Chappy

Chappy, on 24 Mar 2013 - 12:32, said: If this young hot asst coach you are talking about comes and the Crews regime fails then he is out on his ear - no cost benefit for him to come on a deal like that. Please post the link from Bernie M about all these good recruits are about to commit - I have read Bernie's columns and do not remember him saying anything of the such. You may be right. This hypothetical guy would have to be someone who likes and believes in Crews. Who knows if Crews even wants the job. If he does, I think it would be hard to tell him no. Look at Bernie's column from yesterday morning. Here is the link: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/bernie-slu-getting-a-bad-break/article_cc534973-7070-544f-915c-28633072442e.html Here is the relevant portion: Let's not finesse this. The stakes are huge for SLU. At least publicly, interim coach Jim Crews’ future is uncertain. If Crews wants to keep the job, what would it mean for him to get SLU to the Sweet 16? SLU is also angling for membership in the new Big East; a deep tournament run would strengthen the program’s credibility and appeal. Money is on the line, too. SLU stands to collect a larger share of revenue by making it to the next round. Crews and staff are recruiting and have gained momentum with coveted prospects including two at the JUCO level, and high-school players in the St. Louis area. Reaching the Sweet 16 would likely make SLU more enticing for recruits. If the Billikens can’t beat Oregon, their season would go down as a disappointment. That’s harsh but true. “It’s a big deal,” SLU director of athletics Chris May said. “Last year, we were just thrilled to be here. And we got a little energy from the win over Memphis. But everybody knows this is a big deal. To take the next step in the building process, you’ve got to get to the second week of the tournament. “Get to the second week, and it’s all there and anything can happen. There’s no question. Jim won’t talk about it, the kids won’t talk about it. But everybody knows.”

I am suggesting that you identify someone in a mid-major conference who is a rising star as a coach and recruiter who is not ready to be the head coach yet and knows it. He would need to have some connections in the AAU circuit and real ability to identify good players and close on them. Such a guy may not exist, but I suspect that you could find one. Crews should be involved in identifying and hiring the guy so that they would be compatible and excited about working together. I suspect that if Crews does want the job, he won't stay around for more than 4-5 years, which is the perfect amount of time for an apprentice. I will agree that the siutation is difficult. The returning senior class is really good, and I believe that the team next year has a chance to match or exceed the performance of this year's team. It doesn't seem like there is much star power behind the returning senior class, particularly with the loss of the highly regarded freshman whose name escapes me. They need some firepower. Bernie's Saturday column suggested that some good recruits were about to commit. If that is the case, it seems like Crews makes a lot of sense. He clearly has the devotion and respect of the senior class to be. Obviously, if the money people have a star-calber guy lined up who wants the job they should pull the trigger, but I am wondering where the Majerus type guy is this time around. I see a lot of people mentioning Marshall from Wichita State, but I seriously doubt that he comes here, even if big $$$ are offered. He has been a hot coaching prospect the last 2 or 3 years, and as I recall, Wichita St. has bucked up and paid him, and much like Brad Stevens at Butler, Marshall is really happy where he is and is getting paid really well.

What about retaining Crews and hiring a rising young assistant coach who has a reputation for landing quality recruits at places where it is difficult to get 4 and 5 star players (or even 3 star players)? There should be several of those kinds of guys in conferences like the MAC, Horizon, Sun Belt, Conference USA and the Valley. Crews has been around long enough that he should be able to identify such a guy. Give that guy the gig as the Assistant Head Coach (and coach in waiting). It will be an upgrade for that guy in terms of money and quality of the league and program to sell to recruits, and you can sell him on the idea that he will learn the art of coaching from a guy who is really good at it. Most young guys who are really good recruiters are lacking in other areas like x's and o's and administration, so having a chance to work for a real pro like Jim Crews would be a benefit.

These tournament games are very emotional. Billikens need a couple of stops and they need a couple of shots to go down. It looks bleak right now, but it is not over yet. This team has a lot character. If they can get the momentum going the other way, get the lead under 10 with about 12 minutes to go, they will still have a great chance.