Lute says.......

[ATWizJr]

no more one and done's.  ON espn.com today.

[Nukem2]

Took him a while to catch on.  It has really become a risk to recruit these guys.  They are primarily money hungry and who knows whats going on in the background. 

[AlumKCof93]

I wonder how long he'' have this stance.  Can't imagine we'll see similar stories coming out of Memphis or Kansas State.  Or, Ohio State or Texas.

[Pakuni]

Interesting, but there's no way he could or will keep that pledge.
I mean, if the next Greg Oden-type wants to go to Arizona, Lute's going to tell him "Sorry, son, we don't like your kind around here?"
Puhleeze.

[PJDunn]

A lot of rumors flying around Tuscon about his ability to continue to run the program.  That plus the fact that Herb Sendek is building a very nice program at ASU is has a lot of U of A faithful on edge.

[mviale]

After Tom Crean successfully takes Indiana to the NIT in a couple of years: "Its Arizona Its Arizona.."

[Eye]

I still think the job is Josh Pastner's to lose once he gets enough high-level experience to run his own program.

[Murffieus]

So now it's the "one & done" recruiting concept that gets the blame for Lute's incompetence. He always was a great recruiter, but his coaching (x & os) underachieved that recruiting. Then too at 73 he isn't even going to be as good a HC as he was previously, as age limits his energy, stamina, and memory.

What recruit in his right mind would go to Arizona thinking that Lute had a long term commitment there-----seems to me his only chance is the "one and done" variety.

[ecompt]

Murff, he's a Hall of Fame coach, pure and simple. Give him Phil Jackson's NBA teams and he wins just as many championships. Give him Coach K's teams and he wins more titles.

[Murffieus]

ecompt----no way----his teams are not fundamentally sound. The key to Jackson's success is that he can motivate super stars-----really gets them in his corner-----Jordan, Shaq, and now Kobe----then the rest of the team falls in behind.

Coach K is another guy who's losing it as he gets older.

[jmayer1]

Coach K is another guy who's losing it as he gets older.

Muff, I think you're the one who is losing it as you get older.

[Murffieus]

Meyer-----I hope you will be able to function and look as good as i do at my age. I am a very fortunate person indeed and thank God everyday for being so blessed.

[jmayer1]

Meyer-----I hope you will be able to function and look as good as i do at my age. I am a very fortunate person indeed and thank God everyday for being so blessed.

That may be, but your cynicism and know-it-all attitude tend to rub people the wrong way and mask the few valid points you might make.

[Murffieus]

When it comes to Murf----you and some others look at the glass as "half empty".

[mviale]

So now it's the "one & done" recruiting concept that gets the blame for Lute's incompetence. He always was a great recruiter, but his coaching (x & os) underachieved that recruiting. Then too at 73 he isn't even going to be as good a HC as he was previously, as age limits his energy, stamina, and memory.

What recruit in his right mind would go to Arizona thinking that Lute had a long term commitment there-----seems to me his only chance is the "one and done" variety.

valid points above - Great Talent at Arizona over the last 20-30 years at AZ. How many championships? Why would a recruit's parents want to walk their son into the inner turmoil that has existed at AZ for the last 2-3 years and an aging coach that may hang it up.

[bilsu]

In my opinion the NCAA should limit each school to signing three high school players a year. And also limit them to taking one transfer or junior college player a year. Of course the overall limit of 13 scholarships would remain in effect. This would force schools to consider who they are signing out of high school. It would essentially stop schools from signing multiple one and dones. The emphasis would be on four year players. Also the schools would have to be more concern about whether the recruit has the ability to stay in school.

[avid1010]

Arizona and MU are the two teams I follow in depth, and I'm not sure Lute is getting the credit he deserves here.  He's never been about winning championships.  He definitely plays to win it all, but he'll sit any kid down at any time if he feels it's in the best interest of the kid and team.  Sometimes just the kid.  He's very comfortable at Zona, and he's a heck of a role model for his players.  X's and O's wise...nothing special, he always has talent, but most of his players do well when they leave AZ and he takes more pride in that than in championships.

I would also argue that Coach K is no losing because he's getting older, but instead struggling since players decided it was just fine to leave Duke before graduating.  They haven't figured out how to deal with that issue either. 

[ecompt]

Phil Jackson has had NO success unless he's had the two best players in the league on his team. It has nothing to do with getting them to buy into anything. Murff could have coached those Bulls and Lakers teams to titles. OK, that's an exaggeration. Murff would have had Shaq on the high post.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

When it comes to Murf----you and some others look at the glass as "half empty".

The irony.

Murf, the reason why most people debate you is because you find the negative in EVERYTHING. Therefore, people tend to look at your postings as negative... no matter what.

If somebody posts a highlight real about a potential recruit... you analyze it (aka watch 15 seconds of it) and immediately find flaws in the kids game.

I realize you enjoy being a contrarian, but when you do it consistently and constantly, you become so extreme that you are just as bad as the "blind fan" who things every recruit is the next big easy player of the year.

Just extreme opposites and neither is correct. Truth usually lies in the middle.

[Eye]

valid points above - Great Talent at Arizona over the last 20-30 years at AZ. How many championships? Why would a recruit's parents want to walk their son into the inner turmoil that has existed at AZ for the last 2-3 years and an aging coach that may hang it up.

I think criticism of Olson isn't fair from 2005 and back. Started from basically nothing in terms of the national scene, and they were an issue on the national scene much more often than not for 18 years from 1988 to 2005. Now, the last three years have been a bit of a cluster. I think the program is very much like the Florida State FB program now.

[mviale]

I think criticism of Olson isn't fair from 2005 and back. Started from basically nothing in terms of the national scene, and they were an issue on the national scene much more often than not for 18 years from 1988 to 2005. Now, the last three years have been a bit of a cluster. I think the program is very much like the Florida State FB program now.

I tend to agree that maybe my statement is a bit unfair about "pre 2005", but one cannot imagine how many championships an Oneill or even Crean could have won with AZ talent.

[Eye]

Just a follow-up question for you. How many coaches have won multiple national championships in college basketball since Wooden retired (about when Lute started at Long Beach)? Calhoun, Crum, Donovan, Knight, Krzyzewski, Dean Smith, anyone else?

[avid1010]

I tend to agree that maybe my statement is a bit unfair about "pre 2005", but one cannot imagine how many championships an Oneill or even Crean could have won with AZ talent.

TC = 0, Oneill = 0  --- Not that their style of play would ever allowed for them to get AZ type talent.