Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Coaches, Best & Beleaguered

The other night on CBS Sports Network college hoops nightly wrap up, Walt Szczerbiak uttered this often invoked take about the sport and a once proud program gone fallow but now on the comeback.

“College basketball is better when XXX is good.”

And as my loyal readers have surely guessed, he was not referring to the three time national champion Louisville Cardinals.

But by a school coached by a former Cardinal mentor, Rick Pitino.

St. John’s.

Of course, as others have indeed said, if that’s a truism, it certainly applies to U of L. The sport is better when the Cardinals are relevant.

Johnnie fans are having dreams of Chris Mullen era success, as we locals are moving back into the halcyon bliss of Grif and the McCrays.

Do we love J’Vonne Hadley doing the dirty work like Herb Crook?

Duh.

 * * * * *

A heap o’ heap of credit, the majority frankly, for the ReviVille must go to Coach Pal Kelsey.

He’s an amazing combo platter of rah rah, squad gathering, injury adjustment, PR savvy, energy, preparation, and tactically astute game chops which are becoming more apparent by the game.

Such is the enthusiasm that many in the fan base, who aren’t as tapped into the national scene as some of the rest of us, feel assured that PK is a lock for Coach of the Year.

In a brief interlude in the Chron Comments section recently, I offered in response to such a rendered take, this name: Bruce Pearl.

For which, I got the usual “You’re an idiot” type of responses.

Before I offer the basis for my statement, let me make clear . . .

. . . there isn’t a coach in the country who has come close to fashioning what Kelsey has done here.

(OK, maybe Mark Byington at Vandy, but not really.)

There are a couple of national followers of the college hoops scene who, whether we like them or not, know way more about the landscape of the sport than you or me.

Gary Parrish at CBS Sports.

Seth Davis, whom you can now follow at a site for hoopaholics called hoopshq.com.

Recently Parrish listed his three midseason leaders for CoY.

In reverse order: 3) Jon Scheyer, 2) Bruce Pearl and 1) Mark Pope.

Again, don’t blame the messenger. I’m just trying to edify, share why I responded as I did.

Davis listed ten, but we only need to read a few to get the gist for our purpose.

In order: 1) Bruce Pearl, 2) Mark Pope and 3) Pat Kelsey.

Now we’re talkin’.

ESPN.com’s leading “experts” Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf weighed in with their mid-campaign Top Ten.

They’ve got Pearl at the top, followed by Scheyer and West Virginia’s Darian DeVries.

Pat Kelsey is listed in the #7 spot.

Time will tell who has fell and who’s been left behind.

It would be way cool for PK to garner said honor.

For him, of course. But more important, it would mean U of L will have continued its recent winning and maybe made a bit o’ postseason splash.

 * * * * *

There are obvious reasons why folks are inclined to blanch when Pearl is mentioned for such an honor.

I’ve actually had a personal interlude with him. He was a putz when I attempted to engage him regarding a mutual friend.

Beyond that, there’s the transgressions at Iowa — turning in a recruiter at another school who really hadn’t done anything wrong — Tennessee — where he had recruits to his house for cookout and lied about it until the NCAA showed him the photos — He had to sit out three years with a Show Cause. He’s even a slap on the wrist at Auburn.

But the guy can coach. His Tigers are clearly the best in the land so far this season.

Has he done a better job than Pat Kelsey?

Has Jon Scheyer, with his plethora of five stars?

 * * * * *

You know who else can really coach?

Kelvin Sampson.

I can’t help but wonder what IU fans think, those unhappy with Mike Woodson’s checkered resumé in Bloomington, when they observe Houston’s recent success, which continues this year with a top level offense to match its impeccable D.

Sampson was the Hoosiers coach. But was fired in ’08 for making some phone calls to recruits when he wasn’t supposed to. He did it again at Oklahoma.

For doing that today, he wouldn’t even be ordered to stand in the corner of the classroom for a minute.

The Hoosiers are 14-6. Not awful. 5-4, tied for 5th in the Big Whatever. Again, not horrid.

But a closer look reveals this: Of those Ls, there’s the one by 28 to U of L on a neutral court, by 16 to the Zags, by 17 to Nebraska, 25 to Iowa, by 25 at home to the Illini, and by 9 at Northwestern.

So, yeah, the latest favorite son to land back in Bloomington is not so much a favorite anymore.

Especially when IU grad Dusty May has turned Michigan around.

At least until Friday night, when they were smacked around at Purdue 91-64.

Pat Kelsey’s team’s last game, a 25 point W at SMU, as a two point dog.

Woof. Woof.

— c d kaplan