Shaka Smart's Response to Coach K (And another Cronin rant)

[drudy23]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2014/story/_/id/10625052/shaka-smart-defends-atlantic-10-conference-qualifications-ncaa-tournament

I think his response was perfect. Basically, he's saying "stop looking down on us like you're the almighty basketball gods, because it's getting old." Not many people stand up to Coach K, and what he said is absolutely true.

As for Cronin, he's still a troll, and is making quite a rep for himself as the ultimate bitchy whiner. Make a run in March first, then say you get no Committee respect. God, I almost want them to lost in the first round more than I want Xavier to win.

[LadyMuskie]

Have to agree with Smart that coaches taking pot shots at other leagues is stupid and makes the coach doing it look bad.

[GoMuskies]

Coach K should shut his mangy piehole. It's Xavier's duty today to smack around the Wolfpack and make clear that Coach K was wrong and that they actually do not belong in the Tournament.

[GoMuskies]

Cronin did have this part right. And the Committee was also right.

"The basic message that was sent to our league was that you're not as good as some of the other leagues," Cronin said.

[LadyMuskie]

Cronin hasn't seen anything yet. If he thinks the AAC was disrespected this year, wait until next year when it's an even worse league than it is now.

[THRILLHOUSE]

Cronin bring up that Louisville won the championship last year made me laugh as well, as if that has anything to do with this season.

Go Crimson.

[paulxu]

God, I almost want them to lost in the first round more than I want Xavier to win.

Careful. You don't want to go all Dayton on us.

[Kahns Krazy]

Smart was spot on.

I think Louisville got hosed. I think the rest of the rest of the conference got about what they deserved, especially SMU.

[MD Muskie]

Smart is absolutely right. Now here's the kicker, watch him take one of those Big Six (or whatever they're called now after all this realignment stuff) jobs this off season. I bet his tune will change when that happens.

[Kahns Krazy]

I doubt it. I think there are two kinds of people in the world, and I think that Smart is not the Cronin kind.

You can say everything Coach K said about his conference being a grinder without picking another conference and bringing them down.

Cronin is a lost cause. That guy's self worth is only measured against others.

[LA Muskie]

I thought that about Mack too. And then he pot-shotted the A-10. I think it must be second nature to these guys from the recruiting trails. You can't just point out your upside; you've also got to tear down your competition.

[XUFan09]

I thought putting the A10 and the AAC in the same article was a poor choice, for one simple reason: The A10 teams went out and challenged themselves in the non-conference schedule and the AAC did not. The Committee's response should not have been a surprise at all.

[OTRMUSKIE]

Smart was spot on.

I think Louisville got hosed. I think the rest of the rest of the conference got about what they deserved, especially SMU.

There was a calculator out there that predicted who had the best chance to win it all and Louisville came in at 15% with Florida coming in at 14%

[mid major]

Yes but what is puzzling is the 3rd place team in the Big East got the play-in game while the 6th place team in the A10 got a direct pass. Is SLU's resume that much better than ours?

[X-band '01]

Smart is absolutely right. Now here's the kicker, watch him take one of those Big Six (or whatever they're called now after all this realignment stuff) jobs this off season. I bet his tune will change when that happens.

I'm not sure that he would take another college job; he said no to UCLA last year.

[MD Muskie]

I didn't say he would. I said the kicker, especially after defending the little guy, would be that he would go and take a big bully job this offseason. Personally I hope he stays at VCU for a long time.

[casualfan]

Yes but what is puzzling is the 3rd place team in the Big East got the play-in game while the 6th place team in the A10 got a direct pass. Is SLU's resume that much better than ours?

They definitely have a better resume than ours. I'm not sure it is 5 seeds better, but it is better.

[LA Muskie]

There was a calculator out there that predicted who had the best chance to win it all and Louisville came in at 15% with Florida coming in at 14%

I saw that as well. It believe it was Nate Silver's statistical analysis: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/nate-silvers-ncaa-basketball-predictions/

I think Louisville has a legitimate squawk, especially how good they have looked at the tail end of the season.

[LA Muskie]

The thing that gets me about our placement is that it's almost certainly the result of Stain's injury but it's practically punitive in that the result is requiring us to play more games with him at less than 100%. Also other teams didn't seem to take near the hit that we did for our injury.

Then again I have a hard time complaining about seeding when my team plays itself into the danger zone. Those USC and Seton Hall loses (particularly the loss at home) really did us in.

[paulxu]

Hah! This is the best line of all from the 5/38 article:


RPI is the Dick Morris of algorithms. Maybe I should challenge it to a bet.

With this link: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/11/05/dick_morris_stands_by_prediction_romney_will_win_3 25_electoral_votes.html

[vee4xu]

Speaking of Cronin, what are the chances that the combined IQ's of any 2 Harvard starting five is higher than the combined IQ's of every UC starter. I think I is very possible.

[Kahns Krazy]

Speaking of Cronin, what are the chances that the combined IQ's of any 2 Harvard starting five is higher than the combined IQ's of every UC starter. I think I is very possible.

Other than being a baseless and mean thing to say (do you personally know any of the ten young men in question?), it's also nearly impossible.

There are a variety of IQ scales in use. Most of them put ranges between 70 and 130 on the normal scale, with 99% of the population inside that range. Assuming that all 5 UC starters are near the 70 end of the range (which I have no reason to believe is the case), all of the Harvard starters would need an IQ of 175 or above to make your statement true.

[XUBand]

Don't get all offended - it's just some trash talking...

[XUFan09]

I'd say talking about the IQ of the UC players is something that gets old among things to trash talk (more so than offensive).

Plus, the team seems like a good group of guys. The coach is just a dick, and really all smack can easily be focused on him lol.

[muskiefan82]

I'd say talking about the IQ of the UC players is something that gets old among things to trash talk (more so than offensive).

Plus, the team seems like a good group of guys. The coach is just a dick, and really all smack can easily be focused on him lol.

If only he had said something else...something like "Harvard basketball is one more thing greater in stature than Mick Cronin" then it might have been more appropriate.

[GoMuskies]

Tommy Amaker has also expanded the pool of potential recruits at Harvard these days. I doubt most of his players would have a prayer of getting into Harvard as "normal" applicants.

[xsteve1]

I think UC -3 is free money. Harvard just doesn't have the horses to compete physically.

[GoMuskies]

I think UC -3 is free money. Harvard just doesn't have the horses to compete physically.

Well, damn, we should have saved the juice, because my money is already down on the Crimson.

[Caveat]

I think UC -3 is free money. Harvard just doesn't have the horses to compete physically.

I'd be scared off by UC's struggles scoring. They're not a team that has an easy time coming back from large deficits, even against inferior competition.

[Kahns Krazy]

I'd say talking about the IQ of the UC players is something that gets old among things to trash talk (more so than offensive).

Plus, the team seems like a good group of guys. The coach is just a dick, and really all smack can easily be focused on him lol.

Yeah, this. I wasn't offended. I just don't feel like the current UC players are the ones that deserve the smack. I'm not aware of any off-court incidents or anything they've done other than grind out a lot of wins, and provide us with the win that probably got us in the dance.

Mick, on the other hand, has earned all the smack that ever comes his way.

[Mrs. Garrett]

Tommy Amaker has also expanded the pool of potential recruits at Harvard these days. I doubt most of his players would have a prayer of getting into Harvard as "normal" applicants.

Could probably be said for most players on most teams in any conference

[GoMuskies]

I'm sure that's true, too. But I think Amaker has changed things up pretty drastically in Cambridge. And it's mostly for the better, I would think (though the NCAA did come knocking asking questions not too long ago).

[whiteyxu]

Yes but what is puzzling is the 3rd place team in the Big East got the play-in game while the 6th place team in the A10 got a direct pass. Is SLU's resume that much better than ours?

Actually, the 6th place team in the A10 got a 6 seed (Umass). Which is completely ridiculous. UD was 5th place.

But in all reality, I don't think they weigh league standings all that much when deliberating at-large bids or seeding, if at all. We were 3rd in the Big East basically because nobody but the top 2 had a better than average conference season. We shouldn't necessarily be rewarded because we had better tiebreakers than the other mediocre teams in the 3-7 range in the conference standings.

I also don't think they take league RPI into that much consideration. I don't think they say "League A deserves more bids because they were top-to-bottom better than league B." It's done based on individual resumes, and in general, better leagues will have more deserving teams get in. Not necessarily the case this year. That being said, it does appear that the committee overvalued the A10 based on the seeds they received, but not necessarily on which teams made the tournament.

[vee4xu]

Other than being a baseless and mean thing to say (do you personally know any of the ten young men in question?), it's also nearly impossible.

There are a variety of IQ scales in use. Most of them put ranges between 70 and 130 on the normal scale, with 99% of the population inside that range. Assuming that all 5 UC starters are near the 70 end of the range (which I have no reason to believe is the case), all of the Harvard starters would need an IQ of 175 or above to make your statement true.

Wow,that was quick. I see the sense of humor police paid you a visit and confiscated yours. Have a happy day, sir.

[SkyWalker]

Smart is smart; Cronin is not.