My Fiver on The Turncoat and where we go from here... (Wren Baker was far more diplomatic in his statement on this situation than I would've been. My statement would've made Clark Griswold's rant in Christmas Vacation look like a church hymn)....
1. In December, a poster on this board who lives in WV and has access to, and is very familiar with, many folks with connections to WVU, told me that Tucker DeVries being out was a choice made by The Turncoat because he felt he could market both Turncoat & Tucker as a package to maximize their profitability in the post-season marketplace. In a text thread that was revisited yesterday, I saw that I responded "no chance". Well...turns out he was spot on. This was a premeditated move by Turncoat, and his son, and they have been one foot out the door for a while. My only question was - When was the choice made? Saw a poster on here suggest that it could've been made in Atlantis when Indiana was there. Tucker shut it down soon thereafter. Interesting.
2. WVU was so badly unprepared to play Colorado in Kansas City, and it produced perhaps the worst 5 minute stretch of basketball I've ever seen, at any level, including my girls U9 basketball league here in Vienna, VA. How do you produce a 5-minute stretch of basketball where you have 0 FG attempts, 3 fouls, and 7 turnovers? I'll tell you how -- you become so self-absorbed that you completely ignore your duties and responsibilities as head coach of a major college basketball program, you look out for yourself only, and you coast...waiting for the season to end. This will be my lasting impression of Turncoat. That 5-minute stretch of basketball.
3. What could've been? It apropos of nothing right now, but if Turncoat didn't purposely shut his son down with WVU sitting at 6-2 after just defeating Georgetown, then WVU would still be playing right now as a very dangerous 5 or 6 seed after finishing the season no worse than 13-7 Big 12, 24-9 overall. I mean, if Turncoat would've actually put forth the effort, instead of using this season at WVU to bankroll his future employment, this could've been a very special year for us.
4. There is a wealth of talent in the Portal. An absolute embarrassment of riches awaits. (If you haven't yet, check out Layne Taylor, Freshman PG from Central Arkansas) In order to avoid a fairly miserable transition season next year, Wren Baker needs to get moving, and get someone in place for Sunday when the Portal opens for biz. This is a concern because our coaching candidates are mainly in the Tournament at the moment, and may not even be available to have meaningful discussions about the position until Sunday. If we have someone in place soon, we can still put together a pretty damn good team which can be well-coached (if the Coach is interested in actually building a program here) to a great season next year, like McCollum did at Drake this year, like Mark Byington did at Vanderbilt, like Kevin Young did at BYU.
5. No secret that I want one guy: Jim Crutchfield, who just lead NOVA Southeastern to victory last night in the D2 Sweet Sixteen, his 4th consecutive berth into the D2 Elite Eight. (West Liberty also won to make the Elite Eight) Crutch would undoubtedly bring along Ben Howlett, who could later transition to head coach after Crutch retires in 5-7 years. With Rich running football, and Crutch running basketball, you would have two homegrown winners who are going to stay and put everything into the programs. (Crutch has said that this is the one job he would take - an agent is quoted in a Grantland article on Crutchfield as saying that he has turned down every coaching offer the agent has ever delivered) However, I am well aware that this is not conventional thinking, and that a more in-the-box hire will be made along the lines of names we've seen here many times...in my order of preference:
- McCollum/Wade tied
- Bucky ball
- Huss
- And I would take a long look and interview Takayo Siddle at UNCW. Dude is winning there at a high clip.
Bottom line is that WVU is a destination job which can be good enough to win a national championship in basketball. Of that I have no doubt. Turncoat was too self absorbed to see it. Someone will, and someone will come here and win big. Brighter days ahead.
1. In December, a poster on this board who lives in WV and has access to, and is very familiar with, many folks with connections to WVU, told me that Tucker DeVries being out was a choice made by The Turncoat because he felt he could market both Turncoat & Tucker as a package to maximize their profitability in the post-season marketplace. In a text thread that was revisited yesterday, I saw that I responded "no chance". Well...turns out he was spot on. This was a premeditated move by Turncoat, and his son, and they have been one foot out the door for a while. My only question was - When was the choice made? Saw a poster on here suggest that it could've been made in Atlantis when Indiana was there. Tucker shut it down soon thereafter. Interesting.
2. WVU was so badly unprepared to play Colorado in Kansas City, and it produced perhaps the worst 5 minute stretch of basketball I've ever seen, at any level, including my girls U9 basketball league here in Vienna, VA. How do you produce a 5-minute stretch of basketball where you have 0 FG attempts, 3 fouls, and 7 turnovers? I'll tell you how -- you become so self-absorbed that you completely ignore your duties and responsibilities as head coach of a major college basketball program, you look out for yourself only, and you coast...waiting for the season to end. This will be my lasting impression of Turncoat. That 5-minute stretch of basketball.
3. What could've been? It apropos of nothing right now, but if Turncoat didn't purposely shut his son down with WVU sitting at 6-2 after just defeating Georgetown, then WVU would still be playing right now as a very dangerous 5 or 6 seed after finishing the season no worse than 13-7 Big 12, 24-9 overall. I mean, if Turncoat would've actually put forth the effort, instead of using this season at WVU to bankroll his future employment, this could've been a very special year for us.
4. There is a wealth of talent in the Portal. An absolute embarrassment of riches awaits. (If you haven't yet, check out Layne Taylor, Freshman PG from Central Arkansas) In order to avoid a fairly miserable transition season next year, Wren Baker needs to get moving, and get someone in place for Sunday when the Portal opens for biz. This is a concern because our coaching candidates are mainly in the Tournament at the moment, and may not even be available to have meaningful discussions about the position until Sunday. If we have someone in place soon, we can still put together a pretty damn good team which can be well-coached (if the Coach is interested in actually building a program here) to a great season next year, like McCollum did at Drake this year, like Mark Byington did at Vanderbilt, like Kevin Young did at BYU.
5. No secret that I want one guy: Jim Crutchfield, who just lead NOVA Southeastern to victory last night in the D2 Sweet Sixteen, his 4th consecutive berth into the D2 Elite Eight. (West Liberty also won to make the Elite Eight) Crutch would undoubtedly bring along Ben Howlett, who could later transition to head coach after Crutch retires in 5-7 years. With Rich running football, and Crutch running basketball, you would have two homegrown winners who are going to stay and put everything into the programs. (Crutch has said that this is the one job he would take - an agent is quoted in a Grantland article on Crutchfield as saying that he has turned down every coaching offer the agent has ever delivered) However, I am well aware that this is not conventional thinking, and that a more in-the-box hire will be made along the lines of names we've seen here many times...in my order of preference:
- McCollum/Wade tied
- Bucky ball
- Huss
- And I would take a long look and interview Takayo Siddle at UNCW. Dude is winning there at a high clip.
Bottom line is that WVU is a destination job which can be good enough to win a national championship in basketball. Of that I have no doubt. Turncoat was too self absorbed to see it. Someone will, and someone will come here and win big. Brighter days ahead.
