Sources: Shaka Smart’s Departure Likely

[Gunnerclone]

Didn’t Shaka play a “40 minutes of hell” style at VCU? I don’t see any of that at UT. The top kids don’t want to be pressing and subbing in and out all game.

 

[CySmurf]

I don't like it simply because eventually UT will find someone who can coach and the league doesn't need to be any harder.

Barnes could coach...but I agree with what you're saying.

 

[CySmurf]

That's a good question. I wonder if Wright would take their call. I wonder what they would have to pay him. Heard he's above $4 mil at Nova

Guess we'll see just how committed Texas really is for basketball then. Money SHOULD be no object there.

 

[randomfan44]

Guess we'll see just how committed Texas really is for basketball then. Money SHOULD be no object there.

At some point, money is an object everywhere.

 

[CyBobby]

Reads like wishful thinking more than anything else.

Sports Bevo cares about in order:

1. Football
2. Football
3. Football recruiting.
4. Baseball
5. Basketball

A few years back I went down to Austin TX to see my little Brother in Law, who is an Alum of Iowa State and all I could hear from the Horn fans were they were disappointed they didn't win a National Championship, in Baseball.....Which I guess is a whole lot more important to their fanbase than basketball....and remember GO Cyclones

 

[CyBobby]

My guess is that a lot of coaches (ok, people) would enjoy the city of Austin more than Lubbock. Maybe that could be a factor. It's also more centrally located relative to the other large metropolitan areas in TX.

There is a reason that Texan's call Lubbock …."The tumbleweed capitol of the world".....

 

[CyBobby]

Agree 100%. Tech's campus, while sprawling a bit more than is ideal, is actually quite nice. I haven't found much redeeming value in the rest of Lubbock, however.

I state the truth.....Now that post is a Winner imho...If I were Balls to the Wall .. and I had to choose between Austin and Lubbock, I would take living in Austin over Lubbock every time...and remember Lubbock is Tumbweed City.

 

[I-stateTheTruth]

I state the truth.....Now that post is a Winner imho...If I were Balls to the Wall .. and I had to choose between Austin and Lubbock, I would take living in Austin over Lubbock every time...and remember Lubbock is Tumbweed City.

I was in Lubbock in May once and it was like having someone follow me around with a blow dryer on my face the whole time. A blow dryer that shot out little pieces of grit. I did like the campus though - their rec center has a friggin lazy river for students to float on.

 

[MeowingCows]

I was in Lubbock in May once and it was like having someone follow me around with a blow dryer on my face the whole time. A blow dryer that shot out little pieces of grit. I did like the campus though - their rec center has a friggin lazy river for students to float on.

Okay, that's actually pretty awesome. We need one of those.

 

[Knownothing]

UT in basketball is a lot like Arizona State in basketball. Older Coaches like Bill Freider, who went to Arizona State in his prime, like coaching there. Gives them a chance to go down south and live out the rest of there lives. Like a Beilein.

 

[surly]

So he took a mid major team from the Colonial into a tougher conference and still led them to the NCAA Tournament?

Shaka's never won a conference regular season championship.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/shaka-smart-1.html

 

[megamanxzero35]

Shaka has been floating on that single Final Four run years ago. This comment from reddit was really eye opening.

also, to put things really into perspective: Shaka's best team was full of Rick Barnes' leftovers, a bunch of 3* HS recruits who now play pro ball in Japan and SE Asia. Since then Shaka has signed three recruiting classes of his own, ranked 6th, 6th, and 8th respectively in the national rankings. He's also had three consecutive one-and-done lottery pick centers playing for him. Texas' record in the Big XII in that time is now 19-32. 13 games below .500 even though Texas recruits as well as/better than anyone besides Kentucky, Duke, and Kansas. It's pathetic.

Also, if anyone cares to go look up his record at VCU he's been a perpetual underachiever his entire career. Just like at Texas, Shaka always had more talent than his competition in the CAA and the A 10, and yet he never once won a conference title in six seasons. His VCU counterparts Caple, Grant, and Wade all rolled out of bed in the morning and won conference titles with inferior talent, and in much less time. He doesn't even compare favorably to them.

As for his miraculous/inexplicable Final Four run in 2011, that team finished fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association, and lost five of their last 7 games, and failed to win their conference tourney, and yet they somehow got into the dance. It was decried as the most heinous and egregious at large bid ever, yet they somehow caught lightning in a bottle and went to the FF. That one tournament has made this man millions and millions of unearned dollars. The fact that he had a team capable of both going to the FF and finishing fourth in the CAA says a lot about Shaka Smart.

Also his teams consistently rank in the 200's and 300's in most statistical categories tracked by basketball-reference. He's an amazing fraud of a coach who's used his charm to fail upwards, and i am so far beyond ready for him to be gone from Texas.

 

[Cychl82]

Shaka has been floating on that single Final Four run years ago. This comment from reddit was really eye opening.

Wow, I really didn't look that deep into his actual resume. Makes it obvious why hes not that good of a coach. Falling up sounds like him and Alford have put together a master plan with each other. I'm sure Alford wont be given any more jobs unless its mid major finally.

 

[Halincandenza]

The only jobs that Wright leaves Nova for are a blue blood a la Duke, Kansas, Carolina, or Kentucky or an east coast NBA gig like the Sixers.

He isn't leaving Nova for another college job.

 

[Rick]

My wish list for Texas:

1. Todd Lickliter
2. Frank Haith
3. Greg McDermott
4. Tim Miles
5. Mark Phelps

You missed one, there are a lot of people on this board who would have put Prohm on there. I think Steve is doing a heck of a job and a good fit for the Clones. If people would understand that the possibility that we become a blue blood are pretty thin and if we make a the second weekend every 3rd year it is a good thing this board would be much more enjoyable.

 

[IASTATE07]

Shaka's never won a conference regular season championship.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/shaka-smart-1.html

I don't care.

 

[Cyched]

You missed one, there are a lot of people on this board who would have put Prohm on there. I think Steve is doing a heck of a job and a good fit for the Clones. If people would understand that the possibility that we become a blue blood are pretty thin and if we make a the second weekend every 3rd year it is a good thing this board would be much more enjoyable.

I like SP too, but I’m not going down that rabbit hole. Don’t need to drag this thread down.

I already whiffed by leaving Alford off, so let’s leave it at that

 

[FinalFourCy]

4 hours? It's been like 2 months. Should I call somebody?

Seriously though, he's a great coach, I don't see what the problem is in acknowledging that. I never would have expected them to share the title this year.

More like several years.
They are an injury to Evans away from back-to-back titles. The improvement by guys like Culver and Moretti is impressive and they’re so good with integrating newcomers (Mooney, Owens, Edwards, Corprew). Beard was the perfect fit for Mooney and Owens imo. Only two guys in their rotation were there prior to last year. Beard has done a great job

 

[surly]

More like several years.
They are an injury to Evans away from back-to-back titles. The improvement by guys like Culver and Moretti is impressive and they’re so good with integrating newcomers (Mooney, Owens, Edwards, Corprew). Beard was the perfect fit for Mooney and Owens imo. Only two guys in their rotation were there prior to last year. Beard has done a great job

He has done a great job over a short period with mostly players recruited by Tubby and transfers. I'm guessing he'll continue to win. But time has a way of sorting greatness.

 

[Halincandenza]

He has done a great job over a short period with mostly players recruited by Tubby and transfers. I'm guessing he'll continue to win. But time has a way of sorting greatness.

Mostly Tubby players? No.