Jim Les or Tim Jankovic

[lefty]

Jank is a good coach, but unlike a lot of new coaches he didn't face a whole lot of player losses and defections.

So are attributing that to Jank of keeping kids there or too soon to tell with recruiting and all how good of coach he is.....or some of both?

[onetuffshot]

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Back to the thread's theme, I think a huge reason for Jank's success is Assistant Coach Judson. For some reason he thrives as an assistant (see Mo's record with him) and struggles as a head coach. (see his NIU record). I wish we had him.

[scout4126]

Jank is a good coach, but unlike a lot of new coaches he didn't face a whole lot of player losses and defections.

Agreed.

[ph]

Well, after seeing last night's SIU highlights we can say Jank has won at SIU, and is has managed to teach making a layup when you drive at the end of a game to win...

[RedbirdFan21]

Jank is a good coach, but unlike a lot of new coaches he didn't face a whole lot of player losses and defections.

Maybe you won't agree... but he had to work to avoid player losses and defections... he basically had to re-recruit Osiris and talk him into staying. I think he does deserve some credit for no one leaving the team when he came in...

[Braves4Life]

Yea! I agree that Jank is a "great" coach. He's doing a fantastic job with the studs recruited by Moser. He's a smart man who learned from the BCS advancement playbook that you take a job with a down, higher-profile mid-major program (ISU) with great remaining talent where you'll look like a hero. Then, before you're potentially exposed as someone who can't recruit or win with your own recruits, you move on while the iron's hot to a struggling BCS program (like DePaul) and accept a million dollar plus salary.

Oh, and regarding Les, he must be a TERRIBLE coach who hasn't improved since he was hired because
1) BU continues to win 20+ games each of the last several years,
2) Go to post season tournaments,
3) Have one of the best attendance numbers in the league and nation (based on a percentage of butts in seats versus available seats),
4) Find a way to win year after year when your top player(s) get injured for a majority of the year,
5) Get new state-of-the-art facilities on campus......................

I could go on and on.........But, I know, I know, he STILL hasn't won an MVC Championship. Give me a break!

[Murph]

Jank is a good coach, but unlike a lot of new coaches he didn't face a whole lot of player losses and defections.

Who is to blame for the player defections?

[cpacmel]

Yea! I agree that Jank is a "great" coach. He's doing a fantastic job with the studs recruited by Moser. He's a smart man who learned from the BCS advancement playbook that you take a job with a down, higher-profile mid-major program (ISU) with great remaining talent where you'll look like a hero.

Let's take a look at the ISU players and who recruited who:

Champ ----- Jank
Eldridge ----- Moser
Holloway ----- Jank
Phillips ------- Jank
Dinma ------- Moser

Sampay----- Jank

I won't disagree with you that Eldridge is a Stud. But Dinma is the only other guy that Jank really inherited this year from Moser that was even half way decent. And Dinma's development really didn't happen under Moser, it was while Jank was the head coach.

And remember this name: Justin Clark. He has the potential to be a really good one in the Valley.

[Braves4Life]

I won't disagree with you that Eldridge is a Stud. But Dinma is the only other guy that Jank really inherited this year from Moser that was even half way decent. And Dinma's development really didn't happen under Moser, it was while Jank was the head coach.

I stand corrected..... But I stand by all of my other statements. Enjoy Jank while you can; he's gone if ISU ever gets to the NCAA Tournament and wins ONE game. (And I'll still take Les over Jank )

[Jack Bauer]

Is Les a great coach? No. Is he a bad coach? No. Is BU a great program? No. Is BU a bad program? No. We are what our record says we are, and JL is as good as his record says he is. Until we start winning conference titles and/or going to the NCAA's on an annual or semi-annual basis, the answer will remain the same.

[scout4126]

Maybe you won't agree... but he had to work to avoid player losses and defections... he basically had to re-recruit Osiris and talk him into staying. I think he does deserve some credit for no one leaving the team when he came in...

This is true. Eldridge was all but enrolled at U of I after his freshman season. He was going to walk on one year and play on scholarship for the next three.

[cpacmel]

This is true. Eldridge was all but enrolled at U of I after his freshman season. He was going to walk on one year and play on scholarship for the next three.

Really? Kind of like how you told us Champ Oguchi was walking on at ISU and that came directly from Coach Jankovich's mouth?

[CubbieBear]

Back to the thread's theme, I think a huge reason for Jank's success is Assistant Coach Judson. For some reason he thrives as an assistant (see Mo's record with him) and struggles as a head coach. (see his NIU record). I wish we had him.

Absolutely--although I have to admit Jank appears to be a class act, and I read that he was a Rhoades scholar--but I think Jud is a real asset to him and their program's resurgence--but on the same line--I wasn't a big Les fan until Buescher came on board--and I think HE had a lot to do with making Les better and helping BU--and Les has improved IMO--

[BU_EMT128]

I am at work and don't have time to read the entire thread... But here are my thoughts...

Jim Les works well with a varied backround of talent and molds that into a gameplan that works. Jim Les certainly has basketball experience that Jank does not. However, IMO Jim Les attempts to micromanage a game, calling unnessecary timeout which stem momentum, and making gameplan switches away from something that works. I feel we often get outcoached at halftime when adjustments are made, and we use the first 3-4 minutes of the second half figuring out how to adjust to the other team.

On the other hand, I feel Jank was given talent in a handbasket so to speak. Jank did not recruit his most talented player, yet he continues to win. Jank has proven he can outcoach and outplay cupcakes; now schedule 2-3 top 25, including one top 10 team, and see how everything shakes out.

Right now, my vote goes to Les. Lets just figure out when we need to take a timeout to stop the bleeding, or forego a timeout to build momentum before i rip all my hair out and poison my liver.

[SFP]

If loyalty has anything to do with the way you rate a coach JL must rate tops. I am person that appreciates loyalty and admire how much blood, sweat and tears he has put into the program. That alone tells me there are very few coaches I would rather have for BU. It would take a practical John Wooden for me to want to switch to anyone else. The win now mentality takes away truly great qualities that all of us should be concerned with but with the trends of current society we are worried about our BLING. I guess I'm one of the few who did not want to see Molinari leave, abet a little to religious for me, because he produced quality human beings for our society. If the job of universities is to produce NBA players then most of them are really failing. I just hope that the big cat alumni understand that the true measure of a human being has nothing to do with winning or losing but how a coach prepares his teamto compete and that I believe JL has never done a better job then with the hand dealt to him.

I can't speak about Jank but if all indications come true I believe the ISU fans will not call him loyal down the road.