2021 NCAA East Regional Thread (Michigan, Alabama, Texas, FSU)

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

They really guard you & I have nothing against Oats. He made a mistake-he owned it- he called Coach K and apologized. Next play. I hope they make the Final Four. Pretty sure they have never been.

Just looked it up and you are correct.

[wsb3]

Why didn’t Michigan not even try to get the ball inside to Dickerson on that last play? Howard had a TO and close to 30 seconds on the clock but had no play called.

Sporks for your name tag.

[wsb3]

Just looked it up and you are correct.

It must have been the second cup of coffee that did it. They had several 20 wins season and bids to the tourney during Wimp Sanderson's time. 10 out of 12 seasons. That last stat caught me by surprise.

[TywinBlue]

At age 43, this is Shaka Smart's 6th year as the highly paid head coach of the University of Texas.

He has as many NCAA Tournament wins as I have.

Why does he still have his job and Wojo loses his ?

[dukelifer]

At age 43, this is Shaka Smart's 6th year as the highly paid head coach of the University of Texas.

He has as many NCAA Tournament wins as I have.

Why does he still have his job and Wojo loses his ?

Well one of those tourney years was canceled. He may not have one after this performance.

[Hartford Dukie]

Well one of those tourney years was canceled. He may not have one after this performance.

Smart is not getting a lot of support in key places at home.

Both the Austin American-Statesman's beat writer and its lead Texas columnist raise significant questions about Texas' performance in this game and Smart's performance overall.

https://www.hookem.com/story/sports/...as/4788950001/

From Kirk Bohls' Hookem column: "Abilene Christian stuns Texas, puts coach Shaka Smart's job in jeopardy"

https://www.hookem.com/story/sports/...dy/4789045001/

The game had to end with a turnover.

Mainly because their turnovers never ended.

Now the discussion will morph into a debate over whether Shaka Smart will turn over his coaching whistle to a successor despite being a classy, stand-up guy.

That’s because in the biggest game of the year on college basketball’s grandest stage — the same floor inside Lucas Oil Stadium where the sport will crown its national champion in two weeks — Texas quite simply dropped the ball with an inexplicable, season-worst 23 turnovers in a stunning loss to Abilene Christian.

In so doing, they flubbed their best chance at advancing deep into the NCAA brackets and making the most noise a Texas team has in two decades.

But that didn’t happen...

This deep, talented team with size in the paint, experience in the backcourt and at least two or three legitimate NBA prospects has now put their cherished coach’s job into jeopardy because the tally after six uneven seasons comes to zero NCAA Tournament wins.

None.

Shaka Smart is 0-and-3...

And that’s not what the Texas brass is paying for. It’s a most disturbing trend and all too familiar.

[C]onference tournament titles and gaudy rankings during the season are not how ultimate success is measured in this sport. It’s about cutting down nets in April, and I’m not sure Smart owns a scissors...

Lord knows Smart has had plenty of time. Does it matter that, unlike the previous football coach, Smart seems well-liked and respected in his own locker room? However, something is amiss. Something is lacking.

Burnt Orange doesn't give Smart a vote of confidence either.

https://www.burntorangenation.com/20...y-matt-coleman

[Steven43]

Smart is not getting a lot of support in key places at home.

Both the Austin American-Statesman's beat writer and its lead Texas columnist raise significant questions about Texas' performance in this game and Smart's performance overall.

The University of Texas is my alma mater. I thought Smart was a great hire back in April of 2015. I was expecting Texas to challenge Kansas for supremacy in the Big 12; that hasn’t really happened, though UT has had some good seasons under Smart.

I’m inclined to give him at least one more year. I say that without knowing the terms of his contract, however. I honestly think part of the problem with Texas sports is that the city of Austin is just so damn much FUN! I would think it would be much easier to focus on sports (and/or academics) in, say, Lawrence, Kansas; College Station, Texas; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; or Norman, Oklahoma. 😉

[uh_no]

Smart is not getting a lot of support in key places at home.

Both the Austin American-Statesman's beat writer and its lead Texas columnist raise significant questions about Texas' performance in this game and Smart's performance overall.

https://www.hookem.com/story/sports/...as/4788950001/

From Kirk Bohls' Hookem column: "Abilene Christian stuns Texas, puts coach Shaka Smart's job in jeopardy"

https://www.hookem.com/story/sports/...dy/4789045001/



Burnt Orange doesn't give Smart a vote of confidence either.

https://www.burntorangenation.com/20...y-matt-coleman

here's the thing. even great coaches have bad tournament outs. Nobody on this board should be casting any stones in that regard. People dumped on uva after being the first coach to lose to a 16 seed...and asked the same questions of whether they could get it done after several tournament outs (of course they had a couple wins as well...), and he went on to win the title the next year. I find the whole "coach is good coach, but doesn't have what it takes to get it done in the tournament" a bit silly. We have enough examples of coaches given that kind of moniker before ultimately finding success to largely view the innate randomness of the tournament as a far more compelling explanation than "something is amiss with the coach/program."

If Texas' attitude is that they can pay for titles, they'll be sorely disappointed. By most measures, texas had a really good year...but for one bad loss. Given how the year went, I think texas would be stupid to not give smart another year.

Not to mention the fact that shaka smart has had good tournament runs...so etiher he's a good coach or he's not. I tend to think he's a good coach. Now, whether he's right for texas, I don't know....but I'm long thinking that NOBODY is right for texas...and THAT's their problem, not the individual coach.

[Steven43]

Now, whether he's right for texas, I don't know...but I'm long thinking that NOBODY is right for texas...and THAT's their problem, not the individual coach.

Huh??

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Speaking of Texas, did Rick Barnes make a career decision to only coach orange schools? Does he have like, an orange Lambo and wants it to match wherever he works?

[uh_no]

Huh??

toxic boosters, no patience, entitled fans...the fact that their women's basketball and football programs have had similar non-success to their men's basketball program is very telling.

[Steven43]

toxic boosters, no patience, entitled fans...the fact that their women's basketball and football programs have had similar non-success to their men's basketball program is very telling.

That description — toxic boosters, entitled fans, no patience — applies to many schools, not just the University of Texas.

[uh_no]

That description is apt for a lot of schools; it’s not unique to the University of Texas.

i believe texas has the largest athletics department in the country, and the entitled belief that that money should be able to buy them titles. Many schools have a belief that they are an attractive destination...most cannot put the money behind it like texas does.

[Hartford Dukie]

Yes, he has a run to the Final Four in 2011, but Shaka at VCU and Texas has lost has last five tournament appearances in the round of 64, four of which they had the better seed.

2014: Round of 64 loss to 12-seed
2015: Round of 64 loss to 10-seed
2016: Round of 64 loss to 11-seed
2018: Round of 64 loss to 7-seed
2021: Round of 64 loss to 14-seed

Shaka has two years left on his contract. Its either some sort of extension or... He won't be able to recruit without an extension. And they are moving into a brand new 21,000 seat building in 2022.

[-jk]

Speaking of Texas, did Rick Barnes make a career decision to only coach orange schools? Does he have like, an orange Lambo and wants it to match wherever he works?

Syracuse next?

-jk

[-jk]

toxic boosters, no patience, entitled fans...the fact that their women's basketball and football programs have had similar non-success to their men's basketball program is very telling.

That description — toxic boosters, entitled fans, no patience — applies to many schools, not just the University of Texas.

U Texas has the Texas-sized egos most schools don't have.

-jk

[DU82]

U Texas has the Texas-sized egos most schools don't have.

-jk

My brother, a TCU grad, came up for the 1986 ACC Tournament (thanks for the tickets!), and in the first round, the Cheaters were down to Maryland by 3-4 with about the same number of minutes left. Of course, some of their fans started leaving. My brother then came up with the biggest insult he could - they’re just like Texas fans!

[uh_no]

U Texas has the Texas-sized egos most schools don't have.

-jk

trying to compare UT to other departments is like trying to compare a Hanzo to any other sword ever made.

[Hartford Dukie]

I know all think I am being too hard on Shaka. But it's hard to find anyone defending him today.

https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/2...d-reactions/2/

Here's Bob Wischusen, who does most of the Big 12 games for ESPN...

https://twitter.com/espnbob/status/1...d-reactions%2F

Texas just lost a game that was practically un-losable...

Put aside that it was Abilene Christian..

They held an opponent to 30% shooting, 17% from 3...and shot 45% themselves, including 35% from 3...and lost...
That’s mind numbing...

I'd quote Bilas, who was very critical, but that would rally EVERYONE to Shaka's defense.

I think that this is the first time ever in the tournament since the 3 was adopted that a team has been held to less that 30% shooting and less than 20% from 3 and won.

[YmoBeThere]

Texas fans are significantly less annoying than Tennessee fans when I lived in Nashville, UNC fans when I lived in Charlotte and Greensboro, and OSU fans when I lived in Cincinnati. Perhaps it is their lack of success...