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VCU's NEW COACH

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OK, former assistant under Greg Marshall at wichita state, caught on cell video, patting a young woman on the rear, gets slapped and loses his job as head coach. he is perfect for rpi, where a love tap on the butt is acceptable and in fact encouraged. between him and anthony grant. of course boom shaka shaka boom, might pull a donavan and be back within a week.

BARS, ALCOHOL, WOMEN
 
Talked with big VCU booster today (and by big meaning he probably contributes a box of donuts to the coaching staff each year), he said that Grant is not welcomed back because he said he was loyal to VCU on one hand, and then heads to Tuscaloosa in the other. Don't know how much that means, but there are some bad feelings with how Grant left town.
 
Word is they are considering Nate James at Duke and Pasternack from Arizona.

If they could pay Shaka 1.8, they have real $$$ to throw at their issue.

This will be a very interesting hire...their last 3 hires were very, very good. The most unorthodox (Shaka) was perhaps the best. I wonder if they go the unorthodox route again.

It is an excellent opportunity.

On a related track...how successful will Shaka be at Texas? He has a lot of gaps in his skill set and many attribute the final 4 run to Mike Rhoades influence. Shaka can recruit but is his coaching really that solid?

EDIT: I don't think he is that great of a coach...just a great recruiter and personality. Texas may be disappointed down the road.
This post was edited on 4/3 11:43 AM by Technicalfowl
 
With all of the injuries VCU had this year, winning the A-10 tournament and making it to the NCAA tourney showed that he's a good coach. I know we like to hate on VCU, but there's no way you can say he's not a good coach. It immediately discredits your argument.
 
Shaka was a good recruiter with NO academic impediments. From what I have read, he won't have that problem at UT either. I just don't see the havoc gimmick working against a league with excellent guards and athletic big men. We will see.
 
If I was the VCU AD I'd have Tommy Amaker on my list. But is VCU a better gig than Harvard? Let's see- Harvard has money, and recent NCAA appearances. Plus, there's probably no pressure to win at Harvard. Amaker can stay there as long as he wants. Boston is a great town. You could argue that Harvard (at least the teams over the last few years, have had talent equal to or better than VCU. Is VCU a better job than Harvard? The A-10 is more than a one NCAA bid league, as opposed to the Ivy League. But, there are many considerations in leaving Harvard for another job.
 
I think his HAVOC system will work just fine. I think the biggest problem will be getting his own players to buy into the concept. In order to succeed at a high level - and compete against the Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, UNC's of the world - which I think Texas believes they should be able to compete against - you have to recruit the best players, and they have to buy into your system.

Texas made the final four in 2003 and elite 8 in 2006 and 2008. In 2003 they had a player of the year in TJ Ford. 2006 - LaMarcus Aldridge. 2008 - DJ Augustin. All three of those guys were top 10 college players back then. Will he be able to recruit to level talent and get them to play his style - which requires a lot of defensive effort.
 
Originally posted by SpiderTrap:
I think his HAVOC system will work just fine. I think the biggest problem will be getting his own players to buy into the concept. In order to succeed at a high level - and compete against the Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, UNC's of the world - which I think Texas believes they should be able to compete against - you have to recruit the best players, and they have to buy into your system.

Texas made the final four in 2003 and elite 8 in 2006 and 2008. In 2003 they had a player of the year in TJ Ford. 2006 - LaMarcus Aldridge. 2008 - DJ Augustin. All three of those guys were top 10 college players back then. Will he be able to recruit to level talent and get them to play his style - which requires a lot of defensive effort.
Click to expand...
They also had a decent player named Kevin Durant play for them one year. I think Smart is going to build a monster down there in Austin.
 
Trap, I think havoc is dead. Mooney drew up the blue print to beat it in 2011, when UR crushed them at RC. They have just had better players lately. This year our talent level was somewhat equal with them and Mooney's plan worked nicely. Ohio State beat it with one guy. No doubt he will try it, so we will find out if McDonalds All Americans will play Hack-Voc.
 
shaka, grant, donovan, are all pitino disciples and he has changed his style where he does not press all the time, does not have to. agree that when you are going against great athletes at each and every position in a big time conference, pressing is not going to cut it, you have to do other things and feel shaka is capable of changing. his key is getting the best talent in state and cherry picking the country which he can do there.
 
I am not saying he is a bad coach, just that he isn't perfect and has a few flaws!

Good comparison to Harvard...

Havoc doesn't work well against teams with good backcourt players which he will regularly face in the Big 12. He is going to get some talent, but most of the big schools have great talent. This will be fun to watch.

Sounds like Rhoades, Jeremy Ballard, and Will Wade will be considered as well.
 
kids love playing uptempo. all the best want to play that style, and Smart will recruit some crazy talent to UT. I think anyone who thinks he'll fail there is delusional. he doesn't press all the time. certainly didn't against us. he presses when he sees an advantage to pressing. that's a good coach.
 
No doubt that the kids like to play Havoc. But Shaka's teams have been notoriously bad in half court offense and defense
and he will need to figure that out in order to be successful at Texas. He will have access to the talent, but he needs to crack the code on playing in half court mode.
 
Shaka's up-tempo offense is perfect for the 30-second shot clock, which will most likely be in play next season. With better athletes/players he can recruit at Texas, maybe Havoc is not dead. It will be fun to watch from a distance.

As far as who the next coach will be at VDU, it is a total crapshoot. I'll bet that everyone will be surprised when it is announced. Here is a link to one prospect, if Mr. Ed is in the mood for a little reading. Could be the next Bo Ryan.

Then again, who cares who they hire...

VCU coaching prospect
 
really do not look at smart's style as uptempo, just that he presses and against weaker teams, he can get layups. think of unc, duke as uptempo which means rebound, outlet pass, go to the glass or kickout for a tres. uptempo to me means offense not defense.
 
I'm surprised at the adults on this board who are HATERS. Smart IMO is a decent coach recruiter innovative as we know and is a likeable guy. Ok he was the captain of our rival school we hate the institution but now Smart has moved on and we still judgemental. Let it go the guy will be successful in Texas where the recruitment pool is bigger. He will possibly land top recruits keeping them home in Texas and some from his out of state connection pool. Just think if Smart was already in place would Duke landed Justice Window UNC justice Jackson would Miami guard transfer Sheldon McClellan have left Tx would Kelly Oubre went to Kansas and your own SDJ would he took a chance to play with guys around the city he knows and high school teammates?? O most don't know if TX would have got SDJ Oubre would followed.. VCU held off because of Keith at Akron. These are just my opinions and regurgitating gym from various people talking with no validation so I'm not to be quoted. I don't personally know any of those players.. He's a fantastic recruiter and showman Texas will be on the big stage. In the NCAAM there are more Texas players playing than any other state. UR has four it's a pipeline of talented kids there...The Rams will suffer now.so will our glorified rivalry with Havoc to tv ratings it's null now..


Simply Smart is Smart and good coach..I'm sure if by chance he came here We would welcome the national exposure the coaching and the winning


This post was edited on 4/3 7:17 PM by NewURfan
 
Want nothing to do with Smart. He is clearly disingenuous and self serving. Hope he fails like Grant and Capel.
 
rumor has it that THE ULLA hated christian laettner as well, nothing personal
 
Spinner, I watched the Duke vs Kentucky game with a colleague who got his doctorate at UK. He was so excited when the game appeared to be over. Then Grant Hill made the pass to Laettner; then the shot. Amazing to see the elation followed by complete silence. Great game. Nevertheless we managed another Scotch by the pool before he returned to his family.
 
if you have not viewed the 30 for 30 on espn, I HATE CHRISTIAN LAETTNER, do so, excellent. would love to have guys on our team who were just bullies and leaders and everyone else at other schools hated.
 
Money defeated Havoc in part due to the fact that their best player, who could have been player of the year in the A-10 and would have been the NCAA all time leader in steals, was injured. Their best player to be certain. Please don't make me defend Shaka anymore, it's starting to hurt.

As far as Amaker, I think the lack of success at Michigan works against him for such a big job as Texas, just as Capel's lack of success at OU causes bigger schools to think twice before hiring.
 
Originally posted by WebSpinner:
if you have not viewed the 30 for 30 on espn, I HATE CHRISTIAN LAETTNER, do so, excellent. would love to have guys on our team who were just bullies and leaders and everyone else at other schools hated.
Click to expand...
I have a feeling over the next 2 years TJ Cline might fill that role (being good and hated by other schools).
 
Originally posted by PASpider:
Money defeated Havoc in part due to the fact that their best player, who could have been player of the year in the A-10 and would have been the NCAA all time leader in steals, was injured. Their best player to be certain. Please don't make me defend Shaka anymore, it's starting to hurt.

As far as Amaker, I think the lack of success at Michigan works against him for such a big job as Texas, just as Capel's lack of success at OU causes bigger schools to think twice before hiring.
Click to expand...
We were up over VCU at VCU by 9 with about 4 minutes left before Weber was hurt, and we had been in control the whole game. His injury is not why we won the first game. We won because were a pretty good team who was the 10th best team in the country in turnover percentage, which makes havoc particularly ineffective.

Also, no way Briante was in the running for A10 player of the year. He was a great defender, but not the type of offensive threat required for POY. Treveon Graham was in the running for A10 player of the year though.


This post was edited on 4/3 9:20 PM by fan2011
 
PASpider, did you watch the game where UR beat the sheep at Costco. Kendall dropped twenty points on your all world steals leader. He didnt get hurt until it was 3 minutes left in the game and it was over. They were whipped at home with all they had. Second game we beat them without one of our best players. Wake up dude. :)

This post was edited on 4/3 9:27 PM by SpiderK
 
All-time highlight reel in that game showed KO putting a move on Weber that nearly broke his ankles while falling to the floor in desperation. Classic!
 
72. That's a great picture of Weber laying on the floor looking back at the 5'7" Anthony blowing by him for an easy layup.
 
Originally posted by 72Spider:
All-time highlight reel in that game showed KO putting a move on Weber that nearly broke his ankles while falling to the floor in desperation. Classic!
Click to expand...
That should be put in every highlight video at the Robins Center. A photo of that move sho u ld hang out in the concourse as well.
 
Greg Burton just admitted Shaka has blown him off since Monday. "No question about that".

This post was edited on 4/4 3:22 PM by SpiderK
 
Said it before, Smart is disingenuous and self absorbed. I have had this opinion since watching him shove aside his players on the platform in San Antonio after advancing to the Final Four. It was abundantly clear that he wanted the entire spotlight. Perhaps it was not shown on television but my daughter and I were there to witness it.
 
Tevin Mack says he will be "out of town" this weekend on twitter, Austin maybe?
 
Re: VCU' s old COACH

From Reading the articles seems he threw the school, the program, the team and finally himself under the bus. Needs to be at Texas to win a national,championship.
 
Re: VCU' s old COACH

to me, any individual listening, weighing, then acting to give a better opportunity for himself and his family, is not throwing the former employer under the bus. just means that there was a better, sometimes, much better, job made available. you cannot have it both ways, your coach leaving is bad and throwing your school under the bus but welcoming a guy who just did the same thing to his school when he replaces your guy. if one does not understand the business then probably best to find another hobby because it is going to eat you alive.
 
Re: VCU' s old COACH

There are much better ways to express the going and coming.
 
WebSpinner - +1. That is certainly the truth.

This week should be interesting. All the good coaches and their agents/executive search firms have been on hold waiting for the Texas job to close. Many of those coaches are still queued up waiting for the Alabama announcement to come. Once that happens, the dominos should begin to fall. Lots of openings still out there. But all the coaches obviously wait for the the best opportunities to be filled before they go for lesser offers. I will be interested to see who will get the Arizona State job. I will also be interested to see which top-flight assistants still involved in the Final Four will get head jobs. Drum roll please...
 
Re: VCU' s old COACH

Shaka has handled the leaving VCU situation very poorly. He has put his foot in his mouth several times and clearly seems awkward and uncomfortable with his decision. Leaving for a bigger pond is certainly nothing to judge him for, but the way he laid it out thick about the father figure/losing coach thing on ESPN/CBS,et al really makes him seem extremely disingenuous.
 
Puddin, we missed ya bud! Are you off the Shaka bandwagon now? Say it isn't so!
 
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