I've Just About Had It II

[Orestes]

are you really comparing matta to coach k? lets wait a while, like 600 more wins and at least one national championship before we make that comparison.

osu plays in the big ten for cryin out loud.

i hope we can all agree that mullins is no eric montross from unc right now at this moment.(i chose him because im not a unc fan to be fair). before we go on i understand that this is more of a personal/business decision than it is a learning decision. mullins=montross in the pros. montross in the pros=below avg good luck to the kid, get a nice long deal because its gonna be the last with big money.

as for the comment about oden being injured alot, thank you for proving my point. he was injured in college and has been injured in the pros for his first two years. i dont care how great anyone thinks he is, if he doesnt get on the floor it doesnt matter. look for portland to trade him soon before he gets hurt again.

1 year in college? it probably helps a little in the right program. i think it should be 3 years or a certain age like the nfl.

I don't disagree with much of anything you posted.

As for Oden, I hope you are not cheering against him. He is a great guy.

[avalanche]

These are all valid points and I respect what you all are saying. I think that Matta is a very good coach that is why I feel it is pretty difficult to be upset with a coach who has been as successful as he has.

The college game has changed, and he is adapting just like every coach in America.

When judging a coach, longevity is a part of the evaluation process.

Tom Izzo has only won two Big Ten Titles, but his program is defined by final fours and tournament success. His team was in the final four as recently as 2005.

Coach K also went through a similar transition in 2000 (much like Matta). His team was favored to win the NCAA Championship the year before with players like Magette, Brand, and Avery. They lost that season, and watched all three jet for the NBA. Two years later he won the National Championship, again only to see his best players leave for the NBA.

Coach K knows better then anyone what it is like to lose your best players:

Player/Year they left
Jason Williams, sophomore
Elton Brand, sophomore
William Avery, sophomore
Corey Magette, freshman
Luol Deng, freshmen
Mike Dunleavey, Jr., junior
Carlos Boozer, junior


Now imagine if those players would have stayed. No one has a bigger gripe in terms of players leaving early then Coach K.

Coach K, despite recent tournament failures, has three 30 plus wins seasons since his last National Championship season. He has won the ACC regular season title twice and the ACC tournament championship four times since 2001. The last time he did not win at least 20 plus games was in the 1995 season when he went 18-13.

For the following reasons I can not put Matta in the same category as Coach K or some of the other elite coaches.

[qualified101]

dont forget mcroberts(soph). kinda glad he left though. i think coach k is recruiting a different player now than before and its probably due to some early departures. it would seem that he will only consider a player if they commit to at least 3 years. i think hes done with the 1 & done players. i think he tells them up front, look we/i/duke expects you to play for duke for the time you comitted for which i think is the right way to do it. i will say also, that a coach can have that attitude when the coach has a lifetime contract, that makes it alot easier to close the deal with a potential player. we'll see at the end of this year whether or not singler or henderson try to make the jump to the nba, neither are ready mentally, physically henderson is, but he'll just be another vince carter. highlights and thats about it.

i didnt read it, but a friend of mine at a baseball draft yesterday said pj hill admitted that it was his mistake in the sienna game. matta told hill to foul but hill didnt. my buddy said he read it in the dispatch i believe. if this is true, its just a matter of discipline which can be taken care of.

[noreply66]

They should go back to the hardship of the early 60s--I'm sure it was a lot different.

Does anyone remember?

I was thinking you had to be a senior and the hardship was strongly being poor.

[qualified101]

i think they should have to stay until they graduate. they basically signed a contract to get an education for a reduced amount to play basketball. now i know the contracts are one year deals but as we all know it takes 3-4 years to graduate and usually you never see or hear of a scholarship being rescended(sp?). i like the idea of, if it takes 4 years to graduate then you can play in the nba. if you want to take a light course load and it takes 5 years then a player is out for a year. if a player can graduate in 3 years then great, his commitment is fulfilled. this would only happen in a dream world though. last point, if they want to go for one year of college then dont go at all, just make the jump from high school to the nba.

[avalanche]

That is a good point. The real problem is the way the NBA contracts are consturcted. If the players union would make asl the league for the rookie contracts to be based on production, then this would not be a problem.

If someone is good enough to make a living in the NBA at 18, they should be able to do so.

[d-5]

Heck, back in the 60s, freshmen couldnt even play varsity basketball. Can you imagine Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek on a freshman team? They couldve beaten the varsity!

Don't forget are good friend Bob Knight