Coaching Search on Twitter

Everyone is commenting on the fact that Rose and BYU still have not completed an offer, and Lya from the Trib confirms that Eccles and Huntsman have been lobbying for Rose.  But our group basically knew that already.  As a side note, Utah has 4 billionaire alumni according to Forbes and one billionaire who chairs the Moran Eye Institute.  I thought that was an interesting fact.  BYU doesn't currently have any.  I tweeted a few people that information after they claimed Utah doesn't have the backing to get what they want.

Wojo is apparently gaining steam, as Doug Gottlieb from ESPN in Connecticut is saying Wojo is ready to leave Duke whenever the call comes in to leave for Utah.

Many believe Krystko is at the top of Hill's list, but don't like it very much.  Most are saying keeping Boylen would have been a better bet than hiring K.  I maintain that if Hill is interested in K, it isn't as a head coach but probably as an assistant, since we now know that Barret Peery is leaving the assistant position he had here for an HC position at Indian Hills CC.  So we need an HC and an AC.

Rumors from the South are that Chris Hill is going to meet with Gottfried tomorrow or over the weekend.  But it could be a well intentioned April fools joke, as some are tying a rumor along with it of the return of Jim Harrick (not clear on whether its Jr or Sr) to coaching basketball as an assistant to Gottfried.  The NCAA has said that Harrick, Jr. can return to coaching in 2011 at the earliest, and Harrick, Sr. is 73 years old.

Others are so anxious to hear news about the coaching hunt they are begging Bill Riley to make stuff up, as long as it is positive news about the coaching hunt. "who cares we want hoops coaching news" was one person's request, to which Riley said "Nothing new to report right now..."  In response to this request "could you make something up something positive maybe? " Bill Riley tweeted "Sure!!! Calapari is coming...How's that???"

Also, Jordan Wynn joined the twitter mania.

Fun stuff!

Utah Basketball Coaching Search

Some radio voices in Vegas are saying they've heard Lon Kruger tell them he's not taking the Utah, Oklahoma, or NCSU.  However, Spencer Checketts of ESPN 700 told me through Twitter that: 

"Heard from source close to Ute hoops that Lon Kruger will interview for vacant head coaching spot sometime next week...Was never informed if the job was offered or if LK was interested, only that he      would be interviewed... I stand by what I was originally told: LK would be contacted about the job."

To which Vegas radio host Ryan Greene responded to our conversaution: "He was absolutely contacted. Just said no thanks."

So, unless that interview goes really well next week (provided it even occurs), we can probably take Lon Kruger off the list.  Even still, if Hill is scheduling interviews into next week, we may not know who will be coach for at least another week or more.  But, we should be able to tell who is officially off the list as schools start to sign contracts.

No official word on Dave Rose, although Dick Harmon keeps tweeting about "immanent" contract extension signings...which haven't happened.  But we expect total homerage from Harmon.  However, Blogger Sportsbybrooks is saying he has heard that Rose has turned down both Utah and NCSU.

David Locke seems to think that Tommy Connor would be a good candidate: coached under Majerus, knows Utah recruiting ground, is a winning coach.  I mentioned to Robert Jackson of KSL via twitter that he should add Connor to his list he posted on KSL.  He agreed that Connor would be a good coach and should be on the list.  Most people on twitter think Connor would be better than Krystko, and I agree.  Coached 7 total years under Majerus during the best years.  Has a 70% winning percentage at Westminster, including 78% in conference play.  The conference number to me is more indicative of his winning ways because we know that some of those out of conference losses lowering his other stat were to teams way above the talent level of the team.  And yet, he is still managing 20+ win seasons over 12 years as a head coach.

Mark Gottfried is still talked about on twitter as a top candidate.  Here is Gottfried breaking down some basketball plays on ESPN: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6274546.  Imagine sitting in a film room with a guy like that?  We probably won't know a decision on him until next week as his role in the tournament coverage wraps up.

Interesting stuff.

Boise State Should Be Furious

Something I don't get is why Boise fans aren't burning down the countryside over Connecticut getting to the Fiesta Bowl over them (even with one loss).  By my reading of the BCS rules, they should qualify over Connecticut:

Connecticut BCS rank: Not Ranked

BSU BCS rank: 10!

Connecticut Record: 8-4, Big East Champs

Boise State Record: 11-1, WAC Shared Champs

BCS Rules:  

3. The champion (BSU=Check) of Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, the Sun Belt Conference, or the WesternAthletic Conference will earn an automatic berth in a BCS bowl game if either:

• A. Such team is ranked in the top 12 of the final BCS Standings

BSU=Check

• B. Such team is ranked in the top 16 of the final BCS Standings and its ranking in the final BCS Standings is higher than that of a champion of a conference that has an annual automatic berth in one of the BCS bowls.

BSU=Check

No more than one such team from Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, the Sun Belt Conference, and the Western Athletic Conference shall earn an automatic berth in any year. (Note: a second team may be eligible for at-large eligibility as noted below.) If two or more teams from those conferences satisfy the provisions for an automatic berth, then the team with the highest finish in the final BCS Standings will receive the automatic berth, and the remaining team or teams will be considered for at-large selection if it meets the criteria.
So the Big Bad BCS forces the Fiesta Bowl to, in my opinion, violate their own rules by taking a lower ranked champion of an AQC in Connecticut.  You can't tell me that the Fiesta Bowl Committee would say "Oh, yeah, let's choose another pathetic Big East team for our at large slot instead of Boise State who will bring the whole state of Idaho down here to Arizona for a weekend."  You know the BCS henchmen made them do it.  I guess in the future we know who we'll be seeing playing for the Big East year after year. (TCU)

Boise State should start a national protest/boycott and tell people not to watch that game.  Ratings will talk.

Tijs Limburg

Why Should The Pac-10 Rush To Add Utah When The Big-Tex (12-2) Is Still Unstable (Not Likely Viable)?

The above sbnation post presents some interesting arguments.  However, I think it, along with many of the comments on the article, fail to see one key factor in the realignment developments. 

First, Colorado is going to need, and probably would request, a 'travel partner' in the league.  Otherwise, they'd be left out by a large distance from any of their colleagues in the PAC while waiting for more teams to be invited in the future.  Utah would be a good fit for a regional rival for CU. 

But even more importantly, the PAC cannot let Utah get away, and here's why.  The PAC invited 5 schools other than CU to come from the Big 12: Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma St.  However, it seems that A&M was not really keen on moving to the PAC even if the other 4 teams did.  So, I think the PAC would have had to revise their offer even if the 4 teams would have decided to leave the Big 12.  Which means the PAC would have likely added Utah anyway as a replacement for A&M going to the SEC.

Now with the possibility of the Big 12 remaining for at least a while (although the whole thing seems like smoke and mirrors), the PAC should just get Utah while they can so that as they wait for the inevitable demise of the Big "Texas" 12, CU will at least have a close rival, and, they will already have the teams they need to have when the 4 Big 12 teams become available again and A&M makes their eventual move to the SEC.

I suspect this is the thinking behind Larry Scott kicking around the idea of an invite to Utah.

BYU to loose top 3 receivers to NFL...

What an outstanding receiving season for these three.

Sean Smith

Sean Smith #4 Paul Kruger #11 Austin Collie #9

What a shame...who is Max Hall going to pass to next year?
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Thoughts on New CBI Tourney for Basketball

All,

 

Looks like Utah will be playing UTEP in the CBI tournament, and while it is a far cry from the NCAA tournament, at least it gives our squad some more opportunities to mexh together before the offseason.

 

With there being 3 basketball tournaments now, (the NCAA, CBI, and NIT) I am wondering why there is still only one College Football championship series in the BCS?  Why has no one gone and made a secondary 12 or 16 team Non-BCS college football championship that works like a playoff?  I think the CBI has an interesting setup here:

 

Sixteen teams will compete in this new postseason event, hosted at on-campus arenas throughout the country. The CBI will provide a meaningful opportunity for teams that are deserving of a postseason experience.

The College Basketball Invitational will be a single-elimination tournament, up until the Championship Series, with all games being played at campus sites. The Championship Series will be a best of three series, home-away-home, in which the higher seed will get the first and last (if necessary) home games.

• The event will feature eight first-round games, four second-round games, a semifinal round and then a Championship Series
• The opening round of the event will take place March 18 and 19
• The winner of each opening round game will advance to the round of eight on March 24
• The semifinals will be held on March 26
• The Championship Series will take place on March 31, April 2 and April 4.

Bracketing will be done geographically into four regions of the country (East, West, South, Midwest) to minimize missed class time. Brackets will be balanced competitively within each region. The process will take place after the NCAA Tournament field is announced.

The 16-team field will consist of teams that are not selected for the NCAA Tournament. Teams will be invited based upon their performance during their conference and non-conference schedule, as well as how well the team is playing at the end of the regular season.

According to this, they are playing at campus sites, which if I understand it correctly means that the games will be held at the team's home court who has the higher seed, much like the NBA or NFL does for their playoffs.  If you did a playoff in football like this, it would be best to do it the same way which would minimize a lot of cost in holding games on neutral turf. 

I also looked up the company behind this new tournament.  Seems like an interesting group, as they say they help create these events through all of their business and client resources.  Sounds like they need to come up with a football tournament too.

 

Tijs
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