Rick Barnes Resurgence & Shaka Smart & Who’s Laughing Now?!?!

[Walker11]

schofield and grant williams are two of the very best. stop hating

True. And both were lower rated recruits than Polley, Carlton, Vital, etc. Impressive

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Let's be real, there is no likeness between the two, period. And that's not even a knock on Rick. We're talking about Jim Calhoun here.

Completely agree. I was responding to the commentary on the previous page about people using the "can't win the big game" knock on JC prior to 99. While some did, it was over a relatively short period of time and while he was still rising in the coaching ranks, despite missing the Final Four with a few really good teams in the 90s.

This has been a knock on Barnes for nearly two decades, and he's no longer rising in the ranks of coaches. One Final Four in 30+ years with the talent he's had and nearly 700 career wins is the definition of can't win a big game.

 

[NowInStorrs]

For what it's worth, Tom Crean's Georgia just beat Shaka's Texas.

 

[gtcam]

Rick Barnes has won squat but he has proven he can recruit
Shaka had better athletes than anyone else in the A10 and had one Loyola-Chicago type year
Barnes is a better coach and better recruiter
Texas got antsy and I think shot themselves in the foot but I think the move was good for Barnes.
Neither will win a NC, IMHO

 

[intlzncster]

For what it's worth, Tom Crean's Georgia just beat Shaka's Texas.

 

[aceboon]

Not a good track record for VCU coaches once they leave. Folks in this thread pointing out Shaka has made the tournament, Texas didn't hire him to make the tourney as a low seed and then get bounced in the first weekend, Barnes could have done that. He's been a flop so far and he'll probably miss the tourney this year.

 

[EBonz30]

A lot of people are saying this and this about Barnes and this and this about Smart, my original post is spot on. Smart wasn’t hired to make the tourney, he was hired to make final fours & cut down nets. Meanwhile Barnes must be looking back laughing because he has been able to bring a program which is typically a middle of the pack power 5 basketball program into the number 1 ranked team in all of the land. It doesn’t mean that Barnes will win the championship, but what it does mean is I believe Texas would take Barnes back in a heartbeat. America loves comeback stories, don’t be surprised if that is the narrative if Barnes is able to get the Volunteers to the final weekend of Madness.....

 

[Hoophound]

Barnes would kill it at UConn, that may or may not mean titles, but Barnes can run a program. Win a title? We’ll see.

 

[TerryBoyz]

re:Shaka Smart
If URI came into Gampel a few seasons from now and left with a W, I wouldn’t be very happy with that.
Bad optics