ESPN Says Martin to South Carolina

[MsProudSooner]

Breaking news on ESPN.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

Too bad somebody didn't start a thread about that. Oh well. If they had the other posters would have called him crazy.

 

[thebigabd]

What an IDIOT!

He has:

PG: Angel Rodriguez
SG: Will Spradling
SF: Rodney McGruder
PF: Thomas Gipson
C: Jordan Henriquez

And he leaves to take over a dump program in South Carolina?

This is a step down, for sure. He may build it up, but im pretty sure this is not a lateral move.

As for K-State, they should give Lon Kruger a call. With what K-State has on the roster Lon has a better chance of winning there right away than he does here, plus you have the alma matter factor.

 

[tycat947]

I wonder if Steve Henson would be a possibility for K-State?

 

[sys]

no and no on kruger and henson.

 

[Soonerman]

If he's taking the SC job, there's obviously been something brewing at K-State internally. You don't leave K-State for South Carolina, ever. There must be some incredibly strained relationships within the K-State bball program and/or athletic program.

 

[thegreyghost]

Katz said he didn't get along with the AD and South Carolina will pay him about $600K a year more than K-state

 

[DFWHoopster]

well that sucks- I thought Frank Martin was great for the Big12 and a good dude. Hopefully they make a good hire here.

Sys- any defections to the draft this year? McGruder and/or Henriquez? Is Spradling thinking about transferring along with Gipson? Thought I read that somewhere.

 

[tycat947]

Maybe K-State can get Frank Haith if he doesn't want to go to the SEC!

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

Maybe K-State can get Frank Haith if he doesn't want to go to the SEC!

Sawyer sighting in 3....2....1....

 

[sys]

Sys- any defections to the draft this year? McGruder and/or Henriquez? Is Spradling thinking about transferring along with Gipson? Thought I read that somewhere.

neither are good enough, but if they don't like the hire or don't want to start over and just want to head to europe or whatever... anything's possible.

probably see some transfers once there is a new staff in place. the miami freshmen would be first guess. i really hope i'm wrong, i love rodriguez.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

neither are good enough, but if they don't like the hire or don't want to start over and just want to head to europe or whatever... anything's possible.

probably see some transfers once there is a new staff in place. the miami freshmen would be first guess. i really hope i'm wrong, i love rodriguez.

If he was to want to leave then they'd have to let him if he wanted to play right away. Don't know if Currie would block him from the SEC or not. Not sure if this high stakes game of chicken is overwith.

Too bad on Angel. Although he was often the target of Martin's ire I thought he made good progress and had a bright future with Martin.

 

[Sawyer]

Sawyer sighting in 3....2....1....

ksu hasn't hired a coach of Haith's caliber in over 40 years (considering only pre-ksu accomplishments/reputation; the bocas of the world notwithstanding, most would agree a 30-win season and USBWA national coach of the year is an accomplishment to be proud of). They have a long history of hiring nobodies or guys in need of a career makeover.

They'll end up with a coach who will remind everyone once again that they're kansas state. Huggins aside (and he had substantial baggage that made him available), no coach they've hired since Hartman retired in 1986 had a single NCAA tournament win prior to coaching at ksu. Not a one. Their last hire before Huggins was an NBA assistant who had a losing record at his last college job (and that was freakin' Louisiana Tech).

They've consistently scraped the bottom of the barrel, and in the few instances when they did find someone who could coach a little, they left (Kruger quit on his alma mater for Florida, Altman quit for Creighton of all places, Huggins quit for West Virginia and now Martin's leaving for South Carolina).

I'm sure they'll end up hiring a guy people can spin into a good hire. You can do that with damn near anyone if you try hard enough. But the guy they get will not be a big name, and he will not be among their top choices.

My money is on second tier mid-major coach (think more John Groce and less Shaka Smart) or someone like Stan Heath (he's kind of like a friendly version of Frank Martin: low scoring, brutal-to-watch style but without the rage).

And yes... I fully appreciate the irony of this coming from a fan of the school that went all in on Matt Painter only to end up with a guy who'd never had a .500 record in conference play.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

You're probably right. An MU fan would know with all their great hires lately. At least no one went to prison when Synder was there. And all those banners that Anderson left behind. Pretty impressive. And the jury is out on Haith. We'll see if he can improve on a senior layden team that scored 84 points and got run by a 15 seed. But who wouldn't want to coach at MU. The Waltons definately take care of their people, even after they're gone.

 

[tycat947]

You're probably right. An MU fan would know with all their great hires lately. At least no one went to prison when Synder was there. And all those banners that Anderson left behind. Pretty impressive. And the jury is out on Haith. We'll see if he can improve on a senior layden team that scored 84 points and got run by a 15 seed. But who wouldn't want to coach at MU. The Waltons definately take care of their people, even after they're gone.

Well said!!!

:clap:clap:clap

 

[globecode]

sys - What do you know about Robert Upshaw, I read where it never actually signed his LOI. Any idea if he would try to get out of his commitment?

 

[campbest]

sys - What do you know about Robert Upshaw, I read where it never actually signed his LOI. Any idea if he would try to get out of his commitment?

He is pretty much free to do what he wants, no obligation to the university at this juncture.

 

[Big Old Booger]

ksu hasn't hired a coach of Haith's caliber in over 40 years (considering only pre-ksu accomplishments/reputation; the bocas of the world notwithstanding, most would agree a 30-win season and USBWA national coach of the year is an accomplishment to be proud of). They have a long history of hiring nobodies or guys in need of a career makeover.

They'll end up with a coach who will remind everyone once again that they're kansas state. Huggins aside (and he had substantial baggage that made him available), no coach they've hired since Hartman retired in 1986 had a single NCAA tournament win prior to coaching at ksu. Not a one. Their last hire before Huggins was an NBA assistant who had a losing record at his last college job (and that was freakin' Louisiana Tech).

They've consistently scraped the bottom of the barrel, and in the few instances when they did find someone who could coach a little, they left (Kruger quit on his alma mater for Florida, Altman quit for Creighton of all places, Huggins quit for West Virginia and now Martin's leaving for South Carolina).

I'm sure they'll end up hiring a guy people can spin into a good hire. You can do that with damn near anyone if you try hard enough. But the guy they get will not be a big name, and he will not be among their top choices.

My money is on second tier mid-major coach (think more John Groce and less Shaka Smart) or someone like Stan Heath (he's kind of like a friendly version of Frank Martin: low scoring, brutal-to-watch style but without the rage).

And yes... I fully appreciate the irony of this coming from a fan of the school that went all in on Matt Painter only to end up with a guy who'd never had a .500 record in conference play.

If you think Haith is all that, then you must be a typical MU fan. He had a good season this year WITH ANDERSON'S PLAYERS, but lets see what he does from here on out. You just need to hope he isn't handing out Benji's like he did at Miami or MU will definitely fit the profile of SEC athletics (i.e. probation).

Kruger and Altman were good hires as both have had long careers. Asbury and Wooldridge were miserable hires. They will have a tough time finding someone as good as Frank.

 

[Big Old Booger]

sys - What do you know about Robert Upshaw, I read where it never actually signed his LOI. Any idea if he would try to get out of his commitment?

That's the word in KC since he never signed his LOI, he is free to go where he wants. A lot of KSU alums are really upset about this.

Their AD could be fired this week. The fan base is really upset and the word out of Manhattan is Bill Snyder is none too pleased with it either since the AD ruled Samuels ineligible right before his last game.

 

[Sawyer]

You're probably right. An MU fan would know with all their great hires lately. At least no one went to prison when Synder was there. And all those banners that Anderson left behind. Pretty impressive. And the jury is out on Haith. We'll see if he can improve on a senior layden team that scored 84 points and got run by a 15 seed. But who wouldn't want to coach at MU. The Waltons definately take care of their people, even after they're gone.

I'm talking strictly about their resumes prior to being hired. Quin at the time was considered a good hire (considered among the top assistants in the country), and while it ended horribly he was not that bad through the first four years (overall success comparable to Martin). Anderson was a great hire at the time. He'd been to a sweet 16 (if you're using tournament success as a measuring stick, which for these purposes I am*) and had a good pedigree as an assistant at one of the best programs in the 90s (I believe they won more games in that decade than anyone else). And although an argument could be made that this year's national coach of the year still has a lot to prove, and although he wasn't hugely successful at Miami, he did at least have an NCAA tournament win before MU hired him.

But that really isn't the point. The point is ksu has a history stretching back multiple decades of hiring mediocre candidates. They're in decent shape now, but I doubt whoever they hire will be someone inspiring excitement around the program. They might end up with someone competent by chance. They've done it before (Kruger, Martin). But they won't end up with anyone who has other major options.

If you think Haith is all that, then you must be a typical MU fan. He had a good season this year WITH ANDERSON'S PLAYERS, but lets see what he does from here on out. You just need to hope he isn't handing out Benji's like he did at Miami or MU will definitely fit the profile of SEC athletics (i.e. probation).

Kruger and Altman were good hires as both have had long careers. Asbury and Wooldridge were miserable hires. They will have a tough time finding someone as good as Frank.

Typical MU fan, US Basketball Writers Association... either way. Clearly Haith's only supporters are homers.

Haith won 30 games with seven scholarship players. Yes, those were players someone else signed. But that prior coach won only 22 games with the same group (plus four additional players). It remains to be seen what Haith will do when these players are gone, but it's pretty clear that given the right players and resources the guy is a hell of a coach.

Kruger had a losing record at Pan-American before getting the ksu job. The only reason he was even considered at ksu is because of his ties to the program as a player/assistant. As a head coach he'd done nothing to merit being hired by a Big 8 team (one that was, at the time, a pretty solid program).

Altman had done nothing to distinguish himself, either. His only noteworthy accomplishment at that point was bringing Mitch Richmond with him when Kruger hired him as an assistant.

Both guys ended up being good coaches with long careers. But at the time they were hired, neither had done anything to indicate the success they'd eventually have (mostly after ksu) would be likely. They may end up with someone like that again. John Groce at Ohio, for example, seems like a hell of a coach. But he's not someone who'd bring instant buzz or credibility to their program. And IMO that's a best-case scenario for them. Ohio returns every single player from their sweet 16 team this year. I expect him to return to Ohio for one last run before taking a job at a bigger program next year (at the earliest).

But honestly... I don't care who they hire. It'll be fun to watch their fans set their sights high only to end up with a fourth-tier choice (and again... I'm aware of the irony).

Edit: just saw that rumors are circulating about Groce to Illinois (a top 25 type job... and significantly better than ksu). Guess I could be wrong about him staying at Ohio one more year (and wrong that he'd be the type of guy ksu would end up with... they might have to go a step lower).