Shaka turns down UCLA

[tau06]

UCLA is in LA. Personally, I don't love LA, but over Durham? I'd have to think about it for about 4 seconds.

UCLA basketball is also about 18th fiddle in LA. They didn't even average 10k fans this year with a team that won the Pac-12. Now compare that to Tobacco Road and the passion the Duke basketball program has behind it... Hell if location is an issue, the next Duke coach can live in Raleigh, it keeps getting put on best of the best cities to live in lists.

 

[Schwabber89]

Just never saw it happening. Too much money for UCLA to but out all of those contracts and to also pony up for a new contract. Glad Gott is staying even if he isn't the best coach in the world. He has us back on the right track and is a hell of a lot better than KoolAid Sid.

A note on Shaka, I saw posted somewhere that some middle eastern prince is obsessed or has some connection to the VCU basketball program and that Shaka really doesn't have to ever worry about the $ part of coaching. Basically this guy is allowing VCU to match any offer if they want to out of his pocket. ANy chane that has a shred of truth in it? Sounds completely far out but Shaka is still at VCU....

I heard that too. If you can send me a $10,000 non-refunable deposit via Pay Pal I can talk to the prince and bring Shaka to Wake.

 

[DeaconCav06]

While Gainesville is FAR from my ideal place to live, I think I would say UF. A lot of recent success, a $ athletic department, and the ability to win, but at the end of the day, all of the pressure is on the head football coach, not me. This is why I don't think Billy Donovan will leave.

I mean, there are actually some really nice parts of Gainesville. I thought it was a shit hole before I lived there, but there are some decent spots.

UF is an easy place to recruit, the pressure is all on football, there is a ton of money, property is cheap, and there are plenty of places in easy driving distance where you could have a nice beach house.

 

[RJKarl]

UCLA basketball is also about 18th fiddle in LA. They didn't even average 10k fans this year with a team that won the Pac-12. Now compare that to Tobacco Road and the passion the Duke basketball program has behind it... Hell if location is an issue, the next Duke coach can live in Raleigh, it keeps getting put on best of the best cities to live in lists.

You really don't have a clue about LA.

 

[Screamindemon3]

Lol at any fool that thought Shaka would even blink in the direction of Wake Forest

 

[tau06]

You really don't have a clue about LA.

Certainly not an expert on LA, but to think that UCLA is a big deal in LA is a joke. You living in CA seems to have skewed your opinion. Who want's to coach in a half packed arena even when the team is winning conference titles? UCLA isn't the job that it once was.

 

[TUA01576]

Certainly not an expert on LA, but to think that UCLA is a big deal in LA is a joke. You living in CA seems to have skewed your opinion. Who want's to coach in a half packed arena even when the team is winning conference titles? UCLA isn't the job that it once was.

Pretty sure Duke was having a tough time selling out lately:
"Once regularly an asylum for 1,200 Crazies, Section 17 at Cameron Indoor Stadium now rarely plays host to a student-only crowd.

Student attendance at men’s basketball games has fallen consistently over the last five years, even dropping after Duke won its fourth national championship in 2010. This season, approximately 650 undergraduates have attended each game, 150 fewer than during the 2008-09 season. As a result, Duke Athletics has begun to sell an increasing number of general admission tickets in the student section on a regular basis."

http://www.dukechronicle.com/articl...ance-forces-duke-athletics-sell-student-seats


And yes UCLA still is a top 5 job. The last 3 years have been disappointing with all the negativity surrounding the program but even so, they sold out their season opener and season finale.

 

[YoungBuck95]

The real question here is whether UCLA gave him a $10,000 clothing allowance?

 

[hoopla]

Certainly not an expert on LA, but to think that UCLA is a big deal in LA is a joke. You living in CA seems to have skewed your opinion. Who want's to coach in a half packed arena even when the team is winning conference titles? UCLA isn't the job that it once was.

You are correct in this thinking, TAU...RJ, LA college ball is pretty much a joke. Pauley Pav games are joel-like for the most part unless they are in top 10. No one cares. USC is even worse.

 

[deacdiggler]

Let Rj announce miscellany

 

[RJKarl]

Certainly not an expert on LA, but to think that UCLA is a big deal in LA is a joke. You living in CA seems to have skewed your opinion. Who want's to coach in a half packed arena even when the team is winning conference titles? UCLA isn't the job that it once was.

The entire season was in turmoil until the end. Even at the end there were two stories- Shabazz and will Howland get fired.

There has been a downtrend for several years.

A new coach will fill the joint.

You need to be less parochial.

 

[dartsndeacs]

Being a big deal is relative in a city of like eighty bazillion people. There may be a higher percentage of durham residents invested in Duke but the numbers will never add up.

 

[hoopla]

West Coast, especially the LA sports teams are incredibly fickle. Pro sports as well as collegiate. Very few actually care.

 

[DeaconOEF/OIFvet]

When I lived in SoCal from 04-07, I always felt like college basketball played fifth string next to the NBA, College Football, NFL, and then the MLB.

 

[Tedsee]

They didn't offer him enough money. From what I've heard they barely offered him more than he was making at VCU and they even fly Southwest to and from most games.

I'm surprised he didn't try to negotiate more.

What's amazing to me is UCLA is so cheap and USC was chomping at the bit to grossly overpay Jamie Dixon.

If we are willing to pay enough, he'd at least look at it. This sort of reinforces the info I have shared that he's not that interested in big schools.

Your bout as stupid as they come. Sit at home and watch your porn. Your anloser

 

[dartsndeacs]

When I lived in SoCal from 04-07, I always felt like college basketball played fifth string next to the NBA, College Football, NFL, and then the MLB.

Yeah, I mean I don't get a strong college BB vibe here at all, but I imagine there are still tons of fans, its just so many people. You have hundreds of thousands of grads in town though.

 

[djev336]

The taxes issue is an interesting question when it comes to figuring out where Enfield might end up.

lol.. nice post.

 

[bym051d]

Your bout as stupid as they come. Sit at home and watch your porn. Your anloser

Woah, let's no go overboard. I'm sure we all own some sort of anlosers.

 

[bluefish]

jeese. i had heard from multiple ucla peeps that this was a done deal in the works months ago.

I'd discount those peeps in the future. Shaka's going nowhere, as I have repeatedly stated.

He's following Mark Few's advice. If you're happy there, and the administration gives you everything you ask for, why would you want to leave?

VCU is a planet. Shaka is the sun.

 

[tau06]

Yeah, I mean I don't get a strong college BB vibe here at all, but I imagine there are still tons of fans, its just so many people. You have hundreds of thousands of grads in town though.

The numbers in this SB Nation article really just show that UCLA grads and the town of LA in general just don't care about watching UCLA basketball:

http://www.bruinsnation.com/2012/2/22/2818095/basketball-attendance-last-4-seasons

I mean even in 2008/2009 when they had Jrue Holiday and Darren Collison they only got over 10,000 people but 58% of the time. They were ranked in the top 20 the whole season and still couldn't put people in the seats. College Basketball just isn't a draw in LA like it use to be.