Demo

I’m so sorry, Josh. And your admonition to rest of us are words to live by.

The idea of Woodson seems almost incomprehensible to me. But, I cannot think of a single guy I would root harder for. Watching him play at Ripple and IU played a huge part in me falling in love with basketball.

I think the other element is sort of an evolution in supply and demand. How many programs in the country now would really just have their choice? Duke, UNC, KU and UK, isn’t that pretty much the list? Maybe Nova. Basically, universal tv exposure combined with the shear breadth of available talent allows a really good coach to win pretty much anywhere that has it’s basics in place. If Izzo retired today, could MSU, certainly a top 10 program now, just call anyone they wanted? Could they call and hook up Nate Oats? He has everything he needs to win at Bama. Beard doesn’t need to be at an IU, he went to a NC game at TTU. UCLA had to “settle” for Cronin. Michigan had a great program after Beilein and everyone thought they REALLY settled with Howard. U of L got Mack, but IU could have had Mack. It’s not that IU isn’t still a great job. It objectively is. It’s just that the positives at most high profile programs don’t outrun the challenges and expectations by as much as they used to. There’s a right guy for this gig. I fully expect Dolson to find that guy. If he does, that guy’s gonna win. It’s just a more complcated environment now and we have to allow for the possibility that the right guy may not be someone that every casual fan knows.

Would you trust anyone on the current roster to throw that pass? See, he’s upgrading the skill level already.

Easily. I don’t think there’s even an argument for anyone else except Lander. For a guy who liked to talk positionless and switchability, Archie created about as old school, position specific a roster as he could have. Geronimo’s pretty much the only exception.

I’m 100% good with grade issues, assuming they have a chance to do the work. I’m fine with buying players. They should be paid anyway. But, and I get my hypocrisy here, booster money doesn’t bother me at all. Shoe money does. Boosters want their school to win, there’s some nobility in their intent. Shoe companies are as mercenary as it gets, and that bugs me. Standard of conduct is where my line is. You’re rep’ing the school, you get very little latitude. I don’t want criminals.

Question for everybody: Now that we’re hiring another new guy after 4 years of spinning our wheels, I want to know just how far we’re willing to go for a return to relevance? What are you willing to live with to enjoy winning again and to matter? Grade problems? Payoffs? Player or Coach malfeasance? If the scale is Sister Jean on one end and Rick Pitino’s even scuzzier brother on the other, where is your line? Or do you have one? Be civil, I’m dying to know and I don’t want to lock this in 15 responses. Go

Hardest pass so far. 2 sexual assault issues, 1 I believe involved multiple players. Alledgedly involved in the Brian Bowen auction. Also likes to recruit the Canadian Prep school circuit, which tend to be diploma mills, thought not as bothered by that. Would be shocked if Dolson wants to wade into that.

Well he didn’t know that Sansa spent 8 seasons absolutely screwing him. But I guess that’s for another thread.

Based on things I’ve seen him say on the sideline, I’m gonna guess it didn’t take.

Wow, that block by Mobley on Garrett was Odenesque. Garrett was just shaking his head on the other end.

As long as he brings his defensive Asst. Their scheme is simple but they are really sound.

I don’t believe that for a single second. Not a chance. Maybe in the course of due diligence, Dolson tells Matta he’d like to talk to him about the gig, asks him to take physical for a baseline, red flags pop up, and Dolson says thanks for playing and moves forward with his process. That I get. But agreeing to a deal with a guy who physically broke down and then checking into his health? Stop it. That didn’t happen.

Hey, dirty as hell is NOT one of our criteria.

Couple of things: 1) you need to add criterion #5: has any interest in leaving their current job. Otherwise, this is all just academic. 2) I’m surprised you would exclude Brad Stevens, who has no P5 coaching experience. Sorry, snark. 3) I assume by deep tourney run, you mean at least elite 8, since Crean went to 2 sweet 16’s and people say he never made a deep run. 4) So your candidate is a sub-60 year old P5 HC with at least 2 elite 8’s and is looking for a new gig. So, off the top of my head, your list is, at most, 3 coaches. 1 is Chris Beard, who may actually not be interested. 1 is Scott Drew, who may or may not be interested. And the other would be.......Sean Miller. You good with that?

Just as an aside, Holmgren is such a freak. That kid playing for Few in that conference would be completely unfair.

2 things: 1) What continues to bug me, outside of the Asst trying to shamelessly bully a teenager, is that Drew never uttered 1 public word about it. Nothing. And then kept the Asst for another season after it came to light before allowing the guy to leave on his own. Zero leadership. 2) Don’t know how dirty he is or isn’t, but he managed to get Mark Vital into a school like Baylor when, despite being a top 100 kid, he had precisely zero offers because literally no one thought he could qualify academically. But the clearinghouse cleared him eventually, so maybe Drew just knew something no one else did. But somehow I doubt it.

Wait, Majerus only went to 1 final four. How good could he have really been?

I prefer Beard to Musselman because I think what he does is more sustainable. But here’s the thing with Musselman, if you want him you better craft the mother of all exit buyouts. That dude is a complete mercenary. He’s this generation’s Larry Brown. He is going to leave at some point.

Yeah, I’ve been around a minute. I’m aware of the history. Lived a decent chunk of it. When you’re hiring someone you either believe in the criterion you’ve set and your process or you don’t. You either follow it where it takes you or you rationalize something else. If Dolson’s process is to snag the most accomplished guy money can buy, that’s ok with me. If he defines his end product differently and reaches a different result, that’s fine too. You either believe in your process or you don’t. We then judge the results.

Yeah. And when Kansas hired Williams he had never been a college HC at any level. He was Dean Smith’s #2. KU did their due diligence and made a call.

Yup, this right here. Matta’s a smart guy and he certainly understands that the reason he’s better is that he’s been able to build his life around his health needs. Taking a job like IU punts all of that. I would be shocked if he’s interested in that job in any more than a competitor with an itch sort of way.

Yeah, Illinois may claw this back because they’re really good and they have playmakers. But that is as good a defensive gameplan as you’ll ever see. I keep running back Illinois’ actions and I can’t figure out how Loyola is keying their coverage changes, and yet they only had 2 breakdowns the entire half. I’m kind of blown away by that. They had 1 day to prep.

Yeah, but that’s meaningless. I guarantee you they didn’t want Izzo in ‘95 ‘cause he’d never been a HC. You can count on 1 hand how many in house promotions have been celebrated by the fan base. Most fans have no idea what Assts even do.

Have never heard anything but great stuff about him. And, yeah, when he would scowl at something a ref said, wave him off and cut loose with his trademark “Oh Bulls**t!”, it did kind of fly in the face of everything you always heard about him. And, it was fantastic,