Report: Shaka Smart rejects Illinois

[Max]

Originally Posted by VCURamFan

OK, Max, sure. My bad. You’re an unbiased observer who’s never dogged on VCU every chance you get around here, sorry if I misrepresented your history. Do me a favor, though, & actually pay attention to my post as a whole: a big name doesn’t mean a big opportunity, it can just be a big mess. Why would he abandon the 3yrs of hard work he’s put in here at VCU getting right on the cusp of being a household name & perennial bracket-buster (like Gonzaga did back in the 90s) just to step into a big spotlight with a program that’s in shambles. He had to decide between a community that loves him with only upside in front of him and a way riskier spotlight with much less room for error. He’s learning from the mistake of others. I wouldn’t have faulted him for moving on (it’s part of the life of being a mid-major fan), but I think he made the smarter decision.

Ive dogged VCU once and that was because I felt there were 3 teams that were more deserving than VCU last year. I said congrats to you this year when you made your post. You on the other hand called me a MF_ER when VCU made it to the final 4 last year and this year when you made your post you felt the need to say you wished VCU could have beaten ODU 3 times even though you and I had not talked once about basketball this entire season. IMO if a coach is truly elite he is going to win when he takes that step up in competition. Alabama was 6-7 before Saban got there, in his second year they went 12-2. (he has won 2 national titles at the school) Florida was 7-5 the year before Meyer got there, national title second year there. Kentucky missed the tournament the year before Calipari, went to the Elite Eight in his first year. Elite coaches will win where ever they go, they are the ones that make the grass greener on the other side, and IMO Shaka is an elite coach.

You did answer my question though as to why he may not want to take the position. He might feel at home in richmond or it might be the fact that he wants to see what his system can do once its filled with player who were recruited for his system.

[Max]

Originally Posted by J.B.

You are kinda making my point for me when you say that turning your school into a national power is what makes a coach a big name. Shaka already has a good thing going at VCU and if he can keep winning, more better prospects will want to play for him there in the future. If it weren't for Shaka Smart (and Ben ) most people probably wouldn't even know what a VCU is.

Sure, he could go to a bigger school, but Illinois? They are hardly Duke, Kansas, or North Carolina. Sure, Illinois is bigger than VCU, and I understand that the 3 schools I mentioned don't need new coaches, but I don't see how Shaka would be better off there than at VCU. He is obviously happy with his situation, and he stands to gain more recognition by taking a smaller school to great heights than going to a bigger school where expectations are higher.

I totally understand your point, I just don't think Shaka really missed out on something by staying at VCU and tuning Illinois down. Now, if the New York Knicks, or any NBA team in need of a new coach came calling, or a really big time NCAA program came calling with a blank check, then I would agree with you.

my point was that national powers are schools in the major conferences. Butler when to 2 strait national championships yet they are not mentioned in the same breath as schools like Syracuse, Duke, Ohio State... because they play in the Horizon league. Since 1999 Gonzaga has not missed a NCAA tournament, 5 times they have made it to the sweet 16 and once to the elite eight yet they are still not considered a national power. At best the mid majors become yearly bracket busters.

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by Max

my point was that national powers are schools in the major conferences. Butler when to 2 strait national championships yet they are not mentioned in the same breath as schools like Syracuse, Duke, Ohio State... because they play in the Horizon league. Since 1999 Gonzaga has not missed a NCAA tournament, 5 times they have made it to the sweet 16 and once to the elite eight yet they are still not considered a national power. At best the mid majors become yearly bracket busters.

You are absolutely correct, but that doesn't mean Smart is any better off by going to a school that already has a reputation of mediocrity. Butler has had it's run too, but it was only in the last few years, and they had to go through VCU to get there last year.

It's not something that happens overnight, it takes years of winning to develop that reputation, just like guys like Coach K had to do. If you are Shaka Smart, why upset the apple cart now? It's not like Football where teams in lower conferences get screwed out of a chance every year, for the most part the teams who should be in the tournament make it there and get a shot at glory. That's why people love March Maddness so much and hate the BCS.

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by Max

Ive dogged VCU once and that was because I felt there were 3 teams that were more deserving than VCU last year. I said congrats to you this year when you made your post. You on the other hand called me a MF_ER when VCU made it to the final 4 last year and this year when you made your post you felt the need to say you wished VCU could have beaten ODU 3 times even though you and I had not talked once about basketball this entire season. IMO if a coach is truly elite he is going to win when he takes that step up in competition. Alabama was 6-7 before Saban got there, in his second year they went 12-2. (he has won 2 national titles at the school) Florida was 7-5 the year before Meyer got there, national title second year there. Kentucky missed the tournament the year before Calipari, went to the Elite Eight in his first year. Elite coaches will win where ever they go, they are the ones that make the grass greener on the other side, and IMO Shaka is an elite coach.

You did answer my question though as to why he may not want to take the position. He might feel at home in richmond or it might be the fact that he wants to see what his system can do once its filled with player who were recruited for his system.

You didn't dog VCU once, that would be saying "Man, I think there are three better teams." You came into a thread in which I was celebrating VCU's inclusion (not discussing the field, but simply saying "Yay") & decided you needed to $h!t on my parade. The only reason you finally stopped was because a) you were taught manners under threat of deletion & b) we went to the Final Four & your dog wouldn't hunt anymore.

For someone who claims that you've never been offended by anything on this board, you seem pretty butt-hurt about me calling you an MF-er. I apologized for that. Like I said at the time, I was hyped about our win & pissed about the bull$h!t you had pulled earlier. My apology still stands, regardless of whether you say your feelings are hurt or not. Take it or leave it.

And yes, I do wish we had beat y'all three times. That wasn't a personal attack on you. I've said that in person to the ODU alums I'm actually friends with: y'all are our in-state, in-conference rivals, of course I want to beat you 3 times. Hell, I'd love to beat y'all & GMU & W&M 5 times a year if they'd let us. I want VCU to win. Don't tell you're gonna get butt-hurt about that one, too. If you want to bring up the frequency of our basketball discussion, how often did we talk college hoops last season before you jammed your foot in your mouth a year ago?

As for a coach winning when he takes a step up in competition, Shaka did that last year: he stepped up to the national stage & beat 5 of the power conferences. This year we had an amazing showing for our rebuilding year, nearly beating the Hoosiers. He's 6-2 in just 3 years as a head coach. Tell me this: how's your "elite" coach's record when he "steps up" in competition on the big stage? A been a head coach 7x as long as Shaka & he's 1-5. Shaka's got as many wins as y'all have games. Your one win was against a soft Notre Dame squad. And Mercer? Yeah, really facing the best of the best, aren't ya?

Drop the envy, bro. It's not a good look on you.

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by VCURamFan

And Mercer? Yeah, really facing the best of the best, aren't ya?

That's what they said when Randy Couture faced Mercer....

[Max]

Originally Posted by VCURamFan

1. You didn't dog VCU once, that would be saying "Man, I think there are three better teams." You came into a thread in which I was celebrating VCU's inclusion (not discussing the field, but simply saying "Yay") & decided you needed to $h!t on my parade. The only reason you finally stopped was because a) you were taught manners under threat of deletion & b) we went to the Final Four & your dog wouldn't hunt anymore.

2. For someone who claims that you've never been offended by anything on this board, you seem pretty butt-hurt about me calling you an MF-er. I apologized for that. Like I said at the time, I was hyped about our win & pissed about the bull$h!t you had pulled earlier. My apology still stands, regardless of whether you say your feelings are hurt or not. Take it or leave it.

3. If you want to bring up the frequency of our basketball discussion, how often did we talk college hoops last season before you jammed your foot in your mouth a year ago?

4. As for a coach winning when he takes a step up in competition, Shaka did that last year: he stepped up to the national stage & beat 5 of the power conferences. This year we had an amazing showing for our rebuilding year, nearly beating the Hoosiers. He's 6-2 in just 3 years as a head coach. Tell me this: how's your "elite" coach's record when he "steps up" in competition on the big stage? A been a head coach 7x as long as Shaka & he's 1-5. Shaka's got as many wins as y'all have games. Your one win was against a soft Notre Dame squad. And Mercer? Yeah, really facing the best of the best, aren't ya?

Drop the envy, bro. It's not a good look on you.

1. I still stick by what I said last year. Being able to win in the tournament and being deserving of a tournament spot are two different things. In fact I even stated in the thread that it did not matter how many games VCU won in the tournament because there were three teams that did more during the season that should have had their chance to show what they can do. Hellyou even said "I dunno how, I dunno why, but somehow the Selection Committee saw fit to give us a ticket to the Big Dance" and "Sorry Tech, sorry Colorada, sorry Alabama, sorry to everyone whose resume may was better" so even you know that one those three teams should have been in over the tournament instead of VCU. Now I dont expect you to feel bad about it but dont act like what I said wasnt a true statement.

2. I brought it up because I was in no way trying to talk crap about VCU I simply asking a question as to why he didnt want to leave and then stated the reasons why most coaches leave schools. You chose to think that I was attacking VCU and said I dogged them every chance I get. I brought up this year I simply said congrats and that was it and pointed out that you are the once who chooses to bring up ODU vs VCU ore often than not.

3. I think we may have talked about it once or twice when VCU was playing ODU, then again that may have been the year before.

4. Please show me where I have ever posted that Blaine Taylor is some type of elite coach? Now you are putting words in my mouth. Taylor is a good coach but no one I would cry about if he left. As for Mercer, ODU cant control who it faces in the 4th, or maybe its the 5th or 6th, most important post season tournament. The reason the teams are in the CIT is because they suck, its they didnt suck they would be in the NCAA or NIT. Now ODU did play two top 10 teams this year, Kentucky and Mizzouri, and lost to both. Also, I said when you asked me what tournament we were going to that we were going to the CIT, we had a bad year, and if we won the CIT we were like the 124th best team in the nation. look at me brag about how awesome ODU basketball was this year. hell our best player being arrested 20 mins before the game was bigger news than the entire CIT tourney. In fact the highlight of our season was losing to Kentucky by 10 pts. ODU basketball sucks, our biggest tournament highlight is losing to Butler by 2 points last year, thank god we have football.

[Max]

Originally Posted by J.B.

That's why people love March Maddness so much and hate the BCS.

I love the BCS, I would like to see a plus 1 but for the most part I think they get it right. I dont think that a team like Boise State should get a shot at a national championship simply because they beat one good team all year and fill the rest of their schedule with sub .500 teams.

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by Max

1. I still stick by what I said last year. Being able to win in the tournament and being deserving of a tournament spot are two different things..

Are you on the committee to pick BCS bowl games?

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by Max

I love the BCS,

Sorry bro, any credibility you had is now shredded. I was giving you the benefit of the doubt when you said streamers should have to pay legal fees back to UFC but now I just LOL....

Continue...

[VCURamFan]

Originally Posted by Max

1. I still stick by what I said last year. Being able to win in the tournament and being deserving of a tournament spot are two different things. In fact I even stated in the thread that it did not matter how many games VCU won in the tournament because there were three teams that did more during the season that should have had their chance to show what they can do. Hellyou even said "I dunno how, I dunno why, but somehow the Selection Committee saw fit to give us a ticket to the Big Dance" and "Sorry Tech, sorry Colorada, sorry Alabama, sorry to everyone whose resume may was better" so even you know that one those three teams should have been in over the tournament instead of VCU. Now I dont expect you to feel bad about it but dont act like what I said wasnt a true statement.

2. I brought it up because I was in no way trying to talk crap about VCU I simply asking a question as to why he didnt want to leave and then stated the reasons why most coaches leave schools. You chose to think that I was attacking VCU and said I dogged them every chance I get. I brought up this year I simply said congrats and that was it and pointed out that you are the once who chooses to bring up ODU vs VCU ore often than not.

3. I think we may have talked about it once or twice when VCU was playing ODU, then again that may have been the year before.

4. Please show me where I have ever posted that Blaine Taylor is some type of elite coach? Now you are putting words in my mouth. Taylor is a good coach but no one I would cry about if he left. As for Mercer, ODU cant control who it faces in the 4th, or maybe its the 5th or 6th, most important post season tournament. The reason the teams are in the CIT is because they suck, its they didnt suck they would be in the NCAA or NIT. Now ODU did play two top 10 teams this year, Kentucky and Mizzouri, and lost to both. Also, I said when you asked me what tournament we were going to that we were going to the CIT, we had a bad year, and if we won the CIT we were like the 124th best team in the nation. look at me brag about how awesome ODU basketball was this year. hell our best player being arrested 20 mins before the game was bigger news than the entire CIT tourney. In fact the highlight of our season was losing to Kentucky by 10 pts. ODU basketball sucks, our biggest tournament highlight is losing to Butler by 2 points last year, thank god we have football.

The point I've been trying to make this whole time (and the one you just confirmed for me in your last paragraph) is that you have nothing to be proud of with ODU basketball. Instead of trying to find ways to endorse your own team, you'd rather just try to take shots at VCU & tear us down to your level. Tell you what, Max, I'll make a deal with you: I'll stay out of your ODU threads if you stay out of VCU ones. As a token of good will, I'll even ignore the rest of your post & not point out the mistakes.

You've been told before in the MMA & UFC section: keep hate out of a Juju thread. If you want to, go create a "Shaka should have left" thread & you can discuss it with whoever follows you in there. In the mean time, keep your trolling out of my thread.