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re: Is Billy Donovan the best coach ever at a basketball "not first" school?
Posted on 3/4/15 at 1:55 pm to tress4pres
Posted on 3/4/15 at 1:55 pm to tress4pres
quote:
One thing about Billy Donovan is that he only seems to be really successful with veteran teams. His young teams seem to struggle some. Not sure what that means, but it's just an observation.
He coaches up players?
ETA
quote:
Lute Olsen at UArizona hands down. Arizona wasn't a basketball school till he showed up (I think 3 previous tourney appearances) and he ended up with a championship, making some 25+ straight tournaments, ungodly amount of sweet 16s, PAC12 titles and 20+ win seasons.
Arizona is considered a premier bball school after being a cellar dweller and having no in state talent due to Lute Olsen
This post was edited on 3/4/15 at 1:56 pm
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Posted on 3/4/15 at 1:56 pm to roadGator
I can't think of anyone else who could be in this discussion. Thad Matta is probably a very, very distant second off the top of my head
Posted on 3/4/15 at 1:57 pm to sms151t
quote:
My answer was going to be Lute Olson as he turned Arizona and Iowa into basketball schools.
Olson took both to Final Fours after both never had success. Florida had some success previously.
You get an upvote. He made blueblood programs out of backwoods programs. He made UArizona big before the population explosion in AZ too
Posted on 3/4/15 at 1:58 pm to GenesChin
quote:
population explosion in AZ
Blue hairs are mostly out of eligibility. Don't think that's much of a factor.
Posted on 3/4/15 at 1:58 pm to tigerbait2010
quote:
can't think of anyone else who could be in this discussion. Thad Matta is probably a very, very distant second off the top of my head
Current coaches yes. I don't like the guy but Shaka Smart in about 10 years likely enters the discussion
Posted on 3/4/15 at 1:58 pm to tress4pres
quote:
Thad Matta has a case. If OSU wins tonight he will tie Fred Taylor with most coaching wins at OSU (297 in 11 seasons). He has never won less than 20 games in all of his years as a coach at Butler, Xavier and OSU. Although he doesn't have any national titles, he has made it to the championship game, another Final Four, an elite 8 and 2 sweet 16s.
Just went back and read the thread. I agree, Matta has done a great job at OSU.
Question: why is he so bad at recruiting the state of Ohio? Not exactly a knock on him, but all he has to do is lock the state at a respectable level
Posted on 3/4/15 at 2:00 pm to GenesChin
quote:
Current coaches yes. I don't like the guy but Shaka Smart in about 10 years likely enters the discussio
You're probably right, but I remember being so butthurt when Grant turned down LSU and went to Bama the next year. He'll probably never coach at a basketball-second school anyways
Posted on 3/4/15 at 2:01 pm to roadGator
quote:
Blue hairs are mostly out of eligibility. Don't think that's much of a factor
Fair enough but Arizona had no local recruiting and average bball history at best when Lute showed up. He made some 12 sweet 16s and 7 elite 8s at a shite school and never missed the tourny
Posted on 3/4/15 at 2:01 pm to GenesChin
quote:
Shaka Smart in about 10 years likely enters the discussion
Shaka is so overrated. So so so very overrated.
Posted on 3/4/15 at 2:06 pm to tigerbait2010
He generally gets the players he wants. The exception has been the class of 2015 which in Ohio is stacked. Actually, 2016 is just as solid IMO. With that said, he still has a top 5 class. He wanted Kennard but didn't get him. That is the biggest in-state recruit he couldn't reel in since he has been here. The kid from Cleveland going to Kansas (can't remember his name) is also very good but OSU has never been high on his list. He has missed on a few for sure though. Trey Burke was a HS teammate and best friends with Sullinger but Matta offered Shannon Scott over him. He also went after Amir and passed on Adriene Payne which I will never understand. The state of Ohio is stacked with bball talent though, that's for sure.
Posted on 3/4/15 at 2:07 pm to DBU
quote:
Shaka is so overrated. So so so very overrated.
I agree but being overratted can get you talent which gets you more wins if you aren't Anthony Grant.
Posted on 3/4/15 at 2:17 pm to GenesChin
quote:
He coaches up players?
My point is that the elite coaches with young teams still find ways to win. Donovan seems to rebuild rather than reload if that makes any sense.
Posted on 3/4/15 at 2:22 pm to roadGator
He's is arguably the best hire in the SEC in any sport over the last 20 years. Before him UF had some decent years including Kruger's run to the Final Four in '94, but nothing like the sustained excellence Donovan has brought.
Posted on 3/4/15 at 2:23 pm to tigerbait2010
Another stat which is pretty impressive is that Matta has never lost a home game in March at OSU. Now that streak will likely end this weekend vs Wisconsin, but it's still an impressive stat.
Posted on 3/4/15 at 2:35 pm to tress4pres
Gotta get that hardware.
Posted on 3/4/15 at 2:41 pm to Korin
Agreed
Posted on 3/4/15 at 3:24 pm to tress4pres
quote:
One thing about Billy Donovan is that he only seems to be really successful with veteran teams. His young teams seem to struggle some.
Don't think that is generally true, just looks that way because of how the last couple of years played out.
The 2006 championship team's starting lineup was almost entirely made up of sophomores with very little experience.
Posted on 3/4/15 at 3:29 pm to GenesChin
quote:
Lute Olsen at UArizona hands down. Arizona wasn't a basketball school till he showed up
However, he wasn't really at a football school either. I don't think Arizona basketball was overshadowed the way Florida basketball was pre-Donovan.
Even so, Donovan has matched or passed Olsen in many areas and he isn't even 50 years old.
This post was edited on 3/4/15 at 5:17 pm
Posted on 3/4/15 at 4:55 pm to roadGator
Florida is a basketball school. Has been since Urban "retired".
Posted on 3/4/15 at 4:57 pm to roadGator
UF isn't a blue blood?
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