Stallings to Pitt

[Joneslab]

Ben Howland isn't exactly Mr. Charisma.

I think your recruiting a lot of times is about the relationships you build and (more importantly) your staff. Jamie Dixon cracked into New York City with a lot of help from our old friend Slice Rohrrsen.

[surveyor]

Ben Howland isn't exactly Mr. Charisma.

Exactly. That's why I couched it with "today's game". The recruiting game has changed since Howland's last great year - approaching 10 years ago.

A handful of schools the recruiting is nearly 50% done with the name and tradition of the school - Kansas, North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky............. Good recruiting can make up that difference. Coach K and Cal are a perfect storm combination with their respective schools with one distinction - K essentially is responsible for the Duke legacy. Cal is continuing a legacy and putting his own mark on it.
Cal's salesmanship and the UK brand are a tough combination - as good as or better than K and Duke.

It'll be interesting to see what Howland's record at Mississippi State is after next year. His last 2 stints indicate it ought to be a winning season.

Stallings has been handed a program that's never had a losing season in 16 seasons. It'll be interesting to see how well he does the next 2 years.

[Joneslab]

Howland is a really good coach. So is Rick Barnes. Not sure if those guys will get the support they need but I don't think there's a better clipboard coach in the game than Rick Barnes. Howland somehow, even with his flat affect, is able to recruit. Dragged Malik Newman away from Cal, then went to work this past offseason and got three top 100 guys. That Mario Kegler guy they got is going to be a beast. But the problem with these coaches--from Stansbury to Rod Barnes to John Brady to Stallings to all the rest of them--is when the initial shine wears off and people stop coming to the games.

The guy in the SEC that's most intriguing to me is Pearl. Pearl should really be able to kill it at Auburn, but his tenure to this point has been marred by player craziness and a lot of disappointment. I mean, Cliff Ellis won at Auburn. Pearl should be able to.

[Joneslab]

Per Twitter, Vandy is looking hard at Duke assistant Jeff Capel.

[George]

Per Twitter, Vandy is looking hard at Duke assistant Jeff Capel.

Good. Get him out of there. He's their top recruiter. Take one or two of next year's guys with you, Jeff.

Only thing I'd love more than seeing UK win a championship is to watch Duke unravel at the seams.

[BobS]

Would love for Vandy to get Capell. Not that I care what happens in the SEC (because I don't) but that would definitely help with the Bolden recruitment. Bolden said today that if UK or Duke lost a certain Asst Coach it would definitely make a difference in his decision. And right now he is pretty much going to Duke.

And the reason Bruce Pearl is a failure at Auburn is simply because he is overrated and over hyped (by a lot of UK fans). Basically, he is a giant WEINER.

[Joneslab]

Looks like there are two chances for Capel to leave Duke. Georgia Tech is trying to pull him away too.

[George]

Good. Keep it coming. Let's see Jon Scheyer try to reel in those blue chips.

[40bill]

It's an odd situation...the folks on Nashville sports radio cannot fathom Stallings getting the Pitt job......they had a lot higher expectations than he delivered at Vanderbilt, and has been said he could be a really difficult interview....kind of like Bellichek but not admitting to coaching errors.

[George]

It's an odd situation...the folks on Nashville sports radio cannot fathom Stallings getting the Pitt job......they had a lot higher expectations than he delivered at Vanderbilt, and has been said he could be a really difficult interview....kind of like Bellichek but not admitting to coaching errors.

I thought he already got the job?

[40bill]

I thought he already got the job?

Bad past on my part. Yes, he has the job. Vandy had such high hopes for this year's team (plus a couple of others) that there was a growing feeling Stallings wasn't a coach that could get a team to not only be a consistent threat in the regular season but also make a deep tourney run.