Big East COY

[jesmu84]

Right now, I'd say Boeheim, Brey and Buzz. Boeheim, for obvious reasons. Brey for succeeding without Abromaitis. In comparing Buzz/Brey though (the two likeliest challengers to Boeheim, both challenging without being the best BEast team), which is more impressive: ND's current record without Abromaitis or MU's current record without Otule and Gardner? Sure, Abromaitis is a fantastic talent, but losing 2 centers and not skipping a beat? ND had quite a bit of losses before figuring out how to win without Tim.

Just my 2 cents.

[downtown85]

I propose that no awards go to any team or any member of a team or coaching staff of any team who is leaving the Big East.  It may not be fair and it may not reflect the true accomplishment, but what the heck, life is not fair.  So Jimmy B., no COY for you.  I think Brey and Buzz both deserve it.  Objectively probably Brey deserves it a bit more at this point but the season isn't over yet.  Subjectively, I hate everything Domer, so gotta go with Buzz. 

Question:  when is the COY award decided/announced?  Is it after the Big East Tournament? 

[Warriors10]

Let Bray win it for the 100th time.  Obviously does not correlate into any post-season success for him.

[MU B2002]

I don't think there is any chance that Jim B. gets it with all the crap that went on this summer.

[brewcity77]

Boeheim shouldn't even be in the conversation because both the media and coaches picked his team to be first. Let's be honest, Boeheim finishing at #1 isn't a "great coaching job" because they were supposed to finish #1.

Marquette was generally picked around #5-6, while Notre Dame was picked #9. So if the standings hold, Buzz is finishing about 3 spots higher than projected while Brey is finishing 6 spots higher than projected. Both without key starting pieces of their lineup. Matching ND is John Thompson, who has his team 6 spots ahead of projections (Predicted 10th, in 4th).

But if the standings were to hold...what about Stan Heath? I know, USF hasn't really beat the cream of the Big East (best win at home over 8th place SHU) but they are 5th in the league after being projected 14th in both polls. If they can finish 12-6 and get a double-bye, which is possible if they win their three home games against unranked teams ('Nova, Cincy, WVU) and steal one on the road (Pitt, 'Cuse, UL) while Georgetown loses three (@ SHU, ND, @ MU), doesn't Heath merit consideration? I'd be hard-pressed, even with a bottom-of-the-barrel schedule, not to give it to a guy who finished 10 spots better than projected, especially as that would be a better finish over projections than Buzz and Brey combined.

[jaybilaswho?]

I think that between Brey and Buzz... it would fall in Buzz's favor.

I completely agree with socrplar125's thought...

Sure, Abromaitis is a fantastic talent, but losing 2 centers and not skipping a beat?

Abromaitis is a great player to have on your team, but you have 11 other guys on the roster. Losing two guys, who fill the same position- leaving you much shorter than you already are, is a bigger hurdle to clear IMO. Not to mention MU won their preseason tournament (granted ND faced more legitimate squads in theirs).

Even if he doesnt get it this year... it wont be long before Buzz does win it. How could he not? The man consistently gets more out of his team than anyone could ever imagine possible. I think if MU finishes second in the BEast... it should be either Buzz or Boeheim and it should go to Buzz.

If not for the performance of the team this year, for all the LBs he lost.

[Lennys Tap]

Lot of bball to be played. Brey, JT III, Heath and Buzz are all in the mix. I've watched Syracuse play 5 or 6 times and they're extremely talented but don't look particularly well coached. Truth told, at times they look disorganized.

[Benny B]

I propose that no awards go to any team or any member of a team or coaching staff of any team who is leaving the Big East.  It may not be fair and it may not reflect the true accomplishment, but what the heck, life is not fair.  So Jimmy B., no COY for you.  I think Brey and Buzz both deserve it.  Objectively probably Brey deserves it a bit more at this point but the season isn't over yet.  Subjectively, I hate everything Domer, so gotta go with Buzz. 

Question:  when is the COY award decided/announced?  Is it after the Big East Tournament? 

IMO:
If COY is voted upon at or before the end of the regular season.  On the odd chance that USF ran the table and got a little help to win the Big East regular season title, Heath wins it no question.  Otherwise, Brey wins it hands down if ND finishes top 3 in BE, Buzz would only win if ND crashes & burns from here on out.  My guess -- Brey.

If the voting is after the Big East Tournament, I think Buzz or JT-III has a chance to sneak in if ND bows out in their first (i.e. the third) round and MU or GTown wins the tournament.  My guess -- Still Brey.

If voting is after the Final Four:
A) Brey wins without question if ND goes to the S16.
B) If ND doesn't go to the S16, then Buzz/JT-III could win it with a Final Four appearance, Boeheim could win it with a title.
C) If MU or G-Town wins the title, Buzz/JT-III wins COY in the Big East regardless of what ND does.
D) If MU, ND & G-Town flame out, Heath would need to go to the Elite 8; otherwise, Boeheim could probably win with just a FF appearance.
E) If none of the above, Brey wins.
My guess -- Still Brey

[swoopem]

Buzz said that the only thing he actually votes for when voting for awards is he always votes Brey to win COY. He said when he was writing all of his letters as he was an up and comer that Brey always rewrote him so he will always give him his vote. That would suck Buzz lost by one vote because we know that's who Buzz nominated. 

[Canadian Dimes]

cannot vote for yourself and if your Buzz ...Brey prolly deserves it if you cannot vote for yourself.

Also agree with others ...why reward or polish a coaches resume who is leaving?  Help increase the brand equity of a BE coach and school by keeping it in house.

[96warrior]

Comparing injuries...Abromitis went down very early in the season, well before conference play started, so ND had a lot more time to get used to playing without him.

We lost Otule not too much later than that but it wasn't definitively season-ending until after conference play started. I think the team was practicing differently in Dec, thinking there was a chance Otule could come back for some of the season. Gardner, obviously, was lost during regular conference play, dramatically changing the team dynamic to now be completely without a true center.

So MU had to regroup a lot faster, and as jaybilaswho? said, we lost two players who filled the same position. I'd argue MU's two injuries were a much bigger hurdle than ND's one injury.

[CTWarrior]

Since the job of coaching in college also includes assembling the players, I'd just give the COY to the coach of the first place team every year.  The team that finished in first place did the best total job of getting players and coaching them up.  So congratulations, Mr. Boeheim.

[MarsupialMadness]

Since the job of coaching in college also includes assembling the players, I'd just give the COY to the coach of the first place team every year.  The team that finished in first place did the best total job of getting players and coaching them up.  So congratulations, Mr. Boeheim.

it's a good thing no one shares your philosophy, otherwise it would be a pretty pointless award.

[karavotsos]

A coach who employs exclusively a 2-3 zone should never receive any attention for coach of the year - especially when the team has as much athleticism and depth as SU.  COY should be about getting every bit you can out of the players you have.  I know, based on SU's record both this year and overall under Boeheim that it is difficult to support, but looking at all the talent SU has this year especially, it is hard for me to believe that they would not be better at least showing some different defensive looks.  Just seems to me they leave a lot in the tank. 

[jesmu84]

Comparing injuries...Abromitis went down very early in the season, well before conference play started, so ND had a lot more time to get used to playing without him.

I think this is where my Buzz vs. Brey comparison comes from. ND was severely underperforming for quite a while while trying to figure out life without Abro.  Buzz, however, quickly adjusted and we barely noticed a drop-off (in terms of wins/losses); and he had to do it TWICE! That, to me, speaks that Buzz was the better coach this year when compared to Brey.

[brewcity77]

Since the job of coaching in college also includes assembling the players, I'd just give the COY to the coach of the first place team every year.  The team that finished in first place did the best total job of getting players and coaching them up.  So congratulations, Mr. Boeheim.

It does, but it doesn't really factor much in COY. And isn't it more impressive to get a top-4 finish out of unregarded players at a school not known for basketball like USF than it is at a hoops Mecca like Syracuse where the school pretty much recruits itself? If USF finishes top-4, that's about 760,000 times as impressive as Syracuse merely living up to expectations.

[Brewtown Andy]

Question:  when is the COY award decided/announced?  Is it after the Big East Tournament? 

If it's like the soccer and volleyball awards (and why wouldn't it be?), the year end awards will be handed out the night before the Big East Tournament starts.

[Hoopaloop]

Everyone's favorite poster wrote this a few weeks ago on Cracked Sidewalks

Buzz for COY


http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2012/01/buzz-williams-for-big-east-coach-of.html

[Tugg Speedman]

With Georgetown losing to Seton Hall today, USF is now in the double-bye.

Who predicted this?

Stan Heath will be BE COY

[dwaderoy2004]

Only if they don't go 0-4.

[Lennys Tap]

Everyone's favorite poster wrote this a few weeks ago on Cracked Sidewalks

Buzz for COY


http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2012/01/buzz-williams-for-big-east-coach-of.html

In the past I've kiddingly called you the Plato to his Socrates. But this is really getting creepy. You've become the Smithers to his Mr. Burns.

[Tugg Speedman]

Only if they don't go 0-4.

USF's final four games

Wed, Feb 22 @ #2 Syracuse
Sun, Feb 26 vs Cincinnati
Wed, Feb 29 @#17 Louisville
Sat, Mar 3   vs West Virginia

If they go 0 - 4 they won't get he double-bye but Heath might still be COY.

[chapman]

If USF gets a double bye, Heath deserves it.  It'll probably take a 3-1 finish and wins against three teams better than what they've beaten all year to do it.  A 2-2 finish with a win tomorrow night would also do it for him.

If USF doesn't finish top four and we run the table and finish in second, Buzz deserves it.  Over a 17-1 Boeheim and over a 14-4 Brey.  Those four are the only ones left that can win it.  

If they go 0 - 4 they won't get he double-bye but Heath might still be COY.

A 10-8 team whose best win would be by one point at home against Seton Hall?  No.

[dwaderoy2004]

I know what their schedule is.  Doesn't change the fact there is no way a coach wins COY with a 10-8 conference record.

[Tugg Speedman]

A 10-8 team whose best win would be by one point at home against Seton Hall?  No.

They were picked 12th preseason so even 10-8 means they are way outperforming.