IS this bobby knight getting a gig?

http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=12265826

I've never been impressed with Purnell. I know he took over a tough job at Dayton, but his Dayton and Clemson teams always collapsed at the end of the season.

(04-06-2010 05:35 PM)CatsClaw Wrote:  I've never been impressed with Purnell. I know he took over a tough job at Dayton, but his Dayton and Clemson teams always collapsed at the end of the season.

Yeah, as someone born and raised in Dayton and frequently at UD games before I went to college, this was similar to how I felt about the man. Think Mark Dantonio - he'll get a program to a certain level, but he'll always plateau. Mark Dantonio may get one or two BCS-caliber teams in his career, but more often than not he'll be a reliable 8-4 type of guy who makes no impact on the national stage. Purnell had a nice year last year (I think, though my memory's cloudy) and might have a few more, but usually he's going to be a reliable 18 or so game winner and do very little in any meaningful situation. I think he'll get Depaul back to some smidgeon of respectability but he won't be going to any Final Fours with them.

On the subject of UD, fwiw I feel almost the exact same way about Gregory, except Gregory's a worse coach who is better at covering it up with talented recruits. I'd have been very disappointed in Depaul if that's who they ended up with (which I believe was a rumor at one point).

I think there's a little reality check needed here about where Depaul is as they hire Purnell. This isn't a middle of the pack NIT school, this isn't a NCAA tournament team consistently losing in the 1st round. Depaul isn't winning period. 18 wins is a step up at this point.

It's his job to get a good assistant base in there too. Needs that if he doesn't have the good ties to Chicago.

(04-06-2010 10:01 AM)MichaelSavage Wrote:  Seems like both DePaul & St. Johns did better than people expected when it comes to their recent hires.

the beast is a solid bb conference, good hires don't surprise, now if we can just keep the fb league together..........:domokun:

(04-06-2010 09:21 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  I think there's a little reality check needed here about where Depaul is as they hire Purnell. This isn't a middle of the pack NIT school, this isn't a NCAA tournament team consistently losing in the 1st round. Depaul isn't winning period. 18 wins is a step up at this point.

It's his job to get a good assistant base in there too. Needs that if he doesn't have the good ties to Chicago.

that's a great point, matt.

(04-06-2010 09:21 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  I think there's a little reality check needed here about where Depaul is as they hire Purnell. This isn't a middle of the pack NIT school, this isn't a NCAA tournament team consistently losing in the 1st round. Depaul isn't winning period. 18 wins is a step up at this point.

It's his job to get a good assistant base in there too. Needs that if he doesn't have the good ties to Chicago.

Matt - this is true. We're just hoping to possibly make the expanded 1,096 team NCAA Tournament field.

(04-07-2010 12:33 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(04-06-2010 09:21 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  I think there's a little reality check needed here about where Depaul is as they hire Purnell. This isn't a middle of the pack NIT school, this isn't a NCAA tournament team consistently losing in the 1st round. Depaul isn't winning period. 18 wins is a step up at this point.

It's his job to get a good assistant base in there too. Needs that if he doesn't have the good ties to Chicago.

Matt - this is true. We're just hoping to possibly make the expanded 1,096 team NCAA Tournament field.

Will the UConn women's team make the expanded field? SF Husky wants to know...

(04-07-2010 10:54 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  Will the UConn women's team make the expanded field? SF Husky wants to know...

The New Jersey Nets are eligible for an at-large berth.

(04-07-2010 12:00 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  

(04-07-2010 10:54 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  Will the UConn women's team make the expanded field? SF Husky wants to know...

The New Jersey Nets are eligible for an at-large berth.

what seed, I wonder?

I am also somewhat underwhelmed with the hire. Starting this year before the bracket came out I said I was going to pick against Clemson no matter their seed or opponent, and continue so until Purnell shows he can actually win an NCAA game. The strategy worked.

As Matt pointed out though, first round NCAA losses is a huge step up for the Demons, so perhaps a Tom Penders clone who rebuilds but can never take the next step works well here.

(04-07-2010 01:23 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  

(04-07-2010 12:00 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  

(04-07-2010 10:54 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  Will the UConn women's team make the expanded field? SF Husky wants to know...

The New Jersey Nets are eligible for an at-large berth.

what seed, I wonder?

They're in the play-in game.

On the upside, their new Russian owner is awesomely nuts. Did anyone see him on 60 Minutes a couple of weeks ago?

(04-07-2010 11:07 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(04-07-2010 01:23 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  

(04-07-2010 12:00 PM)mattsarz Wrote:  

(04-07-2010 10:54 AM)bitcruncher Wrote:  Will the UConn women's team make the expanded field? SF Husky wants to know...

The New Jersey Nets are eligible for an at-large berth.

what seed, I wonder?

They're in the play-in game.

On the upside, their new Russian owner is awesomely nuts. Did anyone see him on 60 Minutes a couple of weeks ago?

Meh who cares about the NBA. I think its great how they never had much fan support but over the last few seasons between the deteriorating level of play and the plans to abandon NJ the fanbase has completely gone dry. For the record I'm not a Knicks fan either, since MJ and Barkley have left the NBA I stopped caring and think the product is down the toilet. I grew up a Bulls fan basically because of Michael Jordan and the fact that my dad had lived in Chicagoland for about 2 years in his early 20s. All that despite never having visited the city until about a year and a half ago and instantly falling in love with it. Big enough like, as vibrant as, as convenient to get around as New York or Boston but cleaner and friendlier. Although Boston is cleaner and friendlier than New York and Chicago kind of felt like the combining the best of the two cities with a little of Washington DC's open spaces and emphasis on architecture. (Albeit with a different type of archictecture.) Okay totally off on a tangent here.

But in other news I've heard he's just completely crazy and no one can get a good read on the guy other than he's hilariously awesome.

I think a Russian sports nut is just what the NBA needs. He seems to be a lot of fun to be around, and puts me in mind of George Allen and his Over The Hill Gang. It's a show the whole family can enjoy...

(04-07-2010 02:29 PM)CollegeCard Wrote:  As Matt pointed out though, first round NCAA losses is a huge step up for the Demons, so perhaps a Tom Penders clone who rebuilds but can never take the next step works well here.

Tom Penders! That's who Rutgers needs! He's like the Larry Brown of college hoops (minus the title).

(04-08-2010 02:34 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(04-07-2010 02:29 PM)CollegeCard Wrote:  As Matt pointed out though, first round NCAA losses is a huge step up for the Demons, so perhaps a Tom Penders clone who rebuilds but can never take the next step works well here.

Tom Penders! That's who Rutgers needs! He's like the Larry Brown of college hoops (minus the title).

I'll take a guy who gets us to the NCAA Tourney with regularity but I'd prefer a guy who can build a championship caliber program. Not like we're not just surrounded by talent as far as the eye can see after all.

As far as I'm concerned this is Schiano's put up or shut up year in football. If we don't at least make the Champs Sports Bowl and win it (ie. a clear 2nd place finish) then he needs to go to. Getting the program rebuilt and in a proper state of affairs and a proper physical plant for the program has been great, but like in Men's Basketball we're surrounded by talent in NJ, Downstate NY, PA, DE, MD, VA, DC along with Schiano's now built up Florida pipelines.

(04-08-2010 02:34 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(04-07-2010 02:29 PM)CollegeCard Wrote:  As Matt pointed out though, first round NCAA losses is a huge step up for the Demons, so perhaps a Tom Penders clone who rebuilds but can never take the next step works well here.

Tom Penders! That's who Rutgers needs! He's like the Larry Brown of college hoops (minus the title).

All we need is an UCONN alum at RU. Frankly, I think RU should look at Dave Leito as a coach. He didn't do so bad at Depaul when he was there.

(04-08-2010 11:36 PM)SF Husky Wrote:  

(04-08-2010 02:34 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(04-07-2010 02:29 PM)CollegeCard Wrote:  As Matt pointed out though, first round NCAA losses is a huge step up for the Demons, so perhaps a Tom Penders clone who rebuilds but can never take the next step works well here.

Tom Penders! That's who Rutgers needs! He's like the Larry Brown of college hoops (minus the title).

All we need is an UCONN alum at RU. Frankly, I think RU should look at Dave Leito as a coach. He didn't do so bad at Depaul when he was there.

I vote for Bobby Gonzales as RU's new coach. He'll seem normal after Fred Hill.

(04-08-2010 02:34 PM)esayem Wrote:  He's like the Larry Brown of college hoops (minus the title).

That was cold.

***

Mattsarz is right about Clemson being a football-first school in a basketball-first conference. I am sure that Purnell had several things in mind when he made the switch, but the desire to be at a basketball-first school had to be one of them. That 0-6 record in the NCAA's is a cause for concern, but if you can get Clemson into the Dance, you can definitely get DePaul there, too. (And as Frank pointed out, the new 2,048-team bracket will make it easier on everybody.)