Trying to get back on topic (and sorry for rambling way off topic) but I see Dayton is beating up on Stanford in the first half of their Sweet 16 game tonight. Rhoades and VCU beat up by Dayton by 14 points earlier this year (and finished two games ahead of them in the A-10 standings too).

(03-27-2014 05:11 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  It looks like most of the team was at the press conference so that's a good sign.

I like the comments from Coach Rhoades and others here. My only negative comment (perhaps) is that Coach Rhoades doesn't appear likely to knock Willis Wilson off any of the best dressed coach lists. And we might have to teach him the proper Rice blue to wear for his tie.

He can wear a Hawaiian shirt, capris and high heeled shoes for all I care.... Just so long as he brings the W's to Tudor!

(03-27-2014 06:55 PM)Rick Gerlach Wrote:  

(03-27-2014 05:59 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  

(03-27-2014 05:11 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  My only negative comment (perhaps) is that Coach Rhoades doesn't appear likely to knock Willis Wilson off any of the best dressed coach lists. And we might have to teach him the proper Rice blue to wear for his tie.

I don't have any negative comments about how Dr. K handled this or about Coach Rhoades at all right now. I'm impressed with what I have seen. I don't know that the clothes helped improve Willis' record that much. For all I care right now, Rhoades could dress like this if he got the same results:

But if he wears a basketball uniform on the court, won't people confuse him with the players . . . . . . ..

Nice one, Rick! ...and who is that guy in the funny jacket getting in the way there?!

(03-27-2014 04:29 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  Just ended (and yes why was it subscriber only).

Coach was a little awed but handled things well. Already have seen and heard more about his family than we ever did with Braun. To me it just shows the program will be more open and visible to the Rice fans and outside of Rice.

He met the team at 6 a.m. this morning (team was there at the presser) and will work out later today. Stresses the intensity they will play at. Reminded everyone that when VCU was here for the Final Four they practiced at Rice.

Family had a chance to walk through campus today. Emphasized repeatedly academics.

Said they wanted to recruit locally and in Texas. Said that if players wanted to leave Houston and Texas they would have to go through Rice first (of course providing they would qualify at Rice).

All in all pretty good start.

I think/hope we just hired Norman Dale...

JD's story up at Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/sports/rice/article...um=twitter

I hope all of our players stay, because I think that people who matriculate at Rice should graduate.

But from a pure W and L standpoint, any player other than Obi who leaves likely accelerates our return to viability, as I would expect Coach to replace that player with a more talented one.

I have doubts that any of our current players besides Obi could get minutes for a Top 50 team.

Obi leaving would be bad. Any other player who leaves might be thinking, "This guy knows what he is doing; my minutes are going down year after next; let me get out now and get eligible somewhere else"

Interview from CSN Houston. Midway through the clip there is a brief shot of practice I believe is at Reliant during the Final Four and it has Rhoades on the floor diving for a loose ball! I love it!

http://www.csnhouston.com/ncaa/rhoades-i...ball-coach

(03-27-2014 10:03 PM)MemOwl Wrote:  I hope all of our players stay, because I think that people who matriculate at Rice should graduate.

But from a pure W and L standpoint, any player other than Obi who leaves likely accelerates our return to viability, as I would expect Coach to replace that player with a more talented one.

I have doubts that any of our current players besides Obi could get minutes for a Top 50 team.

Obi leaving would be bad. Any other player who leaves might be thinking, "This guy knows what he is doing; my minutes are going down year after next; let me get out now and get eligible somewhere else"

I hope they all stay and do well, both academically and athletically.

One of the main premises of wanting a new coach was that somebody else (anybody but Braun) could do better with the guys we have - coach them better, use them better, teach them better. presumably, the new guy can do all that and recruit better too, so let him be a coach, not just a recruiter. if he is a better coach, we should see it immediately in the W-L.

It will be interesting to see if he can take Braun's guys to new levels.

I went to the R Room to listen and was overall impressed by the overall tone of the event. The team all seemed to be present at the press conference (except the seniors) and (from what a few players told me) it seemed that they enjoyed meeting the coach and his family that morning. There was a good deal of interaction between the team and the Rhoades family before and after the event. I listened to Coach Rhoades talk to people in the audience before the program and he seems at least on the surface to be open to having and encouraging communications directly with fans and alumni.

(03-28-2014 07:18 AM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  Interview from CSN Houston. Midway through the clip there is a brief shot of practice I believe is at Reliant during the Final Four and it has Rhoades on the floor diving for a loose ball! I love it!

http://www.csnhouston.com/ncaa/rhoades-i...ball-coach

This guy Rhoades seems like such a breath of fresh air compared to what we've had. What I love most is that he seems to be pretty straightforward and have no ego like a lot of "up and comer" type coaches who look at a school like Rice as a mere stepping stone. I think he will pass his attitude on to the guys we have here as well as who he brings in himself.

There is a noticeable difference in the attitude of the Athletic dept. and I think what we're seeing is Bobby Tudor finally flexing his influence a bit. Give them the tools and help make the financing possible and there really is no limit to what Rice can accomplish in Div I sports. The comments from this video made me think: 'they intend to be building the next Duke basketball program here.'

Just stunning that bskb is a complete rebuild 6 yrs after Tudor was built.

(03-28-2014 05:35 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  Just stunning that bskb is a complete rebuild 6 yrs after Tudor was built.

Yup. Thank you, Ben Braun and Rick Greenspan.

(03-28-2014 05:38 PM)Wiessman Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 05:35 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  Just stunning that bskb is a complete rebuild 6 yrs after Tudor was built.

Yup. Thank you, Ben Braun and Rick Greenspan.

CDC is at least part of this also

(03-28-2014 05:41 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 05:38 PM)Wiessman Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 05:35 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  Just stunning that bskb is a complete rebuild 6 yrs after Tudor was built.

Yup. Thank you, Ben Braun and Rick Greenspan.

CDC is at least part of this also

Agree. Lots of culpable parties; I just don't feel like listing them all.

What's truly amazing is that I've followed college athletics most of my short life, and this might be the biggest shambles I've ever seen a D1 basketball program left in. Maybe Baylor was worse, I don't know, but Baylor doesn't have our limitations, so their program resuscitation was never going to be nearly as difficult as ours will be. Just an absolute fiasco, this.

Here's what I like:
"I'll take a little less talented player if he's a great guy with a great character. You can win with those guys. I've proven that everywhere I've been."

There is absolutely no doubt that this fellow has the determination, work ethic, BB knowledge, and character to succeed. The only question is whether we can get players to come here on that faith to begin with.

Love that family!

(03-28-2014 05:35 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  Just stunning that bskb is a complete rebuild 6 yrs after Tudor was built.

Disappointing, but not stunning, given that's where we were when Tudor was built thanks to Wilson.

Braun took some risks to make things work and they failed. Failed gambles aren't stunning, it's stunning when they work.

(03-28-2014 08:53 PM)At Ease Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 05:35 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  Just stunning that bskb is a complete rebuild 6 yrs after Tudor was built.

Disappointing, but not stunning, given that's where we were when Tudor was built thanks to Wilson.

Braun took some risks to make things work and they failed. Failed gambles aren't stunning, it's stunning when they work.

Unless you think complete mess is our natural level, it's stunning that after 6 recruiting classes with a great new facility that we're still at that level. That's enough time to completely rebuild a basketball team, 2 to 3 times over. Where we were in 2007 is only marginally more relevant than where we were in 1977.

(03-28-2014 08:53 PM)At Ease Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 05:35 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  Just stunning that bskb is a complete rebuild 6 yrs after Tudor was built.

Disappointing, but not stunning, given that's where we were when Tudor was built thanks to Wilson.

Braun took some risks to make things work and they failed. Failed gambles aren't stunning, it's stunning when they work.

Willis did not leave rice in as bad of a state as is Braun

(03-28-2014 05:41 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 05:38 PM)Wiessman Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 05:35 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  Just stunning that bskb is a complete rebuild 6 yrs after Tudor was built.

Yup. Thank you, Ben Braun and Rick Greenspan.

CDC is at least part of this also

CDC made a bet on a coach that didn't pan out. Braun made a poor decision with Morcos, but such is life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose - hindsight is 20/20.

The lion share goes to Greenspan, IMO.

(03-29-2014 10:44 AM)Antarius Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 05:41 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 05:38 PM)Wiessman Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 05:35 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  Just stunning that bskb is a complete rebuild 6 yrs after Tudor was built.

Yup. Thank you, Ben Braun and Rick Greenspan.

CDC is at least part of this also

CDC made a bet on a coach that didn't pan out. Braun made a poor decision with Morcos, but such is life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose - hindsight is 20/20.

The lion share goes to Greenspan, IMO.

At least CDC and Braun were trying.