ESPN/Andy Katz story about new Creighton coach Greg McDermott

[Da Coach]

Greg McDermott's new challenge

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/5523301/greg-mcdermott-new-challenge

Greg McDermott went from one of the worst jobs in the Big 12 to arguably the best in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Is Iowa State really one of the worst jobs in the Big 12? I wouldn't think so.

[tornado]

yes, Mac made it one of the worst...Creighton fans had better watch out..

Katz writes it all in the sense of trying to make us feel really, really sorry for Mac because of how he was the VICTIM of...
"fail(ing) to get to the NCAA tournament..defections and a lack of overall talent"
..but in reality he had several NBA caliber players fall in his lap, and all the guys who left were run out by him!!!

also...interesting that McDermott says he has plans to redshirt his son, Doug McDermott?? I thought Creighton was really thin in the frontcourt?? And he still hasn't signed his contract at Creighton?? Billy Gillispie story??


funny how they fail to mention that New Mexico's Ritchie McKay also went from one of the worst jobs in the Pac-10 to one of the best in the MWC...and he still got run out of there in disgrace...

[BradleyBrave]

So quickly we forget McDermott's 3 NCAA's in 5 seasons at UNI, including 1 MVC Tournament title...yeah, he's a terrible coach.

[Braves4Life]

So quickly we forget McDermott's 3 NCAA's in 5 seasons at UNI, including 1 MVC Tournament title...yeah, he's a terrible coach.

I was about to add the same BB. McD is a good mid-major coach who, I think, just had problems with BCS-caliber prima donnas. I would expect that he'll have similar success at CU that he had at UNI...... and that's good for The Valley. Now, BU needs to also step up their game (and I'm confident that we will).

[tornado]

what was his post-season record??

[amckillip]

what was his post-season record??

3 NCAA's in 5 years speaks for itself.

[wily coyote]

what was his post-season record??

T. he was at least in the post season???? I would just like to get in a real Tourney.

[DUBulldog]

Greg McDermott's new challenge

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/5523301/greg-mcdermott-new-challenge

Greg McDermott went from one of the worst jobs in the Big 12 to arguably the best in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Is Iowa State really one of the worst jobs in the Big 12? I wouldn't think so.

As someone who has sent two kids to school there, I would say, yes, Iowa State is one of the worst jobs in the Big 12. Certainly in the lower half.

[LittleBrave]

I think McD would be successful this season finishing in Top 4 of Valley and returning CU to a 20-win season. New coaches in this league since he was Top Dawg and might take him a year to get comfortable at Creighton. A little more pressure than an UNI I think, and it's hard to live up to Altman's era.

[FarmerClone]

I was about to add the same BB. McD is a good mid-major coach who, I think, just had problems with BCS-caliber prima donnas. I would expect that he'll have similar success at CU that he had at UNI...... and that's good for The Valley. Now, BU needs to also step up their game (and I'm confident that we will).

Greg's problem wasn't the BCS caliber prima donnas it was that he did not have enough of them. For every Brackins he had Eikmeier, Mann, Brister, McIntosh, etc that were not good enough to be in the Big 12. But he was universally despised by his players at ISU. Most could not get away from him fast enough. I have no idea why but he did not connect with them at all. It was really weird considering his players at UNI seemed to adore him.

As per ISU being one of the worst jobs in the Big 12. Well, that depends on criteria. ISU has been to the NCAA tourney 12 times in the last 25 years I believe. We have won conference titles, conference tourney titles, been to Sweet Sixteens, an Elite Eight, an NIT Final Four, had nearly double digit NBA draftees and even through all the suckiness that Greg put forth in Ames, we stay a top 30 team in attendance nationally. Last year, we open a brand new practice facility and we have a top notch student athlete education center that has led to ISU being in the top 15 in the nation among graduation rates or students (not sure if that was among BCS schools or overall).

With those things said, we are the northern most school in a predominantly southern conference. We have sucked for the past five years. We have the smallest budget in our conference (though we have shown we will provide ample financial support for MBB). Ames is a small town in a mostly rural state which can be hard to recruit to. The state of Iowa has two BCS schools and four D1 schools and in state talent is not that great so you have to recruit nationally to be successful here.

ISU has been a solid place to coach basketball since the Johnny Orr era. Greg took a program that had turned downward and stomped it into the dirt. I wish him the best at Creighton as he is a great man and a good coach, but he was atrocious at ISU and if we are one of the worst places in the Big 12, it is in big part due to his time here.

[tornado]

.... but he was atrocious at ISU and if we are one of the worst places in the Big 12, it is in big part due to his time here.

offer an opinion on why so many players who went to ISU, and who were recruited there by Mac saying they loved the coaching staff and wanted to play for him...
then turned around shortly thereafter, couldn't see eye to eye with him, became unproductive & unhappy and bolted ...?

There are rumbles of how he's a different guy in practice, and that players who don't work hard at all but who are his faves, get all the playing time.....
He also targeted mostly 2-3 Star kids, classic mid-major-type recruits and expected too much from them, but still gave them PT ahead of physically more talented players (like Chris Colvin).

[DoubleJayAlum]

I thought Creighton was really thin in the frontcourt??

You thought wrong. If we are thin anywhere, it is in the backcourt. Among the front court, we return Lawson, Runnels, Wragge and Harriman. We also add Gregory Echenique on Dec. 17th.

I am not convinced that McDermott will redshirt yet, but we are not thin in the frontcourt especially after Echineque become eligible.

[tornado]

I thought we heard last year about how thin they were and despite losing some players and adding only one that isn't eligible until the 2nd half -- now you're strong?

Wragge and Harriman are really both perimeter players - more like guards, their rebounding numbers are worse or no better (in rpg) that five of BU's guards..
So until you get the newcomer in Dec., you have only one returning frontcourt player taller than about 6-6.

[FarmerClone]

offer an opinion on why so many players who went to ISU, and who were recruited there by Mac saying they loved the coaching staff and wanted to play for him...
then turned around shortly thereafter, couldn't see eye to eye with him, became unproductive & unhappy and bolted ...?

There are rumbles of how he's a different guy in practice, and that players who don't work hard at all but who are his faves, get all the playing time.....
He also targeted mostly 2-3 Star kids, classic mid-major-type recruits and expected too much from them, but still gave them PT ahead of physically more talented players (like Chris Colvin).

Colvin was behind three years starter Diante Garrett last year and in the time he played, he shot under 20% from the floor. He provided no proof that he should be playing. It had nothing to do with Greg playing favorites.

You in a way answered your own question without really knowing it. You said kids were excited about ISU because they love the staff. Greg did not recruit these kids to Ames. TJ Otzelberger and the other assistants did. Many had barely meet Greg when they came to Ames and that can be seen easily when you read the quotes of the kids like DeMarcus Phillips, Melvin Ejim, etc that did not bat an eye about honoring their commitment to ISU after Greg left. Colvin loved Robinson and when DRob left, he was gone. All of the kids TJ recruited LOVE him and that is why keeping him on the staff for Hoiberg was so important.

But once the kids got to Ames, they found out they did not like Greg at all. The assistants could hardly recruit new kids fast enough to replace the ones Greg ran off. I have no idea what they did not like about him, but they definitely did not connect in any way, shape or form with Greg.

[DoubleJayAlum]

I thought we heard last year about how thin they were and despite losing some players and adding only one that isn't eligible until the 2nd half -- now you're strong?

Wragge and Harriman are really both perimeter players - more like guards, their rebounding numbers are worse or no better (in rpg) that five of BU's guards..
So until you get the newcomer in Dec., you have only one returning frontcourt player taller than about 6-6.

Every single minute that Wragge and Harriman have played in a Creighton jersey have been at the 4 position. Their rpg numbers are not as high as those of BU guards because the BU guys played a lot more mpg. Altman always played 10 to 11 guys.