What should go into determining college basketball's coach of the year and as of right now who should it be?
Feb 15, 2012 - The annual Coach of the Year debate is always an interesting one in college basketball, if only because the criteria is perpetually unestablished and at issue.
Who deserves more credit: the coach of the nation's best team with the nation's best players, or the coach of the squad that nobody expected to fare this well? If the two are the same then there isn't an issue, but this rarely seems to be the case.
The case against the coach with the best team is relatively straightforward: he doesn't have to do as much actual "coaching" as anyone else. Also, if the award is automatically given to the team ranked No. 1 at the end of the season, then why even have a panel of voters?
On the other side, there's the issue of remembering that the award is for the "Coach of the Year" and not the "Overachieving Team of the Year." The emphasis on the latter is the reason why Billy Gillispie currently has an SEC Coach of the Year trophy stuffed in a box somewhere in his cluttered garage (I'm guessing) while John Calipari has still yet to receive the honor.
The easiest to thing to do is to go with each philosophy's most extreme choice, and either vote for the coach of the No. 1 team in the country or the coach of the highest-ranked team that began the season outside the Top 25. A more dedicated voter, however, will consider a multitude of factors like injuries, off-the-court issues, game management and utilization of talent.
I spoke with The Nation's Dan Wolken about this question Tuesday night, and he said that ultimately it comes down to an issue of who you "feel" has done the best job.
With less than a month to go before Selection Sunday, here are the guys I "feel" have been the best in college basketball this season:
1. Frank Haith, Missouri
Had Haith's hiring not been almost universally lambasted by the national media, I don't think there's any question that he would be the runaway favorite right now. Nobody likes being wrong.
Haith inherited a team that appeared to be a borderline Top 25 squad, and that was before its lone established post presence - senior forward Laurence Bowers - was lost for the season with an ACL tear in October. As it stands, the Tigers are 23-2 (10-2) and would be one of the four No. 1 seeds if the NCAA Tournament started today.
2. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
This isn't your standard "best team, best players" scenario, because while just about everyone thought the Orange would be good this season, I'm not sure anyone believed they would only have one loss come mid-February. Even in a down year, a 17-1 record in the Big East is an absurd accomplishment, and that's what Syracuse is four winnable games away from doing. Boeheim is really doing it without next-level talent; Kris Joseph, Fab Melo and Dion Waiters all have NBA potential, but I have yet to see a single mock draft projecting any of them to be taken in the first round this spring.
Then there are the off-the-court issues. The Penn State scandal was arguably the biggest news story in all of 2011, so when a similar incident surfaced with Syracuse assistant Bernie Fine in November, more than a few folks wondered how the Orange could possibly put the distractions to the side and live up to their preseason expectations. The fact that they've surpassed them is astounding, and Boeheim has to receive his fair share of the credit for that.
3. John Calipari, Kentucky
The easiest thing to do with Calipari is to say, "look at all the pros he has on his team, all he has to do is pick five guys to put on the floor and then sit back and watch the show." And that's exactly what voters have done since he's been at Kentucky. When you look at the way that teams with similar talent like Baylor and Connecticut have folded their tents at times this season, it becomes apparent that this attitude isn't a completely fair one.
Keeping future millionaires focused and motivated on performing to the best of their abilities isn't always an enviable job, but there hasn't been one game this season where Kentucky has quit or appeared disinterested. You, me and Barry Pepper could have led the Wildcats to 20 wins by now, but not everyone could have them at 25-1, and even fewer could have made it happen in such impressive fashion.
4. Steve Fisher, San Diego State
Fisher lost four starters - including lottery pick Kawhi Leonard - from last season's Sweet 16 team, and yet here the Aztecs are ranked 15th, in command of the Mountain Weest race, and owners of a sparkling 20-4 record. Chase Tapley and Jamaal Franklin have emerged as elite scorers, but Fisher has led this team to 20 wins with essentially no frontcourt. For most of the season, the 6-foot-4 Franklin has been forced to play power forward.
5. Tom Izzo, Michigan State
Everyone knows the Spartans are a top ten team capable of getting to the Final Four once again, but almost no one can name their entire starting five. This is why Izzo is Izzo, and why he deserves serious consideration here for the umpteenth time in his career.
16 comments
Comments
How is John Thompson III
Not on this list? All of the other teams listed were expected to be good? JT3 took a team with 0 national votes in either polls and expected to finish 10th in Big East to a top 10 team in the country. John Calipari??? Dude has the best recruiting class in the nation and three-four lottery picks. This is a little insane.
by JGD on Feb 15, 2012 1:00 PM EST reply actions
He (JT3) definitely deserves some mention.
If Izzo gets mentioned Bill Self should too.
“a top ten team capable of getting to the Final Four once again, but almost no one can name their entire starting five.” – Kansas was that way at the beginning of the year. But now Self’s staff have helped Withey emerge. Made TT a candidate for the Cousy. AND turned a bench player last year into the front-runner for POY.
“Fisher lost four starters – including lottery pick” – So did Self
Below is the RPI for KU and Mich St. Now tell me you can put one coach on your list and not the other.
W-L RPI SOS
4 20-5 0.6588 3 0.6054
5 21-5 0.6560 4 0.6038
Also remember, Mich St plays in a deeper conference. That’s not KU’s fault but Bill went out and scheduled a harder non con schedule than Izzo which is why those numbers are so similar now. Bill has a chance to win 8 conference championships in a row in a BCS conference. None of the coaches on this list can even sniff that kind of a record. Izzo fans will say 2 final fours in the last three years. I’ll say 3 elite 8, 2 final fours, and the championship in the last 5. Izzo, still just the two with no championships in the last five. Both coaches are great but Bill deserves his credit this year.
by gerseph on Feb 15, 2012 3:30 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
Well KU started the season ranked in the Top 15. MSU started the season unranked.
KU scheduled UK, OSU, Duke and Gtown in their non-con. Great, great schedule.
MSU scheduled UNC, Duke, FSU and Gonzaga. Not too shabby in it’s own right.
KU has been a one seed in 4/5 NCAA tourneys (based on that gaudy Conference Title streak) and a three seed in the other.
MSU has been a 9,5,2,5,10 seed in the last 5 tournaments (Even with back to back B1G titles). With that seeding they have Izzo’s got 2 Final Four and a Sweet 16. Izzo also beat Self’s KU squad in the 2009 tourney.
This isn’t about history though. MSU and KU have virtually the same record this season. Both lead their conferences. KU started the season ranked. MSU didn’t. MSU plays in a tougher conference. KU has one of the leading candidates for player of the year. MSU has a candidate. Izzo has done the better coaching job this season.
For the record in his coaching career Izzo has three NCAA tournament 1 seeds. Self has five. Izzo has been to six Final Fours. Self has been to 1. Just my opinion, but I’ll take Izzo over Self any day.
by MSULaxer27 on Feb 16, 2012 9:43 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Cuonzo Martin
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by sddbaker on Feb 15, 2012 1:59 PM EST reply actions
Dave Rice?
Managing Editor - Vanquish The Foe
by Brett Hein on Feb 15, 2012 4:27 PM EST reply actions
correct
If Steve Fisher is on the list so should Rice.
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by Jeremy Mauss on Feb 15, 2012 9:51 PM EST up reply actions
Bill SElf Bill SElf Bill SElF
Man took a rebuilding year. Zero lottery picks one returning starter. Now has a perinatal national player of the year candidate and a number one seed looming when everybody stated this was a rebuilding year.
by realfootballer on Feb 15, 2012 5:16 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Dude, what?
Thomas Robinson is a lottery pic if there ever was one.
KU doesn’t have the talent it typically have on the depth chart. considering last year, Thomas Robinson was coming off the bench and is now the leading contender for Player of the Year.
Players like Tyshawn Taylor, Elijah Johnson, Nadir Thorpe were atleast 4 star players.
you also have jeff Withey who could start on any other team in the nation.
The Jayhawks have an abundance of talent, and you’re not fooling anybody by acting like they don’t.
by TIGRPRIDE on Feb 15, 2012 6:22 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
agreed
thats why i hate when people say that teams like that dont have the talent to compete with theyre so called "elite teams’ when in reality they have the talent to compete with anyone in the country…. i hate kansas and even i agree with that. They say well they play better right now but unc is the better teamm, unc hasnt done anything impressive all year. also uk’s talent level isnt that much head and shoulder better outside of anthony davis.
by kevin66l on Feb 15, 2012 7:43 PM EST up reply actions
umm what mock draft our you looking at?
just about all the mock drafts have dion and kris first round, most think waiters is a lotto…. fab isnt on most cus hes projected not to leave till next year but if heleaves this year hes first round. i think that argument is getting old and the people making it dont know much about basketball or how the nba drafts. SU has the talent it seems like all the notable names in the sports bizz no this but the lower level guys whose only source of info comes from draft express are the ones who say that type of thing (mainly cbssports.com whose wrong on just about everything)
by kevin66l on Feb 15, 2012 7:39 PM EST reply actions
How many have you looked at?
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
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by Omaha Sun on Feb 16, 2012 12:14 AM EST up reply actions
nm got worked up for nothing
guy who wrote this is from louisville, that takes away all his credibility
by kevin66l on Feb 15, 2012 7:44 PM EST reply actions
Need a Coach of the year?
Why Not Hoiberg?
Executive Producer - WRNL TV
by CyHawk on Feb 15, 2012 10:36 PM EST reply actions 6 recs
This is the best argument.
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Feb 16, 2012 11:06 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Here's your coach of the year challenge:
You have what is widely regarded as the worst major-conference gig in America.
Your last team set a school record for losses, at a school where the records for badness are pretty tough to beat.
The one senior you lost was good enough to get invited to an NBA camp, and now plays in the D-League.
Your starting point guard, who was finally showing signs of competence, gets kicked out of school. This forces you to hand the position to two newcomers, who were 3-star recruits at best in a league where everyone else gets 4 or 5.
Both your big man recruits get caught in academic snafus. One ends up at Cal State Bakersfield, the other must sit out a year. This leaves you with only four players over 6-6 in a league where big men rule… and one of them is definitely a backcourt player.
Your most athletic player misses 11 games due to injury and an NCAA “unsanctioned summer league” suspension.
And by the way, all your games are off campus because your arena is being renovated… to reduce seating.
For getting to .500 in the Big East under those circumstances, shouldn’t Stan Heath at least pick a few votes for COTY?
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by GarySJ on Feb 16, 2012 9:10 PM EST reply actions
You can't ban me here MIKE!
by oldcat73 on Feb 22, 2012 1:38 AM EST reply actions
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