Nevada vs. Texas

[Pony_Fan]

Interesting matchup.
Texas -1 in Vegas...very close.

I'd say Nevada wins if they play their game. UT losing to Colorado is a joke.

[Corso]

And the DMN is reporting today that Rick Barnes "is mentioned as a lead candidate" for the now-vacant Virginia job (although without saying "I'm staying," Barnes says he "expects to be coaching at Texas next year.")

If he leaves, how many of UT's young players would bolt Austin?

[Pony_Fan]

More money, Big 12 vs. ACC, tough to compete in the ACC and win. UVA has stunk for a long time.

[EastStang]

That's the kind of gossip that is a distraction in preparing at tournament time. I love it. Whether its true or not, Barnes has to deal with it and comment on it repeatedly, the players hear about it and have to comment on it repeatedly, and no one focuses on playing Nevada.

By the way, Pete Gillen had some of the most power laden recruiting classes in the Country at UVA. He was even accused of over-recruiting. The problem, they couldn't stay eligible (or out of trouble). So, with all due respect to Stallion and others who think that recruiting is a panacea unto itself, it only is a panacea if the players can stay in school and stay eligible. Yes, talented teams usually beat less talented teams. But when your players are sidelined by grades, they do no one any good. And with the new retention rules, UVA would have lost 1 scholarship in basketball if they were in place today.

[Eddie P]

Go Wolf Pack!!

[me@smu]

Specially with this distraction, my money has to be riding on Nevada

[RGV Pony]

w/ regard to the UVA job, maybe Copeland can pull some strings & put in a good word for Dement.

[Buddha]

I sure hope the Horns get so bogged down answering questions about Barnes leaving that they forget to prepare. Would love to see Nevada beat them - BADLY.

Doesn't seem like much of a decision, really.

Virginia: More money
Texas: More money spent on its "real" sport (uh ... that'd be football)

Virginia: Best basketball conference in the country
Texas: Go Jayhawks - make the Big 12 proud. (And ooooo, we shore hope them Aggies win that NIT title)

Virginia: Athletic department spends on all sports, from basketball to football to soccer to lacrosse
Texas: "Athletic department budget" is code language for "football budget." Without Big Mack's boys, there is no basketball team, or a baseball team or any other team. We throw money around -- quite publicly -- on sports like basketball, soccer, etc. But that's because we have more money down here than we know what to do with .... literally. Don't let that fool you into thinking any sport other than football actually matters around here

Virginia: Has a rich basketball heritage that has included the likes of Ralph Sampson, ACC titles and multiple stints atop the national rankings
Texas: Basketball heritage that includes .... well, I bet Roy Williams and Lovell Pinkney could dunk for their intramural teams

And at UVa, Barnes won't have to carry the football coach's golf bag on alumni outings.

[me@smu]

Course maybe Barnes is content with an easier schedule. His personal record can sky rocket playing the easier programs in the B-12.

At virginia, his easier teams would still end up in the top five of the Big 12.

[Stallion]

I'd take the UT job over Virgina ANY DAY of the week. I really think you're streaching it. Virgina ain't the Top Dog in the ACC and rarely will be. UT has unlimited resources in one of the most fertile recruiting hotbeds in the country where UT will always be Top Dog.

[jtstang]

I'd take the UT job over Virgina ANY DAY of the week. I really think you're streaching it. Virgina ain't the Top Dog in the ACC and rarely will be. UT has unlimited resources in one of the most fertile recruiting hotbeds in the country where UT will always be Top Dog.

I don't know about that--UT ain't even top dog in its own conference division. Kelvin Sampson recruits down here as well as Barnes does, and so does Eddie Sutton. Now, granted, Texas should be top dog, they got the resources, but they can't win it all for whatever reason. That CU game the other night was just pathetic.

[OldPony]

ACC is an outstanding conference top to bottom. I really don't think their top 5-6 are better than Big 12 though. We'll see if they are better than the Big 12. Just becuase Dickie V gives Duke the Nat'l Titile each year doesn't make it so. I believe Duke would have finished 3 or 4th in Big 12 this year. Barnes would be nuts to take Va job over UT.

[EastStang]

I agree that Barnes would be crazy to accept the UVA job, unless he felt that he could take the talent already there and jump the team up in the ACC rankings. UVA is a tough school academically with a zero tolerance honor system which makes it difficult to keep talent there even if you get them in the door. A number of name athletes have been expelled for honor violations. UVA fans remember the days of Ralph Sampson and Jeff Lamp, Barry Parkhill, and Olden Polyneice. They don't suffer losing seasons very long. According to the Washington Post not many name coaches are lining up for this job. On the other hand, if you can take UVA to an ACC championship, then everyone in the world will tap you as the greatest coach in the Country. And the mid-Atlantic region is still one of the best recruiting areas in the Country and every kid wants to play in the ACC.

[OldPony]

No- Every kid doesn't want to play in ACC. Otherwise UK and KU would programs second to none. The ACC doesn't particularly recruit well on the left coast. Note the success of Az, UCLA etc. The UVA job is a step down from UT and especially if a coach has to graduate players. We know that isn't a requirement at UT. I believe the Big 12 has been quite well represented in the FF since it's inception. ACC may be the best top to bottom but not necessarily at the top 1/2. The BEAST looks good this year as does Big 12. We don't see many West Coast games but I'll bet a few out in the Pac 10 are pretty darn good too. The ACC is very good but it also breathes a lot of its own smoke.

[EastStang]

Let me rephrase, every mid-Atlantic kid wants to play in the ACC in basketball. There are a few top choices that opt for BE schools and every now and then one will choose an Atlantic 10 school (but usually August Qualifiers or Non-Qualifiers). But if you grow up in the mid-Atlantic, you're growing up watching ACC basketball and know what every ACC coach looks like. Even after going to SMU and hating UT, I would still cherish a victory over just about any ACC school over any SW school.