Terry - Nothing About ND's Win?

[Terry in Crapchester]

A win is a win, so I'll take it. I would've liked to see us play better, though. And of course, I'd rather be playing in the NCAA's than in the NIT.

I hadn't seen UAB at all this year. They're a much more athletic team than I realized. And Vaden can shoot from anywhere on the floor. We got a surprising contribution from some of our players -- Peoples, in particular -- and made the free throws down the stretch. Speaking of which, UAB was absolutely horrendous from the charity stripe. If they had shot just moderately well from the line, that game probably would've gone to OT.

New Mexico tomorrow night. Sucks to go head-to-head vs. the NCAA tournament on TV, but the Joyce Center was committed for the first and second round of the womens' NCAA tournament, so that was the only date available. If we get by this, we have a six-day layoff until our next game, against either Creighton (would be away), Kentucky (would be home) or Bowling Green (would be home).

I think it's time for Brey to go, although of the guys I think would be gettable as a replacement, I'm not convinced that any would necessarily be an improvement over Brey.

[Terry in Crapchester]

You can't get Izzo. He belongs to Bama.

Yeah, Izzo would make my "pie in the sky" list. I don't think we could get him, but hey, if Bama is a possibility, then ND probably should be one too.

One issue for ND fan: Brey's contract reportedly pays him slightly < $500K/yr. Not bad pay, in the greater scheme of things, and it certainly places him well within the top 1% of all income earners in the South Bend area. But that's not nearly enough to land you a top-flight coach these days.

Another problem, or so the denizens of the ND homerboards say, are the facilities. But the south dome of the Joyce Center (where games are played) is due for a renovation after the last home game of the season, and with the hockey team set to move into new digs, I see no reason why they couldn't renovate the north dome into a state-of-the-art practice facility. Of couse, what they can do and what they actually will do are often two separate things, certainly as far as ND is concerned.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Izzo could be the first guy ever to coach three different programs at once. He's already under contract with one, and apparently has signed two other contracts.

I just hope to god he doesn't hire Cal's travel agents. He'll need the best of the best.

[buckeye_in_sc]

Well you better hope he doesn't pull a Saban and lie about where he is going...

Quote NICK - I AM NOT TAKING THE ALABAMA job...

[Shine]

Compelling hoops last night. A shit coach (Brey) who totally underachieved this year knocked off an even more shit coach (Davis) who has driven the program Mike Anderson built up so nicely right into the toilet.

The issue for ND is that Brey keeps doing just enough to where he keeps his job. My guess is he'll be back next year.

The issue for UAB is that the last of Anderson's players will be gone next year along with Vaden. They have NOTHING coming in to replace them. Even in a shit conference like CUSA, UAB is about to take a big step back. But Davis has a way of surviving past when he should so my guess is he'll be back next year as well.

[Terry in Crapchester]

The issue for ND is that Brey keeps doing just enough to where he keeps his job. My guess is he'll be back next year.

An even bigger issue than that is the Administration's apparent indifference to basketball. And that's hardly anything new. That makes it all the more tragic when you consider that both Malloy (last ND President) and Rosenthal (athletic director when ND basketball began to freefall in early 90's) were monogram winners at ND as students -- in basketball.

Also, as I posted in another thread, Brey's salary is relatively low -- certainly much lower than any top-flight coach would expect to command. And as you mentioned, Brey does just enough to keep his job.

So Brey will be back for another year, in all likelihood. And the apologists will all say, "Well, we couldn't get anyone better anyway, because of academics/facilities/coach's salary." It's beginning to get really frustrating.

As I've said before, I like Brey. Or, to be more accurate, I don't know him personally, but I like the way he represents the program off the court. And there's no doubt that the program is in better shape now than it was when he took over (not that it could've gotten much worse). But he's had nine seasons to prove that he's the guy to take the program to the next level. And in that regard, he's failed miserably.

Time to thank him for his contributions to the program and move on.

[Screw_Michigan]

Tom doesn't give a shit about Alabammy.

Sin,

[King Crimson]

Big East is 1-2 in the NIT. Am I forgetting anybody? ND wins. Georgetown and Providence bite the dust. Too lazy to look it up.

it's tough to gauge what the NIT means to teams. it's hard to use it as a comparative device.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

G'town is lucky they got an invite to the NIT. They should be playing in the Kent County Parks and Recreation Tournament.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Big East is 1-2 in the NIT. Am I forgetting anybody? ND wins. Georgetown and Providence bite the dust. Too lazy to look it up.

it's tough to gauge what the NIT means to teams. it's hard to use it as a comparative device.

Very true.

Fwiw, I heard Cincinnati passed on a NIT bid. Not sure how reliable that info is, though.

[SunCoastSooner]

Fwiw, I heard Cincinnati passed on a NIT bid. Not sure how reliable that info is, though.

Is there a real prize other than the wrong trophy for the NIT? I know there is a payout in the CIB for the winner or final four other than typical viewing cut the universities get for their games. If that were the case I would take my mid major or like team and athletic department to the CIB rather than the NIT.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

Is there a real prize other than the wrong trophy for the NIT?

I can attest that winning the NIT can lead to out of control campus bonfires with video games and sofas from nearby dorm lobbies being tossed into the flames. I also remember people toilet papering the shit out of trees and then trying to burn the sumbitches down. Cars being toppled over. Chicks flaunting their titties. Idiot chants of "we're number 1." I imagine it closely resembled Detroit after winning an NBA title... except with more cow tipping and less gunfire. I can only wonder wtf Husky student did 11 years later in 1999 upon actually winning the "real" deal.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Is there a real prize other than the wrong trophy for the NIT?

I can attest that winning the NIT can lead to out of control campus bonfires with video games and sofas from nearby dorm lobbies being tossed into the flames. I also remember people toilet papering the shit out of trees and then trying to burn the sumbitches down. Cars being toppled over. Chicks flaunting their titties. Idiot chants of "we're number 1." I imagine it closely resembled Detroit after winning an NBA title... except with more cow tipping and less gunfire. I can only wonder wtf Husky student did 11 years later in 1999 upon actually winning the "real" deal.

Idiots. Unbelieveable that you yanks have to resort to gunfire, looting and pyromania when you win a championship.

However, I heartily endorse the breast-baring.

I'm reasonably certain that if ND wins the NIT, you won't see much, if any, of that.

Not that ND student isn't stupid enough to do it. But the administration undoubtedly will threaten the students with expulsion, or worse, if they engage in that sort of behavior. Particularly female students who show their titties.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

Idiots. Unbelieveable that you yanks have to resort to gunfire, looting and pyromania when you win a championship.

When I posted more cow tipping and less gunfire, I meant 100%. Storrs, CT and guns. Uhm, yeah. Furthermore, this happened in the 80s... you could do more stupid shit back then.

[Terry in Crapchester]

I was happy with last night's win over Kentucky. Unlike the previous two games, where it seemed we were somewhat fortunate to escape with a win, we played well enough to win wire-to-wire. And it came against Kentucky. Yeah, I know they were down this year, but they're still Kentucky, and we have something like a 3-67 record against them all-time.

A deep run in the NIT is cold comfort, particularly when contrasted with expectations at the beginning of the season. At the same time, there is something to be said for still playing this late in the season, when most teams are done. On the downside, as Shine pointed out, Brey seems to do just enough to hang onto his job, and I'm afraid that the PTB in the ND Administration will consider a deep NIT run to fit into that category.

Trying to find a silver lining in the cloud of this season, I am somewhat happy with the number of games ND has played this year, although most have come in the postseason. Back in the day, it wasn't that uncommon to find teams who had won more games than ND had played. We should be playing as many games, and in as many preseason tournaments, as the NCAA permits every year.