A win tonight would...

[USFreak]

Then again didn't the Empire just build another deathstar two seasons (movies) later?

A win tonight would validate the program and what CRM is doing. He still needs to recruit better. I've mentioned that before......right ;^)

Yes, but they built that second one all with independent contractors.

[Guest wildrover]

Yes, but they built that second one all with independent contractors.

Just to let you know the Clerks refrence is classic, not sure how many people got it though

[TripleB]

A win tonight would undoubtedly put an end to ANYONE calling for Mccullum's head.  I know I would shut my yap.

I'm sure that Turkey Knob Guzzler person would still find fault ...

[Markeymark]

As for recruiting. Well, I would love to see most unknown coaches recruit well at USF after having two bad seasons in a row with players leaving left and right. Sure you can say that we can use the BIG EAST card, but the truth is that USF is not in the BIG EAST yet. Kids will take notice once they see USF playing and competing in the BIG EAST instead of this promise land crap. The wins over Charlotte and Houston should help recruiting IMO. Lets just get off of McCullums back right now because he has exceeded expectations this season whether you realise that or not.

I disagree, and here's why:

McCullum is not an unknown quantity, he is an established D-1 coach who was able to bring quality players at the MAC level to WMU. Granted he's not a marquee name at the national level, but he should by now have an established recruiting network in the AAU/camp scene. I'm not sure, but my suspicion is that he's not as well established as a lot of coaches at the high-major level which was probably not a priority when LRS hired him to coach a CUSA team.

As for the "Big East card" as you put it, it's up to the coaching staff to use that to their advantage in recruiting. In all actuality, where USF is now, talentwise, you don't even need the Big East card...just tell them there's playing time available right away if they're talented enough, and the competition will only get better as they progress through college. That should be a huge incentive, I'm not sure why McCullum hasn't capitalized more than he has...the good news is that the point is now moot because we're in the Big East now.

I agree that he has met expectations, but to say he has exceeded would be a stretch. We have a couple good quality wins in the last week, but there have been some real howlers like the MVSU loss. A win tonight would certainly cement things for Mac, though.

[GarySJ]

I disagree, and here's why:

McCullum is not an unknown quantity, he is an established D-1 coach who was able to bring quality players at the MAC level to WMU.

Note also that Western Michigan has continued to be a good team after he left.

[Guest S.  Bien]

I disagree, and here's why:

McCullum is not an unknown quantity, he is an established D-1 coach who was able to bring quality players at the MAC level to WMU. Granted he's not a marquee name at the national level, but he should by now have an established recruiting network in the AAU/camp scene. I'm not sure, but my suspicion is that he's not as well established as a lot of coaches at the high-major level which was probably not a priority when LRS hired him to coach a CUSA team.

As for the "Big East card" as you put it, it's up to the coaching staff to use that to their advantage in recruiting. In all actuality, where USF is now, talentwise, you don't even need the Big East card...just tell them there's playing time available right away if they're talented enough, and the competition will only get better as they progress through college. That should be a huge incentive, I'm not sure why McCullum hasn't capitalized more than he has...the good news is that the point is now moot because we're in the Big East now.

I agree that he has met expectations, but to say he has exceeded would be a stretch. We have a couple good quality wins in the last week, but there have been some real howlers like the MVSU loss. A win tonight would certainly cement things for Mac, though.

Markey there's a huge flaw in your argument.

but he should by now have an established recruiting network in the AAU/camp scene. I'm not sure, but my suspicion is that he's not as well established as a lot of coaches at the high-major level which was probably not a priority when LRS hired him to coach a CUSA team.

Coach Mac has done a superb job putting himself in position to recruit some top prospects and has brought in some assistants that are great networkers, and have amazing connections on the AAU scene....ever heard of the New York City Gauchos?  Well look up the bio on Julius Allen, and then Greg Gary (notice that where ever Greg went to their recruiting improved almost immediately).

Like someone in the athletic department once told me, Coach Mac usually isn't going to get the kids that are one and done, NBA destine, no care about school.  But when a parent cares about his their kid, and the kid cares about school, even just a little, Coach Mac's the kind of coach that can walk in a home and give that family a warm fuzzy.

As for those other recruits, well Gary and Allen have the ability to land those kids.

The point being is Coach Mac has set himself up to be in position to bring in the big names.  At a school like USF that's all you can ask of Mac, get us in position, and then try to sell like hell, hopefully we land a few.  The plus is he obviously noticed the void on his staff for recruiting and went out and got the necessary assistants this summer to rectify.  You got to give him props for that.

[bullwark]

RMC-should have the boys pack it in and make'em chuck'em from the cheap seats (Hoosiers).  

[Papa_Bull]

A win tonight and maybe the NY Times would know where The university South Florida is located. Maybe even the UConn coach might recognize Coach Mac if he saw him:

Next season the Big East becomes a mega-conference, 16 teams stretching all the way to DePaul, Marquette, Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida, wherever that is.

[snip]

"Something's lost," admitted Jim Calhoun, the blunt-speaking Connecticut coach, who came over from Northeastern in 1986-87 and has won two national titles.

"The intimacy is gone. I think back to Rollie, Rick, P. J., Looie, Jim, John, you knew them all."

In the Big East, nobody needs to specify last names. When Mike Tranghese, the commissioner, says Emeka was the best defensive player in the conference since Patrick, you do not need "A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake" to translate.

Calhoun brought up the time Alonzo Mourning of Georgetown made some comments that offended Nadav Henefeld, the Israeli player with Connecticut.

"John called me, and we got Nadav and Alonzo on the phone and we settled it," Calhoun said, referring to Hoyas Coach John Thompson. "You couldn't do that next year. You wouldn't know everybody.

"South Florida? I don't even know the coach," Calhoun said, adding that the two might meet at the annual conference outing. But with four teams left out of the 12-team tournament next year, "You might never get to know the guy."

Then Calhoun added: "It's going to be the greatest basketball league ever. Next year we'll have a team that might finish ninth that made the N.C.A.A. tournament and brought back four starters. The 14th team is pretty good."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/10/sports/ncaabasketball/10vecsey.html

[Markeymark]

Markey there's a huge flaw in your argument.

It has taken Mac too long to assemble his network, and it's going to cost us the first couple years. That is my argument.

If anything, there's more of a "USF" factor than a "CUSA" factor which is preventing recruits from coming here IMO.