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alblack56
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VCU coach Shaka Smart turned down Illinois' offer to become its men's basketball coach, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Smart, 34, had been Illinois' top choice to replace Bruce Weber, who was fired March 9.

The Sun-Times cited multiple anonymous sources saying Smart informed Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas of his decision.

3/21/2012 4:25 PM
meeper123
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Posted by alblack56 on 3/21/2012 4:25:00 PM (view original):

VCU coach Shaka Smart turned down Illinois' offer to become its men's basketball coach, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Smart, 34, had been Illinois' top choice to replace Bruce Weber, who was fired March 9.

The Sun-Times cited multiple anonymous sources saying Smart informed Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas of his decision.

Looks like Shaka is turning VCU into a mid-major powerhouse that makes the tourney every year like Memphis, Gonzaga, and Xavier.
3/21/2012 4:43 PM
alblack56
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Posted by meeper123 on 3/21/2012 4:43:00 PM (view original):
Posted by alblack56 on 3/21/2012 4:25:00 PM (view original):

VCU coach Shaka Smart turned down Illinois' offer to become its men's basketball coach, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Smart, 34, had been Illinois' top choice to replace Bruce Weber, who was fired March 9.

The Sun-Times cited multiple anonymous sources saying Smart informed Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas of his decision.

Looks like Shaka is turning VCU into a mid-major powerhouse that makes the tourney every year like Memphis, Gonzaga, and Xavier.
It'd be nice if VCU could hold onto him. Xavier has lost several coaches to BCS schools since the 1980's.    Bob Staak (Wake Forest);  Pete Gillen (Providence);  Skip Prosser (Wake Forest), Thad Matta (Ohio St.); and Sean Miller (Arizona) all  coached at Xavier before feeling the pull  of money/prestige.   Their current coach, Chris Mack, is their first alum they've hired. Hopefully, they can keep him for awhile.
3/21/2012 4:54 PM
meeper123
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Posted by alblack56 on 3/21/2012 4:54:00 PM (view original):
Posted by meeper123 on 3/21/2012 4:43:00 PM (view original):
Posted by alblack56 on 3/21/2012 4:25:00 PM (view original):

VCU coach Shaka Smart turned down Illinois' offer to become its men's basketball coach, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Smart, 34, had been Illinois' top choice to replace Bruce Weber, who was fired March 9.

The Sun-Times cited multiple anonymous sources saying Smart informed Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas of his decision.

Looks like Shaka is turning VCU into a mid-major powerhouse that makes the tourney every year like Memphis, Gonzaga, and Xavier.
It'd be nice if VCU could hold onto him. Xavier has lost several coaches to BCS schools since the 1980's.    Bob Staak (Wake Forest);  Pete Gillen (Providence);  Skip Prosser (Wake Forest), Thad Matta (Ohio St.); and Sean Miller (Arizona) all  coached at Xavier before feeling the pull  of money/prestige.   Their current coach, Chris Mack, is their first alum they've hired. Hopefully, they can keep him for awhile.
Something that tells me that he is loyal to VCU is that Illinois offered $2 million+, while getting paid $1.2 million at VCU, and he decided to stay at VCU without asking for any extra cash.
3/21/2012 7:42 PM
meeper123
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Now it looks like Illinois is looking to get Robert Smith, HC of Simeon HS. 

I've also heard the possibility of Cuonzo Martin going to the Illini, which I believe is highly unlikely. 
3/21/2012 8:00 PM
Iguana1
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I think the Illini originally were looking at Smith as an assistant coach utilizing his strong ties to the Chicago high school area. 
Also a couple top 20's on that Simeon team including overall #1 junior Jabari Parker.

That'd be quite a jump from High School coach to a head spot in the BigTen.
3/21/2012 10:17 PM
salag
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I couldn't see them going to the High School ranks for a head coach, but I can see Smith as an assistant coach definetly. He coached some great players, has contacts,plus he is a good coach. But a loooong stretch to make him HC.
3/21/2012 10:36 PM
meeper123
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So far I've read that Illinois contacted Smith, I don't know if he is their primary target. He has coached Simeon to five state titles.

Weber has also been offered the SIU job.
3/21/2012 10:50 PM
garger
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Intresting piece about one of the pitfalls of the Illinois job: dealing with the Chicago Public League.

"Recruiters’ dilemma: Vast veins of fool’s gold found in Public League"                                           

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/11451990-419/recruiters-dilemma-vast-veins-of-fools-gold-found-in-public-league.html
3/22/2012 6:10 AM
girt25
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Posted by meeper123 on 3/21/2012 4:43:00 PM (view original):
Posted by alblack56 on 3/21/2012 4:25:00 PM (view original):

VCU coach Shaka Smart turned down Illinois' offer to become its men's basketball coach, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Smart, 34, had been Illinois' top choice to replace Bruce Weber, who was fired March 9.

The Sun-Times cited multiple anonymous sources saying Smart informed Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas of his decision.

Looks like Shaka is turning VCU into a mid-major powerhouse that makes the tourney every year like Memphis, Gonzaga, and Xavier.
Could be. But a little early for that proclamation imho. Most (all?) of the success so far has been with someone else's players, so let's see what happens in a few seasons.

(Again, not saying he can't/won't do it -- only that it's early to lump them in with those other schools ...)
3/22/2012 9:19 AM
girt25
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Any thoughts on who might be likely to end up with the Illiniois job.
3/22/2012 9:20 AM
salag
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Illinois is a joke at the moment. If they are seriously going after Johnny Dawkins and Lorenzo Romar, they are completly out of touch with reality. Why would someone leave good Big Six jobs for another good big six job across the country, especially when there are no ties to UI? Correct me if I'm wrong on Dawkins, by Romar is a Pacific Northwest guy and no way he's leaving UW for Illinois, why even bother contacting him and looking so out of touch?

Honestly, I have no idea where they go from Smart. Tons of speculation, but like I noted above, it either makes no sense or the Illini AD is on crack.

3/22/2012 9:51 AM
Iguana1
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there are tons of rumors on the Illinois job.

Either means the people in charge of the search are doing a great job keeping their next candidate a secret, or maybe they just don't know who their number two is.
I think initially the AD was getting some pressure to make it a priority that minority candidates were given a long look. 

There have been a few leaks out that a sleeper candidate from a current BigEast school may be willing to listen. 
Many of the Chicago media assumed that this is referring to Buzz Williams.  And his name has appeared on quite a few lists that I've seen.  But I think it's not likely for a native Texan to take a pay cut to $2.5 (if that's the budget) to move to Champagne.

I'm guessing if there's any truth to the "sleeper" BigEast coach rumor it could be Jay Wright.   Last year of his contract.  Making around $1.8.  Another possibility could even be Jaime Dixon.

A coaching position update from Jeff Goodman at CBS.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/17693834/analysis-of-the-2012-coaching-changes
3/22/2012 3:38 PM (edited)
axeme
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I think John Groce of Ohio, who has a lot of very good midwest recruiting connections, is on the radar, too. I think he would take the job despite having his entire roster back next season. Word is he is not interested in the Nebraska job, although they may have expressed more interest in him than Illinois has..
3/22/2012 2:10 PM
alblack56
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According to the Tulsa World's Eric Bailey, the Tulsa administration is reportedly "targeting an enthusiastic coach, preferably someone with head-coaching experience."

Bailey also mentions five names rumored to be in the mix for the Golden Hurricane job: Scott Sutton (Oral Roberts), Bryce Drew (Valparaiso), Scott Cross (Texas-Arlington) Brooks Thompson (Texas-San Antonio) and Tim Jankovich (Illinois State).

Nobody knows the lay of the land in and around the Tulsa area quite like Sutton, who has coached at Oral Roberts for the past 13 seasons. The question with Sutton, though, is not only whether he elects to stay ot ORU, but also how Nebraska factors in. He has already interviewed for the Cornhuskers' job.

Kansas assistant Danny Manning and Kentucky assistant Orlando Antigua are two others we've seen mentioned as possibilities.

3/22/2012 3:54 PM
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