Eric maynor was the one drafted. Lets be glad that neither of us are making that decision. So your ripping on him for losing to an ODU team that made the tourney and lost by two points to eventual runner-up Butler, hmmm. I guess we will agree to disagree. We didnt take recruiting into consideration when we hired tubby and that has led to where we are. Kentucky fans warned us on that fact that the recruiting game had passed him by. When i look at a hire i look at the entirety of a program and who he is getting in recruiting matters to me. Look at his current roster (I shouldn't care this much about VCU but you obviously have the time) Graham-soph best player, Reddic Jr- best inside guy, Weber SO- leading the country in steals and leader for a-10 defensive player of the year. They have two seniors and with before mentioned recruiting class coming in that once again screams to me of sustained league success and a chance to jump up and have national success. He also plays a style of ball called Havoc which is up and down which you can sell to kids. (I know all coaches say this but if you watch VCU that is the way they play) Not sure that style will translate here but like it or not it is a selling point. You are underselling the CAA at the time i think too but different argument. Following up a ff4 with another ncaa win and close loss to ind, at a school at the level of vcu is no one hit wonder. I could care less if they lose the next 5, this a guy I want if we have to make a change.
QUOTE=#1nHkyCfbBsbDncSolarDebat;661478]rivergopher --
Not trying to run him down, so much as just trying to grab onto some of you allz feet and keep you from flying up into the clowds over the guy. People seem to just go ga-ga over the guy. Coaches have in the past, had single season runs and then got all kinds of buzz after the fact, only to disappear from people's lips and pens and typewriters a few years later when they didn't follow up with a 2nd hit single.
The definition of a one hit wonder, implies that the ONE HIT, was truly a REALLY GOOD SONG, a big hit. Smart and VCU's run to the FF was truly incredible. They weren't his players, which could bode well for him? Or could end up being something akin to Tubby getting a title at Kentucky?! The fact those players didn't get to a FF the year before Smart got there, bodes well for him, but until I see what he does with his own players, not only in the next few games vs the heart of VCU's scedule, but then in the A-10 Conf Tourney, and in the Big Dance if they make it, I'm not going to get too excited about the guy. I like his youth, thats not a negative, necessarily.
But getting in some good recruits means next to diddly nothing until we can see if those recruits actually pan out once they get to VCU, if he develops them or not, if he gets them to play well together, if he can keep them around, if he can keep them going to class and out of trouble, etc., etc., etc.. He's only in his 4th year for heaven's sake. We honestly don't know much about him at all.
Another thing to take note of, is Alabama hired his predecessor for a reason. Seems a player from the team just prior to Smart starting, got drafted in the 1st round of the NBA draft. Then, another one of his predecessor's players again got drafted in the 1st round of the NBA draft right after Smart's first season. Seems his predecessor was bringing in some pretty decent players?! Not a bad bunch to inherit?! He coached his predecessors players to a very good 27-10 record and a CBI Title that first season.
His 2nd season they went 23-11, and did not win the Conf Title, but lost to Old Dominion?! ODU is not exactly an NCAA powerhouse. And their getting into the tournament as an at-large bid was criticized by many. Meaning, they BARELY got in.
Meaning, his coaching job up to that point, didn't really impress too many. It was his coaching performance in the next 5 games that impressed so many.
Since then, he got his 3rd season's team to the 2nd round. Could be a sign of fading back into the pack?! His new incoming players not being as good as the ones he inherited from his predecessor?! Or as so many here have chosen to view it, it could be a very good sign that he got them back to the tournament, and even won a game.
Now in his 4th season, he's almost rid of all of his predecessors old recruits, and they are doing well, SO FAR, this season, but have really not played that tough of opponents so far. Their wins in the Bahamas were nice, but Minnesota got some wins down there, too. Its the 2nd time Tubby's taken a team down to one of those tournaments and done very well. Look where that got us so far?!
They have 5 tough games to play to finish out the regular season, and then have a conf tourney with some good teams in it that they may have to beat to get their resume looking good enough?! Depends on how their RPI does if they lose some of their next couple of games?
If they fall short of the tourney, or lose in the first round, it could be a sign of continuing to fade back even more, or it could just be a calm before the storm, a pause before the next wave of success?! I'm sorry for thinking this way, but this should take more time to be figured out. Maybe I'm not willing to take a risk? But I'm not the AD either, so it will be up to him, if Smart would even want this job?! He might make the gamble, and if he does, I hope all of you are right and the gamble pays off. If it doesn't, I'll even be nice and not rub it in too much that I warned everyone to give him more time to see what he can do.
I thought that hiring Kill was a gamble, and it seems like it just might be paying off, but again, it will take time to know one way or the other.
I'd have preferred to hire Trestman right after we got rid of Mason. I'd maybe be more comfortable with Flip, though I understand there would be a degree of risk there as well. Maybe all of the coaches I'd be comfortable with us hiring, already have better jobs elsewhere and would never come here?!
It's probably a good thing that I'm not the one in charge that may have to make this decision.[/QUOTE]
