One of the front runners for the GMU gig is previously talked about UC-Irvine coach Russell Turner. He is a Roanoke VA native and is notable here because prior to Marcus Thornton, he was Shaver's greatest player. He lead Shaver's Hampden Sydney squad to unprecedented heights.

I'm bringing it up here because I expect GMU to show up yearly on the schedule again if he gets the gig. It would be a nice homage to an old rivalry as well as providing a local game for the many NoVA alums.

I would really love to get Mason back on the schedule. It's a great in state rivalry

A very winnable won lately too.

(03-29-2015 11:49 AM)mrjoolius Wrote:  One of the front runners for the GMU gig is previously talked about UC-Irvine coach Russell Turner. He is a Roanoke VA native and is notable here because prior to Marcus Thornton, he was Shaver's greatest player. He lead Shaver's Hampden Sydney squad to unprecedented heights.

I'm bringing it up here because I expect GMU to show up yearly on the schedule again if he gets the gig. It would be a nice homage to an old rivalry as well as providing a local game for the many NoVA alums.

Really?

A lot of times coaches don't like to schedule games against friends.

Sometimes they do it as a favor, but I am not sure W&M has enough to gain playing Mason for it to be worth calling it a favor for Mason to schedule the Tribe.

"UCI's Turner turns down George Mason job offer"
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/turne...aters.html

Looks like Mason will have to find another person for the job.

It's being reported in DC that it will be the current head coach at Bucknell, Dave Paulsen. Press conference set for Weds. He's had 2 NCAA appearances and 2 NIT in 7 years, I think they said.

Didn't feel like starting a new thread but the Shaka to Texas possibility has gotten interesting (kind of like last year to Marquette). Following both Texas and VCU message boards, it will be interesting to see how devastated one group will be when Smart makes a decision which will likely come in the next day or so. Not sure who I am rooting for to lose out on Smart - the VCU fans who are annoyingly smug or the Texas fans who are, well, Texas fans.

(04-02-2015 10:57 AM)tribe_pride Wrote:  Didn't feel like starting a new thread but the Shaka to Texas possibility has gotten interesting (kind of like last year to Marquette). Following both Texas and VCU message boards, it will be interesting to see how devastated one group will be when Smart makes a decision which will likely come in the next day or so. Not sure who I am rooting for to lose out on Smart - the VCU fans who are annoyingly smug or the Texas fans who are, well, Texas fans.

You pick who you root for to lose based on how much pain you want to see; for VCU the pain will be much greater. Smart has taken that program to new heights, and the key (as often is with a rising program) is can the new guy continue the trend. For Texas, basketball is something to tune into between the bowl game and spring football practice. It would be nice to win, but most of them would trade all of their basketball wins for a couple more football wins.

I will be smiling for a month if Shaka ditches VCU. I hope their program experiences a meteoric fall and I never have to hear the word "havoc" again. That said, **** Texas.

(04-02-2015 10:57 AM)tribe_pride Wrote:  Didn't feel like starting a new thread but the Shaka to Texas possibility has gotten interesting (kind of like last year to Marquette). Following both Texas and VCU message boards, it will be interesting to see how devastated one group will be when Smart makes a decision which will likely come in the next day or so. Not sure who I am rooting for to lose out on Smart - the VCU fans who are annoyingly smug or the Texas fans who are, well, Texas fans.

If Smart turns down Texas, to stay at VCU, my opinion of him will go downhill fast.

Not sure how you turn down Texas for VCU, that is ridiculous on so many levels.

The VCU boards are already in a roiling, boiling state of disbelief, assuredness he will stay, and total angst should he go. You have to love it.

The quickness of this developing story has stunned them.

Can't begin to imagine what it will be should he leave.

I wonder if he would take any of the players with him...that would be even better.

(04-02-2015 12:15 PM)hktribefan Wrote:  I wonder if he would take any of the players with him...that would be even better.

Or if Tony could swoop in and steal his recruits. I can dream can't I?

I've said this before, and I know many disagree with me - I don't agree with the massive VCU hatred amongst our fans. I know some have had specific bad experiences, but they do not mirror mine. I personally have a lot of respect for the program and the fanbase.

As for why he would stay - I see no problem with him wanting to be like Mark Few. I think Few has made a good place for himself and his future. There's nto exactly the best track record for prior VCU coaches that have jumped ship to bigger programs.

Did the vcuramnation.com message board just go down? That's gotta be killing them.

I have to agree with Paul, how in the world do you turn down Texas to stay @ VCU?

For that matter, how do you equate Gonzaga with VCU to compare Shaka's situation with Mark Few?

With an open scholarship for next year perhaps convincing a recruit that the pastures @ W&M are greener isn't out of the question.

Go Shaka! err, um Tribe!

(04-02-2015 01:42 PM)LeadBolt Wrote:  I have to agree with Paul, how in the world do you turn down Texas to stay @ VCU?

For that matter, how do you equate Gonzaga with VCU to compare Shaka's situation with Mark Few?

With an open scholarship for next year perhaps convincing a recruit that the pastures @ W&M are greener isn't out of the question.

Go Shaka! err, um Tribe!

You don't think VCU now has anything in common with Gonzaga of 15 years ago? I'm not sure how you can say there isn't a parrallel outside of the fact that VCU is in a better conference.

(04-02-2015 01:45 PM)wml33t Wrote:  

(04-02-2015 01:42 PM)LeadBolt Wrote:  I have to agree with Paul, how in the world do you turn down Texas to stay @ VCU?

For that matter, how do you equate Gonzaga with VCU to compare Shaka's situation with Mark Few?

With an open scholarship for next year perhaps convincing a recruit that the pastures @ W&M are greener isn't out of the question.

Go Shaka! err, um Tribe!

You don't think VCU now has anything in common with Gonzaga of 15 years ago? I'm not sure how you can say there isn't a parrallel outside of the fact that VCU is in a better conference.

Off the top of my head:

1). Spokane vs. inner-city Richmond
2). Private school without the restrictions of a state school in funding via student fees restrictions.
3). An administration that allows for a go anywhere, play anybody schedule.
4). A conference with decent competition, that they have a reasonable chance of winning on a regular basis for off year bids.

(04-02-2015 01:51 PM)LeadBolt Wrote:  

(04-02-2015 01:45 PM)wml33t Wrote:  

(04-02-2015 01:42 PM)LeadBolt Wrote:  I have to agree with Paul, how in the world do you turn down Texas to stay @ VCU?

For that matter, how do you equate Gonzaga with VCU to compare Shaka's situation with Mark Few?

With an open scholarship for next year perhaps convincing a recruit that the pastures @ W&M are greener isn't out of the question.

Go Shaka! err, um Tribe!

You don't think VCU now has anything in common with Gonzaga of 15 years ago? I'm not sure how you can say there isn't a parrallel outside of the fact that VCU is in a better conference.

Off the top of my head:

1). Portland vs. inner-city Richmond
2). Private school without the restrictions of a state school in funding via student fees.
3). An administration that allows for a go anywhere, play anybody schedule.
4). A conference with decent competition, that they have a reasonable chance of winning on a regular basis for off year bids.

Gonzaga is in Spokane. Which is far from Portland. In both the geographic and the cultural sense. As for 3 and 4 I think that VCU is definitely on the road to having a great OOC schedule and that they are probably already favored to make the tournament most years out of the A-10

Yeah, and for your #2 I'd say that because of the size of VCU, they quite possibly have a better funding situation than a private school with 5000 undergrads.

Just for example, Gonzaga has a $164 million endowment, VCU has a $1.2 billion endowment (based on wikipedia).