Well, we’re coming off a rough day in the Big Ten, as Illinois’ Bruce Weber and Nebraska’s Doc Sadler were put on the chopping block after disappointing seasons.
I can understand why Weber was fired. After nine seasons, the Fighting Illini seemed to have backward momentum, and were underachieving to an extreme degree. How a team with a NBA-caliber point guard in Brandon Paul, an elite big man in Meyers Leonard and a useful glue guy in Joseph Bertrand could lose that many games is a mystery to me. This might be the most disappointing team in the Big Ten, and their hasty Big Ten Tournament exit against Iowa certainly didn’t help matters. That being said, this is an unfortunate firing in the sense that Weber had grown really close to top recruit Jabari Parker. His firing could jeopardize Illinois’ chances at landing him. Indeed, his family said as much, which is a shame considering that Parker is the No. 1 ranked small forward in the class of 2013, and is easily the most talented of five Chicago natives that Weber was targeting. As crazy as it sounds, I have to wonder if Weber could be bound for Evanston. While I believe Carmody should remain Northwestern’s coach, if he is fired, Weber could be an intriguing fit. He has shown a knack for recruiting in the city of Chicago, and you can just imagine the fuss is Weber somehow brought Parker to Evanston. I literally would think I was in Heaven already.
Meanwhile, I really don’t understand Doc Sadler’s firing. Listen, there’s no doubt Nebraska struggled this year, but don’t forget that this was the Cornhuskers’ first year in the Big Ten, and the jump from the Big XII to the Big Ten is not an easy one to make, whether it’s the jump in skill level or simply game-planning for 11 new conference foes. And then you take into consideration that Nebraska puts such minimal money into its basketball program, the lowest such figure in the Big Ten as one fan pointed out in a full-page newspaper advertisement, and it’s no wonder this team struggled. I mean this team’s only real star was Bo Spencer, and I hesitate to call him even that. Sadler should have been given another chance.
As for the hot stove rankings, with 10 coaches left, I give you my spin on who’s safe and who’s in hot water:
Untouchables
Bo Ryan, Wisconsin – Unbelievable, Jon Leuer departs for the NBA, and the Badgers come back as good as ever. Their defense remains one of the best in the Big Ten, and with Sam Dekker coming in, fans in Madison have plenty to be excited about.
Tom Izzo, Michigan State – Obviously, the Big Ten Coach of the Year doesn’t have much to worry about in terms of job security, but the job he did this season deserves further praise. This Spartans team lacks stars with the exception of Draymond Green, but Izzo once again fit all of the pieces together into something beautiful.
Thad Matta, Ohio State – Is it a little disappointing that the Buckeyes have had so little success in the NCAA Tournament? Yes, but that doesn’t take away from Matta’s immense skills as a recruiter. It will be very fun watching a talented Class of 2011, featuring four four-star recruits, contribute on the court.
Hero Mode
Matt Painter, Purdue – One of the most underrated coaches in the Big Ten, Painter eked every bit of possible effort out of this Boilermakers team, coaxing a limited team (Hummel and who else?) to a late-season run. Yes, despite the losses of E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, Purdue is still destined for the NCAA Tournament. And now he has the 16th-ranked freshman class coming in, a shockingly good haul considering West Lafayette’s limits as a basketball town.
Fran McCaffery, Iowa – His Hawkeyes team was feisty in 2011, finishing close to .500 in Big Ten play, and pulling off a nice victory over the Fighting Illini in the Big Ten Tournament. His team seemed to overachieve, riding several role players to surprising victories. The Hawkeyes’ 24th-ranked incoming freshman class doesn’t hurt either. He definitely has this program heading in the right direction.
Tom Crean, Indiana – He brought in Cody Zeller and he has Yogi Ferrell coming in next year. He has a recruiting lock on the state of Indiana, and is reaping heavy rewards from the rich soil of the Hoosier State. He has made Hoosiers basketball relevant again, and their NCAA Tournament berth alone should keep fans in Bloomington happy for a while.
John Bellein, Michigan – The Wolverines tend to do well in the fundamental aspects of the game under Bellein, and have become a perennial top contender in the Big Ten. Add in the freshman of the year, and the 11th-ranked incoming recruiting class, and you get the feeling that Bellein will be in Ann Arbor for a long time to come.
Dicey Mode
Tubby Smith, Minnesota – The Golden Gophers put forth a really chippy effort in the Big Ten Tournament, and it’s unlikely Tubby Smith will get fired after a season that was compromised by Trevor Mbakwe’s season-ending injury. Still, Minnesota hasn’t gone anywhere in a while, and there’s no doubt things haven’t turned out as planned in Minneapolis.
Bill Carmody, Northwestern – A strong run in the NIT would help make his case for steady progress within the program, but even without a few NIT wins, he should be fine for a little while longer. Athletic director Jim Phillips tends to be quite patient with coaches, and from a historical perspective, Carmody is doing things that have never been done in Evanston. Now, if only he could recruit post players.
Too Early to Judge
Patrick Chambers, Penn State – He had one year and it didn’t go very well. But he deserves time to try to build his own program. Brandon Austin, the No. 13 small forward in the Class of 2013, is looking like a big recruit, and if he can tap into the Philadelphia metropolitan area, that could be a huge break. That being said, he needs to learn not to chase referees across the court. Murder usually doesn’t look good on a resume.
In Other News
Meanwhile, someone in the Redskins’ front office made a decision that ought to get him or her fired, trading away three first-round picks and one second-round pick for the No. 2 selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, or in other words, the right to select Robert Griffin III. Listen, I know that we were all awed and charmed by Griffin’s press conference at the Combine, and I know that he will sell a lot of tickets at FedEx Field, but is it really worth it?
No doubt Robert Griffin III is good. He’s been tossing touchdowns in the pass-happy Big XII for a long time, and with his mobility, he’s the type of quarterback that doesn’t need a strong offensive line to make him look good, which is a happy coincidence given that most of the teams that own top draft picks lack strong offensive lines. It’s how they got there in the first place. So, Griffin III can step in right away into a bad situation and win some ballgames. But, at the same time, Griffin’s 2011 numbers were a little bit out of nowhere, he did play in an unorthodox offensive system and it sometimes seems like any quarterback can toss 30 touchdown passes in the aerial launching ground that is the Big XII. Could he put those type of numbers up in the Big Ten, or more importantly, in the NFL? I’m not so sure.
Perhaps the thinking is that he has the mobility of a John Elway, who Mike Shanahan did well with in Denver, but still as good as Griffin III is, three first-round picks? When you consider that every first-round pick has the potential to be a franchise-changer, that’s a lot to give away. St. Louis could completely remake its defense with those three picks. This year, the Rams will have the No. 6, No. 33 and No. 39 picks, and then they should have two first-round picks in each of the next two drafts. I’m practically salivating thinking of what St. Louis could do with its three picks in the first two rounds of this year’s draft. The Rams could pick up Matt Kalil or David DeCastro to shore up their offensive line, then pick up Alshon Jeffery to give Sam Bradford someone to throw to and finally pick up Jerel Worthy to stuff the run.
Whether or not that’s the best approach, I have no idea, but the point is they can now address multiple weaknesses through the 2012 NFL Draft. The way I just outlined would help fix the line, receiving corps and run defense in one fell swoop. It’s the greatest new mind game for NFL fans to play in their free time: how the Rams should spend their first three picks, and it’s all courtesy of the Redskins. This isn’t just a vote of confidence in Sam Bradford by St. Louis, it’s also quite simply a very smart move. Meanwhile, I can’t really blame Washington. When you consider how long the Redskins have gone without an elite quarterback, you can see why they made this desperate move.
The Facts of Life 