T1B

Is it time for ND to consider replacing its basketball coach as well?

Brey's gotten a lot of credit, and deservedly so, for taking us to the NCAA's in each of his first three seasons after a decade or so in the wilderness. But I'm starting to wonder if maybe he hasn't taken the basketball program as far as he's capable of doing. In fact, the program seems to be regressing over the past two years.

I want ND to be outstanding in football and men's basketball. Monk's goal of improving the olympic sports may be noble, but to me college athletics is football and men's basketball. I can't get excited about women's basketball (sorry, Babs) or college baseball (sorry, Lefty).

Jonesing right now for the halcyon days of '73-'74, when ND won a national championship in football, and a few weeks later, was ranked #1 in basketball after ending UCLA's 88-game winning streak; or '77-'78, when ND won a national championship in football and followed it up with a Final Four appearance in basketball.

Terry in Crapchester wrote:to me college athletics is football and men's basketball. I can't get excited about women's basketball (sorry, Babs) or college baseball (sorry, Lefty).

I know ND won a women's National Championship in basketball recently and they normally have a very good baseball team, so why not be excited that they do well there?

While I agree with the first part of your statement I am finding myself watching more women's basketball each year. I presume it's probably due to the fact that our women's program is on the rise and we will be playing better teams year in and year out now in the Big East.

I have a very good college friend who is a big Irish fan. and he and I were talking the other day, and while i like Brey, did Chris THomas get any better in his 4 years at ND? that's coaching, to a degree. got to be.

i'm not sure he's any THAT much better now...then when he was a stud frosh.

obviously some of the burden lies on the player....but it's something to think about. IMHO. if I were Irish fan.

I don't think Thomas didn't necessarily improve while at ND. After all, he's one of only three players in NCAA history to record 2000 points and 800 assists for a career. He shattered ND's all-time assists record and also became ND's all-time leader in 3-point FG's. If I'm looking at a player on the current roster who hasn't improved, or at least hasn't improved as much as I would've hoped, since setting foot on campus, it's Torin Francis, although in fairness he's been plagued by injuries.

What concerns me more about Brey are these tidbits:

• 2-5 career record in Big East tournament play. ND has never advanced past the conference semifinals.
• A look at ND's performance the past three seasons:
  2003: Advanced to Sweet 16 of NCAA tournament -- beat Illinois in the second round before losing to Arizona.
  2004: Advanced to Elite 8 of the NIT.
  2005: Eliminated in First Round of NIT.

Looks to me like the program's been regressing the last few years.

MuchoBulls wrote:
While I agree with the first part of your statement I am finding myself watching more women's basketball each year. I presume it's probably due to the fact that our women's program is on the rise and we will be playing better teams year in and year out now in the Big East.

This is disturbing.

It's too bad Doherty didn't stay on board. He did a tremendous job... unlike that abortion of a job that he did at UNC.

funny....Roy Williams and Dean Smith were whining about Buzz Peterson getting fired at Tennessee after 4 years.....saying he wasn't given a fair shake, etc....I guess Doh getting the boot after 3 years counts as a fair shake?

helmet wrote:funny....Roy Williams and Dean Smith were whining about Buzz Peterson getting fired at Tennessee after 4 years.....saying he wasn't given a fair shake, etc....I guess Doh getting the boot after 3 years counts as a fair shake?

He's been there five years.

Mace wrote:You might want to look at recruiting as a major concern rather than placing blame on the coach for the lack of improvement of a player. That would lie almost entirely on the player.

Mace

I think I said my biggest concerns with Brey were the 2-5 career record in the Big East tournament and the declining results over the last three seasons (from Sweet 16 of NCAA to Elite 8 of NIT to first-round loss in NIT), not necessarily the lack of development of any one or more players.

And fwiw, if recruiting is the problem, that is on the coach as well.