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Nick Saban
Mike Brey sucks. He'll park that hard-nosed style that Gillispie brought and proceed to teach your Aggies to live and die off the perimeter jumper and soft zone defense.
As a Longhorn, I won't mind too much, but it would be a shame to witness.
Nick Saban
Dude - I agree. Tom Crean maybe... actually, Billy Donovan time.
Ronnie, ronnie, ronnie... how many times are we going to tell you - check your facts before you flame.
Before Coack K, Duke had 4 Final Fours, including 2 Runner-ups. Vic Bubas coached in the 60s there and was extremely successful. He had 7 straight years being ranked in the Top 20, six in a row in the Top 10, 3 Final Fours and a Runner-up. Foster, the coach just before K, was in the Top 15 his last 3 years, going to the NCAA all three years, getting a Runner up and another Elite Eight. Also back in those days, there were another half a dozen NIT appearances. The NCAA used to only take the Conf winner in every conf, only allowing 24 teams in the Dance until the mid 70s.
Was Duke what it is now before Coach K? No. Was it pretty dern decent basketball school? Yes.
Check your facts.
Ok, in that vein - I think it's time you include Arizona in your "Big 5" because Kansas is the most overrated one on that list... two championships all time?
And Lute Olsen brought that program from the ground up.
That's why I asked you to remind me... I have actual work to do over here and I figured you'd get it all for me. I just want you to trace how venerable each team is in your "Big 5."
The person who invented the game of basketball coached at Kansas. He also was the mentor of Phog Allen, who in turn was the mentor of Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith.
All leading to a long legacy of chokers and mediocre NBA stars... and Larry Brown
RonMexico's knowledge (or lack thereof) is indicative a little bit of why A&M is not going to get a top-flight coach to replace Gillespie, and why their next Sweet 16 trip won't come until the Aggies catch lightning in a bottle again in another quarter-century.
Texas A&M is not a basketball school.
This is why the Memphis loss was bitter -- A&M really was good enough to make the Final Four this year, but this was their only opportunity until I am close to retirement age.
Zona was nothing before around the 70s. They had their 1st Sweet 16 in 76 (or 77?), their 1st Final Four in 1988. They have only had 4 Final Fours, and those all came in the 'Golden Years' of Zona ball from 1988 to 2001, including their 1 le.
If you are trying to ask why KU is and Zona isn't, KU has 12 or so FF dating back to the early 40s. KU has been, and will always be, on of the great powers in basketball. I hate KU so it pains me to say that, but honestly... Zona is no where near KU.
Not trying to pick on you here, but really, anyone who knows anything about college basketball will tell you KU belongs in the top tier of all schools, and Zona doesn't.
You're right... I can't think of any good players to come out of that North Carolina program.
Its not checking facts... its common knowledge. Or at least it is to those of us who actually KNOW something about the subject.
This really sucks. Big 12 basketball was just now getting to this great level because of Billy and AM. I thoroughly enjoyed watching many of the games this season because you knew they were going to be tough to the end and well played. I knew he would bolt at some point because the money and prestige would be too much to pass up, but I never thought it would be this soon. UK I could see, but Ark??
I was talking about Kansas.... not UNC. I'm just saying that KU championship as coach really put Larry Brown in the "upper eschelon" of coaches.
Secondly, I hate Kansas so I will give them no respect because the basketball landscape is completely different than it was in the 40s or 50s. Guess what? In 1966, Texas Western started a line-up of 5 black guys! Did you know that?! Good lord - yes, when basketball was 30 years old as a sport, I hope the guy who invented it was able to build a nice program in Lawrence.
I just thought that Billy was more like Don Haskins than Nick Saban, Bear Bryant, or Dennis Franchione. I think "traditional" programs are a lot of BS at this point in time because the whole landscape is changing in college athletics (you know this first hand, CaptMike if OSU can get $250 million from one donor). You expect to see a Wooden-like dynasty ever again? Please. Also, the Big 10 is "traditionally good" but they got run off the field in Glendale playing that antiquated style of football.
I think Arizona is the perfect example of what I expected out of A&M with Billy G. Sure, basketball will never overtake football in Texas, but it can definitely share the glory because fans at A&M will support a winner no matter who they are.
I've had to grow up watching Arizona State get destroyed by U of A in basketball, but I've still grown to respect what Lute Olsen has done down there. And you know what? He's one of the most respected guys in the history of the game, the fans in Tucson are sure he can do no wrong, and they've produced some quality players from that program (even if they're not the most quailty people sometimes)... In fact, two of them have helped your favorite NBA team to les - Sean Elliott and Steve Kerr anyone?
I wanted Billy to run a cleaner version of the Arizona program, but I guess that's not going to happen now. I just don't see Arkansas as a step up despite a single championship and 3,000,000 hot dogs ingested by Oliver Miller and Corliss Williamson. They have a rabid fan-base but I still think they're a 2nd-tier SEC experience. I guess the Shelby Metcalfs, Don Haskins, John Woodens, and Eddie Suttons of the world are long gone.
The contrast between the reverence Tucson has for Olson, and what Gillespie got, is telling. Yeah, the students loved Gillespie. But Old Army does not give a crap about basketball; if anything, they resented his success because of the juxtaposition against the mediocrity of the football program.
See, again - I think Old Army should have faded with Bonfire - they're both relics from an ealier time.
Great - we racked up a lot of SWC les, but 1 Big 12 le isn't going to cut it.
Times are changing and a school with this fanbase should be able to support both programs. Just because most of them are stupid and "traditional" goes back to my main point: Bill Byrne can put 12th Man money wherever he wants and his dedication to winning by spending the money it takes has made me drop the "Dollar" Bill insult.
I guess Old Army would like it if we still had a 1-tier Kyle Field and no digital screen... if we want to win, we have to keep up. Reed Arena is a great facility and it's bigger than Cameron Indoor, so size should not be a factor there.
It doesn't matter who you are or where you coach - if you win enough for a few years the fans, boosters, benefactors, administration, etc. will get spoiled and begin to expect winning. UT basketball was crap (Tom Penders??) before Barnes arrived and recruited on a national level, but now do you think UT fans, etc. will accept the mediocre performances from pre-Barnes UT ball? If Gillespie would have gone on and won a few more years at AM the fans would come to expect winning and anything less would be unacceptable.
You don't think that in 10 years, those same students (me) are going to be "Old Army"?
Sorry... College Station is an hour away from the Piney Woods of East Texas, a region known for being a haven for those who find northern Louisiana and Mississippi too cosmopolitan and forward-thinking.
There are a significant number of incoming students whose jaws drop when they get to Bryan-College Station because they've never seen such a huge city before.
1964 hasn't arrived yet east of Interstate 45.
You're from Arizona. Absolutely not.
penders was not without success, he got to the sweet sixteen once and the elite eight another time. before penders they were total crap. unfortunately he let athletes slide in the classroom and resigned. UH is doing much better with penders at the helm too. not the best coach, but a good one.
That's possible, but I think there are those of us who come from the 5th largest city in America and then think B/CS is podunk and should upgrade itself. I guarantee you President Gates thought and Bill Byrne still thinks the same way.
I don't know what you're implying. I graduated. I wear the ring. I do the yells. And I call our student fans idiots. What else is there to it?
But the "it" programs in college basketball are rooted in tradition, and here A&M's traditions actually serve as a disadvantage.
How well have you been able to infiltrate the good ol' boy network of former students? Do they accept you as one of the boys?
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