College Basketball 2007-2008

[Hosak8]

Arkansas-Ole Miss is getting crazy. 3 point game in favor or Arkansas with less than a minute to go.

 

And about when I hit "submit," it stopped being crazy. Arkansas has it put away now with a 75-69 final.. 4 game winning streak and 17-5 with a huge game against Tennessee coming up on Wednesday. A win would be enormous for the Hogs.

 

Sonny Weems has been outrageous lately. I guess he's campaigning for NBA consideration. Since the new year, Weems is averaging 19.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG ans 2.8 APG while shooting 49.7% from the field, 48.2% from 3, and 83.3% from the line. He's an athletic swingman at 6-6 and shoul get some serious looks in the pros if he keeps this up.

 

Weems had a pretty decent game tonight, but Jajuan Smith was just a man among boys. Arkansas came in expecting to dominate the paint, and it just did not happen. Tennessee cruises, which is a little surprising, as Arky was playing good basketball.

 

Pomeroy has us at #15. RRIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGHHHHTTTTT.....

[NCCubFan]

I have a rant from a couple months ago that says the same thing.

I resurrected that rant a day or so ago when the news came out that the NCAA made its allegations.

 

I think it's an absolute given that Samscum, it's just a question of when. There's a clause in his contract that IU can fire him if he's found guilty of any violations, but from a legal angle I'd think they'd need to wait until due process runs its course since for now, technically at least, they're only allegations which theoretically could be refuted.

[Hosak8]

Once Sampson is canned, I have to wonder if IU comes sniffing around Bruce Pearl? I doubt that he'd leave what he's building in Knoxville, but it would most assuredly be interesting.

 

Is there anything that could make Illini fans hate IU any more than Pearl being the head coach?

[illiniguy]

Once Sampson is canned, I have to wonder if IU comes sniffing around Bruce Pearl? I doubt that he'd leave what he's building in Knoxville, but it would most assuredly be interesting.

 

Is there anything that could make Illini fans hate IU any more than Pearl being the head coach?

IU is not going to go after Bruce Pearl. Pearl will never work in the Big Ten. I would imagine IU looks at Licklighter, Anthony Grant, Scott Drew, or Sean Miller. Hell maybe they even try and get Matta, he grew up a huge IU fan.

Edited February 14, 2008 by illiniguy

[Magnetic Curses]

like i said in the other thread, devin ebanks will be consulted about as to what to do with sampson.

 

the iu administration has proven time and again that all that they want to do is win, and couldn't care less about the rules.

[Keener98]

If I was IU, Id fire Sampson, and hire......Scott Skiles. I swear he would be a great college coach.

[soapy]

If I was IU, Id fire Sampson, and hire......Scott Skiles. I swear he would be a great college coach.

with out giving it much thought so far, i'm interested in looking at Scott Drew at Baylor.

[Magnetic Curses]

could be kruger.

[Keener98]

Heh, apparently one of the illegal 3 way calls Sampson participated in was with Illini freshman, DMac. Interesting

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Steve Alford

[illiniguy]

Heh, apparently one of the illegal 3 way calls Sampson participated in was with Illini freshman, DMac. Interesting

Wonder if Demetri stuck up for Sampson or threw his ass under the bus? Lol.

[illiniguy]

Steve Alford

I hope so, that would be stiffer punishment than anything the NCAA could throw at them.

[SouthSideRyan]

could be kruger.

 

I really hope not. Everyone says his wife hates the cold weather. Hopefully she has enough of a say. I'm pulling for Dakich. He'd be better than Davis, but I don't see him as any great threat to make IU a consistent power.

[illiniguy]

could be kruger.

 

I really hope not. Everyone says his wife hates the cold weather. Hopefully she has enough of a say. I'm pulling for Dakich. He'd be better than Davis, but I don't see him as any great threat to make IU a consistent power.

Why anyone would hire Kruger I don't get. I loved the guy when he was at Illinois, but he is a nomad. What is the longest he has been anywhere?

[Exile on Waveland]

like i said in the other thread, devin ebanks will be consulted about as to what to do with sampson.

 

the iu administration has proven time and again that all that they want to do is win, and couldn't care less about the rules.

 

Time and again? They hired Sampson, but that's not "time and again." That's simply once. This is the same school that fired Coach Knight and kept Mike Davis for six years -- I'd say they care very little about winning. I don't like Sampson and didn't want him hired, but the administration has made one mistake regarding rules. I've also very rarely, if ever, defended IU's administration. If they don't fire him, then it'll be two.

 

Sampson does have a clause in his contract stating he can be fired for just cause if he violates any rules. However, as a public employee, he has a right to due process. (I'm a law student, not an attorney, so feel free to correct me anyone.) If Sampson is let go before June, IU would either open itself up to a lawsuit a la Jim O'Brien-Ohio State or they'd have to negotiate a buyout.

 

I wanted Scott Skiles or Mike Montgomery last time. Still do.

[Exile on Waveland]

If I was IU, Id fire Sampson, and hire......Scott Skiles. I swear he would be a great college coach.

with out giving it much thought so far, i'm interested in looking at Scott Drew at Baylor.

 

You do NOT want Scott Drew to follow Kelvin Sampson. Drew as a clean-up specialist is laughable.

[soapy]

If I was IU, Id fire Sampson, and hire......Scott Skiles. I swear he would be a great college coach.

with out giving it much thought so far, i'm interested in looking at Scott Drew at Baylor.

 

You do NOT want Scott Drew to follow Kelvin Sampson. Drew as a clean-up specialist is laughable.

 

i honestly don't know a lot about him, buy why do you say that?

 

he's just one of the guys that popped in my head when i started thinking about what's next.

[illiniguy]

I thought Drew has done a pretty nice job in a very difficult spot at Baylor.

[Exile on Waveland]

If I was IU, Id fire Sampson, and hire......Scott Skiles. I swear he would be a great college coach.

with out giving it much thought so far, i'm interested in looking at Scott Drew at Baylor.

 

You do NOT want Scott Drew to follow Kelvin Sampson. Drew as a clean-up specialist is laughable.

 

i honestly don't know a lot about him, buy why do you say that?

 

he's just one of the guys that popped in my head when i started thinking about what's next.

 

He's done a good job at Baylor, but inside coaching circles he's probably considered dirtier than Sampson ever will be. His international connections are shady at best. While recruiting Kenneth Harris, Drew made a very large donation to a foundation run by Harris's AAU coach. Almost immediately after, Harris commits to Valpo. No one will touch that though, because his AAU coach is a reverend and it's a Christian group. Almost all coaches bend or break rules. However, Drew has hid behind international obscurity and religious righteousness to cheat. Please IU, stay away.

[Magnetic Curses]

like i said in the other thread, devin ebanks will be consulted about as to what to do with sampson.

 

the iu administration has proven time and again that all that they want to do is win, and couldn't care less about the rules.

 

Time and again? They hired Sampson, but that's not "time and again." That's simply once. This is the same school that fired Coach Knight and kept Mike Davis for six years -- I'd say they care very little about winning. I don't like Sampson and didn't want him hired, but the administration has made one mistake regarding rules. I've also very rarely, if ever, defended IU's administration. If they don't fire him, then it'll be two.

 

Sampson does have a clause in his contract stating he can be fired for just cause if he violates any rules. However, as a public employee, he has a right to due process. (I'm a law student, not an attorney, so feel free to correct me anyone.) If Sampson is let go before June, IU would either open itself up to a lawsuit a la Jim O'Brien-Ohio State or they'd have to negotiate a buyout.

 

I wanted Scott Skiles or Mike Montgomery last time. Still do.

 

i think by the time knight got fired, many had felt that the game had passed him by. the quality of recruits he was bringing in just wasn't cutting it. i really think that they wanted to hire or promote an african-american for recruiting purposes. davis prolonged his tenure with an appearance in the nc game, plus, he was bringing in fairly decent recruits--he just couldn't do anything with them.

 

they obviously brought in sampson to go after gordon, thinking that he would get them back to elite status as a major destination for top high school talent-sampson has also brought in devin ebanks, and like i said, firing samspon will only be a last resort as an act of good faith toward the ncaa--it will be a risk/reward situation--if they lose ebanks, they will want to make sure that they don't get levied with heavy sanctions, but if they aren't going to get punished much, they might as well keep sampson and ebanks.

 

they ignored his reputation when they hired him, they ignored his phone violations, essentially slapping him on the wrist and firing a coach who didn't know sampson at ou.

 

they've wagered everything on sampson and his recruiting tactics and it's blown up in their faces, i have absolutely no sympathy for them, in fact, i can't help but admit a healthy bit of schadenfreude, as an illini fan. i hope the next coach does things the right way, i've always had respect for the iu program and view the job as a top 5 one nationally.

[Andy]

Notre Dame's RPI is holding steady in the mid to upper 20s after last night. The only other positive is that after Harangody's 32/16 effort against one of the Big East's best defenders in Thabeet (not to mention a guy who has at least half a foot on Luke), there's almost no way Luke doesn't win conference player of the year barring a catastrophic injury.

 

Irish tied for 3rd in the BE...as long as they can stay 2nd or 3rd to stay away from Georgetown until the Big East final I'll be ok.

[illiniguy]

Notre Dame's RPI is holding steady in the mid to upper 20s after last night. The only other positive is that after Harangody's 32/16 effort against one of the Big East's best defenders in Thabeet (not to mention a guy who has at least half a foot on Luke), there's almost no way Luke doesn't win conference player of the year barring a catastrophic injury.

 

Irish tied for 3rd in the BE...as long as they can stay 2nd or 3rd to stay away from Georgetown until the Big East final I'll be ok.

Does Harangody have any chance to play at the next level? I haven't seen him enough to form a true opinion.

[Andy]

Notre Dame's RPI is holding steady in the mid to upper 20s after last night. The only other positive is that after Harangody's 32/16 effort against one of the Big East's best defenders in Thabeet (not to mention a guy who has at least half a foot on Luke), there's almost no way Luke doesn't win conference player of the year barring a catastrophic injury.

 

Irish tied for 3rd in the BE...as long as they can stay 2nd or 3rd to stay away from Georgetown until the Big East final I'll be ok.

Does Harangody have any chance to play at the next level? I haven't seen him enough to form a true opinion.

He'll probably get a shot somewhere. He's too short to ever be a star (he's listed at 6'8" and that may be generous), but the fact that he can shoot the jump shot and his incredible finesse around the basket may get him a spot in somebody's rotation down the line. If he gets more athletic that would help.

[illiniguy]

Notre Dame's RPI is holding steady in the mid to upper 20s after last night. The only other positive is that after Harangody's 32/16 effort against one of the Big East's best defenders in Thabeet (not to mention a guy who has at least half a foot on Luke), there's almost no way Luke doesn't win conference player of the year barring a catastrophic injury.

 

Irish tied for 3rd in the BE...as long as they can stay 2nd or 3rd to stay away from Georgetown until the Big East final I'll be ok.

Does Harangody have any chance to play at the next level? I haven't seen him enough to form a true opinion.

He'll probably get a shot somewhere. He's too short to ever be a star (he's listed at 6'8" and that may be generous), but the fact that he can shoot the jump shot and his incredible finesse around the basket may get him a spot in somebody's rotation down the line. If he gets more athletic that would help.

lol, I don't know how one "gets more athletic", but if you can shoot you ususally can get a shot at least.

[hawkeyecub]

Once Sampson is canned, I have to wonder if IU comes sniffing around Bruce Pearl? I doubt that he'd leave what he's building in Knoxville, but it would most assuredly be interesting.

 

Is there anything that could make Illini fans hate IU any more than Pearl being the head coach?

IU is not going to go after Bruce Pearl. Pearl will never work in the Big Ten. I would imagine IU looks at Licklighter, Anthony Grant, Scott Drew, or Sean Miller. Hell maybe they even try and get Matta, he grew up a huge IU fan.

 

No way would Lickliter or Matta leave. Lick isn't a true Hoosier like our last guy. He already left the one school he had loyalty and ties to. I think Iowa is a better fit for his personality than IU. Miller would be a good target.

 

Thank you Exile for talking about Drew, I was about to say the same thing when I saw his name mentioned. I laughed a couple weeks ago when the national media was praising him after that 5 OT win for how much he's cleaned up that program and the amazing turnaround he's had. Well yeah the turnaround has been something, but it's not so amazing when you hear about how he's done it.

 

Please IU, please bring Steve back home. It would be so sweet to beat him at a "real basketball school" when he's "back in red" and hear what excuses he would come up with. I actually liked Alford a fair amount and defended him quite a bit when he was here, but he did himself no favors on the way out.