TCU's AD, Chris Del Conte, has given basketball head coach Jim Christian his vote of confidence that he can turn the Horned Frog program around.

But was it the right move?

Spit Blood: Jim Christian's job status

(03-15-2011 10:58 AM)MaroonFrog Wrote:  TCU's AD, Chris Del Conte, has given basketball head coach Jim Christian his vote of confidence that he can turn the Horned Frog program around.
But was it the right move?

Here's the problem--the Big East is a basketball meat grinder, and even great coaches find themselves in trouble recruiting-wise.

Jim Christian will be recruiting against (in no particular order), Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, Rick Pitino, Bob Huggins, Jay Wright, Jamie Dixon, John Thompson III, Mike Brey, Steve Lavin...and that's just the top half of the draw! The next tier (Mick Cronin, Buzz Williams, Mike Rice) are two years ahead in recruiting, leaving TCU alongside Stan Heath, Oliver Purnell, Kevin Willard, and a Providence coach TBA. Remember, Keno Davis was a rising star at Drake but the Big East was too much to fight through.

Hey, at least DePaul has a chance for two conference wins soon!

I'm going to wait and see, before making any predictions. Who knows? Christian just may turn things around for TCU in The BEast. Stranger things have been known to happen. But he's working against some pretty long odds...

If he uses the Big East as a reason to come to TCU I can see getting recruits over several "mid-major" programs, but I see TCU being more like a DePaul, USF type of program in the Big East.

We are well aware that trying to compete in basketball in the Big East is going to be an uphill climb. But basketball is a sport that a small private school can excel at, and we've already shown we can excel in the sport (football) where small private schools aren't supposed to be able to.

I don't think anyone at TCU expects us to come in and make any sort of splash on the basketball side. But in time, with the right coach (whether it's Christian or not), the Frogs will be able to hold their own against anyone.

(03-15-2011 03:22 PM)MaroonFrog Wrote:  We are well aware that trying to compete in basketball in the Big East is going to be an uphill climb.

From where TCU is starting, they've got a steep cliff to climb, before they get to the uphill climb. Becoming competitive is the steep cliff. Staying there is an uphill climb, and the steps are always in motion. It's a dog eat dog world in The BEast. You name the dog. It's here...

(03-15-2011 03:36 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  

(03-15-2011 03:22 PM)MaroonFrog Wrote:  We are well aware that trying to compete in basketball in the Big East is going to be an uphill climb.

From where TCU is starting, they've got a steep cliff to climb, before they get to the uphill climb. Becoming competitive is the steep cliff. Staying there is an uphill climb, and the steps are always in motion. It's a dog eat dog world in The BEast. You name the dog. It's here...

Right. We fully understand the difference between where our basketball program is now and where we'd like them to be.

This would have been the perfect time to bring in a hot new coach. You get 1 year in the MWC with the carrot of the BE in 2012? It would have brought much needed energy to the program.

If TCU can't start pulling in top talent from Dallas and Houston, you guys will be fine in the Big East. maybe not win it, but at least be mid-level.

After competing against TCU in CUSA, UofL, UC and USF fans can attest that The Frogs will compete. Given time they will hold their own in The Big East.
CJ

Jim Christian did a great job at Kent St like Gary Waters, Stan Heath and Geno Ford who followed him at Kent St. He is a good coach. TCU needs to let him have a chance to recruit as a big east member. Going to Big East changes everything for recruiting. He has to out recruit the Big 12 and SEC for the better players down there. As a member of the Big East he may be able to do that. If Texas A&M and Baylor can become good basketball programs so can TCU. It took Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Baylor a while to get up to speed in the Big 12. Now they are decent programs. TCU would have been a better fit in the Big 12, but Big East called and Big 12 didn't.

TCU needs to remodel, update, whatever you want to call it...their Arena is small, outdated and stuck in the early 70s.

(03-15-2011 10:58 AM)MaroonFrog Wrote:  TCU's AD, Chris Del Conte, has given basketball head coach Jim Christian his vote of confidence that he can turn the Horned Frog program around.

But was it the right move?

Spit Blood: Jim Christian's job status

Nothing wrong with giving him a chance, especially with money in short supply for the basketball program. You never know but I predict,
its going to be rough the first few years in the Big East. On the other hand he will have the advantage in recruiting in that TCU will be playing in the best basketball conference. Most good players want to be playing against the best and the best basketball conference over the last few years has been the Big East. I think that may help TCU recruit against Texas Tech and Baylor and the other Big XII schools apart from Texas.
I think Texas will still get their pick of athletes in Texas.
The thing is that in the Big East the top of the Big East: Syracuse, Pittsburgh, UConn, Louisville, Georgetown all recruit nationally so they tend to attract the best players in the nation. Its really tough to make headway from the bottom of the conference when you have some of the consistently best teams in the nation playing you every year (i.e. - Rutgers, Providence, DePaul, USF, Seton Hall). I think TCU can turn it around but they need the administration to at least improve the basketball facilities a bit to help out the coach get better players.
At least TCU being a part of the Big East will give it a leg up on Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Iowa State.