruiting (fact). New guys in the doghouse every week. (Fact). The worst player rotations and playing time decisions I have  ever  seen (opinion). Like 2 guys + redshirts cheering on the bench (fact).

This culture and leadership has to be questioned.  How long are we tied to Legans for?

This article from a couple days ago is a great reminder of where the program was prior to Coach Legans taking over.

https://themessenger.com/sports/ncaa-mens-college-basketball-worst-coach-hires

Yeah it's obviously a down season for the Pilots. But we had some great moments from the first two years under the new coaching staff which inherited a disaster from the previous regime. The question should be, how can we/UP best support a younger coach in this new era of college sports?

Given that the portal is now wide open and that we have no NIL money, the challenges to the program and to Coach Legans are greater.

We may be witnessing a time when mid-majors are less competitive.  They are becoming organ donors for the rich, (Brad Pitt Moneyball) well endowed. Losing Moses Wood hurt though in in an earlier era maybe we retain him, maybe.

You are probably aware that obtaining quality players out of the portal without NIL money must be difficult. Legans sales abilities are evident. Let's hope he excels this spring in obtaining transfers who can play and do some coursework.

Now the NCAA wants to form an elite subdivision requiring millions annually to be a member based on your number of athletes. Don't think mid-majors are invited. A new landscape is upon us.

The chaotic unraveling of the PAC12 may be a harbinger.

I am not sure how we support this program short of the
obvious, putting butts in seats and donating to the cause. Showing Legans the door will not help.

Why did Harris not play at SCU?

Geezaldinho wrote:Why did Harris not play at SCU?

@PortlandMBB wrote:First career start for #24 Bol Dengdit. Tyler Harris is sidelined today, due to an ankle injury.

Back to a 6-man rotation tonight. And 3 games in the next seven days.

Chlak it up to bad luck losing Moses and Kristian, and even more bad luck losing a couple experienced players this season.

Legs is great. Be patient. He'll do as good of job as anybody. He has a great eye for talent. That's how he got here.

I love our guys just not our coach. I also liked Ali, Noah, Chika, Alden, Joey, Wyatt and Mike. I liked Juan in a starting role after being WCC Frosh of year selection. His reward.. he came off the bench this year. Now V and Thomas are next on list to be abandoned.

6-7 man rotations when scout team is beating the starters in practice? Thats a coach decision not a matter of fact. So u agree… he’s a salesman. Not a leader.

But… I have to honor Tyler Rob (wow), Yuto (competing), Bol (competing), Juan (nasty). Vuk looked like something was off last night so let’s hope he’s ok. Chris needs more minutes. Wouldn’t mind seeing if these scout/ walk on guys can give us a few minutes. Juan’s shot was short at the end of game as his legs were gone.
Let’s go Pilot!s!

brooke_PPFan@proton.me wrote:I love our guys just not our coach.

I appreciate seeing different perspectives about the team, but I don’t want my silence to be construed as agreement with your conclusions.  I’ve been a season ticket holder for most of the last 25 years (I skipped the last two years of the Terry Porter debacle) and have read everything on PilotNation for the entire time.  Out of all that I’ve come to a rather simple philosophy about Pilot basketball.  As long as there is good leadership and an opportunity to see some good basketball, I’ll keep coming.  Obviously we’re struggling at the moment, but what I see is a competent and caring coach doing his best to turn things around in the middle of a season that had unexpected developments.  It’d be nice to be in the top half of the conference, but for all the reasons listed by others since you started this thread, it may take awhile to get there.  Is this coach capable of achieving that?  Absolutely.  I’ll offer one last thing.  Eric Reveno was the coach here for 10 years.  He was a good coach and an intelligent and caring person.  As he was leaving, he offered one note.  I don’t remember it word for word, but I’ll paraphrase.  He was saying there is nothing quite like coaching.  When you’re winning, the fans will sit at your feet to listen.  When you’re losing, everybody becomes a coach.  I’m sincerely sorry you dislike our coach, but please know that many of us see him as exactly the right person to lead this team.

Loved your post bullwinkle. Only minor issue is that "exactly the right person to lead this team" really does not exist. Legans is a capable, even right choice. Exactly the right is a heavy burden to abide and is a term that should be reserved for theological or philosophical, perhaps mathematical discussions. Our friend Brooke has already pointed out some potential issues with substitution patterns and academic performance of the team. Legans is the right man still, IMHO, but not above mistakes.

idk that guy we fired to hire one of the worst coaches in the nation was pretty damn close to a great fit  yes admittedly i’m a fan of rev but it’s easy and idk why people act like he didn’t come in following another exNBA coached dumpster fire and turn the program around by year 3. he did win 60 games in 3 years, finish 3rd in wcc in back to back, got a top 25 ranking ok for a second but still, top 100 rpis etc. and yes he failed with recruiting for multiple years after that but his team the year porter started would’ve included players that demonstrated he got back on track and i can’t spell them all lol forgive me
- Grant Antecetich - starter cal berkeley
- jazz johnson - top player ranked nevada team
- isaac bonton - wsu
- dude who started at New Mexico
- etc

Eh. I think it’s just awkward especially with Rev just down the road now. Even without those fun high points, no other coach before or since has had even a single winning WCC season here since the 1990s. There was something right about Rev.

Pilotpride03 wrote:Eh. I think it’s just awkward especially with Rev just down the road now. Even without those fun high points, no other coach before or since has had even a single winning WCC season here since the 1990s. There was something right about Rev.

can i like the post but dislike the ugly factual content it reminds us of

Reveno had two years with a winning WCC record. Then 7-7. Then five straight years with a losing record. Porter was also fired after five straight losing seasons, so at least Leykam is consistent.

Legans was 7-7 in his first year, and this will be a second straight season below .500. With history as our guide, he’ll have three more years to get back to .500 to keep his job.

NoPoNeighbor wrote:Reveno had two years with a winning WCC record. Then 7-7. Then five straight years with a losing record. Porter was also fired after five straight losing seasons, so at least Leykam is consistent.

Legans was 7-7 in his first year, and this will be a second straight season below .500. With history as our guide, he’ll have three more years to get back to .500 to keep his job.

if all rev had done was “get to 500” in wcc i doubt  he would get that kind of patience. he earned more time by breaking school win records, finish 3rd in wcc twice, coach of year honor... i think he proved bar can be higher here and we have same AD so who knows where his bar is now

pilots#1 wrote:

NoPoNeighbor wrote:Reveno had two years with a winning WCC record. Then 7-7. Then five straight years with a losing record. Porter was also fired after five straight losing seasons, so at least Leykam is consistent.

Legans was 7-7 in his first year, and this will be a second straight season below .500. With history as our guide, he’ll have three more years to get back to .500 to keep his job.

if all rev had done was “get to 500” in wcc i doubt  he would get that kind of patience. he earned more time by breaking school win records, finish 3rd in wcc twice, coach of year honor... i think he proved bar can be higher here and we have same AD so who knows where his bar is now

Actually AD that hired Rev might’ve been more patient given degree of success relative to program’s historical lacking. Both Rev and his AD got other job offers. “Fun” fact: had Rev also jumped ship he would’ve been the first-ever Pilot men’s bball HC to walk out the front door. As it stands, people claim he’s the first former Pilot men’s bball coach to still have a coaching career after UP. I’m too lazy to confirm lol.

Legs was fine at EWU. And in year 1 at UP a lot of familiar pieces (T Rob, Mike, Jack) were complemented by guys like Wood, K Sho, etc. our issue is two-fold (recruiting and strategy) but the real issue is Legs is stuck in the wrong era. Take away the 6 D3 wins from last 3 years and what’s the record? Even worse…

He was a blue collar hire who has lost his way. At EW he prides himself on walkons so let’s talk about them… Chika - gone. Jarrett - gone. Lemke, Stack, Younan, J harris.. don’t see the floor.

Let’s talk transfers.. Joey, Wyatt, Ali, Noah, Thomas are the last 5.

Stay loyal to blue collar, high character approach OR adapt to NIL era . Maybe take less salary ? Maybe get some NIL from Blazers who have their G League team here?

Coach Brock quit. Coach O getting in fights in the stands with parents. 2.3 team GPA. 1-9 since we went to 8 man rotation.

Let’s beat Pepperdine! And then beat Pacific so I can shut up !

Pilotpride03 wrote:
Actually AD that hired Rev might’ve been more patient given degree of success relative to program’s historical lacking. Both Rev and his AD got other job offers. “Fun” fact: had Rev also jumped ship he would’ve been the first-ever Pilot men’s bball HC to walk out the front door. As it stands, people claim he’s the first former Pilot men’s bball coach to still have a coaching career after UP. I’m too lazy to confirm lol.

Ben Johnson, who took over the head coaching job when Terry
Porter got canned, is now an assistant at Northern Arizona, so that’s two head coaches who still have a coaching career.

Geezaldinho wrote:

Pilotpride03 wrote:
Actually AD that hired Rev might’ve been more patient given degree of success relative to program’s historical lacking. Both Rev and his AD got other job offers. “Fun” fact: had Rev also jumped ship he would’ve been the first-ever Pilot men’s bball HC to walk out the front door. As it stands, people claim he’s the first former Pilot men’s bball coach to still have a coaching career after UP. I’m too lazy to confirm lol.

Ben Johnson, who took over the head coaching job when Terry
Porter got canned, is now an assistant at Northern Arizona, so that’s two head coaches who still have a coaching career.

Going even further back, Jack Avina was an assistant at San Diego under Hank Egan in the early 90s. A very young Randy Bennett and an even younger Kyle Smith were also on that staff.