Another disappointing year for Tiger basketball, has become a theme for the Frank Haith era. I honestly don't think Frank Haith, will have too many more years at the helm in Columbia. The last two coaches, Quinn Snyder and Mike Anderson took the team in their third year to the Elite Eight. Haith led the Tigers into the second round of the N.I.T. and couldn't even pull out a home win then.
I know, I know, different players, different philosophies, yeah, yeah. But Haith like Snyder, inherited a talented club, but Snyder was able to bring in more talented recruits, Kareem Rush, Ricky Paulding, Arthur Johnson and Travon Bryant, in addition to the talent already at the school. Anderson by contrast had to build up a team, dealing with the leftovers of Quinn Snyder's lackadaisical last two teams and recruiting classes.
Yes, I know Anderson left the cupboard bare recruiting wise, but Haith inherited a senior laden talented team. He's managed to fill gaps with transfers the past three years, but these past two years have seen an almost regression throughout the season.
This year started off well record wise. Even with Haith suspended, the Tigers almost made out perfect through the non-conference season, but once SEC play hit, the team seemed to hit a brick wall, coughing up right off the bat to Georgia at home and losing other road games against very sub-par performers in a weak SEC.
The lack of scoring production inside was the biggest problem. Johnathan Williams III showed a lot of promise and could be a monster rebounder, even with more of a small forward frame and fellow Freshman Torren Jones, showed lots of potential, but came across as, well, a Freshman. Ryan Rosburg is more of a work horse, rarely contributing scoring and frequently coming up with less rebounds than the starting guards many nights.
No inside production led to over 70 percent of the scoring being done from the trio of Jordan Clarkson, Jabari Brown and Earnest Ross for good and bad. Mostly bad. You're not going to win a lot playing essentially three on five. These guys were the most talented and did what they had to win, but it felt too much like they trying to improve their NBA draft stock by February, rather than building a winner.
Like last year with the ghost of Michael Dixon, hampering the team, this year it was the ghost of Phil Pressey that hurt the team. Pressey left early and left Haith without an experienced point guard. While there were two Freshmen in Wesley Clark and Shane Rector, the starting job and majority of the ball handling went to Clarkson. Clarkson is a good ball handler, but not adept at running the point. He had too much of a scoring mentality, which was evidenced down the stretch of games, when it was him trying to do everything. It just leaves me to wondering how good a back court of Pressey and Clarkson would have been this year...
As for next year, there is the promise, but what will the reality be? Clarkson and Brown seem to both be likely bolting for the N.B.A. Experience wise it will hurt, like Pressey leaving last year. Last year I thought it would foster a better team mentality. Except, only two guys stepped up their game.
And it would leave Ryan Rosburg as the most experienced Tiger upper-classman. Keanau Post with a monster body, only really produced in one game. So leadership and experience might be the biggest hurdles.
In addition to Wes Clark, showing improvement handling the point and Williams and Jones at the forward spots, there are at least five newcomers coming in. Four star recruits in forward JaKeenan Grant and shooting guard Namon Wright. Plus transfers, David Price,( a former four star recruit) a 6'10 center from Louisville, 6'4 Deuce Bello from Baylor and eligible after first semester 6'7 Cameron Biedscheid, a St. Louis native arriving from Notre Dame.
The talent or at least the potential is there for a decent team, that should be better in March than it is in November, but that's no guarantee. One of Haith's biggest faults, is that he is a great recruiter, but not that great of a coach. There's a lot of though that after he lost Ernie Nestor, who was regarded as his X's and )'s man, after his first season in Columbia, is where a lot of the offensive troubles have come from.
If Haith can put it together, and at least show us that this is a program on the rise, he should be safe. But with a first round NCAA Tournament loss to a 15 seed in his first year, an uneven second year with lots of talent and an par year three, his seat might be getting a little bit warm.
