IU Coaching News

[greasywheels121]

Yeah, that's true.  Whoever said Rick Barnes had an interesting point as well, Texas is a football school, and Indiana isn't.  Plus, Indiana could offer him quite a deal I'm sure, and IMO Barnes is a very good coach.  Another name I thought of for some reason is Lorenzo Romar at UW, even though I have no clue about his background.

 

That was me. I haven't really heard his name in any speculation, but if he comes up, he'd be a great replacement. He'd be able to still utilize his ties to Texas to recruit there, and I think he'd be able to get Indiana players to stay in-state.

[whitesoxfan101]

That was me.  I haven't really heard his name in any speculation, but if he comes up, he'd be a great replacement.  He'd be able to still utilize his ties to Texas to recruit there, and I think he'd be able to get Indiana players to stay in-state.

 

Yeah, whoever you get has to do a better job keeping his players in state. Davis did a terrible job of that, and while I don't buy the "the Indiana coach has to be an Indiana guy" crap, that state is too talented to let that much talent get out of it. Although the same could be said for Bruce Weber in Illinois, which has me nervous (although having 3 top 100 players in the 2007 class, 2 from Illinois and 1 from Indiana with a shot at D Rose from Chicago makes me feel A LITTLE better).

[aboz56]

From the Indiana Daily Student:

 

Two Hoosier stars made it clear they would not return to the team during a press conference Thursday to announce IU basketball coach Mike Davis' retirement.

 

Sophomore forward D.J. White and sophomore guard Robert Vaden both implied that wherever Davis ended up, they would follow.

 

"It affects me a lot," White said. "I came all the way from Alabama to play for coach Davis. Him not being here … I feel it would be tough for me to play."

 

Asked whether he would wait and see who the possible candidates for the IU job would be, White replied: "Like I said, I'm a coach Davis guy."

 

Vaden echoed his teammate's sentiment, saying he had already decided what his future held.

 

"If my coach is gone, I'm gone," Vaden said after the press conference.

 

Vaden said that he had no idea where Davis would end up next season but was fairly certain he would be coaching at the collegiate level. In regards to his status as a Hoosier, Vaden said he had a decision.

 

"I already made it," Vaden said. "I'm not coming back."

[greasywheels121]

I won't miss Vaden too much; he's really become Bracey-lite of late. He's either hot or cold, never inbetween, and it's hard to depend on that.

 

I will miss DJ a lot though. He was huge for this program, and none of this would be news, if he never got hurt. He's that important. I'm surprised he's so quick to react on this though; he'll be sitting out almost 2 full seasons in a row now.

 

It'll be interesting though. I don't know if Davis catches on to somewhere that fast, or even a place in colege. Davis has always been a huge NBA guy; I wouldn't be surprised the least bit to see him catch on as an assistant somewhere in the NBA.

[Balta1701]

I won't miss Vaden too much; he's really become Bracey-lite of late.  He's either hot or cold, never inbetween,  and it's hard to depend on that.

 

I will miss DJ a lot though.  He was huge for this program, and none of this would be news, if he never got hurt.  He's that important.  I'm surprised he's so quick to react on this though; he'll be sitting out almost 2 full seasons in a row now.

 

It'll be interesting though.  I don't know if Davis catches on to somewhere that fast, or even a place in colege.  Davis has always been a huge NBA guy; I wouldn't be surprised the least bit to see him catch on as an assistant somewhere in the NBA.

I still think DJ will figure out that the best thing for his future is to stay. For him to follow Davis, he'd have to sacrifice a year of eligibility to transfer, and coming off of his injury, that would not only set him back a lot, that would make his senior year a make or break year for the NBA Draft. If he got hurt that year at all, then he'd wind up going from being a potential 1st-rounder to a potential guy playing in Europe. There's a lot on the line for him after this injury.

 

It's also worth noting that sometimes things do change. You get a new coach, with a quality reputation, into that slot sometime in April or May at the latest, have him sit down with these guys and tell them where he wants to go with that program, and let them decide then once cooler heads prevail.

[Chisoxfn]

Eh.  Keep him in the booth; he's great at that.  Sure, he'd be familiar with the situation with his experience, but in the end, he didn't come through at UCLA either.

He made something like 5 sweet sixteens in 6 years. The one year he didn't make it they canned him. Lavin had some issues and wasn't the greatest in game coach, but as long as you got him more experienced assistants he would be a great candidate.

 

He's a very good recruiter and a motivator and he ran a clean program at UCLA. Lavin also improved greatly with his coaching as he progressed. He was in an impossible situation at UCLA.

 

IU isn't even close to a pressure job when you compare it to the pressure people have at UCLA, especially when the guy Lavin replaced Harick won a national championship and than of course you have the great John Wooden who won a half dozen or so.

 

UCLA is as storied college basketball school as there is along with Duke and UNC.

[Chisoxfn]

Alford released a statement saying his focus is on helping his team win the Big Ten title. He obviously didn't remove himself from consideration for this job, which to me says he would be very interested. I know Alford talks to Bobby Knight quite a bit. I would assume Knight wouldn't want him taking the Indiana job. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out. I do know one thing, if he does go to Indiana, Steve Alford will be public enemy #1 in Iowa City.

I'd be pissed, considering we took care of him. Gave him a nice extension early in his career at the school to make sure he didn't go to IU the first time.

 

And we stuck by him when the team struggled a bit. He's been taken care of big time by the school and it would be a slap to the students and fans if he were to walk for IU, imo.

 

That said I'd understand it, since it is potentially his dream job. But if it were his dream job he should have taken it the first time he was offered it.

[Chisoxfn]

From the Indiana Daily Student:

I still find it ridiculous that coaches are allowed to just jump, yet players aren't allowed to do so when there coach leaves.

 

I think when a coach gets canned or leaves, players should have a few week period to move on as well without having to sit out a year.

[Balta1701]

That said I'd understand it, since it is potentially his dream job.  But if it were his dream job he should have taken it the first time he was offered it.

When was he actually offered the job?

[Chisoxfn]

When was he actually offered the job?

Maybe I'm completely off base, but I swore way back when Alford pretty much declined the job? I was thinking it was when he had just joined Iowa.

 

Ya, Knight left about a year after Alford was coaching at Iowa and IIRC IU made the full court press for Alford and he eventually got a contract extension from Iowa (it wasn't more than a year or so after Alford was originally hired by Iowa) or something along those lines.

[greasywheels121]

Maybe I'm completely off base, but I swore way back when Alford pretty much declined the job?  I was thinking it was when he had just joined Iowa.

 

I'm pretty sure he's never been offered the job.

[Chisoxfn]

I'm pretty sure he's never been offered the job.

Technically speaking, probably not. But IIRC he was who they wanted and he told them he wasn't interested and that he was happy at Iowa. Right after that Iowa extended his contract till 2009.

 

When the Hawks hired Alford it was a really big deal in Iowa. He was supposed to be one of the bright young minds of college basketball and Carver Hawkeye pretty much immediately sold out all there games.

 

It turned out that they had some slow times, but Alford has this time primed right now.

[Heads22]

He needs to, because he's losing a ton after this year.

[aboz56]

Just say no to Alford.

 

His Big 10 record is worse than Mikey D.

 

He is brutal. Just because he's having one good year and went to IU, isn't a reason to hire him.

[whitesoxfan99]

Just say no to Alford.

 

His Big 10 record is worse than Mikey D.

 

He is brutal.  Just because he's having one good year and went to IU, isn't a reason to hire him.

 

His record is pretty awful. Counting this year he will have 3 NCAA tourney appearances in 7 years and only 2 winning records in the Big 10.

 

That and coddling a rapist make him less than an ideal candidate.

[WHarris1]

His record is pretty awful.  Counting this year he will have 3 NCAA tourney appearances in 7 years and only 2 winning records in the Big 10.

 

That and coddling a rapist make him less than an ideal candidate.

Haha I saw that pic on IB, classic. Yay for grown men mocking players?

[aboz56]

His record is pretty awful.  Counting this year he will have 3 NCAA tourney appearances in 7 years and only 2 winning records in the Big 10.

 

That and coddling a rapist make him less than an ideal candidate.

Hey Steve, how'd that Pierre Pierce work out for ya?

[Balta1701]

Technically speaking, probably not.  But IIRC he was who they wanted and he told them he wasn't interested and that he was happy at Iowa.  Right after that Iowa extended his contract till 2009. 

Wasn't there also some element of the IU players at the time demanding that Davis keep the job because of the way Knight had been fired right at the start of a season?

[Gene Honda Civic]

Timeline

 

Alford Hired at Iowa

Bobby Knight fired

Mike Davis instated as Interim coach

Alford given extension

Davis named head coach

 

There was no job offer, but there wasn't exactly an interview process either.

[Dick Allen]

Timeline

 

Alford Hired at Iowa

Bobby Knight fired

Mike Davis instated as Interim coach

Alford given extension

Davis named head coach

 

There was no job offer, but there wasn't exactly an interview process either.

 

But back then Alford made it clear he was interested in the job. He has not done that this time, at least up until now. As an Iowa graduate, I was very excited when they brought Alford in. I would have mixed emotions if he were to leave. I think the University really stood by him when he was getting a lot of shots because of Pierce, most of which were unfair IMO. Most schools would have canned him with that situation, and the dissappointing results. I think he has done a good job this year, but he still isn't recruiting studs, and this success could easily be a one year thing. I just have the feeling if he leaves, I'll be pissed, but if he stays, a year from now I will be shaking my head asking myself "why didn't he leave?"

George Raveling recruited awesomely his 3 seasons at Iowa. Unfortunately he couldn't coach a game worth a s***. Dr. Tom coached pretty well, but he recruited average players. The overlap with Raveling's players and Dr. Tom's coaching were the high times for the Hawkeyes after Lute Olson headed west.

[aboz56]

Just heard CL Brown, the beat writer for IU for the Louisville CJ, on ESPN radio.

 

When asked his opinion on the future of White and Vaden, he said that he felt both would be gone next year.

 

CL is pretty close with Davis as well as some of the players. He even mentioned he went to the doctor with Davis on Monday.

 

He also laughed at the writer on Foxsports.com writer (LINK) who said that Davis wasn't sick on Saturday.

 

The host of the show had the writer on earlier and basically after he got off the phone called the guy a complete idiot for even posting that garbage he wrote. They had a good laugh about that guy, who is apparently based out of Boston. Don't see how he would know what was going on at IU to begin with. I'm sure some no-name out of Boston has tons of IU ties and connections.

 

That article on Foxsports has just shown how irresponsible some of these reporters who write for websites have become.

Edited February 17, 2006 by aboz56

[Rex Hudler]

White and Vaden are very emotional right now. While they may leave, I am willing to bet it isn't as cut and dried once the dust settles. I don't believe Mike Davis will be a Division I Head Coach next year so they won't follow him.

 

I think the reality of having to sit out a 2nd consecutive season may just make him realize that leaving isn't the best move for him. Once a new coach is hired, I'd guess discussions will be had and DJ will at least consider staying here. Right now the players are hurt. Their coach is gone. Emotion rules and logic is thrown out the window at this point.

 

Time heals.......

[Rex Hudler]

Oh and to make the obvious statement of the year..........

 

Jim Crews is not a candidate for the IU job. No way in hell that is even possible.

[Balta1701]

So on ESPN tonight I heard like 5 times that IU had to let go of Bobby Knight and admit that he's not coming back, and I'm sitting here thinking "There are actually people who think Bobby Knight should/would/could come back?"

[DBAHO]

Randy Witmann anyone?