Blue Ribbon #5 USA

USA, along with WKU, have been the face of SBC basketball for years. NT had a run in there too but Ronny Arrow always had good teams. USA won: 20-17-12-17-17 games over the last 5 years.

Ronny retired and USA won the lottery in getting Bulter’s top assistant Matt Graves and won the lottery a 2nd time when he did not go back to Bulter at the head coach, Brad Stephens, left for the Celtics.

Graves inherits a team with 4 returning starters and the POY from last year but they are picked #5 by BR.

Rabit is enough to win a lot of games int eh SBC but he has help in Ammons who score about 11ppg and 6.3 rpg while standing only 6-5. He shoot nearly 40% from 3. A low poster scorer and a stretch 4 is a great combo in any league.

The front court is a lot weaker and not on pair with the back court, but you just need one shooter and someone to get the ball down the court. Allen can score but takes too many shots doing it. Shot selection is an issue. He only shot 29% from 3 last year.

The pg Stevens is small, only 5-9. Graves signed a 6-0 pg from NJ that will look for minutes right away.

While a lot of starters are back there are 6 incoming freshmen, so there will be some growing pains.

BR picking them #5 makes sense as you work through the roster.

New coach
Lots of freshmen
Unknown pg play

The unknown pg play is the big one. The bigs can’t score unless someone gets the ball up the court and gets it to them.

We're pretty high on some of the new guys we brought in. In particular we have good potential at the point guard position, which has been our Achilles' heel since 2008 when Daon Merritt graduated. Don't be surprised if the 2013-2014 freshmen/newcomer of the year is in a South Alabama uniform.

Hope so, I love good pg play. At the mid-major level, that is the one spot you can get bcs level play from and most teams from the level are guard oriented. You have to have a good pg to set the table.

This ranking is about right with so many freshmen. We will probably start slow but peak come tournament time. Probably not a team you would want to meet in the tournament.

(10-29-2013 06:46 AM)insideualr Wrote:  Blue Ribbon #5 USA
Ronny retired...."

BZZZZZZT!!!!! That's what USA released to the media. Ronny Arrow was F-I-R-E-D on the spot. Don't ask why, I won't say but take it to the bank.

Is gone then :)


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Yeah Ronnie Arrow "retired" after a slow start. But in reality he was let go by USA. He was given the option to coach the rest of the year, but left early to give his top assistant, Jeff Price, a chance for the job. Ronnie handled everything with class though, and I appreciate everything he did for USA and his love for USA.

By the way, for someone to have "retired", he's coaching again in Texas as an assistant working with the defense. :)

I liked arrow and thought he was a great floor coach. He had good inbounds plays that worked.


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(10-30-2013 08:31 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  Yeah Ronnie Arrow "retired" after a slow start. But in reality he was let go by USA. He was given the option to coach the rest of the year, but left early to give his top assistant, Jeff Price, a chance for the job. ..."

Skully, I totally respect you and always have so I don't mean this to be a disrespectful response in any way, shape or form.

That stated -- CRA was NOT given any options besides "resign or be fired immediately" By no means did he fall upon the sword for Coach Price or anybody else. He impaled himself.

Oh, and just in case anyone's wondering -- CRA did NOT violate any NCAA rules... not a single one. It was a MORAL issue and nothing less. A SERIOUS moral issue.

And that's all I've gotta say about that. I wish him luck and I most certainly do hope he's learned a valuable lesson. If not, he has no business whatsoever in the coaching profession at ANY level.

(10-31-2013 03:28 AM)airtroop Wrote:  

(10-30-2013 08:31 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  Yeah Ronnie Arrow "retired" after a slow start. But in reality he was let go by USA. He was given the option to coach the rest of the year, but left early to give his top assistant, Jeff Price, a chance for the job. ..."

Skully, I totally respect you and always have so I don't mean this to be a disrespectful response in any way, shape or form.

That stated -- CRA was NOT given any options besides "resign or be fired immediately" By no means did he fall upon the sword for Coach Price or anybody else. He impaled himself.

Oh, and just in case anyone's wondering -- CRA did NOT violate any NCAA rules... not a single one. It was a MORAL issue and nothing less. A SERIOUS moral issue.

And that's all I've gotta say about that. I wish him luck and I most certainly do hope he's learned a valuable lesson. If not, he has no business whatsoever in the coaching profession at ANY level.

I've never heard this story lol. Everyone on our board said it was the former. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I've just never heard that particular story. Care to shoot me a PM with the Cliff's Notes version? Maybe when this came out no one wanted to share it.

(10-31-2013 07:24 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(10-31-2013 03:28 AM)airtroop Wrote:  

(10-30-2013 08:31 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  Yeah Ronnie Arrow "retired" after a slow start. But in reality he was let go by USA. He was given the option to coach the rest of the year, but left early to give his top assistant, Jeff Price, a chance for the job. ..."

Skully, I totally respect you and always have so I don't mean this to be a disrespectful response in any way, shape or form.

That stated -- CRA was NOT given any options besides "resign or be fired immediately" By no means did he fall upon the sword for Coach Price or anybody else. He impaled himself.

Oh, and just in case anyone's wondering -- CRA did NOT violate any NCAA rules... not a single one. It was a MORAL issue and nothing less. A SERIOUS moral issue.

And that's all I've gotta say about that. I wish him luck and I most certainly do hope he's learned a valuable lesson. If not, he has no business whatsoever in the coaching profession at ANY level.

I've never heard this story lol. Everyone on our board said it was the former. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I've just never heard that particular story. Care to shoot me a PM with the Cliff's Notes version? Maybe when this came out no one wanted to share it.

It's the latter... no one wanted to share it if they knew (and please note I'm not sharing any DETAILS either). I really regret posting what I posted here myself actually... I was drinking many beers and loose lips sink ships, yannow. What I DID share is all I WILL share and I hope you all will either dismiss it as a drinking guy who's full of it or as a supporter who knows more details than I've shared or ever WILL share since I was given those details discreetly.

AGAIN--- I wish Mr. Arrow the very best, I sincerely do hope he's learned something, and in a small way, I'm happy I posted as much as I did so he is thoroughly scrutinized before his next (if EVER) collegiate coaching gig. The man has a SERIOUS problem and counseling and proper medications MAY help if he's SERIOUS about changing some of his.... errr... "habits".

I'm an optimist. I'm gambling on CRA to someday (and hopefully SOON) to change his ways and become something more than a glorified referee in his chosen field.