Larry Eustachy Update

[tornado]

I hope to get at least one response from our local Larry Eustachy expert, dogsrus.....


Larry's Southern Miss team is getting a few preseason accolades, and are supposedly expected to do pretty well this season.
They are picked to be in the upper crust of the Conference USA, and head coach Eustachy has openly promised us all that they would work hard to BEEF UP their schedule this season
and gear towards a really tough non-conference slate!

http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/story/2007_08_southern_miss_basketball_preview41046

Their schedule last year left a little to be desired.
Four of their wins came over horrible, NAIA opponents
(Bell Haven, Spring Hill, Southern New Orleans, Reinhardt)

and several more over teams whose RPI's were 300-ish
(Tennessee Martin, Alabama State, Savannah State, McNeese State, East Carolina-twice)

Now they have released their 2007-2008 schedule
It is a joke!!
Of course they play their own conference mates, but CUSA is not going to be that tough other than one team.
Their schedule includes ONLY ONE TEAM that went to the NCAA last year, and it is their conference opponent, Memphis, who they really don't have any choice in scheduling.

Then here are the non-conference teams they have lined up-- be careful not to fall out of your chair laughing.........
FOUR of these teams are NAIA!!!
and NOT ONE of the D-I teams on this list finished last season with a conference record above .500!!! NOT ONE!!
-Bellhaven College (this is a regular season game - not an exhibition)
-Cal
-William Carey
-Alabama
-Blue Mountain
-South Alabama
-Spring Hill
-Alabama State
-Alcorn State
-Louisiana Tech
-New Orleans
-McNeese State
-Ole Miss
-Savannah State

http://southernmiss.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/091107aaa.html

Larry..........you have just given us even more reason to keep referencing you as a laughingstock.
These are the same guys whose pregame notes called Jeremy Crouch - "Jimmy Church".

Here is the Jimmy Church news release from Larry and crew:

http://southernmiss.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/122206aaa.html

Here is more silliness:

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2390

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2524

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2638

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=5513&highlight=eustachy#post5513

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=5513&highlight=eustachy#post5513

[tornado]

....... to BEEF UP their schedule this season....

well, let's get back to Southern Miss and Larry Eustachy, as we have talked about how they padded their schedule with more ultra-cupcakes than any D-I team I have ever seen.

They played their first exhibition game last night, and along the same tradition as their regular season schedule, they played a team that is really nothing more than a bunch of kids barely out of high school.

The team, LCC International is a bunch of touring Lithuanian kids who are freshmen in college....barely out of 12th grade.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071109/SPORTS030104/711090375/1097/SPORTS

LCCI is Lithuanian Christian College International...........a small school in Klaipeda, Lithuania, tours the US with it's basketball team, which this year is ALL FRESHMEN.

Of course Southern Miss won, 106-45....and as you might guess, the stats are pretty ugly with LCCI turning the ball over 29 times and shooting 14-41.

Their brand new 20,000 seat arena was only 1/10 filled with 2000 people watching this ridiculous matchup of a D-I school and a bunch of Lithuanian freshmen. Also they virtually gave the tickets away.....the maximum ticket price was $5.

I recall the game BU played there a couple years ago, and the arena was nearly empty!

[Beninator]

With the new officiating rules regarding profanity,I wonder what the over under would be for Larry Eustachy technical fouls this year.

[Double D]

The worst part about the regular season scheduling is that there are PLENTY of cupcakes in Div. 1 basketball these day. The least they could do is buy games from bad newly classified Div. 1 schools. But, I guess with their lack of attendance they don't have any extra cash to pay them? Why would they build a 20,000 seat arena. Is it a civic arena or on campus?

[Bravesfan]

well, let's get back to Southern Miss and Larry Eustachy, as we have talked about how they padded their schedule with more ultra-cupcakes than any D-I team I have ever seen.

They played their first exhibition game last night, and along the same tradition as their regular season schedule, they played a team that is really nothing more than a bunch of kids barely out of high school.

The team, LCC International is a bunch of touring Lithuanian kids who are freshmen in college....barely out of 12th grade.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071109/SPORTS030104/711090375/1097/SPORTS

LCCI is Lithuanian Christian College International...........a small school in Klaipeda, Lithuania, tours the US with it's basketball team, which this year is ALL FRESHMEN.

Of course Southern Miss won, 106-45....and as you might guess, the stats are pretty ugly with LCCI turning the ball over 29 times and shooting 14-41.

Their brand new 20,000 seat arena was only 1/10 filled with 2000 people watching this ridiculous matchup of a D-I school and a bunch of Lithuanian freshmen. Also they virtually gave the tickets away.....the maximum ticket price was $5.

I recall the game BU played there a couple years ago, and the arena was nearly empty!

What an absolute disgraceful schedule! If I were the CUSA commissioner, I would take a page out of Doug Elgin's book and mandate that all teams in CUSA schedule a top 150 RPI. If they fail to meet that, then they get fined $50,000.

Of course in Southern Miss's case, they should be fined $500,000. That schedule is an embarassment to all of Division I let alone CUSA!

[tornado]

I should have a pick-em to see if anyone actually knows where Bell Haven and Reinhardt are.

By the way....any of you who have been on the boards for a year or so know we had some discussions about Larry Eustachy's behavior at the Civic Center when they came to play Bradley.
He used incredibly foul language and berated his own players with humiliating personal and FOUL mouthed attacks loudly so that many if not most fans could hear.

I was one who sent him an e mail to let him know some of the BU fans were disappointed in his actions and behavior. Honestly, I felt someone needed to tell the guy to grow up.
I was polite and he responded by saying he wanted my home phone number so he could call me back.
I e mailed back and gave him the phone number of my answering service so he could indeed reach me any time, but I didn't want to give the guy my home #, and of course he has never called back.
I am still waiting........

[Bravesfan]

I should have a pick-em to see if anyone actually knows where Bell Haven and Reinhardt are.

By the way....any of you who have been on the boards for a year or so know we had some discussions about Larry Eustachy's behavior at the Civic Center when they came to play Bradley.
He used incredibly foul language and berated his own players with humiliating personal and FOUL mouthed attacks loudly so that many if not most fans could hear.

I was one who sent him an e mail to let him know some of the BU fans were disappointed in his actions and behavior. Honestly, I felt someone needed to tell the guy to grow up.
I was polite and he responded by saying he wanted my home phone number so he could call me back.
I e mailed back and gave him the phone number of my answering service so he could indeed reach me any time, but I didn't want to give the guy my home #, and of course he has never called back.
I am still waiting........

Typical of him. Well, you tried and did everything you could to at least open up some dialog. Hopefully he will realize the error of his ways someday and take you up on your offer.

[tornado]

Time for another Larry Eustachy update....

Southern Mississippi won last night against a school called William Carey,
William Carey is a small NAIA school, that Southern Miss' website calls their "crosstown rival"!!

Can you imagine if Bradley labelled ICC or Eureka College their crosstown rival?
This is ridiculous, as Southern Miss continues this bizarre tendency to play the tiniest and most obscure opponents in order to rack up wins.

They have already beaten "Bellhaven" and still have "Blue Mountain" and "Spring Hill" coming up on their schedule.
Of course, the only real D-I team they have actually played so far, Cal, beat them 67-59

[tornado]

Now to the "It couldn't happen to a nicer guy" file........

Larry Eustachy's Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles lost last night
to South Alabama. South Alabama (from the 21st ranked conference, the Sun Belt) was 3-3 against D-I opponents,
but still hasn't beaten anyone with an RPI under 150.

But Larry Eustachy's guys got spanked at home to fall to 0-3 against D-I opponents.
Remember.....Larry has all those really easy NAIA opponents, so overall his record is actuallly 3-3,
but the NCAA doesn't even consider those wins against Belhaven, William Carey, and Blue Mountian College.
I wonder if Larry is finally beginning to realize that scheduling all those cupcakes is hurting his team big time.
They should get at least one more win since they still have NAIA Spring Hill coming up in a couple days, and looking ahead,
they also have RPI #326 La. Tech and RPI #335 Alcorn State!

[Da Coach]

Louisiana Tech lost last night at Texas Tech 86-31!
Texas Tech had a 42-1 run as La. tech missed 27 shots in a row.

Even the kid who won the TV competetion to make the Texas Tech team (ESPN's "Knight School" reality series to make the team as a walkon-Tyler Hoffmeister) scored his first points.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ordine/blog/2007/12/about_last_night_dear_40.html

[tornado]

Louisiana Tech lost last night at Texas Tech 86-31!
Texas Tech had a 42-1 run as La. tech missed 27 shots in a row.

Even the kid who won the TV competetion to make the Texas Tech team (ESPN's "Knight School" reality series to make the team as a walkon-Tyler Hoffmeister) scored his first points.
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/spor...t_dear_40.html

You mean his first point THIS season, as Tyler Hoffmeister did get to play some deep-bench
Garbage minutes last year in 4 different games, and logged a total of TEN minutes played,
scoring 2 points on perfect 1 for 1 shooting.

http://texastech.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2006-2007/teamcume.html

http://texastech.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/hoffmeister_tyler00.html

The one basket Tyler made last year drew a standing ovation with 29 seconds left in a 93-59 blowout of Akansas-Little Rock.
In that Ark-LR game, Hoffmeister was the 16th man in off the bench and got 4 minutes PT.

http://texastech.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/111506aaa.html

[tornado]

Now to the "It couldn't happen to a nicer guy" file........

Larry Eustachy's

Hmmm....Bradley sure did play bad yesterday, but at least if we suffer a home loss, it was to a very good team with a solid RPI.

The same cannot be said about Larry Eustachy's Southern Miss.

They lost at home today to McNeese State, who are one of the weakest D-I teams.
McNeese was 2-5 vs. D-I but was hand picked by Southern Miss to be their opening round opponent in their own home Tourney, so they could be assured of advancing.
But nothing is assured when Larry Eustachy schedules so incredibly soft that his team has no ability to play against real D-I's.

McNeese hasn't had a winning year nor a better than 200 RPI year any time in the past 5 years.
Their only two wins this year are against RPI 289 FAMU and RPI 240 Louisiana-Lafayette.
They do have 3 wins against teams like "Dillard" and "Texas-Tyler", but those are the kinds of teams that only Larry Eustachy seems to schedule.

Oh well, couldn't happen to a nicer guy, and now So. Miss' RPI will be 226, and their conference RPI (C-USA) drops to 13th.
Wonder where they'd be without Memphis!

[tornado]

Larry Eustachy's own local newspaper, the Hattiesburg American, has a
column this morning that lambasts the So. Miss schedule.

"Southern Miss fan attendance is issue

Next year I would not be surprised to see "The Little Sisters of the Poor" on the USM schedule in basketball.
Many, many people complain on the level of quality played by basketball opponents here at USM.
There is a direct correlation between the schedule played in the quality of opponents and the number of people in the stands."

"Personally, I would not pay to see any of the several teams on the current USM schedule.
It is amazing that anyone wants to see a Division I team beat-up on a small university, and worse to see a team 20-40 points disadvantaged on paper end up defeating and nearly defeating USM."

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080102/OPINION01/801020330

[tornado]

...They were hoping this year to be one of the best teams in the CUSA, but it seems they are one of the worst, and they are at full strength.

and the CUSA is so very weak this year, with only Memphis in the top 70 RPI's.

In fact, right now, Houston is 11-1, but if the NCAA were today, they would either have to beat Memphis to get an NCAA bid
or hope they get one at large despite their 105 RPI and 308 SOS.
I can only imagine the meltdown by Tom Penders if he goes NIT again with possibly 25 wins-- all against low RPI teams!
Again...remember, the whole RPI thing is the invention of those bigger-school guys in the first place to prove their 3, 4, 5, 6th best teams deserve bids ahead of conference winners of other smaller conferences.

[tornado]

I know BU has not done well, but can you imagine if we had the kind of schedule Southern Miss has
and we were losing to teams like Nichols State and Savannah State.

Last night Larry Eustachy took one more step to endear himself to all the Southern Miss fans by losing their third game in a row to a cupcake,
with a 61-56 loss to Savannah State.
Savannah State playing its 20th game of the season already, handed So. Miss their 3rd consecutive loss to drop their RPI to well over 200, in a season that many had predicted they would do well.
These guys had them 4th in CUSA.

http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/story/2007_08_southern_miss_basketball_preview41046