Why is Howard struggling?

[4everacatfan]

ilovethecats,

First of all, I never called you a drunk, but I did question your sobriety when making some of the statements you made. Believe me, I know the difference...

Second, you seem to think that just because you never come right out and call someone a name that you can nonetheless denigrate every aspect of their game as a player and people won't believe it's personal. Sorry, but nobody who's got enough sense to come out of the rain will believe that. That said, if you're around Bobby Howard's age you still qualify as a kid for me...and I can always forgive a kid...hehe

Finally, let me offer some advice--regardless of what someone says afterwards, don't believe a single thing if they first start off by saying: (1) This isn't personal; (2) This isn't about the money; (3) I hate to say I told you so; (4) I'm happy for her or him; and, (5) You can trust me.

You see, if it wasn't personal or about the money or it really pained them to say it or they were really happy for an ex or they could be trusted, they wouldn't have to start by saying those things in the first place...

Excellent post there is nothing more to say on this. The Cats struggle and it is a team thing!!!!
On a different note Congrats Bobby on the Finny Award it was in the Billings Gazette yesterday. I know you knew Craig who was a great player but even a better man!!!! GO GET TWO CATS!!!!!!!!!

[ilovethecats]

ilovethecats,

First of all, I never called you a drunk, but I did question your sobriety when making some of the statements you made. Believe me, I know the difference...

Second, you seem to think that just because you never come right out and call someone a name that you can nonetheless denigrate every aspect of their game as a player and people won't believe it's personal. Sorry, but nobody who's got enough sense to come out of the rain will believe that. That said, if you're around Bobby Howard's age you still qualify as a kid for me...and I can always forgive a kid...hehe

Finally, let me offer some advice--regardless of what someone says afterwards, don't believe a single thing if they first start off by saying: (1) This isn't personal; (2) This isn't about the money; (3) I hate to say I told you so; (4) I'm happy for her or him; and, (5) You can trust me.

You see, if it wasn't personal or about the money or it really pained them to say it or they were really happy for an ex or they could be trusted, they wouldn't have to start by saying those things in the first place...

fair enough. and i'm not quite bobbys age anymore..although i sometimes wish i was.

i don't need anyones forgiveness. i don't claim to know the kid real well other than hanging in some similar circles in bars or tournaments or whatever. for instance, i know that i'll be hangin' out with him and some other guys at estes next month. i have absolutely nothing personal against the guy whatsoever. i am just passionate about cat hoops and i call it like i see it. i didn't bash every part of the kids game either. he has more than a lot of guys and he works hard. i have complimented him a lot over the years. so you can believe me or not...but this isn't personal. i have no reason whatsoever to say anything persona about a dude who i barely know. so think it is personal. it's not, and i don't really have the time or energy to go about trying to convince a bunch of people i don't know that my comments weren't personal.

i also need to remember that calling out in-state players is very frowned upon and this thread is proof of that. criticize other players all you want. say they don't deserve playing time, say they shouldn't even be playing d1, say they are horrible shooters or they are selfish and it's all good.

anyway, i'll bow out of this one. sorry again for offending anyone with my comments about bobby. i'll bite my tongue and keep my comments about him to a minimum. this team still has some games left and i for one am hoping they can make a little noise. it's going to take a team effort though so hopefully bobby and erik can both set the tone.

[grizzh8r]

ilovethecats,

First of all, I never called you a drunk, but I did question your sobriety when making some of the statements you made. Believe me, I know the difference...

Second, you seem to think that just because you never come right out and call someone a name that you can nonetheless denigrate every aspect of their game as a player and people won't believe it's personal. Sorry, but nobody who's got enough sense to come out of the rain will believe that. That said, if you're around Bobby Howard's age you still qualify as a kid for me...and I can always forgive a kid...hehe

Finally, let me offer some advice--regardless of what someone says afterwards, don't believe a single thing if they first start off by saying: (1) This isn't personal; (2) This isn't about the money; (3) I hate to say I told you so; (4) I'm happy for her or him; and, (5) You can trust me.

You see, if it wasn't personal or about the money or it really pained them to say it or they were really happy for an ex or they could be trusted, they wouldn't have to start by saying those things in the first place...

Show me where ILTC denigrated EVERY ASPECT of his game. You won't find it. I happen to agree with everything ILTC said about Bobby and this team. The truth sometimes hurts. Bobby is a great kid and a heckuva basketball player, but he is absolutely in a bad position this season, and that's on Coach Huse. The talent around him (and Eric Rush) on this season's team is just not good enough. He's usually going up against taller, longer guys and his shots get altered as a result (and in my opinion, he's the most fouled player in the BSC, but never gets the benefit of the doubt...). He's never been a lights out 3 point shooter (somwhere around 30% for his career), which was why it was so nice to see him excel as a true PF last season. However, like was touched on earlier in this thread, this team REALLY misses BJ. I said as much to my brother during the first half against the Griz last Saturday.

ILTC is absolutely right. Pull your heads out of the sand, people.

[Billings Cat]

ilovethecats,

First of all, I never called you a drunk, but I did question your sobriety when making some of the statements you made. Believe me, I know the difference...

Second, you seem to think that just because you never come right out and call someone a name that you can nonetheless denigrate every aspect of their game as a player and people won't believe it's personal. Sorry, but nobody who's got enough sense to come out of the rain will believe that. That said, if you're around Bobby Howard's age you still qualify as a kid for me...and I can always forgive a kid...hehe

Finally, let me offer some advice--regardless of what someone says afterwards, don't believe a single thing if they first start off by saying: (1) This isn't personal; (2) This isn't about the money; (3) I hate to say I told you so; (4) I'm happy for her or him; and, (5) You can trust me.

You see, if it wasn't personal or about the money or it really pained them to say it or they were really happy for an ex or they could be trusted, they wouldn't have to start by saying those things in the first place...

Show me where ILTC denigrated EVERY ASPECT of his game. You won't find it. I happen to agree with everything ILTC said about Bobby and this team. The truth sometimes hurts. Bobby is a great kid and a heckuva basketball player, but he is absolutely in a bad position this season, and that's on Coach Huse. The talent around him (and Eric Rush) on this season's team is just not good enough. He's usually going up against taller, longer guys and his shots get altered as a result (and in my opinion, he's the most fouled player in the BSC, but never gets the benefit of the doubt...). He's never been a lights out 3 point shooter (somwhere around 30% for his career), which was why it was so nice to see him excel as a true PF last season. However, like was touched on earlier in this thread, this team REALLY misses BJ. I said as much to my brother during the first half against the Griz last Saturday.

ILTC is absolutely right. Pull your heads out of the sand, people.

You agree with everything that ILTC said...hmmm...interesting because even he backed off some of his statements and basically said they were exaggerations...but, hey, if you agree with everything he said, then you're a daisy...

"the way i see it is bobby just isn't d1 material"--this whole premise is false based on what he's actually done at the D1 level compared to the average player's numbers on a D1 team
"maybe even less talented in areas as guys like carson durr and danny faaborg"--LMAO on this one...faaborg should be best remembered for having "interesting" hair and Durr my word so much for in-state players can't be criticized
"a lot of guys that are right there on the cusp of d1 talent and that is where bobby is"--if being on the cusp is averaging 14 points and 7 rebounds, wouldn't we all like to be on the cusp
"as for bobby...i honestly feel he should be nothing more than a role guy on this team"--all players fill different roles on teams so this is like saying water is wet

BTW, I'm glad you said whatever you did to your brother during the game, that surely makes you some kind of genius...

[ilovethecats]

well i didn't back off any of the things i said. i just wanted to clear up my feelings and make it known that none of them were personal. this isn't a popularity contest, so i really don't care if people agree with me or not. i admit that when a person simply looks at the stats and sees 14 points and 7 boards a game it seems crazy that a person would suggest they shouldn't be playing at this level. but i have said countless times that i'm talking about a much bigger problem, and that is recruiting.

i don;t think the entire makeup of our team is filled with all d1 players. let's say that huse is recruting several players that probably aren't quite d1 material. this has been discussed before and no one has really argued the fact. so let us just play around for a second. if i am right, and this is really a team filled with maybe 2-3 d1 guys and the rest are questionable....then wouldn't it be conceivable that guys are going to have an opportunity to put up good numbers? especially guys who get 16 plus shots a game?

people are turning this into a bobby howard thing, which i admit i did because that is who we were discussing but i'm talking about our entire team and our ability to recruit players that belong at this level. now, i'm not saying that we will be getting star players here because tha won't happen. but we consistently rank near the bottom of the league in talent year after year. just because you play d1 doesn't mean that you are d1 material...especially when the biggest knock on the head coach is his ability to recruit! so yes, bobby has put up some good numbers. i have said time and time again that he is our second best option. but this is my problem! it doesn't take much to be the second fiddle on this team.

this is a sticky subject because i am talking about a montana kid and i understand that. so i will let it go for now and pick it up again next year! i can almost assure you that next year we'll once again be watching ateam that lacks talent, yet one or two guys will still be putting up great numbers. i truly didn't mean any disrespect to bobby....it's just how i feel.

and i meant what i said about bobby being just like durr and faaborg. bobby has much more confidence than those other guys but their games are the same. i think if faaborg or durr were playing on this team this year, they would be launching up 16 shots a game too and their numbers could be every bit as good. again, this is how i feel. there is nothing that bobby does so well that i think he's a better player than the other two. obviously we'll never know, but it is my opinion and i'm not being disrespectful to anyone. i'm just not impressed with guys putting up admirable stats on a team filled with guys that i don't think should be on the team in the first place.

[4everacatfan]

well i didn't back off any of the things i said. i just wanted to clear up my feelings and make it known that none of them were personal. this isn't a popularity contest, so i really don't care if people agree with me or not. i admit that when a person simply looks at the stats and sees 14 points and 7 boards a game it seems crazy that a person would suggest they shouldn't be playing at this level. but i have said countless times that i'm talking about a much bigger problem, and that is recruiting.

i don;t think the entire makeup of our team is filled with all d1 players. let's say that huse is recruting several players that probably aren't quite d1 material. this has been discussed before and no one has really argued the fact. so let us just play around for a second. if i am right, and this is really a team filled with maybe 2-3 d1 guys and the rest are questionable....then wouldn't it be conceivable that guys are going to have an opportunity to put up good numbers? especially guys who get 16 plus shots a game?

people are turning this into a bobby howard thing, which i admit i did because that is who we were discussing but i'm talking about our entire team and our ability to recruit players that belong at this level. now, i'm not saying that we will be getting star players here because tha won't happen. but we consistently rank near the bottom of the league in talent year after year. just because you play d1 doesn't mean that you are d1 material...especially when the biggest knock on the head coach is his ability to recruit! so yes, bobby has put up some good numbers. i have said time and time again that he is our second best option. but this is my problem! it doesn't take much to be the second fiddle on this team.

this is a sticky subject because i am talking about a montana kid and i understand that. so i will let it go for now and pick it up again next year! i can almost assure you that next year we'll once again be watching ateam that lacks talent, yet one or two guys will still be putting up great numbers. i truly didn't mean any disrespect to bobby....it's just how i feel.

and i meant what i said about bobby being just like durr and faaborg. bobby has much more confidence than those other guys but their games are the same. i think if faaborg or durr were playing on this team this year, they would be launching up 16 shots a game too and their numbers could be every bit as good. again, this is how i feel. there is nothing that bobby does so well that i think he's a better player than the other two. obviously we'll never know, but it is my opinion and i'm not being disrespectful to anyone. i'm just not impressed with guys putting up admirable stats on a team filled with guys that i don't think should be on the team in the first place.

Seriously you keep falling all over yourself to make sure everyone knows you are not being personal. Move on. After looking at your post here and other forums you have a clear agenda. Promote your guys that is fine I find it is interesting how you turn this on not being allowed to say anything negative about the instate guys which is false I think that alot on this forum are tougher on instate guys then out of state guys and when people in the past have criticized football players or basketball players from out of state some have been jumped all over and called racists. So move on. You have an issue with Huse but you also have an issue with Bobby so I hope someone on here who know Bobby tells him to be aware of the Creepy semi-older guy that hangs out with college kids from Conrad at the Estes next month . He already has the knife to stick in your back. You have your opinion he is not a D 1player I have my opinion you have a problem with Bobby.
Hey and by the way I am from Spokane Washington and was here in the early 80's had a lot of athlete friends and the out of state guys had it way way easier then the instate guys. MOVE ON

[GrizinWashington]

I think that ILTC made one great point: Seemingly, on here and on eGriz, it's almost verboten to criticize a player from the state of Montana. I won't pretend to know Howard's game enough to comment more than I already have, but I'm shocked at the vitriol tossed ILTC's way, and I doubt most of it would have occurred if Bobby was from, say, Nebraska.

edit: And to suggest that ILTC has an agenda is ridiculous. He's very possibly the most-reasoned, impartial poster on the board. If that's perceived as having an agenda, I'd have to say the problem doesn't lie with ILTC. Just my opinion....

[4everacatfan]

I think that ILTC made one great point: Seemingly, on here and on eGriz, it's almost verboten to criticize a player from the state of Montana. I won't pretend to know Howard's game enough to comment more than I already have, but I'm shocked at the vitriol tossed ILTC's way, and I doubt most of it would have occurred if Bobby was from, say, Nebraska.

edit: And to suggest that ILTC has an agenda is ridiculous. He's very possibly the most-reasoned, impartial poster on the board. If that's perceived as having an agenda, I'd have to say the problem doesn't lie with ILTC. Just my opinion....

You are right to have your opinion but I differ I think if you look at both basketball and football threads on egriz and bobcatnation out of state guys get a bigger pass then instate and alot of that is because people think they know the instate guys and it is ok to rip them again just my opinion.

[ilovethecats]

I think that ILTC made one great point: Seemingly, on here and on eGriz, it's almost verboten to criticize a player from the state of Montana. I won't pretend to know Howard's game enough to comment more than I already have, but I'm shocked at the vitriol tossed ILTC's way, and I doubt most of it would have occurred if Bobby was from, say, Nebraska.

edit: And to suggest that ILTC has an agenda is ridiculous. He's very possibly the most-reasoned, impartial poster on the board. If that's perceived as having an agenda, I'd have to say the problem doesn't lie with ILTC. Just my opinion....

You are right to have your opinion but I differ I think if you look at both basketball and football threads on egriz and bobcatnation out of state guys get a bigger pass then instate and alot of that is because people think they know the instate guys and it is ok to rip them again just my opinion.

why do you keep saying to move on...yet you keep posting on the matter. i'm just basing my opinion on what i have said in the past...and the comments from others that followed. i have openly said that we have guys on this team that shouldn't be on this team. i have an agenda against huse? why because i think he's a poor recruiter? do you have any evidence to support that he is a great recruiter? like i said, if you think it's an agenda so be it. i call it like i see it. and who are "my guys"? you claimed i have an agenda against huse and bobby but support my guys. i don't have any guys. that is kind of my point. of our guys that get quality minutes right now the only one i would say without a shadow of a doubt belongs is rush. i guess if you criticize people and coaches it's an agenda. i'm fine with that.

but if it is not the quality of players we have on this team....why are we playing so poorly. why are we constantly overmatched?

[4everacatfan]

ilovethecats wrote"it is personal. it's not, and i don't really have the time or energy to go about trying to convince a bunch of people i don't know that my comments weren't personal. (obviously you do.)

anyway, i'll bow out of this one. sorry again for offending anyone with my comments about bobby. i'll bite my tongue and keep my comments about him to a minimum. this team still has some games left and i for one am hoping they can make a little noise. it's going to take a team effort though so hopefully bobby and erik can both set the tone."

Actions speak louder then words. I only keep responding to you. Are you one of those guys that has to get the last word? All I was saying is you made your point so Move on to your next topic.

[grizzh8r]

I think that ILTC made one great point: Seemingly, on here and on eGriz, it's almost verboten to criticize a player from the state of Montana. I won't pretend to know Howard's game enough to comment more than I already have, but I'm shocked at the vitriol tossed ILTC's way, and I doubt most of it would have occurred if Bobby was from, say, Nebraska.

edit: And to suggest that ILTC has an agenda is ridiculous. He's very possibly the most-reasoned, impartial poster on the board. If that's perceived as having an agenda, I'd have to say the problem doesn't lie with ILTC. Just my opinion....

As much as I hate to agree with GIW, he's dead on.

Can we not criticize our team just because they are Bobcats? NO! Does it mean we won't continue to support them? NO! If anything, this years' squad has overacheived to win as many games as they have, and they have endeared themselves to me as a result. That does not hide the fact that they have hit a wall these past few weeks, and it doesn't look like they will get past it. They work their butts off every game and hustle and compete, but it's obvious that something is not working.

[cats22]

Iltc.... I don't know how you know howard but to say that he's not D1 is comical... the guy was first team all-big sky as a jr. He's in the top five in scoring and rebounding at the least top ten. Plays on a team with only one other player who can score.

I mean what does he have to do... he is already in the top 20 all time at this school. What more does he have to do to be D1. Everything else that's been said about this team is true for the most part. He has very little help down low and having Johnson really complimented his game. But don't kid yourself the kid can play ball. Ask any coach in the big sky.

[ilovethecats]

Iltc.... I don't know how you know howard but to say that he's not D1 is comical... the guy was first team all-big sky as a jr. He's in the top five in scoring and rebounding at the least top ten. Plays on a team with only one other player who can score.

I mean what does he have to do... he is already in the top 20 all time at this school. What more does he have to do to be D1. Everything else that's been said about this team is true for the most part. He has very little help down low and having Johnson really complimented his game. But don't kid yourself the kid can play ball. Ask any coach in the big sky.

fair enough. it's been hashed over and over. i said i thought he was on the cusp and i still believe that. and he's not alone. there are several players on this team, and players that we have had over the years that i also thought were better suited elsewhere. my opinion if the best talent we can get on this team is that of a guy like howard....we can expect more problems. it's not a bobby howard thing....it's a very poor recruiting thing. sorry again to those i offended. and i have never claimed to be friends with the guy or his family. bozeman is small, montana is small, it's not uncommon to run in similar circles from time to time....