Coaching changes ruins domino
'Twas quite a big day in the world of NCAA Men's Division I basketball, eh? Before we get to the main course, let's enjoy some appetizers:
- Big Ten Wonk resurrected this gem from Mgoblog today. I admit to having not seen it the first time around, but it was well worth the read, even two years later. Nothing better than a little Blogosphere versus MSM throwdown on a Thursday evening!
- The debate over the NBA's one-year rule for incoming players continues unabated. Tim Cowlishaw likes the rule for a variety of reasons. I will say this: Regardless of what one thinks about the rule, there's no way you can argue that the biggest beneficiary isn't the NBA itself. What this rule amounts to is little more than free marketing and publicity for the NBA. By forcing future NBA stars to play in college for a year, these players enter the pros with a built-in fan base, which would ideally (in the NBA's mindset) follow that player during their professional career. Are Texas fans more likely to follow Kevin Durant wherever he lands in the NBA? Are Ohio State fans likely to pay closer attention to Greg Oden's team? Granted, the rule won't guarantee that these fans will automatically start following the NBA, but it does increase the possibility therein.
- It appears we're finally approaching closure in one of the more embarrassing miscarriages of justice and political opinion that we've seen in a long time --- speculation is that all charges will be dropped against the wrongly accused Duke lacrosse players.
- According to a new book by a professor of philosophy, Bob Knight is far more morally principled than John Wooden was. I may have to check this book out. Somewhere, Bill Walton is stuttering in apoplectic fury. Good.
- Basketball history buffs --- don't miss this excellent Phil Richards article in the Indy Star about pioneering IU player Bill Garrett.
So, I dunno if you've heard, but there were a few coaching changes in college basketball the last couple of days. Oh, and there are some tournament games going on, too. We'll get to the games tomorrow, but let's check out the coaching changes.
NEW MEXICO: Hired Steve Alford, as first rumored by ESPN's Andy Katz earlier this week. Alford reportedly was happy with the commitment to facility upgrades that the Lobos demonstrated, and was also attracted to the financial package, which apparently included a comparable salary to his Iowa deal AND a healthy amount of green for top assistant Craig Neal. Plus, I'm sure Steve was just happy to get out of the state of Iowa. Also, in an interesting development, New Mexico fans are saying that former Bowling Green head coach (and IU assistant, and Alford teammate) Dan Dakich may be joining Alford's staff in Albuquerque.
MINNESOTA: Hired Tubby Smith, shelling out a remarkable $1.7 million a year for the now-former Kentucky boss. Quite a hire for the Golden Gophers --- despite Smith's recent "struggles", he's still a big name coach headed to a program in desperate need of some old-fashioned street cred. I knew this was a big hire when my friend Lanier, a Gopher alum, called me and actually had something positive to say about Minnesota basketball. The hire is not only approved by my friend Lanier, but also by prominent broadcasters Dick Vitale and Billy Packer.
XAVIER: Avoided getting Thadded for the second time in three years, signing Sean Miller to an extension which should make him the highest-paid coach in the Atlantic 10.
MICHIGAN: Suddenly isn't too sure what they're going to do. The chic idea prior to today's news was that the Wolverines would be able to entice Tubby Smith to bolt Lexington for Ann Arbor; however, the unforeseen swoop job of the Golden Gophers now has hit the proverbial reset button on Michigan's coaching search. Mgoblog.com is enamored with West Virginia's John Beilein, $2+ million buyout and all. Other reports have the Maize & Blue leaning towards SIU's Chris Lowery, although Detroit Free Presser Michael Rosenberg advises caution in that area.
IOWA: Hawkeye fans are acting like a tyrannical king was just deposed. However, one has to wonder who exactly is going to jump at the chance to coach in Iowa City? With possibly the second-worst recruiting base in the league (ahead of only Penn State, and not by much), and with a fan base that created a ridiculous amount of dirty innuendo about their now-departed coach, the Hawkeye job really isn't that attractive. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that it's the third-worst job in the Big Ten, ahead of only Penn State and Northwestern. The Iowa rumor mill is ablaze with the concept of current Tennessee coach (and former Hawkeye assistant) Bruce Pearl leaving Knoxville to return to Iowa, but I have a hard time understanding why Pearl would leave a program like Tennessee, which has better recruiting, better facilities, lower academic standards, and FAR lower expectations, for the mess in Iowa City.
KENTUCKY: We've saved the biggest for last. I have no clue what UK is thinking right now. The unofficial rumor is that Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhardt wanted more control over the basketball program, and told Tubby Smith that. Tubby balked at the notion, which is why he's now investing in a house with an underground garage. Basically, Kentucky holds all the cards right now in the coaching change game. If UK decides to try and poach someone like Billy Donovan or Billy Gillispie, that will cause several other dominoes to fall.
Personally, I don't think Billy Donovan is leaving Florida for UK --- he may have been an assistant at Kentucky, but he's not a UK alum. Furthermore, he's built quite a program at Florida, winning a national championship and getting to two title games in the last seven years at a school where basketball is a nice dessert (as opposed to the main course that it is at Kentucky).
I think the smart money is on John Calipari as UK coach - he's flashy, he can recruit, and he's probably desperate to leave Memphis after Louisville and Cincinnati bailed on Conference USA.
One thing is almost a certainty - Kentucky won't make the same mistakes that fellow all-time programs Indiana (Mike Davis) and North Carolina (Matt Doherty) made in prior coaching changes. Whatever you think of Kentucky basketball, they value winning and success above all else, and I'm positive they'll make the right hire for their program at this point.
- Big Ten Wonk resurrected this gem from Mgoblog today. I admit to having not seen it the first time around, but it was well worth the read, even two years later. Nothing better than a little Blogosphere versus MSM throwdown on a Thursday evening!
- The debate over the NBA's one-year rule for incoming players continues unabated. Tim Cowlishaw likes the rule for a variety of reasons. I will say this: Regardless of what one thinks about the rule, there's no way you can argue that the biggest beneficiary isn't the NBA itself. What this rule amounts to is little more than free marketing and publicity for the NBA. By forcing future NBA stars to play in college for a year, these players enter the pros with a built-in fan base, which would ideally (in the NBA's mindset) follow that player during their professional career. Are Texas fans more likely to follow Kevin Durant wherever he lands in the NBA? Are Ohio State fans likely to pay closer attention to Greg Oden's team? Granted, the rule won't guarantee that these fans will automatically start following the NBA, but it does increase the possibility therein.
- It appears we're finally approaching closure in one of the more embarrassing miscarriages of justice and political opinion that we've seen in a long time --- speculation is that all charges will be dropped against the wrongly accused Duke lacrosse players.
- According to a new book by a professor of philosophy, Bob Knight is far more morally principled than John Wooden was. I may have to check this book out. Somewhere, Bill Walton is stuttering in apoplectic fury. Good.
- Basketball history buffs --- don't miss this excellent Phil Richards article in the Indy Star about pioneering IU player Bill Garrett.
So, I dunno if you've heard, but there were a few coaching changes in college basketball the last couple of days. Oh, and there are some tournament games going on, too. We'll get to the games tomorrow, but let's check out the coaching changes.
NEW MEXICO: Hired Steve Alford, as first rumored by ESPN's Andy Katz earlier this week. Alford reportedly was happy with the commitment to facility upgrades that the Lobos demonstrated, and was also attracted to the financial package, which apparently included a comparable salary to his Iowa deal AND a healthy amount of green for top assistant Craig Neal. Plus, I'm sure Steve was just happy to get out of the state of Iowa. Also, in an interesting development, New Mexico fans are saying that former Bowling Green head coach (and IU assistant, and Alford teammate) Dan Dakich may be joining Alford's staff in Albuquerque.
MINNESOTA: Hired Tubby Smith, shelling out a remarkable $1.7 million a year for the now-former Kentucky boss. Quite a hire for the Golden Gophers --- despite Smith's recent "struggles", he's still a big name coach headed to a program in desperate need of some old-fashioned street cred. I knew this was a big hire when my friend Lanier, a Gopher alum, called me and actually had something positive to say about Minnesota basketball. The hire is not only approved by my friend Lanier, but also by prominent broadcasters Dick Vitale and Billy Packer.
XAVIER: Avoided getting Thadded for the second time in three years, signing Sean Miller to an extension which should make him the highest-paid coach in the Atlantic 10.
MICHIGAN: Suddenly isn't too sure what they're going to do. The chic idea prior to today's news was that the Wolverines would be able to entice Tubby Smith to bolt Lexington for Ann Arbor; however, the unforeseen swoop job of the Golden Gophers now has hit the proverbial reset button on Michigan's coaching search. Mgoblog.com is enamored with West Virginia's John Beilein, $2+ million buyout and all. Other reports have the Maize & Blue leaning towards SIU's Chris Lowery, although Detroit Free Presser Michael Rosenberg advises caution in that area.
IOWA: Hawkeye fans are acting like a tyrannical king was just deposed. However, one has to wonder who exactly is going to jump at the chance to coach in Iowa City? With possibly the second-worst recruiting base in the league (ahead of only Penn State, and not by much), and with a fan base that created a ridiculous amount of dirty innuendo about their now-departed coach, the Hawkeye job really isn't that attractive. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that it's the third-worst job in the Big Ten, ahead of only Penn State and Northwestern. The Iowa rumor mill is ablaze with the concept of current Tennessee coach (and former Hawkeye assistant) Bruce Pearl leaving Knoxville to return to Iowa, but I have a hard time understanding why Pearl would leave a program like Tennessee, which has better recruiting, better facilities, lower academic standards, and FAR lower expectations, for the mess in Iowa City.
KENTUCKY: We've saved the biggest for last. I have no clue what UK is thinking right now. The unofficial rumor is that Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhardt wanted more control over the basketball program, and told Tubby Smith that. Tubby balked at the notion, which is why he's now investing in a house with an underground garage. Basically, Kentucky holds all the cards right now in the coaching change game. If UK decides to try and poach someone like Billy Donovan or Billy Gillispie, that will cause several other dominoes to fall.
Personally, I don't think Billy Donovan is leaving Florida for UK --- he may have been an assistant at Kentucky, but he's not a UK alum. Furthermore, he's built quite a program at Florida, winning a national championship and getting to two title games in the last seven years at a school where basketball is a nice dessert (as opposed to the main course that it is at Kentucky).
I think the smart money is on John Calipari as UK coach - he's flashy, he can recruit, and he's probably desperate to leave Memphis after Louisville and Cincinnati bailed on Conference USA.
One thing is almost a certainty - Kentucky won't make the same mistakes that fellow all-time programs Indiana (Mike Davis) and North Carolina (Matt Doherty) made in prior coaching changes. Whatever you think of Kentucky basketball, they value winning and success above all else, and I'm positive they'll make the right hire for their program at this point.
posted by Thermocaster at 10:44:00 PM
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