The Problem With Nico Mannion?

[1Sun]

As you can see, tonight being no exception, Nico Mannion has wilted under pressure and performed extremely poorly against pretty much every quality opponent he has faced in college. Tonight he is getting dominated by Remy Martin.

My son knows a number of kids who went to Pinnacle with Mannion, and my theory is as follows.

Mannion is a typical spoiled, entitled rich kid from North Scottsdale born with a silver spoon in his mouth, who has immense talent but who has always pretty much been given everything.

As a result, he plays with very little hunger, and he is unable to fight through adversity. And Coach Miller just yelling at him is going in one ear and out the other.

Mannion's privileged upbringing has rendered him soft and incapable of dealing with adversity.

Just my theory. Thoughts?

 

[JerkFace]

He wanted no part of the final shot tonight.

 

[GatorAZ]

There’s no problem he’s just not that good. I remember arguing about this with @Ouchie-Z-Clown and he was right. You just can’t rely on HS hype/rankings to know how good a kid will be at the next level.

The bigger problem is Josh Green IMO.

 

[1Sun]

There’s no problem he’s just not that good. I remember arguing about this with @Ouchie-Z-Clown and he was right. You just can’t rely on HS hype/rankings to know how good a kid will be at the next level.

The bigger problem is Josh Green IMO.

The problem with Green is more Miller than Green.

Miller's old, stale Bobby Knight screaming control freak routine is causing the likes of Green to tune him out.

Green has one foot out the door as a result. That much is clear.

 

[GatorAZ]

The problem with Green is more Miller than Green.

Miller's old, stale Bobby Knight screaming control freak routine is causing the likes of Green to tune him out.

Green has one foot out the door as a result. That much is clear.

I mean basically every high ranked player has one foot out the door these days. It’s why CBB sucks and is more irrelevant than its ever been.

 

[1Sun]

I mean basically every high ranked player has one foot out the door these days. It’s why CBB sucks and is more irrelevant than its ever been.

But some coaches can still get some buy-in from those one and dones.

Sean Miller's Bobby Knight routine is having a worse and worse impact with each class he brings in.

 

[GatorAZ]

But some coaches can still get some buy-in from those one and dones.

Sean Miller's Bobby Knight routine is having a worse and worse impact with each class he brings in.

Duke fans have been saying the same thing for 5 years. Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Marvin Bagley, Wendell Carter, Cam Reddish, Gary Trent, Jason Tatum, Brandon Ingram... None of them have a F4 on their college resume. CBB just sucks now.

 

[1Sun]

Duke fans have been saying the same thing for 5 years. Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Marvin Bagley, Wendell Carter, Cam Reddish, Gary Trent, Jason Tatum, Brandon Ingram... None of them have a F4 on their college resume. CBB just sucks now.

But they are still ranked. And they're still making the NCAA Tournament. And they are capable of winning a road game. And they are not getting blown out by the likes of Oregon State and blowing 22 point leads to the likes of ASU.

There is a lot wrong with college basketball, but that doesn't erase the fact that Sean Miller is a lousy coach.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

Duke fans have been saying the same thing for 5 years. Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Marvin Bagley, Wendell Carter, Cam Reddish, Gary Trent, Jason Tatum, Brandon Ingram... None of them have a F4 on their college resume. CBB just sucks now.

College basketball was once my favorite sport that I literally couldn’t get enough of. I think this may be my last season following the sport at all. Between the FBI investigation and ESPN and recruits signing and then never showing up, I think there are better uses of my time. I went to the Colorado game last week and had fun. But not really like it used to be.

 

[Russ Smith]

I think part of the problem if you will is the player who's not a clear cut 1 and done. I said it all last year I don't think Nico is THAT good, he's good but not 1 and done good. the problem is when the coach thinks that but the kid or the people around the kid think that. UCLA went through that with Shareef, one of the many rumors around him leaving is that they basically told UCLA they thought he was going to the NBA after this year and that the way Cronin was using him was holding him back. Mannion is a lot closer to the NBA than Shareef is but I think there's this issue with kids on the fence where sometimes it can be really hard.

If the kid is clear cut like Gordon and Ayton it's easier to coach them in some ways because they know they're yours for 8 months and that's it, for a kid like Mannion where it's somewhat not settled, it can be tougher. I have no idea what nico thinks but when the kid thinks he's NBA bound and he's not THAT good, it's tough to be the one trying to convince him of that.

 

[overseascardfan]

I think part of the problem if you will is the player who's not a clear cut 1 and done. I said it all last year I don't think Nico is THAT good, he's good but not 1 and done good. the problem is when the coach thinks that but the kid or the people around the kid think that. UCLA went through that with Shareef, one of the many rumors around him leaving is that they basically told UCLA they thought he was going to the NBA after this year and that the way Cronin was using him was holding him back. Mannion is a lot closer to the NBA than Shareef is but I think there's this issue with kids on the fence where sometimes it can be really hard.

If the kid is clear cut like Gordon and Ayton it's easier to coach them in some ways because they know they're yours for 8 months and that's it, for a kid like Mannion where it's somewhat not settled, it can be tougher. I have no idea what nico thinks but when the kid thinks he's NBA bound and he's not THAT good, it's tough to be the one trying to convince him of that.

I’ll also add that school is not for most one and dones. Some may be good students but their purpose is the NBA. The harsh reality is when the guys you mention think they are NBA ready but aren’t and either drop in draft or go undrafted. Mannion, Green & Nnaji are gone after this year. I see all three as journeyman bench guys like Stanley Johnson & Rondae Hollis Jefferson. Miller needs to start going after kids he was getting at Xavier. Three to four year guys who will buy into his system and want to go to school. The system will get an auto correct when the one and done rule ends this year.

 

[1Sun]

I’ll also add that school is not for most one and dones. Some may be good students but their purpose is the NBA. The harsh reality is when the guys you mention think they are NBA ready but aren’t and either drop in draft or go undrafted. Mannion, Green & Nnaji are gone after this year. I see all three as journeyman bench guys like Stanley Johnson & Rondae Hollis Jefferson. Miller needs to start going after kids he was getting at Xavier. Three to four year guys who will buy into his system and want to go to school. The system will get an auto correct when the one and done rule ends this year.

You mean guys like Dylan Smith, who have also failed miserably under Miller?

Let's face it. Sean Miller just is not a good coach, at least not with today's college basketball players. His Bobby Knight style might have worked in the 70s and 80s, but there is a reason you don't see any successful Bobby Knight style coaches anymore...

 

[Russ Smith]

Crazy story out tonight of some 23 year old gambler in NY who was sending threatening messages to lots of athletes, including a college player at Arizona, this year. Apparently after the loss to St Johns the guy sent a message via Instagram threatening to slit the players throat and cut off the heads of everyone in his family because he lost 100K in a bet on Arizona and blamed this player.

Mannion was 6-15 that night including 2 missed jumpers in the final 30 seconds of a 3 point loss.

The article doesn't name the players being threatened but I wonder if one of them is Nico and that's why his season has been so up and down? Apparently a kid at Pepperdine had similar threats and there were MLB players, NBA players and others before they tracked the idiot down.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

The problem with every player on this team is Sean Miller.