Bullpride08

Your nuts Herman, and severely deter your credibility by comparing Mattis to any of those players.  Hakim is 6-11 with a great wing span, same with Sojo.  Mattis is around 6-5 170lbs, and gets called for traveling more than actually dribble penetrating. Mattis is so far off the NBA it isn't even funny, the kid would have had a shot if he had 5+ more inches and could have played exclusively inside ala SoJo, and for get the NBAD- no way.  Mattis is a good enough athlete to make a healthy living overseas playing hoops where they let guys freelance on the court and teams will enjoy his high flying dunks, and amazing blocks.  The NBA and Mattis- not a chance! Au contraire, boys, earlier in the year, i was maligned for offering up the fact that our basketball team did not have enough "well-rounded athletes" i.e. pro prospects, and all YOU pundits and soothsayers ASSURED me that McHugh - who's had a great year, was a NBA prospect, would be better than Sojo, etc.  You can look that one up, boys and girls. Proof's in the pudding, some of us saw it when it was just a bunch of ingredients spread all over the kitchen counter, others, still can't see it when it's baked, burned, and about to be thrown out..... Tampajo you were right, but the bigger problem is all the well-rounded athletes were either injured (Howard, Curry, Cann), sitting out (Verdejo, and Holmes), or hadn't made it to USF yet- Nique Jones. Anyone that says Mattis is an NBA'er needs their head examined...the guy is so limited it isn't even funny, no jump shot, no range, no hands....he's a specialty guy that's good at d, and a good blocker, problem is he's 6-5 170lbs and the NBA only takes specialty guys like that when they're 6-11 225lbs ala SoJo. There are a lot of versatility returning next year but most need to either get healthy, get eligible, or needed experience and more coaching (Bozeman- he has a slow release but I saw last night he's condensed his shot so it seems he's taking well to the coaching, you can tell he's a college coach's son, he'll be good just needs a little work). Next year in Holmes, Cann, Bozeman, Verdejo, Curry, and Nique Jones you've got guys that are complete perimeter players with very good outside shooting strokes- think that to start the season only one of those guys was available and he was a true-true freshman, our only outside stroke was Buckley, and everyone knew that.

Joe that's not true, Buckley was starting as a soph at Purdue, and KG is clearly dominating. The problem is very simple, a lack of depth and outside shooters...PERIOD! Coach Mac runs and inside-out, half-court control motion offense, ala Lon Kruger. It works extremely well when you've got a dominant interior player, ala KG, and a strong perimeter game. However, once KG goes to the bench that completely eliminates one complete facet of Mac's offense, the interior bigman that can score or pass...then once Curry got hurt before the season, and Howard's knee still doesn't give him the pop, and Bozeman is still working on speeding up his slow release, Zeus is trying to get comfortable in the offense and work on his confidence...to summarize for now we lack enough good perimeter weapons like we need in a Mac style offense. If this team had Aris Williams, and Curry it would have helped tremedously--unless you think that having Richardson is a legit back-up center. The only guys to me that are not Big East caliber talent are Richardson, and Mattis- people go, whaaa, Mattis...that's right Mattis he's got some great facets to his game, but he's a liability in many areas, he's short, awful FT shooter, and can't shoot outside of 7 feet from the rim, and thus really small to be playing PF, can't dribble really to save his life, is very skinny, and has marginal hands inside. He's really a smallish one dimensional player, like a slightly taller version of Marlyn Bryant, and plays PF by necessity and because he'd only be a BIGGER liability at SF/swing. The rest of the players are capable of playing and starting in the BE they're just either injured, coming off injury, or just new guys or freshmen. Cann's return is extremely promising, he showed a very nice shot, good FT's, and good range, also in the Depaul game he showed nice hands grabbing two tall passes away from Depaul defenders- better hands than Mattis has. If he can fully recover by next year he could prove to be somewhat of the player I saw as a junior in HS, who at the time was top 25 in the nation. Get some experience and good solid college coaching behind Bozeman, Cann, Curry, Nique Jones, Holmes, and Howard and they will all be very good BE players.

Your nuts Herman, and severely deter your credibility by comparing Mattis to any of those players. Hakim is 6-11 with a great wing span, same with Sojo. Mattis is around 6-5 170lbs, and gets called for traveling more than actually dribble penetrating. Mattis is so far off the NBA it isn't even funny, the kid would have had a shot if he had 5+ more inches and could have played exclusively inside ala SoJo, and for get the NBAD- no way. Mattis is a good enough athlete to make a healthy living overseas playing hoops where they let guys freelance on the court and teams will enjoy his high flying dunks, and amazing blocks. The NBA and Mattis- not a chance!

Joe, Mattis would start for NO Big East team...the guy is a role player. Buckley would start and remember for all intent and purpose the remainder of the team are all freshmen! You can't expect a freshmen team to run out their and dominate. They're losing by wider margins because unlike last year they're actually concerned about winning. This isn't about keeping it close like it was last year, and when teams try to win in college that means fouling, sending teams to the FT, and being aggressive on the boards, and in scoring. If they're not falling the other team pulls away. Remember with 11 minutes left to play we were up by 8 pts, and Seton Hall was in foul trouble then Nutter closed his eyes and went off, hitting three straight trey's after they cut the score to 6, it was a trey, then we were up by 3, back and forth and he hit another trey to tie it up, then a steal and a third trey, in the matter of 1 minute they had a 9 pt swing from us being up by 6 to being down by 3, the very next series they come down and Gransberry gets a bad foul, get's his fourth, we hit the FT's, and they go up by 5....with around 8 minutes left. Once Gransberry left there was no inside presence, which is all we practice as a team, for the team to funnel their offense through...we were toast. He came back in with 4 minutes left and immediately got his fifth. This team needs another center behind Gransberry, with Mac's offense we cannot afford not having a true inside scorer, presence in the game...not with an inside-out scheme.

Ari, Really, if you don't understand the intricacies of corporate finance then don't ask the question in such a fashion. The Dining and Nutritional Center would be a capital expenditure, hiring a new coach and the future salary and comp is an annual expense....one takes a one time donation, the other requires improvement of revenue to bolster. You could take dollars and create an endowment fund, but it would take tens of millions of dollars to raise enough money to improve a salary by $200k annually. This will not be only a cafeteria, there will be an on-staff nutritionist, and areas to help the teams work and measure body composition. Let me get this straight, you don't think athletic performance, and adding something that will enhance athletic performance for ALL our athletes is a good thing? Uhhh, if this will improve the performance and abilities of the baseball and softball players shouldn't that be first and foremost. Shouldn't we first put in facilities that will benefit ALL sports, and then specialize and prioritize?

Why would Foley do that if he doesn't have to? He's got the money to get their very best, and the rumored coaches are all coaches that have made Final Four appearances as of late, Mich St coach, and Baylor coach. Foley doesn't need to go for Jose, he might see the potential, but if he doesn't make the NCAA tournament this year you can pretty much drop Jose's name off the UF list, not that he was ever on it. That's not to say another big pocketed school might not still buy him away, but Foley can have whomever he wants just short of Pat Summitt, and Aueremma.

dinning hall shouldnt be a priority Then you don't know college athletics. All the big schools have dining and nutritional centers for their athletes. It would service ALL of our sports, and Leavitt is a huge advocate, as well as all the other coaches, because it would allow them to more closely regulate their athletes diets and prevent them from having to walk across campus to eat after practice...practices where football and basketball players sometimes burn 1000 or more calories a day. I would mean, bigger, stronger, and more fit athletes. Hmmm, steve sounds like a priority to me! Of course you could condemn all the other BCS schools that have them for their athletic programs!

And neither is Chris Collins, Coach K makes his kids hold out for the best opportunities like Michigan, and Missouri. He will not advise Chris to take a job like USF. TAMUCC has 20 wins and a shot to make the tourney again, I don't know the coach, I know a guy that does, and that may not be a bad proposition. I agree no way we've got the doe for Lickliter. Lutz is a UNCC guy, he's got job stability there and i think it would take far more than were willing to pay to get him, and I am sure he'd want a facility and budget increase guarantee. I doubt that happens.

Bobby Lutz would cost a lot, I understood he was making north of $400k at Charlotte, and it would take well north of that for him to come to USF in base salary. bye bye. The last I checked the hoops department is stabilized, that's not the problem it is performance, right? What is meant by 'stability', if your talking about on the court we've got 10 returning players, 9 of which will be on the team in 08', it will be 11 once they sign two more in the late signing period. That part is stable, IF we're searching for a new coach 'stability' is not what we're looking for, but wins. This is all specualtion if a new coach is sought at the end of this year.

He played in the NFL for a few years, on the Bucs for a while. Coach Simmonds is a big boy, and he'll be a good replacement.

Remember 'inside' it is also a legislative mess. USF does not technically 'own' the SunDome, however granting naming rights for public facilities and giving the money to someone other than the state is a tricky subject, and one that isn't easily dealt with, and it is something that's been sitting in Tally for quite sometime. We actually need legislative approval for it to happen. There is no shortage of groups wanting to buy naming rights, it's more so having the ability to grant them those rights. I know some will say what about Ray Jay, but much of this is spelled out from the outset on new deals, and many of these are actually owned by 'for profit' subsidiaries of the local municipalities who will approve, because there is less beaurocractic red tape, to improve the local facility or get financial benefits.

Yikes, Verybullish you're way off on this one. We're talking Grant as probably 90% out of our league and you think we could have a shot at Amaker. Tommy's at University of Michigan, not Western, Eastern, or Central but the Maize and Blue. He was brought in to turn that lackluster program back to prominence, and they have him on a 3 year plan. Forget that talk. Lutz is probably out of our league too, but his results in the A-10 have really dropped his stock considerably. Think smaller conference HC's, and also think Mid-sized school assistants (i.e. no Duke Assistant, or Pitino Assistant will be coming our way). To me, if a change would have to be made, Pelphries would be my top target. Decent recruiter, great background, good success at a poor, small, southern college, and a nice face and well spoken. To be honest that's probably about as good as it would get this year.

No doubt, you make a run at Grant I was just spelling out the realities of that type of attempt. We made a run last time with less to sell, and he also had less to sell, and he left us big time sniffing at the alter....get the pic. Next around he now has tons of personal ability to sell and he's a HC currently making more at a school that could mildly attempt a bidding war with us. He keeps VCU going as planned, well let's just say Jeff Capel at Oklahoma making nearly $900k a year should tell you where that gets you.

Not my desire either, but i think that is pretty much how it is going to go down.  I just cant believe there isnt one donor out there that isnt interested enough to buy out that contract.  It will only help in the long run, imo.  i might start standing outside of publix with a red can and a santa outfit for the money.  Anyone wanna pitch in? Herm it's more than the buyout it's also the required upgrades. We don't have a donor willing to chip in $3-5M just for great hoops, if we did he could start by chipping in that much for Dome upgrades, and a baseball stadium- but alas we don't have one of those donors either. Conventionally speaking I don't know to a man that doesn't want great basketball at USF. However, a realist isn't someone that wants change, that's someone that isn't near sighted, a realist is one that recognizes the limitations and understands why certain decisions are made. Realistically speaking if a firing is made USF is back to the drawing board, and names that start showing up are guys like Willard at Holy Cross, or Kirk Speraw at UCF, or Pelphries at S. Bama...none are bad, but all have chinks that will leave some scratching their heads. Although wait a year, the buyout drops, potential the program is on better footing, and some facilities upgrades get off the ground, then maybe your chasing a Lichtler at Butler type, or maybe even Grant. We'll see.

Ari, First Grant is definitely doing it on the back of Capel's recruits, but he's accomplishing more with them then Capel to this point. With that being said to schools like S. Illinois, and W. Kentucky ring a bell....year in and year out they're kicking top coaches out to bigger schools. Coaches like Self, and Bruce Weber- S. Illinois, and yes Weber did a lot of Self's recruits but that doesn't discount the fact he kept the motor moving in the proper direction. And remember Grant, like Self and Weber, comes from strong lineage spending 7 years on Coach Donovan's staff, much like Weber was at Purdue under Keady, and Self under Roy Williams. That lineage is why a guy like Grant got the supremo job following up Capel, and will get the next supremo big time job. As far as Bobby Lutz, at one point I was for him the first time around but since my opinions have severely changed. First, his UNCC teams have really slipped since dropping to the A10, and this isn't like USF jumping UP to the BE, they dropped down in competition level and last year they barely made the NIT with a 17-13 record, and this year they're 6-7 and 12-13 overall in the A10 mind you. Furthermore Bobby is a career UNCC guy remember he played there from 77-81, and was an assistant coach there from 94 to 99 when he became HC. Before his assistant gig he coached in HS and at some tiny NAIA school in the Carolinas where he was ultra successful. I just don't know how successful Bobby will be leaving UNCC that's his life blood. Todd Lickliter is more my speed, in his 6 or so years at Butler, including this season, he will have them to 2 NCAA bids, and three NIT, which includes two NIT semi-finals, and one Sweet Sixteen (and could be favored to do it again this year). All this coming out of the Horizon League, that is lucky to send more than 1 to the NCAA each year and that usually requires a conference tourney win! I like Todd but I seem to recall he's a Butler boy. Maybe he'll be drawn to Tampa since he's spent some time down here recently signing one of Tampa's better hoops prospects. He's a no-brainer, and after this year he might be out of our league, but up until I would say he wasn't.

Like i said on an earlier thread, the costs to make a significant change right now are enormous, a huge buyout, a big jump in salaried pay, and to get any coach with any recognition or that would be an improvement over CRM USF would have to make a huge commitment to jump the budget, facilities, and marketing in very short order and I just don't believe Woolard is quite ready to do that....naming rights on the SunDome have hit a legislative snag. I think, just my opinion not necessarily my desire, he keeps him a year...one of two things happen by then; 1. CRM continues the maturation process of this young but talented team and they make MSG and the NIT at that point Woolard either keeps him or CRM leaves and we get a coach still on the cheap but there are more built in advantages and some momentum for the guy to sustain so a top notch coach isn't needed; 2. CRM has another bad year, oh well the buyout is smaller, and hopefully, the SunDome naming rights and a few other planned improvements get off the ground and it will make a change more feasible, even a good one. Kinda like a small town townie wanting to leave for the big city but always getting told 'maybe next year'.

Something tells me you might know something... I completely agree with Omni here...Grant is making more than CRM now, and what he's accomplishing at VCU is amazing I just don't think we'll be able to offer him what it will take. VCU has decent hoops facilities, and solid pay. He continues to do what he's doing there this guy will get a big time job very shortly like Wake Forest, or USC. Why would he leave for just say $100k more? To get a guy like Grant it's going to make more than salary. A top notch guy is going to want a facilities, and funding guarantees from a University. Grant wouldn't be dumb enough to accept a job at USF unless not only would we raise his salary by double, but also guarantee to double our hoops budget, and improve the facilities within a designated timeframe- say 2 years. That's what people are missing, to grab a guy like Grant or Hugs these guys just don't walk into a situation purely about salary, it's about support. KSU guaranteed to add more facilities and increase his recruiting budget. For Grant, why jump to USF in a rebuilding situation and take a huge risk coaching in the toughest league in the nation with less budget, staff, facilities, and support then all the other conference brethren? No win? Tell USF you'll consider if they make a $5M commitment, otherwise I hold down the fort at VCU for another year and wait for Wake Forest, MissSt., UGA, or USC to come open. At least there he knows he'd get the big salary AND those schools already have the budget, facilities, fans, and support. This isn't about the small salary differential and this is why everyone is saying the next coach is not going to have some amazing lineage because the commitment to get a coach like that would be in the $5M range, and I am not even talking salary I am talking about what a coach like that would require in their contract for USF to put money into the hoops budget, facilities, and marketing. The only reason why CRM may be around for another year, and the same reason Seth was around for 8.

While we're talking magnitudes, the magnitude differential between UF's pocketbook and ours is enormous. Foley can hire and fire almost at will and has legions of deep pocketed donors ready to pay-off any buyouts. Woolard doesn't have that flexibility. What I am saying, is with two years left if Woolard has decided to give him one year, then for facial purposes for recruiting he could give him a two year extension- but with a declining or no buyout of those two additional years- i.e. in effect a zero net effect to USF's bottom line. I am only advocating should Woolard decide to keep CRM.

You know joe those schools caught lightning in a bottle earlier, built with some young solid coaches, and won with the under-appreciated overlooked talented, got to multiple NCAA Tournaments- Gonzaga has been in the tourney I believe this will be there 8th consecutive year...and 11 of the past 14, you go from Cinderella to contender real quick with that much consistent success. I believe since this Zag run started I understood their donor levels have jumped over 10x, season tickets which were once easy to pick, their games are now sold out...a new hoops facility is in the works.... It just takes once and to capitalize on that opportunity which is how smaller schools do it. Take Memphis for an example...so can say hey if they can do it in C-DOA why not us...well remember Memphis has been to 3 Final Fours, one championship game, a top notch coach, top notch facilities, wonder fan support...a winner is built one building block at a time.

So simple even a Caveman can figure it out. ;D  Although, those guys that spend the most money because they also make the most money--- which is why it's not as simple as spending money. :-/ Schools like UF, and OSU sellout 100k seat stadiums, 12k hoops arenas, get massive donations, and huge conference pays.  Why does UF not like to travel away from their stadium for OCC games, well because in just ticket sales they generate around $3.5M per home game, after concessions, advertising, and parking they're closer to netting around $6-7M...USF is lucky to net a fraction of that per home game.

RT... I really dislike law, seriously.  Too many details... ha.  I actually learned about this the other day in my law course. I would go with the Limited Liability Company (LLC).  Sheriff, which one is it? Which one would you pick for this type of organization, RT? However, it sounds more like an LP... and I certainly hope that it's not just a partnership.  If it is, then be careful sheriff. LLC is the best

94, you make some good points but are you telling me there isnt a guy ot there who is up for the challenge?  Or would love to be given the opportunity to coach in the big east and maybe be successful and boosting his career?  Why cant we do what VCU did with Jeff Capel, why cant that happen with us?  Now he is at Oklahoma getting top recruits.  There are guys out there dying to get in and get their names known.  Thats why we need a guy that when you interview him you can tell he has charisma and swagger.  Ask Jim Leyland about swagger, guy coached and loved guys like Barry Bonds and now gettin Gary Sheffield because of swagger.  he claims it is the most underrated quality in sports and coaching (especially recruiting).  I agree 100% with him there.  and i didnt say a no-name coach, we have one of those now, I said a well known ex player or a successful mid major coach.  believe me i want the big name hire, but i hear so much how we cant afford it.  So lets find the diamond in the rough.  And trip you highlighted two of my sentences and say they are wrong, but yet they are right.  then you say they dont pertain to our situation.  it would pertain to any teams situation.  Is USF different than anyone else?  Recruits dont want to play for a coach they dont know will be there the next year.  how does that not pertain to our situation???? Sometimes you respond just to respond. Why? PS 94, we arent 16th in the Big East (place-wise) I believe we are like 14, give us some credit  Herman makes a good point about can we find a cracker jack coach, a young guy, lightning in a bottle that can hit the ground running? Woolard's done it before with three quality hoops hires at SLU, on a similar budget. With that being said it's also a risk. Ari, finally someone admits the guy still has two years on his contract. I am not advocating this but it wouldn't be unthinkable for Woolard to give him a two year extension, with a severely declining buyout, i.e. making it only slightly more expensive to buy him out next year should things not improve. But he does have two years on his contract. Brazen: the same points were brought up a year ago, however those were made, and I was one of them, before Howard re-injured his knee, Curry tore his Achille's, and Aris Williams was rendered useless after the 7th game of the season not to mention Cann's knee took much longer than the doctors projected the knee would respond. Give me a healthy Howard, Curry, and Williams to start the season this team easily wins 2-3 more games by now, and is probably sitting staring at MSG right now. Moving into next season, providing he can sign 1-2 more big men (Ejike Hart would be a great start) that would give him a roster of Holmes, Howard, Gransberry, Verdejo, Nique Jones, Amu Saaka, Zaronn Cann, Dante Curry, Bozeman, and Aris Williams- before the late signees that's 10 guys we know that should be ready to play next season baring injury (ohh no I said it) that could be CRM's largest roster to work with in a season yet. Also, for those critical of not building for the future 9 of those 10 will be available for the following season!!! Additionally if he signs two more, which is what will happen from all indications he could have 12 players going into a season. Can you believe it a CRM team entering a season with 12 players, but I fear I've said to much and jinxed the man a transfer, quit, resignation, or injury will occur it always seems to happen to CRM. Some of the reason for these smaller rosters falls directly on his shoes, but injuries to Mosley, Curry, Cann, Williams, Howard twice, Marlyn Bryant, and Collin Dennis definitely effected teams the past few years. What i am saying is with 12 players next season, all scholarship, and 8 being 1-A hoops battle tested, at least one being a JC transfer, and another with the team for a year (Curry)....well I suppose next season, there really can be no excuses. But if it happens this year and we happen to find the money then so be it too.

Sorry to be presumptious, sounds as if significant review has been conducted. Good luck with it, providing there are no large liabilities or the company is not experiencing a down turn, then it should be an opportunity you can prosper at providing you work hard. Be careful with partners, I have a business endeavor with a partner, it's best to have lots of patiences when you are partnered- sometimes you may not agree, but a good partner will always respect....sadly those sometimes are hard to comeby (the good partner that is, but fortunately for me I have a great one). Good luck again, and it's good to hear there's a huge learning curb for you. Those type of challenges are great because often with huge learning curbs means larger barriers of entry for competition...means you're providing a valued service that isn't homogeneous.

What would make you shake your head and wonder Doug? That thing is going to be significantly costly, did you want to wait 3 more years to build the facility so we could have raised $3M more to partially cover the dining hall too? They needed that facility built like it was yesterday, regardless of the costs, could you imagine if we spent 2-3 years and we were still in trailers up until last year? First, there would have been no Leavitt, and probably not half the talent we possess. Build the facility was first and foremost- it is almost 120k SF, get that in the ground and we can add, annex, and go...if we waited any longer to raise more money Leavitt would have bolted. This showed some level of support and commitment by the Universities part. Now the next step was practice fields, and a dining hall. Welcome to the world of big time college athletics. There is nothing to make you shake your head and wonder if you understand USF athletics and the limitations we're faced with. The dining facility wasn't a 'necessity' but building the athletic facility in it's present state was. Offices, video, weight training, rehab efforts that new facility has been enormously valuable the dining facility is a luxury that will be built.

Well Joe I would say UF makes it with the BCS, AND the SEC. The SEC pays out more dollars to their members than any other conference, and has the most tv exposure. Additionally, UF has some very deep pocketed donors that have made sure the dollars stay in UF Athletics. Those, as well as the BCS have led to UF's success. Also, UF made some masterful moves in the 80's and 90's on men's hoops that have led to this success. Keep in mind when Norm Sloan was brought back in 80' he had built himself into a bit of a legend, and a coup for a poor UF hoops program. He built them to a Sweet Sixteen team...Vernon Maxwell, Dwayne Davis, Schintzius, Pat Lawrence, Livingston Chapman, albeit he cheated but he got the ball rolling in Gainesville to bring recognition to the hoops program. Bringing in Norm in 80' would be the equivalent to USF bringing in Huggins, Norm had already been in a Final Four and had like 300 wins before returning to UF. He left, and they fell into probation but at that point dollars were flowing in and the O'Connell Center started it's reshaping. They made another masterful move hiring Lon Kruger, and really only experienced two down years during the sanction years. Lon built that program into a Final Four team, a real strong team that was built from a very humble beginnings not the top notch recruits Norm landed (possibly by cheating). After that Final Four support poured in and so did dollars. They hired one of the top coaching candidates in the land in Billy Donovan, and then the commitment flowed in they built the new practice facilities, more upgrades to O'Connell, and the hoops offices. At this point right now you'd struggle to find 10 hoops schools that have facilities equal to UF. So when UF stacks up they can say to recruits that we've got top notch facilities, a top notch coach, since 1980 we've been to the NCAA's 15 times, and 8 years in a row, three Final Four appearance and one National Championship, and oh yeah we put about 12k in the O-Connell Center for every game. Hmmmm, hard to beat that.