College Coaching Changes

It has been awhile since I blogged about anything. I have been busy with school, work, and other things, but the recent chain of coaches changing teams in College Basketball has brought me out of a mini-sabbatical. Now, I went to Creighton University, so I may come across as bias to some people, but please understand that these are upfront, honest opinions on the three hiring’s made over the last four days.

Oregon-Dana Altman



For 16 years (minus one day in Arkansas), Dana Altman has been the head coach at Creighton University. During that time, he racked up 327 wins and seemed to always have the Jays winning 20 games a year and contending for NCAA Tournament bids. It seemed after he flirted with Arkansas in 2007 that he would end up coaching at Creighton until he retired (by the way, he said that in his welcome back press conference in 2007). However, if there is one thing you can never trust, it is the words out of a college coach’s mouth. The timing of this hire seems a bit strange, considering Creighton was coming off a record of 18-16, as the Jays failed to win 20 games for the first time in about ever, and missed either the NCAA Tournament or NIT in about forever.

I knew that Oregon was in the midst of a long coaching search (38 days). They reportedly sought out Tom Izzo, Jamie Dixon, Brad Stevens, and most recently, Mike Anderson. All either were just rumors or told Oregon no. I never thought that Dana Altman would ultimately end up the head coach at Oregon, but it was clear to me after this was over, that Altman needed a change, as the program on “The Hilltop” as we in Omaha liked to call it, had grown stale.

So what is Oregon getting in a coach? Well, for one, a coach who seemed to have gone away from made Creighton successful up until 2007. This was a change I was looking for at the time, as I had wanted Creighton to contend for sweet 16 appearances and not just NCAA appearances; however, this move backfired. Altman went out and recruited athletic players that he could never find a way to gel in his system. By the end of this year, Altman was subbing 5 guys out at a time, and at no point during the year did Creighton show they could be a consistently good team. There were 20 point blowouts on more than one occasion and the season ended with a semi-final loss in the CIT, yes, I said CIT.

So, can Altman go back to his pre-2007 ways and make that work at Oregon? Not likely. He’ll need to adapt to the Pac-10 style of play (well, not the conference’s play this year for sure), or otherwise, there is no chance he’ll be around once his 7 year contract ends up.

FINAL GRADE FOR COACHING CHOICE: C+ (Oregon reached, had nowhere else to go)

Creighton-Greg McDermott



By 8p.m. Saturday night, Creighton Athletic Director Bruce Rasmussen had been informed by Dana Altman that he had indeed accepted the head coaching job at Oregon. At a press conference today, Greg McDermott told of a story that occurred about 7 years ago. Following a loss in the MVC Tournament, McDermott was approached by Rasmussen and told him in some aspect that if Altman ever left Creighton, that he would be the first coach contacted. Rasmussen kept his word and contacted McDermott on Saturday night. By Sunday night, Rasmussen was in Des Moines and had offered McDermott the job. After sleeping on it, McDermott accepted and what seemed about 5 minutes after Altman’s press conference at Oregon ended, McDermott was announced by Creighton as a new coach.

So, what does Creighton get in McDermott as a coach? Well, he did struggle at Iowa State the last four years. He did not win a winning season, but if you take a look at the Iowa State athletic department as a whole, it is not very good. Even Gene Chizik, who struggled as Iowa State football coach, left for Auburn, and had a very good year down there. Cael Sanderson, who is wrestling to Iowa State, left to be head coach at Penn State. So perhaps McDermott was just not a good fit at Iowa State. That does not mean he is a bad fit at Creighton. In fact, in five years at Northern Iowa (a fellow MVC School), McDermott took Northern Iowa to the NCAA Tournament in his final three years at the school, including two-at large bids during that time. McDermott knows what it takes to win in the MVC, so it does not surprise me Rasmussen went to McDermott first. McDermott will have to work quickly to secure the remainder of the team and to convince incoming recruits to honor their commitments.

FINAL GRADE FOR COACHING CHOICE: B+ (the search went a little too quick, but in reality, there may have not been a better candidate.

Iowa State-Fred Hoiberg



“The Mayor.” Ask any Iowa State fan who that is, and they will tell you Fred Hoiberg. Tonight, it is being reported that Fred Hoiberg will be the new head coach at Iowa State. Seriously, Fred Hoiberg? I know he is probably the most popular player ever to play at Iowa State, but really? This is your hire? Iowa State, you are proving my point of having a terrible athletic department. Hoiberg played 10 seasons in the NBA, retiring with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2005. Since retirement, he has been in the Timberwolves front office, most recently being promoted to the vice president of basketball operations on September 27, 2009.

So, why is it a terrible hire? Hoiberg has ZERO coaching experience. Not just ZERO head coaching experience, ZERO assistant coaching experience, ZERO graduate coaching experience. I know Iowa State was working quickly to get a coach and unite the fan base, but apparently they wanted to go all style and no substance in securing a name hire like Hoiberg. Who is the biggest winner in this? Well, maybe Nebraska. Perhaps someone else (Iowa State), will finish last in the Big 12 instead of Nebraska next year.

FINAL GRADE FOR COACHING CHOICE: Below an F. 0.00%

2010 Masters Preview

Masters Preview



I will go ahead and break this down into groups of fives.

Five Who Can Win

1. Ernie Els

At the beginning of the year, Ernie Els would have been on my list of guys who cannot win The Masters. After failing to win a tournament in 2009, Els is off to a fantastic start in 2010, winning both The World Golf Championships at Doral and The Arnold Palmer Invitation. He has also logged three other top 12 finishes including a top five finish at The Farmers Insurance Open. Ernie is really feeling good about his game right now and I expect him to carry his hot start to 2010 right into Augusta National.

2. Tiger Woods

Do I really need to explain myself here? Regardless of how many women he has been in, the guy is the #1 golfer in the world.

3. Charl Schwartzel

Who? Yes, even I have not heard of this guy before today but Johnny Miller said he was legit, so I checked him out. He has only played in four events in the states this year, but he did make the round of 16 at the Accenture Match Play Championship, second at the World Golf Championships at Doral, and a tie for third at The Shell Houston Open. Not a bad start to the year.

4. Steve Stricker

Steve Stricker has elevated himself to the #2 player in the world, despite never winning a Major Championship. At age 42, he is this year’s version of Kenny Perry, as he is playing terrific golf right now. He won The Northern Trust Open, finished third at the Sony Open and has two other top ten finishes this year.

5. Camillo Villegas

I just have a feeling he is going to break out in the next two years and win a major. So why not now? Before missing the cut at The Arnold Palmer Invitational, Villegas won The Honda Classic and had three other top 20 finishes in his other three events. Look for some magic from Camillo this week.

Five Who Will Not Win

1. The winner of the Par 3 Contest

The person who has won the Par 3 Contest the day before The Masters has never taken home the coveted Green Jacket on Sunday. So I am just going to assume that this will not change.

2. Phil Mickelson

The one they call “Lefty” had an awesome finish to 2009, winning The Tour Championship and a World Golf Championship event in Shanghai; however, he has failed to carry over his 2009 finish into the 2010. Lefty’s best finish was a tie for 8th at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and has just three top ten finishes in 7 starts. He nearly missed the cut at the Shell Houston Open this weekend as well. Just not the performance I like to see from Phil to make me think he can win. I would not be surprised if Phil failed to make the cut.

3. Kenny Perry

Was there anybody outside of friends and family of Angel Cabrera and Chad Campbell that did not want Kenny Perry to win The Masters last year? After nearly holing his tee shot on 16, Perry limped home with a bogey-bogey finish and lost a playoff on the second hole to Angel Cabrera. Perry is off a terrible start in 2010 with only one top 10 finish at the SBS Championship to start the year and no other top 30 finishes in 5 other starts, including missing the cut at The Arnold Palmer Invitational. Kenny’s chance to shine was last year and I’m afraid that his window to win a Major Championship may be closing for this 49 year old man.

4. Tom Watson

Do not let the near win at The British Open fool you. That tournament is more about shot accuracy than anything and Watson nearly perfected it at age 59 last year. The Masters is too long of a course for Tom to stay a consistent contender. Hopefully he can make the cut though

5. Vijay Singh

After winning the Inaugural Fed Ex Cup in 2008 (mainly due to Tiger Woods missing most of the year with a knee injury), Singh did not win in 2009 and is off to a bad start in 2010 (although he did finish in a tie for fourth at Doral). I would be surprised to see him perform well at Augusta given his track record over the past year and a half.

Five People I Want To See In

1. Y.E. Yang

The dude started the Tiger Woods tailspin by stoning him at the 2009 PGA Championship. He also lifted his golf bag over his head like The Stanley Cup after winning it. Imagine what he celebration he could do if he won The Green Jacket?

2. David Duval

The guy is still trying to come back and establish himself as a legit golfer after nearly disappearing from the game completely. He has finished in a tie for second in the US Open last year and finished second at Pebble Beach earlier this year. Hopefully David has another magical run in him.

3. Kenny Perry

I want this guy to bag a major desperately, especially after last year’s debacle. Like I said above though, he will not.

4. Steve Stricker

This year’s version of Kenny Perry.

5. Phil Mickelson

Win one for Amy!

FIVE PEOPLE WHO I DO NOT WANT TO SEE WIN

1. Tiger Woods

Yeah, dude is a jerk.

2. Sergio Garcia

See Tiger Woods explanation above.

3. Angel Cabrera

C’mon, nobody wants to see a back to back champion. How boring would that be?

4. Ben Crane

I play ready golf. That means I’m not a slow player. This guy is as slow as it comes. Rory Sabbatini once left his group after playing a hole because Crane was so slow. I want this guy nowhere near the top of the leader board on Sunday.

5. Miguel Angel Jimenez

That damn ponytail of his bothers the hell out of me.

A Perfect Final Four?

A Perfect Final Four

OK, I will acknowledge something off the bat, I am not sure any Final Four is 100% perfect, but from taking a look at this year’s field, each and every team offers a unique storyline that will make this one of the more interesting Final Fours in my opinion.

Duke (The team everyone loves to hate)

As soon as the field was released two weeks ago, I immediately got a text and a facebook message that Duke was being gift-wrapped a Final Four with all the teams that were placed in their regions. Now, I do agree that Duke’s field may have been the weakest of the group; however, a team still has to go out and win their games. Remember when everyone said Kansas was given a tough field with having to deal with Ohio State, Georgetown, Maryland, Michigan State, etc? Well, they did not even get by Northern Iowa. So, Duke still had to win their games, and they knocked off teams from the Pac 10, Big 10, and Big 12 to earn their 12th Final Four under Coach K. Now, I know there is a lot of Duke Haters who hate seeing them succeed, but one must note that Duke has not been in a Final Four since 2004 (an eternity for them) and have not won The National Championship since 2001. Heck, Duke has only won one National Title since 1992. So, having Duke in the field adds a little more spice, and The Final Four could always use a little more spice. Baylor’s a nice story (considering where they came from), but they aren’t quite as exciting to watch as The Dukies.

West Virginia (Bob Huggins shot at a title)

For Bob Huggins, this is his second final four appearance (1992 Cincinnati). However, this time around, Huggins is leading his alma mater and the team he played for to Indianapolis for a shot at the title. Huggins has done a tremendous job coaching the Mountaineers this year in leading West Virginia to their First Final Four since 1959, especially since the team lost starting Point Guard Truck Bryant to injury during a practice right before The Sweet 16. His decision to play a 1-3-1 zone against Kentucky worked perfectly, and led to the upset of the considered tourney favorite once Kansas was dethroned in the second round. This may not be Huggins best team ever, as his 2000 team with the ill-fated injury of Kenyon Martin was probably the best; however, this is his toughest team, and there would be nothing sweeter for Huggins then to lead his alma-mater to The National Championship.

Michigan State (The team that Duke Haters probably need to hate more)

With all the hate out there for Duke, I wonder where all the hate is for Michigan State. Did you know this is the 6th Final Four appearance in the last 12 years for Tom Izzo and Michigan State? That’s one final four appearance every two years. That’s pretty damn good, considering how easy it is for a team to play a bad game and get run out of the NCAA Tournament. Heck, that’s pretty good considering how tough it has been for some NCAA teams out there to even MAKE the tournament lately (uhh, Nebraska, hello?) Izzo again has showed why he is a genius this tournament as he was able to lead The Spartans to The Final Four without their star Point Guard Kalin Lucas, who was injured during their 2nd round game against Maryland. Had Michigan State been able to cash in more than one title during this run, perhaps they would get that Duke hate, but for now, they’ll get all cheers should they face Duke on Monday Night.

Butler (The host school)

Never in the history of the NCAA Tournament has the host school reached the Final Four until this year. Now, some people may try to drop that Cinderella story on Butler; however, this is no Cinderella story. Butler earned a #5 seed in this year’s tournament, posting quality non-conference wins and running through The Horizon League. George Mason on the other hand snuck into the tournament as an 11 seed, gaining one of the last at-large spots available. This team deserves to be there and it would not be a surprise to anyone at this point to see Butler playing for it all, just 7 miles from their home arena on Monday Night. Should they get to Monday Night and should they win, it would mark the first time a team outside a power conference won the title since UNLV in 1990. If they do so, they would score wins against the SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, and either The Big East or ACC along the way. Look for a decent home court advantage in terms of crowd support for The Bulldogs this weekend.

Predictions

Well, I’ve acknowledged to many people I stink at making predictions (I picked Ohio State, Kansas State, Kentucky, and Baylor to make it before last weekend); however, I will give it a shot.

I’ll take Michigan State over Butler in a close game, with Michigan State pulling away at the end.

I’ll take Duke, because I think they’ll shoot and defend the perimeter better than Kentucky did against West Virginia.

And on Monday Night…..well, I’ll wait for the actual matchup to make that prediction….

Sweet 16 preview

I can't recall the last time that 11 different conferences were represented in The Sweet 16. The most amazing part of it is that The Big Ten leads all conferences with 3 teams represented heading into the games on Thursday and Friday Night. The Big East, Big 12, and SEC each have two representatives, while the remaining teams hail from the ACC, Pac-10, A-10, Ivy League, West Coast, Missouri Valley, and Horizon leagues. So, who's got the easiest road to Indianapolis? Let's take a look.



East (Syracuse)

#1 Kentucky vs #12 Cornell
#2 West Virginia vs #11 Washington

Kentucky got good news this week when they learned that potential Elite 8 opponent West Virginia lost starting PG Darryl Bryant. Before they can think about that, they must face Cornell, led by 8 seniors, to go against Kentucky and their fabulous four freshman. Cornell also has the luxury of playing 50 miles from home, but keep in mind, if any team travels well, its Kentucky, and their fans will be at the Carrier Dome in full force. Washington is one of the hottest teams entering the sweet 16, as they have won 9 straight games, including the disposing of #3 seed New Mexico in the second round last weekend. Don't count out Washington in this game; however, regardless of the outcome, I fully expect Kentucky to be heading to Indianapolis at weekend's end.

South (Houston)

#1 Duke vs #4 Purdue
#3 Baylor vs #10 Saint Mary's (CA)

I loved Baylor coming out of this region from the beginning. I thought they had a fairly easy draw in rounds 1 and 2, with having to either deal with an overseeded Notre Dame, or Old Dominion in round 2. Now the Bears head home to Texas to play in Houston for The Sweet 16. While Omar Sahman of Saint Mary's may be one of the tournaments two cinderella players, I don't think he will have as much success this time around, as Baylor has good size to defend him in the post. Saint Mary's will have to shoot the three ball well in order to get to the Elite Eight.

Most people didn't expect Purdue to advance past Siena in round one, let alone Texas A&M in round two, this of course due to the fact that Robbie Hummel is out for the year and Purdue got blown out of The Big Ten tournament by Minnesota. Purdue has shown they are the toughest team in the tournament, and don't count them out against the Dukies. In the end, I expect Baylor to beat Duke on Sunday and head to Indianapolis to take on Kentucky.

West (Salt Lake City)

#1 Syracuse vs #5 Butler
#2 Kansas State vs #6 Xavier

Syracuse will once again be without Arine Onuaku for their game against Butler on Thursday, leaving just 7 guys to fill the 5 spots on the floor. Now, if Wesley Johnson and Andy Rautins shoot tomorrow like they did on Sunday, Butler has no chance. What further hampers Butler (who is not a Cinderella story btw) is that they only shoot 34% as a team from three, and they will need to shoot the three against the Syracuse 2-3 zone. Shelvin Mack and Willie Veasley are the Bulldogs best bet from three.

If you refer to Xavier as a "mid-major", you deserved to get punched in the face. Led by Indiana transfer Jordan Crawford (who dunked over Lebron btw last summer), the Musketeers have not skipped a beat under Craig Mack, who took over for Sean Miller who bolted for Arizona. The obvious keys for Xavier to win this game are to stop Jacob Pullen (34 points against BYU) and Dennis Clemente. In a prediction that will make the stomachs of Kansas fans turn, I fully expect Kansas State to be playing basketball on Saturday afternoon against Syracuse, and I'll take Kansas State and Jacob Pullen and Jamar Samuels ability to shoot the three, to take down Syracuse.

Midwest (Saint Louis)

#9 Northern Iowa vs #4 Michigan State
#6 Tennessee vs #2 Ohio State

Perhaps the most wide open field, despite the fact that Ohio State is led by Junior guard Evan Turner, who at 6-8, is Ohio State's tallest player (that operates as their PG). Tennessee somehow was able to recover during the year after Tyler Smith was kicked off the team for his role in a January 1, 2010, arrest involving four basketball players. 8th year player Wayne Chism (it seems that long anyway) was on the team that blew a 21 point first half lead to Ohio State in the 2007 Regional Semifinals so you know that revenge will be on his mind Friday night. It doesn't matter, too much Evan Turner, and the Buckeyes move on.

As a graduate and season ticket holder to Creighton, I have seen Northern Iowa play many times this year, including once in person. It does not surprise me that they knocked off Kansas; however, i never in my right mind expect it to happen. The theme of Northern Iowa all year was a new player stepping up each game and Ali Farokanamesh certainly did that against Kansas, hitting the shot of the tournament so far to put Northern Iowa up by 4 with 26 seconds left. With Michigan State needing to replace star PG Kalin Lucas, who tore his achillies heel, I would normally go ahead and pick Northern Iowa to win in this case. However, I learned this week that Northern Iowa will be featured on this week's cover of Sports Illustrated. For that sole reason alone, I'll take Michigan State. I'll take Ohio State though come Sunday.

So there you have it. I expect to see Ohio State, Kansas State, Kentucky, and Baylor in Indinapolis next weekend.

Random Thoughts-Sunday Night

Random Thoughts, never thought today I'd have to talk about Tiger Woods.



I thought I had a lot to blog about prior to today; however, now I am not sure I can cover all my thoughts. I guess first things first, Tiger Woods. Out of nowhere today came the report that Tiger spent 5 minutes with ESPN and The Golf Channel. Now, of course, unless those interviews were going to be with Erin Andrews or Lauren Thompson, I don’t care. I did watch anyway and nothing alarming came out of the interviews. At this point, I just want to know how he is going to perform on the course, and what the next tournament he is going to play after The Masters. My money is on The Players Championship in Mid-May.

This morning, the collective groan you heard from the north were Minnesota Twins fans reacting to the news that their closer, Joe Nathan, would undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the season. I am not surprised one bit, considering the first thing I thought of when I heard of “Joe Nathan” and “elbow discomfort” about two weeks ago were the words “Tommy John.” Now, Twins fans should not panic too much. I know Nathan has been the second best closer in baseball outside of Mariano Rivera the last couple years, but if there is any organization that can develop someone into any position, it is the Twins. Jon Rauch will likely be the closer, as he has some experience at the role, but knowing the Twins, they could always go with someone else.



This evening, the collective cheer you heard from the north were Minnesota Twins fans reacting to the news that their catcher, Joe Mauer, agreed to an 8 year deal worth $184 million with a no-trade clause. As I pointed out in an earlier blog post, it was essential this deal get done as Joe Mauer needs The Twins and The Twins need Joe Mauer. More details of the deal will be released tomorrow but I have to wonder just how much of this money is deferred and whether or not it includes an ownership option later in Joe’s life. Mauer is only 26 now so he will only be 34 or 35 when this contract is up. If Mauer is still the hitter he is then as he is today, a position change could be in order, and may already have happened by the time the contract is up.

This goes back a little bit, but Oregon suspended star QB Jeremiah Masoli for his role in a burglary this offseason. Masoli was not kicked off the team, and will have an opportunity to return to the team in 2011. This is a stunning blow to Oregon, as they were predicted to be a top 10 team this year. That likely will not happen now. The question is, do Oregon fans want Masoli back? They might, but should they want him back? His poor decision making off the field will end up costing Oregon on the field and it may take a long time for him to receive the forgiveness of the Oregon faithful.

The first four days of the NCAA Tournament…. where to start, why not just ask some questions.

Why did it take Kansas 37 minutes to press Northern Iowa?

How unconscious is Ali Farokmanesh, and how many national radio shows is he going to be on starting tomorrow?

Is anyone going to remember that Kansas State lost to Kansas three times in the regular season? After all, Kansas State is in The Sweet 16 and Kansas is now back in Lawrence.

Are the Florida Gators still having nightmares of Jimmer Frederette just schooling them for 30 minutes on Thursday?

How in the hell did Texas blow an 8 point lead in overtime with 2:30 remaining?

Out of all the buzz-beaters/last second shots, why on earth was GUS JOHNSON not involved in ANY of them? Someone should get fired for that! Bad placement!

Why were most of the buzz-beaters/last second shots on Thursday and Saturday? (Actually, that may answer the Gus Johnson question)

Do I owe the Pac-10 an apology? Sort of, good job Washington, fair effort California

Why were Notre Dame and Marquette given 6 seeds? They were over-seeded by at least two slots and it showed during their first round matchups? That being said, what happened to the Big East?

Can Michigan State continue to win without Kalin Lucas? Can Purdue continue to win without Robbie Hummel?

Could you please visit this twitter link? Someone wants to say hi to the world. http://twitter.com/OmarSamhan

Does the NCAA know their secret plan to have non-power conference teams knock each other out of the tournament this year failed in three instances? The NCAA likes to pit two-non power conference teams against each other with the winner facing a power-conference team in the second round. Perhaps we deserve more first round matchups between power conference and non-power conference teams after what happened this year.

1. #9 seeded Northern Iowa defeated #8 seeded UNLV en route to beating #1 seeded Kansas.
2. #10 seeded Saint Mary’s (CA) defeated #7 seeded Richmond en route to beating #2 seeded Villanova.
3. #12 seeded Cornell defeated #5 seeded Temple en route to beating #4 seeded Wisconsin.
4. Honorable mention, #5 Butler defeated #12 seeded UTEP. #4 Vanderbilt would have been the opponent, but they lost to #13 seeded Murray State. So in the end, the NCAA plan that I allege, did not happen.

Oh yeah, I guess on an entertainment note, Dancing With The Stars begins tomorrow night. I will tune in to see how Erin Andrews and Chad OchoCinco perform. However, if you actually call and vote for Kate Gosselin tomorrow after her performance, to keep her on TV another week, you are a giant scumbag.

Coming up later this week (or tomorrow for that matter), a preview of the Sweet 16 and UFC 111, which airs March 27, 2010, live on Pay-Per-View