Rush (For a Change of Atmosphere)

Before we all head out to stuff our cake holes full of burgers, dogs, chicken, and Your Favorite Beverage, I figure I’ll check in with:

The Coaching Carousel. It is something else. This article details Greggggg Marshall’s abrupt Cremins. (That would be accepting a job, being announced at the new job, and less than 24 hours later asking for your old job back. A Cremins.)

But in the CAA–in less than four weeks after the team busses pulled out of Richmond–Ron Everhart found a new job; Brad Brownell found a new job; Jeff Capel found a new job. Dave Henderson found himself without a job. Enter four new guys. Jim Larranaga and Tom Pecora re-upped despite being rumored as candidates for other jobs. Bruiser Flint was the second choice at Temple. Blaine Taylor wasn’t openly courted, but you don’t get random contract extensions. Only Michael Perry, Dean Keener, Pat Kennedy, and Tony Shaver weren’t in some sort of motion.

The state of coaching in college basketball is wondrous. As part of the research for the book, I aksed five coaches how much of their time they actually spent on Xs and Os. All five, after laughing, placed the number between 10% and 20%.

***

I can’t take credit for the tagline (that goes to crack Hofstra PR guy Jeremy Kniffin), but the Pride will play under a “In Guards We Trust” motto this year. And it’s no wonder.

Frankenstein combined with Carlos Rivera and Antoine Agudio to score 1,526 points last year (46.3 per game). Stokes (17.4 ppg) and Agudio (17.2 ppg) combined for 34.6 ppg last year, trailing only Virginia’s Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds (a combined 34.7 ppg) as the highest scoring backcourt duo returning this year (among players who appeared in enough games to qualify). Rivera’s 11.7 ppg, meanwhile, gives the Pride easily the highest scoring three-guard line-up in the nation.

Granted Pat Kennedy would likely say that Gary Neal and the Olsen twins could outscore the Long Island Trio, but who really believes Mary Kate can play a lick of defense.

***

The fact that I worked Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen into this blog should tip you off that it’s going to be a long summer. The fact that I know them enough to use them is scary.

***

Useless fact: There were 16 international players selected in last night’s NBA draft (10 in the second round). The CAAs four best hopes were international players: Nick George, JJ Barea, Harding Nana and Alex Loughton. Zippo.

***

You win the conference, you get to start the season in the Caribbean. You lose in the quarterfinals, you get to start it at home. ODU will open next season in its own tourney, the Cox Communications Classic. Clemson (led by former ODU coach Ollie Purnell), Monmouth, and Arkansas State are the other three teams.

***

VCUs Villa Seven Consortium kicks off July 23 in Las Vegas. Tons of top assistants and athletic directors are going to try to figure it out for mid majors. I was lucky enough to attend last year’s gathering, and these guys mean business. They are also very smart people (so stop killing some of these guys).

Still, I think this year’s meeting could be a bit shorter:

“Get to the Final Four, use the leverage and goodwill to pay your coach. Now let’s hit the craps tables.”

I Fought the Law…

Rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated. It’s just that this time of year the news is about recruiting (some guy is going to some school and somebody thinks he’s great) and the NBA draft (some guy is working out for some team).

Me? I prefer to wax nostaglic. As sections of the book come back for editing, I get to relive parts of last winter and spring. It’s kind of like finding prom pictures, only without the acne and sweaty palms and finding a perfect spot to hide the beer.

Yesterday I got to harken back to my best “reporter’s moment” from the NCAA tournament. Note: you’re only getting part of the story on purpose, because I’m going to need you to buy the book. Really. But anyway…

As pandemonium continued on the floor after Mason beat UConn, I perceived the “dead zone.” It’s the time late in the initial euphoria of a big win when folks are beginning to wonder what’s next. The crowd dictates teh moment without even saying the words. I sensed it was time to move inside. So I made my way into the inner confines of the Verizon/Sprint/Cingular/Alexander Graham Bell Center and headed for the GMU locker room.

Obviously there was a buzz, and people were still mulling over what had just happened. (Book note: there is more to this part…) While everyone was busily congratulating each other and discussing the moment, I slipped right past security into the Mason locker room.

It was an eerie feeling. Outside the walls, I could hear the celebration, but it was like church inside. Not a thing except a few misplaced sneakers, strewn cups of water, and random locker room detritus. I could hear the players bouncing towards the door.

Gabe Norwood was the first in the locker room. His eyes met mine and he had no idea what to do. I had interviewed him once but I was rightfully a stranger in this moment. I smiled and he relaxed and went on about the celebrating. Folarin Campbell was next. It was Campbell’s improbable fadeaway 10-footer that I say was the dagger. Campbell grabbed a marker and wrote “He Guaranteed What?” on the Mason dry erase board. Then it became a crush of jubilant bodies.

It was then that I was tossed from the locker room. And rightfully so. This was their moment.

Live is Life

I had a passel of quips for you today. I began creating the joke-o-rama on Friday morning, crafting what would be a glorious return to the blog. Then I spent an hour at the memorial service of Ryan Moser. Ryan passed away last Wednesday morning at the age of 27, from complications associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

You see, I was prepared to pay my respects to a young man that had touched my life. I wasn’t prepared for the fact that the service would stick with me four days later.

If you attended a game at VCUs Siegel Center, you saw Ryan. He was one-half of the famed “Wheelchair Posse” that attended every VCU men’s and women’s home basketball games, hanging out in the east end zone. His spirit was nothing short of infectious–a reminder to us all that life can be joyous in any form.

Many people will remember the TV debut of the Posse in Raleigh, where VCU was preparing to play Wake Forest in the first round of the NCAA tournament. I personally remember driving down to the Richmond Coliseum to see the CAA tournament, passing the Wheelchair Posse as they motored 30 blocks down Leigh Street in their chairs.

To hear Eric speak of his lost roommate and friend–and to hear friends speak of his impact on their lives–was inspirational. I had promised both Ryan and Eric that I would interview them for the book. However, I never really got around to following through with it. I had all the background info I needed, but busied myself with Jim Larranaga and Tom Pecora and Final Fours. Their interview would come in time.

I never knew Ryan was a baseball statistics nut. We shared that and I never knew. I missed out.

Here’s the thing. During the service, when everyone was speaking those wonderful words, the words that let you know someone made a difference, I looked around at the standing room only crowd. I took careful note of the expressions and thoughts. The furrowed brows. The mix of people. The tears. I could feel the sense of loss. Hell, I could taste it.

I could only think that the next time Sports Illustrated or Sporting News comes out with their “Top 100 Most Powerful People in Sports,” the names would be Rosenhaus and Stern and Jordan and Tagliabue. And I would think about Ryan Moser, a young man who made a difference in the lives of sports fans. On a deeper level.

And that my friends, is truly powerful.

***

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives…

Brad Brownell/Mike Capaccio timeline.

And a little from the Op/Ed side.

I’ve reversed my stance. Two weeks ago, I thought it was just about time for this thing to blow over and everybody move forward. But this is an important event for the University, and for the town. Basketball is the primary athletic asset of the school and deserves the best leadership it can get.

People have the right to criticize, but understand that just because Mike Capaccio may make an unpopular move, it doesn’t mean it is wrong. Yes, Brad Brownell was a great coach–two COYs in four years ain’t chopped liver. But when managing a financially strapped athletics budget, certain tough decisions must be made.

Reminds me of an old Ted Turner goodie: “It’s the Golden Rule. He who has the gold, makes the rules.”

I don’t want nor need to get into the speculation of who said what and when. It’s gossip at best. The important thing to focus on is the health of the athletics department. If Benny Moss is a great coach, what really has transpired?

***

Poor, poor Gunston. The Mason mascot is being replaced for something a bit more appropriate. Granted, a green muppet on steroids is a long way from one of the guys that founded this entire country, but whose quibbling?

At least the kid in the suit got a Final Four trip. How bad would he have felt if Mason had made this decision last year? Then again, it’s a bit different when the CAA regional TV package as opposed to CBS national TV looks at that thing and wonder “what the hell is that?”

***

Keep an eye on the NBA draft. Harding Nana, JJ Barea, Nick George, and Alex Loughton are the leading male candidates for the Nameorama. But don’t keep too close an eye. Methinks the two most important words right now for all of them are “Free” and “Agent.” After that, they need to think about one more: “Europe.”

Still the One

I spoke to Jim Larranaga this morning. It was the first time we’d caught up since “the tourney.” Hysterical guy that Jim Larranaga, in a very Larranaga way. Some high points:

1. Scheduling is more difficult now, but only marginally so. They were already struggling. The big deal now is an attractive home opener. Hey Gary Williams, weren’t you griping a few months back about how mid majors are gaming the system and nobody called? I’m betting My Man Jim has put a jing-a-ling-a-ling on your lines. How about returning the call? If you need his number, I have it.

2. Last May Larranaga went to Italy and relaxed and took some time away. This May, he’s a speaker at pretty much any event shy of Aunt Millie’s Bar-B-Q and Bible Study. And I don’t say that to poke fun at Coach L. In fact, tonight he is speaking at a charity function for disabled children. It’s the Cinderella Ball.

3. He actually took a bit of a shot at Billy Packer in a true Larranaga fashion.