Big East Coach of the Year

[APieperFan3]

I've got to this Buzz is a MAJOR part of this discussion...??

I'm sure Boeheim is in there too because they lost a TON of great guys and one obnoxious thug (Devendorf...I'll never forget him pumping his chest at the MU stuedent section after getting a cherry-picked lay-up..what a clown) and maybe Stan Heath as well.

Anybody have any insight on this? Or heard anything?

[NavinRJohnson]

I've got to this Buzz is a MAJOR part of this discussion...??

I'm sure Boeheim is in there too because they lost a TON of great guys and one obnoxious thug (Devendorf...I'll never forget him pumping his chest at the MU stuedent section after getting a cherry-picked lay-up..what a clown) and maybe Stan Heath as well.

Anybody have any insight on this? Or heard anything?

Not sure what there would be to hear with almost half the schedule left to play, but I would assume as it sits today, its basically a 3 horse race between Buzz, Boeheim, and Wright, with Huggins and Dixon just on the outside.

Buzz deserves it...MU is ahead of where I expected them to be before Junior and COT got hurt, and they are doing it because they simply play harder than their opponents on most nights.

[ecompt]

Unless MU runs the table, Boeheim is a shoo-in.

[scowwarrior]

Unless MU runs the table, Boeheim is a shoo-in.

agreed

[APieperFan3]

I gotta agree with both of you.

I actually like Boeheim quite a bit...sticks up for his players no matter what (Gerry Mac) however, I feel like his recruiting pitch is pretty easy. "Hey Guys...We are going to sit in our 2-3 zone and make sure we get out and run and score 90 pts per game"

SIGN ME UP!! haha

However, and maybe this is biased, but you can't argue the way that Buzz gets his guys to play night in and night out...and to lose 4 scholarship players (McMarrow, Maymon, Otule, Cadougan) and still show up every night, lay it on the line, and put themselves in positions to win basketball games...he REALLY has done a great job.

Don't see Dixon winning it...part of the reason due to his haircut. (low blow, i know...but that 'do' is just miserable)

[dsfire]

Toss Stan Heath into the discussion too, given the pre-season expectations for USF.

I know I saw Buzz's name mentioned by one poster in a discussion of BE COY on the Seton Hall board, but I'd have to think we'd have to close out rather impressively for him to be seriously considered.

edit: http://setonhall.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=330&tid=131203207&mid=131203207&sid=959&style=2 is the Seton Hall thread.  Devolves into some discussion with Nova fans, but still gives a view from non-MU fanbases.

[MuMark]

What about Jamie Dixon? Lost Blair, Fields and Young and still has his team in the top 25.

[Benny B]

Considering that Boeheim is a leading candidate for national COY honors, at this point, Syracuse would have to go into a tail-spin in order for Boeheim to not with BEast COY.

Unless MU not only runs the table in the BEeast but also makes it to the NCAA Championship game, Buzz will only be part of the conversation as a mere formality.

Boeheim is like Pujols.  Buzz, Jamie, and Stan are like Ramirez, Howard and Fielder... part of the conversation but at a severe disadvantage no matter how well they do.

[MarquetteDano]

I agree with the sentiments here that Buzz will not win but my Lord if he shouldn't win if he ends up in the Top 6 in Big East regular season play and wins a game or more in the BET.

It is not like Boeheim doesn't have talent.  He just doesn't have the talent he normally does which is enormous usually.

Yes Dixon has done a very good job with a lot less.  However he has had less injuries and he has been part of the program for much longer than Buzz had (i.e. Buzz has had to deal with defections and de-commits after Crean left).

Buzz was left with a rebuilding year and even then his recruits were injured left and right.  And yet still we may make the NCAA's?  Like I said, if we finish Top 6 in conference and win some games in the BET it will be a shame for the award to go to Boeheim.

[79Warrior]

Boeheim hands down at this point.

[WesMatthewsFanClub]

At this point, how could it not be Jim Boeheim?  Buzz has exceeded expectations, but can we really run the table?  I would love to see it happen.

Also, any thought on our toughest home game left on the schedule?  Is it USF? It is a possibility.

[MU B2002]

At this point, how could it not be Jim Boeheim?

Because his team lost to Lemoyne.

[dsfire]

Unless MU not only runs the table in the BEeast but also makes it to the NCAA Championship game, Buzz will only be part of the conversation as a mere formality.

I believe Big East conference awards based solely on the regular season - the articles from last year coincide with the start of the Big East Tournament.

[NavinRJohnson]

It is not like Boeheim doesn't have talent.  He just doesn't have the talent he normally does which is enormous usually.

  Which Syarcuse team have you been watching? He has a Top 5 pick in Johnson, a monster in Onuaku, Routins, Joseph, Jackson...they have as much talent as any team in the country. I would say this is one of the deeper, more talented teams he's ever had.

[Skatastrophy]

Which Syarcuse team have you been watching? He has a Top 5 pick in Johnson, a monster in Onuaku, Routins, Joseph, Jackson...they have as much talent as any team in the country. I would say this is one of the deeper, more talented teams he's ever had.

Yeah, but they lost Devendorf.

[ErickJD08]

Unless MU runs the table, Boeheim is a shoo-in.

Maybe your in the school of thought that believes, coach of the best team in the BE = COY but Syracuse gets great players every year and they lost one good player last year.  I would give it to Jamie Dixon over Boeheim.

[wiscoave]

I gotta agree with both of you.

I actually like Boeheim quite a bit...sticks up for his players no matter what (Gerry Mac) however, I feel like his recruiting pitch is pretty easy. "Hey Guys...We are going to sit in our 2-3 zone and make sure we get out and run and score 90 pts per game"

SIGN ME UP!! haha

How many other head coaches essentially say the exact same thing, though (exluding playing the zone)? I read an article that quoted Pitino about how Boeheim recruits - no power points, no catchy one-liners, no nothing. He doesnt even bring materials to the house visits. Kinda like that. And Pitino would know since he was Boeheim's assistant early on. 

[wiscoave]

I recall Syracuse being talked about as a national championship contender after the NC game last year. Then when Flynn, Harris and Devendorf left along with Ongenaet graduating, they moved to the bubble. Now, they're back to contenders. Plus, Boeheim has NEVER won Coach of the Year so I think he gets conference and national award.

[MarquetteDano]

Which Syarcuse team have you been watching? He has a Top 5 pick in Johnson, a monster in Onuaku, Routins, Joseph, Jackson...they have as much talent as any team in the country. I would say this is one of the deeper, more talented teams he's ever had.

I think we are agreeing.  I am responding to those in the media who says that Boeheim doesn't have the talent to be this good (thus, COY)..  There have been a few articles lately on Cuse on how they don't have McDonald all-americans left and right.  Big Deal... the talent, as you mentioned, is unbelievable.

[MR.HAYWARD]

I agree on baoeheim.  I think he is a good coach and would be deserving of any COY.  But to say he is doing agreat job this year with out alot of talent is way off.  The "pundits"  thought Syracuse would be down this year becuase of who they lost and who they had coming in and back.  but the pundits dont know what the coaches that recruited the players know.  Boeheim after 30 years did not just start recruiting stumblebums, he has big time talent whther the guys that write the articles knew it before now or not. 

I think it was frashilla who said Boeheim, Wright or Buzz.

[ecompt]

The point is, he lost three starters and another valuable bench player, was picked to be in the middle of the Big East, and has guided them to the No. 2 ranking in the country. Like him or not, he is a great, great coach.
As for Dixon: If MU beats Pitt at home, MU will likely finish ahead of Pitt in the conference. Are you still going to give Dixon the award, or does Buzz get it?

[Doris Burkes Thong]

MU will not earn Len Elmore's respect until Buzz can get some New York City kids on his roster. Simple as that. Let's hope Buzz can tie down the borders around NYC and get it done.

[wiscoave]

MU will not earn Len Elmore's respect until Buzz can get some New York City kids on his roster. Simple as that. Let's hope Buzz can tie down the borders around NYC and get it done.

One would think that NYC is incredibly important to the BE. If you look at the meaningful teams in the conference, only Pitt recruits really hard there. The ultimate talent is all in Baltimore these days (along with Newark and Jersey City).

[dsfire]

I believe Jay Wright's recruiting corridor is DC to NYC as well - Pena and Fisher are both listed from NYC, and Cheek and Stokes are from across the river.  Plus some of the less "meaningful" (less winning?) BE coaches recruit NYC pretty hard, though not necessarily successfully.

[ecompt]

We will start recruiting in Jersey City again once Pope Hurley gives us his blessing.