6-6 heading into conference play coming off a home loss to a 7-5 Kent State team. Former VCU head coaches don't have a good track record as head guys at other places. Maybe Shaka will find a premier recruiting gig after he gets fired.
Shaka Smart
- Thread starter DukeDenver
- Start date
Additionally, and yes I'm a Duke guy, but Jeff had a pretty solid stint at OU before the NCAA issues he had. They vacated a number of wins otherwise he's looking at a .600+ winning percentage and while not elite, we are talking about OU here. They started off one year like 25-1 if i remember correctly.
Smart will have Texas looking good in a year or two. He really is a good coach
Maybe you guys are right, but I think his havoc defense was a gimmick that only worked well at a mid major. He's no doubt a smart guy and a great motivator. He has eight 4 stars and one 5 star guy on the roster right now. Losing home games to UT-Arlington and Kent State with that roster does not bode well, even if he's still building. His next class is decent. Time will tell if all the hype about him was deserved. I think he's a recruiter first, motivator second and game manager third.
Recruitment and youth. Once he has his guys there with experience he will be fine. The Texas players made some horrible mistakes down the stretch, youthful mistakes. The post players are minimum, and outside Cleare, they only weigh 150lbs.
What made Shaka great at VCU was JUCO and transfer players willing to stay 4 to 5 years.
What made Shaka great at VCU was JUCO and transfer players willing to stay 4 to 5 years.
-and a rabid fanbase and the fact that grades mean very little there.
The most I hear about Shaka these days is a CONSTANT Kenny Williams reference by ESPN when holes are on....(transferred when Shaka left VCU)
OFC
OFC
agreed and I was really glad when he took the Texas job because I didn't want him anywhere near the ACC...he's good..
He does not have the horses yet! Smart deals with established transfers and JUCO players, average age, 21!
Shaka took the wrong job in Texas imo. I don't think they will afford him the time he needs to establish the program of his liking.
I think there are a lot of opinions on this thread that simply show how fast people are to say somebody is "a one trick pony". You don't take a team to as many NCAA tournaments as he did and get that far and then get to say it was all a fluke.
Shaka is actually a very good coach. I have been a die hard Duke fan since I was a child, VCU being my Alma Mater. He requires a lot of junior and senior class leadership for his teams to run smooth. His HAVOC is very tricky to beat. He is also a community guy, which helps to get the fanbase into the program.
His Final 4 team beat the snot out of some very solid teams. They made Kansas, the 1 seed, look pitiful. He deserves more credit than what he seems to be getting by some here imo.
Last but not least, I have to say I'm a bit disappointed after reading Duke Denver's comment about grades. It seems like as Duke fans we get this feeling like our players are some rocket scientist playing basketball. They certainly aren't fake classes like at UNCheat, but at Duke and schools all around the Country basketball players are taking courses that often aren't what an average kid outside of sports would take going into college. Truth is, it's often not possible with their schedule and NBA dreams. That's not to say that ALL players take soft courses/majors. But let's not pretend like we haven't seen a fair share of Duke players that major in Religious Studies. Saying all that, Duke Denver I know you have every right to say what you wish. I just get tired of hearing fellow Duke fans act like Duke players are the smartest of the crop and other schools have a bunch of dumb players.
I think there are a lot of opinions on this thread that simply show how fast people are to say somebody is "a one trick pony". You don't take a team to as many NCAA tournaments as he did and get that far and then get to say it was all a fluke.
Shaka is actually a very good coach. I have been a die hard Duke fan since I was a child, VCU being my Alma Mater. He requires a lot of junior and senior class leadership for his teams to run smooth. His HAVOC is very tricky to beat. He is also a community guy, which helps to get the fanbase into the program.
His Final 4 team beat the snot out of some very solid teams. They made Kansas, the 1 seed, look pitiful. He deserves more credit than what he seems to be getting by some here imo.
Last but not least, I have to say I'm a bit disappointed after reading Duke Denver's comment about grades. It seems like as Duke fans we get this feeling like our players are some rocket scientist playing basketball. They certainly aren't fake classes like at UNCheat, but at Duke and schools all around the Country basketball players are taking courses that often aren't what an average kid outside of sports would take going into college. Truth is, it's often not possible with their schedule and NBA dreams. That's not to say that ALL players take soft courses/majors. But let's not pretend like we haven't seen a fair share of Duke players that major in Religious Studies. Saying all that, Duke Denver I know you have every right to say what you wish. I just get tired of hearing fellow Duke fans act like Duke players are the smartest of the crop and other schools have a bunch of dumb players.
I see I struck a nerve there. I'll point out that I never mentioned Duke player academics in my post, rather I said "grades mean very little [at VCU]." Of course Duke has let in several players with less than stellar high school transcripts and test scores. Even still, I'm willing to bet good money that half of VCU's players over the last 15 years would have been disqualified from coming to Duke based on grades and test scores (for a while test scores weren't even required for admission to VCU), even as five star recruits. Duke weighs academics and character much more than many other programs. That's not up for debate. Yes, Duke has had guys display poor character and poor academic performance on occasion. Those seem to be the exception.
This isn't about players being "dumb" either. I got low grades in college, but I'm not dumb (well, not usually). Shaka Smart has stated he recruits players in need of a father figure. There are many situations that might lead to low grades in high school. VCU has traditionally looked past grades and receruited based on basketball potential. They are afforded that ability because of almost non existent acceptance standards for athletes. That is a fact. That doesn't mean that NONE of VCU players are gifted academically or that they don't graduate way ahead of where they came in. Everyone deserves a shot to get an education.
In closing, you are doing the right thing by sticking up for your Alma mater. I am clearly calling out coach Smart and making generalizations about your school. I am open to criticism, and will admit, maybe my perceptions are flawed.
I've always liked following yours posts here DukeDenver, nothing in this post changes that. Hope you and your family have a great holiday weekend and a healthy New Year.