(04-03-2015 08:52 AM)stever20 Wrote:  

(04-03-2015 08:44 AM)WakeForestRanger Wrote:  

(04-03-2015 08:33 AM)stever20 Wrote:  

(04-03-2015 08:28 AM)WakeForestRanger Wrote:  Shaka leaving benefits more than just a VT and UVa in the ACC. A lot of those Shaka recruits would normally have been providing quality depth for ACC schools like NC State, Wake, Clemson, etc...

we're both probably wrong to some degree. He was starting to get top 100 recruits. That's not quality depth at all- that's star players.

Star players is a bit strong. But some of those guys would definitely start for those teams. I know Wake could have used Tevin Mack's shooting next season.

how many top 100 players has Wake gotten though? I'm seeing just 1. Mack's only other visit was to South Carolina.

Do you mean this year? Or normally?

This year 2 of the 3 (Moore and Crawford) are Top 100 players on both scout and rivals rankings.

Normally our recruits fall in the Top 40-150 range, but our last coach ran our program into the ground. So our current team make up doesn't reflect that at the moment. Manning's recruiting looks to be returning us to our historical norms though.

Top 100 guys can certainly be stars. I won't dispute that. But they are not guaranteed stars like Top 25 guys usually are. So if you get started level minutes out of them, you're doing well.

We were in Mack's Top 3 late summer. I don't mean to imply we were a lock to get him.

The A-10 takes a blow.

I hate the term mid-major, but when one of the best coaches goes to a football conference, the shoe fits.

Plug Anthony Grant back in at VCU. No muss, no fuss.

(04-03-2015 08:52 AM)stever20 Wrote:  

(04-03-2015 08:44 AM)WakeForestRanger Wrote:  

(04-03-2015 08:33 AM)stever20 Wrote:  

(04-03-2015 08:28 AM)WakeForestRanger Wrote:  Shaka leaving benefits more than just a VT and UVa in the ACC. A lot of those Shaka recruits would normally have been providing quality depth for ACC schools like NC State, Wake, Clemson, etc...

we're both probably wrong to some degree. He was starting to get top 100 recruits. That's not quality depth at all- that's star players.

Star players is a bit strong. But some of those guys would definitely start for those teams. I know Wake could have used Tevin Mack's shooting next season.

how many top 100 players has Wake gotten though? I'm seeing just 1. Mack's only other visit was to South Carolina.

Mack visited UConn

(04-03-2015 10:20 AM)BigEastHomer Wrote:  Plug Anthony Grant back in at VCU. No muss, no fuss.

That would actually make a lot of sense but he wouldn't have Eric Maynor to bail him out this time. People said he was an up and coming coach but they were playing straight up street ball.

(04-03-2015 11:00 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(04-03-2015 10:20 AM)BigEastHomer Wrote:  Plug Anthony Grant back in at VCU. No muss, no fuss.

That would actually make a lot of sense but he wouldn't have Eric Maynor to bail him out this time. People said he was an up and coming coach but they were playing straight up street ball.

There was a time when there was nothing wrong with playing unique styles and running other gimmicks. Television, or more specifically, how the NCAA tournament is covered (it's more like watching a boxing match with the annoying amount of stoppages, cutting momentum), forces a different approach. No doubt, that style wouldn't go very far on CBS-covered games, but would it be enough to get into the tournament?

I mean, I don't think "street ball" is a bad thing when, in the A10, you had Temple and St. Joe's running that way for what seemed like forever.

Love this tweet from one of VCU's players(the kid who got hurt end of January with the ACL that changed this years team big time)
VCU_Bandit2 ?Briante Weber #2?
If you are not happy for my coach you are selfish Thank you is what you should b saying

(04-03-2015 10:14 AM)LouPower Wrote:  The A-10 takes a blow.

I hate the term mid-major, but when one of the best coaches goes to a football conference, the shoe fits.

Welcome to the world of college athletics...Football drives the bus, and the basketball schools are just along for the ride.

Just look at what happened to the Big East. By they way, the nBE isn't fundamentally in a stronger position than the A-10. They just don't know it yet.

Just be glad St Louis found itself a good basketball conference. You could be in the Missouri Valley (which isn't that bad, but still).

---

VCU will find a new coach, and will probably be pretty strong next year.

As BR pointed out: this didn't take long!

(04-03-2015 12:15 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(04-03-2015 10:14 AM)LouPower Wrote:  The A-10 takes a blow.

I hate the term mid-major, but when one of the best coaches goes to a football conference, the shoe fits.

Welcome to the world of college athletics...Football drives the bus, and the basketball schools are just along for the ride.

Just look at what happened to the Big East. By they way, the nBE isn't fundamentally in a stronger position than the A-10. They just don't know it yet.

Just be glad St Louis found itself a good basketball conference. You could be in the Missouri Valley (which isn't that bad, but still).

---

VCU will find a new coach, and will probably be pretty strong next year.

I'm not really happy with a whole lot at SLU. The AD still having a job is near the top of the list for keeping the basketball coach.

(04-03-2015 12:07 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Love this tweet from one of VCU's players(the kid who got hurt end of January with the ACL that changed this years team big time)
VCU_Bandit2 ?Briante Weber #2?
If you are not happy for my coach you are selfish Thank you is what you should b saying

Good to see that the players have the proper perspective. It boggles my mind that every fan base always seems to act shocked that a coach would take more money and/or go to a higher profile position. Shaka has turned down a lot of other offers before, including UCLA, so he wasn't just taking any random power conference job and using VCU as a stepping stone. Texas was just too good to pass up, so no one can blame him for the move.

yeah the SLU situation which I think a lot of folks could see coming miles away is one that isn't good. Right now, I don't think there's any way that the Big East could add SLU. Conference already has a perception issue- and adding what was around #300 RPI team wouldn't do anything to improve it.

Worst thing that happened to SLU IMO was the year when Majerus passed away they went on that real emotional run that made it nearly impossible to replace Crews. Now, with all the players gone, it's actually even worse than it's been in a long time- like over 25 years long!

(04-03-2015 05:56 PM)stever20 Wrote:  yeah the SLU situation which I think a lot of folks could see coming miles away is one that isn't good. Right now, I don't think there's any way that the Big East could add SLU. Conference already has a perception issue- and adding what was around #300 RPI team wouldn't do anything to improve it.

Worst thing that happened to SLU IMO was the year when Majerus passed away they went on that real emotional run that made it nearly impossible to replace Crews. Now, with all the players gone, it's actually even worse than it's been in a long time- like over 25 years long!

The stupidity of Chris May (AD) to extend Crews was mindblowing. The man was 4 games over .500 before he was gifted a tournament team that any idiot could have won with (and look, an idiot did). Why on earth do you extend an imbecile that got run out of the building against a 12 seed in the NCAAs?

People said it would be bad PR to not extend him b/c he won a meaningless award. Frank Haith won one too, and that didn't make him good. PR is way down on the list of importance...winning games and not embarrassing the University like Crews has done is a little more important.

SLU blew their last shot at the Big East this year, probably forever. This stain never goes away.

I wish Shaka the best. He was great for the A-10.

(04-03-2015 05:55 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(04-03-2015 12:07 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Love this tweet from one of VCU's players(the kid who got hurt end of January with the ACL that changed this years team big time)
VCU_Bandit2 ?Briante Weber #2?
If you are not happy for my coach you are selfish Thank you is what you should b saying

Good to see that the players have the proper perspective. It boggles my mind that every fan base always seems to act shocked that a coach would take more money and/or go to a higher profile position. Shaka has turned down a lot of other offers before, including UCLA, so he wasn't just taking any random power conference job and using VCU as a stepping stone. Texas was just too good to pass up, so no one can blame him for the move.

Weber was a great player and a neat kid. He nailed this one. I think if fans want to be mad, be mad at the schools. Smart did use VCU as a stepping stone, but that's the way this game works.

(04-03-2015 06:24 PM)LouPower Wrote:  

(04-03-2015 05:55 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(04-03-2015 12:07 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Love this tweet from one of VCU's players(the kid who got hurt end of January with the ACL that changed this years team big time)
VCU_Bandit2 ?Briante Weber #2?
If you are not happy for my coach you are selfish Thank you is what you should b saying

Good to see that the players have the proper perspective. It boggles my mind that every fan base always seems to act shocked that a coach would take more money and/or go to a higher profile position. Shaka has turned down a lot of other offers before, including UCLA, so he wasn't just taking any random power conference job and using VCU as a stepping stone. Texas was just too good to pass up, so no one can blame him for the move.

Weber was a great player and a neat kid. He nailed this one. I think if fans want to be mad, be mad at the schools. Smart did use VCU as a stepping stone, but that's the way this game works.

It's a shame he tore up his knee- they got a 7 seed w/o him and losing 5 of their last 10 regular season games before the tournament. Who knows what they would have done if he hadn't gotten hurt. Could have gotten a 3 or 4 seed and then the tourney is so much different for them.

Shaka Smart on why Texas:

"To me, it was a no-brainer," said Smart, wearing a burnt-orange tie to his first news conference at Texas. "I don't want to take away from any other program, but there is only one University of Texas. There is unbelievable potential here.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketba...basketball

(04-04-2015 04:22 AM)Maize Wrote:  Shaka Smart on why Texas:

"To me, it was a no-brainer," said Smart, wearing a burnt-orange tie to his first news conference at Texas. "I don't want to take away from any other program, but there is only one University of Texas. There is unbelievable potential here.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketba...basketball

Well, consider his audience. Of course it was a no-brainer IN Texas, probably not so much while still in Richmond.

(04-02-2015 11:05 PM)Danger in Carolina Wrote:  Overall a good move. Knew Shaka wouldn't be at VCU forever. It was only a matter of time before he cashed in on his success @ VCU. Good for him.

Yes, very good for him.

USC/Trojans, Michigan and UT are my top 3 programs I will consider worth moving for, period.

That said, if Smart can do what he did at VCU, UT will hold on to him, if not, he will be gone in 3 years, IMO.