2022-23 NCAA Men's Basketball Thread

[Uncle Rico]

Does he have to leave Alabama to be rich, happy and a perennial Final Four contender?

I don't know Nate Oats one iota, but maybe he wouldn't want to be at a place where the fans boo the coach after the coach has brought the program to the level Calipari has. And I don't know what Bama can pay him, but I'm guessing the answer is "lots."

It's a better job than Alabama.  He'll always be second fiddle to the football program, even if he wins a national title.  Kentucky still has gravitas in the sport

[Hards Alumni]

It's a better job than Alabama.  He'll always be second fiddle to the football program, even if he wins a national title.  Kentucky still has gravitas in the sport

Money + lack of stress = happiness

Money + dickhead UK fans = probable sadness

[Uncle Rico]

Money + lack of stress = happiness

Money + dickhead UK fans = probable sadness

Egos - reality = college basketball coaches

[Lennys Tap]

Does he have to leave Alabama to be rich, happy and a perennial Final Four contender?

I don't know Nate Oats one iota, but maybe he wouldn't want to be at a place where the fans boo the coach after the coach has brought the program to the level Calipari has. And I don't know what Bama can pay him, but I'm guessing the answer is "lots."

Alabama could pay him "lots" for sure. The only ceiling? Something less than they pay Saban.

[MU82]

I know what Rico is saying. The lure of the big job is too tempting for most. But there have been many coaches throughout history who have been happy staying where they are -- we had one in the Big East in Jay Wright, whose name regularly surfaced in the rumor mill whenever a "big" job opened up. We had both Shaka and Crean saying they came to realize that the grass isn't always greener.

As I said, I don't know Oats. But there are coaches who could be quite happy earning Kentucky-level money (or at least very near Kentucky-level money) and experience Kentucky-level success without Kentucky-level headaches.

[PGsHeroes32]

Does he have to leave Alabama to be rich, happy and a perennial Final Four contender?

I don't know Nate Oats one iota, but maybe he wouldn't want to be at a place where the fans boo the coach after the coach has brought the program to the level Calipari has. And I don't know what Bama can pay him, but I'm guessing the answer is "lots."

People at Bama seem to think he would stay for now and not take UK and that the job he would take would be MSU as a potential Izzo replacement when that time comes.

[MU82]

Alabama could pay him "lots" for sure. The only ceiling? Something less than they pay Saban.

True. But if Oats wants to stay at Bama, he will be there a lot longer than Saban.

So then I guess the ceiling would be "less than they pay Dabo."

[Uncle Rico]

People at Bama seem to think he would stay for now and not take UK and that the job he would take would be MSU as a potential Izzo replacement when that time comes.

I know some Watertown folks who say Michigan over Michigan State

[GoldenEagles03]

(6-8) Minnesota up 60-53 at (10-5) Ohio State with 7 minutes left.

[GoldenEagles03]

(6-8) Minnesota up 60-53 at (10-5) Ohio State with 7 minutes left.

Dawson missed 3 free throws down the stretch and their PG missed the front end of a 1 and 1.  Tied with 9 seconds left.

[GoldenEagles03]

Dawson missed 3 free throws down the stretch and their PG missed the front end of a 1 and 1.  Tied with 9 seconds left.

And now another miss. 1.7 seconds left with a 2nd free throw coming after the timeout.  So many missed free throws. Yikes.

[Uncle Rico]

Yikes.  Minnesota winned

[MU82]

28 and 9 for Garcia.

[Uncle Rico]

28 and 9 for Garcia.

Helluva player, aina?

[MU82]

Helluva player, aina?

He would be if he were a slow white guy from Stevens Point.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Yikes.  Minnesota winned

That will drop Ohio St behind Marquette in the NET.  Losing at home as 14.5 point favorite is not good for the ol' computer numbers.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

DG with good numbers but a terrible defender. Could never play for Shaka.

[4everwarriors]

Driftwood, aina?

[mugrad_89]

DG with good numbers but a terrible defender. Could never play for Shaka.

Happy he's doing well, but he's still soft at the rim.

[4everwarriors]

Man, ya wanna avoid dat like da plague, aina?

[MU82]

Here's The Athletic's Kyle Tucker in his "mailbag" column on where Kentucky might turn if Calipari is fired or (more likely) leaves for Texas:

Cal to Texas seems to have some smoke around it. If it comes true, who does Barnhart call right at this moment to be the next coach? — Wyatt J.

Scott Drew, followed by Scott Drew, and then one more call to Scott Drew. I'm not saying that would necessarily be my list, but I'm fairly confident it is Barnhart's. The 52-year-old Baylor boss, a strong recruiter and three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year who won a national title in 2021 is Barnhart's dream candidate. The question is whether he'd leave the peace and pressure-free life of coaching basketball in Waco, Texas, for the intense scrutiny of Kentucky. And if not, who's next on the list?

I believe Barnhart would at least make Brad Stevens tell him no. He led Butler to a pair of Final Fours, coached the Boston Celtics for eight years and is now the president of basketball operations in Boston — but is still just 46. That one feels like a very long shot, same as 61-year-old Jay Wright, who retired in April after leading Villanova to a fourth Final Four. But I'd also make Wright tell me no before moving on to anyone else.

My educated guess is there's no way Barnhart would hire Bruce Pearl or Eric Musselman, whose names would nevertheless end up on every "hot board" if the job came open. I'm not sure he's a fan of Nate Oats' brash style either, but Barnhart should set that aside and put the Alabama coach high on his list of candidates. Because that dude can coach. And recruit. And plays a style that would energize the fan base. Oats also talks a pretty good game and isn't afraid of anybody, which would serve him well in a place like this.

+++

Here's my Marquette-related question:

If the feeling is that guys like Oats or Drew -- or anybody, really -- would never turn down the lure of the big time at Kentucky even though they know it's a pressure-cooker, why wouldn't Shaka take the job if asked?

[tower912]

Tubby Smith and how he was treated.

[MarquetteDano]

To take a line from a poster around here, I will eat my hat if either Wright or Stevens takes the UK job.

[Scoop Snoop]

Tubby Smith and how he was treated.

Great answer!

[Newsdreams]

Driftwood, aina?

Sorry to hear doc