I miss Gary waters

[Greene Rice FIG]

Got lucky with Douby, caught lightning in the bottle with Hamady, JR Inman wasn't any good (D league is for scrubs), Adrian Hill he only landed because all other schools knew he'd get hurt. Jerome Coleman was overrated.

 

[SkilletHead2]

Had an actual source during the Waters' years. He also came very close with a number of kids and lost out at the end. Too bad.

But we shouldn't forget that he was vilified on this board, which absolutely could not wait for Fred Hill Jr to take over and bring us to the promised land. Short memories.

 

[Hondo77]

I miss when Eddie was our point guard.

 

[Pritz99]

Correct me if I'm wrong: Didn't that class Waters brought in with Inman include 3 of the top 8 Jersey players?

And why is it luck with Douby? Was Young Lucky with Hinson? Battle? They weren't highly recruited.

What did Waters have to work with his first year? Billet xferred, Dontay xferred. Who was left on that team with no time to recruit for his first year. All hecould get was Coleman and he kept SHields. They program was in such disarrray when he came in (Bannon lawsuits, the first of the laughingstock coaches).

His 1st recruiting class (7?) was filled with questionable characters he thought he could reform, because nobody would touch RU (Waters was the 7th choice, even Bannon was the 8th).

Since Coleman was overrated, look what Waters did with him. How'd the "Fatass of Fairmont" do? Shields, Hill (neither of which were highly rated.)? Lamizana wanted to go to SHU and they didn't want him. What did Waters do with him? I guess he was just lucky.

He had a lot of difficulty recruiting for the first few years. Once he got RU some respect, recruiting was getting better. Considering the BE was the toughest conf in the country, his record wasn't horrible. And as we know, better than anyone before or since. He was certainly the only coach since Wenzel that made me proud to be a Rutgers BB fan.

But to some of you, if he wasn't John Wooden, or Coach K, ot Calipari, or Pitino, then he sucked. YOU fans have got what you deserve.

 

[MADHAT1]

Correct me if I'm wrong: Didn't that class Waters brought in with Inman include 3 of the top 8 Jersey players?

And why is it luck with Douby? Was Young Lucky with Hinson? Battle? They weren't highly recruited.

What did Waters have to work with his first year? Billet xferred, Dontay xferred. Who was left on that team with no time to recruit for his first year. All hecould get was Coleman and he kept SHields. They program was in such disarrray when he came in (Bannon lawsuits, the first of the laughingstock coaches).

His 1st recruiting class (7?) was filled with questionable characters he thought he could reform, because nobody would touch RU (Waters was the 7th choice, even Bannon was the 8th).

Since Coleman was overrated, look what Waters did with him. How'd the "Fatass of Fairmont" do? Shields, Hill (neither of which were highly rated.)? Lamizana wanted to go to SHU and they didn't want him. What did Waters do with him? I guess he was just lucky.

He had a lot of difficulty recruiting for the first few years. Once he got RU some respect, recruiting was getting better. Considering the BE was the toughest conf in the country, his record wasn't horrible. And as we know, better than anyone before or since. He was certainly the only coach since Wenzel that made me proud to be a Rutgers BB fan.

But to some of you, if he wasn't John Wooden, or Coach K, ot Calipari, or Pitino, then he sucked. YOU fans have got what you deserve.

Yep got a HC in Gary that had plenty of class, represented RU very well, but was 79-75 in the 5 years he was RU's HC.
Good man , good coach, but the bottom line is he wasn't the right fit to make the RU MBB program a winner in the Big East .
But probably the best HC the RU MBB program had since Tom Young left and that includes
Mike Rice.

 

[LC-88]

I used to think it was amazing that Wenzel had Eddie Jordan and Jeff Van Gundy on his staff, as both obviously became NBA head coaches.

I wondered how much of Wenzel's success was due to their coaching, especially when we made the tournament twice.

Now, it doesn't seem like Jordan probably contributed much (I know that sounds harsh). I'm sure he played a role, but I'm talking about teaching X's and O's, fundamentals development in practice, motivation, in game coaching (the things we complain are missing today).

Does anyone know how much Van Gundy contributed to those things, or how instrumental he was to our success?

Van Gundy is by far my favorite NBA announcer because he has such a tremendous knowledge of the game. So much so, it is hard to fathom he actually coached for us, and since he did, it seems like he must have played a huge role, but I have no inside knowledge.

Does anyone know?

Thanks

Just my opinion, but Van Gundy was the genius behind the 88-89 team. His one season with Wenzel. Keith Hughes and Earl Duncan lead the 90-91 team with their talent. Wenzel didn't exactly light it up after Van Gundy left.

 

[mikefla]

His teams always gave 100% at all times. They played as a team and we're never lacking fundamentals. The home court advantage was top notch back then and we had a chance to win every home game we played.

I know he's been gone for ten years already and it's old news but we have had ZERO winning seasons since he left. The fun was there while he was at the helm and interest was at an all time high. One of the most underrated things about him was his ability to surround himself with a good staff.

Aaaaahhh the good old days.

I agree,,,,,I didnt even bother reading what will surely be the dimbulb element on this board that will bash him even though he is the closest thing we have had to a great coach we have had in recent memory.

He filled the stands, he beat ranked teams, he made the RAC a tough place to play, he generated tons of school spirit.............and he was a quality gentleman

 

[NYShoreGuy]

His record at RU was better than what followed him, but it wasn't anything to make me think he should be praised highly, just not deserving of being thought of as a bad coach.
Two losing seasons in his five years and not reaching the NCAA tourney in any of them doesn't make me yearn for the Waters days, but feel his tenure was better than what followed.
Gary got the bum's rush out the door by Mulcahy, but by the time he was forced out many RU MBB fans were ready to see him replaced

Rutgers (Big East Conference) (2001–2006)
2001–02 Rutgers 18–13 8–8 5th (West) NIT First Round
2002–03 Rutgers 12–16 4–12 7th (West)
2003–04 Rutgers 20–13 7–9 T–8th NIT Runner Up
2004–05 Rutgers 10–19 2–14 12th
2005–06 Rutgers 19–14 7–9 T–9th NIT First Round
Rutgers: 79–75 (.513) 28–52 (.350)

What makes his memory look better, is how bad RU MBB became after he left.

rutgers 03-04 at the rac i believe lost 2 games (uconn, shu) by 3 points combined

 

[NYShoreGuy]

Wenzel is the coach who does not get enough credit. Gary Waters was a gentleman who deserved better. Having said that going overboard on his basketball prowess. Might be time to give Kevin Bannon some dues as Gary only won with his players and recruits. Douby in all fairness was a Bannon recruit.

if bannon doesn't have the free throwing shooting scandal does he remain into the mid 2000s?

i thought the 98-99 team was a blue collar scrappy team under bannon, they played the st johns team that went to elite 8 so tough

 

[Ray6232010]

His teams always gave 100% at all times. They played as a team and we're never lacking fundamentals. The home court advantage was top notch back then and we had a chance to win every home game we played.

I know he's been gone for ten years already and it's old news but we have had ZERO winning seasons since he left. The fun was there while he was at the helm and interest was at an all time high. One of the most underrated things about him was his ability to surround himself with a good staff.

Aaaaahhh the good old days.

Gary Waters is the best Rutgers Basketball Coach that we have had at Rutgers in the last 30 yrs