UMassHoops.com

InnervisionsUMASS wrote: Mon Dec 22, 2025 12:49 am Thanks folks... Carl Spackler brought it up here again and has been called out. Lets give him the opportunity here, or if he wants to create his own thread, to answer his own questions and/or solve his issues.

Carl Spackler wrote: Mon Dec 22, 2025 1:56 pm

InnervisionsUMASS wrote: Mon Dec 22, 2025 12:49 am Thanks folks... Carl Spackler brought it up here again and has been called out. Lets give him the opportunity here, or if he wants to create his own thread, to answer his own questions and/or solve his issues.

IV, I don't pretend to have the answers, I have no connection to the team. I watch almost every game on TV, I attend a few games, I read this board and I follow the usual UMass fanatics on Twitter/X. I've been a loyal/fanatical UMass fan since the mid-80's...Gerlufson, to Cal, to Bru, to Lappas, to Ford, to Kellogg, to McCall to Frank.
What I do know is we lost 10 guys to the portal after another disappointing 24-25 season. TEN.
69MG mentioned that the average Division 1 school lost 9 guys to the portal. A quick google search says that the average was 5.5 players.
10 guys leaving tells me there was quite a bit of unhappiness. 8 of the 10 were in their first season at UMass. 5 of those 10 had major roles and I would argue that Walker would have a major role on this year's team. So 6 guys are staring at a major role on the 25-26 team but opt to leave anyhow.

Frank is 47-47 after 3 full seasons at UMass. 24-30 in the A10. Zero A10 tournament wins. We lost to Richmond by 33 in the 1st round of the 22-23 tournament...We lost to VCU by 14 in the 1st round of the 23-24 tournament and we lost to LaSalle by 7 in the 1st round of the 24-25 tournament. Finished 13th, 4th and 11th in the A10. I do not care what he did at KSU and SC. He hasn't earned the benefit of the doubt at UMass.

Each season Frank seems bullish on the season's team. "Team guys, great attitudes, hard workers"...that kinda talk. Then the season ends, we witness a mass exodus and then Frank says something like this.....his quote after the end of last season:

"This team only spoke when it’s time to criticize, and that’s not good. You need guys that are willing to engage and talk to help each other, to elevate each other, to compliment each other. I can probably count on two hands, after 30 whatever number of games, how many times a guy made a shot and he turned around and pointed at the guy that passed him the ball. It never happened, and we encourage that all the time.”

This is not the first time we've heard him lament the character of his teams at the conclusion of a disappointing season. It's a pattern.

As I stated, I am not an insider. I only see Frank on the sidelines. What I see on the sidelines is an inordinate amount of screaming. Much more than the opposing coaches. Some of it is constructive, some of it is well deserved, much of it is counter-productive, distracting and causes players to fear making a mistake. That's my take. I also see spells where Frank seems to pout - sit on the bench, fold his arms and shut it down for a minute or two. If that's who we see during games why would we believe its any different in practice?

Frank is a Bob Huggins disciple. He cut his coaching teeth in an era where the players had very few options. Transfer, sit out a season, lose a year of eligibility. I'm sure many players across the country stayed at places even though they wanted to leave. They didn't want to sit a year and lose the eligibility. The tables have turned. Today's best coaches have adapted. I don't believe Frank has adapted nor wants to adapt.

RagingCager wrote: Mon Dec 22, 2025 8:43 pm Thank you Carl Spackler for your well thought out assessment… I’ve been around as long as you, and have seen all the ups and downs, up close and personal. I don’t view this as an opinion piece, as it is 100% factual in nature and I share the same sentiments. Frank’s run in the A10 was very disappointing and this is clear for all to see based on the record, A10 tournament futility, attendance, player retention, and so on. One would think that he would have had his guys ready to go in the home opener after stepping down to the MAC to facilitate the disastrous attempt to right the ship with the other major front porch program. His team was completely out classed, out coached, out hustled, and outplayed in a game that should have been a statement game of high urgency under the circumstances. I find it appalling and incomprehensible that many on here pass it off as ok because Kent State is a good team with a few good players….WTF??? We’re the team with the 2 mil$$ coach and well paid staff with 1st class facilities (as far as the MAC is concerned) and we’re dropping down after many years in the A10. Saturday’s no show, underwhelming performance should be infuriating and unacceptable for anyone who has followed and supported this program. The Kent State coach makes less than half of what Frank makes and his team looked like the hungrier, better coached team.

Today’s embarrassing presentation of a Div 1 sporting event in front of 500 fans vs a local D3 tomato can was nothing more than a meaningless exhibition scrimmage resulting in a cheap W, but yet if you listened to the radio guys, including Frank postgame, one would have assumed this was a legit D1 contest! Frank even said that the game was important to right the ship after a very difficult conference game! I have a better idea.., how about showing up and matching the intensity and level of play of the best teams in the MAC…. teams that more than likely have less resources, including coaching and NIL budgets than UMass.