Crimson Red Sports

Here we go.






http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25119705/alabama-prepared-to-make-big-run-at-wichita-state-coach-gregg-marshall




 :popcorn2:

Marshall's agent is researching Alabama.  :popcorn2:


http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/03/gregg_marshalls_agent_to_begin.html#incart_river

122-20, he sounds like a good 'un.  And his season is not over yet.

A little historical background. In 2011 Alabama played in the Puerto Rico Tip Off. It's first opponent was Maryland & we crushed them 62-42. They were a 5th seed in the NCAA Tourney this year. Next, we played Wichita State & handled them 70-60. Wichita St. has been to 4 straight NCAA Tourneys since that loss & a Final Four. In the final game of the Tip-Off, Alabama beat Purdue 65-56. Purdue went to the NCAA Tourney that year, & has been 3 times in last 4 years. The Tide has been to the Tourney once since the Tip-Off & lost it's first game. Something went horribly wrong with the program since the Tip-Off.



 :(

The Koch brothers' Koch Industries has an annual revenue of $115 billion (BILLION).  They can out-bid any school out there, even us.  Plus, thanks to winning this year in the NCAA, Marshall can choose among much bigger programs than Alabama.  He might be lured away by UNC or Indiana, and maybe Texas.  But not likely Alabama.

Sorry folks.  He's too comfortable at WSU.

IMO this is what when wrong:
JaMychal Green graduated and Tony Mitchell was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team and never returned. Both Gottfried recruits. Grant was never able to recruit a quality big man and that was his downfall. We had very good guards and small forwards. (In fairness to Grant Jimmi Taylor may become a quality big man in his Jr/Sr years)

Gotta agree with Chech.  Can't see any compelling reason for Marshall to move to Bama.  On the other hand, you never know all the 'stuff' that's going on behind the scenes that can affect a peson's decision.

This is the big unknown. He's from South Carolina, attended college in Virginia. Hope we have a Plan B, Plan C, etc.


 :dunno:

He also coaches in a rinky dink conference and his team goes virtually unnoticed until tournament time every year. That's got to suck. If and when he chooses to leave WSU he may hold out for a marque basketball school but the pressure is high at those schools. We may be just what he is looking for. I don't know what he is looking for or even if he is looking at all and neither does anyone else. That is why Bill Battle needs to make him a lucrative offer and he what he does.   

Good point about the coverage. The SEC is a huge step up, plus he would be on TV & SEC Network regularly. Today he was asked about it & said if Bama threw crazy money at him, he would have to give it strong consideration (per Finebaum).


 :popcorn:

I think it runs even deeper. We never had a true shooting guard who could make a difference (Lacey left), we had one decent inside player (Greene), & our only real point guard in 6 years was (Releford). Tarrant would have been a solid point guard & scorer but was injured. By the way, Tarrant is from the B'Ham area & was a huge Tide fan & wanted to play at Bama. He was ignored & went to Tulane where he was a star for 2 years. Grant got his head out of his rear and accepted him at Bama. Imagine if we had him for all 4 years. Another Grant failure, along with no inside players, no player development, & so on.


 :deadhorse: :deadhorse: :deadhorse:

Kudos to Battle for trying to go big. I do hope it works. If not, I hope options B and C are good coaches. I'd hate to settle for a 2nd or 3rd tier coach and get stuck in mediocrity for another five years.

This guy has said he don't want to leave so I have a feeling the money he will ask for will be to much. I hope they have a second back-up in mind. RTR!

RUMOR CENTRAL:

Finebaum says there is rumor that if Archie Miller (HC at Dayton) is hired by another program, then Grant would possibly be hired to replace him. Grant played BB at Dayton. Dayton has a solid BB reputation & history.



 ???

I get the feeling that Grant is better suited for a mid-major than a power conference team.  I honestly hope he does well wherever he lands. 

I agree. I was thinking the same thing.


 :wave:

Much more fun to be David than Goliath.

Why?  He consistently beats "marquee basketball schools".  I think he is pokay coaching under pressure.

That is irrelevant.  Who has not heard of Wichita State.

Exactly, it is about the cash.

As Chech pointed out, the Kochs have deeper pockets.

Serious question.

Anybody here believe the Izzo to BAMA rumors back before Grant was hired?

 :tinfoil:

I don't care who we get, I just want to see us get to the Sweet Sixteen and Compete!

Well, now that Wichita State is out, hopefully  will find out soon one way or the other about Marshall.

1. So Tide football should be more like Vandy because it would be more "fun?"

2 & 3. Wichita State SOS was 120, Tide was 59th. The Missouri Valley Conference is weak. The highest SOS a team had was 81st. Northern Iowa, conference champion SOS was 142nd. Wichita State does not "regularly beat marquee teams." The SEC is a power conference with a national TV audience. That is an excellent recruiting tool since players want to be on TV & their relatives can watch them, too.

4. It's not always about the money. Many coaches & pro athletes have turned down big money to stay where they are. Greg Maddox turned down huge money to play for the Yankees but preferred Atlanta. Shaka Smart has turned down big money to leave VCU, other examples exist but there's no need to list them all. Plus, folks don't become cops, soldiers, nurses, teachers, firemen, social workers, etc., for the money. Many people would take the money & run, but not everyone.



 :dog:

1:  
You know what I meant.  Nice obfuscation though.

2 & 3:  
I was directing that at your "rinky dink" remark.  
SOS and "power conference" does not matter once you are in the tournament.
WSU most certainly beat marquee teams when it matters, like in the tournament.

4:  
I agree it is not always about the money.  Yet, when I named some coaches in an earlier thread the first thing you used to dismiss them was their current salary.

Please explain how Grant benefited from being in the "power conference" of the SEC, and do you consider the Atlantic 10 (VCU's conference) to be a "rinky dink" conference?

If you consider the Atlantic 10 to be "rinky dink" (I would call them small), then the David v. Goliath analogy is entirely accurate.

Clearly, Grant benefited more from his status in the "rinky dink" A10, than either he, or BAMA, benefited from the "power conference" status of the SEC.

If you cannot see this I can give you a few million reasons to help clarify the benefits to Grant.

Hey MD, FISH ON!

(http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/71/43/56/fish-on.jpg)

I notice on the shocker boards they ain't to excited from what I can find. It's nothing worth putting here in a link but I guess we'll find out. RTR!