I am watching Arizona State and Arkansas state. And Arizona state has kind of unraveled. Led by around 10. Trail 55-51 at the half
Arizona state is an interesting team. Their coach has a record of 19-40. But there has been progress each year. So, I don’t consider her in trouble. Not yet anyway. And they should do better in the big xii.
Lots of turn over on this team too. I only recognize a couple of players from last year.
Hummmmm
Okay, to begin unraveling is the ASU brand since Adair arrived from the mid majors in Delaware.
Since CTT retired with a 12 and 14 record in her final year there has been consistent, unrelenting mediocrity in Tempe. I wish I could share your optimism in looking for progress or some positive sign of life but unfortunately the dumpster fire while not intensifying continues at a soul-crushing rate.
Year. Record. Scoring Margin A/T.
2022. 8-20. -9. .8
2023. 11-20. -9 .8
She's demonstrated that while an outstanding coach at the mid level she's way in over her head at a P4 program which is on the way to being a P32 program.
And then there's the eye test. As a season ticket holder I'm subjected some of the most what I have to call it horrible basketball as Adair's inability to recruit places mismatched athletes at least over the last 2 years against really fine athletes in the pac-12. Hard to tell if Adair is a decent coach at the P4 level when you have middle school athletes competing against pros.
It's not even like a car wreck where you can't help but stare at, I just finally have to look away. As one of an average of 200 people in the stands it's as if we're visiting a civil war site like the battlefield at Vicksburg. Finally had to cancel season tickets and while I still hold season tickets for the Grand Canyon Lopes and the NAU lumberjacks two programs that are in fact making tremendous progress and play exciting basketball I can make this prediction if Adair remains at ASU she will collect 100 losses through the course of 5 years and permanently drive a stake through the heart of ASU women basketball.
I was stunned that in the coaches preseason poll the Sun Devils were picked 15th -I don't know much about the Houston Cougars but they must truly play at a middle school level to fall below the standard that Adair has in Tempe.
Today the Sun Devils play the Grand Canyon Antelopes in one of these classic tournaments in downtown Phoenix. That match up I think will be illustrative of the spiral that Tempe has put itself in and I have very little hope with the current administration at ASU but there will be any will to make a meaningful change. Any competent coach would look at the ASU job shake their head and politely walk away.
As to Adair's future even this continuing mediocrity may not cost her her job due to apathy in the ASU administration a weak athletic director and the fact that ASU would not even consider paying the type of dollars it would take to get an interview with a decent coach. And as I indicated no coach with any intelligence would look at the landscape in ASU and even accept a five-year guaranteed contract at 2 million a year would not incentivize a competent coach. (BTW.... the chances that the ASU administration would offer a decent contract are the same of as me playing in the NBA)
There is no hope of winning in Tempe.
You and I have entirely different conceptions of progress.
I was so looking forward to seeing UConn South play in person.
