28 replies to this topic

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

The ugly step sister of New England sports has moved on from Coach Jim Baron. Not sure if anyone really cares, but thought i'd start a conversation with any other URI alums out there. Baron was never a bad coach, but he was never a good coach. His program was clean and the players never caused any trouble. Good for him. Unfortunately his ceiling as a coach was a 20-25ish win season and an NIT berth. He was the literal definition of mediocrity. I was an admin at the Fire Jim Baron Facebook group, so this is kind of fun.

Now I am not delusional, URI is a small state school with no fan base and no recruiting base. That being said, it's one of the bigger schools in the A10, has good to decent facilities and plays in a conference with some good programs. I think an NCAA berth once or twice a decade is not an unreasonable expectation. Baron just never got it done. It's unfortunate that the shine is now off the Ryan Center and was kind of wasted as a new shiny asset to the program. So be it.

The Projo is already suggesting they bring back Skinner. That would be fun and all, but I'd rather see them grab a younger, up and coming coach off an established Big East program or a guy that built a D2 program into a contender. URI should just bite the bullet and try to become a stepping stone job for aspiring coaches. Go Rams. eh.

Edited by ( . ) ( . ) and (_!_), 04 March 2012 - 10:02 PM.

[RedOctober3829]

Adam Zagoria(@AdamZagoria), a respected college basketball writer, is speculating that the two finalists will be Al Skinner and Wagner's Danny Hurley.

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

Adam Zagoria(@AdamZagoria), a respected college basketball writer, is speculating that the two finalists will be Al Skinner and Wagner's Danny Hurley.

Danny Hurley fits the profile of what URI should be looking for. He built a successful Prep program in NJ and then moved to a lesser conference. This is a guy that has recruiting ties in the talent rich NY/NJ area and is looking to move up the job ladder. A school like URI is a great fit for him to put him on the map for bigger programs in the future.

[SaveBooFerriss]

Danny Hurley fits the profile of what URI should be looking for. He built a successful Prep program in NJ and then moved to a lesser conference. This is a guy that has recruiting ties in the talent rich NY/NJ area and is looking to move up the job ladder. A school like URI is a great fit for him to put him on the map for bigger programs in the future.

The only problem with Hurley is it is doubtful if he sticks around if they have any success, like Ford at UMass a few years ago. Skinner, at this age, is much more likely to be there longer.

This awful year notwithstanding, I was thought Baron was a solid coach.

Edited by SaveBooFerriss, 05 March 2012 - 08:54 AM.

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

The only problem with Hurley is it is doubtful if he sticks around if they have any success, like Ford at UMass a few years ago. Skinner, at this age, is much more likely to be there longer.

This awful year notwithstanding, I was thought Baron was a solid coach.

Well that's kind of my point. URI should not concern themselves with trying to find a coach that will stick around. Find a coach that can bring a little success to the program, have fun with it, watch him leave for greener pastures, bottom out and repeat. That cycle is the best case scenario for URI basketball.

Any thoughts of a coach sticking around and having long term success at URI is foolish, in my opinion. The program lacks the recruiting base, the resources and is too close in proximity to a similarly sized state school that has already pulled off sustainted national success. I'd rather the program just whore itself out as a stepping stone job, enjoy 2-3 tournament trips a decade and just roll with it.

Solid is a little strong for Baron. I'd go with "good". Clean program, no bad press, won over 20 games sometimes. That's all good. Neither advanced the program, never won the A10 or appeared in the NCAAs in 11 years. Nothing noteworthy (good or bad) has happened to URI basketball in a decade. It's literally been a non-factor. Medicority gets you a "good" in my book, not a "solid".

(good vs. soild is based on a highly scientific and well thought out system of measure )

[URI]

I thought Baron was a pretty crappy coach who kept his program clean, and recruted good kids that were just good enough to beat a consistently crappy slate of games.

And this year, 2 players had major academic issues, there were player suspensions, and 2 kids were kicked off the team. Baron lost the only real moral highground he had when he has to kick off the best player on the team, a senior captain, because he was so much of a dickhead.

Two full seasons had no real recruiting classes...the HS class of 09 is Nik Malesevic who has major attitude issues, took a couple of 1 game suspensions, and broke his hand punching a wall, Andre Malone, a Auburn transfer who can't stay academically elegible. The class of 10 is Billy Baron, Jim's kid, and Levan Shengalia/Blake Vedder, two big stiffs, and AJ Kemp, who is essentially a walkon.

[jsinger121]

I'm surprised Tom Moore's named has not been mentioned. He has a pretty good body of work in 5 seasons at Quinnipiac. Prior to that was an assistant at UConn. He has recruiting ties to the area. Not that I want to see him go as I am alum of QU but he's brought this program to a very good state right now.

[RedOctober3829]

I'm surprised Tom Moore's named has not been mentioned. He has a pretty good body of work in 5 seasons at Quinnipiac. Prior to that was an assistant at UConn. He has recruiting ties to the area. Not that I want to see him go as I am alum of QU but he's brought this program to a very good state right now.

His ties to the UConn agent scandal might have taken some of the luster off of his name for the time being.

[jsinger121]

His ties to the UConn agent scandal might have taken some of the luster off of his name for the time being.

He was cleared of any wrongdoing in that scandal.

[EL Jeffe]

Al Skinner would be depressing. Abdul Fox is not walking through that door.

Hurley has to be a better recruiter than Baron, and sure, maybe he uses it as a stepping stone, but VCU has shown that you can maintain success at a stepping stone institution.

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

Temple leaving for the Big East is a big blow to the A10. What's the A10's recourse hereto get back to 14 teams? They still have Xavier as a flag ship program for now. It seems the most logical move would be to look at the CAA and try to pilfer a George Mason of VCU or a school like Davidson out of the Southern conference. None of the three are quality programs like Temple but all have had recent success and (only doing a high level look) seem to fit geographically and culturally with the rest of the A10.

Football is not really a concern here, half the programs don't have football or are spread out in other conferences. Is Temple the domino that kills that A10 or do they add and move on as is?

[jsinger121]

Temple leaving for the Big East is a big blow to the A10. What's the A10's recourse hereto get back to 14 teams? They still have Xavier as a flag ship program for now. It seems the most logical move would be to look at the CAA and try to pilfer a George Mason of VCU or a school like Davidson out of the Southern conference. None of the three are quality programs like Temple but all have had recent success and (only doing a high level look) seem to fit geographically and culturally with the rest of the A10.

Football is not really a concern here, half the programs don't have football or are spread out in other conferences. Is Temple the domino that kills that A10 or do they add and move on as is?

Quinnipiac has talked about moving into a conference that they feel they are more on par with academically. I wouldn't be shocked to see them try to jump to the Atlantic 10. They have top notch facilities in Basketball and Hockey.

[URI]

A10 doesn't care about hockey.

The first move would be to reach into the CAA to pick up their basketball-primary schools (like VCU/GMU etc).

Small New England schools with no national following or presence aren't on the league's radar. I mean, the TD Bank Center only has 3750 seats...that would be bigger only than Rose Hill. We already have a LaSalle in the leauge.

[jsinger121]

Though its only a few hundred seats smaller than George Washington, Duquesne, St. Joe's and La Salle.

[URI]

And a few thousand fewer than the more attractive options that have shown interest.

The A10 is trying to keep the Xaviers and Daytons...not get more LaSalles and GWs.

[steveluck7]

I've always thought Fairfield would be a good A-10 fit. If they could have parlayed some of their recent MAAC championship game apearances into wins, they would be more attractive They certainly have the facilities (game)

Edited by steveluck7, 08 March 2012 - 02:57 PM.

[Infield Infidel]

The only team I could see maybe wanting to leave the CAA is Drexel, which would keep Philly a three-team town for A-10. Obviously St. Joes and LaSalle wouldn't like that

Other than that, I don't see a team leaving the CAA. It's a really good league, and without Temple, CAA is on par with the A-10.

I also don't think A-10 needs another team anyway. 13 is fine for basketball. Play six teams home/away, and play three teams home and three teams away. 18 game sched

Edited by Infield Infidel, 08 March 2012 - 08:54 PM.

[URI]

Negotiations have started, mostly due to the CAAs reliance on football. And the A10 is a much better/deeper conference for basketball than the CAA.

Example...this year's Ken Pom rankings...A10 7th, CAA 13th.
Last year 9th and 12th
2010- 7th and 13th
2009 - 9th and 14th
2008 - 8th and 14th
etc...

CAA gets a lot of love for placing 2 teams in the Final 4 in the last 6 seasons, but most of the league is bleh.

[Infield Infidel]

Those rankings would be a lot closer without Temple

[URI]

Sure they would, but the A10 doesn't care about football either...so it's a good landing spot for a basketball school who doesn't want to be 2nd fiddle to Georgia St or drag Towson.

Drexel isn't a good target for the A10 simply because of St Joe's and LaSalle being bigger programs in Philly, and the DAC only holds about 2500. They are moving to a newer building, but have no real timetable for it.

[RedSoxFan]

I also don't think A-10 needs another team anyway. 13 is fine for basketball. Play six teams home/away, and play three teams home and three teams away. 18 game sched

The # of teams doesn't matter so much, it's more about keeping the conference strong and still getting 3-4 teams in the tournament on an annual basis. Wouldn't surprise me at all to see the A10 grab both VCU and George Mason and wind up at 15 teams. I don't see them taking one without the other. ODU would also be a good fit, although they play football in the CAA so it would be tougher for them to leave.

[URI]

Unofficially...its Danny Hurley from Wagner.

[RedOctober3829]

Unofficially...its Danny Hurley from Wagner.

No surprise there...he's the best option out there.

[URI]

I know this thread is a hybrid "Future of the Atlantic 10/URI coaching" thread, but Mark Neal posted some pretty big news on Twitter

As I reported last week, #Butler to A-10 is done deal!

Butler to Atlantic 10

Butler really helps with the loss of Temple, and for the future of the league in keeping Saint Louis, Xavier and Dayton geographically happy.

[yeahlunchbox]

As I posted in the college coaches thread, Dan Hurley to URI is now a done deal, with the news conference tomorrow at 1. Most excited I've been for this program since the Ryan Center opened!

http://espn.go.com/n...ode-island-rams

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

As I posted in the college coaches thread, Dan Hurley to URI is now a done deal, with the news conference tomorrow at 1. Most excited I've been for this program since the Ryan Center opened!

http://espn.go.com/n...ode-island-rams

I like the hire. I don't know enough about him or the coaching market to know exactly how much I should like the hire but he is what I wanted for the program....an up and coming coach looking to rise through the ranks with experience building a program and recruiting inroads to a recruiting hot bed like NY/NJ. Well done URI.

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

http://news.providen...sketball-1.html


Ohhhh so that's why Florida, Florida State, Miami and three dozen other schools between Miami and Rhode Island passed on Jonathan Holton. Quite the freshmen year he had, got benched, received some honors on the A10 rookie team and got arrested for video voyeurism. He is already rolling out the someone else used my account defense.

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

Well this is just going well. Holton arrested again for a whole bunch of robbery and whatnot
http://news.providen...holton-arr.html

Go Rhody!

[URI]

He's gone.