1. I like the balanced approach, for two reasons. If you just recruit need, then in a couple years you’ll need whatever you weren’t recruiting beforehand, an ugly cycle. Second, I fell like it’s indicative of where the program is heading. We seem to be getting better recruits with our recent success a little more than ‘hey, we need to you to play for us.’

2. I think it’s still a little too early to call it a defensive revolution. Sure, the idea of faster linebackers is a different approach than we’ve seen in the past, but I think that when recruiting those types of players instead of seeing if other guys can become those players, that’s when the revolution starts.

3. I’ve been following the Spartans for the better part of six weeks now, and after seeing a lot analysis/reaction from their SBNation blog, they have a real problem with covering the passing game. And after the suspensions, I’d imagine it can’t get better between now and Jan. 2. Also, they seem to really underestimate our D. Of course, their coaches will have a different idea after looking at film (and seeing what Brandon Sharpe has done). Our ‘bend don’t break’ make a big play style of D should match up well MSU. They look like a team that will make mistakes when forced on long drives. My only concern is our long break. We haven’t come out firing in a bowl game since the Holiday Bowl. Not sure if that was Graham having problems waking up after the holidays, or if it’s more a problem with the entire team, but with our de facto home field advantage, I think we’ll be fine. Overall, fear factor of 1.5.

4. Honestly, I’d already to follow Mich. St. for the year just so I would have a team to root for later in the year. I have a couple friends who went there, and I needed a reason to follow college b-ball, and I’ve always liked Izzo, so they seemed like a good team to follow. In fact, that’s why I’d been on The Only Colors blog for a while. But I’ve forgotten all about them. Granted, we won’t be contending in the Final Four just yet, but it’s exciting to see a team that can actually make a splash in the Big 12. I’ve never been a huge follower of basketball (NBA or NCAA), but this could be a fun year. I don’t know how to rank this team compared to the other successful Tech teams of the decade, but I think they could do more than any of those (apologies to Ronald Ross…I really hate Kevin Pittsnogle).

5. I think it will still take a little longer to really evaluate PK. We can already see the big differences between him and elder, most of which seem like positives in an era where it takes more than great discipline to attract talent. But he also seems to keep his father’s passion and authority much better than I anticipated.

1. I am more impressed with the balanced recruiting, It shows we have a more solid program with players in line to replace those that leave.
2. I like the change in defense. It reminds me of the Jimmie Johnson era at Miami. They recruited great linebackers and moved them to the Defensive Line and recruited safeties and moved them to linebacker. This created a faster, attacking defense. Your offense has to score (ours does) to work. It creates more turnovers and tackles behind the line. I think it is what we on this blog have wanted for a long time.
3. I worry that we might not be able to stop there running game. Other than that I feel good about a solid win.
4. I am impressed with our basketball team. It has exceded everyones initial expectation (media) and plays exciting ball.
5. My perception of Pat Knight, before not ready, now improving. I want to compete in the Big 12 and March Madness. Up to now the Knight era (post Dickey) has been a disappointment.

1. I really love our recruiting strategy. It has shown it’s effectiveness in times like, oh I dont know, when you need 3 quarterbacks in one season? The only thing I dont like about it is the overall strategy Leach usually plays seniors and juniors before talented freshman and sophomores. I believe if you got’em, show’em. Will Ford is a great example of this. Playing as a freshman with experience now, he could become the best defensive back weve seen at Tech.

2. We need these moves. A&M beat us over the middle. Whether by running or passing over the middle. We need better and quicker athletes to cover what seems to be the best way to beat Tech. Over. The. Middle.

3. Last year….Cotton Bowl. Ole Miss and that Wild Rebel stuff.
Never look past bowl teams. They made it to a bowl, so obviously they should be respected with practice and focus. So….3

4. I knew this team was talented. Yet, after beating Washington, I told my roommates “Okay, good season” because if you know Tech basketball, you know they pull a game out of their butts, but they lose the next 3.
Not this year. I really think this team is WAY more focused day-to-day then past teams.

5. Pat Knight seems to have his players best interest at heart. (I.E Roberson’s play call at the UW game) It’s great to see these players respond to a coach, and vice versa. Pat really was umimpressive to me the first year and a half. But now, he has really turned it around and I think he is a great leader for this team. Right now, right here, Pat maybe ranked as one of the best in the country.

1. Recruiting method – team v. need: Back before limits on scholarships in the late 70s/early 80s changed things, the dominant teams were teams who “reloaded” every year as opposed to “rebuilt”. They were able to “reload” because they followed the team recruiting approach every year, and these kids had up to 5 years to mature and be ready to play as a unit. I am thinking of schools like Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. I think this is a better approach, but would always take the “best player on the board” if I had a 4 star player at a deep position who wanted to come to Tech. Allocate scholarships for a QB, RB, 3 Receivers, 4 linemen, 4 DL, 2 LB, 3 DB. This gives you 18 filled slots, with 3 or 4 wild cards per year.

2. General Impressions of moving DB to WLB. Good. Darren Woodson/Roy Williams approach. Find the right guy with a little speed and the desire to put a helmet on somebody, put a little meat on him, and the problem of defending the running QB is solved. My understanding is that this Cobb guy has the skill set for this job. He listed at 195 coming out of high school. He needs to add about 20 to 25 pounds and get after it.

3. Spartans Fear Factor is at a 3. I believe that Tech is at an inherent disadvantage in bowl season because an opposing defense has more than a week to prepare for them, which helps against the Tech offense. In the past, teams with a bye week before playing Tech seem better prepared to defend against the spread offense. There is enough physical talent on the Spartan defense that, given enough time, they will be better prepared to defend against Air Raid. Also, MSU has a slight psychological advantage, since they lost a couple of starters and their coach can play up the underdog routine. This will put a chip on the shoulders of the MSU defenders.

4. General perception of the b-ball team. Physically: smoke and mirrors. The key ingredients are not any different than last year. What has changed is that they believe they can win this year. This leads to a higher intensity level on the defensive end and more grit and determination in the last few minutes of the game. They are finishing better. I think the A & M game in the tournament last year, with Singletary’s monster performance, was the springboard for this. There will be games in the conference season (KU, UT) where they will have problems because they won’t match up well athletically, especially on the interior. I think the “better players” argument has been overplayed. The difference in this team is on the mental side of the equation.

5. P. Knight as a coach. I liked him before this year. I like him the same now. He’s a likable guy. He knows his X’s and O’s. He seems to have an acumen for working with post players in particular, which is important on a team like Tech which has trouble recruiting skilled big men. He’s like his dad, except that he has a good personality and enough flexibility to adapt his strategy to his personnel.

5. This is the only question I wish to deal with. I was extremely impressed with Mr. Knight LAST year. I paid attention to a team that was improving in the details. My brother was a sports writer when Coach Robert M. Knight was at Army and he watched Army take a Baylor team apart when not even one of the Army players would have been allowed to play for Baylor. I told him last year that Mr. Knight was doing a great job.

Question: What are the indications of great coaching with less endowed players?
1. Total hustle.
2. Improvement in little things
3. Occasional great games.

I believe that we had all these things last year. I am not close to the team and watch very little, but the indicators seemed to be there last year.

Besides all of this, there were some things that held last year’s team back which have been corrected this year.
1. Coach Bob Knight wanted to give some space. If he had been too close, it could have hurt perceptions at all places. He certainly didn’t want the players wondering who was calling the shots. Patrick took this in stride with good grace. This has been corrected this year.
2. Athletes. There is more to this than meets the eye. After the season last year, Patrick complained to his father about this and Robert suggested to him that he should get different drills for his team. The players who played last year seem (from what I read) to be far more athletic than they were last year. Patrick played the hand that was dealt about as well as it could be played.
3. Maturity. Sophomores become Juniors. Last year one of the prognosticators only mentioned one player: John Roberson. Here was a sophomore with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Mr. Singletary didn’t believe that he could be the difference maker that he has become. His best games were late in the year. Mr. Cohadarevic is not the only player who had lights come on. The difference in Mr. Roberts from last year to this includes vastly superior understanding of position on the floor. That translated into making his move for the rebound a split second earlier, and that is all the difference in the world. The new players who are contributing the most are juniors.
4. Team unity. This team is composed of players who not only like each other but they trust each other. This is not a knock on last years seniors (who had already had enough hard knocks) but it is a chemistry that had to be built. (I am afraid to say what I just said because that opens things for those who hate Mr. Robert M. Knight to slander him. He had some teams that really liked each other as well. If I could tell you how it is done, I would be much wealthier than I am.)

My perception of Mr. Patrick Claire Knight as a coach has not changed. His players have changed. This team has no limits on what it can achieve.

Respectfully,

Paul M. Simons

1. I’m loving the team recruiting. Our recruiting in general is getting better.

2. We certainly need a defensive revolution and I feel like it has already begun.

3. If Tech’s offense can be in rhythm (which it hasn’t been much without Sticks) then we can roll. Our D will play solid leaving the MSU people to say things like “one game out of the year their D plays” and “our offense just didn’t show up”. Which I’m fine with.

4. This years team is athletic and can do some damage. Can’t wait for that NM game. I don’t know that we have the horses to win the big 12 or anything but making the tournament is a legitimate goal here. Thats saying something after the players Bob left Pat.

5. Other than Pat’s comments about how we can’t be a tournament team every year I have always liked the guy. He had crappy players to work with and now that we have better guys he can do more. I really do think Pat can take us all the way. You know the guy can coach. We have great facilities. We lack on the tradition but thats why Pat’s last name is Knight.