First, I really like Coach Smith. I want him to succeed at WSU.
Second, I think he needs some major work on his late close game coaching. Instead of showing angst and worry in a tight game with time running out (I've observed this many times), he needs to show CONFIDENCE in his players, CALMNESS, and also have a good plan to finish the game with a good outcome. The players need to SEE THIS and BELIEVE it. You can have all the data and statistics in the world ("nerdball") but if you don't have the confidence in your players, and show the calmness you need to show, the outcome is likely not going to be good.
I'm not just referring to this loss to UCLA. It is now a trend over many games.
Coach Smith needs to change his demeanor. He can do it.
Anyway, my 2 cents. Thoughts?
I think the reason there was so many close games that were lost this season, is a combination of injuries, AND having most, majority of team, replaced, new, that haven't played, JELLED, developed chemistry, learned to win together.
Now in looking at what your saying about Smith's demeanor and whether that's contributed to the injuries, new, young team, that hasn't played, developed chemistry, JELLED, learned to win together, etc, in losing close games, etc, one can look at last season.
Last season there was injuries and some new pieces, and the team was older. But the injuries, and the new players also delayed the team Jelling, developing chemistry, learning to win, and also lost a lot of close game before winning 23 total games, 11-9 in conference, NIT final four.
I think Smith has left meat on the bone last season, and this season. That said only Raveling, and Sampson did better then Smith's 23 total wins, NIT Final Four, 11-9 in conference, last season, and Sampson's BEST 9-9, 500 conference record, was WORSE then Smith's 11-9 conference record, VS a much tougher Pac 12.(PAC 12 last season, was the toughest it had been in decades)
So because of that, I think you kind of have to throw out last season.
So that leaves this 1 season out of 4 seasons, with almost most, majority of team replaced, and LOTS of injuries, and a WAY INSANELY TOUGHER NON CONFERENCE RECORD, causing the team to either not or SLOW to develop, Jell CHEMISTRY, play together, learn to win, etc.
Yes Smith has left meat on bone, and what you say about demeanor, may or may not be true, have factored in, BUT the amount of injuries HAS BEEN INSANE, and having to replace the majority of the team is INSANE, and BOTH have INSANELY affected the development of the team in a very negative way.
Now some like Jourdand, would mention how Blue Bloods like Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Oregon, Gonzaga, Arizona, UCLA, etc, handle what WSU has suffered, but WSU is NOT a BLUE BLOOD, and is a WSU, Ore St, etc, type, and WSU, Ore St types, WILL NOT, DO NOT HANDLE THESE TYPE OF THINGS WELL.
Also there needs to be a comparison between Smith and Dick Bennet.
Dick Bennet in his 4 seasons had YOUNG, LESSER TALENT, LOTS OF INJURIES, etc, and because of that it was ok that Dick Bennet, only won 10,11,12 games a season, and only scored about 38 points per game on average, etc, but yet Dick Bennet was OK, UNLIKE Smith.
Has Smith left meat on the bone? Yes.
Is Smith's Demeanor, or some other coaching thing of Smith causing this season's bad results so far? Maybe, Perhaps.
BUT if Smith had a EXPERIENCED team, that WERE NOT NEW PIECES, NEW PLAYERS, AND IF THE TEAM HAD A UNINJURED, HEALTHY season, ALL COMBINED TOGETHER, AND THEN DESPITE THAT, IF Smith were to then either lose a lot of games, an or lose a lot of close games DESPITE THAT, THEN ONE COULD CLEARLY SAY THAT IT IS, WAS SMITH'S COACHING, AND NOT THE LACK OF EXPERIENCE, AND NOT ALL THE LOTS OF NEW PIECES, PLAYERS, AND NOT ALL THE LOTS OF INJURIES.
But even if it is Smith's coaching, etc, and even if Smith is leaving Meat on the bone, Smith has STILL done BETTER results wise so far, then all past WSU coaches, EXCEPT Raveling, Sampson, Friel, etc, and are being HARDER on Smith then DICK BENNET, and all other past WSU coaches, and are treating Smith the same way that Nebraska treated Tom Osbourne for only winning 9,10 games instead of 11,12,13 games.
But I guess that WSU is now a BLUE BLOOD, that unfairly criticizes or fires its coaches for leaving Meat on bone and only winning 23 games, NIT Final 4, 11-9 in conference, and only winning 7 games in football.
Please do continue to overreact, knee jerk, spaz out over a 1 point loss to likely conference winners UCLA, that might semi probably go-to the NCAA sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4, Final 2, etc.