Houston's Kelvin Sampson was named the AP Coach of the Year.

[01Neaggrad02]

It's ridiculous. NOBODY and I mean NOBODY -- not John Wooden, not Coach K, not Geno -- has ever come close to winning back-to-back titles after losing 3 starters and 58% of the team's scoring. It's an absolutely amazing accomplishment. Sampson's team had a very good year and I have a lot of respect for his ability and accomplishments. But give me a g0ddamn break!!!

Geno lost four starters in 2002, the #1,2,4, and 6 picks in the WNBA draft, and Taurasi was really the only returning player who saw significant minutes.... and she lead the team to the next two championships... so Geno did do it

 

[Tex-Lager93]

Losing the biggest 3 weapons yet still winning the Big East Regular Season outright (1999), winning the Big East Tournament (2011), earning the Overall #1 Seed in the Tourney (Ever)... AND returning to the Final Four. Whatever.

 

[UConnRock]

My thoughts exactly....why because Sampson coached in the vaunted big12 with zero final 4 teams & played NOBODY in non-conf....a joke.

Kelvin Sampson, Houston 23
Dan Hurley, Connecticut 21
Lamont Paris, South Carolina 8
T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State 4
Danny Sprinkle, Utah State 4
Kyle Smith, Washington State 1
Will Wade, McNeese State 1

I don't mind the votes for Sampson, but the fact that 18 voters saw somebody other than Hurley or Sampson as the best coach this season is reprehensible.

 

[nomar]

Geno lost four starters in 2002, the #1,2,4, and 6 picks in the WNBA draft, and Taurasi was really the only returning player who saw significant minutes.... and she lead the team to the next two championships... so Geno did do it

I already said (after 2 other people pointed this out) that I remembered that team.

But I'll use this an opportunity to note that Geno was named AP Coach of the Year in 2003. Danny was robbed!

 

[superjohn]

Big 12 was badly overrated and gamed the system. Houston's big out of conference games this season were Utah, Dayton, and Xavier. Iowa State's big out of conference games this season were Virginia Tech, Iowa and DePaul.

 

[UCfor3]

Sampson is a great coach but this is a travesty. Lose our 3 best players and we are dominant. Just a bogus popularity contest. A lot of people don't love Hurley's personality/sideline antics. Shame on them for making this about that. He deserved this full stop. All I know is I appreciate DH and all the coaches for what they have done. Now go out and dominate and show all these petty, disrespectful clowns what's up.

 

[AllHusky]

This is actually the best material for the chip on the shoulder club, it's not directed at the kids, rather their coach. Sort of a win one for the Gipperish motivation

 

[Jaydumo20]

Basically anything that's voted on we get screwed, when things are decided between the lines we win.

It should be obvious. Just like with the grammys, the academy awards or any other committee of voting "experts", there is a significant % of them who like to make the "non-obvious but not outlandish" choice- to prove some kind of critical superiority over the common fan:
"We see the nuances in coaching,
you fans just see the on the court dominance stuff". Poor guys -
What kind of 'experts' would they be if they shared the opinion of basically every single person with two working retinaes who decided to watch any meaningful college basketball game over the past 2 years.?
Corny

 

[OceanDoggie]

 

[Hunt for 7]

This is actually the best material for the chip on the shoulder club, it's not directed at the kids, rather their coach. Sort of a win one for the Gipperish motivation

Just like everything else that has been discussed. The arguments about conspiracy or no conspiracy. Every slight and now thank you to the AP for giving us this present on the day before the national semi final. These guys are going to come out like rabid dogs that their coach has been slighted.

 

[TerryBoyz]

Will Wade?

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

The AP voted on this before the tournament. At that point, it was a fair tossup. Both teams lost a lot from very good teams and then won their leagues and got 1 seeds.

Houston/Sampson got the edge for changing to a tougher league and having one of their recently graduated players die in the offseason and having to deal with that.

CBS voted more recently and gave it to Hurley, making the tiebreak getting to the final four.

Just looking to confirm this fact:

These were the same 62 voters who after conference tournament results and before the NCAA Tournament also voted UConn unanimously as #1in their poll, right?

(Actually, Geno did it between 2002 and 2003 while losing 4 top-6 WNBA draft picks and returning Diana Taurasi and a bunch of role players.)

That said, this is absurd. When the season is over, nobody is going to remember Sampson and Houston. This is the Jimmer Fredette thing all over again.

I suppose we can take solace knowing that Geno will win the WBB CotY award for guiding his team to an undefeated conference record and a Top 10 ranking prior to the NCAA Tournament in spite of losing its top recruit and its previous season's best-performing freshman for the entire season prior to the beginning of this season; 3 previously high contributing players to season-ending injuries that occurred within the season; and an additional player once the number of scholarship players had shrunken to 8.

3 veterans included one who hadn't played in 700 days prior this season; another who suffered a broken nose during the final week of the regular season; and one who battled injury in her freshman year (and I think another, but I can't keep track). Those 3 were complemented by 4 first-year players.

Oh wait, Geno isn't even one of the 4 Finalists from which the winner will be announced during the Final 4 (maybe today?). UConn will be playing in the later-starting demi-final game tonight. Hmm.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Will Wade?

Yep, his vote was among the 18 votes that didn't go to either Sampson or Hurley.

I like what @MilliniumPrince tweeted on X, something pretty close to, "Sampson deserved the award, but not as much as Hurley."

 

[elmoses1]

Didnt Sampson have multiple infractions at multiple schools and was banned from coaching?

 

[August_West]

Of course but we're always getting screwed out of awards. This, Calhoun only winning 1 COY, Jameer Nelson over Okafor, Jimmer and friggin' Ben Hansborough over Kemba, Devin Carter over Tristen.

Basically anything that's voted on we get screwed, when things are decided between the lines we win.

Because people hate us.

I wouldnt want to have it any other way.

We dont need their validation. We know what's up. We just count trophies.

 

[JesusAllen11]

Danny should have got it. But Kelvin and Painter were the only others choices that wouldn’t leave meupset.

 

[gsmooth]

I don't mind the votes for Sampson, but the fact that 18 voters saw somebody other than Hurley or Sampson as the best coach this season is reprehensible.

Where was Matt Painter of Purdue? I guess when these votes were taken matter. Danny Sprinkle took a tinkle in their 2nd round match against Purdue. That was a spineless horse shiiiit performance by Utah State. Defeating Purdue anywhere, especially in Indianapolis is a tough task. But losing by 40 points is inexcusable. You have to wonder if Sprinkle's attention was elsewhere as he was interviewing for open jobs instead of on his Utah State team.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Because people hate us.

I wouldnt want to have it any other way.

We dont need their validation. We know what's up. We just count trophies.

#don'tblamedeepster



Just walked into Target, and the song that's playing?
August.
Duh.

(I don't even know why I came in here)

 

[uconngb]

We don't get COY awards. We don't get POY awards. We don't get MCD AA's. What do we get? NC's.

Anyone pissed about that?

Jameer over Emeka? NC

Jimmer over Kemba? NC

Kelvin over Danny? We shall see.......

All the pissing and moaning about the polls all year ain't gonna mean doodoo come Monday night when we are cutting down the nets again......Can't believe you all aren't hip to this by now.

 

[brihman]

I mean at worst Sampson was top 3. It’s not like they went Scheyer or something. It always strikes me as odd that he wears his Q-zips all the way zipped. Is that the new popped collar?

 

[tzznandrew]

The same people saying essentially these two, contradictory things.

"The NCAA screwed us by putting Iowa State in our bracket. They should be a 1 seed!"

"Sampson shouldn't be COY! The B12 was overrated and he got killed by an Iowa State team that beat nobody!"​

To be clear, I think Hurley should have won. But Sampson is a great coach and they overcame a lot this year.

 

[JMick]

Hurley is revolutionizing the way offense is played in college basketball, won the big east, won the big east tournament and is in the final four.

See how many teams try to copy what we've done the last two years. That'll tell you everything.

 

[David54]

We don't get COY awards. We don't get POY awards. We don't get MCD AA's. What do we get? NC's.

Anyone pissed about that?

Jameer over Emeka? NC

Jimmer over Kemba? NC

Kelvin over Danny? We shall see.......

All the pissing and moaning about the polls all year ain't gonna mean doodoo come Monday night when we are cutting down the nets again......Can't believe you all aren't hip to this by now.

Jimmer over Kemba lol boy that one didn’t play well.

 

[navery12]

Didnt Sampson have multiple infractions at multiple schools and was banned from coaching?

He did, but what he did is legal and standard practice now so it's a bit misleading

 

[BlueMAB]