I hear you, but if Hoiberg leaves, I’d guess Indiana would have a huge leg up on Illinois. Who knows, maybe OSU would jump into that situation, too. I know what the AD said about Matta and all, but Hoiberg is probably an opportunity that doesn’t come along often.
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I don’t see Hoiberg being a cultural fit a Indiana; he dabbled too much in the grey areas of the NCAA regulations for a program of IU’s status — especially given what IU had to go through to clean up the mess made by Sampson.
I also would have a hard time seeing OSU dump Matta for the murkiness of Hoiberg.
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Interesting thought but I kind of agree w/YostsGhosts here. Somewhere in the midst of the first month of the next Big 10 season it should be apparent as to whether Thad Matta will remain as Ohio State’s ongoing head coach. But for now, Smith has chosen to play his cards a certain way.
I guess Matta could still opt out unexpectedly and then your insight might be a consideration but given the reasons why Matta was hired in the first place at OSU, playing loosey-goosey with NCAA rules would make Hoiberg a difficult hire.
(Sorry I’ve edited this a bunch)
I have a hunch Marshall will end up at Indiana. He won’t stay at Wichita St forever and this is a great opportunity if he did leave.
The only thing Hoiberg has ever done is take on transfers who got in trouble at other programs. That’s not breaking any rules. And it was Iowa State - you have to have talent to win, and his talent acquisition plan was smart. You think he’s going to start hauling in five star kids there?
If he went to Indiana or OSU, he’d have no need to do those things.
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You have to wonder a little if, given Marshall’s complete support at WSU, it would give him pause that IU fired a coach a year after a B1G title/sweet sixteen berth. Otherwise, I agree, it seems like a pretty perfect fit. Marshall isn’t super old but he is 54. If he’s going to move then the next couple of years seem like the time. You can debate whether IU is an “elite” coaching job, I guess, but no question it’s up there and the right coach could have huge success. IU wants someone proven with consistent success. Hard to believe they’ll get much more of that than Marshall. And while he is getting paid a lot, IU is probably one of the few places that could really up that substantially.
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Yeah that always has to be an extremely tough choice. He’s got the job security, comfort and still paid well (or good enough) to stay. You laid it out perfectly though, if he intends to leave for a bigger opportunity and more money, it’s probably a perfect opportunity at IU. I think that’s where it’s heading.
Yeah, just looking at it from the outside, it seems to make too much sense not to happen. Let’s hope IU does something dumb though like hold out for Billy Donovan and offend Marshall and wind up scrambling.
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True, but they did give Crean 9 years (and 5 of those weren’t all too great with a 63-97 record). It does seem rather harsh coming off of a Big 10 title and Sweet 16 but it wasn’t like he had the ultimatum to win now or be fired.
And I’d think almost any decent coach will see that and want a good sized buyout just in case.
That’s a good point, they were pretty patient with him overall, and besides the two championships he was finishing pretty low in the big ten even in recent years.
Iowa State also had NCAA reprimands for inappropriate recruiting contact during Hoiberg’s tenure. Men’s Basketball, Football, and a few other sports were wrapped into the same NCAA investigation, so it is easier to gloss past it. And it was “self reported” by Iowa State. And the blame was directed to assistants.
I’m not saying he’s at the Calipari level, but there’s more than enough “smoke” around his tenure at Iowa State. If I was an AD at Indiana or Ohio State, I would look for other options — because the prestige of the program allows me to. If I’m an AD at Nebraska or Penn St or Rutgers, then I can overlook the murkiness and pay up for someone like Hoiberg — because the program isn’t at a level to be that picky.
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I didn’t realize anything had happened with Hoiberg.
With all due respect to “ghostofstjohnarena,” who has been a good poster and seems like a good guy, OSU does not strike me as an athletic program that cares too much about playing by the rules. Ayers landed them on probation, so did O’Brien, so did Tressel, and the stories about football dating back 40-50 years are that OSU players have always been “taken care of” by local boosters and alumni. And I don’t for a second believe Oden and Conley - wherever they ended up - were clean recruitments. I’m certainly not calling them Kentucky or Kansas when it comes to basketball, just noting that they have been in trouble frequently, which to me is evidence of the overall attitude toward compliance within the athletic department.
I do tend to think IU cares about ethics - Bob Knight was as clean as it gets, and they canned Sampson pretty quickly after his scandal surfaced, as opposed to the way Syracuse stood behind Boeheim in the early 1990s (and look where that got them - another scandal later on).
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I appreciate the “due respect”…please continue to be honest…it’s more interesting and we’ll find out more about each other that way…like you, I’ll try to be tactful…hope I use words in the right way…
Ohio State owns all of that you’ve mentioned…
Fred Taylor set the standard for ethics.
Eldon Miller seems to me have done a good job w/ethics. He also didn’t know what to do with the talent he had.
Gary Williams’ ethics seems to have been okay while at Ohio State.
Tressel did what he did and gave up his job for it.
I know those legends of the “friends of the program” and believe a whole bunch of them are true. Damn, been a long time since I thought about those stories.
Ayers was naive. What the h-e-double toothpicks was he thinking recruiting some of those kids? He deserved to be fired.
Some of the stuff that went on during O’Brien’s tenure makes me sick.
No smoke as yet with anyplace Thad Matta has been. But I sure don’t know everything. Stuff could be happening I don’t know about.
Last recruiting cycle, a guard from Ohio Matta offered a scholarship to and pursued had heavy rumors attached to him he wanted payola and got it where he eventually ended up. But it’s just a heavy rumor. Regardless, the player didn’t end up at Ohio State.
The class before, same thing. Big recruit. Went elsewhere. Residual of a heavy rumor left behind.
Oden and Conley would have attended Xavier if Matta had stayed there. But again, I’m not totally naive. I’ve never heard one rumor that says, otherwise, though.
So, yes, I think you have made a valid point based on the evidence. I would request, though, it’s remembered Thad Matta was hired to clean up what Jim O’Brien left behind, which was one big pile of beaver poop. I think Matta’s done that.
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I assume one of those recruits was probably Myles Turner, and I was glad to see him land elsewhere. 
I haven’t heard anything specific with Matta. I feel like Conley, Sr. probably “directed” the recruitment of his son and Oden, and lots of people back then thought it would take extra benefits to land those guys, and DaQuan Cook. Who knows, though?
I think Matta is an excellent coach, or at least up until the past two years, where things have oddly gone downhill. I’ve heard all the explanations (his back, assistants, recruits leaving), and they all make sense, it’s just weird to see someone that good suddenly have a big drop off. I know his teams are among the best at defending Michigan’s offense, which says a lot about his coaching ability.
As far as OSU on the whole, I have a very good friend in his 60s (I’m in my 40s) who is a big OSU guy, and one of the nicest, most gracious people you’ll ever meet. He roots for the Big Ten and Michigan when they’re not playing OSU, so how could I have any beef with that? I’ve meet several nice, normal Buckeye fans over the years, and then some real a-holes. I’m sure people could say the same for Michigan fans too. I’ve enjoyed your contributions to the board, hope you keep them coming.
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I have a hard time seeing Oden and Conley going to Xavier. I know they produce some talent but the number 1 player in the class and the number 18 player in the class? Needless to say, that would be a haul for them.
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+1 for tactful. amen brother.
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First, let me say I am just now sitting down to watch the UM/Oregon game from last night. I had an event to attend last night and had to miss all the televised games. I know Derrick had a good look at a final shot to win it. I was rooting for the Wolverines to win, for sure.
UM and it’s fans have to, with good reason, carry exceptional pride forward in what this season’s team accomplished. Having a reason to celebrate our existence is the best aspect of being alive, in my opinion.
Second, and I’m laughing as I write this because brevity in first drafts is not my strong point, I’ll try to respond using the least possible words below. 
[quote=“LosAngelesWolverine1, post:1056, topic:2115”]
I assume one of those recruits was probably Myles Turner, and I was glad to see him land elsewhere. 
[/quote] I’ll just leave it vague.
Yes, agreed. Good and bad. Every school. I was one of the ignoramuses who bought in to some degree to the idea of “hate” for other schools. Mainly, I subscribed to all the jokes and how that kind of stuff debases the other side. Not serious “hate” on my part but not understanding there is always an option to embrace fellow human beings through sport. Thank whatever, whoever, it is that created us, that I finally got it.
Like you I have an older acquaintance, on my end a Michigan graduate who bleeds Maize and Blue, who was my neighbor when I lived in Schaumburg, Illinois. He was just a great, great person. He helped me in being a model to begin to think well of other team’s fans, not just Michigan fans, but all school’s fans. Especially Big Ten teams. Then on down the line.
People are people. Bob (his name) loves everything Michigan. I admire him.
Since then there have been other Michigan fans I’ve come to know who are wonderful human beings. They’ve reinforced the love of competition is really what I am a fan of and that I enjoy individual people.
I grew up in Marion, Ohio. One of my uncles was recruited by Woody Hayes/Ara Parseghian to play football for Miami University. Another played at Ohio State on the freshman basketball but quit to, instead, take three jobs and pay for his education. So I had no choice other than to be loyal to Scarlet and Gray colors.
But I like to think I’ve evolved and I’m trying to go as far as I can with that as possible. Truth is I can’t operate another way, otherwise, or I’ll stop following sports completely.
I appreciate in depth the idea I can come here and interact with all of you as people. I feel kinship with you here because you talk hoops as though you love it. As though you love the game itself and the competition it provides the young people who devote their lives to it on the Big Ten and national stage.
I hope I reflect a love for the game of basketball in every single word and sentence I write here.
I could do the same, I suppose, on an Ohio State board, but I’ve been there, done that. I’m tired of it.
Basketball is an afterthought for Ohio State fans, unless the team is winning big and then every Buckeye fan will try and tell you they’ve always been huge in following the basketball team.
In the end, when things aren’t going well, the kids who represent Ohio State get personally attacked, which makes me angry and then sick to my stomach.
I know enough Buckeye fans who think like I do, though. Which gives me hope!
Anyway, sounds like I’m doing okay so far posting and that you think I’m here for the right reasons. I hope that continues.
I’m sure most of the general umhoops population, and I understand it, is still trying to comprehend my vocal presence here. Maybe I am, too. But I’ve decided for me it’s just wanting to be part of something positive. Does that make any sense?
Still trying to be brief. Not having any success.
See my story above. I feel it was plausible.
Thanks!
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Nigel Johnson leaving Rutgers
Payton Banks leaving Penn State
Which Big Ten team had the best season when considering both regular and post season games?
Northwestern (24-12) tied for fifth place with UM and won 1 NCAA Tournament game. Minnesota (24-10) finished fourth and was one and done in the NCAA. Maryland (24-9) was third and was one and done in both the BTT and NCAA.
Wisconsin (27-9) made the BTT final and the Sweet Sixteen and lost by one point in their last game.
Both Michigan (26-12) and Purdue (27-8) are champions and get to hang a banner. Purdue got blown out in their final game by a one seed, while Michigan lost by one to a three seed.
These top three teams in head to head games were Purdue (1-2), Wisconsin (1-3) and Michigan (4-1).
Would you trade Michigan’s season with anyone else’s?
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I would go Purdue, Michigan, Wisconsin.
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