5 BOROUGH SPORTS

Today I’m going to review some of the first year coaching hires around college hoops. I’ll give my top ten for the year and also discuss some guys who didn’t make that list. My rankings will be based off of this season’s performances and how the future looks for the coaches.

Here’s some guys who didn’t make the list, but are noteworthy:

Fran McCaffery (Iowa)- McCaffery experienced a pretty good amount of success at Siena and took his cause west to Iowa City. The first season under McCaffery wasn’t terrible. The Hawkeyes were competitive and ended the season with a nice upset of Purdue. McCaffery can clearly coach, but he needs better players for Iowa to succeed. The future under Fran doesn’t look bad, but I don’t see any jump to the NCAA tournament in the immeadiate future.

Now that is a Blue Demon...and Oliver Purnell

Oliver Purnell (DePaul)- Oliver left Clemson for another rebuilding project in Chicago. Purnell plays a style that is perfect for taking a team from the dungeon and bringing them up to a reasonable level. Purnell is not going to take a team over the hump and he proved that at Clemson. His teams can never win in March because of the style. Its good  for teams with less talent, but it can’t win against fast athletes, even with great athletes. Purnell’s first season wasn’t good, but I do believe he’ll be alright down the line. He’s got a nice recruiting class coming in and I expect Depaul to get out of the cellar in a few years.

Tom Pecora (Fordham)- Pecora took over a struggling Fordham program and had an expected tough first year, with a few positives signs. I do think this hire could work out for the Rams down the line. Pecora built Hofstra into a viable program that is in the middle of the pack in the colonial. With some work Pecora can get Fordham out of the cellar and into atleast that pack in the A10. Fordham is a program that is better than Hofstra and in better position to succeed but Pecora will need to convince everyone of that again.

Oregon's Dana Altman

Dana Altman (Oregon)- Dana’s season isn’t over yet as the Ducks are playing Creighton in the finals of the CBI this week. Altman returned to Omaha last night against his former team of 16 years and got a nice reception despite leaving for the green in Eugene. The first season has been up and down, but overall I’d say fairly positive. The Ducks showed some improvement and will finish above 500, and could still win the CBI with two wins this week. Dana just missed out on the top ten for me.

Tony Barbee (Auburn)- What a tough year for the Tigers. Barbee is only partially to blame because the Tigers were so young and inexperienced. Barbee experienced success at UTEP and I didn’t think it was a bad hire when Auburn made it. I still believe that he can succeed but it might take a while. They need to recruit well to get things rolling, so lets see if they can make some strides next year.

Kevin Willard (Seton Hall)- It was a tough year for Seton Hall. They lost Hazell for a good portion of the year and that hurt their momentum. Despite that they had a bunch to like because they did pick up some random exciting wins. In the Big East this year we’re not sure what to think of Seton Hall, but it wasn’t awful. We’d like to see Seton Hall start to pick up some more depth and prove they can get out of that bottom part of the Big East before proclaiming Willard a winner. The Pirates have already tried a New York coach recently and it failed, but maybe that was just unlucky.

Mike Rice

Mike Rice (Rutgers)- Mike Rice I liked a bit more than Willard this year despite a slightly worse record and result. Rice’s team showed a little more consistency and improvement throughout the year. Rice was successful over a bit longer time at Robert Morris, but he still has a lot to prove on the big stage. I think Rice has a little more room to grow over Willard, but by now means am I sure he will be highly successful at Rutgers.

Jeff Bzdelik (Wake Forest)- What happened at Wake this year? Well obviously personnel was a problem, but I did not think they would be that bad. Bzdelik did nothing to give Wake fans hope, but what happened in Colorado is interesting. He did build that program back up and those guys almost made the tournament. Jeff has had success at Air Force and now kind of Colorado, so what gives with this? Overall I think Bzdelik will turn it around a bit, but I’m not sure I have the faith he can make the Wake program what it can and should be on a yearly basis. Wake is a job that should be able to lure people from some pretty good jobs, but it seems like the AD might have had an ultimatum here, being that Bzdelik and him were friends. Let’s look for Wake to improve next year as the young players get older, but Jeff has to prove to us that he can coach them up too, because it appeared neither happened this year.

Ok, so those are some important guys to mention, in no particular order. Now I move on to the ten coaches I liked the most over their first year.

10. Billy Donlon (Wright State)- Brad Brownell left for Clemson this past April and Donlon, his top assistant, took over a team that needed some help to keep up what they had done under Brownell. In his first year Donlon did well, keeping Wright State in every game and coming out with 18 wins in his rookie campaign. Donlon comes from the coaching lines of Brownell and that is something to be excited about. Wright State was quick to hire him after Brad left and there was a reason for it. I think he has a bright future ahead of him, but he needs some help on the recruiting trail.

9. Tom Herrion (Marshall)- Herrion is no stranger to success on the court. After a fairly successful four year string at the College of Charleston, he worked under Jaime Dixon at Pitt. Marshall’s successful season was overlooked this year because it wasn’t quite good enough to receive any legitimate NCAA consideration. The Thundering Hurd were good enough for a 22-12 record and might have a bright future under Herrion. If Herrion can keep up the success, then he might get calls soon.

8. Tim Cluess (Iona)- A unique hire by the Gaels paid off in the first season. Cluess spent the previous 4 years at CW Post, a division 2 school, and was extremely successful. The Gaels play tonight for the CIT title against Santa Clara and already sport a 25-11 record on the year. More impressive might be their 59 ranking in the kenpom rankings. A school that didn’t get atlarge consideration and fell barely to St. Peter’s for an automatic bid, the

Iona's Tim Cluess

Gaels are actually pretty decent. Earlier this year they went to Syracuse and almost came away with an upset before falling by six. Additionally they beat Richmond. Cluess clearly can coach and I expect him to be moving up in the world of coaching in the next few years if he can keep it up at Iona.

7. Greg Lansing (Indiana State)- Lansing took over an Indiana State program this past June after serving as an assistant for many years. The Sycamores were a 500 team last year, but made a trip to the big dance in his first year. After struggling early on in the season they turned it around in conference play and then upset Missouri State for the title in St. Louis. With a good portion of the team returning for next year, expect the Sycamores to be even better in a competitive MVC next season.

Creighton's Greg McDermott

6. Greg McDermott (Creighton)- The first season for McDermott was almost really good. The Jays were the victims of a lot of close losses, especially on the road and at the buzzer. McDermott’s son joined the team as a freshman this year and has been one of the top freshman in the country. Add in sophomore transfer Greg Echenique and the future looks bright. Next season should be be pretty good if the Jays can improve on defense a bit. McDermott has been successful at the mid major level before and looks to be on his way to a bright future at Creighton. Expect the Jays to be back on top of the Valley in the coming years.

5. Tad Boyle (C0lorado)- Boyle is connected with one of the most puzzling coaching carousels this past year. When Jeff Bzdelik left for Wake Forest Colorado was expected to be improved this year, but Boyle exceeded expectations for the Buffs. Clearly the Buffs could have been in the tournament and ended up losing in the final four of the NIT. Boyle is an interesting guy to me because is he successful from the players who were there this year, or was he a much better coach then Bzdelik who looked bad in Winston Salem this year? Tough call, but for now Boyle looks like he did a good job and will need to go get players now.

4. Donnie Jones (UCF)- Jones came from a successful run at Marshall and began his campaign in Orlando red hot. When UCF jumped out to that terrific start many had them as a top 25 team, but after dropping fast in conference USA things really went downhill. A late season surge though has once again raised optimism. Led by Sophomore Marcus Jordan, the Knights look to be headed in the right direction. With alot of resources at an up and coming athletic school, Jones and the Knights should be contenders in CUSA for years to come, unless they move up in conference affiliation of course.

3. Steve Donahue (Boston College)- The Eagles were one of the biggest surprises in the ACC this year. Expected to be bottom feeders with many players leaving last year, the Eagles ended up almost making the tournament. You can’t say anything negative about Donahue, who looked to continue his terrific coaching this year. With the right players in his system he could be giving teams fits for years to come in the ACC. One of the best hires of the year, and was clearly one of the top three hires of last year. Donahue plays a style difficult for many teams and capable of pulling many upsets, the only problem is they’ve lost to teams like Maine and Yale recently. If Donahue can figure how to avoid this ugly early losses, then the Eagles will have no problem dancing under Donahue.

Clemson's Brad Brownell

2. Brad Brownell (Clemson)- Like BC, the departure of players like NBA first round draft pick Trevor Booker, had the Tigers looking like they would struggle under Brownell in year one. After a 5-4 start nothing looked to be going right for the Tigers, but Brownell just hadn’t gotten his system in place yet. From then on the Tigers were one of the best ACC teams and ended working their way into the tournament. Enough can’t be said about how good of a coach Brownell looked to be this year, as he got the most out of his players. He needs to prove he can recruit at a high level still, but player development is one of his biggest assets. Next season might be a slight step back, as the Tigers will be very young for the next few years, but expect them to be making noise soon if Brownell isn’t scooped up by a big name school.

1. Steve Lavin (St. John’s)- Lavin might not be the x and o’s coach that Brownell is, but good can he recruit. Lavin did show us he has improved his coaching ability since his days at UCLA and he shocked us by making the Red Storm into Big East contenders in year one. With a team of almost all seniors, the Red Storm had reason to be good, and a reason to take a step back next year. The good news is he has one of, if not the best recruiting class in the Nation coming in. With almost all freshman next year we can’t expect the storm to be back in the tournament, but they won’t be terrible because of the

Steve Lavin

talent on the floor. Lavin is clearly on his way to making the Johnnies a

nationally relevent team again and if he can continue to build recruiting momentum, then they will be a staple in the tournament and at the top of the Big East once again.

Check back soon for our analysis of this years coaching changes which are happening everyday…

This year’s final four is getting alot of attention because of VCU and Butler’s inclusion, but the other side of the bracket should get attention too…for all the wrong reasons.

Kentucky and UConn have something in common besides using a shade of blue, both of their coaches are cheaters.

John Calipari and Jim Calhoun are everything that is wrong with College Basketball, and college sports in general.

The National Championship game sets up perfectly, it will be one of these two cheaters facing off against an unlikely Cinderella story.

Good vs. Evil

Cheating vs. Great Coaching

NBA Talent vs. Mid Major Talent

If you aren’t a fan of Kentucky or UConn, then you should be rooting for the winner of the Butler/VCU game next Monday, its simple. Unless you’re a cheater…

Maybe one day the NCAA will cleanup programs run by guys like Calhoun and Calipari, but for now we must knockout teams that get it done the right way, and wait for the violations to come later. Calipari has never made a final four and not had it taken away, while Calhoun is a sleazeball who finally got caught this past year, but didn’t pay nearly enough for it.

Even if VCU or Butler lose in the National Championship, they could still win it all. Think about that.

I ask one question, what is the over/under on how long it takes for the NCAA to take away this final four from Calipari?

I’d start the line at +/- 1.5 Years…

You’re right. VCU doesn’t belong in the tournament. HA!

Shaka Smart says we're in the final four, not Duke, not Kansas, not Ohio State, VCU is, and Butler too!

This weekend has been historic. College Basketball has changed. The ways of the past are over.

VCU and Butler are in the final four, and its not luck this time.

As each Butler and VCU have advanced through the tournament, each team played at a disadvantage the entire time. This disadvantage was in talent. While luck has its place in sport, and certainly more has been on the side of those two lately, it is not why they will play in Houston next week.

It must be coaching that is making the difference. And yes that’s very much part of it. Brad Stevens and Shaka Smart might be the two best coaches in the country, or they might not be. The fact is, they are very good.

Personally I don’t believe they are the two best, but they are in line with a growing trend in college basketball, good coaching=winning.

In the past, good coaching would only get you so far sometimes. Today, that is still the case at some schools that place in weak leagues. You can make Brad Stevens and Shaka Smart the coaches of probably 200 different schools in the country, and they won’t be able to win a game in the tournament. They’ll do better than most, but they won’t be able to overcome the lack of talent, even given the opportunity to develop it.

That is not the point though, the point is there are over 100 different teams that they could coach and succeed with.

The landscape of college hoops has changed. If you want to see what it used to look like, take a peak at Women’s College Basketball. The difference in talent between a top 5 team and one that ranks 25th in the country is enough that no level of coaching can make up for it.

In Men’s hoops that is not the case anymore. VCU and Butler will not have five first round draft picks, or maybe even anyone ever step on the floor in an NBA arena, but that doesn’t mean their players aren’t good. The personnel on those teams, and so many others around the BCS conferences and the mid majors is now leveled out so much that they can compete with the big boys.

Kansas is one of the most talented teams in America year in, year out. They spit out stars, first round draft picks all the time, but they were soundly beaten today. If VCU played Kansas 100 times, maybe Kansas would win more games, but instead of a 1 in 100 chance for VCU, they now have maybe a 35 in 100 chance or even better.

There are so many coaches out there that can recruit the best players in the country. At places like Kansas, North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, and Syracuse you are going to have the cream of the crop every year, but that doesn’t mean that they will win.

A special blend of a team with enough talent, coaching, leadership and experience has what it takes to make it to the final four. That special blend is possible at places like Butler and VCU now because the talent level at many mid major schools is growing.

Is the Mountain West, or the Atlantic Ten, or the Horizon, or Colonial, as good of a conference as the Big East or ACC or Big Ten? No, but that doesn’t mean that someone isn’t capable of being good in one of those conferences. Each year we see controversial teams get respect playing teams all year long that they should easily beat. BYU and San Diego State this year were considered top five teams by many, but were both ousted in the sweet 16, after a fairly easy path there. Why do I mention them, because they were fakers. VCU and Butler were different, and perhaps better suited in the underdog role.

Is Butler as good as they were last year? Probably not, but they still made it back to the final four. Butler and VCU had something unique, a blend of talent found in less obvious places, great coaching, and also seniority and experience. It is no coincidence that both teams have many seniors, and also no coincidence that they challenged themselves much more than San Diego State and BYU in the non-conference schedule early on.

What does it all mean for the future?

There will still be gripes about Mid Majors vs. High Majors.

There will still be arguements about who should have gotten in.

And there will definitely be more VCU’s and Butler’s.

Was the selection committee validated now that VCU made the final four? No, they still did a bad job, but what was validated was the need to have 3 more teams in the tournament.

Maybe we could actually use a few more. Not 96, but maybe 72. The scary thing is, there are many teams in the NIT this year that probably could have won a few games in the tournament. Everyone said the bubble was so weak, but was it really because the playing field is just more even.

The bubble is not going to get better, this wasn’t a fluke. Teams are going to lose to supposed “bad” teams more and more. Teams like Kansas and Ohio State will probably not fall to them throughout the season, but they are capable.

The days of dominant teams is over, and the days of wild and crazy tournaments is upon us. 1 seeds will make the final four again one day, but its unlikely we’ll see all four of them.

The new college basketball is better, no matter what you say.

We need more and more games of David vs. Goliath. I don’t want to see the ACC-Big Ten challenge, or the Big East-SEC, I want to see the Missouri Valley-Big Ten Challenge, the Pac-Ten-Colonial, the A-10-ACC. I want to see more mid majors playing big guys. I want to see a school who wants to prove themselves (like BYU) schedule everyone they can from coast to coast. I want to see teams like Duke or Kansas go on the road out of conference to places Butler and VCU.

I want to see chaos from November to April when the buzzer sounds in the National Championship.