College basketball coaching changes

[Ksyrup]

I meant Memphis...and it was a joke in the "day late, dollar short" category.

[Swaggs]

That's pretty much it. The third party firms contact coaches' agents and float openings and numbers, so there is little to no egg on either party's face if there is little/no interest.

In the case of Michigan hiring Beilein and Rodriguez away from WVU, there was never any permission requested or granted.

[Swaggs]

Am I crazy or would Billy Gillispie actually be a pretty good hire for Memphis now?

[Dr. Sak]

Am I crazy or would Billy Gillispie actually be a pretty good hire for Memphis now?

Are you hitting the Moonshine again?


In the case of Michigan hiring Beilein and Rodriguez away from WVU, there was never any permission requested or granted.

http://forums.the-dispatch.com/eve/forums/a/ga/ul/6331058458/inlineimg/Y/beating-a-dead-horse.gif

;)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I meant Memphis...and it was a joke in the "day late, dollar short" category.

I got the joke. I'm a Chiefs fan who enjoys Bronco pain in any form. Just was clarifying that the AD wasn't the one that mentioned that Memphis showed up late to the party.

[Samdari]

In the case of Michigan hiring Beilein and Rodriguez away from WVU, there was never any permission requested or granted.


To be fair, unlike the NFL, there are no restrictions on coach movement, and no requirement to request permission. This is done merely as a courtesy, and these days a joke of one at that, being done after the deal has been reached.

[Swaggs]

Are you hitting the Moonshine again?



http://forums.the-dispatch.com/eve/forums/a/ga/ul/6331058458/inlineimg/Y/beating-a-dead-horse.gif

;)

You need to give up the comedy routine and get back to your full-time job as the president of the Jaime Dixon fan club.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

You need to give up the comedy routine and get back to your full-time job as the president of the Jaime Dixon fan club.

Tyus Edney looked great in a Villanova uniform.

[Dr. Sak]

You need to give up the comedy routine and get back to your full-time job as the president of the Jaime Dixon fan club.

That would take time away from my Bring Back Walt Harris campaign!

[Swaggs]

To be fair, unlike the NFL, there are no restrictions on coach movement, and no requirement to request permission. This is done merely as a courtesy, and these days a joke of one at that, being done after the deal has been reached.

Yeah... My point was just that even that courtesy is rarely practiced anymore. Nowadays, these deals are largely completed behind the scenes before there is commitment.

[Swaggs]

That would take time away from my Bring Back Walt Harris campaign!

Don't give up!

It almost worked this year!

[LloydLungs]

lol buzz williams

Yes. As a UNO fan, the idea that someone would want Buzz Williams more than Tim Floyd...

I'd best stop there.

[GoldenEagle]

Am I crazy or would Billy Gillispie actually be a pretty good hire for Memphis now?

I mentioned this on the Memphis board. There is no doubt he would coach with a chip on his shoulder. He knows the game, can recruit well, and would keep the program going.

The hot rumor right now is Bruce Pearl.

[GoldenEagle]

Yeah, the way this thing reads is that UK asked for permission to talk to Calipari on Monday, but that they had already been talking all weekend.

I would imagine they put fillers out to a handful coaches around the new year or so.

[wade moore]

I mentioned this on the Memphis board. There is no doubt he would coach with a chip on his shoulder. He knows the game, can recruit well, and would keep the program going.

The hot rumor right now is Bruce Pearl.

Why would Bruce Pearl go to Memphis?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Mike DeCourcey discussed the almost impossible task that the next Memphis head coach faces........

SportingNews.com - Your expert source for NCAA Basketball stats, scores, standings, and blogs from NCAA Basketball columnists (http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=533575)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Why would Bruce Pearl go to Memphis?

I think the Memphis fans greatly overestimate what their program is at this moment. Calipari needed a good stepping stone after the NBA mess and found it in what was a good Conference USA at the time. It was lightning in a bottle for that program. It's now a coaching position in a weak conference with no competition whatsoever. If Memphis moved to a better conference, they would do well. Right now, they're stuck.

[GoldenEagle]

Why would Bruce Pearl go to Memphis?

Who knows? Maybe he does not want to be at a football school. He also would get a pretty fat contract. Memphis boosters don't want the train to derail. They offered Cal $7 mil a year and rumored to be willing to spend just as much to get the right coach.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Who knows? Maybe he does not want to be at a football school. He also would get a pretty fat contract. Memphis boosters don't want the train to derail. They offered Cal $7 mil a year and rumored to be willing to spend just as much to get the right coach.

That's fine if they want to roll out the money truck to get a coach, but you better get someone better than Bruce Pearl if you're going to pay one of the highest coaching salaries in the nation. I can only think of 3-5 head coaches that would warrant that kind of salary. I'm also sure that none of them are interested in the Memphis job.

[wade moore]

Who knows? Maybe he does not want to be at a football school. He also would get a pretty fat contract. Memphis boosters don't want the train to derail. They offered Cal $7 mil a year and rumored to be willing to spend just as much to get the right coach.

That's fine if they want to roll out the money truck to get a coach, but you better get someone better than Bruce Pearl if you're going to pay one of the highest coaching salaries in the nation. I can only think of 3-5 head coaches that would warrant that kind of salary. I'm also sure that none of them are interested in the Memphis job.

DISCLAIMER: I'm a Vols fan.

But I'm pretty much with Mizzou here. *IF* they rolled out $7mil for Pearl, yeah, I can see him making the jump. I can't see them doing that for Pearl.

What has Pearl proven? He did great with UW-Milwaukee in one tourney.

Ok, good.

He did well with UT that had a stud guard for a few years that he inherited.

Ok, good.

He can be "competitive" in the SEC with his own players.

Alrighty then.

Don't get me wrong. I like Pearl. But he's done nothing imo to show he deserves $7mil.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The hot rumor right now is Bruce Pearl.

If he took the job I'd say his odds of getting out of Knoxville alive would be slightly more than 50-50.

But the real reason I doubt that rumor has much behind it is that Memphis is operates under the auspices of the Tenn. Board of Regents (and presumably the legislature for funding) and I don't see them taking the loss of a coach within the system well at all. Painting that sort of bullseye on the university forehead during a time of budget cuts would be downright insane. And anybody that thinks that wouldn't lead to them losing funding on the education side doesn't know how the state feels about UT-Knoxville.

[MizzouRah]

I'm SOOOOO happy for Mike Anderson and Missouri.. excellent news!!!

[Arles]

I just heard that the Arizona AD has decided on a coach and a presser will be made tomorrow. The coach in question has agreed to head up Arizona and they are finalizing the terms of the contract. The person who told me this said he's 90% sure it's not Pitino and his money is on Few or Caple. He said that Livengood (Arizona's AD) has only allowed a few staffers to know the name and none of them are talking. We should know in the next 24 hours.

I still think Few or Caple is a longshoot, but who knows. That certainly would be better than the Randy Bennett, Mark Fox, Buzz Williams craziness I was hearing yesterday on some blogs.

[Samdari]

I just heard that the Arizona AD has decided on a coach and a presser will be made tomorrow. The coach in question has agreed to head up Arizona and they are finalizing the terms of the contract. The person who told me this said he's 90% sure it's not Pitino and his money is on Few or Caple. He said that Livengood (Arizona's AD) has only allowed a few staffers to know the name and none of them are talking. We should know in the next 24 hours.

I still think Few or Caple is a longshoot, but who knows. That certainly would be better than the Randy Bennett, Mark Fox, Buzz Williams craziness I was hearing yesterday on some blogs.

If its this quick, it has to be Few, no? The top tier of their wish list has long been reported to have only that one name on it.

[cartman]

The Big 12 rumor mill is buzzing that it is Capel to Arizona, and much like Evans at Memphis, after the official announcement is made Blake Griffin will announce he's declaring for the draft.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The Big 12 rumor mill is buzzing that it is Capel to Arizona

At which point the UGA list probably turns into one that includes Lon Kreuger (which might actually get even the lukewarm UGA fan base to storm the AD's office looking for somebody's head), Tim Floyd, Ed DeChellis, Scott Drew, Oliver Purnell (why on earth would he leave Clemson for this job?), Sean Miller of Xavier, Brad Stevens of Butler and Brian Gregory of Dayton. I guess Gillespie and Pennell might both be considered at some point too.

I thought this little comment in the AJC beat writer's blog was kind of odd thought, after talking about names they're considering he says Some they aren’t: Miami’s Frank Haith and FSU’s Leonard Hamilton.

Have those guys recently said something about not leaving their respective schools or something? I hadn't heard either name even whispered in connection to the Georgia job until they were singled out in the column as people not being considered and it kind of struck me odd.

[Swaggs]

At which point the UGA list probably turns into one that includes Lon Kreuger (which might actually get even the lukewarm UGA fan base to storm the AD's office looking for somebody's head), Tim Floyd, Ed DeChellis, Scott Drew, Oliver Purnell (why on earth would he leave Clemson for this job?), Sean Miller of Xavier, Brad Stevens of Butler and Brian Gregory of Dayton. I guess Gillespie and Pennell might both be considered at some point too.

I thought this little comment in the AJC beat writer's blog was kind of odd thought, after talking about names they're considering he says Some they aren’t: Miami’s Frank Haith and FSU’s Leonard Hamilton.

Have those guys recently said something about not leaving their respective schools or something? I hadn't heard either name even whispered in connection to the Georgia job until they were singled out in the column as people not being considered and it kind of struck me odd.

At this point, why don't they just hire Bob Knight? If I recall correctly, he was reported to have said he would be interested if contacted. Let him coach the team for 3-4 years and, most likely, the program is in a better position to hire someone long-term then.

[JonInMiddleGA]

At this point, why don't they just hire Bob Knight?

I think my across-the-street neighbor (univ. pres. Adams) would have himself boiled in oil before that happened. And make no mistake, he's running the show on the hiring, the AD is (and was hired to be) his lap dog.

[Arles]

Now, the hot name for Arizona is Tim Floyd from USC. I'm not sure what's going on but this coach search is beginning to resemble the keystone cops. I'm thinking at this point it's going to be Floyd or Few, but who really knows. As an Arizona fan/alumn, Livengood (and the University) deserves the beating that Seth Davis, Katz, ESPN and other sources are giving right now. He's made this whole system a complete mess and there's a good chance Arizona basketball will be severely damaged if this hire doesn't come through well.

[Eaglesfan27]

Now, the hot name for Arizona is Tim Floyd from USC. I'm not sure what's going on but this coach search is beginning to resemble the keystone cops. I'm thinking at this point it's going to be Floyd or Few, but who really knows. As an Arizona fan/alumn, Livengood (and the University) deserves the beating that Seth Davis, Katz, ESPN and other sources are giving right now. He's made this whole system a complete mess and there's a good chance Arizona basketball will be severely damaged if this hire doesn't come through well.


I wonder if Floyd would leave USC for Arizona. I know Arizona's past history is better, but he has steadily improved USC's recruiting and performance and LA isn't a bad place to live when you have the money for it.

[Arles]

Sounds like it's going to be Floyd and he may be bringing two McDonalds All Americans with him. All in all, not a bad hire - especially with the crazy Kruger, Buzz Williams, Mark Fox, Randy Bennett rumors that were really scaring me.

Floyd can recruit and has been a pretty strong coach on the court as well. It's not Pitino, but he seems like the best of who's available.

[miami_fan]

Seems like a good plan. See who has a top recruiting class, fire your coach, hire the coach with the top recruiting class, get all those players to transfer/sign to come with the new coach.

[Arles]

To be fair, Arizona announced they were looking for a coach back in October and lost recruits over it. This isn't like Kentucky basically raping Memphis the second the season ended.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Seems like a good plan. See who has a top recruiting class, fire your coach, hire the coach with the top recruiting class, get all those players to transfer/sign to come with the new coach.

Sounds good to me.

Rivals currently ranks Georgia Tech as #5, so USC certainly has my blessing to take the whole class as long as they take Paul Hewitt with them.

[Arles]

One more point, one of the recruits who would come with Floyd (Solomon Hill) actually committed to Arizona in the fall, backed out when Lute retired and then committed to USC. Kind of a weird situation if he ends up coming back to Arizona.

[miami_fan]

To be fair, Arizona announced they were looking for a coach back in October and lost recruits over it. This isn't like Kentucky basically raping Memphis the second the season ended.

I am not saying that Arizona is wrong at all. It is just an observation really. Oh yeah and how much of a joke the system in general is.

[Arles]

Can't argue with you there. Each job is basically a stepping stone for the elite programs (Kentucky, UCLA, UNC) and everyone else is just a rung on a big ladder leading to them.

[Swaggs]

I would imagine that, if any of USC's recruits had signed LOIs, they would not release them, but only with the provision that they do not sign with another Pac 10 school. That could get interesting.

[Eaglesfan27]

Word on the USC message board is that Floyd to Arizona is a done deal. Arizona just offered more money than USC was willing to match. Very disappointing unless they go after a big name who can coach.

[Arles]

Sounds official:

Report: USC coach Tim Floyd to Arizona - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4035206)

According to rivals.com, 3 of USC's 5 recruits have not signed a Letter of Intent:

USC Commit List for 2009 (http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/commitlist.asp?Year=2009&School=71&Sport=2)

That means that Hill, Sidney and Evan Smith could follow Floyd to Arizona.

[MrBug708]

Arizona is going to giftwrap Jaime Dixon to USC

[Arles]

As an Arizona fan, I will gladly take Floyd at Arizona and Dixon at USC over Kruger/Fox/Bennett at Arizona and Floyd at USC. ;)

[MrBug708]

I dont think Arizona can afford to take a solid coach over someone with some unknown. I'm not on the Capel bandwagon like you against Arles, but Floyd is one step ahead of sanctions

[bhlloy]

You are welcome to Sidney. We already dodged one time bomb with Mayo, I don't want another one ticking with Renardo on campus, no matter how good he is. Evan Smith is nothing, I don't think Arizona would even really want him. I don't think SC were going to offer him a scholarship, he'd be more of a walkon if Scout is to be believed. I will be sad to see Hill go who should be a really good player. I wonder if Dwayne Polee Jr. is now going to Arizona in 2023 or whenever he is old enough :lol:

If it is a trade Dixon for Floyd, I'll take it in a heartbeat. I really rate Dixon, although I don't know why you would leave Pitt right now.

[yacovfb]

Arizona is going to giftwrap Jaime Dixon to USC

I'm slightly worried as a Pitt student, but if he didn't take the Zona job (they had to of at least checked with him first before going to Floyd) then I don't think he'd take the USC job. Maybe if they really load up on the $$ he'll jump but I think/hope he stays. Sean Miller wouldn't be a bad replacement at Pitt, but you don't want the winningest coach through their first 6 seasons to leave. Ever.

[bhlloy]

Well, Dixon wants to be in LA because of his father. I still don't think he's going anywhere, but the Arizona job didn't have that going for it. And SC won't load up on the $$ for basketball, at least not to the level that Pitt will be willing to.

[Chief Rum]

I will be stunned if Sidney plays one minute of college.

[the_meanstrosity]

Why do you insist on downplaying the success of other programs. Yesterday it was Texas and before that it was Memphis. Now you're back harping on Memphis. I would think you'd have a bit more respect for Conference USA given that your current head coach learned his trade there. I'm not going to suggest Conference USA is a power conference, but they have had some pretty good teams in recent years. Memphis did dominate Conference USA, but they've also beaten a number of BCS conference schools in their non-conference schedule. Give credit to Memphis for making a great hire in Calipari and giving him the facilities he needed to succeed. The Tigers were just as competitive as any top flight BCS conference program in recent years.

I think the Memphis fans greatly overestimate what their program is at this moment. Calipari needed a good stepping stone after the NBA mess and found it in what was a good Conference USA at the time. It was lightning in a bottle for that program. It's now a coaching position in a weak conference with no competition whatsoever. If Memphis moved to a better conference, they would do well. Right now, they're stuck.

[the_meanstrosity]

A great hire by Arizona. I actually like the Floyd hire better than the rumored hiring of Capel. Floyd is a proven coach who has had success at every stop in college. Capel is a good up and coming coach, but Floyd is a proven commodity...something the Wildcats sorely needed to get back into the Pac 10 race immediately.

Word on the USC message board is that Floyd to Arizona is a done deal. Arizona just offered more money than USC was willing to match. Very disappointing unless they go after a big name who can coach.

[wade moore]

To be fair, Arizona announced they were looking for a coach back in October and lost recruits over it. This isn't like Kentucky basically raping Memphis the second the season ended.

As far as the initial comment, "stealing" recruits, how is AZ any different than UK? They're not.

[Eaglesfan27]

Arizona is going to giftwrap Jaime Dixon to USC

I thought that was just a rumor among overly zealous USC fans. I'll be very happy if that really happens.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Now here's an interesting name being floated around the Memphis and Georgia jobs: Nolan Richardson. It's especially interesting in regards to Memphis. There's still a lot of people in that area that love Nolan. He's been looking to get back into coaching for a couple of years, though he wanted a good situation. I'm not sure there would be a better situation for Nolan than the Memphis job. Big recruiting base, no pressure initially, and lots of people who respect his coaching skills displayed just down the road in Arkansas.

[JonInMiddleGA]

And I can see where daily access to the Atlanta media would appeal to Richardson as well. They'd eat up his schtick. The donors however, much less so.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

And I can see where daily access to the Atlanta media would appeal to Richardson as well. They'd eat up his schtick. The donors however, much less so.

Agreed. If he's going to take one of the jobs, the Memphis job is the more likely candidate.

[molson]

I'm glad Syracuse has had the same coach for 32 years and we've gotten to skip this annual drama.

Without that stability, I'm pretty sure AG Gross would have already run the program into the ground, like he has with football...

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm glad Syracuse has had the same coach for 32 years we've gotten to skip this annual drama.

Without that stability, I'm pretty sure AG Gross would have already run the program into the ground, like he has with football...

Don't worry. It all comes to an end eventually. Enjoy it while it lasts. Norm Stewart was the coach at Mizzou for 33 years and for the first 28 years of my life. It was a pretty heavy shock to the system when he finally moved on. Everyone just got used to the pre-game introduction on TV...."And coaching the Tigers in his XXth season, the dean of the Big 8 coaches, Norm Stewart!" Hopefully Anderson and Self will battle for years to come so we can have that again.

[GoldenEagle]

If some very reliable sources on the Memphis board are correct, the University of Tennessee will be looking for a new basketball coach very soon.

[MJ4H]

That's what I've heard as well.

[GoldenEagle]

Now here's an interesting name being floated around the Memphis and Georgia jobs: Nolan Richardson. It's especially interesting in regards to Memphis. There's still a lot of people in that area that love Nolan. He's been looking to get back into coaching for a couple of years, though he wanted a good situation. I'm not sure there would be a better situation for Nolan than the Memphis job. Big recruiting base, no pressure initially, and lots of people who respect his coaching skills displayed just down the road in Arkansas.

I don't think that would happen, at least not at Memphis. Nolan has been out of game for too long. Who knows if he still has the energy to recruit or if he could even coach anywhere but the U of A. In my opinion, college basketball coaching is all about the energy. Recruiting is the lifeblood of your program. This is why Bobby Knight does not have a job.

If Calipari was not leaving the program in shambles (all players returned and no recruits left), then Bob Knight would be a great hire for a year or two.

[JonInMiddleGA]

If some very reliable sources on the Memphis board are correct, the University of Tennessee will be looking for a new basketball coach very soon.

While such a thing would cause much hand wringing around Knoxville, I just see it as moving up the timetable on the inevitable. Frankly I believe he's already peaked at UT and that losing him as a marketer for a program that really has only a tenuous hook on the fans would be a much bigger loss than him as an actual coach. His style & ability probably won't match Calipari's success but should still be enough to keep Memphis from losing more than 2-3 conference games per year (which ought to win the conference I'd think).

If he goes, he goes. A pox on him for all eternity, but I wouldn't see it as the end of the world. I'm more worried, however, that Mike Hamilton is still in position to pick the next coach and after the hiring of Kiffy I don't have much confidence in his ability to pick his nose much less a quality coach.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Who knows if he still has the energy to recruit or if he could even coach anywhere but the U of A.

Pretty sure the only place he WOULDN'T coach is Arkansas. He didn't help the situation much, but there were a lot of terrible things that happened to him in the aftermath that weren't warranted in any way.

As for energy, he's got a ton of it. I've talked with him personally several times at Mizzou Arena. I knew little about the man outside of news reports before Anderson came to Mizzou. He's put some of those demons behind him and realizes he made some mistakes. But he's still a fiery competitor and would love to coach again.

A sidenote to Mizzou fans......If you see Nolan at the Mizzou games, feel free to walk up and say Hi. He's very approachable and a lot of fun to talk with. He's also more than happy to talk about how proud he is of his 'son' (Coach Anderson).

[DataKing]

A little off topic, but something that never really dawned on me until now: What are they putting in the water in Tulsa anyways? Look at the list of people who have been head or assistant coaches at Tulsa in the last 30 years or so:

Nolan Richardson
Tubby Smith
Buzz Peterson
Bill Self
Billy Gillespie
Flip Saunders
Kevin O'Neill
Tom Izzo
Mike AndersonQuite the pedigree.

[Samdari]

Sounds like it's going to be Floyd and he may be bringing two McDonalds All Americans with him. All in all, not a bad hire - especially with the crazy Kruger, Buzz Williams, Mark Fox, Randy Bennett rumors that were really scaring me.

Floyd can recruit and has been a pretty strong coach on the court as well. It's not Pitino, but he seems like the best of who's available.

I think you're going to find Floyd a huge disappointment after Olson. See, Olson could recuit AND coach, and as a coach, Floyd is one hell of a recruiter.

There are a couple names on your "scary" list who I think would be far superior hires to Floyd.

[MJ4H]

Pretty sure the only place he WOULDN'T coach is Arkansas. He didn't help the situation much, but there were a lot of terrible things that happened to him in the aftermath that weren't warranted in any way.



I think he would coach at Arkansas again. The main reason he left (the good ol boy network that was in charge, Chancellor John White, AD Frank Broyles, even the football coach at the time, heck even some of the more prominent boosters like Jim Lindsey) have all finally been weeded out and the program is back on the right track. He has started making appearances around here and there have even been hints of him being hired as a consultant for the basketball program. That wound has been mostly healed, now.

[Ksyrup]

A little off topic, but something that never really dawned on me until now: What are they putting in the water in Tulsa anyways? Look at the list of people who have been head or assistant coaches at Tulsa in the last 30 years or so:

Nolan Richardson
Tubby Smith
Buzz Peterson
Bill Self
Billy Gillespie
Flip Saunders
Kevin O'Neill
Tom Izzo
Mike AndersonQuite the pedigree.

You forgot Steve Robinson! Oh wait, you probably did that on purpose. What happened to him after he left FSU, anyway?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I think he would coach at Arkansas again. The main reason he left (the good ol boy network that was in charge, Chancellor John White, AD Frank Broyles, even the football coach at the time, heck even some of the more prominent boosters like Jim Lindsey) have all finally been weeded out and the program is back on the right track. He has started making appearances around here and there have even been hints of him being hired as a consultant for the basketball program. That wound has been mostly healed, now.

I don't know about the healing. He still has resentment over how he was treated by the fan and donor base and the thousands of dollars of damage to his property. Some of that stuff was pretty scary.

Appearances......yes. Coaching there......I seriously doubt it.

[DataKing]

You forgot Steve Robinson! Oh wait, you probably did that on purpose. What happened to him after he left FSU, anyway?

He's an assistant on Roy's staff at UNC.

[MJ4H]

I don't know about the healing. He still has resentment over how he was treated by the fan and donor base and the thousands of dollars of damage to his property. Some of that stuff was pretty scary.

Appearances......yes. Coaching there......I seriously doubt it.

You could possibly be right about this. Truth is, he is the only one that knows. All I'm saying is I wouldn't rule it out because a great deal has changed.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

You could possibly be right about this. Truth is, he is the only one that knows. All I'm saying is I wouldn't rule it out because a great deal has changed.

I am pretty surprised that he even mustered the fortitude to put the past aside and do some appearances. He's a much more humble man than he used to be. I think that has a lot to do with his change in stance towards Arkansas. It's good that he's able to go back there now because he's a big part of that program's history and that program is a big part of him.

[LloydLungs]

I think you're going to find Floyd a huge disappointment after Olson. See, Olson could recuit AND coach, and as a coach, Floyd is one hell of a recruiter.

This is just a weird comment to read after watching Floyd regularly squeeze blood from a turnip for six years at UNO. I mean, the guy was a brilliant coach here (and at Iowa State, really).

However, I understand it. Tim's coaching Achilles heel is that he does not deal well with elite athletes and the egos that come with them. He either alienates them, or lets them walk all over him. This is why he wasn't a good NBA coach, and is also why he did not get the most out of his talent at SC (I pretty much consider O.J. Mayo the coach of the 2007-08 Trojans -- as a long-time observer of Floyd's teams, there is NO WAY he was running that team). In terms of a high-major, Iowa State was probably the best fit for him. He turned ISU into a Sweet 16/Elite 8 level program and did so mostly without elite players (unless you want to count Marcus Fizer).

In terms of Floyd's pure X-and-O abilities, the man can definitely coach.

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/apr/02/hamilton-pearl-discuss-contract/

Hamilton, Pearl to discuss contract; statement expected today

By Mike Griffith (Contact)
Originally published 11:12 a.m., April 2, 2009
Updated 11:56 a.m., April 2, 2009

Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton and men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl will begin talks this afternoon about Pearl's existing contract at UT.

Hamilton said Pearl has told him he is not interested in the Memphis coaching vacancy and is expected to issue a release this afternoon.

“Bruce is my coach and I trust him,'' Hamilton said. “We have shown in the past we will compensate him fairly and we will continue to compensate him fairly.

"I can tell you that I have no reason to believe Bruce Pearl is going to be anywhere other than Knoxville next year. He has told me he's not interested in anything else and I've got to take him at his word.''

UT officials said they are not aware of a report today by Memphis television station WMC that Pearl has been offered a seven-year, $21 million contract to fill the coaching vacancy at Memphis.

The Commercial Appeal reported on its Web site that Memphis officials are expected to officially ask for permission to talk to Pearl today.

Hamilton repeated Thursday that Memphis has not contacted him asking permission to talk with Pearl.

"I would deny them permission, but I don't necessarily think that means they're going to ask," said Hamilton. :The reality is that's kind of an archaic way of dealing with these changes in the last few years.''

But there are no stipulations in Pearl's contract that would enable Hamilton to deny Memphis access to talk with Pearl.

Pearl has not made public comments since Monday, when he indicated he was looking forward to the coming season with UT and competing with new Kentucky coach John Calipari, who left Memphis.

“It doesn't take much to get my batteries re-charged,'' Pearl said. “Not playing last weekend was enough.

“But this ... John Calipari will bring another level of energy to this league.''

Pearl is in Detroit today to introduce Louisville coach Rick Pitino as the Adolph Rupp national coach of the year Award winner.

Pearl won the award last year.

Hamilton has said he keeps a pulse on market value and is pleased with the job Pearl has done at UT.

Pearl makes $1.6 million per year and is due a $500,000 retention bonus next season.

Calipari just signed an eight-year deal at Kentucky that will pay him $3.7 million annually, Florida's Billy Donovan makes $3.5 million annually and Alabama recently hired Anthony Grant for a reported $2 million a year.

All indications are that Georgia is willing to pay its next coach in the $2 million range when it fills its coaching vacancy.

Grant's salary bumps Pearl from the third-highest paid coaching slot in the SEC – a salary position Pearl has said repeatedly he is comfortable with as UT's coach.

[Samdari]

He turned ISU into a Sweet 16/Elite 8 level program and did so mostly without elite players (unless you want to count Marcus Fizer).

You cannot say he turned them into a Sweet 16/Elite 8 level program when he got to two sweet 16's and no Elite 8's in four years. His records there were pretty similar to the last 3 years under Orr, so he did not lift them much higher than they had been.

All I can remember about his days in big time college basketball is "underachievement" although to be fair, in his days at Iowa St., he probably coached them to just about to their talent level. Dedric Willoughby was one heck of a college basketball player, as were Fred Hoiberg and Kelvin Cato, who both were contributors in the NBA.

Here's the thing with being a college basketball coach - you cannot disavow any of the results. You are responsible for everything, getting the players, making them listen, and saying the right things when they do. Floyd can get the players, and he may say the right things. But, clearly so far at USC, he can't make them listen. Kind of renders the quality of his "X/O" ability meaningless if noone does what he says. I'll believe you when you say that he was a great coach at UNO. Maybe that's the level he belongs on - some guys do great at that kind of level, but not when stepping up.

I was, however, treating him a bit unfairly, remembering the loss to Hampton as a #2 seed. That was Eustachy.

[LloydLungs]

Another way to state this is that he recruited Sweet 16/Elite 8 caliber talent and then lost in the first round to Hampton.

Well, no, Larry Eustachy lost to Hampton.

Floyd brought ISU to the sweet 16 and was within one bad charging call of the Elite 8 with a team led by Dedric Willoughby (who? yes). Shortly after, Eustachy did go the Elite 8 with a roster of almost all Floyd players. Then a year or two after that came the Hampton thing. Given the current decrepit state of Iowa State's program (and UNO's for that matter), his work there seems to be even more impressive in retrospect.

Tim Floyd can absolutely, positively coach, but there's also no question that 2007-09 at SC were his two worst coaching jobs in college, by far.

[Samdari]

within one bad charging call of the Elite 8 with a team led by Dedric Willoughby (who? yes).

You do him a disservice. He was a GREAT college basketball player!

They also had pretty good players in Kelvin Cato and Kenny Pratt.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

You do him a disservice. He was a GREAT college basketball player!

They also had pretty good players in Kelvin Cato and Kenny Pratt.

Agreed. That was a VERY good team.

[LloydLungs]

You do him a disservice. He was a GREAT college basketball player!

They also had pretty good players in Kelvin Cato and Kenny Pratt.

Yeah, those were good college players. Trust me, I know. We had Dedric for a year at UNO. The kid could play. Nevertheless, he was not working with any very special NBA talent there. I think he got the max out of those teams.

He inherited a 14-win team from Orr and won 23 games with the same players. Then all those guys graduated, he brought in a whole new team, was picked to finish last in the Big 8, and won the league. Sorry but Floyd did a tremendous job at ISU. I think THAT is probably the level where he excels -- a mid-level high-major program.

He is excellent at getting good players to do great things. He struggles with getting elite players to play to their potential because he doesn't work well with egos, at all. I think that's pretty much the book on Floyd. As such, I'm not sold that he's a great fit at Arizona, because he's going to have some elite talent there. But I don't think it's accurate to write him off as all-recruit, no-coach. It's more complex than that.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Crazy Calipari-fallout scenario developing in Big 12 land. On Tuesday, Lance Stephenson (5 star guard from Brooklyn, NY) was going to announce that he was going to Kansas over Maryland and St. Johns'. Only one problem........his scholarship offer was yanked by Bill Self hours before his announcement. The reason was that Xavier Henry is now expected to commit to KU and Henry's older brother who plays at Memphis is going to transfer to KU.

Stephenson was evidently so pissed off that his 'representative' contacted both Mizzou and Kansas State (dead period doesn't allow player to contact programs right now) requesting visits to both of those programs. He evidently is so irritated at getting the stiff arm by Kansas that he's considering going to play for a KU rival just to get back at them. I hear the kid is a bit wacky, so I'm not sure if I really want him going to Mizzou. But there's no question that he's one of the best players in the class of 2009.

Nutty stuff.

[Logan]

From what I've heard, Stephenson would definitely be best served by staying home and going to St. John's.

[DataKing]

Strange, no doubt, but you had to figure something like this was bound to happen. Programs only have so many scholarships to go around. If half the things I've read about this Stephenson kid are true, I'd much rather have the Henry brothers. I can count ten scholies KU has out there that I would consider absolutely untouchable, which leaves two for the Henry brothers.

[Arles]

I get the criticism on Floyd, I'm just not sure who out there is better. After you get through Pitino, Izzo and Calipari, it's a lot of "chance guys" out there. Few hasn't been able to recruit well enough to hold a top job and has choked in the tourney nearly every year. Caple had a nice season with the best player (by a country mile) in college basketball, but he won the CAA only once in 4 seasons at VCU. No one knows what kind of coach he will be long term.

If you look at the available options for Arizona, I can't see a better choice than Floyd. At least he's landed top 20 recruiting classes (including #6 in 2009) each year at USC and has a history of some very strong coaching jobs. His defenses at USC (triangle+2, box+1, odd man-to-man) gave some good teams fits.

Plus, he was hammered with injuries in a 1-6 February after starting 14-6 and finishing on a 6-game winning streak (beat UCLA by 10) before the 5-point loss to MSU in the NCAAs.

He has some warts, but I feel better with him than I would have with about 90% of the other coaches mentioned.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Strange, no doubt, but you had to figure something like this was bound to happen. Programs only have so many scholarships to go around. If half the things I've read about this Stephenson kid are true, I'd much rather have the Henry brothers. I can count ten scholies KU has out there that I would consider absolutely untouchable, which leaves two for the Henry brothers.

No question. Henry is a much better option for KU.

Stephenson actually has his own web-based reality show at Born Ready (http://www.bornready.tv/). He's definitely a character to say the least.

[Pumpy Tudors]

How are you people getting all these connections and rumors? "I heard this", "people are telling me this", "a reliable source in the athletic department drank my last Snapple and didn't restock the fridge." The closest thing I have to an NCAA source is the pack of Division II kids who live behind my house and occasionally take a shit on my back porch when they get drunk.

What am I doing wrong here?

[watravaler]

At which point the UGA list probably turns into one that includes Lon Kreuger (which might actually get even the lukewarm UGA fan base to storm the AD's office looking for somebody's head), Tim Floyd, Ed DeChellis, Scott Drew, Oliver Purnell (why on earth would he leave Clemson for this job?), Sean Miller of Xavier, Brad Stevens of Butler and Brian Gregory of Dayton. I guess Gillespie and Pennell might both be considered at some point too.

I thought this little comment in the AJC beat writer's blog was kind of odd thought, after talking about names they're considering he says Some they aren’t: Miami’s Frank Haith and FSU’s Leonard Hamilton.

Have those guys recently said something about not leaving their respective schools or something? I hadn't heard either name even whispered in connection to the Georgia job until they were singled out in the column as people not being considered and it kind of struck me odd.

Why would UGA be mad with Krueger? Guy wins everywhere he goes...

[cartman]

How are you people getting all these connections and rumors? "I heard this", "people are telling me this", "a reliable source in the athletic department drank my last Snapple and didn't restock the fridge." The closest thing I have to an NCAA source is the pack of Division II kids who live behind my house and occasionally take a shit on my back porch when they get drunk.

What am I doing wrong here?

sportsdigs.com

[JonInMiddleGA]

Why would UGA be mad with Krueger? Guy wins everywhere he goes...

You've likely forgotten his stint with the Atlanta Hawks, 69-122 over 2 seasons & change. More than his record though, what he's most remembered for is guaranteeing that the team would make the playoffs or season ticket holders would get a $125 refund. He didn't even make it to New Year's Day (and the team missed the playoffs).

No amount of wins in college will ever wash that smell off him for people in Atlanta/Georgia, I can't think of anything that would be a worse p.r. move for this particular program that already gets little interest than hiring him.

[JonInMiddleGA]

UGA to meet with Clemson's Purnell, Miami's Haith | ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/04/02/uga_coaches.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab)

Athens — Georgia athletics director Damon Evans will meet with Clemson coach Oliver Purnell and Miami coach Frank Haith in Detroit today to discuss the Bulldogs’ basketball job, sources confirmed for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Evans left for Detroit Thursday morning to attend meetings surrounding the NCAA Final Four.

Purnell, who will turn 56 in May, has a 350-261 record in 21 seasons as a head coach. He has gone 117-77 with the Tigers the last six years, including 23-9 this past season. Clemson has averaged 24 wins, with two NCAA Tournament appearances and an NIT runner-up finish, the last three seasons.

Purnell has not returned numerous phone messages over the last two days. Neither Clemson athletics director Terry Don Phillips nor other school officials would say whether Georgia had contacted them for permission to interview Purnell.

“Our policy is to not confirm or deny contacts with other athletic directors concerning personnel matters,” Clemson sports information director Tim Bourret said in an e-mail.

On Tuesday Phillips announced plans to “enhance” Purnell’s current contract, which pays him about $1 million a year through 2014. Phillips would not specify what he meant by enhance.

Haith, 43, has been Miami’s coach since 2004, going 88-73 with the Hurricanes. He was 19-13 this past season, which ended in the second round of the NIT. Miami was 23-11 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2008.

Attempts to reach Haith and his attorney Ricky Leftt for comment were unsuccessful.

[Lathum]

ESPN just reported Floyd is staying at USC, which really surprises me since basketball will always be number 2 sport there

[Eaglesfan27]

ESPN just reported Floyd is staying at USC, which really surprises me since basketball will always be number 2 sport there

True, but with the new on-campus arena it has the potential to be very popular (although attendance hasn't been what it should be the last few years.)

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola -

One of the USC main sites has said that he is definitely staying as well. Reports are that not only did he get an offer from Arizona, but Memphis had interest in him as well.

[Lathum]

Dola -

One of the USC main sites has said that he is definitely staying as well. Reports are that not only did he get an offer from Arizona, but Memphis had interest in him as well.

That has to be a great sign for USC fans that he wants to be there long term and build a legacy

[Arles]

ESPN just reported Floyd is staying at USC, which really surprises me since basketball will always be number 2 sport there
With the talent USC has and their recruiting class, I would expect them to be in the top 2 for the Pac 10 title next season. Arizona's cupboard is pretty bare.

Arizona's AD (Livengood) has a ton of egg on his face for this process. I think we're down to our 5th choice now. This whole process has been a joke and probably done a significant amount of harm to Arizona's dwindling basketball rep. I have no idea what will happen at this point, but the soap opera aspect should be fairly entertaining for those watching (and depressing from the Alumn like myself).

[cartman]

With the talent USC has and their recruiting class, I would expect them to be in the top 2 for the Pac 10 title next season. Arizona's cupboard is pretty bare.

Arizona's AD (Livengood) has a ton of egg on his face for this process. I think we're down to our 5th choice now. This whole process has been a joke and probably done a significant amount of harm to Arizona's dwindling basketball rep. I have no idea what will happen at this point, but the soap opera aspect should be fairly entertaining for those watching (and depressing from the Alumn like myself).

I think the Capel door is still open.

[Karlifornia]

It's a shame, because Arizona has great fans.

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2009/apr/02/ut-announces-new-deal-pearl/

University of Tennessee interim president Jan Simek and athletic director Mike Hamilton announced Thursday that they have reached an agreement in principle with basketball coach Bruce Pearl on a renegotiated six-year contract. Details of that contract will be released in the coming days.

“Mike has been terrifically supportive and committed to making this one of the best jobs in all of college basketball,” Pearl said. “I want to ensure the University of Tennessee and its fans that I’m 100 percent committed to this school, this program and our student-athletes.

“I truly love my job, and I want it to be clear that I’m not interested in any other job. There’s no place in the country I’d rather be than the University of Tennessee. My children are happy here in the Knoxville community—one is in high school, one is in middle school and two are currently attending the university.

“My staff and I are building a consistent top-25 program and I’m honored and privileged to serve the greatest fans in the country. Tennessee has all the resources necessary to win championships, from our recently upgraded facilities to our ability to schedule.

“It’s great to be a Tennessee Vol!”

[JonInMiddleGA]

Whoa, didn't see this one coming if it's accurate.
Georgia hires Nevada coach Mark Fox | ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/04/02/uga_basketball_fox.html?cxntlid=brkng_nws_bnr)

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Georgia has hired Nevada coach Mark Fox as its men’s basketball coach and will introduce him at a news conference tomorrow at 11 a.m. in Athens, according to persons within the UGA athletics department.

[wade moore]

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2009/apr/02/ut-announces-new-deal-pearl/

University of Tennessee interim president Jan Simek and athletic director Mike Hamilton announced Thursday that they have reached an agreement in principle with basketball coach Bruce Pearl on a renegotiated six-year contract. Details of that contract will be released in the coming days.

“Mike has been terrifically supportive and committed to making this one of the best jobs in all of college basketball,” Pearl said. “I want to ensure the University of Tennessee and its fans that I’m 100 percent committed to this school, this program and our student-athletes.

“I truly love my job, and I want it to be clear that I’m not interested in any other job. There’s no place in the country I’d rather be than the University of Tennessee. My children are happy here in the Knoxville community—one is in high school, one is in middle school and two are currently attending the university.

“My staff and I are building a consistent top-25 program and I’m honored and privileged to serve the greatest fans in the country. Tennessee has all the resources necessary to win championships, from our recently upgraded facilities to our ability to schedule.

“It’s great to be a Tennessee Vol!”

I tried to tell GE that Pearl wouldn't leave UT for Memphis.

[Arles]

Got this from my buddy, pretty much sums it all up for us Wildcat fans:

"If there's a perception there that the coach that's selected, if that person is perceived not to be the first choice, that's a major issue."
Jim Livengood 11/23/2008
http://www.azstarnet.com/sports/268537
http://i42.tinypic.com/29yh4w5.jpg

[Wolfpack]

Got this from my buddy, pretty much sums it all up for us Wildcat fans:


http://i42.tinypic.com/29yh4w5.jpg

Meh. If you compare NC State pre-1991 to NC State 1991-1996, then you'd know what rock bottom is. I highly doubt Arizona's going to get to the point of losing to Campbell and Florida International.

[the_meanstrosity]

Congrats to Mark Fox. Glad to see him get an opportunity in a BCS conference.

Whoa, didn't see this one coming if it's accurate.
Georgia hires Nevada coach Mark Fox | ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/04/02/uga_basketball_fox.html?cxntlid=brkng_nws_bnr)

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Georgia has hired Nevada coach Mark Fox as its men’s basketball coach and will introduce him at a news conference tomorrow at 11 a.m. in Athens, according to persons within the UGA athletics department.

[the_meanstrosity]

Sorry to hear that Arles. Floyd would have been an excellent hire for Arizona. Hopefully they can rebound from this and still bring in a big name.

With the talent USC has and their recruiting class, I would expect them to be in the top 2 for the Pac 10 title next season. Arizona's cupboard is pretty bare.

Arizona's AD (Livengood) has a ton of egg on his face for this process. I think we're down to our 5th choice now. This whole process has been a joke and probably done a significant amount of harm to Arizona's dwindling basketball rep. I have no idea what will happen at this point, but the soap opera aspect should be fairly entertaining for those watching (and depressing from the Alumn like myself).

[Samdari]

With the talent USC has and their recruiting class, I would expect them to be in the top 2 for the Pac 10 title next season. Arizona's cupboard is pretty bare.

I agree about USC's talent. Most of the reason I would be underwhelmed by Floyd was that I think they've had top 10 talent the past couple years, and have underachieved.

As for Arizona's cupboard being bare, have any of the juniors announced for the draft? Those guys are pretty good.

I can't see how anyone but Few will satisfy the fan base at this point. I am surprised there has not been more buzz about him and that job.

[duckman]

The Daily Oklahoman reported that Capel signed a contract extension to stay with the school. According to sources, no school officially asked for permission to speak with him and Capel stated that he never heard from any school about a position.

[miami_fan]

I agree about USC's talent. Most of the reason I would be underwhelmed by Floyd was that I think they've had top 10 talent the past couple years, and have underachieved.

As for Arizona's cupboard being bare, have any of the juniors announced for the draft? Those guys are pretty good.

I can't see how anyone but Few will satisfy the fan base at this point. I am surprised there has not been more buzz about him and that job.

Few seems very content to stay in Spokane.

As for the Arizona job, I wonder how much of it is not wanting is concern for the influence of Lute Olson. Not only following him as a coach (Yes I know he has not really coached for a couple of years.), but just not willing to embrace the legacy of Olson.

[MrBug708]

Floyd seems like a a better fit for Memphis, not Arizona. Ah well, I figured Floyd would leave before the sanctions hit

[hoopsguy]

Saw a post on another board suggesting Sean Miller to Arizona is a done deal, including salary numbers (6 years, 13 million).

[MrBug708]

Lon Kruger to Memphis? That would be an incredibly "meh" hire if true

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The Daily Oklahoman reported that Capel signed a contract extension to stay with the school. According to sources, no school officially asked for permission to speak with him and Capel stated that he never heard from any school about a position.

It's been an awfully good month for the Big 12. The teams all played well in the tournament after finishing as a top 3 conference. In addition, the two hot coaching commodities in the conference both chose to sign contract extensions for less money rather than money grab at another Big 6 conference job.

[Samdari]

Saw a post on another board suggesting Sean Miller to Arizona is a done deal, including salary numbers (6 years, 13 million).

Woops, back to the drawing board for Arizona.

This is how Kentucky ended up with Billy Gillespie.

Wait a minute.....

[Arles]

Woops, back to the drawing board for Arizona.

This is how Kentucky ended up with Billy Gillespie.

Wait a minute.....
Or Pitt with Jamie Dixon (after Prosser turned them down for WF). Still, at this point, Arizona simply needs to fire Livengood, bring in a new AD and look for the best available coach - period. I don't care if he's the assistant at NW Montana State.

Livengood's problem was that he was so intent on "winning the press conference", he basically allowed himself to be used by Calipari, Floyd and Miller to get large raises. At this point, he has too much pride to do what's right and maybe sign the head coach at Utah (Izzo's old assistant) or another no-name who can coach because he's so intent on hiring a "name". If Arizona's not careful, the school will end up with Isiah Thomas as their head coach if Livengood stays in charge.

[sooner333]

Hiring a name is overrated anyway. OU has done great with "non-names" such as Stoops (Defensive Coordinator at a big school) and Capel (Young HC at a mid-major). Those are Castiglione's big hires as AD. Before him, they even hit a home run with a high school coach (Sherri Coale).

But, also, I think Arizona needs to realize that their program isn't as good as they think right now. It's a good program, for sure, but many issues. First, the NCAA investigation stuff. Second, you're following a legend who has the only true success with the program (or at least that's the perception). And third, you're going into a situation where the fans will have really high expectations for what looks to be a few rebuilding years. That doesn't really add up to an attractive job for someone in a pretty secure situation. Miller seemed like the best-bet so far because it would be a move up from Xavier and the A-10, but now that he's out, it seems best to move on to a mid-major type situation or maybe the best case would be a Reggie Theus.

[DeToxRox]

Sounds like Miller had a change of heart:

Change of heart? (http://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=932626)

Last night, Xavier head coach Sean Miller called UA athletic director Jim Livengood and told him he wasn't coming to Arizona.


GOAZCATS.com
Sean Miller with UA athletic director Jim Livengood on Sunday morning in Albuquerque.
Then he had a change of heart.

Sources say that Miller called some associates, including Kentucky head coach John Calipari, and told them he was once again undecided about what school he wanted to choose.

Calipari apparently told him what he was telling him all along: that he should come to Arizona.

Miller stayed up late re-thinking his decision and still hadn't made up his mind in the morning. Then he decided he was officially coming to Arizona, as was reported by Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com.

On Sunday morning, Miller met with UA athletic director Jim Livengood and president Robert Shelton in Santa Fe (N.M.).

At roughly 5:19am MST, Miller boarded a plane for Albuquerque (N.M.), where he landed at 6:31am MST. Livengood and Miller rented a car and drove to Santa Fe to meet Shelton.

After meeting for at least a few hours, Miller took a private plane back to Cincinnati at roughly 1:54pm MST. He met with some people in the Xavier program and told them he was seriously considering staying at Xavier.

Then he called Livengood to make it official, or so we thought.

Now, it appears that Sean Miller is headed to Tucson to be Arizona's next coach.

[MrBug708]

Solid hire for Arizona. Good long term get

[Arles]

Well, classify it as a "job-saving" effort for Livengood. I don't know a ton about Miller, but my Brother-in-law is a Xavier Alumn and he was very sad to see him go. Sounds like he's a pretty good coach and solid recruiter. Both will be needed in Tucson ;)

[spleen1015]

Color me ignorant, but I don't know why Miller would leave Xavier. I think he stands a better shot at winning a National Championship there than Arizona. He's already able to recruit damn good players at Xavier.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Really excited as a Mizzou fan that Miller went to Arizona. Mizzou was in a heavy duty recruiting battle for Jarrid Famous, who is a big time JUCO post man. With Miller moving to Arizona, it would appear Mizzou is the clear leader to land Famous.

Here's another article on the Miller change of heart...........

Miller takes Arizona job - College Basketball - Rivals.com (http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news;_ylt=Aq3Yag4f7.7vzY60JJzPgsI5nYcB?slug=dw-miller040609&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Georgia got off fairly cheaply if Mark Fox turns out to be a good hire.
Fox faces hefty buyout if he resigns UGA post | ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/04/06/uga_fox.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab)

Fox “will be obligated” to pay the UGA athletics association $2 million if he resigns his position while under contract to the school, according to a memorandum of understanding signed by Fox and Georgia athletics director Damon Evans.

The memorandum was obtained today by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution under open-records laws.

A formal six-year contract will be drafted and signed later, based on the terms contained in the three-page memo.

According to the memo:

• Fox will get an annual base salary of at least $250,000, plus annual payments of $500,000 for radio/TV shows and various other appearances, $150,000 for his operation of sports camps and $300,000 attributable to UGA’s shoe and apparel endorsement deal. That adds up to $1.2 million per year in guaranteed income.

• He also will receive a longevity bonus of $600,000 at the expiration of the contract on June 30, 2015. If the contract is terminated by UGA without cause prior to then, he will receive a pro-rata share of the longevity bonus. That bonus in effect adds $100,000 to the annual value of the contract, putting Fox’s yearly compensation at $1.3 million.

• He also will be eligible to receive up to $400,000 per year in “potential bonuses based on the basketball team’s performance and other objective criteria.” Some of the bonuses will be based on players’ academic performance.

• He will be provided two cars.

• If he is fired without cause, he will receive 75 percent of the total annual compensation (not including longevity bonus) for each year remaining on the contract.

The memorandum of understanding will become Fox’s contract “if a more definitive agreement is not signed within 60 calendar days,” the memo states.

[sooner333]

Miller stands a better shot at making double the money he was at Xavier at Arizona and still have a shot to win a national championship (something that has actually been done at Arizona).

Mizzou--don't be so sure that the Famous guy won't follow the coach to the desert.

[MrBug708]

Really excited as a Mizzou fan that Miller went to Arizona. Mizzou was in a heavy duty recruiting battle for Jarrid Famous, who is a big time JUCO post man. With Miller moving to Arizona, it would appear Mizzou is the clear leader to land Famous.

Here's another article on the Miller change of heart...........

Miller takes Arizona job - College Basketball - Rivals.com (http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news;_ylt=Aq3Yag4f7.7vzY60JJzPgsI5nYcB?slug=dw-miller040609&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)

That post player would start at Arizona

[MrBug708]

Color me ignorant, but I don't know why Miller would leave Xavier. I think he stands a better shot at winning a National Championship there than Arizona. He's already able to recruit damn good players at Xavier.

With the right coach, Arizona is the second best program in an area with a fertile recruiting base in SoCal. Not so much at Xavier.

[Chief Rum]

Color me ignorant, but I don't know why Miller would leave Xavier. I think he stands a better shot at winning a National Championship there than Arizona. He's already able to recruit damn good players at Xavier.

You really believe that?

[spleen1015]

That's my opinion, sure.

I don't think either program stands a chance at winning one in the next 20 years, though.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Mizzou--don't be so sure that the Famous guy won't follow the coach to the desert.

We'll have to see, but from what I've read, I'm not sure he's willing to live that far from home. Even Mizzou is somewhat of a stretch from a distance perspective according to family and friends. He would be a starter from day one at Mizzou, so playing time isn't an issue. Seton Hall and South Florida are still in consideration due to their proximity to family.

Famous already scheduled his announcement for April 15th before Miller reconsidered the move to Arizona. If he visits Arizona or moves back his announcement date, then Arizona becomes a possibility.

[Radii]

Color me ignorant, but I don't know why Miller would leave Xavier. I think he stands a better shot at winning a National Championship there than Arizona. He's already able to recruit damn good players at Xavier.

Arizona has a much better tradition, they're in a power conference which matters to many while Xavier isn't, and they have far far less competition out west for top recruits, while still being a big, well known program that can recruit nationally. Seems like a great hire for Arizona and a great move for Miller both.

[Arles]

I don't think Arizona has any interest in Famous. Plus, one of the AZ rivals site guys said that he thought Famous had South Florida, Missouri and Seton Hall as his top choices (over Xavier).

That said, word is Book Richardson (Xavier's top recruiter) will be coming with Miller. This puts 6-6 SF Kevin Parrom (top 100 rivals) as a potential Arizona recruit. Word is Xavier will let him out of his commitment to join Miller in Arizona. Also, Arizona has a strong chance at 6-10 C Kyryl Natyazhko (top 100), Solomon Hill (committed before Lute retired), F Victor Rudd, F Glenn Bryant of Oak Hill and PF Tevin Baskin. If Arizona can a few of these guys, as well as keep Nick Wise, they could have an outside chance at being respectable in 2009. Something I thought was nearly impossible a few days back.

[Arles]

Another interesting development: Xavier's top recruit in 2010 (J.D. Weatherspoon) just de-committed this morning. Not sure if Miller will go after him at AZ (looks like an Ohio kid), but I expect a lot of upheaval the next few days.

If you are an undecided player for 2009 and Arizona comes calling with Miller, I would think you would want to listen. You have the chance to be a starter in a highly visible program as a freshman.

[Logan]

I didn't realize Xavier was kicking so much ass on the recruiting trail. Sucks for them.

[MrBug708]

Memphis hires Pastner?!?

[Arles]

I got to know Josh Pastner really well at Arizona (he's my age). He was a bench guy on the championship team I covered on the campus paper. He single-handily fixed Mike Bibby's shot in December and is one of the smarter sports people I've ever met. You won't find a more likable guy and he has done a nice job recruiting at Arizona and for Memphis.

Memphis will need to get a few experienced Assistants to help him out, but I think he will end up being a very good head coach. In fact, when it looked like Arizona wasn't getting Miller, my next choice would have been Boyner or Pastner.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Memphis hires Pastner?!?

Yikes.

If he loses more than two conference games next year, Tiger High faithful will be after his head in a heartbeat. Sad part to that is that, if the cupboard ends up bare, that wouldn't even be a referendum on his suitability as a head coach but that's how it'll turn out.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Rumors in Memphis say the job of "director of basketball operations" will be offered to Carl Henry, father of Xavier & C.J.

[MrBug708]

Nothing wrong with that

[Wolfpack]

Interesting with Sean Miller going to Arizona since his old boss is coach at Arizona State. Weirdly enough, this will mean yet another year at least of more-than-cursory interest in Pac-10 basketball by NC State fans as they continue to get into flame wars over Sendek's tenure in Raleigh.

*sigh*

[Samdari]

Well, classify it as a "job-saving" effort for Livengood. I don't know a ton about Miller, but my Brother-in-law is a Xavier Alumn and he was very sad to see him go. Sounds like he's a pretty good coach and solid recruiter. Both will be needed in Tucson ;)

Its a great hire. Of the guys who would consider leaving (apparently does not include Floyd or Few) they could not have done better.

Almost had to be a mid-major moving up guy. For all the talk about Arizona's history, it was solely Olson's. They had made a total of 3 NCAA tournaments prior to his arrival. Combine that with the relatively little talent coming back, and expectations raised to the roof by Olson, and I see little reason for someone to leave an established BCS school.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Rumors in Memphis say the job of "director of basketball operations" will be offered to Carl Henry, father of Xavier & C.J.

The same job is being offered at Kansas (following in the steps of Chalmers and Manning's dads).

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I don't think Arizona has any interest in Famous. Plus, one of the AZ rivals site guys said that he thought Famous had South Florida, Missouri and Seton Hall as his top choices (over Xavier).

Seton Hall isn't far from where his family lives. He has some aunts and uncles in the Tampa, FL area. Mizzou is the wild card with no family connections. He's mentioned that he'd love to play in an up-tempo style.

[Ksyrup]

Memphis hires Pastner?!?

According to the Commercial Appeal, Leonard Hamilton was the top choice for the job (at least as of yesterday), but he signed a 5-year extension with Florida State, then Memphis announced Pastner. At least, that's the way the Tallahassee Democrat says it went down. I'm happy FSU is keeping Hamilton.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Here's a rundown of the Memphis hire saga. I think the guy's a bit too high on some of his sources and their reliability, but there's certain a lot of info in here.

The Memphis Edge » Tiger Basketball (http://thememphisedge.com/category/tiger-basketball/)

IMO, had Pastner been hired right after Calipari left, it would have been seen as a good hire. Instead, they went through a week-long soap opera only to hire Pastner, which made it look more like they were settling on his when all other possibilities were exhausted. He's still a good hire for long-term stability, but they just did it the wrong way.

I'm sure I don't have to point out the similarities between Pastner and Quin Snyder when they were first hired. Thirty-something assistant under a proven coach. Known for great recruiting and one of the hotter young coaching prospects on the market. Hopefully, Pastner will learn to recruit on his own without taking shortcuts. Quin Snyder tried to take recruiting shortcuts like his mentor and got nailed for it. Snyder's main excuse behind closed doors was that he didn't do anything different than what he did at Duke. There's a big difference between Coach K and Coach Cal doing certain things and a young coach trying to do the same thing when other older coaches are jealous of your big contract and easy success at such an early age.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm happy FSU is keeping Hamilton.

And from what I've gathered, so are most of the Memphis fans ;)

His was the one name I saw repeatedly with the phrase "at least it wasn't ..."

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

And from what I've gathered, so are most of the Memphis fans ;)

His was the one name I saw repeatedly with the phrase "at least it wasn't ..."

Hamilton and the FSU basketball program is a disaster waiting to happen. Michael Snaer is a prime example. He was shopping for the biggest $$$ in his recruitment and Hamilton won that battle. I wouldn't be shocked to see FSU have their basketball program join their football program on probation in two years or less.

[watravaler]

Hamilton and the FSU basketball program is a disaster waiting to happen. Michael Snaer is a prime example. He was shopping for the biggest $$$ in his recruitment and Hamilton won that battle. I wouldn't be shocked to see FSU have their basketball program join their football program on probation in two years or less.

Well, then Leonard would have been a perfect fit at Memphis.

[Ksyrup]

Might be true about Hamilton, I have no clue, but I'm pretty confident no one at FSU cares about basketball enough to get involved with paying players.

[Warhammer]

From the talk radio circuit, a lot of the Memphis faithful are happy with Pastner. I am as well. My first choice was Anderson, can't remember who my #2 was, #3 was Pastner.

If Pastner keeps his nose clean, and hires the right assistants, this will be seen as a good hire down the road. We might not remain where Cal put us, but even if we're a top 15 program, I'll be happy.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

We might not remain where Cal put us, but even if we're a top 15 program, I'll be happy.

These kinds of unrealistic expectations from Memphis fans are going to be the death of this coach.

[Logan]

These kinds of unrealistic expectations from Memphis fans are going to be the death of this coach.

If the conference is as weak as you've said it is, I don't see how a team dominating it wouldn't be in the top 15.

[sterlingice]

Well, to be fair- there are a lot of weak conferences and their dominant team of the moment doesn't always crack the top 25. If it were that easy, why wasn't Tulsa dominating? Or UCF? Or Rice? Being that good is hard. Being that good in an "easy" conference is easy than being that good in a "hard" conference, tho.

SI

[GoldenEagle]

After watching Pastner's press conference, I am freaking stoked. That dude just does not stop. You can tell the players love him. He has a known reputation as a great recruiter. If he surrounds himself with a good staff , then he is going to do wonders I believe.

We may lose some games because of coaching mistakes, but a strong argument could be made that we lost the championship game last year because of coaching mistakes.

[Warhammer]

We may lose some games because of coaching mistakes, but a strong argument could be made that we lost the championship game last year because of coaching mistakes.

Correction: We lost the championship game last year because of coaching mistakes.

[Warhammer]

These kinds of unrealistic expectations from Memphis fans are going to be the death of this coach.

I'm not expecting them to be a top 5 or 10 program. Given the state of C-USA, the facilities Memphis has, and Pastner's recruiting ability, we should be a top 15/20 program. We should go to the Sweet 16 every other year, and make a deep run once every five years or so.

This isn't all that different from where we were in 82-95.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Well, to be fair- there are a lot of weak conferences and their dominant team of the moment doesn't always crack the top 25. If it were that easy, why wasn't Tulsa dominating? Or UCF? Or Rice? Being that good is hard. Being that good in an "easy" conference is easy than being that good in a "hard" conference, tho.

SI

Pretty good summary. If I was a Memphis fan, I'd still expect them to compete with UAB every year for the conference title and win every other year at a minimum. But that doesn't mean they're going to be a top 15 team moving forward. There's absolutely no way that Pastner will bring the same level of talent that Cal brought in over the past few years.

[Warhammer]

There's absolutely no way that Pastner will bring the same level of talent that Cal brought in over the past few years.

That is the big question. Pastner was instrumental in getting a lot of the big name talent here the last few years. Will he be able to get the same talent with himself at the top of the ticket? I think so. Probably not the same level as Cal, but close.

Where I see the bigger issue is getting the big games at the start of the season. That is how Memphis got their RPI so high in recent years is the tough games early on. Cal got burned when they went 27-4, but played a weak schedule, ater that he made sure he had some big games early and it helped him out a ton. I don't see Pastner having the clout to put that same schedule together.

[MrBug708]

Hamilton and the FSU basketball program is a disaster waiting to happen. Michael Snaer is a prime example. He was shopping for the biggest $$$ in his recruitment and Hamilton won that battle.

Co-Signed. But obviously Mizzou's booster check bounced

[MrBug708]

I'm sure I don't have to point out the similarities between Pastner and Quin Snyder when they were first hired. Thirty-something assistant under a proven coach. Known for great recruiting and one of the hotter young coaching prospects on the market. Hopefully, Pastner will learn to recruit on his own without taking shortcuts. Quin Snyder tried to take recruiting shortcuts like his mentor and got nailed for it. Snyder's main excuse behind closed doors was that he didn't do anything different than what he did at Duke. There's a big difference between Coach K and Coach Cal doing certain things and a young coach trying to do the same thing when other older coaches are jealous of your big contract and easy success at such an early age.

Oh my.

It's just as easy to point out the Mark Few's and the Jaime Dixon's as it is to point out the Steve Lavin's and the Quinn Snyder's

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Co-Signed. But obviously Mizzou's booster check bounced

Just the opposite. Coach Anderson refused to pay a dime as he does with all recruits. Two days later, Snaer committed to Florida State. It's not hard to connect the dots.

FWIW........That's the give and take with Anderson. He's going to run a clean program, even at the cost of losing prime recruits that other coaches would have landed. You'll see a lot of top 50-150 recruits that he targets, but he'll often look good with a top 25 recruit only to see him lose out at the last minute.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Oh my.

It's just as easy to point out the Mark Few's and the Jaime Dixon's as it is to point out the Steve Lavin's and the Quinn Snyder's

I disagree totally with the Mark Few and Jamie Dixon comparison. Both of those guys learned how to recruit the right way under Monson and Howland. There was no funny business going on under either of those guys.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Didn't see it mentioned here, but DeMarcus Cousins has verbally committed to Kentucky.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Looks like we got our answer on Jarrid Famous. He's going to put off his decision date and visit Arizona on April 17th. Villanova also plans to visit Famous. From the Tampa newspaper..........

April 08, 2009
Recruiting: Could Miller lure Famous to Arizona?

The start of the spring signing period is now just one week away, and Tuesday brought an interesting development in the recruitment of Jarrid Famous, a 6-foot-11 center from Westchester (N.Y.) Community College.

When we last gave an update on Famous, he had enjoyed an official visit to USF and was considering an official visit to Xavier. That changed this week when Xavier coach Sean Miller accepted the head coaching job at Arizona, effectively taking the Muskateers out of contention.

It did, however, make Arizona a new option for Famous, according to Westchester assistant Tyrone Mushatt. He said Tuesday that Miller had expressed an interest in bringing Famous to Arizona, and Mushatt said the center plans to take an official visit to Arizona the weekend of April 17. He's already visited Seton Hall and Missouri, with the latter in better position to sign him, though Villanova is expected to have coaches in to see Famous on Thursday, the first day after a weeklong quiet period with no in-person contact between coaches and recruits.

What does it mean to USF? Mushatt stressed that the Bulls still have "a great shot" at Famous, again with nearby relatives playing a big advantage for USF. The Bulls will have power forward Daequon Montreal and small forward Glenn Bryant in this weekend for official visits, then will have center Sandi Marcius in the next weekend -- whether the Bulls get Famous and/or Marcius remains to be seen.

[miami_fan]

I disagree totally with the Mark Few and Jamie Dixon comparison. Both of those guys learned how to recruit the right way under Monson and Howland. There was no funny business going on under either of those guys that was caught.

Fixed that for ya.

Just like steroids in baseball, I think it is fairly unwise to say that any program under any coach is void of any funny business.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Fixed that for ya.

Just like steroids in baseball, I think it is fairly unwise to say that any program under any coach is void of any funny business.

Howland and Monson both have very clean recruiting records. There's a big difference between those guys and coaches like Coach K and Coach Cal, which is the comparison that was made. I'm assuming you're just not aware of much that goes on behind the scenes.

[MrBug708]

I disagree totally with the Mark Few and Jamie Dixon comparison. Both of those guys learned how to recruit the right way under Monson and Howland. There was no funny business going on under either of those guys.

So you're saying that Josh learned the wrong way under Lute?

[MrBug708]

Just the opposite. Coach Anderson refused to pay a dime as he does with all recruits. Two days later, Snaer committed to Florida State. It's not hard to connect the dots.

FWIW........That's the give and take with Anderson. He's going to run a clean program, even at the cost of losing prime recruits that other coaches would have landed. You'll see a lot of top 50-150 recruits that he targets, but he'll often look good with a top 25 recruit only to see him lose out at the last minute.

Heh

[miami_fan]

Howland and Monson both have very clean recruiting records. There's a big difference between those guys and coaches like Coach K and Coach Cal, which is the comparison that was made. I'm assuming you're just not aware of much that goes on behind the scenes.

Are you prepared to bet your house that Howland or Monson have not ever committed a recruiting violation? Read my post again. I did not accuse either coach of any sort of violation nor did I say that K or Cal had clean records. What I said based on the archaic rules of the NCAA, it is unwise to say that any program under any coach is completely clean. It has been said before and it will be said again because it is true. If the NCAA decided to land on campus and go over any program with a fine tooth comb, there is a very good chance they will find a violation under current NCAA rules

Finally, despite the cleanliness of the records and the behind the scenes "dirt" of K and Cal, they all have one thing in common. None have been specifically CAUGHT doing any funny business by the NCAA.

[JonInMiddleGA]

UGA adds former Alabama interim coach Phillip Pearson as an assistant to Mark Fox.
Fox adds veteran assistants | [email protected] (http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/040809/men_427226890.shtml)

[Arles]

Here's a rundown of the Memphis hire saga. I think the guy's a bit too high on some of his sources and their reliability, but there's certain a lot of info in here.

The Memphis Edge » Tiger Basketball (http://thememphisedge.com/category/tiger-basketball/)

IMO, had Pastner been hired right after Calipari left, it would have been seen as a good hire. Instead, they went through a week-long soap opera only to hire Pastner, which made it look more like they were settling on his when all other possibilities were exhausted. He's still a good hire for long-term stability, but they just did it the wrong way.

I'm sure I don't have to point out the similarities between Pastner and Quin Snyder when they were first hired. Thirty-something assistant under a proven coach. Known for great recruiting and one of the hotter young coaching prospects on the market. Hopefully, Pastner will learn to recruit on his own without taking shortcuts. Quin Snyder tried to take recruiting shortcuts like his mentor and got nailed for it. Snyder's main excuse behind closed doors was that he didn't do anything different than what he did at Duke. There's a big difference between Coach K and Coach Cal doing certain things and a young coach trying to do the same thing when other older coaches are jealous of your big contract and easy success at such an early age.
Here's what some people close to Pastner have said: Memphis wanted to hire Josh, but Josh wanted to make sure 100% that he wasn't going to get the Arizona job. So, once Miller accepted, Pastner agreed. So, I *think* Pastner was a top candidate at Memphis from the start.

As to his recruiting ethics, the guy was coaching AAU teams in Texas during the summer back when he was a grad student at Arizona. He knows a ton of high school coaches and was instrumental in landing a ton of kids for Arizona as an assistant (and later Memphis). In fact, the success he had as an assistant at Arizona was the reason Cal brought him on. So, I don't think you can say Cal influenced his recruiting or even Lute did. He was setting up scouting reports as a teenager and a born salesman.

[Arles]

dola, here's a sports illustrated article on him from 2005 when he was a 25-year old assistant. If you think Calipari "showed him the ropes" on recruiting, you're crazy:

At age 25, hoops-obsessed Arizona assistant Josh Pastner - 02.03.03 - SI Vault (http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1143116/index.htm)

Whiz-kid Coach
At age 25, hoops-obsessed Arizona assistant Josh Pastner is on the fast track to a top job
John O'keefe



LAST NOVEMBER, Arizona assistant basketball coach Josh Pastner was on a date when he felt his cellphone vibrate. Recognizing the number of a prized recruit, 6'10" forward Ndudi Ebi from Houston, Pastner excused himself from one promising prospect and spent the rest of the movie talking to another. Two weeks later Ebi signed with the Wildcats, but Pastner's budding romance fizzled. "On his dates his phone will ring or he'll be watching TV during dinner," says Arizona associate head coach Jim Rosborough. "No girl will go out with him very long."

Pastner, 25, has been making sacrifices to his hoops obsession nearly his whole life. When he was 10, his father, Hal, founded the Houston Hoops AAU team, and Josh often traveled with the team around the country. At 13 he launched The josh Pastner Scouting Report, a 100-page annual based on his observations of national AAU talent. Three years later Hal handed his son the coaching duties.

In the summer of '95 Josh, then a high school senior, sent a letter to Rosborough inviting the Arizona staff to a workout in Houston to check out his team's college prospects. Rosborough was impressed with the workout—and with the precocious Pastner. "I just called him every Sunday for a year," says Pastner. A slow 5'9" point guard at Kingwood High, Pastner was hardly Division I material, but he marketed himself as a "coach in training." Rosborough and coach Lute Olson offered Josh an athletic scholarship.

At his first team meeting, Pastner stood up and preached the value of hard work to All-Pac-10 guard Miles Simon and future NBAers Mike Bibby, Michael Dickerson and Jason Terry. The players laughed. Soon, though, Simon started doing the drills Pastner had recommended to help his stroke. Bibby joined the workouts, and then Terry and forward Bennett Davidson. Says Bibby, now a point guard with the Sacramento Kings, "A lot of those drills I still use today."

By season's end Bibby and Pastner had become roommates. Arizona finished fifth in the Pac-10 but caught fire in the NCAA tournament and stormed to the national title.

Pastner averaged just 0.9 points a game in four seasons but contributed in other ways. By his senior year he was scouting opponents, breaking down film and running the scout team at practice. After serving as a graduate assistant, administrative assistant and recruiting coordinator, last summer he was hired as a full-timer.

Pastner makes no bones about his goal of being a head coach. In the summer of '98, following his sophomore year at Arizona, he applied for the vacant Los Angeles Clippers head coaching position. Since then he has sent his résumé whenever an NBA head job has opened. The last two summers he has pursued Division positions at Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern. Both times he visited the campuses uninvited, introducing himself to the president and the athletic director. He was seriously considered by each school. Prairie View athletic director Charles McClelland ultimately chose Jerome Francis Jr., 10 years Pastner's senior, but says, "Josh is going to be a heck of a coach someday."

Meanwhile Pastner will continue his tireless efforts for the Wildcats. He sleeps four hours a night and is at his office daily by 7 a.m. He lives in a one-bedroom apartment 10 minutes from campus, stocks only milk and cereal in the kitchen and uses plastic forks and paper plates. "I'm a different dude," says Pastner.

"He's way beyond his years in terms of his understanding of the game," says Olson. "I think he really wins over guys with his dedication to making them better."

Still, Rosborough tries to find Pastner some nonbasketball interests—namely female companionship. "I feel very lucky to know exactly what I want to do," says Pastner. "Whoever I date is going to have to understand that this is who I am."

[the_meanstrosity]

Snaer didn't even have Missouri in his final two so I'm not sure why you're so hellbent on attacking Hamilton. In the last few weeks, I've seen you make numerous attacks on other programs such as Texas, Memphis, and now Florida State. Are you truly this bitter? I know it's been a rough patch for the Tigers basketball team these last few years, but I would think you'd be happy with the success Mike Anderson had this year. Instead you spend a lot of time trying to downplay the success of other programs. Be happy for your program. Sheesh man.


FWIW........That's the give and take with Anderson. He's going to run a clean program, even at the cost of losing prime recruits that other coaches would have landed. You'll see a lot of top 50-150 recruits that he targets, but he'll often look good with a top 25 recruit only to see him lose out at the last minute.

[the_meanstrosity]

Wasn't Quin's biggest recruiting violation that he had illegal contact with players via cell phone? Isn't that the same thing Kelvin Sampson got hit with? I don't buy the young coach argument given that Sampson clearly isn't a young coach and he was reprimanded twice for the same activity.


I'm sure I don't have to point out the similarities between Pastner and Quin Snyder when they were first hired. Thirty-something assistant under a proven coach. Known for great recruiting and one of the hotter young coaching prospects on the market. Hopefully, Pastner will learn to recruit on his own without taking shortcuts. Quin Snyder tried to take recruiting shortcuts like his mentor and got nailed for it. Snyder's main excuse behind closed doors was that he didn't do anything different than what he did at Duke. There's a big difference between Coach K and Coach Cal doing certain things and a young coach trying to do the same thing when other older coaches are jealous of your big contract and easy success at such an early age.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Are you prepared to bet your house that Howland or Monson have not ever committed a recruiting violation? Read my post again. I did not accuse either coach of any sort of violation nor did I say that K or Cal had clean records. What I said based on the archaic rules of the NCAA, it is unwise to say that any program under any coach is completely clean. It has been said before and it will be said again because it is true. If the NCAA decided to land on campus and go over any program with a fine tooth comb, there is a very good chance they will find a violation under current NCAA rules

Finally, despite the cleanliness of the records and the behind the scenes "dirt" of K and Cal, they all have one thing in common. None have been specifically CAUGHT doing any funny business by the NCAA.

Some pretty naive comments here. Much like the tax code, I'm sure there's not a single coach that hasn't violated some rule accidentally. With that said, you obviously don't have a full awareness of how recruiting and reporting it works in the NCAA.

Quin Snyder is the perfect example. Quin thought he was a pretty smart guy and tried to rally support with a few other B12 coaches to report some violations by Roy Williams at Kansas. Roy caught wind of it and dumped Quin and his recruiting practices on its head, resulting in the fallout at Mizzou, culminating in Quin's "resignation".

It's like a mafia family. You're fine as long as you don't cross the Godfather(s). If you do, you'll pay for it. The Godfather may take a hit, but you could lose your life. That's reality in college athletics.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Snaer didn't even have Missouri in his final two so I'm not sure why you're so hellbent on attacking Hamilton.

Snaer shopped around for the highest dollar whether you know it or not. His 'handler' approached the Mizzou staff two days before he signed with Florida State to see if their stance/"offer" had changed. Melvin Watkins told him no and that's where it ended.

I've said this before and I'll say it again. Count yourself as blessed that you don't know the inner workings of recruiting and just how nasty it can be. It would ruin college basketball for most people.

[Logan]

I've said this before and I'll say it again. Count yourself as blessed that you don't know the inner workings of recruiting and just how nasty it can be. It would ruin college basketball for most people.

But Anderson would NEVER do anything along those lines.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

But Anderson would NEVER do anything along those lines.

Mike Anderson would not. I can also tell you with great certainty that Norm Stewart and Quin Snyder would win at any cost and 'played the game'. I'm not sure Coach Anderson could if he even wanted to at Missouri. The scrutiny following the Snyder debacle is very intense. They've doubled the compliance officer count. The donor dollars are tracked at a level not previously seen.

The only thing that Mike Anderson has done that even resembles 'playing the game' is that he set up via an organizer a AAU tourney last year at Mizzou Arena. It was a failure. The organizers lost several thousand dollars and a couple of teams pulled out when the coaches found out that they wouldn't be receiving 'appearance fees'. Those guys expected money for showing up.

[the_meanstrosity]

Why would he go to Missouri for an "offer" if they weren't even one of his top two schools? That's where you're losing me. That'd be akin to me being hungry for a cheeseburger, but going to Subway to check their prices on a sandwich.

And if this story were true then why didn't Missouri report it? A number of other colleges have reported supposed violations and the NCAA investigated the situation. Doesn't mean they'd be caught, but it certainly bears investigating if this story is true.

Could this stuff happen? Certainly. Would you know about it? I doubt it. I was friends with a number of college basketball players so I know what does and doesn't happen. Mike Anderson is a good guy, but he's a college basketball coach and knows the business he got into. He's no better or worse than most college coaches.

Snaer shopped around for the highest dollar whether you know it or not. His 'handler' approached the Mizzou staff two days before he signed with Florida State to see if their stance/"offer" had changed. Melvin Watkins told him no and that's where it ended.

I've said this before and I'll say it again. Count yourself as blessed that you don't know the inner workings of recruiting and just how nasty it can be. It would ruin college basketball for most people.

[the_meanstrosity]

Mike Anderson could get away with plenty if he wanted to...compliance officers or not. How do you think MU would track "donor dollars" that are under the table? Do you they have hidden chips on the dollar bills given to athletes? When a booster sets up a family with a property or car do you really think they call the compliance office to make sure it's ok?

I guarantee you Mike Anderson "plays the game" or else he would never have gotten into coaching college basketball. Do you think he just sat there learning from Nolan Richardson at Arkansas and didn't pick any of this stuff up?

You're Mike Anderson is holier than thou shtick is you being naive. Anderson is one of the good guys, but that doesn't mean he isn't above playing the game. Just look at how he played Georgia and Missouri for more money last month. Don't be naive. Every coach in college athletics knows what they are getting into.

Mike Anderson would not. I can also tell you with great certainty that Norm Stewart and Quin Snyder would win at any cost and 'played the game'. I'm not sure Coach Anderson could if he even wanted to at Missouri. The scrutiny following the Snyder debacle is very intense. They've doubled the compliance officer count. The donor dollars are tracked at a level not previously seen.

The only thing that Mike Anderson has done that even resembles 'playing the game' is that he set up via an organizer a AAU tourney last year at Mizzou Arena. It was a failure. The organizers lost several thousand dollars and a couple of teams pulled out when the coaches found out that they wouldn't be receiving 'appearance fees'. Those guys expected money for showing up.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Why would he go to Missouri for an "offer" if they weren't even one of his top two schools? That's where you're losing me. That'd be akin to me being hungry for a cheeseburger, but going to Subway to check their prices on a sandwich.

And if this story were true then why didn't Missouri report it? A number of other colleges have reported supposed violations and the NCAA investigated the situation. Doesn't mean they'd be caught, but it certainly bears investigating if this story is true.

Could this stuff happen? Certainly. Would you know about it? I doubt it. I was friends with a number of college basketball players so I know what does and doesn't happen. Mike Anderson is a good guy, but he's a college basketball coach and knows the business he got into. He's no better or worse than most college coaches.

I'm not going to get into a battle about who knows what. I stand behind my statement that is exactly how it all went down and that happens many times over in college athletics. Some coaches will play at any cost, while others take the higher road. I couldn't disagree more that some coaches are not better or worse than their peers. That has no basis in reality.

You're Mike Anderson is holier than thou shtick is you being naive. Anderson is one of the good guys, but that doesn't mean he isn't above playing the game. Just look at how he played Georgia and Missouri for more money last month. Don't be naive. Every coach in college athletics knows what they are getting into.

That's business and has nothing to do with recruiting which is the conversation at hand.

[Logan]

Mike Anderson would not.

Unless you are, in fact, Mike Anderson, you're naive.

[the_meanstrosity]

You don't want to get into a battle, but aren't afraid to throw kids like Snaer and coaches like Hamilton under the bus without any factual evidence. Nice! Representing Missouri well.

If Anderson knew about Hamilton and Snaer and did not report it then he's not the man you're suggesting he is. Why wouldn't they take this to the NCAA unless Anderson and company had something to hide. None of your stories make sense.

I'm not going to get into a battle about who knows what. I stand behind my statement that is exactly how it all went down and that happens many times over in college athletics. Some coaches will play at any cost, while others take the higher road. I couldn't disagree more that some coaches are not better or worse than their peers. That has no basis in reality.



Yes it is business, but so is college basketball recruiting. If Anderson has shown himself willing to do what it takes to get a big raise why wouldn't he be willing to do the same to land recruits? Thus far you haven't shown me how Mike Anderson takes care of his business any differently than any other coach in America.

That's business and has nothing to do with recruiting which is the conversation at hand.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

You don't want to get into a battle, but aren't afraid to throw kids like Snaer and coaches like Hamilton under the bus without any factual evidence. Nice! Representing Missouri well.

If Anderson knew about Hamilton and Snaer and did not report it then he's not the man you're suggesting he is. Why wouldn't they take this to the NCAA unless Anderson and company had something to hide. None of your stories make sense.

Your building on the assumption that Hamilton has not been reported to the NCAA. I disagree with that assertion.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Unless you are, in fact, Mike Anderson, you're naive.

So what do you consider 'breaking the rules'? There are absolute rules and then there are loopholes that all coaches exploit which are not violations. If you're referring to those things, then your absolutely right that Coach Anderson maximizes his opportunities in that regard. If you're talking about paying players or representatives, then my point remains that he has never done that at Mizzou.

It is a good point you bring up though. There is a grey area which is permissible but some people consider it iffy which sometimes gets confused with a recruiting violation which is often cut and dry.

[the_meanstrosity]

Nobody has released anything about researching Snaer's status at FSU and he's been committed for almost five months now. You can disagree with my assertion, but again you have no facts to back up any of your stories.

Anderson's players have had their share of off the court troubles during his tenure at Missouri. I'm not saying they were Anderson's fault, but at least one of those guys (Lyons) was suspended twice in a span of two seasons. For a coach who claimed he was going to take a hard stance against off court issues, he sure didn't back it up. Hence why I'm not likely to believe your "holier than thou" arguments regarding Anderson.

Your building on the assumption that Hamilton has not been reported to the NCAA. I disagree with that assertion.

[the_meanstrosity]

And how do you know he hasn't done that at Missouri? He landed a pretty good player in Michael Dixon who was woo'ed by some good recruiters at other schools (Capels at OU, Pitino at Louisville, Williams at Marquette). You've got Dewitt who was recruited by your buddy Hamilton at Florida State. Did Anderson offer more money than Hamilton? How exactly is Anderson beating these other schools for recruits if they are handing out money as you're suggesting...and Anderson isn't? I'm sorry, but none of your story makes sense. If this were true then Anderson would never land a quality player like Dixon.

Listen, we get that you like Missouri basketball and are obviously a bit or a lot biased. That's fine and normal for most college fans. But don't try to throw other schools under the bus simply to make your own look better. It's juvenile.

So what do you consider 'breaking the rules'? There are absolute rules and then there are loopholes that all coaches exploit which are not violations. If you're referring to those things, then your absolutely right that Coach Anderson maximizes his opportunities in that regard. If you're talking about paying players or representatives, then my point remains that he has never done that at Mizzou.

It is a good point you bring up though. There is a grey area which is permissible but some people consider it iffy which sometimes gets confused with a recruiting violation which is often cut and dry.

[DataKing]

:popcorn:

[the_meanstrosity]

Don't you just sit there DK. I wanna see you get in on this action too. ;)

:popcorn:

[Logan]

So what do you consider 'breaking the rules'? There are absolute rules and then there are loopholes that all coaches exploit which are not violations. If you're referring to those things, then your absolutely right that Coach Anderson maximizes his opportunities in that regard. If you're talking about paying players or representatives, then my point remains that he has never done that at Mizzou.

I don't care how many boosters you know or how good your info is, you have no idea about what has occurred with each individual recruit in his tenure. That goes for every fan who knows boosters at every school. I can't believe that every guy out there who buys a player for his school brags about it to his friends, who continue to spread the word. To say unequivocally that he or the school has never, or will never, break an "absolute rule" is naive.

[cartman]

Listen, we get that you like Missouri basketball and are obviously a bit or a lot biased. That's fine and normal for most college fans. But don't try to throw other schools under the bus simply to make your own look better. It's juvenile.

Unfortunately, this is his standard M.O. with just about every subject he gets involved with on this board.

[the_meanstrosity]

Yeah, I've noticed that in this thread. Memphis, Texas, Florida State, and now every school but Missouri is dirty, lol.

Unfortunately, this is his standard M.O. with just about every subject he gets involved with on this board.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

For a coach who claimed he was going to take a hard stance against off court issues, he sure didn't back it up. Hence why I'm not likely to believe your "holier than thou" arguments regarding Anderson.

A coach isn't judged on a hard stance against off the court issues by whether bad things occur or not. He's judged by how those situations are handled. Coach Anderson booted two players last year. He suspended a few others. This year's class has had no off-the-court issues and he's recruiting to avoid those issues moving forward. I'd say he backed it up extremely well.

And how do you know he hasn't done that at Missouri? He landed a pretty good player in Michael Dixon who was woo'ed by some good recruiters at other schools (Capels at OU, Pitino at Louisville, Williams at Marquette). You've got Dewitt who was recruited by your buddy Hamilton at Florida State. Did Anderson offer more money than Hamilton? If this were true then Anderson would never land a quality player like Dixon.

Michael Dixon is a lifelong Mizzou fan along with his family. The only thing that would have kept him from going to Mizzou was a Snyder-Hansborough situation where the program went on probation and he didn't want to be a part of that.

DeWitt will probably not be attending Mizzou. The clearinghouse will likely reject him and he will be attending a Juco.

Memphis, Texas, Florida State, and now every school but Missouri is dirty, lol.

Simply incorrect. I never stated any mention of Texas as a dirty recruiter. I also did not say that 'every school but Missouri is dirty'. Furthermore, I've said that the previous two Missouri coaches were very dirty. I've only cited three instances thus far in this thread and they were coaches, not programs. Coach K, Coach Cal, and Hamilton are all dirty recruiters. At least represent what I've stated fairly.

[Samdari]

Howland and Monson both have very clean recruiting records.


Two weeks ago you could have said the same thing about Calhoun.

Everyone has a clean record until caught.

[Arles]

I don't care how many boosters you know or how good your info is, you have no idea about what has occurred with each individual recruit in his tenure. That goes for every fan who knows boosters at every school. I can't believe that every guy out there who buys a player for his school brags about it to his friends, who continue to spread the word. To say unequivocally that he or the school has never, or will never, break an "absolute rule" is naive.
This. As someone who has seen the ugly underbelly of college recruiting from a few angles, you can never assume someone is innocent because they haven't been caught or you've heard "good things".

I would treat any major division I college program and recruiting like a 90s power hitter and steroids. Regardless of what they say, you can never really know (for better or worse).

[dawgfan]

This. As someone who has seen the ugly underbelly of college recruiting from a few angles, you can never assume someone is innocent because they haven't been caught or you've heard "good things".

I would treat any major division I college program and recruiting like a 90s power hitter and steroids. Regardless of what they say, you can never really know (for better or worse).
True. But some are more suspicious than others...

[the_meanstrosity]

Actually, Leo Lyons was suspended this season for an arrest on traffic charges and failing to pay fines from 2006. Now this isn't a big issue, but combine this with being suspended for the fight outside of a club last year then you can understand why I don't take Anderson's "hard line" stance so seriously. Two suspensions in two years with the second one being one home game against a struggling Colorado team at home. On the other hand he kicked a 10 mpg Butterfield off the team for two suspensions yet kept his leading scorer Leo Lyons on the team for his two suspensions. Again, I don't buy that Mike Anderson is any different from any other college coach.

And you can't count Hannah as being "kicked" off the team as he was likely never going to be healthy enough to play before his senior season ended and at least wouldn't be back before the end of February. I liked how Horton, who was uninjured in the fight, stayed on the team, but an injured Hannah was kicked off the team. Again, not buying that Anderson is some moral compass for head coaches. He's like every other head coach in college basketball.

I've given you two examples of Anderson's "hard line" stance being softened for certain players which is what most coaches in the country do. Anderson is a good guy, but he's no different than any other coach.

I can't speak on Dixon though I know he wanted to play close to home. Even if he were a Tiger fan, he was still looking at a number of other programs. If he were such a lock as you're suggesting then he would have committed long before he did.

I never suggested you claimed Texas was dirty. I simply said you had recently made negative comments about their program. You were also very negative on Memphis earlier in this thread. You have a history of taking shots at other universities.

Claiming "previous coaches" were dirty is easy to do after the fact. If I remember correctly, you were pretty high on Quin during his tenure at Missouri.

And as for your "sources", you're the same guy I remembering claiming Mike Alden was gone from Missouri a few years ago. You pretty much killed all your credibility with that one "story".

A coach isn't judged on a hard stance against off the court issues by whether bad things occur or not. He's judged by how those situations are handled. Coach Anderson booted two players last year. He suspended a few others. This year's class has had no off-the-court issues and he's recruiting to avoid those issues moving forward. I'd say he backed it up extremely well.



Michael Dixon is a lifelong Mizzou fan along with his family. The only thing that would have kept him from going to Mizzou was a Snyder-Hansborough situation where the program went on probation and he didn't want to be a part of that.

DeWitt will probably not be attending Mizzou. The clearinghouse will likely reject him and he will be attending a Juco.



Simply incorrect. I never stated any mention of Texas as a dirty recruiter. I also did not say that 'every school but Missouri is dirty'. Furthermore, I've said that the previous two Missouri coaches were very dirty. I've only cited three instances thus far in this thread and they were coaches, not programs. Coach K, Coach Cal, and Hamilton are all dirty recruiters. At least represent what I've stated fairly.

[the_meanstrosity]

Amen Arles. Every college coach who recruits knows that may have to do some things they'd normally never do. It's the business of college athletics and as we all know it can get ugly.

This. As someone who has seen the ugly underbelly of college recruiting from a few angles, you can never assume someone is innocent because they haven't been caught or you've heard "good things".

I would treat any major division I college program and recruiting like a 90s power hitter and steroids. Regardless of what they say, you can never really know (for better or worse).

[Pumpy Tudors]

Mike Anderson and Leonard Hamilton are having hardcore gay anal sex right now in my living room. I don't need mysterious sources to tell me that. I have my own eyes, a director of photography, a gaffer, and CBS News here. Beat that, hotshots.

[MrBug708]

Snaer shopped around for the highest dollar whether you know it or not. His 'handler' approached the Mizzou staff two days before he signed with Florida State to see if their stance/"offer" had changed. Melvin Watkins told him no and that's where it ended.

I've said this before and I'll say it again. Count yourself as blessed that you don't know the inner workings of recruiting and just how nasty it can be. It would ruin college basketball for most people.

Shopped for the highest dollar amount? Why would a top player from Socal pick a school in Missouri with no basketball history? Because he had a swell relationship with Anderson? I also like how you claim to know how his recruitment went. Sure, some random poster who probably gets his "premium" information from insidemizzou.com freely and without filter, yet the NCAA and everyone else just pretends like nothing is going on? If the recruitment of a kid from Socal is crystal clear to someone from Missouri, it should be one hell of a juicy story for any news company to break. Hell, even Scout.com would love to break a story like that.

I'll agree with you that Snaer's recruitment is dirty, but I'm not sold it's as dirty as some of these kids are (Cousins, Sidney, Stephenson), but unless you're intentionally being obtuse, even you don't buy your own crap.

[MrBug708]

So what do you consider 'breaking the rules'? There are absolute rules and then there are loopholes that all coaches exploit which are not violations. If you're referring to those things, then your absolutely right that Coach Anderson maximizes his opportunities in that regard. If you're talking about paying players or representatives, then my point remains that he has never done that at Mizzou.


Jesus Christ. Unless you are the son of Anderson or a stalker, you are just talking out of your ass now.

It is a good point you bring up though. There is a grey area which is permissible but some people consider it iffy which sometimes gets confused with a recruiting violation which is often cut and dry.

Just a slippery slope. Next thing you know, you're nickname is Slick Rick

[the_meanstrosity]

pix plz thx

Mike Anderson and Leonard Hamilton are having hardcore gay anal sex right now in my living room. I don't need mysterious sources to tell me that. I have my own eyes, a director of photography, a gaffer, and CBS News here. Beat that, hotshots.

[the_meanstrosity]

If he were the son of Anderson then he'd be driving while intoxicated on his way to play for his dad, lol.

Jesus Christ. Unless you are the son of Anderson or a stalker, you are just talking out of your ass now.

Just a slippery slope. Next thing you know, you're nickname is Slick Rick

[Karlifornia]

I'm pretty convinced MBBF would have delivered the same line for Snyder back in the day that he's delivering about Anderson now.

That's not to incriminate Anderson, but MBBF seems pretty willing to recite the current company line once he's declared his loyalties.

[the_meanstrosity]

Oh I'm sure he would. Most of those guys on the Tigerboard loved Quin during his tenure at Missouri. Heck, he even defended Quin's violations by suggesting Quin did nothing different than what Coach K did at Duke and suggested Quin was only caught because he was a young head coach. His point was then trounced on when veteran coach Kelvin Sampson was penalized for doing the same thing. MizzBB is your classic college basketball fan. He loves his team and sees them in the best light possible. It's not a crime, but he expects us all to see Missouri athletics in the same light and that's just not going to happen.

And just to reiterate what you said, I'm not suggesting Anderson is anything like Quin Snyder.

I'm pretty convinced MBBF would have delivered the same line for Snyder back in the day that he's delivering about Anderson now.

That's not to incriminate Anderson, but MBBF seems pretty willing to recite the current company line once he's declared his loyalties.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Actually, Leo Lyons was suspended this season for an arrest on traffic charges and failing to pay fines from 2006.

And as for your "sources", you're the same guy I remembering claiming Mike Alden was gone from Missouri a few years ago. You pretty much killed all your credibility with that one "story".

Leo forgot to pay a parking ticket for $30. Most thought a suspension for that was even a bit much, but feel free to build it up if you'd like.

Alden was 2 hours from being fired on the day he hired Anderson. That's been reported many times over. It's not a secret in any way.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Heck, he even defended Quin's violations by suggesting Quin did nothing different than what Coach K did at Duke and suggested Quin was only caught because he was a young head coach. His point was then trounced on when veteran coach Kelvin Sampson was penalized for doing the same thing.

We have little to discuss here. The level of infractions between those two situations aren't in any way comparable. Sampson's infractions were much more blatent, though this should not be taken as a defense of what Snyder did in any way.

[Butter]

And as for your "sources", you're the same guy I remembering claiming Mike Alden was gone from Missouri a few years ago. You pretty much killed all your credibility with that one "story".

He's killed his credibility numerous times, in many creative ways. It almost needs to be its own thread, a running tab of how many times he has been wrong when so sure he was right.

[Ksyrup]

SUE SEMRAU

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

SUE SEMRAU

SUE-SEMRAU.LOVE.COM | All Things sue semrau (http://sue-semrau.love.com/)

[Ksyrup]

Since my off-the-cuff mention of Leonard Hamilton touched off a big discussion that centered on FSU's proven recruiting violations, I thought maybe you could enlighten us on the women's basketball coach's shadiness. I mean, I've heard and read all the rumors about cases of hair spray that just "happened" to show up on recruits doorsteps, but I don't have the concrete proof I need to confirm my suspicions. That where I'm hoping you can help.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Since my off-the-cuff mention of Leonard Hamilton touched off a big discussion that centered on FSU's proven recruiting violations, I thought maybe you could enlighten us on the women's basketball coach's shadiness. I mean, I've heard and read all the rumors about cases of hair spray that just "happened" to show up on recruits doorsteps, but I don't have the concrete proof I need to confirm my suspicions. That where I'm hoping you can help.

She's a lesbian. That is all.

[Ksyrup]

So that's a recruiting plus, right?

[sterlingice]

Mike Anderson and Leonard Hamilton are having hardcore gay anal sex right now in my living room. I don't need mysterious sources to tell me that. I have my own eyes, a director of photography, a gaffer, and CBS News here. Beat that, hotshots.

And you're doing this voluntarily? I guess I'm just not into watching that sort of thing ;)

SI

[Samdari]

And you're doing this voluntarily? I guess I'm just not into watching that sort of thing ;)

SI


He's just a whore for CBS news cameras.

[sterlingice]

Oh, I get it now. So he's got a thing for Katie Couric (...or Andy Rooney) ;)

SI

[the_meanstrosity]

Actually, Leo did not just forget to pay a parking ticket. He was pulled over for a traffic violation which is when it was discovered he was wanted for not paying a parking ticket two years prior. As I suggested, it wasn't a major offense, but it was his second suspension in two years. For a coach taking a hard line stance as Anderson stated, he was pretty easy on Lyons.

The only players who were ever kicked off the team were a senior whose career was pretty much over due to injury and a hardly used senior forward who had been suspended twice by Anderson. Otherwise everyone who has been in trouble has gotten at worst a one or two game suspension. That sounds pretty normal for a coach...which is a far cry from Anderson's hard line stance he has proclaimed. The point being that Anderson is no more or less tolerant than any other coach in America.

So are you really suggesting that Missouri would let Alden hire the basketball coach before getting fired? Are you serious? What school would let a soon to be fired AD hire their new coach? Missouri would be the most incompetent university ever if your story were true...which is obviously not true. Again, you said your sources confirmed Alden was gone. A few years later and Alden is still the AD at Missouri. Nice sources!

Why can't you just be happy that Anderson had a good year. Why does Anderson have to be the moral compass for college athletics?

Leo forgot to pay a parking ticket for $30. Most thought a suspension for that was even a bit much, but feel free to build it up if you'd like.

Alden was 2 hours from being fired on the day he hired Anderson. That's been reported many times over. It's not a secret in any way.

[Ksyrup]

He's just a whore for CBS news cameras.

The Dateline NBC predator guy wasn't available?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

So are you really suggesting that Missouri would let Alden hire the basketball coach before getting fired? Are you serious? What school would let a soon to be fired AD hire their new coach? Missouri would be the most incompetent university ever if your story were true...which is obviously not true. Again, you said your sources confirmed Alden was gone. A few years later and Alden is still the AD at Missouri. Nice sources!

The facts on the situation have been reported numerous times, but I'll give you a summary to get you up to speed. A meeting was set up in the morning by the Curators with the intent being a vote on whether Alden would be fired or not. Shortly after that meeting was announced, Alden set up a press conference for two hours after that meeting with the intent being to announce the hiring of Anderson. The reporters were literally hanging out in a hallway between the room where Alden might be fired and the room where Anderson was about to be announced as head coach. The Curators called the meeting to order and tabled the vote to fire Mike Alden. Shortly thereafter, Alden introduced Anderson as head coach. Had Alden not announced that he was hiring a coach, the votes were there to fire him and the vote would have proceeded as planned. The rest is history.

Now, you can say that's f'd up and I'd agree as it was one of the most dysfunctional situations I've ever seen. But there's no question as to the events of that day. As bad as that day was, it ended up turning out awfully well thankfully.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I really have nothing else to say at this time.

[MrBug708]

Pay 10 dollars a month to insidemizzou.com, and you to, can be up to date on all of the inner workings of Missouri Athletics

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Pay 10 dollars a month to insidemizzou.com, and you to, can be up to date on all of the inner workings of Missouri Athletics

Gabe does an excellent job over there.

[Swaggs]

I really have nothing else to say at this time.

No wonder. You must be worn out from last night.

[the_meanstrosity]

Still waiting on some pics.

I really have nothing else to say at this time.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I was just watching.

[MrBug708]

Gabe does an excellent job over there.

I'm sure he does, as does a ton of other sites who have premium information

[MrBug708]

I don't think Arizona has any interest in Famous. Plus, one of the AZ rivals site guys said that he thought Famous had South Florida, Missouri and Seton Hall as his top choices (over Xavier).

That said, word is Book Richardson (Xavier's top recruiter) will be coming with Miller. This puts 6-6 SF Kevin Parrom (top 100 rivals) as a potential Arizona recruit. Word is Xavier will let him out of his commitment to join Miller in Arizona. Also, Arizona has a strong chance at 6-10 C Kyryl Natyazhko (top 100), Solomon Hill (committed before Lute retired), F Victor Rudd, F Glenn Bryant of Oak Hill and PF Tevin Baskin. If Arizona can a few of these guys, as well as keep Nick Wise, they could have an outside chance at being respectable in 2009. Something I thought was nearly impossible a few days back.

And Natyazhko joins Arizona

[the_meanstrosity]

In that case I'll take some descriptive details if you have time.

I was just watching.

[Arles]

And Natyazhko joins Arizona
Solomon Hill (#28 on rivals.com) just switched from USC to Arizona as well.

Four-star Hill changes course (http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=934723)

If Arizona can land 1-2 more guys out of Rudd/Mo Mo/Famous/Thames (if he's let out), they could actually be decent (provided Wise stays).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Saw a billboard for UGA basketball tonight, thought it was pretty well done.
Picture of the new coach with a large caption of "There's a Fox in the Dog House"

Much much earlier than I'm accustomed to seeing basketball season ticket advertising here.

[the_meanstrosity]

I'm really hoping Mark Fox does well at Georgia. He did a good job sustaining Nevada after Trent Johnson left. He's a good guy who should be able to do well in-state once he gets his foot in the door.

Saw a billboard for UGA basketball tonight, thought it was pretty well done.
Picture of the new coach with a large caption of "There's a Fox in the Dog House"

Much much earlier than I'm accustomed to seeing basketball season ticket advertising here.

[Ksyrup]

What, no Isaiah Thomas updates?

[Ksyrup]

You can tell basketball is a high priority in South Florida...first Matt Doherty at FIU, now Isaiah at FAU.

[Butter]

Xavier is promoting former assistant Chris Mack to head coach.

[DataKing]

Looks almost-official that the Henry brothers will be Jayhawks next year.

Source: Xavier Henry, C.J. Henry will play for Kansas Jayhawks - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4089690)

[JonInMiddleGA]

6'11 recruit (ranked as something like the #18 center prospect this year) asks for and receives his release from his UGA LOI and signs with Georgia Tech less than 48 hours later. At least one other previously commitment is also rumored to be looking to get out as well, along with several remainders who have already transferred. The kicker on the big kid is that he's the grandson of UGA legendary track star Spec Towns, an Athens native & 1936 Olympic gold medalist, track coach at the school until his retirement in the 70's, and namesake for both their track & their annual invitational.

If I make myself look at the situation objectively it's no surprise when kids move around after a coaching change nor is it probably any great loss on the players they lose -- the existing ones couldn't win outside GT's home arena & this recruit was pretty much a project -- but Fox is going to have to quickly overcome the biggest concern with his hiring, whether he could recruit effectively in the region, or else his tenure will be fairly short & disappointing.
Gotta have players of some sort and we've already seen what happens when you go into even an SEC schedule with an empty cupboard.