Sampson Gone

[ER3]

I only said 'walk-on' because we don't have an available scholarship for a stand-still shooter IMO. We need a big and ideally a big, versatile guard to replace JC. Roth is not big, nor is he versatile at all. He's a stand-still shooter who isn't athletic and can do little else at this point in time. Perhaps by the time he's a junior or senior he could develop other parts of his game like Aaron Zobrist did, but until that point he's a stand-still shooter. We've got a 6'7" kid who's a walk-on who fits that bill as well, and we're pretty well set with AW and Sam taking 2 guard spots for the next few years, so MR would have a tough time finding significant minutes right away. I'd like to have a local kid who succeeds at BU as much as the next guy, but I think people have an over-inflated view of what MR really is and really can be. He could eventually excel and find a real role in Jim Les' current system. It wouldn't be right away though.

It will be interesting to see what kind of player Roth turns into wherever he goes...
I'm just going on record by saying that I want him to end up at BU if he decommits...I think the elite skill that he has shooting the basketball is worth whatever risk or downside that you see in the rest of his game. I don't disagree with the points you raise...I just think he could end up being a much better player on this team and in the Valley than you forecast.
Again...I would love to have Novak or Babb fill JC's role...but I also don't want to get into a position where we pass on Roth to wait on Novak, Babb, etc. and then Novak goes to Michigan, Babb goes to K-State...and we once again are left holding the bag late in the game and we're sifting through the afterthoughts of all the JUCO players to fill our last two spots...(i.e., I don't want a repeat of the "hoping for Slack and Sikes...end up with Salley" scenario...)

[tornado]

News conference set for tomorrow, but one IU trustee says:
"IU Trustee, Philip Eskew, Jr., said he didn't expect to hear anything until tomorrow......He also questioned the validity of several media reports that said Sampson would lose his job.
"I don't think anybody knows anything, including me," Eskew told the Indiana Daily Student. "I don't think either one of those reports are true."

http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=49203&comview=1

All the while, yet another report quoting "sources close to the IU basketball program" says KS is out
"the school is negotiating a buyout of head coach Kelvin Sampson's contract.
...... a team meeting has been called with in the hour to discuss the future of Kelvin Sampson." (with the players)

http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7905495

Presumably MR has not yet been informed.

[Beninator]

There is no one else currently in our recruiting class that is a better prospect than Roth.

Just a minor point here but The Sporting News named Eddren Mccain and Daniel West to their preseason Honorable Mention High School All America list. Roth didnt even make the list.

[Da Coach]

Possible false alarm--

An Indiana official is denying the report that Sampson has been fired, and says nothing has been decided. Sampson is preparing for IU's next game--

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3257218&campaign=rss&source=NCAAHeadlines

This article does report that Indiana is planning some kind of an official announcement Friday, but there no other details.

[SFP]

I want the best players regardless of position and the desire to play for BU. Just because a guy is big it does not mean he can really help out much. Villanova ran a pretty good team a few years back with a bunch of great ballhandling sharp shooting players. If we can't get that big man stud well let's sign a sharp shooting guard that wants to play for us.

Let's get the best players we can get and than build a system around them.

and on Sampson - I really do not care! I do think he is one heck of a floor coach. His teams are always ready to battle night in and night out.

[amckillip]

There is no one else currently in our recruiting class that is a better prospect than Roth.

I really think the case for Eddren is very Strong, I'm sure that will be like heresy on this board because MR is a local kid. But by many services and most first-hand accounts of ability, Eddren seems to be a better all-around player, I would give you he's not a better shooter, but it takes alot more than shooting...

[Da Coach]

Now an Indianapolis TV station WTHR is also reproting the Indiana will announce that Kelvin Sampson will be replace as coach and not coach any more games. There is a video link with this story--

http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=7904939

[Da Coach]

Article about Steve Alford, preparing to make a move?--

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_8321903

And an article listing possible replacements--

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080221/SPORTS0601/802210490/-1/LOCAL17