Va Tech basketball

[VTscores]

I know I'm not on the basketball board much .. and I am by no means an expert, but the program (even to a casual observer) is obviously in a downward spiral. Why can't we get a top notch coach in town? Gregg Marshall, Shaka Smart? There are plenty others.

I know these guys have been mentioned before but why can't we get them to our ACC school???

Can't afford them? Facilities (or lack thereof)? They are Kings at the universities and towns/cities they work in? They can win 25 games a year playing their weak ass conference and be in the field 9 years out of 10? Or simply the perception that VT cannot compete with the big boys and will continually be ACC bottom feeders in the sport?? Probably all of the above.

I'm still trying to figure out why they didn't keep Seth Greenberg. VT was on the map, even if "only" a bubble team year after year. Seemed more like a personal decision by Weaver than a well thought-out strategy.

 

[Sleepy T]

I don't think it's that y'all can't afford them, I think it is that y'all just don't want to dish out the money.

Well if so, then that is unfortunate. I guess ultimately it all comes down to the economics of the entire athletic department. Hopefully the new President and AD will be people who can raise money and pay the coaches in the revenue sports accordingly. I look at is as a long term investment. Its typically like anything else, you get what you pay for.

 

[ckhokie]

I'm still trying to figure out why they didn't keep Seth Greenberg. VT was on the map, even if "only" a bubble team year after year. Seemed more like a personal decision by Weaver than a well thought-out strategy.

Because he still wasn't a good of a coach. Let's not forget, our team never played up to potential and we couldn't even run a basic offense year after year.

Firing Greenberg was fine if they were going to get a guy who could come in and get us over that bubble hump. The way it all went down, and hiring internally, just turned out to be a huge dud.

 

[VTscores]

Because he still wasn't a good of a coach. Let's not forget, our team never played up to potential and we couldn't even run a basic offense year after year.

Firing Greenberg was fine if they were going to get a guy who could come in and get us over that bubble hump. The way it all went down, and hiring internally, just turned out to be a huge dud.

I agree with everything you said.

 

[vtfan15]

According to the insiders SG gave Weaver "no choice" but to fire him. Idk what he did but I've heard that mentioned several times. It was a well known fact that SG was not liked around the athletic department, but something occurred that must have been the final straw. This thread is VERY interesting for those interested (most of the posts are free to read). http://virginiatech.247sports.com/Board/59428/Interesting-tweet-by-Cadarian-Raines-24029665/1

At least basketball games were exciting back when SG was here. Cassell was rocking more often than not.

 

[ACC_HOKIES]

It wasn't firing Seth that was a horrible idea. It was not having a long term plan that was horrible. Everyone is worse off for it.

SG had a vision for the program. That vision left with him. A victim of his own success. Until the new AD sits down and finds the big picture, the short term will continue to be disappointing. We have no compass, no worthy goals or marks to set. The current team isn't just bad, it's nearly pointless.

Eventually things will turn around. Go Hokies

 

[wildturkey]

Yep, too many to quote but I agree with a lot of the above posts. Greeny got the pink slip mostly because he had become an asshole to everyone in the AD. He had ran off a few of his assistants and quite a few players. One day Weaver got sick of his attitude and fired him. I was fine with that because I didn't think Greeny was all that great basketball wise (he had plateaued) and I was happy we were moving in a different direction. What I didn't expect was a total halfassed search for a replacement, which is why we totally suck right now because we went really cheap with James Johnson, an assistant of Greenberg's that has zero head coaching experience at any level.

VT could get a coach, but it depends on if we're willing to pay, which I'm hoping the new AD will do. We're an ACC school in a talent rich area of the country. That will have value to people, even if they're just using it as a stepping stone to a bigger program. VTSparks mentioned Shaka Smart. It was rumored (which I believe) that Smart initially had interest in VT but didn't even bother with formal talks once the feelers came back and reported VT wasn't willing to pay a respectable salary. So if we pay up, I think we can land a decent coach from a mid major. BTW, from what I've heard, Greg Marshall has no interest in going anywhere and is kind of a jerk.

 

[Sleepy T]

BTW, from what I've heard, Greg Marshall has no interest in going anywhere and is kind of a jerk.

I don't recall even hearing his name mentioned during the coaching search. I just know that he is a Roanoke native, Cave Spring HS graduate, played at Randolph Macon, went to Richmond as well... that's why I brought his name up. Coming back home and coaching in the ACC may not be appealing to him?? Especially when he is getting paid $$1.5 Mill+ a year at WSU and is a King (read that in an article) in a place where all they have is basketball. I am sure he wouldn't get that much $$$ at VT, and he would have to play second fiddle to CFB and the football program.

 

[VTscores]

It wasn't firing Seth that was a horrible idea. It was not having a long term plan that was horrible. Everyone is worse off for it.

SG had a vision for the program. That vision left with him. A victim of his own success. Until the new AD sits down and finds the big picture, the short term will continue to be disappointing. We have no compass, no worthy goals or marks to set. The current team isn't just bad, it's nearly pointless.

Eventually things will turn around. Go Hokies

I pretty much agree with this. I think JJ is a good basketball coach. But I also think it will be very difficult for him to compete against other teams in the ACC unless he can really pick it up on the recruiting end.

I don't even care that they fired Greenberg. I'm sure they had their reasons, but they should have had their ducks in a row first. It's pretty clear that they didn't have a plan of what to do after they fired him.

 

[wildturkey]

I don't recall even hearing his name mentioned during the coaching search. I just know that he is a Roanoke native, Cave Spring HS graduate, played at Randolph Macon, went to Richmond as well... that's why I brought his name up. Coming back home and coaching in the ACC may not be appealing to him?? Especially when he is getting paid $$1.5 Mill+ a year at WSU and is a King (read that in an article) in a place where all they have is basketball. I am sure he wouldn't get that much $$$ at VT, and he would have to play second fiddle to CFB and the football program.

You'd think that (I thought so too). But I've seen him interviews the last two years where he was adamant that he's happy at WSU. I suppose he's a Mark Few (Gonzaga) type. Either that or he's holding out for a premier job once certain coaches retire (Cuse and Duke)

 

[757Hokie83]

remaining schedule:

@ BC
vs UMD
@ FSU
@ Pitt
vs Mia
vs UVA
vs NCSU
@ Duke
vs UNC
@ UMD
@ GT

honestly, I think we get 1 more win, tops. But I wont be surprised if we get none.

 

[ckhokie]

O/U on wins this year? Start the line at 9.5

remaining schedule:

@ BC
vs UMD
@ FSU
@ Pitt
vs Mia
vs UVA
vs NCSU
@ Duke
vs UNC
@ UMD
@ GT

honestly, I think we get 1 more win, tops. But I wont be surprised if we get none.

I should be a handicapper.

 

[757Hokie83]

Va. Tech hires Whit Babcock as AD, and his first order of business may be ?the basketball problem? - The Washington Post

?

Through 13 home games this season, the Hokies’ average attendance is 4,559, a 45.6 percent decline from Greenberg’s last season, when Virginia Tech finished in a tie for last place in the ACC standings.

According to figures provided by the Hokies athletic department, season ticket sales have dropped from a high of 5,322 in 2007-08 to 3,414 this season. Only 379 students bothered to buy season tickets this year, down from its peak level of 2,134 in 2007-08.

 

[hokiegrad]

from that article:

senior Jarell Eddie came to his coach’s defense. “We’ve got a coach that’s really working with us, and he’s really implementing our system. It’s in the right direction,” he said. “We’re still confident in what we’re doing. We’ve just hit a rough patch in the season. We’ll get through it.”

If the players are truly behind him, JJ should be retained for at least one more year. If the players give up on him, he'll have to be let go no matter what the AD thinks of his coaching ability.

 

[757Hokie83]

agreed

 

[wildturkey]

from that article:


If the players are truly behind him, JJ should be retained for at least one more year. If the players give up on him, he'll have to be let go no matter what the AD thinks of his coaching ability.

That's short sighted. No disrespect to him, but I don't care what Eddie thinks. He's a senior and if we won 2 games next year it wouldn't affect him at all. Plus, find me a player, especially a college player, that won't support his coach when asked. If they say anything negative, they run the risk of being benched. And given JJ's doghouse, you might go missing for 2 months. Players liking JJ should be low on the totem pole in the AD's decision making process.

I'd also like to know what "system" Eddie says they've implemented. It sure ain't the one JJ always talks about

 

[hokiegrad]

That's short sighted.

How so?

No disrespect to him, but I don't care what Eddie thinks. He's a senior and if we won 2 games next year it wouldn't affect him at all.

I didn't say Eddie, I said players, plural, so that's all moot.

Plus, find me a player, especially a college player, that won't support his coach when asked. If they say anything negative, they run the risk of being benched. And given JJ's doghouse, you might go missing for 2 months.

Well of course there will need to be reading between the lines...

Players liking JJ should be low on the totem pole in the AD's decision making process.

Liking isn't the question.

I'd also like to know what "system" Eddie says they've implemented. It sure ain't the one JJ always talks about

This I agree with...

 

[wildturkey]

It's short sighted because you're keeping a coach based on current players opinions. Just because they like him now doesn't mean he's a good coach and would be for others in the future. You have to have a broader outlook. We actually went down that road with him already. Part of the reason JJ was hired was because players knew him so guys like Erick Green wouldn't transfer (it was rumored he was looking). It didn't matter. We still stunk with Green and still had a player transfer (Robert Brown). So you sacrificed the long term health of the program with a poor coaching decision for short sighted reasons (current guys like him in the moment). Why do it again because a few guys think he's a nice guy?

 

[hokiegrad]

We're talking past each other. I said this has nothing to do with them liking JJ. That should be a clue that you didn't understand what I meant.

 

[wildturkey]

We're talking past each other. I said this has nothing to do with them liking JJ. That should be a clue that you didn't understand what I meant.

I'm not trying to be rude, but I really don't get what you're saying. I thought you said "if the players are truly behind him, JJ should be retained for at least one more year". To me, I don't see how that's different from players liking JJ as a HC. I'm trying to figure out what you're saying but I can't.