Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Observations from Florida State

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Observations from the 49ers' 106-62 loss to Florida State on Tuesday:

This was not a good moment for a program hoping to continue on an upward trajectory under fourth-year coach Alan Major. Not only was it the most lopsided defeat in the school's Division I history -- eclipsing a 42-point loss against Duke in 2009 -- but it came with the added indignity of having two players thrown out of the game (Pierria Henry receiving two technical fouls for taunting, Willie Clayton for a flagrant-2 foul).

On the basketball side, the 49ers might have been outmatched anyway by the bigger, more athletic Seminoles. But Charlotte clearly didn't come ready to play, which shouldn't happen in a game against a quality opponent such as FSU. After the Seminoles jumped to an early lead, the 49ers became "spooked," according to guard Ben Cherry.

Charlotte (7-3) has beaten teams from "power" conferences before under Major: Georgia Tech (the 49ers' opponent later this month), Tennessee, Kansas State and Michigan. They've also lost badly before (by 31 to Miami last season). But the Seminoles did everything better than the 49ers (rebounding, shooting, hustling, blocking shots), who were clearly not equipped to deal with all that, at least not on this night.

"It wasn't so much that we weren't physically tough," said Cherry. "We weren't mentally tough."

Henry and Clayton are both ultra-competitive and obviously frustrated at how the game had turned out. Major said their actions were "not excusable." Henry is normally cooler than what he exhibited. Clayton, who had several friends and family members from his home in nearby Thomasville, Ga., at the game, continues to get tangled up in these off-ball elbow-throwing incidents (as he did as a freshman last season).

These are the two players Charlotte needs most to move forward -- and to get back on a track that they might have slipped from Tuesday.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Alan has got to lern to coach! Give him some time! He was give the extenion so he coud lern to coach!

Wait till next year HATERS!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Henry is becoming a cancer.

Jeff said...

What is "not excusable" coach is you not having our team ready to play, and then not being able to get and keep the team under control and playing something similar to good basketball. Judy must be proud !

Anonymous said...

The offseason had 2 arrests that we know of...niether player missed a single game. Why be suprised now players are acting thuggish on the floor?

Anonymous said...

You need to take into consideration games before and just after Holiday breaks, but this was embarrassing and just awful. What's worse is as an alumnus who follows the program even with my unhappiness with Major, I had forgotten the game was being played. That's whee Major has taken this program. He has no passion. Why should I? Sad. Sigh.

Anonymous said...

Five more years !

Anonymous said...

Major signed a 5 year extension on top of the 2 years he had remaining.

6-1/2 more years!!!

Mk niner said...

Over under for people at USC upstate game? Students out. 45 pt loss. Butts in seats under 2000

Anonymous said...

2 items: Major could of gained my respect had he been seen post game in an interview. None to be found. That's very JV like. He doesn't have to go off like the SiU guy but Roy Willliams had a proper disgust in his loss to Texas. You have to show your base there's a visual passion and level of disgust.

Anonymous said...

We didn't have enough time to prepare for FSU. Studying for fall semester final exams.

Besides, Duke loss was far worse.

Anonymous said...

The fact that Major does not show effort with the media shows he is a coward. Take your lumps with your praise. If you had ANYONE on your staff who had head coaching experience, maybe you maybe "Coach Minor" would have learned by now that it is important to show up win or lose. Coward. Your team got humbled and acted childlike. Lutz got fired for some of those same reasons. So sad Minor is signed for so many more woeful years. If Judy isn't going to change him, make changes in the staff.

Metro baby said...

2nd most read article at Observer today is Roy going off on his team. "5am practice their ass off"

Keith said...

Posting anonymously on a message board to call someone a coward...lmfao

Forty9er01@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Do doubt Majors will use this as a learning experience. Just like when we got embarrassed at Halton by Davidson two weeks ago. We learned a lot from that.

Anonymous said...

That 5 year extension was a major mistake. Why give a coach with a 3 year losing record a 5 year extension? I only know of a handful of fans who think Major is a good coach but most of them know very little about basketball and they never played the game at any level.

Anonymous said...

@12:33 & 7:45
Major had two players ejected. His first obligation is to his team, not the media. Is it just possible that he was "explaining" to the guys how to act. Sometimes such "explanations" take a while.
Have you SEEN any of his pressers? He wasn't going to reveal anything of substance. anyway. Sorry ya'll are butthurt that he didn't show, but with talking to the team and travel plans, there may not have been time.

@8:20

The two arrests over the summer were for offenses not much greater than jaywalking. That has nothing to do with "thuggish" behavior.

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid teams know how to play us now and I do not foresee this coaching staff making any adjustments. Not prior to the games and not during the games.