Shaka

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

Duke was a better job than Marquette in 1980.  They were national runner up in 1978 and made the Elite 8 in 1980.  Bill Foster left Duke after the 1980 tournament for South Carolina.

The program who was more recently a NC > program with a runner up and Elite 8.

MU came off a near decade of being a top 10 team. The momentum at the time was with MU.

[Nukem2]

The program who was more recently a NC > program with a runner up and Elite 8.

MU came off a near decade of being a top 10 team. The momentum at the time was with MU.

Yup, Duke went downhill after Foster left.  Took Coach K 4 years to right the ship.  MU was better in that timeframe.  Coach K was truly the program builder at Duke.

[VegasWarrior77]

BREAKING: Texas AD Steve Patterson will land in Richmond after 4 p.m.
Brian Davis April 2, 2015   | Filed in: basketball, Bevo Beat, Rick Barnes.
http://longhorns.blog.statesman.com/2015/04/02/breaking-texas-ad-steve-patterson-will-land-in-richmond-after-4-p-m/

A high-level Texas source confirmed that Texas athletic director Steve Patterson is currently en route to Richmond, Va., on a Learjet owned by a friend of UT President Bill Powers.

The American-Statesman reported Wednesday that Patterson was scheduled to fly to Richmond and meet with Virginia Commonwealth coach Shaka Smart about the vacant Texas men's basketball coaching job.

It's unknown whether Patterson will bring Smart back to Austin tonight or Friday.

Patterson's plane left Georgetown at 12:36 p.m., according to flight records. The plane stopped in Stillwater, Okla.. The Longhorns are scheduled to play the Oklahoma State baseball team in a three-game series this weekend. Then, the plane took off for Richmond just before 2 p.m. It is scheduled to land in Richmond shortly after 4 p.m. Central time.

[Eldon]

Can someone fill us in on what is going on over on the VCU board?  I really want to sign up for their board and troll them hard.  Something along the lines of LonghornNEWS and post about how Texas is just chasing Shaka to bid down the price of Chris Mack (or some other always-talked about coach).

[Tugg Speedman]

I don't know about that. Seems to me Wisconsin (state of) has had, and has, some fine players.

Last 5 years, yes.  20 years before that, not so much.

Indiana produces a burger boy nearly every year.  I believe Wisonsin has had about 5 in its history with Looney, Stone and Ellenson being three of them in the last two years.

Is the last 5 years a new trend or an aberration?

[VegasWarrior77]

The Texas plane has landed in Richmond. Observers spotted AD Steve Patterson and another man who resembled HFC Charlie Strong.  Some said it was not Strong...?  There is a VCU team meeting scheduled for tonight....

[brewcity77]

Can someone fill us in on what is going on over on the VCU board?  I really want to sign up for their board and troll them hard.  Something along the lines of LonghornNEWS and post about how Texas is just chasing Shaka to bid down the price of Chris Mack (or some other always-talked about coach).

Their Shaka Watch thread has roughly doubled in the past week. Not nearly the smug dismissiveness they showed a year ago. No idea what will happen, but I wouldn't mind seeing a little come uppance headed their way.

[VegasWarrior77]

A local BBQ joint has an offer for Shaka if he stays:

Buz and Ned's @buzandneds
We are offering Shaka Smart unlimited Brisket and Apple Fritters if he decides to stay at VCU. #shakawatch 2015
10:23 AM - 2 Apr 2015

I think he can do better in TX!

[Oldgym]

Add lap dances to the incentive package.



No sign of a letter-writing campaign.

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

The Texas plane has landed in Richmond. Observers spotted AD Steve Patterson and another man who resembled HFC Charlie Strong.  Some said it was not Strong...?  There is a VCU team meeting scheduled for tonight....

seems like a pretty small private jet... Is that a four-seater prop plane? Why not a biplane?

[VegasWarrior77]

I think their Learjet is to the right and you can just see the end of a wing.

[Avenue Commons]

I think their Learjet is to the right and you can just see the end of a wing.

And then Big Pimpin in a Hyundai crossover.

I feel bad for VCU fans. We know what its like to have a coach poached from us. So far MU has always landed on its feet. I hope the same for them. Shaka is a unique talent.

[brewcity77]

Jeff Capel and Anthony Grant did well at VCU before Smart. I guess the real question is if the new AD can hire as well as the old. If not, they could always go the DePaul route and bring one of those guys back.

[willie warrior]

And then Big Pimpin in a Hyundai crossover.

I feel bad for VCU fans. We know what its like to have a coach poached from us. So far MU has always landed on its feet. I hope the same for them. Shaka is a unique talent.

Shaka is also a unique prima donna. If he takes the Texas job, that equates that it is viewed to be a sure fire better program than MU. It should be the other way around. Besides, Texas is a football school. And George Bush hangs out around there. Shaka will always be 2nd fiddle to football and Bush.

[mr.MUskie]

seems like a pretty small private jet... Is that a four-seater prop plane? Why not a biplane?

Hot air balloon might be more appropriate.

[mr.MUskie]

Join us at 5:30 PM in the Siegel Center parking lot (nearest the ticket office) for a rally to show your support to Coach Smart.

Rumors indicate he is being offered a deal from Texas upwards of $17 million over 5 years. Texas Athletic Director Scott Patterson will be visiting Shaka in Richmond today, to make an offer, and hopes to take him to Austin tomorrow to close the deal.

We have a limited amount of time to show Coach Smart how much he means to the city of Richmond, and this is our chance to have an impact on his final decision.

[Blackhat]

The Texas plane has landed in Richmond. Observers spotted AD Steve Patterson and another man who resembled HFC Charlie Strong.  Some said it was not Strong...?  There is a VCU team meeting scheduled for tonight....

That's Matthew McConounghy along for the ride

[Avenue Commons]

That's Matthew McConounghy along for the ride

Time is a flat circle.

[Dawson Rental]

From Forrest on the VCU board

"Texas is a great short term opportunity for Shaka... but then again so was Alabama for Anthony Grant. Long term, in my opinion, the better opportunity for Mr. Smart is Richmond. The VCU program has the opportunity of becoming known as "the house that Shaka built" -or the "Shaka dynasty.." not just another stepping stone for a coaching career as Texas is offering.. the VCU program's growth and branding potential is something so much more substantial.. Let's just hope Shaka agrees."

Texas is a stepping stone job, but VCU is not.

Hey Forrest, stupid is as stupid says.

[VegasWarrior77]

There is some humor on the VCU board.  Reminded me of Scoop!

[brewcity77]

Texas is a great short term move, but also a better long term move than VCU. We all know that, but just look at Rick Barnes. He had early success and was able to ride just getting into the tournament at Texas for near two decades. Then when he leaves, he has a job at another fairly successful high major in what, 48 hours?

If things go south at VCU, Shaka will just be that gimmick guy that made a Final Four way back when. If he has modest success at UT, he'll be set for his career.

[VegasWarrior77]

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN  13m13 minutes ago
VCU coach Shaka Smart has an 8 pm team meeting scheduled, sources told ESPN.

[jesmu84]

Definition of a Glamor job, you make it a winning program.

Examples ... what was Duke in 1980?  Better than MU?  No, K made it a Glamor job.

Was Bucky a Glamour job before Bo?  Gonzaga before Few.  No, they made them Glamor jobs

If someone passes on MU because it's not a Glamor job, that means they are not that good.  See Crean.  Has he really done better better an IU than MU, other than one season?  Conclusion, IU is exactly the same as MU because Crean is not doing better.

Wanna know the real problem with MU?  It lacks a recruiting base.  Translation.  If the state of Wisconsin was produce high D1 basketball players like, say the state of Indiana does, it would be a much better program.

Just to clarify... based on your point of view... UNC, Kansas, UCLA, Kentucky, among others... all are NOT glamour jobs?

[Tugg Speedman]

Just to clarify... based on your point of view... UNC, Kansas, UCLA, Kentucky, among others... all are NOT glamour jobs?

No, try this ... Their are no glamour jobs, their are elite coaches.  They make their job a glamour job.  See Al McGuire.  See K. See Calipari, see Pitino.

SO, the coach makes the job, the job does not make the coach.  Crean taught us this again.  Like I said above, Crean's success at IU is on par with his success at MU.  So either IU and MU are the same job, or, "what you see is what you get with Crean."  He can go to "insert elite school name here" and his results are going to be the same as the last 15 years.

[MUsoxfan]

No, try this ... Their are no glamour jobs, their are elite coaches.  They make their job a glamour job.  See Al McGuire.  See K. See Calipari, see Pitino.

SO, the coach makes the job, the job does not make the coach.  Crean taught us this again.  Like I said above, Crean's success at IU is on par with his success at MU.  So either IU and MU are the same job, or, "what you see is what you get with Crean."  He can go to "insert elite school name here" and his results are going to be the same as the last 15 years.

Very well said