theeagleman5 Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 It's New Year's Day and TheEagleman is just basking in the glow of 12-3 and NINE WINS IN A ROW.....looking forward to more W's in 2023.....and wondering what the guy on this board who keeps knocking Coach Paul Mills is thinking.......he knows who he is...... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle88 Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 So pleased with our 12-3 record thus far. Here are a few observations: 1) Paul Mills is a good coach that has proven he can recruit talent. He seems to be getting better at teaching defense and/or he has players that can execute what he wants. 2) The addition of Connor and Patrick this year has been huge! They both are difference makers. 3) i was told before the season that we had a power 5 team this year. I didn't see it right away but I am beginning to believe it. 4) This team is confident and talented with a lot of veteran experience which should help us come March. 5) The chemistry on the team seems really good. Wouldn't another run in March be great?!! 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post TrueBlue82 Posted January 2, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted January 2, 2023 Two weeks into the Summit League calendar, and ORU has done everything to confirm the pre-season prognosticators’ selection of ORU as the team to beat. In fact, I’m convinced that the talent and depth gap is so significant that the only Summit team that can beat ORU… is ORU. Will there be a slip-up or two during the rigors of a full conference season? Likely yes. That said, as long as the “oops” doesn’t occur in March in Sioux Falls, ORU has a great opportunity to be dancing in mid-March - and to be a team that NO ONE wants to face in ANY round of March Madness. Why has ORU risen to the top of the Summit? In large part, because ORU has WON the transfer portal. In an era where most other Summit schools have been hurt (and some, decimated) by the portal, ORU has held strong and flourished. Yes, ORU lost KO - and that can only be described as a HUGE loss. But, the incoming pipeline of McBride, Vanover, and Mwamba has more than offset the loss of Obanor. And, of course, the impact of KEEPING Max while the transfer portal beckoned cannot be overstated. While Coach Mills is known as a very good recruiter, I think his ability to build a culture that retains talent and attracts quality transfers that fit well into that culture has been by far the greatest factor in this season’s success. The new year promises to be an exciting time for die-hard Golden Eagle fans! 7 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bogus Smith Posted January 2, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted January 2, 2023 Although I do agree that Mills is a great "closer" on the recruiting trail and can evaluate and project talent, I would suggest that Russell Springmann is a great evaluator of talent as well. Sam Patterson and Kenton Paulino are able to articulate the needs of the program to recruits and coach their assigned players into what the team needs. Also, Steve Upshaw takes excellent care of the MANY details that go along with running a successful basketball program. In other words, the coaching staff has bought in, are working well together, and pulling the team into that same culture by modeling what the coaching staff is doing. We saw this same environment with Tom Hankins, Conley Phipps and Corey Williams in the mid-2000's. It is important to keep this team of coaches together and engaged; however, it is nearly impossible to keep these variables in tact for a long period of time as many coaches want to do what is best for their families (understandably). It is important to see people like Solomon Bozeman and Talvin Hester elevate themselves into head coaching positions. 3 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlue82 Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 Great points, Bogus. The impact of the assistants is huge. When I said “Coach Mills” in my previous posts, I really meant “Coach Mills and his ORU Coaching Staff”. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keenan Henderson Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 It is also good to see the senior leadership stepping up: Carlos, Kareem, and DJ. These guys were very up and down last year but for the most part have been really solid role players this season. They are still the core group (yes Max too) from the Sweet 16 run. Their veteran leadership has mixed well with the transfers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 I have a question that some of you who have played D1 ball or are close to the team may be able to answer. How do guys like Clover, Herron and Williams handle the fact they are not seeing any playing time. Are they still engaged as teammates, or are they discouraged and probably out the door next year? Just wondering what the dynamic is for guys like that who, I am sure, came to ORU expecting to get plenty of game action. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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