Honestly, do you root for or against Shaka's Texas team?

[Ram14]

This poll should have a third or fourth option. I love Coach Smart but I find myself rooting against his team. For instance last night I was a little miffed when they called the foul on Taylor but then I pumped my fist when Hield nailed the game winning 3.
I used to live on the Panhandle of Texas and I never liked UT athletics.

The easy way out would have been Choice #3--"Conflicted". Like you AlienAiden, I like Shaka and want him to do well but part of me doesn't want the team that took him away to do well which is contradictory. It is kinda like when fodu is playing someone and you know it is best for VCU for them to win and you try to cheer that way but when the other team scores you celebrate because you just hate odu. (actually, I have only cheered for them once and that was in the post season 2011 for conference reasons and I recall that it did't sit well at all. I think it resulted in serious health issues only resolved by our FF run)

So, after my ramble I admit that I did't vote because I am not sure what is the honest answer. Perhaps I don't want to admit to myself that I am being small and cheering against them.

 

[MidPen Ram]

Unless Texas is playing us, or a team that we played, I'm indifferent. If they're playing us or a team we've played, I'm rooting for us or our RPI. Otherwise, I wish Shaka the best, but I don't really care all that much.

 

[SoGetReady]

Conflicted with mixed emotions. I will give him credit where credit is due though. All things considered, I think he's doing a solid job year 1 at Texas. He's got that team believing, and they're beating seeded teams. Taking #3 (former #1) to the buzzer is also a heck of an accomplishment.

Food for thought; If Shaka left in a different manner, I'm under the impression there would be less negative feelings towards the whole thing.

 

[RowdyPkunk]

I hope for all our former coaches & players to do well... Heck, Simmons had a solid game the other night off the bench for FGCU
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400816836

I don't necessarily follow or cheer for recruits who change their commitment after a coaching change.... cause they've never actually played for us.... but anyone who's played for us, been on the bench... w/e.... I will sometimes try to keep up with them & I wish them the best of luck.... obviously some don't have a choice but to transfer if they want to keep playing B-ball, where as others just want to be in a bigger spotlight & such.

But in reality there's only 2 colleges I follow for any sports...... VCU is #1, Florida is #2..... if they aren't one of those 2... only time I'll be cheering for Texas or any other school is if they're playing a team/coach I hate..... Kansas (Bill Self), Duke (Coach K), Alabama (Nick Saban), etc. Otherwise, no I do not route for those schools.

Same with our players in the NBA.... I hope for our guys like Maynor, Sanders (when they were in the NBA on the court), Troy... and eventually Briante, Treveon or Juvonte.... I will cheer them on & wish them luck.... but unless they're on my favorite team (Heat).... I won't be cheering for their team to win necessarily.

 

[SportsPenguin]

I didn't care for texas before shaka got there and I don't care for them now. I don't wish him well and I don't wish him ill will, I just don't have the time or energy to care about someone that voluntarily moved on from VCU. He was great while here, but when he chose to leave, when he could have stayed, I ceased to be invested in how he did.

 

[NowYou'reARam!]

I wish Shaka the best. The only reason I'm even taking notice of Texas basketball this year is to see how he's doing under the bright lights. That said, I allowed myself a little smile when OU put the dagger in. Don't wanna see him doing too good, ya know.

It's like an Ex. I want her to find someone nice that makes her happy. I DO NOT want her to marry a millionaire and go live in St Bart's 9 months a year!

 

[CapCityBullies]

I gotta say, I was pretty excited when Buddy hit that shot. I'll cheer for Shaka in a few years, maybe. But today? No way.

I appreciate that he jumped ship when VCU was on the up and up (practice facility, a10 champs, all the wins in consecutive seasons and the 5 straight NCAA tourneys) but the burn of watching Jordan Murphy tear it up at Minnesota, the prospect love of Tevin Mack now at Texas, and losing Terry Larrier (not to mention the homegrown champion, Kenny Williams) is still too fresh for me.

I still see the man as a VCU coach. Call me immature for not wanting to see him be super successful year one, but that's just me.

He made a business decision, basketball is a business, I get it.

Young Mr. Wade is certainly making it easier though.

All I want is to play/beat them in March. Is that too much to ask?

 

[VRam]

Who, what . . .

 

[artRAMinMN]

My dislike of Texas was a pre-existing condition, and it still holds.

That said, Shaka being there now adds a layer of both push and pull... if/when they succeed, I do have some happy thoughts for him, but when they don't, the schadenfreude(sp?) plus the underlying anti-TX default setting is pleased.

 

[milanbear]

of course against ...
and with the past records of our previous coaches, SS will be an associate head coach somewhere in several years.

 

[2012Ram]

I feel the same way about Shaka as I do Lon Kruger or Dana Altman or Steve Alford, etc. Just another coach from a team that isn't VCU, isn't a VCU rival, or in VCU's conference. The only time I could be asked to give a poop would be if they're on our schedule. I also don't care about what Jeff Capel is doing or what Anthony Grant is doing. The only reason I have the slighest clue as to what he's up to is the constant, neverending discussion here and my enjoyment of B12 basketball and NCAABB in general.

Happy for what he did here. Not happy with the shakeup and tumult that occurred when he left. He used us as a stepping stone (and that's okay), so I'm happy with treating him like a stepping stone too... and that means you move on.

 

[RVA_RAM]

I root against Shaka. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like a lot of us who root against Shaka hope that the emergence of VCU basketball has more to do with our program and our city, than it has to do with any one coach just willing individual teams to greatness. Perhaps if Shaka does not enjoy the level of success in TX that he had at VCU, it will become all the more clear that VCU helps the coach more than the coach helps VCU. Once that pattern is understood, no coach will use VCU as a stepping stone. Shaka may be the last coach who ever viewed us in that light.

 

[mike7842]

Would have been happier if Tevon had gone to any other school other than Texas.

 

[VAHills]

Largely indifferent, but still have a touch of fondness for Shaka. Ultimately I liked what he was about while he was our coach, and admired the fact that he made academics a priority, which I feel pretty certain not every coach does. During the regular season, generally don't care, though I may watch a few more minutes of a Texas ball game than I did before (didn't watch any last night though).
I'm curious how I'll react in the tourney if for some crazy reason we don't advance into later rounds but Texas does. Usually you pick some one to get behind (usually whatever A-10 team is left), but would I root for Texas then? I think I would, but don't know.

 

[Mistachill]

Honestly don't even think about Texas unless someone brings it up or something is mentioned in the media.