Today Donovan is the most talked about figure in sports, and it brings back the memories of 1994 when he brought in Marshall and effectively ended the positives stemming from the Greg Dennis era with a lopsided loss.

The Herd was on its way to the NCAAs and Donovan was obviously going places (as was Marshall). When he landed at Florida you knew it was only a matter of time before he'd lead the Gators to big things.

What I remember most about that game ( I was working as a grip for a cable company) is during a time out Donovan brought out stools for his players to sit on in a semi-circle. Even in his time outs, Donovan was innovative.

But isn't that why you follow ETSU basketball? The idea that a part of the major college athletic world comes here to our little doo-hickey town?

Sadly, the idea of a talent like that coming through again isn't likely. The A-Sun hasn't put one player on a current NBA roster and the conference certainly isn't a good development ground for coaches.

Do you ever think we will be touched by such greatness again?

The question maybe should be will Marshall ever get back to where they used to be. The are terrible now. But it all goes back to up and coming coaches using one bid leagues as a spring board to other opportunities. He wasn't even there over 3 yrs was he?

BTW was in KY all last week. UK fans are saying its a done deal and when UF's season is over, Donovan will be named the new UK coach. We will see if its true.

You honestly think ETSU is in better shape than Marshall right now?

HA!

Ummm, I didn't say that. You want me to say "yes we are". I would say we creamed them in 05-06. You would say they had a bad day. Then I would say we won our conference and went to the NIT and they had no post season. You would say we are in a suck conference. I would say we had better attendance. You would say ETSU pads the attendance numbers. I would say.....and you would say it's all Dave Mullins' fault........oh never mind.

No- I would say that any sane sports fan would take membership in the Conference USA ahead of membership in the Atlantic Sun.

Of course they would....but you were specifically mentioning Marshall.

That 1 bid conference known as the Conference USA? It is Memphis and the bunch of misfits. The only happy member is Memphis as they can have a 98% winning percentage in conference to pad their record for a better but undeserved seeding in the NCAAs.

It has become a joke of a conference after the other big boys besides Memphis left for greener pastures.

BucinBama Wrote:That 1 bid conference known as the Conference USA? It is Memphis and the bunch of misfits. The only happy member is Memphis as they can have a 98% winning percentage in conference to pad their record for a better but undeserved seeding in the NCAAs.

It has become a joke of a conference after the other big boys besides Memphis left for greener pastures.

and it is still a hell of lot better conference then A-Sun is.

R

Exactly.

So now the A-Sun isn't just on par with the Southern Conference, but ETSU Tripe Eaters are trying to say it's on par with Conference USA?

I never said it was comparable to the ASUN, but it has become a upper mid-major conference in basketball for every team other than Memphis. To get 1 bid for a 12 team conference that is supposed to be a major conference is just lousy. If Memphis would have left like the other big boys, there RPI would probably have been comparable to the SoCon with no teams that had an RPI as good as App State or Davidson.

I'm sure Conference USA will have multiple bids in the future and Marshall will recruit better players than ETSU for the time being primarily because of their conference affiliation.

Don't you?

Donovan stays. A&M's Billy Gillipsie is the new UK coach.
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