[flamesbball84]

He really was sucking a lot more than I thought he would but they really didn't give him enough time.

How long has he been there? 3, 4 years? Can't be anymore than that.

He's been there 4 years.

4 years is enough time. That means his first recruiting class would have been juniors this past year and would have gotten plenty of experience, and they just had their worst season in decades according to Dennis Carter. If you can't win with your own recruits then who are you going to win with?

[flamesbball84]

shuk..maybe they are mid-major in name only, but that is what they are called.... xavier, gonzaga, mason.. all mid-majors.

Agreed...heck, people now consider C-USA to be mid-major after the expansion wars earlier this year even though Memphis is in C-USA.

Memphis - as in the team, not the conference - is not a mid major, just like Xavier isn't a mid major team. Xavier isn't even a mid major according to collegeinsider which does the mid major top 25.

"The Mid-Major Poll is made up of teams from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit League, Sun Belt, West Coast."

Is the A-10 on that list? I don't see it. Why? Because it's not a mid-major conference and Xavier isn't a mid major team.

[jinxy]

since this kind of surprised everyone (general consensus was he had one more year to prove himself with his recruits and a years learning) I believe someone (fairly big name) has made light of their interest in the UVA job and this caused the UVA staff to drop Leitao like a bad habit. Tubby Smith wanted to come to UVA last time but couldnt make the numbers work. You dont buyout 2 mill to go hire Jeff Capel who is riding high off of Blake Griffin. You buyout two mill for TUbby Smith who has a national championship and has coached in the biggest hot stove in college basketball. It's been well known that he and his wife did not particulary like Minnesota and would love to move back near his family to eventually retire. I think Tubby will be in Charlottesville shortly after Minnesota is dismissed from the tourney. Maybe he will bring Samson's son with him haha. I just think in this economic climate and with the situation there is no way UVA made the move as quick as they did unless they have a fairly big gun all but committed.

[FlamingYalieWahoo]

From a 2007 exchange in a thread about T.J. Bannister:

I said

"Actually somewhere in there you have to thank Craig Littlepage - AD at UVA for firing Pete Gillen (a mistake in my humble opinion - just wait til Singletary a Gillen era recruit is gone and you'll see what Leitao is capable of) which I believe resulted in that coach whose now with the women's team ending up at LU."

And here's jc's comment

"Umm, are you joking? Leitao has that program headed in the right direction. Yes, Singletary has helped greatly, but have you even seen his 2 recruiting classes already at UVa? And do you know who he has committed for next year? Probably not.

Gillen got UVa into the big dance once in his 6 years there. Leitao's been there two years, and already in the big dance once. Without a very dissapointing season this year, he will be back in the dance this year.

I would say Littlepage made the right choice."

My response:

"As a UVA fan who reads the Daily Progress and does know who is on the team and is coming (I don't have their names memorized), I wish I were kidding but I don't think Leitao has what it takes to coach in the ACC. I like Pete a lot and I'm not sure what happened to the program during his time and I agree it was time for a change. But I don't think L. was the man for the job. But back to TeeJay - thank God for all those firing and hirings (and his mother and father for having him) which resulted in his ending up at LU."

And then this from jc:

"This guy doesn't know what he's talking about LUconn.

FYW, I've been a UVa fan my entire life. I have followed their basketball and football programs since I can remember. Leitao is establishing the deepest and most athletic team UVa has ever had. They can go 11 or 12 deep with ACC caliber talent this year. He has 2 7 footers both rated 4 *'s signed for next year. UVa's weekness has always been inside scoring, when they've had it, they've been at the top of the ACC, when they haven't they've been up and down. For the next few years, they will have it along with a multitude of depth at both guard positions and on the wing."



so today I was vindicated

[Sly Fox]

Don't wait a year or so in between your next set of posts, FlamingYalieWahoo. You bring an academic spark to our joint.

As a Texan who views the UVa gig as similar to what Ritchie left behind in Albuquerque as far as overinflated expectations, I'll just sit on the sideline and watch this situation.

[jcmanson]

Yeah, I completely misjudged DL and his recruits. They were supposed to be better than they were. Of the 2 7 footers he had come in this year, one barely saw the court. Outside of Sylven he has done nothing in terms of recruiting. It’s amazing how fast the table can turn.

[Fumblerooskies]

I certainly do NOT see Tubby Smith leaving Minnesota...he has a sweet gig there without the unrealistic expectations UVA has.

[LUconn]

I don't see how 4 years is enough time. That's 1 full class. He was the ACC COY just a couple of years ago. I think 6 years is pretty standard for a guy who did the things he did in his first couple years, even if it was with Gillen's guys. That's more than Gillen did with them.

[Cider Jim]

As a UVa alum, I've got a coaching recommendation for the Cavs: Tommy Amaker. If he can recruit at Harvard, he can certainly recruit at Mr. Jefferson's University.

http://www.gocrimson.com/ViewArticle.db ... EASON=2008

[LUconn]

Tommy didn't do too well at Michigan.

[RagingTireFire]

Tommy didn't do too well at Michigan.

Nobody's done well at Michigan unless they were cheating.

[LUconn]

Beilein doesn't seem to be having a problem.

[RagingTireFire]

Yeah Beilein got them in the tourney but they were tied for 7th in the Big 10 standings. Amaker finished 4 spots higher than that in his second year and would have been in the tourney had Michigan not been on probation.

[g-webb1994]

Wonder if High Point would give him a look?

As for Michigan....I like their womens coach.....



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQdAIlQL-kQ

[jinxy]

I'm telling you it will be Tubby or some scrub that noyone is expecting. They are betting the house on Tubby and if they dont get him they will settle for someone that has not been mentioned

[LUconn]

I wonder if DePaul will take him back. They didn't win a league game this year.

[RagingTireFire]

Speaking of Beilein, why wouldn't UVa go for him?

[jcmanson]

Speaking of Beilein, why wouldn't UVa go for him?

Why would he want to go to UVA?

[RagingTireFire]

Speaking of Beilein, why wouldn't UVa go for him?

Why would he want to go to UVA?

Because coaching in the ACC is better than coaching in the Big 10.

[JK37]

Wonder if High Point would give him a look?

As for Michigan....I like their womens coach.....



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQdAIlQL-kQ

Every time I see it, it still surprises me. Seriously, he's normally quiet and reserved. Just goes to show what a competitive atmosphere does to some.

As for Beilein, my gut tells me it's too soon for him to move again. Once every five years is acceptable, but make another move too quickly, and you're in danger of being labeled un-hirable because you're always looking for the next spot. He's a program re-builder, and he's not done yet with Michigan.

[LUconn]

I heard a clip yesterday of Tubby being asked at a presser about his name being out there for "job openings" and it was asked by our very own GMTM. He's getting to the big time.

[LUconn]

Wonder if High Point would give him a look?

As for Michigan....I like their womens coach.....



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQdAIlQL-kQ

Every time I see it, it still surprises me. Seriously, he's normally quiet and reserved. Just goes to show what a competitive atmosphere does to some.

As for Beilein, my gut tells me it's too soon for him to move again. Once every five years is acceptable, but make another move too quickly, and you're in danger of being labeled un-hirable because you're always looking for the next spot. He's a program re-builder, and he's not done yet with Michigan.

And a guy that runs his system basically leaves a mess for his replacement. WVU got lucky and snagged Huggins who was able to pull in some athletes. But can you imagine some non-princeton-style guy trying to play with unathletic goofs like Gansey and Pittsnoggle?

[Rooster Cogburn]

From Andy Katz Blog today:

• A perfect domino if it were to come to this would be for Virginia to go after Notre Dame's Mike Brey, a Beltway-connected coach who is of high character, and then for Siena's Fran McCaffery to go back to Notre Dame, where he was once an assistant to Digger Phelps. If Virginia were to call Brey, I would be surprised if he wouldn't go for the right offer.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/ind ... =katz_andy