Welcome to òòò½ÊÓƵœSecond Guessòòò½ÊÓƵ Tuesday.
Here are the opinions of the day.
- Welcome to the òòò½ÊÓƵœCollege Basketball Coachingòòò½ÊÓƵ edition.
Letòòò½ÊÓƵ™s start in Kentucky.
The commonwealth appears to be in an uproar. So, is well-known coach John Calipari on the ropes? Everyone is thinking so. But is it true?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Yes, there is the òòò½ÊÓƵœwhat has he done for us lately?òòò½ÊÓƵ query. And, again, yes, it is a legitimate question. After all, there was no NCAA menòòò½ÊÓƵ™s tournament in 2021, a first-round loss in 2022 and a second-round defeat in 2023.
And what does Calipari do for an encore?
He coaches the third-seeded Cats to a first-round loss to Oakland. Thatòòò½ÊÓƵ™s right, Oakland. So, whatòòò½ÊÓƵ™s the problem? Is it the one-and-done situation that opens the door for freshmen to leave for the NBA after only one season?
Obviously, that doesnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t make a coaching job any easier.
Just ask former coach Jay Wright, who was unquestionably one of the best coaches in the business.
òòò½ÊÓƵœThe era of taking these young freshmen and trying to play against older players is over,òòò½ÊÓƵ Wright was quoted.
Sounds like he has a very good point.
- Well, Marshall wonòòò½ÊÓƵ™t have to contend with Mark Byingtonòòò½ÊÓƵ™s basketball teams anymore.
After losing three times to James Madison during the 2023-24 season, that is welcome news. The final defeat came in the Sun Belt tournament, as the Dukes defeated MU, 81-64.
Those days are over, however, because Byington has accepted the coaching job at Vanderbilt.
Phew.
- Anybody in this part of the country heard of Darian DeVries?
Not until now.
Thatòòò½ÊÓƵ™s because the successful coach from Drake University accepted the vacant West Virginia University menòòò½ÊÓƵ™s basketball job on Sunday. So, was it a surprise? Probably so. Most people never had heard of DeVries and probably had no clue where Drake is even located.
Just so everybody knows, itòòò½ÊÓƵ™s in Des Moines, Iowa.
Although DeVries isnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t a household name in this part of the country, his record speaks for itself. He led Drake to six straight 20-win seasons, along with three Missouri Valley Conference championships and three NCAA tournament appearances.
DeVries coached Drake to a 28-7 record this season before signing a five-year deal with WVU.
DeVries, who is an Iowa native, has a son, Tucker, who is reportedly joining the Mountaineers as quite an accomplished player. He recently won the Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year trophy in back-to-back seasons.
So, WVU is getting a two-fer.
A new coach and an outstanding player for the price of one.
Very economical.
- Meanwhile, former WVU coach Bob Huggins isnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t giving up.
The CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh òòò½ÊÓƵ” KDKA òòò½ÊÓƵ” recently did an interview with Huggins. Well, guess what? Heòòò½ÊÓƵ™s still in denial.
The 70-year-old Huggins still wants to be a major college head basketball coach despite the leftover baggage from his aborted career at West Virginia University.
It sounds like wishful thinking, but Huggins appears to be serious about it.
He told KDKA he realizes that he would likely have to resume that career out of state, but was asked if he thought there was any chance WVU would give him that chance again.
òòò½ÊÓƵœIf thereòòò½ÊÓƵ™s a change in leadership, yeah,òòò½ÊÓƵ he replied.
Wow.
Just wow.