Lasalle blowing out Rhode Island!

[billiken_roy]

Wow.    Did not see that one happening!

[Taj79]

if the college game is indeed a guards' game,la salle starts four.  but ..............................wow!  in kingston too.

[MusicCityBilliken]

As much dislike the guy I have to say, so far, the good doctor Gianni is in contention for 'A10 Coach of the Year'. Last year, it's hard to believe, they were actually worse then us. Which gives me some hope.

Hurley now is sitting at 2-2. Mooney, at Richmond, has not played any of the big dogs of the A10 yet.

When this all over, my picks are still UD and VCU & maybe the only 2 dancing.

[kshoe]

Feels like only 2 will dance this year: Dayton and VCU.

[Taj79]

Agree .. unless someone else sneaks away with the auto-bid in Pittsburg.  Dayton is not really a lock in my mind just yet as evidenced by their loss at Umass.  Which was weird because they went into Otterville and destroyed those guys without Charles Cooke and then beat back Rhode Island without him as well.   

I think it was the writer on the A10 blog/beat who said the A10 is once again predictable with its unpredictability.  I would have never projected the Umass win.  Nor the La Salle win.  Nor the Mason win at St. Joes.  And especially Fordham on the road... Anywhere. 

[RiseAndGrind]

Due to SLU's abysmal year I haven't paid too much attention. Does it seem like Will Wade is legit and Hurley's star is falling?

[CBFan]

I watched the RI vs LaSalle and saw once again that the attendance for the RI games is low.  I wonder if there are not that many fans of RI, the likeability of the coach, or the fans do not believe in this team.  I love when Hurley's team gets a beat down.

I also watched the ISU vs OSU and noticed that the turnout for OSU was low.  I think OSU has a good coach and it is hard to figure why the fans are not showing up.

It will be interesting what our attendance will look like next season.  I expect a low turnout for some crappy non-conference games but I think there will be a better showing than what I see in college basketball this year for good teams and the conference schedule.

I agree with Taj that Dayton at this time is not a lock I think the A10 is down some this season and I wonder how The Wiz rates the A10 compared to other seasons when 4 teams got in.  It looks at this time that the A10 is a two team bid

[Taj79]

Let me say this on VCU and Wade ..... right now, he is still living off the remains of the Smart administration.  His top three or four are all Shaka's guys ... Lewis, Alie-Cox, Tillman and Jonathon Williams.  His top subs include Smart guys Burgess and Brooks.  Much like you can't really fault Ford for this year's product, I don't think you can say all of Wade's success is of his own making.  Two of his four first-year recruits from last year have already left program and one of the others was Handy, a JUCO transfer who is done after this year.  All that is left there is Samir Doughty.  Doughty did redshirt so he is considered a freshman and the three freshmen added this year -- Jenkins, Fraser and Crowfield, aren't playing much over a half per game combined.  He loses six guys for next year ----- let's reserve judgment until we see how that goes.  His four signees for next year average out to 3.4 stars per player -- well above the standard average of 2.561 for this conference (per Verbal Commits).  I would say that based on the recruiting ranks, Wade is akin to Ford in terms of getting highly ranked kids to commit to his program.  The main difference there is that he inherited a gold mine whereas Ford got Phuket after the Crewsplatt tsunami roiled through. 

Any Hurley discussion is likely to stir up all sorts of emotions, mostly bad.  He too got a brain-dead program too left behind by Jim Baron ands went 8 and 21.  He took essentially the same route as Wade and moreso Ford are now in that he quickly got some highly ranked recruits into his fold.  His second year, he neared .500.  His third year he was 23-10.  And then the injuries last year especially to EC Matthews short-circuited a promising season (is that his version of "The Situation?").  In that time, he got commits from Jordan Hare, EC Matthews, Hassan Martin and Jared Terrell.  His recent recruiting classes haven't come close to those guys in terms of service marks.  I saw Matthews against Dayton and he is no way back from his ACL surgery.  Martin too was hurt and out for a while -- against Dayton he returned and was a non-factor and last night he did nothing against the smaller La Salle group but pick up four fouls.  Hurley was wooed recently by Rutgers because the Hurley's are Jersey through and through but turned it down.  I think Rutgers is a death sentence in the Big Ten.  Hurley loses hi simposign front lien fo Martin and Memphsi transfer Kuran Iverson this year so we'll see what he's got for next year although Matthews, Terrell and Garrett are three guards in a gurad-heavy game.  Freshman Jeff Dowtin has done well too this year in the limited time I've seen him.  JUCO Robinson adds to the guard power.  Is his star falling?  He's got to win now -- the bloom is off that rose.  Put up or shut up.  No Dance card this year might ... might .. rachet the pressure up on him but that's hard to say.  If he can works th einjury kink sout of Matthews and martin say late January into Februrary, they could ride a nice wave come March. 

I think Rhode Island had the best talent in the A10 this year, barely edging out VCU if Rhodey were healthy.  I'd have given that title to Dayton if McIlvane had not passed away this past summer and Cooke and Cunningham were healthy.

[Gopher+RamFan]

1 hour ago, Taj79 said:

Let me say this on VCU and Wade ..... right now, he is still living off the remains of the Smart administration.  His top three or four are all Shaka's guys ... Lewis, Alie-Cox, Tillman and Jonathon Williams.  His top subs include Smart guys Burgess and Brooks.  Much like you can't really fault Ford for this year's product, I don't think you can say all of Wade's success is of his own making.  Two of his four first-year recruits from last year have already left program and one of the others was Handy, a JUCO transfer who is done after this year.  All that is left there is Samir Doughty.  Doughty did redshirt so he is considered a freshman and the three freshmen added this year -- Jenkins, Fraser and Crowfield, aren't playing much over a half per game combined.  He loses six guys for next year ----- let's reserve judgment until we see how that goes.  His four signees for next year average out to 3.4 stars per player -- well above the standard average of 2.561 for this conference (per Verbal Commits).  I would say that based on the recruiting ranks, Wade is akin to Ford in terms of getting highly ranked kids to commit to his program.  The main difference there is that he inherited a gold mine whereas Ford got Phuket after the Crewsplatt tsunami roiled through. 

 

 

Just pointing out that Will Wade was the one who recruited Melvin Johnson, Lewis, Allie-Cox to VCU as the lead recruiter under Smart. One of the main reason he was hired after Shaka left, was for continuance and familiarity with the players he recruited. 

[CBFan]

9 minutes ago, Gopher+RamFan said:

Just pointing out that Will Wade was the one who recruited Melvin Johnson, Lewis, Allie-Cox to VCU as the lead recruiter under Smart. One of the main reason he was hired after Shaka left, was for continuance and familiarity with the players he recruited. 

Coach Wade recruited but Coach Smart's name sealed the deal.  Most assistants recruiting could do well selling the program with Coach Smart at the lead.

I understand why coach Wade was chosen similar to what SLU did after coach Majerus passed away and gave the program to coach Crews.

I wish coach Smart was still at VCU I miss those games with SLU and havoc has not been the same since coach Smart left.

[Taj79]

yes, i knew that gopher ------ and i knew wade was hired away for that (chattanooga, i believe). not knocking wade but just saying we have to wait and see what the results are when its all wade.  cb is right, sort of, on the crews analogy as to the rationale.  makes great sense.  we all just have to wait and see.  same applies to ford.

[The Wiz]

CBF fan said........I agree with Taj that Dayton at this time is not a lock I think the A10 is down some this season and I wonder how The Wiz rates the A10 compared to other seasons when 4 teams got in.  It looks at this time that the A10 is a two team bid

So here are the A-10 grades since SLU joined the conference.

2016-17.......B

2016............B+

2015.............B+

2014.............A-

2013.............B+

2012.............A-

2011.............B+

2010.............A-

2009............B+

2008.............B+

2007............B

2006............B+

Even though this year is not a full season yet, it is looking like the A-10 will stay at B this year.  This is the weakest the conference has been in 10 years and as weak as it has been since the Bills joined. I am currently showing  3 teams dancing....Day, RI with VCU  on the bubble ( last 2 in ). There are no locks...all 3 are shaky.  We could easily be a 1 team bid conference. Generally B or below conferences get 1 or 2 bids. If someone other than one of these 3 wins the conference tournament then 2 of these teams could be out of luck.