pumpfake

Yeah, me too. I'm just ready for the season to be over, both because I'm sick of watching sloppy basketball and because it should get us closer to knowing our future. [I do remember with great fondness when we beat Purdue for the NIT title several moons ago. Not as much because it was a great accomplishment, but because it was yet another chance to win something that Giant Drum University failed at.]

I think you may be on the right track. While I remain hopeful the position of head coach will be changing for the better real soon, one thing that does discourage me is that statement Glass made about "contracts meaning something".

Clickbait Star. Maybe it's just their way of promoting the 100th article about pedophiles in gymnastics?

Anyone else think that gif in the Star guy's twee might mean something to do with "fire" ? <fingers crossed>

After getting away from the boards and having some time to reflect on things, I'm fairly confident Glass intends to replace CTC. Too many things like the NIT decision, lack of any statement about the situation one way or another, and there's been too much chatter about possible replacements. Do I believe the anonymous sources are bringing definite, solid info? Nope, but I believe there's a kernel of truth in those rumors. Hearing that Terry Hutchinson even said something about interest in a particular NBA coach, is just one instance of seeing proverbial "smoke". I think the rumor that Glass is letting Crean make the decision about leaving may be true - that is until the season is over. He is probably taking the approach that he will let CTC coach as long as our season continues, or leave anytime he finds a new gig. After all, it's the NIT and according to Glass's own "expectations" it's a "who-gives-crap tournament". The weird decision to forego a home game indicates he likely is shielding CTC and the team from what could be an ugly situation and he probably doesn't regard the loser's tournament as being of any great importance. I may be totally wrong and I certainly don't have any solid basis for a decision either way, but I think we'll get an answer after the balls are put away for the season.

That's what sucks the most. We're put in a position as fans of rooting for losses to (hopefully) ensure that sanity prevails and we end this period of mediocrity.

He'll be dead in the water trying to recruit against any competitive team (as if he already isn't). Heck, all an opposing coach would have to do is link to some random "Fire Tom Crean" thread (of which there are many) and the kid will know it's an ugly situation.

While it's cool for us to believe someone is getting the scoop for us, the truth is that deep-down I don't have a lot of respect for someone who is entrusted to confidential information and then goes blabbing it around. The only reason for someone to do so is for self-aggrandizement or if they're being used to purposefully leak info.

While we continue in this holding pattern / limbo / purgatory, after catching up on the 12 or so pages I missed, I suspect "the Janitor" might have flown too close to the sun and has been informed to cool his jets. If this theory is correct, it may be a good thing.. [how's that for a cliche packed, run on sentence?]

If there isn't a team interested in him that should tell Glass something. I've been trying to assemble the logic of it all and it comes down to this: unless almost all of the information & speculation we've been reading/hearing over the last week is false, Glass intends to make a change. If there was meetings with the reps of any other coach, it would mean a change is coming. If Crean was in talks with MO, then he either knows he's out or should be fired to shopping himself around while under contract. Combine those points with the lack of any show of support from our AD, and I think the case is pretty strong. Who and when are the big questions. With upcoming game(s) in the NIT and possibly pursuing coaches in the NBA or with teams that may be playing for a few more weeks, the timing of events is likely complicated and fluid.

Here's my totally pie-in-the-sky, orgasmic dream scenario: Crean goes to Illinois and Donovan to IU. The Ill fans would be suicidal and we'd be delirious!

Interesting. It's funny how we were getting info about Donovan's interest and there being a meeting, but suddenly it was "a no-go" - then a day or two later word was leaking that talks weren't completely broken off. That was followed by others (including Hutch) saying we were looking at BD. It crossed my mind that things might actually be more positive than the insiders were reporting and that they were basically relaying "smokescreen" info. I also wondered about the timing. Donovan might not be able to take the reins until April or later, but he'd probably be able to convince current players to stay rather than transfer. Also, since we don't have a lot of openings, delaying recruiting may not be a large impact.

OT, but maybe the best line I read yesterday was on a PU board, where a poster said "Matt Painter is the Gene Keady of Purdue basketball". LOL. And Geno is their patron saint.

No sir, you are not. When he decided to do events in Indiana for Purdue alumni and attend an honorary service at OSU, and then refused to show up for his '76 team, I figured if he doesn't give a tinker's damn about IU players (and fans) why should I have any interest in what he does?

I don't think there should be any doubt that winning a NCAA title would (and should) guarantee him at least 2 or 3 more seasons. Thankfully, it's quite unlikely and would be the greatest "fluke" champion in quite a long time (if not ever).

No doubt we're in a period of drought as far as national prominence goes. But you only have to look at Kansas to see that it's not unprecedented. None of their NCAA titles were closer together than 20 years (20 and 36 years). They also had a similar period of spotty appearances in the NCAA tournament through the 60's and 70's and weren't by any means perennial threats during that time. Larry Brown brought them back and they've followed with Roy and Self since then and have stayed toward the top ever since (although Williams and Self have only combined for a single national title and it could be argued 1988 was aided by cheating). Of course, there's also UCLA that has never managed to regain sustained prominence after the glory years of John Wooden. My point is that even historically "blue blood" programs have had periods of mediocrity or moderate success (which is where we've been for a while), but with the right coach they were resurrected to their former status. Obviously, most here recognize that something has to change to be the catalyst for our resurgence.

SI should stick to titillation and pulchritude (i.e. swimsuit hotties).

I'm curious about GM's "temperament". I'm aware of his meltdown in Canda, but that's the only issue I'm aware of. Are there other instances or a reputation for such? (I have no idea one way or the other). Also, I thought I read that part of the CKW dismissal involved a problem with the hooch and forcing players to play when they weren't healthy.

After the "dream tier" of Steven & Donovan, I'd put Marshall in with S. Miller & T. Bennett as safest hires. Some of the younger guy may very well end up being superior coaches, but they also have a higher chance to be flops (in a relative sense). As someone else mentioned, I don't know what Marshall's reputation is as far as his personality and that is important, IMO, for recruiting, assembling a staff, and interacting with the PTB. That said, I think CTC has a fairly low reputation among fellow coaches and (apparently) H.S. and AAU coaches, so that wouldn't be a step down.

Good info. It's like the old saying goes: Timing is everything.

Thanks. So it would be rare or even unprecedented to hire a coach away from an NBA team in a normal (March/April) time frame I'd guess.

And therein lies the rub. Potentially two months (or more) from the end of your NCAA season until an NBA playoff bound coach's season is over. Do you wait on a guy for that long without a signed contract or not? That would be a huge gamble, IMHO. What if said coach ends up advancing to the finals - he may then no longer be interested and you're left with your schmeckle in your hand. I don't know that you could expect that coach to sign a binding agreement prior to the end of his season, either. Add the fact that BD did reneg on the Orlando team and you really have a dilemma. I don't remember with Pitino or Cal, but what was the timing when they jumped from the NBA to UK/UL?

Why in the world would we want a coach who was no longer wanted by Iowa? Heck, maybe we should be targeting Bruce Weber for cryin' out loud!

Well, that situation is why I remain resistant to any thought of Dan Fife.

Donovan and Stevens are as close to a "sure thing" for success as possible. Being NBA coaches, with playoff teams, probably makes them harder "gets" as well. The one thing about those two is that they would get near unanimous acceptance and enthusiasm. The next handful have varying degrees of fan preference. Those coaches also come with less of a guarantee of success (but still very likely to be major improvements, IMO). The problem with this period of speculation and rumor is that fans begin to form stronger opinions for and against those candidates. IMO, those names like Miller(s), Bennett, etc. all would give reason for optimism. I believe and hope most will be supportive of the selection. Now if there is no new coach, or one of the lower tier guys is picked all bets are off.