Va Tech basketball

[jeffro151]

Josh Parcell ‏ @JoshParcell

For what it's worth I just got word from someone I very much trust that Shaka Smart is in Blacksburg right now.

Teel tweeted earlier that Smart was definitely not in Blacksburg yesterday.

[MEDIA=twitter]194878676045799425[/MEDIA]

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Smart was not in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech has contacted him but he does not seem interested. This could all be talk until they try and package for him what he wants, but more than likely it isn't.

I would love for it to be Smart but I would not get my hopes up.

 

[wildturkey]

Sucks about the two recruits might leave but I'm not all that bothered by it. If they think they can go elsewhere and star then go for it. The most important thing is getting the right coach. If the guys (recruits or current players) aren't patient enough to wait and see who we get, that's on them. If they don't like who we get, well, good luck elsewhere. If we get a good coach for the longterm, wasting away next season won't be that big a deal.

I love all the people that say VT isn't attractive because its not a basketball name. Really? Outside of your perennials of about 12 teams nationally like Duke, UK, Kansas, who is? That's an ignorant thing to say. What counts is if the school is willing to support the program. Recent actions indicate we are. You don't build a 21 million dollar facility just for the hell of it. We're a major conference school with new facilities, an alumni base that's growing more supportive of all sports not just football, and we're getting more media exposure in recent years from ESPN (their deal with the ACC). We're not UCLA but its still a pretty decent job for a guy looking to build a name or rebuild a career.

And the "hard time recruiting urban kids" line I've read on columns is garbage as well. What does that even mean? Are they talking urban as in city or "urban" as in the "I don't want to sound racist and say blacks so let's just say urban". That's just garbage. If you can recruit, a kid will come to you regardless of what his background is. If all "urban" kids hated the country or small towns, Kansas would be a joke of a program and teams like St. Johns, Temple, St. Joe, and Seton Hall would be powerhouses.

 

[VTscores]

Like in most things, what is important in terms of building a good basketball program is being committed to doing it. Virginia Tech made some great strides with Seth Greenberg, and I don't doubt that they will continue to make great strides.

Joining the ACC was a big step. Hiring Seth Greenberg was a big step. Building a new practice facility was a big step. This next coach will also be an important step. If they get the right guy, Virginia Tech could start making the NCAA tournament.

The fact is that although a strong basketball tradition is nice, what's important is the product that you put on the court. Greenberg did a nice job of recruiting, improving the program, and raising the program's profile. He just didn't win quite enough to seal the deal. I would have been OK with keeping him, but it was troubling that all the assistants left.

If the next guy can recruit and coach, Va Tech goes to the next level. He's got to be able to beat UVA, Maryland, Miami, and occasionally Duke and UNC.

 

[hunzworth]

Sucks about the two recruits might leave but I'm not all that bothered by it. If they think they can go elsewhere and star then go for it. The most important thing is getting the right coach. If the guys (recruits or current players) aren't patient enough to wait and see who we get, that's on them. If they don't like who we get, well, good luck elsewhere. If we get a good coach for the longterm, wasting away next season won't be that big a deal.
I love all the people that say VT isn't attractive because its not a basketball name. Really? Outside of your perennials of about 12 teams nationally like Duke, UK, Kansas, who is? That's an ignorant thing to say. What counts is if the school is willing to support the program. Recent actions indicate we are. You don't build a 21 million dollar facility just for the hell of it. We're a major conference school with new facilities, an alumni base that's growing more supportive of all sports not just football, and we're getting more media exposure in recent years from ESPN (their deal with the ACC). We're not UCLA but its still a pretty decent job for a guy looking to build a name or rebuild a career.

And the "hard time recruiting urban kids" line I've read on columns is garbage as well. What does that even mean? Are they talking urban as in city or "urban" as in the "I don't want to sound racist and say blacks so let's just say urban". That's just garbage. If you can recruit, a kid will come to you regardless of what his background is. If all "urban" kids hated the country or small towns, Kansas would be a joke of a program and teams like St. Johns, Temple, St. Joe, and Seton Hall would be powerhouses.

I have no clue what is going to happen or who we are going to hire but i agree with a lot of what is in this post.

FTR: I worry more about us not trying for a big name than i do about getting turned down.

 

[HoHumHokie]

And the "hard time recruiting urban kids" line I've read on columns is garbage as well. What does that even mean? Are they talking urban as in city or "urban" as in the "I don't want to sound racist and say blacks so let's just say urban". That's just garbage. If you can recruit, a kid will come to you regardless of what his background is. If all "urban" kids hated the country or small towns, Kansas would be a joke of a program and teams like St. Johns, Temple, St. Joe, and Seton Hall would be powerhouses.

The "urban" thing is a fact that has come out of many recruits mouths. Even Malcolm Delaney said on a radio show yesterday it took a lot to get him to rural Blacksburg. Just saying VT will always have a smaller pool to select from due to its rural location. And Lawrence, KS is still in a town with a population more than twice that of Blacksburg and Lawrence is practically a suburb of Kansas City. Besides a winning tradition will trump location any day.

 

[Sleepy T]

I have no clue what is going to happen or who we are going to hire but i agree with a lot of what is in this post.

FTR: I worry more about us not trying for a big name than i do about getting turned down.

I'm with you too hunz. Wildturkey made some great points. Bottom line is that VT is STILL an ACC school, has support from the community and is making steps in upgrading its facilities. Sure, its not going to be for everybody, but what school is. There are only a dozen (maybe) schools that can pretty well hand-pick their players and everyone else has to battle it out for the rest. Greenburg has set the program up well and despite the shafts VT has received in regards to making the tournament, has IMO made the program more successful than it had been in the past. Let's face it, with UNC, Duke, and Syracuse/PItt incoming..it is going to be an uphill battle for everybody else in regards to winning ACC titles. What we need is a coach who can continue to recruit well/has some recruiting ties in the Mid/Atlantic, East Coast and can keep this team competitive and in the hunt for tourney appearances. If we get the wrong coach and he just completely flops..it could set the BBall program back 5-10 years.

Obviously Smart is the top and most unrealistic target. I like Smart, Marshall/Mooney, and Prohm (in that order) from this list of candidates...

What current head coaches could be candidates for Virginia Tech basketball? - Hokies Journal - The Washington Post

 

[Lumbee09]

I'm with you too hunz. Wildturkey made some great points. Bottom line is that VT is STILL an ACC school, has support from the community and is making steps in upgrading its facilities. Sure, its not going to be for everybody, but what school is. There are only a dozen (maybe) schools that can pretty well hand-pick their players and everyone else has to battle it out for the rest. Greenburg has set the program up well and despite the shafts VT has received in regards to making the tournament, has IMO made the program more successful than it had been in the past. Let's face it, with UNC, Duke, and Syracuse/PItt incoming..it is going to be an uphill battle for everybody else in regards to winning ACC titles. What we need is a coach who can continue to recruit well/has some recruiting ties in the Mid/Atlantic, East Coast and can keep this team competitive and in the hunt for tourney appearances. If we get the wrong coach and he just completely flops..it could set the BBall program back 5-10 years.

Obviously Smart is the top and most unrealistic target. I like Smart, Marshall/Mooney, and Prohm (in that order) from this list of candidates...

What current head coaches could be candidates for Virginia Tech basketball? - Hokies Journal - The Washington Post

Article talks about ODU coach, Blaine Taylor, butting heads with Greenberg. Sounds like him and Weaver have something in common. Seems like the perfect hire.

 

[757Hokie83]

an encouraging quote from Erick Green:

“I wish it didn’t have to end like this on my senior year,” Green said. “But for the guys, I don’t really know where their heads are at. Hopefully we can all stick together through all this and talk and hopefully no one leaves. I don’t think we have to start from scratch because I think the guys that we have know our chemistry and bond is real good right now and just hopefully no one takes that direction and leaves.”

Hokies point guard Erick Green reacts to Seth Greenberg’s firing - Hokies Journal - The Washington Post

 

[Ragingcroc]

an encouraging quote from Erick Green:

“I wish it didn’t have to end like this on my senior year,” Green said. “But for the guys, I don’t really know where their heads are at. Hopefully we can all stick together through all this and talk and hopefully no one leaves. I don’t think we have to start from scratch because I think the guys that we have know our chemistry and bond is real good right now and just hopefully no one takes that direction and leaves.”

Hokies point guard Erick Green reacts to Seth Greenberg’s firing - Hokies Journal - The Washington Post

I think none of them transfer because the team is pretty close. We did loose a combo guard though that was close to committing to us. We really needed one for depth after Dorenzo Hudson left.
Aiken guard Willie Moore’s interesting recruiting journey | The Recruiting Trail

 

[ckhokie]

I think none of them transfer because the team is pretty close.

The team loves to 'chill' together..

along with the kicking unit of the fb team

 

[757Hokie83]

The team loves to 'chill' together..

along with the kicking unit of the fb team

 

[Hokie200proof]

Not VA Tech related, but... I'm away on business and I've missed the whole Ron Artest deal... but I am loving the ESPN headline "World Peace suspended 7 games".


Sorry world.

 

[hunzworth]

Molinaro: Numbers speak louder than Seth Greenberg's bluster - Roanoke.com

#'s speak louder than Greenberg^

Virginia Tech vacancy is good coaching job - Roanoke.com

VT is a good coaching job^

 

[757Hokie83]

Molinaro: Numbers speak louder than Seth Greenberg's bluster - Roanoke.com

#'s speak louder than Greenberg^

Virginia Tech vacancy is good coaching job - Roanoke.com

VT is a good coaching job^

read that Molinaro article in the Virginian Pilot while i was sitting on the can at lunch, was on my way to post it here

interesting take on it, i liked the part about "For a couple years now, I've had the feeling that Greenberg was auditioning for a job with ESPN. "

 

[hunzworth]

More telling, though, this is the fourth year in a row that at least one of Greenberg's assistant coaches has left to become an assistant someplace else.

People harbor different and sometimes uninformed opinions of coaches, but when assistants abandon ship, it begins to tell a more complete story

 

[amszete]

Has anyone heard / know of the names of the bb coaches Weaver and co. are targeting?

 

[hunzworth]

Has anyone heard / know of the names of the bb coaches Weaver and co. are targeting?

I have heard a lot of speculation but nothing concrete.

 

[VTscores]

"By making himself available to the media, Greenberg helped raise Tech's basketball profile. It would be unfair, too, not to mention that he put together some pretty good teams that made the program relevant again."

I'd say that this was the most truthful part of the article.

You can't deny that Greenberg got VT to the NCAA tournament bubble, and had a pretty good case for inclusion.

 

[hokiecheme11]

Has anyone heard / know of the names of the bb coaches Weaver and co. are targeting?

All speculation, but heres a post from TSL with a couple names that have been floating around

TechSideline.Com | Login

EDIT: whoops, thats a pay article. It's got a lot of names that mark Gianatto (sp?) at the WaPo listed, like Ron Everhart, Chris Mooney, Gregg Marshall, Steve Prohm, etc