Big East Coach of the Year

[TallTitan34]

If we do make the NCAA tournament doesn't Buzz have to be a Big East Coach of the Year?  He would have overcame losing three +1000 point starters and being picked to finish 12th in the conference. 

Is there another Big East coach who is more deserving?  I'm not saying there isn't one, but I can't think of any.

[dwaderoy2004]

People were saying jamie dixon, but now pitt has faded.  I think Jim Boeheim.  That team lost flynn, harris and devendorf (i admit the last two were probably addition by subtraction, but still), predicted to finish around 6th, and they are now top 3 in the country and 8-1 in the Big East.  Unless we win out, that would be tough to overcome.

[NYWarrior]

If we do make the NCAA tournament doesn't Buzz have to be a Big East Coach of the Year?  He would have overcame losing three +1000 point starters and being picked to finish 12th in the conference. 

Is there another Big East coach who is more deserving?  I'm not saying there isn't one, but I can't think of any.

It's too early to tell....Boeheim lost three starters (Devendorf, Harris and Flynn) and other key contributors heading into this season yet they're a Final Four contender at 21-1.  Stan Heath has USF in the thick of things too and now has a signature victory -- very surprising from a generally dormant program.

[tower912]

The coach at USF has to get some votes.    So does Dixon at Pitt.

[ErickJD08]

Maybe Dixon... he lost a bunch too and players that were more dominant like Blair and Young (that pump fake was killer) and they are still pretty good.  Buzz would have to be in the conversation and a front runner.  The biggest argument for Buzz and against Dixon is that Dixon has been Pitt's coach for some time and if you recruit properly, you should be able to withstand losing players to graduation.  Buzz wasn't really left will a whole bunch.

[muwarrior69]

If Jay goes undefeated at Nova, he'll be COY.

[mikeDEANmeminger]

Stan Heath will not win COY, #1 cause his team isn't that good, and #2 because his program is under investigation right now. Coaches with their programs under investigation don't win COY awards.

Boeheim or Wright will be COY and no one else should really be considered. Buzz won't win because his team has lost 5 close game...and what shows if you are a great coach?? Close games. And Buzz hasn't been able to win the close game until UConn. He won't even get consideration, sorry to burst your bubble

[dsfire]

Nova still has away games at Georgetown, WVU, Pitt, Cuse and Cincy.  If Nova is undefeated in conference play, Wright should win National COY.

[TallTitan34]

Good call.  I didn't think about Boeheim.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Tracy Webster

[HoopsMalone]

I agree about all those close losses hurting Buzz's chances.  You can't really say they were Buzz's fault, but they are still a strike against him with Wright out there.  It wouldn't mean Buzz didn't coach well, just that someone else was better.

This year does build Buzz's reputation and gives more of a basis to give it to him another year.  He is not completely out though as I think the media likes MU's David fighting Galioth story line and the other coaches have to respect the games MU is giving the other teams. 

Getting the top 3 point shooting team in the country to keep taking it to the rack and getting "paint touches" shows that the players respect his game plan.  A lot of teams would see that percentage and just keep firing away on one pass.

[damuts222]

 There are no rewards half way through the Big East season

[ErickJD08]

Stan Heath will not win COY, #1 cause his team isn't that good, and #2 because his program is under investigation right now. Coaches with their programs under investigation don't win COY awards.

Boeheim or Wright will be COY and no one else should really be considered. Buzz won't win because his team has lost 5 close game...and what shows if you are a great coach?? Close games. And Buzz hasn't been able to win the close game until UConn. He won't even get consideration, sorry to burst your bubble

I think there might be a difference of opinion with COY.  I believe that awards like COY and MVP are for the best players/coaches under all the surrounding circumstances.  I do not believe that COY = coach of the best team or MVP = best player on best team.  I am not saying one mindset is right or wrong.  Therefore, I think Buzz is in the conversation.  You might not think there are moral victories but I believe there are for these awards.  Having 5 close BE losses, most against the top of the league WITH the fewest returning minutes and points.  And this team still is struggling with size and depth and competing with the best of the league.  Buzz is definitely in the conversation in my book.

[BuzzSucksSucks]

I do not believe that COY = coach of the best team or MVP = best player on best team.  I am not saying one mindset is right or wrong.  Therefore, I think Buzz is in the conversation.  You might not think there are moral victories but I believe there are for these awards.

Well put.

[mikeDEANmeminger]

That is true, but in sports, winning brings individual awards with it. And losing close games, even if they weren't Buzz's fault, is a knock against his chances. In the yahoo article that was posted on here in a different thread, there is a question posed to Buzz regarding those close losses...
"Anyway to Pinpoint what was happening?"
Buzz's response: "I need to be a better coach..."

And that was Buzz's response. Yes I know he is humble and classy and will take the blame, but he says it best.
I think he will win a BE COY and maybe even National COY someday...not this year though

[HoopsMalone]

 Buzz is definitely in the conversation in my book.

Rightfully so he is in the conversation.  I'd put him top 5 in the BE this year, which is saying a lot with Calhoun, Beheim, Pitino, Huggins, Dixon, JTIII all in this conference. 

The scary thing about Buzz is that he is still an immature coach.  Not in the sense of swearing or complaining like a teenager, but still can polish off his in game coaching.  It is no knock on him, just the nature of his age and experience.  His upside is scary, and hopefully he can become worthy of being in the same sentence consistently has a Calhoun or Pitino one day by winning one.

The best thing Tom Crean did for MU was D Wade, but 1A is Buzz Williams.

[ErickJD08]

Rightfully so he is in the conversation.  I'd put him top 5 in the BE this year, which is saying a lot with Calhoun, Beheim, Pitino, Huggins, Dixon, JTIII all in this conference. 

The scary thing about Buzz is that he is still an immature coach.  Not in the sense of swearing or complaining like a teenager, but still can polish off his in game coaching.  It is no knock on him, just the nature of his age and experience.  His upside is scary, and hopefully he can become worthy of being in the same sentence consistently has a Calhoun or Pitino one day by winning one.

The best thing Tom Crean did for MU was D Wade, but 1A is Buzz Williams.

I would agree.  I think Buzz will get better ESPECIALLY at drawing up out of bounds plays.

And just for the record, D Wade was also the best thing that happen to Crean as well.  IN is not good.

[NersEllenson]

Rightfully so he is in the conversation.  I'd put him top 5 in the BE this year, which is saying a lot with Calhoun, Beheim, Pitino, Huggins, Dixon, JTIII all in this conference. 

The scary thing about Buzz is that he is still an immature coach.  Not in the sense of swearing or complaining like a teenager, but still can polish off his in game coaching.  It is no knock on him, just the nature of his age and experience.  His upside is scary, and hopefully he can become worthy of being in the same sentence consistently has a Calhoun or Pitino one day by winning one.

The best thing Tom Crean did for MU was D Wade, but 1A is Buzz Williams.

+1 to all points above, with emphasis on bold.

[dwaderoy2004]

close losses are not ignored, certainly, but I think for Buzz to have a serious chance, we are going to have to win out and/or finish in the top 4 of the conference.  while the award is not strictly based on winning, they are not going to give it to a coach who was 10-8.  nice story, but not coach of the year material.  however, 13-5 or 12-6 would be too impressive to ignore as far as getting him in the conversation.  However, if nova goes undefeated, end of story.  give it to wright.  Given all reasonable scenarios, i still believe boeheim will win it.

[Jacks DC]

Right now I'd give to to Boeheim with Dixon second.  Buzz can get in the conversation if MU gets on a roll.

Its hard for me to blame Buzz's coaching for the close losses.  Does a last possession loss at Villanova or West Va mean that Buzz was outcoached?  No.  Those teams are simply more talented than we are and its a credit to Buzz that he came up with a plan that gave us a chance at winning.  I don't recall Buzz missing any front ends.  Now if he could just sign a big guy that can stay out of trouble and stay healthy...

[jaygall31]

if we make the NCAA's, it's a dirty shame if Buzz doesn't win it.

[RawdogDX]

If someone from another school saw this thread it would crack them up.  No one should think buzz is a front runner at this point.

No complaints about the job he's done but wins still matter.

[ChicosBailBonds]

When is the award voted on?  I think it's going into the Big East Tournament, right?  As such, Buzz wouldn't get any benefit of that vote if we made the NCAAs.

If we're sure fire going, then yes.  If we're a bubble team, no one would know for sure and the vote happens before the selections to the tournament.

Buzz, Boeheim, Dixon and Wright are the only four I could see getting votes at this point in the season.

[dsfire]

When is the award voted on?  I think it's going into the Big East Tournament, right?  As such, Buzz wouldn't get any benefit of that vote if we made the NCAAs.

I think you're right.  If it were after the BET, I'd say a strong finish and a BET championship would be enough, but I think we'd need to finish at least 12-6 for him to really be in contention barring some collapses from the others.

Also, UConn's had some rough patches, but they lost a surprising amount from last year as well.  Walker is the only returning player that played more than half their minutes last year (Dyson had been prior to the injury, but if he hadn't gotten injured then Walker's minutes would've been down, so...)