Not on Vilarino's list?

[AG_fan]

From how things are going so far, I'm sure Coach Smart has everything in place.

David, are you still so sure? I'm not. And while none of this is Shaka's fault, I can't see how even the most experienced political operative could spin this offseason as anything but a heavy body blow for a young, first-time head coach.
When it first looked like Joey was going to leave, that was OK because it looked promising that Eblen would still be coming. When Eblen got his release, the pain was lessened by the Theus signing and initial optimistic news on Vilarino.
But after not landing GJ at this stage of the game, with the vast majority of the nation's best PG recruits already signed elsewhere, it's going to be extremely difficult to find a Plan B that is anything but a reach made out of desperation.
Unless Shaka and Co. are able to pull a major rabbit out of the hat, we're going to open next season with an unproven freshman (who, if I'm not mistaken, isn't even a true PG) operating our high-octane offense backed up by either a SG with shaky handles or a walk-on more suited to a half-court game.
This, to me, hardly sounds like the staff has "everything in place."

 

[Rambunctious]

They have to be looking JUCO at this point.

This is the price we have to pay for our AD's strategy of hiring hot young coaches. (A) they leave for better jobs. (B) When you hire a coach that nobody has heard of they have no reputation to sell to recruits.

Did we really expect a kid that was committed to Kentucky so chose VCU and Shaka Smart over Gonzaga and Mark Few (+ an almost autobid to the NCAAs)?

 

[AG_fan]

While I acknowledge it's easy to second-guess now, before Shaka has even coached a game at VCU, I can't help but think that what has unfolded over the last month was the biggest concern for many Ram faithful when Norwood opted to gamble on such an unproven commodity as HC.

I still believe Pujol was both the most logical and safest candidate to succeed AG, if for no other reason than than the fact that he had pre-existing relationships with our players. We'll never know if Tony would've been able to convince Joey to stay and Ben to honor his LOI (I know AG was the point man for Eblen's recruitment), but he couldn't have had less of a shot than Shaka did. Tony also had AG's lengthy coat-tails to help him transition into the job and stay in the hunt with the prior staff's recruiting targets.

Thinking back to a couple days after AG announced he was leaving, when several Zone posters suggested keeping Pujol would in effect be choosing "continuity for continuity's sake," I look at what we've got at PG and feel like a little continuity would look darn good right about now.

 

[Half-baked Mcbride]

I disagree, it's hard to see the "big picture" right now since the journey has just begun. Not getting Eblen or Vilarino or JRod isn't going to destroy the program overnight. Shaka was hired because of his BBall IQ and acumen...he was also regarded as one of the better recruiters among the legions of assistant coaches. He was hired to maintain the dignity and high expectations of VCU Basketball. He'll need some time to fullfill that promise.

Shaka had a ton of issues to deal with even before recruiting started, and handled them fairly well (retain players/fill out staff/begin training program/etc)....even wth Grant's supposed meddling. There are still players out there to be had that would work in our system, and quite frankly I don't buy 88Ram's pronouncement of "recruiting is basically over"....if we're short a PG then we adapt and overcome. FMRick made a couple quality points on this earlier today.

We should have high expectations for our program and we should be concerned about filling our roster with quality players and individuals. Let's not forget, we have a solid core of players and new faces and I'm pretty sure most of them can dribble at least a little....except for Ed

Theus looks solid and Skeen and Gavin are gonna wallop the CAA naysayers right in the mouth...Ndongo will be back healthy, Larry will have the rest of the summer to bulk up and improve his offense...and KP/Saintil/Gwynn/Brad/BRozz/Nixon/et al have time to acclimate to Shaka, his staff, and implement what they believe will make us most succesful....We may not win 4 Championships in a row....but we're not just gonna roll over and die.

 

[Mistachill]

I'll bet between Shaka, Courtney and Rhoades they'll pull something out of the hat that will get us by at the PG position next season. Everybody seems pleased with Theus and I never heard his name connected to VCU and quite frankly wasn't even familar with him.

There are still a ton of PGs available that were ranked at least as high as Maynor was after his senior season. We may not sign a guy who rocks the CAA recruiting scene, but is that more important than utimately rocking the CAA on the court?

 

[Mercury]

While I acknowledge it's easy to second-guess now, before Shaka has even coached a game at VCU, I can't help but think that what has unfolded over the last month was the biggest concern for many Ram faithful when Norwood opted to gamble on such an unproven commodity as HC.

I still believe Pujol was both the most logical and safest candidate to succeed AG, if for no other reason than than the fact that he had pre-existing relationships with our players. We'll never know if Tony would've been able to convince Joey to stay and Ben to honor his LOI (I know AG was the point man for Eblen's recruitment), but he couldn't have had less of a shot than Shaka did. Tony also had AG's lengthy coat-tails to help him transition into the job and stay in the hunt with the prior staff's recruiting targets.

Thinking back to a couple days after AG announced he was leaving, when several Zone posters suggested keeping Pujol would in effect be choosing "continuity for continuity's sake," I look at what we've got at PG and feel like a little continuity would look darn good right about now.

I'll pass on Pujol, if he was that great AG would have brought him with him or he would have landed a gig somewhere. No point in putting the long term in jeopardy for the sake of continuity.

 

[districtballer]

While I acknowledge it's easy to second-guess now, before Shaka has even coached a game at VCU, I can't help but think that what has unfolded over the last month was the biggest concern for many Ram faithful when Norwood opted to gamble on such an unproven commodity as HC.

I still believe Pujol was both the most logical and safest candidate to succeed AG, if for no other reason than than the fact that he had pre-existing relationships with our players. We'll never know if Tony would've been able to convince Joey to stay and Ben to honor his LOI (I know AG was the point man for Eblen's recruitment), but he couldn't have had less of a shot than Shaka did. Tony also had AG's lengthy coat-tails to help him transition into the job and stay in the hunt with the prior staff's recruiting targets.

Thinking back to a couple days after AG announced he was leaving, when several Zone posters suggested keeping Pujol would in effect be choosing "continuity for continuity's sake," I look at what we've got at PG and feel like a little continuity would look darn good right about now.

I'll pass on Pujol, if he was that great AG would have brought him with him or he would have landed a gig somewhere. No point in putting the long term in jeopardy for the sake of continuity.

FWIW, Pujol was taken on at Alabama, but not as an assistant coach. I think he's the Director of Basketball Operations or something like that.

 

[AG_fan]

I'll pass on Pujol, if he was that great AG would have brought him with him or he would have landed a gig somewhere. No point in putting the long term in jeopardy for the sake of continuity.

Why do you assume picking Pujol would've done long-term damage to the program? Unless you have a crystal ball, you don't know what he would've done as HC any more than you know what Shaka will do. But I do know this much: after Grant left, we would've had a better chance of keeping things together for next season with Tony than we did without him.

 

[Rambunctious]

Man, I like Pujol, but he seemed like somewhat of a hothead at times - - at least for a head coach. Also, isn't Director of Basketball Operations a major step down for a guy that has been an assistant head coach at a D1 program? Wouldn't he have rather been the assistant head coach at 'Bama?

 

[Rambob]

I'll pass on Pujol, if he was that great AG would have brought him with him or he would have landed a gig somewhere. No point in putting the long term in jeopardy for the sake of continuity.

Why do you assume picking Pujol would've done long-term damage to the program? Unless you have a crystal ball, you don't know what he would've done as HC any more than you know what Shaka will do. But I do know this much: after Grant left, we would've had a better chance of keeping things together for next season with Tony than we did without him.

I don't claim to know much about Tony Pujols one way or the other but there seems to be something there that we are not totally aware of. He apparently was not seriously considered for any of the HC openings out there, including ours and he ends of as Grant's Director of Basketball Operations which is one step above graduate assistant.

 

[Mercury]

I'll pass on Pujol, if he was that great AG would have brought him with him or he would have landed a gig somewhere. No point in putting the long term in jeopardy for the sake of continuity.

Why do you assume picking Pujol would've done long-term damage to the program? Unless you have a crystal ball, you don't know what he would've done as HC any more than you know what Shaka will do. But I do know this much: after Grant left, we would've had a better chance of keeping things together for next season with Tony than we did without him.

We probably would have been able to keep more people, but who is to say we would have gotten a good coach? I don't want to hire somebody just because he MIGHT be able to keep some players signed. The guy got downgraded to Director of Basketball operations for a reason. Norwood didn't think Pujol was the best candidate so he didn't hire him. Personally I think VCU will be better off with the decision that was made.

 

[Blackmagic804]

I'll pass on Pujol, if he was that great AG would have brought him with him or he would have landed a gig somewhere. No point in putting the long term in jeopardy for the sake of continuity.

Why do you assume picking Pujol would've done long-term damage to the program? Unless you have a crystal ball, you don't know what he would've done as HC any more than you know what Shaka will do. But I do know this much: after Grant left, we would've had a better chance of keeping things together for next season with Tony than we did without him.

I don't claim to know much about Tony Pujols one way or the other but there seems to be something there that we are not totally aware of. He apparently was not seriously considered for any of the HC openings out there, including ours and he ends of as Grant's Director of Basketball Operations which is one step above graduate assistant.

Maybe a great recruiter but Pujol can't coach, the whole team may have left if he was given the HC job.

 

[Half-baked Mcbride]

I'll pass on Pujol, if he was that great AG would have brought him with him or he would have landed a gig somewhere. No point in putting the long term in jeopardy for the sake of continuity.

Why do you assume picking Pujol would've done long-term damage to the program? Unless you have a crystal ball, you don't know what he would've done as HC any more than you know what Shaka will do. But I do know this much: after Grant left, we would've had a better chance of keeping things together for next season with Tony than we did without him.

...and you're welcome to that opinion AG_fan....but I don't give a flying fornication about the success of next season compared to the overall continuity of The Program.....You're bitching about Eblen/Vilarino/JRod??? The first two never stepped foot on campus and the latter couldn't wait for an excuse to leave. F'em...I'm quite comfortable with the remaing core AND Shaka Smart at the helm. So Merc needs a crystal ball for his opinion but you can just sling some 20-20 vision being hindsight crap about a guy who couldn't get any gig any where?? Hello Pot, have you met Kettle?

In my opinion, VCU Basketball is better off having Shaka and his crackerjack staff.....yea, you heard me....crackerjack (sometimes I like to talk like Steve McQueen from the Magnificant Seven).

 

[fmrick]

I thnk if tTony was the right guy for VCU he would have gotten the job. But he was not. VCU looked and went in another direction, based on our needs and suggestions of others. I think it is most telling that Grant did not give him a coaching job either. You do the math.

 

[AG_fan]

I don't give a flying fornication about the success of next season compared to the overall continuity of The Program.

Anyone who truly cares about the "overall continuity of The Program" would want something better for VCU than the revolving door that seems to have been installed in the men's basketball office.

What we've got going on right now is not continuity. We should all get used to it, though, because if Shaka is as successful as everyone seems convinced he'll be, we'll be going through it again when he chases BCS dollars in 3 or 4 years.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't help but feel like our insistence on signing "the hot young assistant" is eventually going to catch up to us on the court.