General College Basketball Thread 2020-2021

[shoothoops]

How good is Drake?  Haven't gotten a chance to see them play.

Drake is pretty good. They'd be even better if they still had Liam Robbins. (Averaging 14 & 7 at Minnesota this season). They haven't haven't played great teams yet but 13-0 is 13-0.

This is a good piece on how they have pieced together their team after inheriting 3 scholarship players a few seasons ago when Devries started there after almost two decades assisting Altman and McDermott.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/at-13-0-drake-is-one-of-the-best-stories-in-college-basketball-20210112

[MuggsyB]

Drake is pretty good. They'd be even better if they still had Liam Robbins. (Averaging 14 & 7 at Minnesota this season). They haven't haven't played great teams yet but 13-0 is 13-0.

This is a good piece on how they have pieced together their team after inheriting 3 scholarship players a few seasons ago when Devries started there after almost two decades assisting Altman and McDermott.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/at-13-0-drake-is-one-of-the-best-stories-in-college-basketball-20210112

Ty.  It seems like there are fewer mid-majors that have a shot.

[GooooMarquette]

Moser learned quite a bit about player development working with Majerus. He's won the Valley 2 out of the past 3 seasons, and he finished 2nd the third season. He's been there 10 years, 8 in the Valley after a successful assistant stint prior to that.

He turned down St. John's and UNLV after the 2019 season.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-porter-moser-loyola-st-johns-20190416-story.html%3foutputType=amp

Not question he knows a lot about the game.  But those two conference titles are also the only two of his sixteen-year career. Seems like a major program would expect a bit of a better track record. Guess we'll see....

[shoothoops]

Not question he knows a lot about the game.  But those two conference titles are also the only two of his sixteen-year career. Seems like a major program would expect a bit of a better track record. Guess we'll see....

I don't necessarily disagree. I believe his interest from UNLV and St. John's show the types of schools that have had him on their radar recently.

He certainly has had better success later, as a Majerus assistant and building something at Loyola Chi.  This would be his fourth straight strong season there. For now he gets to live in his home town, make pretty good money, play competitive ball.

He was certainly intrigued by St. John's, even if it wasn't the best fit in the end. (His two more recent coaching stops have been Catholic urban city schools for a guy who played at one in college) 

[The Sultan]

I don't necessarily disagree. I believe his interest from UNLV and St. John's show the types of schools that have had him on their radar recently.

He certainly has had better success later, as a Majerus assistant and building something at Loyola Chi.  This would be his fourth straight strong season there. For now he gets to live in his home town, make pretty good money, play competitive ball.

He was certainly intrigued by St. John's, even if it wasn't the best fit in the end. (His two more recent coaching stops have been Catholic urban city schools for a guy who played at one in college) 

If Loyola would have lost in the S16 that year, would anyone be discussing Porter Moser?

[brewcity77]

If Loyola would have lost in the S16 that year, would anyone be discussing Porter Moser?

They escaped their two first weekend games by a combined 3 points. Could've easily been one or two and done. Basically every top seed in their region was gone before the S16.

[MU82]

If Loyola would have lost in the S16 that year, would anyone be discussing Porter Moser?

No ... but they didn't lose.

I mean, would Dwyane Wade be revered as an all-time MU basketball god had Travis Diener not saved his (and Marquette's) bacon against Holy Cross?

Having said that, I'm very skeptical of Porter Moser's ability to coach at the P6 level. Either he will continue to do well at Loyola and will get hired away (so we'll get a chance to see), or he will continue to do well at Loyola but decide to stay because he loves it there (so we'll never get a chance to see), or he will revert to doing poorly there and eventually will get fired (so we likely will never get a chance to see).

Long way of saying ... we'll see!

[Golden Avalanche]

Shades of Stan Heath memories whenever the discussion on this forum moves toward Porter Moser.

[The Sultan]

Shades of Stan Heath memories whenever the discussion on this forum moves toward Porter Moser.

That is EXACTLY my point.  Stan Heath was hired by Arkansas based on an Elite 8 run in his one and only year coaching at Kent State.  (He took over the Kent State job from Gary Walters who took them to the tourney for the first time in their history just the year before.)  If they would have lost in the first or second round, does Arkansas  even look at him?

But he ended up being a pretty mediocre coach at both Arkansas and South Florida.  He got 12 years of head coaching based off that one run.

My point isn't that Porter Moser shouldn't be revered by Loyola due to his Final Four run.  Of course he should!  My point is that we aren't having these discussions about Porter Moser at the next level had he not made the Final Four that year.  He did little before, and has done little since, to make it look like he is a high level coach.

[shoothoops]

They escaped their two first weekend games by a combined 3 points. Could've easily been one or two and done. Basically every top seed in their region was gone before the S16.

Let me walk down a path here. This is only about the Final Four.

Some people here mention Buzz' Elite 8 Run at Marquette as a good accomplishment. (Rightfully so in my opinion) I am not "only" Final Four or bust in my evaluations. I know recently you had some thoughts perhaps suggesting that you may be more of a Final Four or who cares about your NCAA finish that year. I may not have that correct so feel free to clarify it. I would respectfully disagree with that. I believe making the 2nd weekend has value etc...especially if you are a program that doesn't do it all the time.

How often when these Marquette posters here post about Buzz' Elite 8 run, do they mention that MU needed a buzzer beating shot to defeat a 14 seed in the first round? or that MU's first two wins were by a combined 3 points in that year's NCAA's? I would say not all that much. It is generally counted as a significant accomplishment for Buzz and MU.

It's interesting when some pick and choose when to discuss escapes or near losses in NCAA's etc...vs when we don't. Again I would mention many Buzz types of examples. Now you may discuss that more than some, but many people don't, wouldn't that be fair to say? more people are interested in celebrating the achievement than saying what if this or that or almost this or that.

There are roughly a couple of dozen or a little more coaches, that have gone to multiple FF's since MU's last national title, that haven't had some vacated.

[tower912]

Crean went to IU and later Georgia because of one good run in the tourney.   Other 8 years... Missed tourneys, NIT, one NCAA win.

[shoothoops]

If Loyola would have lost in the S16 that year, would anyone be discussing Porter Moser?

Well, I am discussing Moser because a couple of posters mentioned him, just as I would discuss many other coaches, programs, or sports. So I will just speak to that.

I believe Muggsy mentioned how long Moser would stay at Loyola. Somehow others may have interpreted that as Power 5 or Big East or who knows. I posted what I know.

Moser is what his record says he is. He had a successful run as an assistant, getting him the Loyola position. He has a Final Four there, two regular season MVC titles in the past three seasons and a 2nd place finish in that same time frame.

I have never mentioned Moser and anything other than his career to this point, as well as the few places mentioned that were interested in hiring him away from Loyola.

I would break down Wardle for whatever that would be for him or the above mentioned Drake or whomever or wherever.

The answer to your question is he and they did make it to the Final Four. It doesn't count any less than any other team that has made a Final Four. I probably would discuss Moser because I would talk about a lot of teams and coaches in general whether or not they made the Final Four.

[shoothoops]

Crean went to IU and later Georgia because of one good run in the tourney.   Other 8 years... Missed tourneys, NIT, one NCAA win.

And of course MU won by four over a 14 seed in the first round that year, and in OT the next game. But it still counts.

I used the Buzz example because I've seen some mention a little more often Crean's FF run as the bulk of his success.

[muwarrior69]

Yeah I think UW has to be a tough place to coach.  Seattle doesn't churn out a bunch of talent and its hard to get kids there.  Not on TV much.  They have had very little success as a program.  That being said, it looks like the bottom is falling out for Hopkins.

Then how does Few do it at Gonzaga?

[The Sultan]

Then how does Few do it at Gonzaga?

That is an excellent question.  First, I think he is simply an excellent coach who has stuck around and built that program from the foundations that Dan Monson started.  Second, I think he traditionally benefited from being in the WCC.  He doesn't have to compete with the UCLAs and Arizonas.  He competes with that next tier so even in down years, he still succeeds.

Now I am not saying UW is an impossible job by any means.  But simply that it's a "tough place to coach."  Someone who is good at recruiting and coaching, AND dedicates himself to the school, CAN succeed there.  They just haven't found that guy yet.

[muwarrior69]

That is an excellent question.  First, I think he is simply an excellent coach who has stuck around and built that program from the foundations that Dan Monson started.  Second, I think he traditionally benefited from being in the WCC.  He doesn't have to compete with the UCLAs and Arizonas.  He competes with that next tier so even in down years, he still succeeds.

Now I am not saying UW is an impossible job by any means.  But simply that it's a "tough place to coach."  Someone who is good at recruiting and coaching, AND dedicates himself to the school, CAN succeed there.  They just haven't found that guy yet.

Which is why I think if the P5 bolted from the NCAA all the other D1 teams would still survive. There just may be calls that NCAA champion play the P5 Champion for the national title.

[The Sultan]

Which is why I think if the P5 bolted from the NCAA all the other D1 teams would still survive. There just may be calls that NCAA champion play the P5 Champion for the national title.

The other teams would undoubtedly survive.  They would just make less money.

[Uncle Rico]

Crapshoot, aina?

[tower912]

Watching UConn and SJU play.   I realize that one of the unexpected benefits of no fans is listening to the players.   The constant talking on defense and offense.   I would love to show this to some of the teams I coached because I simply could not get them to talk on either end of the floor, except sometimes for an outlet pass.

[MU82]

First time since 1982 that neither UNC nor Duke are in the Top 25.

No Kentucky, either.

[GooooMarquette]

Baylor is pretty good.

[wadesworld]

Baylor is pretty really good.

FIFY. I love watching them. They are tough.

[GooooMarquette]

FIFY. I love watching them. They are tough.

Crazy long and athletic.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Unranked Florida crushes #6 Tennessee by 26. Sometimes you're the dog,  sometimes you're the hydrant

[JWags85]

I mean, would Dwyane Wade be revered as an all-time MU basketball god had Travis Diener not saved his (and Marquette's) bacon against Holy Cross?

We've moved on, but yes, yes he would be. He was an All American (first in 25 years) even before that run, and lottery pick. Everyone knew how special he was.

Bama hit an SEC record 23 3s to absolutely BLAST LSU on Baton Rouge. Nate Oats is tough