BIggest Challenges for Danny Sprinkle

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BIggest Challenges for Danny Sprinkle

Post by mslacat » Mon Jul 29, 2019 9:40 am

ESPN recently had an article discussing the new coaches this year in the NCAA D-1 basketball. They of course gave a lot more thought and verbage to coaches now at bigger schools tham Montana State, but they did spend a little time with Big Sky Conference teams, MSU, Idaho, Idaho State and Northern Arizona. Below is a link to the article and Below that is a a quote about what the authors feels is Danny Sprinkle biggest challenge at MSU

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... basketball

Montana State Bobcats: Danny Sprinkle
What's the challenge? Bring Bobcats back to the glory of his playing days. Sprinkle was a big-time player at Montana State in the late '90s and was part of the Bobcats' last NCAA tournament appearance -- in 1996.
I found the ESPN's "Biggest Challenge" for Sprinkle to be rather generic and disappointingly thoughtful. So here is my question to you Bobcat Basketball officienatoes, what do you think is/are the biggest Challenge to Sprinkle to turn this program around and be a consistent challenger for league championship?



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Re: BIggest Challenges for Danny Sprinkle

Post by BozoneCat » Mon Jul 29, 2019 12:54 pm

I think there is a more systemic problem within the Bobcat basketball program, which I believe will be the biggest obstacle for Danny to overcome. I'm not close enough to the program to know what that is exactly, but when you continue to cycle through coaches and nothing changes, maybe it's not just the coaches but something deeper. It will be up to Danny to figure out what that is and push to change it, if he wants to be more successful than his predecessors. I think he's got good "support" from the administration, but I'm not sure MSU has made the financial commitment to building a successful basketball program, and that's a pretty big problem. Mike Kramer had the same challenges when he came here, but he was the right guy to basically create the QB Club from nothing in order to fund the program himself, and it has only grown from there. MSU has tried the 6th Man Club, but it hasn't really taken off yet the same way as the QB Club. I think, from the look of it, Danny will be 100x the spokesperson for MSU and is the best guy to get people excited about MSU and we should see a huge increase in 6th Man memberships, which will be one heck of a good start.


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Re: BIggest Challenges for Danny Sprinkle

Post by msu_agfan » Mon Jul 29, 2019 5:57 pm

Good thoughts Bozone, although to me, Fish was one heck of a spokesperson/rally guy... I was buying what he was selling. My addition to this discussion, would be that Sprink seems to throw a lot of recruiting nets. I think one of his biggest challenges will be to bring these guys together as a cohesive team, and have them buy into MSU. But, that's just what comes to my mind right off the cuff. Hopefully he does get some awesome recruits and that would be a great problem to have!


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Re: BIggest Challenges for Danny Sprinkle

Post by mslacat » Mon Jul 29, 2019 7:25 pm

msu_agfan wrote:
Mon Jul 29, 2019 5:57 pm
Good thoughts Bozone, although to me, Fish was one heck of a spokesperson/rally guy... I was buying what he was selling. My addition to this discussion, would be that Sprink seems to throw a lot of recruiting nets. I think one of his biggest challenges will be to bring these guys together as a cohesive team, and have them buy into MSU. But, that's just what comes to my mind right off the cuff. Hopefully he does get some awesome recruits and that would be a great problem to have!
Just to further expand on what you started. The big issue that any coach that comes to Montana State (or even Montana) is being able to successfully recruit and retain players to Montana. It is a big challenge. Year ago when Danny was playing for MSU the key for the Montana Schools was to win the state recruiting. Every year there would be 2-3 (some year more) Montana players on the Big Sky all conference team. We don't have that talent anymore and when we do they look to go out of state. How many times have you heard a recruit say, boy the campus facilities really surprised me.

For Danny specifically, I think it is going to come down to installing his free flowing offence. When I talked to him and from what I have read in interviews he wants to bering an offence that is a hybrid between what what he played under Durham and the two coaches from california he played for. I have heard him talk about fast breaks and early offence being less structured and more free flowing (Durham's Offence) and let the players be themselves and take advantage of their natural talents. If the shot(s) are not their in the first 5-10 seconds of offence, than pull the ball out and set up plays. It sounds exiting, and if successful could really be pretty exiting brand of basketball to watch. I think players will also like to play in the system. The key to this of course comes back getting skilled player (and keeping them) in a Bobcat uniform. He is also going to need better (as a team) offensive players than we have had in the past 10 year.



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Re: BIggest Challenges for Danny Sprinkle

Post by imacat » Mon Jul 29, 2019 10:47 pm

Coach Sprinkle’s biggest challenge is us. Keeping the fan base excited and involved. A big part of that is winning but it is also having a team that plays a style of basketball that is fun to watch, connects well with the fans, is involved in the community and excels academically. Not an easy task but not an impossible one either. Coach Binford has been successful on the women’s side and she inherited a program with more issues than Coach Sprinkle.

From what I have seen, I believe Coach Sprinkle can get it done.



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Re: BIggest Challenges for Danny Sprinkle

Post by ilovethecats » Tue Jul 30, 2019 9:20 am

I know it shouldn't be all about the Griz. But in this situation, at least in the beginning, beating the griz both on the court and in recruiting is very important. I understand all of the challenges that come with trying to be successful in hoops in this state. But the million pound gorilla in the room is that UM has dominated the conference in hoops. They are far and away the most successful school in our conference. And they are 200 miles down the road...

If Dan has a little success early, gets a few quality wins, beats the griz, and is vying for conference titles, that will really jump start things, Fans will start coming out for games. 6th Man boosters will increase. More money will become available. That should help with facilities. Which helps recruiting. Which helps winning. Round and round we go.



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Re: BIggest Challenges for Danny Sprinkle

Post by allcat » Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:17 am

The biggest challenge. Getting us in the seats.


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Re: BIggest Challenges for Danny Sprinkle

Post by WalkOn79 » Fri Aug 16, 2019 3:02 pm

mslacat wrote:
Mon Jul 29, 2019 9:40 am
ESPN recently had an article discussing the new coaches this year in the NCAA D-1 basketball. They of course gave a lot more thought and verbage to coaches now at bigger schools tham Montana State, but they did spend a little time with Big Sky Conference teams, MSU, Idaho, Idaho State and Northern Arizona. Below is a link to the article and Below that is a a quote about what the authors feels is Danny Sprinkle biggest challenge at MSU

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... basketball

Montana State Bobcats: Danny Sprinkle
What's the challenge? Bring Bobcats back to the glory of his playing days. Sprinkle was a big-time player at Montana State in the late '90s and was part of the Bobcats' last NCAA tournament appearance -- in 1996.
I found the ESPN's "Biggest Challenge" for Sprinkle to be rather generic and disappointingly thoughtful. So here is my question to you Bobcat Basketball officienatoes, what do you think is/are the biggest Challenge to Sprinkle to turn this program around and be a consistent challenger for league championship?
He needs to up our talent level significantly and keep them around. Basketball is much more about the Joe's than the X's and O's. We should be able to recruit top-level BSC talent to Bozeman, just like we do in football.


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Re: BIggest Challenges for Danny Sprinkle

Post by WalkOn79 » Fri Aug 16, 2019 3:04 pm

BozoneCat wrote:
Mon Jul 29, 2019 12:54 pm
I think there is a more systemic problem within the Bobcat basketball program, which I believe will be the biggest obstacle for Danny to overcome. I'm not close enough to the program to know what that is exactly, but when you continue to cycle through coaches and nothing changes, maybe it's not just the coaches but something deeper. It will be up to Danny to figure out what that is and push to change it, if he wants to be more successful than his predecessors. I think he's got good "support" from the administration, but I'm not sure MSU has made the financial commitment to building a successful basketball program, and that's a pretty big problem. Mike Kramer had the same challenges when he came here, but he was the right guy to basically create the QB Club from nothing in order to fund the program himself, and it has only grown from there. MSU has tried the 6th Man Club, but it hasn't really taken off yet the same way as the QB Club. I think, from the look of it, Danny will be 100x the spokesperson for MSU and is the best guy to get people excited about MSU and we should see a huge increase in 6th Man memberships, which will be one heck of a good start.
6th man is definitely the key. Need the budget to recruit to find the talent.


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Re: BIggest Challenges for Danny Sprinkle

Post by Catlady » Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:31 pm

I think Coach Sprinkle is going to do fine. The question is can he create the right culture and attract talent to Bozeman. I’m betting that he will!



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Re: BIggest Challenges for Danny Sprinkle

Post by nutman » Thu Oct 10, 2019 5:59 pm

What if...we could offer a discounted 6th man to QB Club members. Not sure what the price of 6th man, but I'd easily throw another $400-$600/yr if the QB club asked. Not saying I'm more in the football vs basketball. Just saying money matters. Money wasn't an issue when we recruited quadre, hatler, nico, sprinkle, dewey, you know the crew. We had the best game atmosphere in the league. Ask Texas Tech, Gonzaga, Western Michigan if they'll come here for a game? They may say they are bigger than that, but the reality is they remember playing us here. We averaged over 7500 fans per game. We stopped what was assigned to go support this team. Then the excuses started. 'Hockey stole the limelight' (BS), we had problems at the school (true, but BS)(Ohio State has had problems, but where are they).

Get butts in seats and make it fun again and this thing will soar. There was nothing entertaining about either of our last two head coaches. Period. Starner lives here in town, maybe we ask him how to be relevant in Bozeman these days.

And....$ can't hurt.



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