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Shaka Smart

I posted this in the ACCT thread, but I wanted to reiterate, Shaka Smart and VCU just put on a ridiculous comeback to get back in the A-10 Championship game. Scored like 12 straight points with maybe one field goal attempt from St. Louis by running a trap defense and forcing turnovers. That's straight coaching. If he gets hired by another school, I'll lose it.
 
I'd take Crews or Smart. Or Stevens. He'll, I'd take any of their assistants. Or their grandmas. Or their assistants' grandmas.
 
I would not take Crews. Let's not get distracted by what he's done with a team built by someone else (e.g. [Redacted] and Air Force). Prior to this season he had 9 straight losing seasons and got fired twice. Shaka has never won less than 26 games in a season, Crews has only won more than 26 games once, this year, after taking over a roster put together by one of the best coaches out there (a Al Mcguire protege).

He would be [Redacted] 2.0.
 
bobknightfan said:
He is still going to lose....again....to a former Bob Knight player & assistant. (Just like your other poster boy Brad Stevens did this year.....3 times.)

Maybe WF should try to get Jim Crews.....
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SLU 5 - Stevens/Shaka 0. Well done Billikens!!!
 
bobknightfan said:
He is still going to lose....again....to a former Bob Knight player & assistant. (Just like your other poster boy Brad Stevens did this year.....3 times.)

Maybe WF should try to get Jim Crews.....
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Brad Stevens has never been my poster boy. And #16 St. Louis is a pretty good team.

Shaka Smart is the second youngest coach to win 100 games, has demonstrated postseason success and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he gets VCU to another Sweet Sixteen this year, depending on their seeding. This is the type of demonstrated success that justifies hiring a coach, unlike [Redacted]'s resume. I see a lot of promise in Smart and think he will continue to be a great college basketball coach and will eventually be hired by a major program and will probably be successful there. It would be a shame if that school isn't Wake Forest and another school hires him before we stop pretending [Redacted] is a legit coach.
 
There's going to be absolute carnage between the 4, 5, and 6 lines this year. The 11-13 seeds are going to be possibly stronger than they have EVER been. I wouldn't be surprised to see half of the 4-6 seeds go down on day one. I feel bad for 4 seeds who catch Valpo or Belmont in round one.
 
bobknightfan said:
I know that Rick Majerus is up there somewhere, looking down and smiling.

I'd love to see St Louis get a #4 seed in a region with a #1 Gonzaga.
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And SLU does it the right way. High character kids who bought into the culture, more concerned about the name on the front of the jersey than the one on the back.
 
All kinds of stereotypes being played out on this thread.

I will say that the SLU/VCU game did resurrect my only concern about Shaka, which is half court offense. I'm sure with access to better talent that's something that will improve.
 
Wakeforest22890 said:
17th best offense in the country, I'll definitely take those concerns.
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True but how much of that is a direct result of defense? I don't know but I'd guess its more than most teams. Today, VCU found a ream that did pretty well against the press for the most part (at least the parts of the game I saw), got sucked into a half court game and didn't get to 60.
 
BKF, you're not calling VCU an NBA prep team, are you? You're smarter than that.
 
VaDeac said:
True but how much of that is a direct result of defense? I don't know but I'd guess its more than most teams. Today, VCU found a ream that did pretty well against the press for the most part (at least the parts of the game I saw), got sucked into a half court game and didn't get to 60.
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Good point. When they can force turnovers they are extremely successful and when they can't they're just not as good. They lead the nation in TO% defense (28%)
 
'15 Deac said:
Brad Stevens has never been my poster boy. And #16 St. Louis is a pretty good team.

Shaka Smart is the second youngest coach to win 100 games, has demonstrated postseason success and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he gets VCU to another Sweet Sixteen this year, depending on their seeding. This is the type of demonstrated success that justifies hiring a coach, unlike [Redacted]'s resume. I see a lot of promise in Smart and think he will continue to be a great college basketball coach and will eventually be hired by a major program and will probably be successful there. It would be a shame if that school isn't Wake Forest and another school hires him before we stop pretending [Redacted] is a legit coach.
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I don't really have a problem with this post, per se, but Shaka is just about every AD's dream coach right now, but he keeps turning everyone down. Illinois, NC State were very public, but VT apparently made a run at him and he apparently told them no without even speaking with them. The joke one cnnsi writer said last year after the NCAA was that Shaka turns down more jobs per day than most people have cups of coffee. They were under the impression a lot of schools have contacted him to inquire, only to be turned down before going any further.

So, the only thing I would say is that Shaka obviously really likes VCU and Richmond, and he certainly isn't begging to get to another higher profile school. I don't know what he is looking for, but so far, he has remained adamant he is staying at VCU. I'm not sure I don't believe him. He is on just about everyone's radar outside of Durham, Chapel Hill, Kansas, Gonzaga, Indiana, Florida and a handful of others. I would give it probably less than a 1% he would accept the Wake job if offered. He's already turned down a Big 10 and 2 ACC's that we know of.
 
Sounds like Wake won't have a job opening to offer him, but this offseason is very different for Shaka compared to last as the A-10 has quickly become irrelevant with the loss of Temple, Butler, Dayton & possibly St. Louis a year down the road. He is too good to sit around & try to dominate a one bid league. Mark Few seems like the only person content in that situation.
 
daaberry said:
Sounds like Wake won't have a job opening to offer him, but this offseason is very different for Shaka compared to last as the A-10 has quickly become irrelevant with the loss of Temple, Butler, Dayton & possibly St. Louis a year down the road. He is too good to sit around & try to dominate a one bid league. Mark Few seems like the only person content in that situation.
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Interesting that you'd bring up Few. Shaka calls him a friend, and said Few told him this.

As long as you are happy where you are, and your administration supports what you are trying to accomplish, why would you feel the need to go anywhere else?

I'm paraphrasing, but it's close.
 
Few is in a different position there and his conference isn't falling apart around him.
 
bkf, care to comment on the thorough destruction of Texas Tech's basketball program at the hands of the Knight clan? How about Pat Knight's stellar 3-28 masterpiece at Lamar?

Or, does your critique only get directed at successful young coaches who actually win and bring their teams to the NCAA Tournament?
 
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