22-23 NCAA Basketball Season

[ousdahl]

didn't Texas coulda had Beard but chose Shaka instead?

[CrimsonNBlue]

^^^^^
still think it’s shitty he jumped to ut

Eh, at some point you have to do what you have to do for yourself and family. You get one life and often, one shot at what you consider your dream job. I'd bet money on him winning a Natty at Texas. He left them in good hands, and the Tech fans' reaction solidified for me that he made the right decision.

I still don't think it played a part, but the SEC move does soften the blow.

to each their own. to me, building (and continuing to build) a program a tech specifically because it’s in the shadow of ut would be more telling and more “special” than succeeding at a place where it’s expected due to the resources

i doubt he wins a natty, but we’ll see

It's his alma mater and home and the only ones that can really judge us on how "telling" or "special" the path we take is is our family and friends. If loyalty is the only thing that mattered, then no coaching change would ever happen. Our favorite coach only saw 1 recruiting class graduate (ORU) before taking his dream job at KU. Would it have been more special if Self built Illinois into a national power rather than winning titles at the winningest program of all time?

All of us jump jobs, and often just for money. People might not like it, but it's not "shitty." So long as you do it the right way, not like Bobby Petrino, and Beard did. So did Self. So did Roy Williams (kinda). So did Lance Leipold. And on and on. If Beard's shitty, then they're all shitty.

[Deleted User 863]

the Tech fans' reaction solidified for me that he made the right decision.

I was surprised that they acted as shitty as they did.

Then again, Illinois fans treated Self pretty shitty when he left too.

KU fans didn't seem to be as cruel to Roy, but maybe I just didn't notice the really mean stuff. There is a difference between having your feelings hurt/being bitter (like I was for a long time after Roy left) and being cruel and disrespectful to/about someone, like Illinois fans were towards Self and his family.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Again, early, but here is KenPom:

1. UT
2. UK
3. Houston
5. Baylor
8. KU
10. IU
11. Duke
18. UNC
19. Mich St.
26. Tech
54. TCU

Gun to my head, I'd pick UK to be best team at end of season. Yes, they just lost a 2OT game, but Tshiebwe's first game back. Just can't forget what they did to us last year.

UNC playing close games out of the gate shouldn't really be a shock. Fine choice for preseason No. 1, but they were an 8 seed last year and still finished 16 KenPom.

UT has had the best start, have a shit ton of talent, and a great coach. Houston is also headed towards the #1 seed in KC.

UT has a "great" coach?

I don't think there are many "great" coaches in college basketball at the moment. And he's not 1 of the handful I'd consider "great" such as proven/established guys like Self Izzo and Calipari.

For me, he's definitely in that next tier of up-and-comers though. Definitely one of the best younger coaches around. Maybe the best. Just hasn't really won anything meaningful enough for me to consider him "great".

And we can totally define great differently in this instance. You might think there are 10 great college coaches active right now and I might only consiser 4 or 5 as great.

It's all relative and semantics then.

[CrimsonNBlue]

didn't Texas coulda had Beard but chose Shaka instead?

Nah, Beard was too green when Shaka was hired. The conversation was if Texas was holding onto Shaka too long, and hindered by a bad contract, to where Beard would no longer be interested in the job. e.g. taking Tech to a title game makes you a candidate at the UK and KU's of the world. Compare Beard after that to Gillispie or even Final Four-less Self.

[CrimsonNBlue]

KU fans didn't seem to be as cruel to Roy, but maybe I just didn't notice the really mean stuff. There is a difference between having your feelings hurt/being bitter (like I was for a long time after Roy left) and being cruel and disrespectful to/about someone, like Illinois fans were towards Self and his family.

I agree KU fans were better but there was not a big internet, smartphone, and social media presence back then. KU fans were plenty mad at Roy for many, many years, but tend to agree they wouldn't have made him fear for his physical safety the way Tech fans did. The Illinois fake funeral was Bruce Weber insecurity.

[MICHHAWK]

KU fans were pretty bitter when HCRW left.

[randylahey]

KU fans didn't seem to be as cruel to Roy, but maybe I just didn't notice the really mean stuff. There is a difference between having your feelings hurt/being bitter (like I was for a long time after Roy left) and being cruel and disrespectful to/about someone, like Illinois fans were towards Self and his family.

I agree KU fans were better but there was not a big internet, smartphone, and social media presence back then. KU fans were plenty mad at Roy for many, many years, but tend to agree they wouldn't have made him fear for his physical safety the way Tech fans did. The Illinois fake funeral was Bruce Weber insecurity.

No coaching change will ever be funnier/more ridiculous than the Bruce weber fake funeral thing

[Sparko]

I wasn't bitter. I wished Roy well. It was all biscuits and waffles. We were a football school then and so much of life was ahead of us. We dreamed of an Overland Park Field House.

[CrimsonNBlue]

I think there were hurt feelings which led to people grasping onto things like Roy's football stadium announcement that he was a Jayhawk for life and then Dean Smith's courtship during our National Title Game run. But looking back, think how fortunate the timing really was. If Roy doesn't stay at KU and get his ass beat by Bill in 2001, the '02 and '03 Final Fours don't happen and Self probably stays at Illinois for a long time until going to Oklahoma State.

[digitalkookie]

If Beard's shitty, then they're all shitty.

A buddy of mine (Tech grad) and some friends were having dinner at Maudie's and noticed Beard having dinner with his family. On their way out, my buddy did the little Tech gun shootin thingy and made some innocuous comment to Beard. He proceeded to jump up from the table, get in my buddy's face and began spewing profanities in front of his family and the entire restaurant. Keep in mind, my buddy is probably the nicest guy in town.

Just some local insight into Beard...sorry to go all Gutter story time

[CrimsonNBlue]

If Beard's shitty, then they're all shitty.

A buddy of mine (Tech grad) and some friends were having dinner at Maudie's and noticed Beard having dinner with his family. On their way out, my buddy did the little Tech gun shootin thingy and made some innocuous comment to Beard. He proceeded to jump up from the table, get in my buddy's face and began spewing profanities in front of his family and the entire restaurant. Keep in mind, my buddy is probably the nicest guy in town.

Just some local insight into Beard...sorry to go all Gutter story time

Did everyone in the restaurant clap after?

j/k. If true, of course that's shitty.

[digitalkookie]

If Beard's shitty, then they're all shitty.

A buddy of mine (Tech grad) and some friends were having dinner at Maudie's and noticed Beard having dinner with his family. On their way out, my buddy did the little Tech gun shootin thingy and made some innocuous comment to Beard. He proceeded to jump up from the table, get in my buddy's face and began spewing profanities in front of his family and the entire restaurant. Keep in mind, my buddy is probably the nicest guy in town.

Just some local insight into Beard...sorry to go all Gutter story time

Did everyone in the restaurant clap after?

j/k. If true, of course that's shitty.

No one clapped, and yes, that is true

[MICHHAWK]

if your buddy is the nicest guy in town he would have kept his mouth shut and his hand gestures to himself.

that story gives me more insight into your buddy.

[CrimsonNBlue]

We all know who Beard's coaching mentor/hero is . . .

[Deleted User 863]

It's all relative and semantics then.

Fair.

Is he in your top 5 active coaches?

Hard for me to put him above a few guys that have been doing it at a high level for significantly longer, but he's got a lot more career left ahead of him than many of the top coaches.

He's close for me.

[digitalkookie]

if your buddy is the nicest guy in town he would have kept his mouth shut and his hand gestures to himself.

that story gives me more insight into your buddy.

It was in jest Mich.

The point is...nevermind

[CrimsonNBlue]

It's all relative and semantics then.

Fair.

Is he in your top 5 active coaches?

Hard for me to put him above a few guys that have been doing it at a high level for significantly longer, but he's got a lot more career left ahead of him than many of the top coaches.

He's close for me.

I think it's hard to make the list, especially after the recent retirements, because resume matters, but how much?

Like I'd much rather have Kelvin Sampson than Boeheim or Pitino right now, but what about over Izzo? It's pretty close and I love Izzo. I think if you're in the top 10/15, maybe 20 coaches, you're more than capable of helping your team to a chip. Beard's obviously in there.

The only one I know is that Self is #1. No one else makes sense over him.

[Deleted User 863]

KU fans didn't seem to be as cruel to Roy, but maybe I just didn't notice the really mean stuff. There is a difference between having your feelings hurt/being bitter (like I was for a long time after Roy left) and being cruel and disrespectful to/about someone, like Illinois fans were towards Self and his family.

I agree KU fans were better but there was not a big internet, smartphone, and social media presence back then. KU fans were plenty mad at Roy for many, many years, but tend to agree they wouldn't have made him fear for his physical safety the way Tech fans did. The Illinois fake funeral was Bruce Weber insecurity.

No coaching change will ever be funnier/more ridiculous than the Bruce weber fake funeral thing

Hated Weber ever since.

But while that was petty, it wasn't really a big deal.

What was a bigger deal to me was how badly the Champaign-Urbana community treated his kids/wife in the first few weeks following the decision to leave Illinois for Kansas. It was pretty bad I think.

[Mjl]

I can't listen to randy and mich talk about Baylor like this without getting this white noise sensation in my ears.

It's like tinnitus or something?

but instead of a ringing sound, it's more of a sucking sound.

I was more impressed by Beard's run at Tech than what Baylor has done lately. We're a bad late call and a pandemic away from having the champs be in order: 19 Tech, 20 Kansas, 21 Baylor, 22 Kansas.

^^^^^
still think it’s shitty he jumped to ut

Lubbock vs Austin. Can't blame him, just based on that