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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Los Angeles

    NCAAT Coaching Distribution

    Just taking a look at the distribution of the top tournament coaches by region. I definitely think that tournament coaching experience is a big factor in succeeding in this thing. Not more important than talent on the court, of course, but it matters a lot too. In order to qualify for what I'm thinking about, I'm talking about coaches that have either gotten to a Final Four, or had multiple deep tournament runs in their careers, not just one good run a couple of years ago. Guys who have proven they know how to lead a team far, preferably more than once. Of course I could be forgetting a coach here or there or a run that was made some years ago, but here's how it shakes out:

    East:
    (6) Calipari
    (7) Izzo

    West:
    (1) Self
    (2) Cronin
    (3) Few
    (13) Pitino

    South:
    (3) Drew
    (4) Bennett
    (9) Huggins

    Midwest:
    (1) Sampson
    (3) Sean Miller
    (5) Larranaga
    (9) Pearl

    Not sure what it means, or maybe I'm just bored and ready for the games to start, but it does look like some coaches relatively new to the scene are going to get on this list for next year. A lot of top teams are coached by guys who have never been there, or if they have been to the tournament, haven't made much of a lasting mark. Alabama, Purdue, Marquette, Texas, Arizona, Kansas State, UConn, Indiana, Duke . . .

    Can see arguments to include or exclude a name here or there, but . . .

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    New Orleans, Louisiana
    I thought I understood your criteria until I saw Mick Cronin's name on your list. If he's included for taking an 11 seed from the First Four to the Final Four, then Shaka Smart should be on your list for doing the same thing.

    For convenience, let's look at head coaches that have reached at least the Sweet Sixteen in their head coaching tenures, whether at their current school or a previous one. I'm listing them based on their best finish, and will be ignoring any NCAA asterisks.

    EAST
    (6) Calipari, (7) Izzo -- Championship
    (2) Smart, (4) Barnes -- Final 4
    (1) Painter, (10) Enfield -- Elite 8
    (11) Cooley, (12) Mills -- Sweet 16

    WEST
    (1) Self, (13) Pitino -- Championship
    (3) Few -- Title Game
    (2) Cronin -- Final 4
    (6) Dixon, (8) Musselman -- Elite 8
    (5) R Bennett, (11) Alford -- Sweet 16

    SOUTH
    (3) S Drew, (4) T Bennett -- Championship
    (9) Huggins -- Final 4
    (1) Oats, (2) Lloyd, (6) McDermott -- Sweet 16

    MIDWEST
    (1) Sampson, (5) Larraņaga, (9) Pearl -- Final 4
    (3) Miller, (7) Williams, (11) Capel -- Elite 8
    (6) Otzelberger, (16) Horn -- Sweet 16

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    North of Durham
    Quote Originally Posted by brevity View Post
    I thought I understood your criteria until I saw Mick Cronin's name on your list. If he's included for taking an 11 seed from the First Four to the Final Four, then Shaka Smart should be on your list for doing the same thing.

    For convenience, let's look at head coaches that have reached at least the Sweet Sixteen in their head coaching tenures, whether at their current school or a previous one. I'm listing them based on their best finish, and will be ignoring any NCAA asterisks.

    EAST
    (6) Calipari, (7) Izzo -- Championship
    (2) Smart, (4) Barnes -- Final 4
    (1) Painter, (10) Enfield -- Elite 8
    (11) Cooley, (12) Mills -- Sweet 16

    WEST
    (1) Self, (13) Pitino -- Championship
    (3) Few -- Title Game
    (2) Cronin -- Final 4
    (6) Dixon, (8) Musselman -- Elite 8
    (5) R Bennett, (11) Alford -- Sweet 16

    SOUTH
    (3) S Drew, (4) T Bennett -- Championship
    (9) Huggins -- Final 4
    (1) Oats, (2) Lloyd, (6) McDermott -- Sweet 16

    MIDWEST
    (1) Sampson, (5) Larraņaga, (9) Pearl -- Final 4
    (3) Miller, (7) Williams, (11) Capel -- Elite 8
    (6) Otzelberger, (16) Horn -- Sweet 16
    Cronin also has two Sweet 16s (one at UCLA, one at Cincy), plus he has had a team in the tournament every year since 2011 for what that's worth?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    New Bern, NC unless it's a home football game then I'm grilling on Devil's Alley
    Quote Originally Posted by tommy View Post
    Just taking a look at the distribution of the top tournament coaches by region. I definitely think that tournament coaching experience is a big factor in succeeding in this thing. Not more important than talent on the court, of course, but it matters a lot too. In order to qualify for what I'm thinking about, I'm talking about coaches that have either gotten to a Final Four, or had multiple deep tournament runs in their careers, not just one good run a couple of years ago. Guys who have proven they know how to lead a team far, preferably more than once. Of course I could be forgetting a coach here or there or a run that was made some years ago, but here's how it shakes out:

    East:
    (6) Calipari
    (7) Izzo

    West:
    (1) Self
    (2) Cronin
    (3) Few
    (13) Pitino

    South:
    (3) Drew
    (4) Bennett
    (9) Huggins

    Midwest:
    (1) Sampson
    (3) Sean Miller
    (5) Larranaga
    (9) Pearl

    Not sure what it means, or maybe I'm just bored and ready for the games to start, but it does look like some coaches relatively new to the scene are going to get on this list for next year. A lot of top teams are coached by guys who have never been there, or if they have been to the tournament, haven't made much of a lasting mark. Alabama, Purdue, Marquette, Texas, Arizona, Kansas State, UConn, Indiana, Duke . . .

    Can see arguments to include or exclude a name here or there, but . . .
    Good list, but I'd argue that Marquette's Shaka Smart should be added. He underperformed in his last 2 appearances with Texas, but he did win the NIT in between those trips and he won the Big 12 tourney his last year. He does know how to succeed in the post season.
    Marquette is poised to make a run this year, undoubtedly. Time will tell of course, but for now I'd put Smart in there in the East.
    Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Quote Originally Posted by CameronBornAndBred View Post
    Good list, but I'd argue that Marquette's Shaka Smart should be added. He underperformed in his last 2 appearances with Texas, but he did win the NIT in between those trips and he won the Big 12 tourney his last year. He does know how to succeed in the post season.
    Marquette is poised to make a run this year, undoubtedly. Time will tell of course, but for now I'd put Smart in there in the East.
    Yeah I thought about Shaka but he just has the one FF run at VCU, and never did anything in the tournament at Texas. I don't think he ever made the second weekend. So with just one good run on his resume to date, I didn't think he quite fit.

    Cronin I thought did qualify because of not just the one FF at UCLA, but the two other Sweet 16's he's been to, one with Cincinnati and one with UCLA.

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