Month: December 2021

Let the records show:  North Carolina brought noting on Saturday!  Hubert Davis said or implied truthfully that his team had no fire, no grit, no pride, and little fight.  I appreciate that UNC has a team of nice, respectable young men, but most nice guys that I know will find a way to stop anyone that gets in the way of their success.  Saturday’s performance was one of the most embarrassing combinations of coaching and player response that I have ever witnessed.  It’s basketball!  The best teams at every level are expected to lose some games every year, but not with the heartless effort that the mighty Tar Heels brought to the court in Las Vegas.  This is the evidence that is on the table.  The time when captains gather the team to focus attention on detail passed again.   It is hard to see who has the toughness, drive, and willingness to bring this team together to have a season that doesn’t include more blowout losses and lackadaisical performances.  Who will lead during games?  I firmly believe coaches have to do their best work in practice, but Davis has to do more work during the game.  Autopilot for this team means going along with a beat down instead of focusing attention on the details of the game.  Players have to guide each other on the court.  Rebounding, boxing out, fighting through screens, just simply hustling!  Will it be Brady Manek?  He has the grit and brings it every game.  Leaky Black?  He does his job on the court every game!  Dawson Garcia?  So much potential but does not show toughness.  One of the named captains:  Caleb Love, RJ Davis, or Amando Bacot?  We’re waiting! 

There has been lots of conversation about who should have been hired to follow Roy William at UNC.  Here is a look at the current records of some known to have interviewed or to still be on the wish list of some fans and national writers: 

Hubert Davis	North Carolina	8-3
King Rice	Monmouth	9-2
Chris Beard	Texas	7-2
Wes Miller	Cincinnati	9-3
Shaka Smart	Marquette	8-4
Jay Wright	Villanova	7-4
Jerry Stackhouse	Vanderbilt	6-4

Max Scherzer is about to get over $43 million to pitch for the Mets next year. Lincoln Riley just left almost $8 million on the table in Oklahoma for what has been rumored to be more than $10 million at USC, and Howard University’s entire men’s basketball team signed a NIL agreement with “We Got Junk” movers! Who says, “It’s about the game!” and the student experience? It’s definitely about the money! But before anyone could blow up the internet with rumors of Riley leaving Oklahoma because of diva fans, or his not wanting to face questions about why Spencer Rattler did not get more opportunities after Caleb Love became average, or if he found out about Oklahoma’s move to the SEC at the same time that we did; we learned that Brian Kelly was leaving Notre Dame for LSU! Give USC and LSU credit for dominating the headlines, but Notre Dame wins the introduction game as Marcus Freeman is announced to his team! So, what schools made the best moves for their football programs, and what are the best jobs still available:

Best hires

1. USC – Lincoln Riley
2. LSU – Brian Kelly
3. Florida – Billy Napier
4. Notre Dame – Marcus Freeman
5. Virginia Tech – Brent Pry
6. UCONN – Jim Mora
7. TCU – Sonny Dykes
8. Miami – Rhett Lashlee
9. Georgia Southern – Clay Helton
10. Washington – Kalen DeBoer

Best available

1. Oklahoma
2. Virginia
3. Duke
4. Louisiana
5. Louisiana Tech
6. Temple
7. Troy
8. Fresno State
9. FIU
10. Akron