The Next Five Years [ From 16 July 2018 ]

[Xudash]

So, as concerns the top 4 teams in 5 years, allow me to go at this on a cause and effect basis. I have one word for you: ADMINISTRATION. The programs that will be at the top of this conference in 4 years, or any year for that matter are those programs that have the sharpest administrations who hire the right people, invest in their program, and build their overall brand - school, basketball program, etc. Those programs become or maintain themselves as winners, and the best players available who favor the BE environment will gravitate to them, all else being equal, assuming there is no specific geographical bias or other reason that a player would favor a lessor program. If a school causes itself to establish a strong administration up and down the line - university and the AD - then the effect is going to be that it will produce strong teams and will continue to strengthen its brand.

I'm biased, but I see very real strength in this regard when it comes to Villanova, Xavier, and Providence, and I'm thinking that Georgetown and Marquette belong in this camp, too.

I have two words for you: HEAD COACH.

Nova and Jay win in spite the administration. The best thing the administration can do is stay out of the way.

What other coach in the Big East has NCAA tournament success? Anyone?

The Big East is Jay and everyone else at this point. It's a coach's game.

My point was that it all starts with an administration that understands the strategic importance of the primary revenue sport to the overall success of the school. Notre Dame with football, historically. Basketball for a number of other Catholic schools, including ours in this case.

The head coach is key to a program's success, but you are kidding yourself if you believe that success is sustainable or achievable at a high level without buy-in from the school's administration, and I otherwise was careful to note that "administration" means both for the school and the school's athletic department. A school needs a solid AD to find, recruit and deliver a strong head coach. The school's administration has to "get it" in order to be willing to pay the number that will be necessary to hire, promote and retain a solid coach.

Head coach, period, end of story? No way in hell that works. If the facilities aren't there to support his efforts to recruit and grow a strong fan base, if he doesn't otherwise have the budget resources necessary to recruit where he wants, and if he can't fly his team around via charter he isn't going to be landed, or he is young enough to get plucked by a bigger school - - a bigger school that does get it.

[Dave]

My point was that it all starts with an administration that understands the strategic importance of the primary revenue sport to the overall success of the school. Notre Dame with football, historically. Basketball for a number of other Catholic schools, including ours in this case.

The head coach is key to a program's success, but you are kidding yourself if you believe that success is sustainable or achievable at a high level without buy-in from the school's administration, and I otherwise was careful to note that "administration" means both for the school and the school's athletic department. A school needs a solid AD to find, recruit and deliver a strong head coach. The school's administration has to "get it" in order to be willing to pay the number that will be necessary to hire, promote and retain a solid coach.

Head coach, period, end of story? No way in hell that works. If the facilities aren't there to support his efforts to recruit and grow a strong fan base, if he doesn't otherwise have the budget resources necessary to recruit where he wants, and if he can't fly his team around via charter he isn't going to be landed, or he is young enough to get plucked by a bigger school - - a bigger school that does get it.

When it comes to Nova, you know not of what you speak. The current Admin inherited Jay, and the current AD was hired just a few years ago. Jay was only hired because Steve Lappas quit. The AD at the time got the AD job when the previous AD quit. He was the ticket manager and got the AD job! They hired Jay as he was a previous assistant under Rollie, he was cheap, and had some success at low major basketball. The current President couldn't dribble a basketball and has no real interest. He likes the positive exposure, but he has no real interest.

Nova has historically had bottom-end facilities in both the oBE and nBE. We have nothing that rivals Cintas.

HEAD COACH. The one thing that Jay has had at Nova that worked for him is an indifferent administration. No pressure. No hot seat in the bad years. No meddling in his business. A few rich donors support the program, and the admin stays out of the way.

What is lacking in the rest of the conference is anyone with post season success. Until another HC makes some noise in March and then is retained by his program, it's just Jay and everybody else. Unfortunately X and Butler and most of the conference programs are just stepping stones at the moment.

[FriarJ]

2017 BET hype would've been through the roof without the injuries to Creighton and Xavier. Only St. John's can control how much they contribute to the BET, but their presence isn't a necessity if the tournament brings great teams to town. If there is no top 5 great team, 4 or 5 ranked teams would suffice.

It's also important to put a great, exciting product out there, that is what New York City wants and last years games were the best in college basketball and the Garden was rocking. That is how the BET became the IT tournament and how it will continue to be. I really believe it can become the ticket you just had to have again. Playing a team for the 3rd time in a season almost guarantees an exciting game in the semi's and above. Believe me, it was not Louisville and Cincy that made the tournament great, it was the original members killing each other out there for every loose ball because they were sick of the other team.

This is why the round robin format can NEVER go away.

[Xudash]

My point was that it all starts with an administration that understands the strategic importance of the primary revenue sport to the overall success of the school. Notre Dame with football, historically. Basketball for a number of other Catholic schools, including ours in this case.

The head coach is key to a program's success, but you are kidding yourself if you believe that success is sustainable or achievable at a high level without buy-in from the school's administration, and I otherwise was careful to note that "administration" means both for the school and the school's athletic department. A school needs a solid AD to find, recruit and deliver a strong head coach. The school's administration has to "get it" in order to be willing to pay the number that will be necessary to hire, promote and retain a solid coach.

Head coach, period, end of story? No way in hell that works. If the facilities aren't there to support his efforts to recruit and grow a strong fan base, if he doesn't otherwise have the budget resources necessary to recruit where he wants, and if he can't fly his team around via charter he isn't going to be landed, or he is young enough to get plucked by a bigger school - - a bigger school that does get it.

When it comes to Nova, you know not of what you speak. The current Admin inherited Jay, and the current AD was hired just a few years ago. Jay was only hired because Steve Lappas quit. The AD at the time got the AD job when the previous AD quit. He was the ticket manager and got the AD job! They hired Jay as he was a previous assistant under Rollie, he was cheap, and had some success at low major basketball. The current President couldn't dribble a basketball and has no real interest. He likes the positive exposure, but he has no real interest.

Nova has historically had bottom-end facilities in both the oBE and nBE. We have nothing that rivals Cintas.

HEAD COACH. The one thing that Jay has had at Nova that worked for him is an indifferent administration. No pressure. No hot seat in the bad years. No meddling in his business. A few rich donors support the program, and the admin stays out of the way.

What is lacking in the rest of the conference is anyone with post season success. Until another HC makes some noise in March and then is retained by his program, it's just Jay and everybody else. Unfortunately X and Butler and most of the conference programs are just stepping stones at the moment.

I have to say that I assumed Nova's administrative strength. Excellent school all around. I just assumed it is solid in this area, with part of my assumption based on the current re-do of the Pavilion. But I guess that is even being driven by donors, to your point about their support.

On that note, I hope Jay hangs around and is successful for a long time. Not only should there be concern over this dismissive attitude towards the hoops program, but Nova hasn't exactly demonstrated a knack for stringing together solid coaching hires over the years. Lappas was a disaster.

[GumbyDamnit!]

When it comes to Nova, you know not of what you speak. The current Admin inherited Jay, and the current AD was hired just a few years ago. Jay was only hired because Steve Lappas quit. The AD at the time got the AD job when the previous AD quit. He was the ticket manager and got the AD job! They hired Jay as he was a previous assistant under Rollie, he was cheap, and had some success at low major basketball. The current President couldn't dribble a basketball and has no real interest. He likes the positive exposure, but he has no real interest.

Nova has historically had bottom-end facilities in both the oBE and nBE. We have nothing that rivals Cintas.

HEAD COACH. The one thing that Jay has had at Nova that worked for him is an indifferent administration. No pressure. No hot seat in the bad years. No meddling in his business. A few rich donors support the program, and the admin stays out of the way.

What is lacking in the rest of the conference is anyone with post season success. Until another HC makes some noise in March and then is retained by his program, it's just Jay and everybody else. Unfortunately X and Butler and most of the conference programs are just stepping stones at the moment.

I have to say that I assumed Nova's administrative strength. Excellent school all around. I just assumed it is solid in this area, with part of my assumption based on the current re-do of the Pavilion. But I guess that is even being driven by donors, to your point about their support.

On that note, I hope Jay hangs around and is successful for a long time. Not only should there be concern over this dismissive attitude towards the hoops program, but Nova hasn't exactly demonstrated a knack for stringing together solid coaching hires over the years. Lappas was a disaster.

I agree that prior to conference realignment and Nova's subsequent BB successes that the VU Admin's did not mirror the Alumni passion for our beloved hoops program (or athletics on the whole). The nBE conference, and Jay staying on as coach, both provided what we needed to take the next step as a program. I'm not sure it all happens if the BE remained on the same course and L'ville leaves and ECU and Tulane join. Where's the excitement in that recruiting pitch? It's the same that UConn and Temple are struggling with today. Also keep in mind that there was a time when some alums thought our only move was to FBS football in the desperate hope for an ACC invite (by delivering the Philly market). Our Admin wanted an Arts Center instead. What a mistake that move would have been in hindsight.

But now Fr. Peter can see firsthand what these two titles have meant. Alum support is through the roof which fund his pet projects. Applications have sky rocketed and admissions have become extemely competitive. I think there is no turning back on the investment in men's hoops. The Admin and/or Alums would be prepared to pay Jay whatever he wanted should there come a time where $ is an issue. I don't see that happening.

Lastly I don't think Lapas was a "disaster." He recruited well (Kittles, Thomas, Lawson, Williams). The teams he had were talented and performed well during the regular season. But talk about March disappointments. He had Final 4 talent (4 future pros) who could not get out of the 2nd round. What could have been... Ugh. But all things happen for a reason and I thank God for Steve Lappas leaving when he did. A week later and Jay could have gone to Rutgers and we could have become a middling program. And the nBE would probably be considered a disaster (in hindsight) if all those dominoes didn't fall when they did.

[FriarJ]

I agree that prior to conference realignment and Nova's subsequent BB successes that the VU Admin's did not mirror the Alumni passion for our beloved hoops program (or athletics on the whole). The nBE conference, and Jay staying on as coach, both provided what we needed to take the next step as a program. I'm not sure it all happens if the BE remained on the same course and L'ville leaves and ECU and Tulane join. Where's the excitement in that recruiting pitch? It's the same that UConn and Temple are struggling with today. Also keep in mind that there was a time when some alums thought our only move was to FBS football in the desperate hope for an ACC invite (by delivering the Philly market). Our Admin wanted an Arts Center instead. What a mistake that move would have been in hindsight.

But now Fr. Peter can see firsthand what these two titles have meant. Alum support is through the roof which fund his pet projects. Applications have sky rocketed and admissions have become extemely competitive. I think there is no turning back on the investment in men's hoops. The Admin and/or Alums would be prepared to pay Jay whatever he wanted should there come a time where $ is an issue. I don't see that happening.

Lastly I don't think Lapas was a "disaster." He recruited well (Kittles, Thomas, Lawson, Williams). The teams he had were talented and performed well during the regular season. But talk about March disappointments. He had Final 4 talent (4 future pros) who could not get out of the 2nd round. What could have been... Ugh. But all things happen for a reason and I thank God for Steve Lappas leaving when he did. A week later and Jay could have gone to Rutgers and we could have become a middling program. And the nBE would probably be considered a disaster (in hindsight) if all those dominoes didn't fall when they did.

It does not matter how they get there, they are there now and to say that the admin does not matter (Dave) is ridiculous. Depaul owes it's current fate to administration they go hand in hand. Without Father Shanley, there is no Cooley at PC, no shiny new mens practice facility, and probably no New Big East. Admin matters, a lot.

[Dave]

Lastly I don't think Lapas was a "disaster." He recruited well (Kittles, Thomas, Lawson, Williams). The teams he had were talented and performed well during the regular season. But talk about March disappointments. He had Final 4 talent (4 future pros) who could not get out of the 2nd round. What could have been... Ugh. But all things happen for a reason and I thank God for Steve Lappas leaving when he did. A week later and Jay could have gone to Rutgers and we could have become a middling program. And the nBE would probably be considered a disaster (in hindsight) if all those dominoes didn't fall when they did.

I agree with you on Lappas. He was not a disaster, but he did not have the March success either. His resume might be comparable to Ed Cooley's.

Kittles was a Rollie recruit. Kittles could have backed out when Rollie left, but Steve convinced him to stay.

I also agree that Nova's position today is due at least as much to luck as management. Luck in landing Jay. Lappas leaving, Vince trying to keep him, Lappas leaving anyway, Jay from Rollie's coaching tree still available...

[Dave]

It does not matter how they get there, they are there now and to say that the admin does not matter (Dave) is ridiculous.

Then credit the Eagles' Super Bowl win to the Mayor of Philadelphia.

[Dave]

I just assumed it is solid in this area, with part of my assumption based on the current re-do of the Pavilion.

Do you know what the seating capacity will be in the new Pavilion?

[Xudash]

It does not matter how they get there, they are there now and to say that the admin does not matter (Dave) is ridiculous.

Then credit the Eagles' Super Bowl win to the Mayor of Philadelphia.

That makes no sense. Credit the Eagles front office for the Eagles' Super Bowl win.