In my opinion and many others there is more than a disturbing trend happening in college basketball.
More and more universities when they are seeking a new coach are turning to search firms to help them. Many times this at a cost of between $75,000 and $125,000.00, in these days of tight budgets and many athletic departments reaching for every dollar they can get, I just don't get these search firms being hired.
I first started following this back in 2007, when Oregon State was looking for a new head coach in men's basketball and they hired a search firm, which by most accounts cost them about $70,000.00. Yes, Oregon State, the school with one of the dumpiest basketball arenas in the country (they will never be able to afford a new one) and a school which sits right in the middle of the grass seed mecca of the world, but uses artificial surface on their football field to save money. By the way the two finalists for their job? Billy Grier and Craig Robison, how has that worked out so far? Not too good I would say.
Examining this even more, the reason given often to hire a search firm is that the search firm can make contact with potential candidates, keeping it confidential and thus not embarrassing the potential candidate. BUNK.
There are no secrets in sports anymore and also what do you hire an athletic director for? A good AD should have a constant list of candidates available and continually updating that list. As much as ADs make today, why hire a person if he needs help contacting people and knowing who is available. Sure it is good to have a free in-house selection committee or process, but it makes no sense at all to pay an outside firm to help you secure a coach. Final point on this section, if you follow these search firms and look at their client list, then check five years later on the success rate, it would get any human resources person fired. Enough said, but.....................
Let's keep going, it gets even a little more juicier in my opinion.
In July of 2010, the NCAA passed a rule which put the famous Pump brothers from California out of the coaching search business, in essence the rule said people who are connected to potential NCAA student athletes, can not at the same time be in the business of helping find coaches for NCAA schools. (The Pumps run basketball camps in the summer time and work with potential recruits).
Ok, not being a lawyer, maybe fair enough. But NCAA where is the fairness factor when a search firm is hired by a school to help seek an AD, then that AD fires their basketball coach and turns around and hires the same search firm to help them get a new basketball coach. Ok, I will go ahead and say it, examples are North Carolina State and Bradley, this past year. I guess follow the money.
But wait, how dumb am I ? The new president of the NCAA got his job through the help of one of the most famous of these search firms. Well I guess the rules on search firms just STOPPED right there.
At the very least search firms for basketball coaches are the biggest waste of money today in college athletics and at the very worst they are___________________, you fill in the blank.
If you care to comment please sign in or create an account, or you can always email us at crawscorner@gmail.com
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Don't Let The Game Get Boring
Ok, we all know the championship between Connecticut and Butler this past April was awful. In case you forgot, the Huskies defeated the Bulldogs, 53-41. Simply miserable to say the least.
Spectators of sports per every poll and survey taken, love action and love scoring.
This is what worries myself and many others about the college basketball game today. Not enough scoring and not enough action. Anyone could could argue and they are correct, the game is extremely popular, but for that to continue, it it time for some drastic changes and I do mean drastic.
In 1980, the then number 2 ranked Oregon State Beavers, visited Stanford for a conference game. Final score, Oregon State 18 Stanford 16. Yes, it did happen in 1980 and no one that I know of ever wants to see that happen again. In 1985, NCAA basketball introduced the 45 second shot clock, in 1993, the shot clock was reduced down to 35. More scoring? Actually, not.
Since 1989, average scoring in NCAA basketball games have steadily declined. It is time to change that and in doing so the game will maintain it popularity and continue to grow. If not, I see some dark clouds over the horizon.
You can call them rule changes, but call them more taking the boredom out of the game.
1. Adjust the time out rules as discussed in previous post. (NCAA, Fix it please) April 24th
2. Drop the shot clock down to 29 seconds, yes 29, not 30. Get a little edgy.
3. Move the three point line back two feet. Make the shot more valuable and it opens up the middle much more.
4. Do something really drastic, eliminate zone defenses. If all these so called great defensive coaches really want defense, nothing better than a man to man defense.
Are any of the four changes listed above going to happen? No chance, but hopefully it is great food for thought. The NCAA basically does nothing that is proactive, all their changes and moves are reactive. Outside the box thinking is not part of the culture, but what is part of the culture is the great game of basketball and it like everything else in life, needs some tweaking and dramatic change from time to time.
Comments, suggestions, criticism always more than welcom, crawscorner@gmail.com
Spectators of sports per every poll and survey taken, love action and love scoring.
This is what worries myself and many others about the college basketball game today. Not enough scoring and not enough action. Anyone could could argue and they are correct, the game is extremely popular, but for that to continue, it it time for some drastic changes and I do mean drastic.
In 1980, the then number 2 ranked Oregon State Beavers, visited Stanford for a conference game. Final score, Oregon State 18 Stanford 16. Yes, it did happen in 1980 and no one that I know of ever wants to see that happen again. In 1985, NCAA basketball introduced the 45 second shot clock, in 1993, the shot clock was reduced down to 35. More scoring? Actually, not.
Since 1989, average scoring in NCAA basketball games have steadily declined. It is time to change that and in doing so the game will maintain it popularity and continue to grow. If not, I see some dark clouds over the horizon.
You can call them rule changes, but call them more taking the boredom out of the game.
1. Adjust the time out rules as discussed in previous post. (NCAA, Fix it please) April 24th
2. Drop the shot clock down to 29 seconds, yes 29, not 30. Get a little edgy.
3. Move the three point line back two feet. Make the shot more valuable and it opens up the middle much more.
4. Do something really drastic, eliminate zone defenses. If all these so called great defensive coaches really want defense, nothing better than a man to man defense.
Are any of the four changes listed above going to happen? No chance, but hopefully it is great food for thought. The NCAA basically does nothing that is proactive, all their changes and moves are reactive. Outside the box thinking is not part of the culture, but what is part of the culture is the great game of basketball and it like everything else in life, needs some tweaking and dramatic change from time to time.
Comments, suggestions, criticism always more than welcom, crawscorner@gmail.com
Friday, April 29, 2011
Pac-12, What you waiting for??????
Ok, I love basketball so much, here is a little message for Larry Scott, the new commissioner of the Pac-12, or I guess you can't say not new anymore as he has been there awhile.
By all indication the Pac-12 is going to sign a new TV contract within the next month with someone. The possibilities are endless, I will not bore you with numbers or candidates, especially with the numbers because, they are so inflated.
My advice to you Mr. Scott, is quite simple, make the deal with ESPN, period. We all know the former Pac-10 has had a long standing relationship with Fox, but forget that.
People are going to watch college football no matter what, even if I were producing the games from my own garage, it is that popular, so the network it is on, does not matter.
But for basketball, it does matter. There should never even be the slightest debate, that ESPN covers college basketball better than anyone in the world. From the studio shows lead by the great Reece Davis, to the promotion of the game, to the announcers and analysts, it is very hard to find a weak person on the entire talent staff.
With the above said, Pac-12, you need a shot in the arm in basketball TV coverage, you have fallen behind the times in getting your product out there and ESPN is the answer. To go even further, make a deal with ESPN that you want a 6:00 p.m PST on Thursday night and a 4:00 PST on Saturday night, all doable with the present ESPN and Pac-12 schedule. This would not only get exposure on the west coast, but it would bring in all the east coast viewers into play, who at present rarely get to see a Pac-10 game in a good time slot.
So in conclusion, forget all this talk that comes from the Pac-10 about we need a network that will cover all of our olympic sports as well as the big two. Football and basketball drive the bus and always will when it comes to TV deals for college conferences, so this is a no-brainer choice and ESPN should be the choice of all concerned if basketball is to get the exposure it deserves and needs.
Comments are always welcome as are emails, to crawscorner@gmail.com
By all indication the Pac-12 is going to sign a new TV contract within the next month with someone. The possibilities are endless, I will not bore you with numbers or candidates, especially with the numbers because, they are so inflated.
My advice to you Mr. Scott, is quite simple, make the deal with ESPN, period. We all know the former Pac-10 has had a long standing relationship with Fox, but forget that.
People are going to watch college football no matter what, even if I were producing the games from my own garage, it is that popular, so the network it is on, does not matter.
But for basketball, it does matter. There should never even be the slightest debate, that ESPN covers college basketball better than anyone in the world. From the studio shows lead by the great Reece Davis, to the promotion of the game, to the announcers and analysts, it is very hard to find a weak person on the entire talent staff.
With the above said, Pac-12, you need a shot in the arm in basketball TV coverage, you have fallen behind the times in getting your product out there and ESPN is the answer. To go even further, make a deal with ESPN that you want a 6:00 p.m PST on Thursday night and a 4:00 PST on Saturday night, all doable with the present ESPN and Pac-12 schedule. This would not only get exposure on the west coast, but it would bring in all the east coast viewers into play, who at present rarely get to see a Pac-10 game in a good time slot.
So in conclusion, forget all this talk that comes from the Pac-10 about we need a network that will cover all of our olympic sports as well as the big two. Football and basketball drive the bus and always will when it comes to TV deals for college conferences, so this is a no-brainer choice and ESPN should be the choice of all concerned if basketball is to get the exposure it deserves and needs.
Comments are always welcome as are emails, to crawscorner@gmail.com
Division 2 Basketball
Division 2 basketball on the west coast in case you have never seen a game is pretty darn good.
As a matter of fact some of the teams are quite competitive against some D-1 teams and occasionally pull off a victory against their bigger brothers. If you have not followed it from time to time, I strongly encourage you to do so next fall when it gets up and rolling.
The three leagues on the west coast that compete in D-2 basketball are:
1. Pacific West Conference---This league has teams that span the United States from Hawaii to Arizona to Utah.
2. Great Northwest Athletic Conference--Consists of teams from the states of Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and the province of British Columbia.
3. California Collegiate Athletic Association---All of its teams are in California.
What is great about these leagues is there are about 10 players in each league that could play D-1 basketball. The gyms and arenas of the teams are lots of fun and for the most part seat under 3,000 people giving the fans that up close and personal look and for a lot of the teams, they play an up tempo style of ball which never gets tired of viewing as a fan.
Last season, the BYU-Hawaii Seasiders (got to love that nickname) who play in the Pacific West went all the way to the D-2 final game in Springfield, Mass, only to lose, but the team had a great run and many times scored over 100 points in games.
Fox Sports Northwest (Now Root Sports) has thought so much of the product that last year they televised seven GNAC league games and the conference tournament final.
So if you get a chance, take in a game, always exciting and a very good brand of basketball.
As a matter of fact some of the teams are quite competitive against some D-1 teams and occasionally pull off a victory against their bigger brothers. If you have not followed it from time to time, I strongly encourage you to do so next fall when it gets up and rolling.
The three leagues on the west coast that compete in D-2 basketball are:
1. Pacific West Conference---This league has teams that span the United States from Hawaii to Arizona to Utah.
2. Great Northwest Athletic Conference--Consists of teams from the states of Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and the province of British Columbia.
3. California Collegiate Athletic Association---All of its teams are in California.
What is great about these leagues is there are about 10 players in each league that could play D-1 basketball. The gyms and arenas of the teams are lots of fun and for the most part seat under 3,000 people giving the fans that up close and personal look and for a lot of the teams, they play an up tempo style of ball which never gets tired of viewing as a fan.
Last season, the BYU-Hawaii Seasiders (got to love that nickname) who play in the Pacific West went all the way to the D-2 final game in Springfield, Mass, only to lose, but the team had a great run and many times scored over 100 points in games.
Fox Sports Northwest (Now Root Sports) has thought so much of the product that last year they televised seven GNAC league games and the conference tournament final.
So if you get a chance, take in a game, always exciting and a very good brand of basketball.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
BEST PLAYERS EVER
In sports whenever you discuss the best EVER it can cause heated arguments, be controversial, but oh boy, can it ever be fun. I hope you have some fun with this. It took some thinking, it took some research, it took some consultation and it is for you to grit your teeth and say, " Craw's Corner is wrong or right"
West Coast basketball teams basically play in six different leagues. This list of best players in these six different leagues EVER, takes into account that the team they played for either played in that league at one time or their team now plays in that league. Confused? I think you will figure it out, when you see the list and the teams. READY?
1. Pac 8, Pac-10, Pac-12---KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR, UCLA-----Perhaps the best college basketball player of all time. Three titles at UCLA and only played three years cause of the no freshmen playing varsity ball rule which was in place at the time he played for UCLA.
2. West Coast Conference---BILL RUSSELL, San Francisco----He could do it all, score, rebound, block shots and pass the ball. It is great to watch the old film clips of him playing for the Dons.
3. Big West-----LARRY JOHNSON, UNLV,-------The Runnin Rebels were members of the Big West in the 90s when Johnson played and he was terrific. He was a player when passed the ball in the key, was basically unstoppable.
4. WAC----KEITH VAN HORN, Utah-----The Utes will have the pleasure of playing in three different leagues in the last 15years, Western Athletic Conference, Mt. West and Pac-12. Van Horn was a great player in college and had a great pro career. Consensus All-American in college.
5. Mt. West---JIMMER FREDETTE, BYU----Great scorer, great passer and just plain fun to watch. This league was formed in 1999 and has seen a real rise in basketball and in the past couple of years has established itself as a league that will produce many great players in the future.
6. Big Sky--FREEMAN WILLIAMS, Portland State---Quite possibly the best college player ever that no one has heard of. Still is the leading second leading all time scorer in NCAA basketball and once scored 81 points in a game, without the benefit of a 3-point line.
7. Independent--ELGIN BAYLOR, Seattle U---The Redhawks have named their court after him, he was the ultimate shot creator and many players in the past and even today have copied his style. He simply was GREAT.
Comments always welcome and keep those emails coming, appreciate the support for this blog and like I say, " If million people read it, it is fun, if three people read it, it is still fun."
crawscorner@gmail.com
West Coast basketball teams basically play in six different leagues. This list of best players in these six different leagues EVER, takes into account that the team they played for either played in that league at one time or their team now plays in that league. Confused? I think you will figure it out, when you see the list and the teams. READY?
1. Pac 8, Pac-10, Pac-12---KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR, UCLA-----Perhaps the best college basketball player of all time. Three titles at UCLA and only played three years cause of the no freshmen playing varsity ball rule which was in place at the time he played for UCLA.
2. West Coast Conference---BILL RUSSELL, San Francisco----He could do it all, score, rebound, block shots and pass the ball. It is great to watch the old film clips of him playing for the Dons.
3. Big West-----LARRY JOHNSON, UNLV,-------The Runnin Rebels were members of the Big West in the 90s when Johnson played and he was terrific. He was a player when passed the ball in the key, was basically unstoppable.
4. WAC----KEITH VAN HORN, Utah-----The Utes will have the pleasure of playing in three different leagues in the last 15years, Western Athletic Conference, Mt. West and Pac-12. Van Horn was a great player in college and had a great pro career. Consensus All-American in college.
5. Mt. West---JIMMER FREDETTE, BYU----Great scorer, great passer and just plain fun to watch. This league was formed in 1999 and has seen a real rise in basketball and in the past couple of years has established itself as a league that will produce many great players in the future.
6. Big Sky--FREEMAN WILLIAMS, Portland State---Quite possibly the best college player ever that no one has heard of. Still is the leading second leading all time scorer in NCAA basketball and once scored 81 points in a game, without the benefit of a 3-point line.
7. Independent--ELGIN BAYLOR, Seattle U---The Redhawks have named their court after him, he was the ultimate shot creator and many players in the past and even today have copied his style. He simply was GREAT.
Comments always welcome and keep those emails coming, appreciate the support for this blog and like I say, " If million people read it, it is fun, if three people read it, it is still fun."
crawscorner@gmail.com
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Gonzaga's Best Player Ever???
Over the last 15 years, the two kings of west coast basketball without question have been Arizona and Gonzaga. I will not bore you with their records.
And without question the person with the best professional basketball career to come out of Gonzaga is John Stockton.
But who is the best player ever during his time at Gonzaga?
For my money it is Frank Burgess. Sadly, Mr. Burgess passed away last year at the age of 75, at the time, he was still an active Federal Judge.
He shares the great history of Gonzaga basketball along with the likes of, Morrison, Santangelo, Frahm, Calvary, Dickau, Stepp, Turiaf, Raivio, Pargo and Bouldin, as well as the above named Stockton and a cast of many other fine players.
But when you look at what he accomplished at Gonzaga, perhaps Burgess was the best.
1. In the 1960-61 season he lead the nation in scoring with a 32 point per game average.
2. In his career at Gonzaga, seven times he scored over 40 points in a game. (Remember he had no 3-point line in his day, to score even more.)
3. He still holds the school's single game scoring record of 52 points in a game against UC Davis.
4. But often overlooked, he always played great defense, something lots of scorers, fail to do.
It is a shame that more of us do not honor the game, with the history of the game. As we go along with this blog, I hope to enhance your knowledge with a little bit of past west coast basketball history.
Comments, even criticism, always welcome, or emails at crawscorner@gmail.com
And without question the person with the best professional basketball career to come out of Gonzaga is John Stockton.
But who is the best player ever during his time at Gonzaga?
For my money it is Frank Burgess. Sadly, Mr. Burgess passed away last year at the age of 75, at the time, he was still an active Federal Judge.
He shares the great history of Gonzaga basketball along with the likes of, Morrison, Santangelo, Frahm, Calvary, Dickau, Stepp, Turiaf, Raivio, Pargo and Bouldin, as well as the above named Stockton and a cast of many other fine players.
But when you look at what he accomplished at Gonzaga, perhaps Burgess was the best.
1. In the 1960-61 season he lead the nation in scoring with a 32 point per game average.
2. In his career at Gonzaga, seven times he scored over 40 points in a game. (Remember he had no 3-point line in his day, to score even more.)
3. He still holds the school's single game scoring record of 52 points in a game against UC Davis.
4. But often overlooked, he always played great defense, something lots of scorers, fail to do.
It is a shame that more of us do not honor the game, with the history of the game. As we go along with this blog, I hope to enhance your knowledge with a little bit of past west coast basketball history.
Comments, even criticism, always welcome, or emails at crawscorner@gmail.com
UC DAVIS, What are you waiting for????
As you can tell one of my catch phrases and always will be is "what are you waiting for", so I apologize in advance if it becomes annoying.
It is kind of baffling why it is taking so long for UC Davis to select a head men's basketball coach?
UC Davis is a great school, it is located in a great area and outside of basketball has a pretty rich tradition in sports. I might even go so far as to say, it could be a sleeping giant when it comes to Big West basketball.
But to not have a coach in place by now, mind boggling, as on March 30th, Gary Stewart, stepped down to take another position in the school's athletic department.
The early frontrunner appeared to be Bob Cantu, longtime USC assistant, but that seems to have faded. Cantu actually would have been a great selection, if for nothing else, he has endured being an assistant at USC for 14 years and has worked under, to put it mildly, some challenging coaches, in the likes of, Henry Bibby, Tim Floyd and now, Kevin Oneill.
Whoever gets the job, has a great chance to have some success, UC Davis, just fill the job, please and the west coast coaches will be set for 2011-12. What are you waiting for?
Comments, even of a critical nature are always welcome, as are emails, to crawscorner@gmail.com
It is kind of baffling why it is taking so long for UC Davis to select a head men's basketball coach?
UC Davis is a great school, it is located in a great area and outside of basketball has a pretty rich tradition in sports. I might even go so far as to say, it could be a sleeping giant when it comes to Big West basketball.
But to not have a coach in place by now, mind boggling, as on March 30th, Gary Stewart, stepped down to take another position in the school's athletic department.
The early frontrunner appeared to be Bob Cantu, longtime USC assistant, but that seems to have faded. Cantu actually would have been a great selection, if for nothing else, he has endured being an assistant at USC for 14 years and has worked under, to put it mildly, some challenging coaches, in the likes of, Henry Bibby, Tim Floyd and now, Kevin Oneill.
Whoever gets the job, has a great chance to have some success, UC Davis, just fill the job, please and the west coast coaches will be set for 2011-12. What are you waiting for?
Comments, even of a critical nature are always welcome, as are emails, to crawscorner@gmail.com
NCAA, Fix It Please/Part 2
In our continuing efforts to make the game of college basketball better, here are some more changes we suggest to improve the game. (Note previous post, suggested timeouts need to change).
1. Reduce the shot clock down to 30 seconds or even better how about being a little edgy, make it a 29 second clock. Can you believe the attention this would get and even better, what an improvement this would be for the game. This seems like such a simple change and a no-brainer.
2. Knock out the closely guarded 5 second rule in front court. Referees have a tough enough job as it is, this is such a touch call to make and is a stupid rule to begin with.
3. A team when bringing the ball up the court, should not be allowed to call time out until the ball crosses the half court line. Too many instances does a great pressure defensive team get penalized for playing great defense in the backcourt, only to have the team on offense bail themselves out by being able to call time out and thus getting a new 10 second count. Pressing a team is a lost art and teams that can accomplish the fete, should not be penalized.
When we are done suggesting changes in the rules, it will be close to 40 suggestions, so stay tuned as more to come.
As always your comments are welcome and you can always use the email of crawscorner@gmail.com
1. Reduce the shot clock down to 30 seconds or even better how about being a little edgy, make it a 29 second clock. Can you believe the attention this would get and even better, what an improvement this would be for the game. This seems like such a simple change and a no-brainer.
2. Knock out the closely guarded 5 second rule in front court. Referees have a tough enough job as it is, this is such a touch call to make and is a stupid rule to begin with.
3. A team when bringing the ball up the court, should not be allowed to call time out until the ball crosses the half court line. Too many instances does a great pressure defensive team get penalized for playing great defense in the backcourt, only to have the team on offense bail themselves out by being able to call time out and thus getting a new 10 second count. Pressing a team is a lost art and teams that can accomplish the fete, should not be penalized.
When we are done suggesting changes in the rules, it will be close to 40 suggestions, so stay tuned as more to come.
As always your comments are welcome and you can always use the email of crawscorner@gmail.com
Monday, April 25, 2011
Coming This Week To Craw's Corner
1. More Suggestions For NCAA Rule Changes
2. Best Players On The West Coast, EVER
3. Teams Who Can Reach A Big Upside
4. Why The GNAC And Pac-West Are More Than Watchable
5. Interview With Stan Love (For The Younger Set, Kevin's Father)
6. More West Coast Basketball History
7. Best Coaches On The West Coast
2. Best Players On The West Coast, EVER
3. Teams Who Can Reach A Big Upside
4. Why The GNAC And Pac-West Are More Than Watchable
5. Interview With Stan Love (For The Younger Set, Kevin's Father)
6. More West Coast Basketball History
7. Best Coaches On The West Coast
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Charming West Coast Basketball Arenas
To me, basketball is great, whether your watching from your favorite seat in an arena, watching from the proverbial lounge chair or shooting baskets in your driveway.
To be honest, there is nothing like watching a game in person and to me, here is my short list of must go to arenas if you are a fan of west coast college basketball.
1. Utah State-- The best basketball arena in the country, PERIOD. The place just rocks and without question the best student section. The fans know the game, respect the opponent and it is an atmosphere second to none.
2. Arizona--McKale Center has withstood the test of time, the fans are passionate and it is loud and they have never given up on their Wildcats, even in the tough times.
3. Pacific U-- Great teams for many years, just the type of place to really enjoy a game and a sunken court, my favorite type of venue. Not too small, not too big, a must see place and great parking.
4. New Mexico-All you have to say is, "THE PIT". Perhaps the greatest arena name in basketball. Another arena which has withstood the test of time, still rocks and is loud, loud, loud, loud.
5. St. Mary's--McKeon Pavillion, seats at best 3,500, but just an awesome atmosphere and always full, thanks to Randy Bennett and his constant great recruiting of 3-point shooters. The best WCC arena and they have some good ones.
6. Eastern Washington--Yes, the Eagles' Reese Court is a must get too. I went there once for a play-off game and it was great, but the real reason I put it on the list, the most friendly arena I have ever been too and friendly anymore is good. The people there make it really charming.
7. Portland State----Stott Center, seats 1.500 in the best of times. Get there before it expands. Not really full that much, but it makes the list, because Portland State has the best PEP BAND of any school in the country and it is not even a student band. They play great music and they are entertaining as heck. This for sure fits the definition of "bigger is not always better."
Sure I missed some great places, but that is what the comment section is for or as many of you have doing, keep the emails coming, the respect and attention to this blog is overwhelming.
crawscorner@gmail.com
To be honest, there is nothing like watching a game in person and to me, here is my short list of must go to arenas if you are a fan of west coast college basketball.
1. Utah State-- The best basketball arena in the country, PERIOD. The place just rocks and without question the best student section. The fans know the game, respect the opponent and it is an atmosphere second to none.
2. Arizona--McKale Center has withstood the test of time, the fans are passionate and it is loud and they have never given up on their Wildcats, even in the tough times.
3. Pacific U-- Great teams for many years, just the type of place to really enjoy a game and a sunken court, my favorite type of venue. Not too small, not too big, a must see place and great parking.
4. New Mexico-All you have to say is, "THE PIT". Perhaps the greatest arena name in basketball. Another arena which has withstood the test of time, still rocks and is loud, loud, loud, loud.
5. St. Mary's--McKeon Pavillion, seats at best 3,500, but just an awesome atmosphere and always full, thanks to Randy Bennett and his constant great recruiting of 3-point shooters. The best WCC arena and they have some good ones.
6. Eastern Washington--Yes, the Eagles' Reese Court is a must get too. I went there once for a play-off game and it was great, but the real reason I put it on the list, the most friendly arena I have ever been too and friendly anymore is good. The people there make it really charming.
7. Portland State----Stott Center, seats 1.500 in the best of times. Get there before it expands. Not really full that much, but it makes the list, because Portland State has the best PEP BAND of any school in the country and it is not even a student band. They play great music and they are entertaining as heck. This for sure fits the definition of "bigger is not always better."
Sure I missed some great places, but that is what the comment section is for or as many of you have doing, keep the emails coming, the respect and attention to this blog is overwhelming.
crawscorner@gmail.com
NCAA, Fix It Please
From time to time, you will see myself write about rules changes I think should be made for NCAA basketball.
Yes the game is not broken by any means, but everything from your car, to your house, to your mind, needs a little maintenance. After all the most popular sport in America is pro football and they are continually tweaking the rules.
This basically is my concern with time outs in an NCAA college game. It is in need of the biggest overhaul of anything in the sport.
1. Give each team a 4 full time outs per half, period, plus one 30 second time out. Team and media timeouts would be one of the same. I fully understand the need for media time outs, it has helped save the game, but four full timeouts per half is more than enough. Make the timeouts 2 1/2 minutes long, this serves, two purposes. 1) It gives the media plenty of time to take care of their business. 2) It would allow schools to have some really classy in-house promotions, instead of some of the stupid ones we are starting to see.
Breakdown: Media timeouts, under 16:00, under 12:00, under 8:00 and under 4:00. If at anytime during the half, the teams call timeout, this would apply as a media time as well. Example, if Team A calls timeout in the first half with 16:44 to go, that is the under 16:00 media timeout as well.
2. Do not allow teams to call time after they score a basket and do not let the coaches call timeout. Self explanatory.
To me the games are taking way too much extra time, the above might shorten things, it for sure keeps the flow of the game going and would help with the end of the game, which has become almost boring in many situations, with extra timeouts and extra fouling. The teams can still stop the clock by fouling so that takes care of what would be a timeout.
Many west coast games are shown late enough in the east, midwest, so just shortening the game a little has to help and to me, everyone would be much happier with these simple changes, including the media.
Let me know your thoughts please, either by posting a comment or emailing at crawscorner@gmail.com
Thank you
Yes the game is not broken by any means, but everything from your car, to your house, to your mind, needs a little maintenance. After all the most popular sport in America is pro football and they are continually tweaking the rules.
This basically is my concern with time outs in an NCAA college game. It is in need of the biggest overhaul of anything in the sport.
1. Give each team a 4 full time outs per half, period, plus one 30 second time out. Team and media timeouts would be one of the same. I fully understand the need for media time outs, it has helped save the game, but four full timeouts per half is more than enough. Make the timeouts 2 1/2 minutes long, this serves, two purposes. 1) It gives the media plenty of time to take care of their business. 2) It would allow schools to have some really classy in-house promotions, instead of some of the stupid ones we are starting to see.
Breakdown: Media timeouts, under 16:00, under 12:00, under 8:00 and under 4:00. If at anytime during the half, the teams call timeout, this would apply as a media time as well. Example, if Team A calls timeout in the first half with 16:44 to go, that is the under 16:00 media timeout as well.
2. Do not allow teams to call time after they score a basket and do not let the coaches call timeout. Self explanatory.
To me the games are taking way too much extra time, the above might shorten things, it for sure keeps the flow of the game going and would help with the end of the game, which has become almost boring in many situations, with extra timeouts and extra fouling. The teams can still stop the clock by fouling so that takes care of what would be a timeout.
Many west coast games are shown late enough in the east, midwest, so just shortening the game a little has to help and to me, everyone would be much happier with these simple changes, including the media.
Let me know your thoughts please, either by posting a comment or emailing at crawscorner@gmail.com
Thank you
Saturday, April 23, 2011
HAPPY EASTER
Wishing everyone a wonderful and joyous Happy Easter, from Craw's Corner.
This has been lots of fun getting this started and hope to keep it going for long time, but more important, I love feedback and want to entertain all of you. Please make comments or send an email, this is not about myself, but about the great basketball fans on the west coast and beyond.
Thank you
This has been lots of fun getting this started and hope to keep it going for long time, but more important, I love feedback and want to entertain all of you. Please make comments or send an email, this is not about myself, but about the great basketball fans on the west coast and beyond.
Thank you
WCC, What are you waiting for???????
The West Coast Conference is void of a major player. Yes, Gonzaga and St. Mary's have brought the conference some real notice in the past few years, BYU will be a great addition, although I am still scratching my head over the move and wonder how long it will last.
The Void? Seattle University, not being voted in as a member. First of all, I love hawks, so reason enough alone, but on a more serious side, it just makes sense, from many standpoints.
1. Seattle U. fits the demo of the WCC. Small private school that does not play football, has an awesome basketball tradition.
2. A 10th team in the league makes complete sense, not nine teams as now present. There is even some talk of with the odd number of teams, playing league games on Wednesday night.
3. Seattle is the 14th largest TV market in the United States, has a great airport and is one the most beautiful cities in all the world.
4. Key Arena is an awesome place for basketball and if you look at the mbb attendance at Seattle U. for last year and the year before, it would have only been second to Gonzaga in average attendance for the other teams in the league, not including BYU.
5. A great rivalry would happen between both U of Portland/Seattle and Gonzaga/Seattle.
6. The conference tournament would become much more exciting with 10 teams, rather than nine, as simplistic as it sounds.
7. Seattle U. has developed a great student fan base, one of the keys to a really successful program.
8. There is so much high school basketball talent in the Puget Sound area, why not if you have a team in the league, expose your team to that kind of high school talent.
9. And last, but most important, Seattle wants to become a member of the WCC badly and with that said it is a great school academically.
Does this make too much sense? Boy, I think so, but for some reason and there are many different thoughts out there as to why, the WCC is stonewalling the REDHAWKS from coming into the league.
This for sure is one of those "to good to be true" and actually it is.
WCC, what are you waiting for???????
Comments would be greatly appreciated,
Craw's Corner
"driving you to the rim"
The Void? Seattle University, not being voted in as a member. First of all, I love hawks, so reason enough alone, but on a more serious side, it just makes sense, from many standpoints.
1. Seattle U. fits the demo of the WCC. Small private school that does not play football, has an awesome basketball tradition.
2. A 10th team in the league makes complete sense, not nine teams as now present. There is even some talk of with the odd number of teams, playing league games on Wednesday night.
3. Seattle is the 14th largest TV market in the United States, has a great airport and is one the most beautiful cities in all the world.
4. Key Arena is an awesome place for basketball and if you look at the mbb attendance at Seattle U. for last year and the year before, it would have only been second to Gonzaga in average attendance for the other teams in the league, not including BYU.
5. A great rivalry would happen between both U of Portland/Seattle and Gonzaga/Seattle.
6. The conference tournament would become much more exciting with 10 teams, rather than nine, as simplistic as it sounds.
7. Seattle U. has developed a great student fan base, one of the keys to a really successful program.
8. There is so much high school basketball talent in the Puget Sound area, why not if you have a team in the league, expose your team to that kind of high school talent.
9. And last, but most important, Seattle wants to become a member of the WCC badly and with that said it is a great school academically.
Does this make too much sense? Boy, I think so, but for some reason and there are many different thoughts out there as to why, the WCC is stonewalling the REDHAWKS from coming into the league.
This for sure is one of those "to good to be true" and actually it is.
WCC, what are you waiting for???????
Comments would be greatly appreciated,
Craw's Corner
"driving you to the rim"
History: Does Anyone Care?????/
With the days upon us of twitter (I know it is called tweeting), facebook, cell phones that do magic and even blogs, does anyone care about the history anymore, more specifically the history of college basketball on the west coast ?
Actually a few do and maybe this post can bring back some memories, you might have others, so here we go with a few items. Let us not forget, because history can dictate the future.
1. The great days of UCLA basketball, lead by the great John Wooden and all his championship teams. In my opinion it was basketball at its purest form, running the fast break, sharp passing and executing a press that has never been duplicated.
2. The San Francisco Dons, with players like Bill Russell and K.C. Jones. If you have never heard of them, look up their history. The accomplishments are wonderful.
3. Pete Newell coaching the California Golden Bears and then continuing with his value to the game, by being involved in making players better and making them better men.
4. The (Tall Firs) of the Oregon Ducks. How many can tell you who were the first NCAA Division 1 champions ? Well it was the Tall Firs of Oregon in 1939.
5. Marv Harshman, one of the best basketball coaches of all time and the way he brought prominence to NW basketball both at Washington State and Washington.
6. Ralph Miller at Oregon State. Yes at one time Oregon State had a great program under Ralph Miller and Gill Coliseum was as tough a place to play as anywhere in the country.
7. Freeman Williams at Portland State. Still the second leading scorer all time in NCAA history and he did it all before the 3 point line was brought into the game.
8. Seattle U, back in the day of Elgin Baylor and all of the great players, many who went on to have great pro careers. One of the best basketball histories in the Northwest.
Of course there is much more history about West Coast basketball and I hope you will make some comments about some of your great memories. If not, at least take the time to look up some of the above names and it will bring some chills.
As I mentioned in another post, he really is the historian of West Coast college basketball, Dan Belluomini and if you ever get to hear him you can learn much.
Another great historian is the outstanding play by play voice of the Portland State Vikings, Tom Hewitt. He actually is a government/history teacher in Portland, but he often transforms basketball history into his broadcasts and is very entertaining.
History is not dead, more people need to study it and especially when it comes to west coast college basketball. Take a moment sometime and you will enjoy.
Actually a few do and maybe this post can bring back some memories, you might have others, so here we go with a few items. Let us not forget, because history can dictate the future.
1. The great days of UCLA basketball, lead by the great John Wooden and all his championship teams. In my opinion it was basketball at its purest form, running the fast break, sharp passing and executing a press that has never been duplicated.
2. The San Francisco Dons, with players like Bill Russell and K.C. Jones. If you have never heard of them, look up their history. The accomplishments are wonderful.
3. Pete Newell coaching the California Golden Bears and then continuing with his value to the game, by being involved in making players better and making them better men.
4. The (Tall Firs) of the Oregon Ducks. How many can tell you who were the first NCAA Division 1 champions ? Well it was the Tall Firs of Oregon in 1939.
5. Marv Harshman, one of the best basketball coaches of all time and the way he brought prominence to NW basketball both at Washington State and Washington.
6. Ralph Miller at Oregon State. Yes at one time Oregon State had a great program under Ralph Miller and Gill Coliseum was as tough a place to play as anywhere in the country.
7. Freeman Williams at Portland State. Still the second leading scorer all time in NCAA history and he did it all before the 3 point line was brought into the game.
8. Seattle U, back in the day of Elgin Baylor and all of the great players, many who went on to have great pro careers. One of the best basketball histories in the Northwest.
Of course there is much more history about West Coast basketball and I hope you will make some comments about some of your great memories. If not, at least take the time to look up some of the above names and it will bring some chills.
As I mentioned in another post, he really is the historian of West Coast college basketball, Dan Belluomini and if you ever get to hear him you can learn much.
Another great historian is the outstanding play by play voice of the Portland State Vikings, Tom Hewitt. He actually is a government/history teacher in Portland, but he often transforms basketball history into his broadcasts and is very entertaining.
History is not dead, more people need to study it and especially when it comes to west coast college basketball. Take a moment sometime and you will enjoy.
Coach of the Year Runner Ups
As a good friend of mine pointed out, it was an error on my part not to mention some runner-ups for the west coast college basketball coach of the year, so here we go:
Leon Rice----Boise State----- Took over a broken program for the most part and had an outstanding year.
Steve Fisher--San Diego State---Another great coaching job, often gets overlooked, but what he has done at SD State is just great.
Rex Walters----San Francisco---A real coach on the rise, Dons were basically predicted to do nothing and he had them in first place for awhile in the WCC.
Eric Reveno--- U of Portland---- Continues to marvel people the way he has turned the University of Portland program around. Another 20 win season this year.
Gib Arnold--Hawaii--- Probably one of the worst programs in D-1 when he took over this year and he made it respectable
Dana Altman----Oregon---Worse talent probably in the Pac-10, but he got every ounce out of them and won 21 games, plus a CBI title.
Other suggestions will be gladly accepted, but in the end, Craw's Corner chose Kerry Keating per an earlier post as the big winner.
Leon Rice----Boise State----- Took over a broken program for the most part and had an outstanding year.
Steve Fisher--San Diego State---Another great coaching job, often gets overlooked, but what he has done at SD State is just great.
Rex Walters----San Francisco---A real coach on the rise, Dons were basically predicted to do nothing and he had them in first place for awhile in the WCC.
Eric Reveno--- U of Portland---- Continues to marvel people the way he has turned the University of Portland program around. Another 20 win season this year.
Gib Arnold--Hawaii--- Probably one of the worst programs in D-1 when he took over this year and he made it respectable
Dana Altman----Oregon---Worse talent probably in the Pac-10, but he got every ounce out of them and won 21 games, plus a CBI title.
Other suggestions will be gladly accepted, but in the end, Craw's Corner chose Kerry Keating per an earlier post as the big winner.
Friday, April 22, 2011
My Wish List
Here are a few things I would like to see in west coast college basketball sooner than later.
1. Oregon Ducks: Please make you center court line visible both in-arena and for tv/expanded media viewers. Yes I do get it, it is great to be edgy, to get all these mentions in the national media, but what is not great is to disrespect the great game of basketball as you have done with your center line. Honoring the game still means something to lots of folks and the history of basketball has much to do with the center line. Heck, get a paint sponsor if it is for lack of money,
2. Someone please give Dan Belluomini a bigger role as an analyst. This guy has forgotten more about the game of basketball, than most people will ever know, his voice still sounds like it did 20 years past and he is as good as it gets when it comes to breaking down a game, knowing players and contributing just what a fan needs to know without talking too much. And I would have to say, he is the historian of college basketball on the west coast. ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION NETWORKS.
3. Give some wins to new coach Jim Hayford at Eastern Washington. It was a great selection, the fans at Eastern Washington have much passion for sports as shown by their national championship football team
and they deserve some basketball wins after some pretty lean years and to have some wonderful basketball come their way. The Big Sky always needs a shot in the arm and perhaps hiring a winner like Hayford will be just the ticket.
4. Dana Altman at Oregon did not get nearly the love he should have for the year he had with the Ducks.
I have to think that probably every team in the Pac-10 (yes I do know now that is the Pac-12), had better talent this past year than Altman had at Oregon, but way he got his team to play so hard and with such intensity showed all of us something. He now needs to carry that through to this year, where he has a really nice recruiting class coming in, highlighted by Jabari Brown, by all accounts and I have watched him play, a real "blue chipper", who could help any team in the country.
5. With all due respect to Fox, it probably will not happen, but sure am hoping the new Pac-12 TV deal goes to ESPN. I realize the deal covers all sports, but with this being a basketball blog, let's just call it like it is, ESPN covers and delivers college basketball better than anyone in the country, PERIOD.
6. Hoping for the best for the new Pauley Pavilion once it is completely remodeled. There is still something special about UCLA basketball and there is nothing better than a great arena to go along with great tradition. The Bruins will be back home come the 2012-13 season and a "new" Pauley can be nothing but a boon for west coast basketball.
1. Oregon Ducks: Please make you center court line visible both in-arena and for tv/expanded media viewers. Yes I do get it, it is great to be edgy, to get all these mentions in the national media, but what is not great is to disrespect the great game of basketball as you have done with your center line. Honoring the game still means something to lots of folks and the history of basketball has much to do with the center line. Heck, get a paint sponsor if it is for lack of money,
2. Someone please give Dan Belluomini a bigger role as an analyst. This guy has forgotten more about the game of basketball, than most people will ever know, his voice still sounds like it did 20 years past and he is as good as it gets when it comes to breaking down a game, knowing players and contributing just what a fan needs to know without talking too much. And I would have to say, he is the historian of college basketball on the west coast. ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION NETWORKS.
3. Give some wins to new coach Jim Hayford at Eastern Washington. It was a great selection, the fans at Eastern Washington have much passion for sports as shown by their national championship football team
and they deserve some basketball wins after some pretty lean years and to have some wonderful basketball come their way. The Big Sky always needs a shot in the arm and perhaps hiring a winner like Hayford will be just the ticket.
4. Dana Altman at Oregon did not get nearly the love he should have for the year he had with the Ducks.
I have to think that probably every team in the Pac-10 (yes I do know now that is the Pac-12), had better talent this past year than Altman had at Oregon, but way he got his team to play so hard and with such intensity showed all of us something. He now needs to carry that through to this year, where he has a really nice recruiting class coming in, highlighted by Jabari Brown, by all accounts and I have watched him play, a real "blue chipper", who could help any team in the country.
5. With all due respect to Fox, it probably will not happen, but sure am hoping the new Pac-12 TV deal goes to ESPN. I realize the deal covers all sports, but with this being a basketball blog, let's just call it like it is, ESPN covers and delivers college basketball better than anyone in the country, PERIOD.
6. Hoping for the best for the new Pauley Pavilion once it is completely remodeled. There is still something special about UCLA basketball and there is nothing better than a great arena to go along with great tradition. The Bruins will be back home come the 2012-13 season and a "new" Pauley can be nothing but a boon for west coast basketball.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
West Coast College Basketball Coach of The Year
After some careful thought and consideration, also letting the season relax a little after the hectic pace of post season action, CRAW'S CORNER has selected COACH OF THE YEAR for west coast college basketball. This takes into account all West Coast D-1 Basketball Coaches.
THE WINNER IS:
KERRY KEATING OF SANTA CLARA
The job he has done is one of the most overlooked in college basketball today. It is easy to get lost in WCC with the success that both Gonzaga and St. Mary's have had in recent years, but it is not lost on CRAW'S CORNER, the marvelous job Keating has done with the Broncos and especially in the 2010-11.
Not only did Keating guide the Broncos to the championship of the CollegeInsider.com tournament, his team also had 24 victories, the second most in school history.
Even more remarkable, although the Broncos have some outstanding talent, for sure there were many more teams on the west coast with players every bit as talented who did not even come close to the success of Santa Clara.
So a tip of the rim to Kerry Keating on a job well done and wishing him a great 2011-12 basketball season.
THE WINNER IS:
KERRY KEATING OF SANTA CLARA
The job he has done is one of the most overlooked in college basketball today. It is easy to get lost in WCC with the success that both Gonzaga and St. Mary's have had in recent years, but it is not lost on CRAW'S CORNER, the marvelous job Keating has done with the Broncos and especially in the 2010-11.
Not only did Keating guide the Broncos to the championship of the CollegeInsider.com tournament, his team also had 24 victories, the second most in school history.
Even more remarkable, although the Broncos have some outstanding talent, for sure there were many more teams on the west coast with players every bit as talented who did not even come close to the success of Santa Clara.
So a tip of the rim to Kerry Keating on a job well done and wishing him a great 2011-12 basketball season.
Klay Thompson Going Pro
It is the sincere hope that Klay Thompson is making the right choice by leaving Washington State and going into the NBA Draft this coming June. He has had a wonderful career at Washington State and has brought some attention to the school they might not have had, even in his worst moment, which it is pretty evident with the strong family he has and support, he will overcome.
The one challenge he might face in the NBA, is where he is going to play. He is kind a "tweener" in all positions, but when I talked to scouts, it is pretty certain he will be a first round pick.
Mychal Thompson, Klay's famous NBA father, is and always has been a class act, so we at Craw's Corner wish Klay the best, but it would have been great to see him play another year for the Cougs, especially since the Pac-12 is going to be wide open next year and the quality of the league should improve greatly, Utah and Colorado will both add depth and excitement.
Craw's Corner
The one challenge he might face in the NBA, is where he is going to play. He is kind a "tweener" in all positions, but when I talked to scouts, it is pretty certain he will be a first round pick.
Mychal Thompson, Klay's famous NBA father, is and always has been a class act, so we at Craw's Corner wish Klay the best, but it would have been great to see him play another year for the Cougs, especially since the Pac-12 is going to be wide open next year and the quality of the league should improve greatly, Utah and Colorado will both add depth and excitement.
Craw's Corner
West Coast College Basketball At Its Finest
This Blog will make a strong attempt to cover West Coast college basketball, bringing you insight, observation and a few nuggets that might not be anywhere else. For the most part we will try and be totally positive, but we will also not hold back if we hear of information you might want to know about.
We would not call it dirt, like to call it scoops, but this certainly will not be the focal point of the reading material in the least.
We will try each and everyday and more than once a day even to cover the Pac-12, WCC, Big West, Mt. West, WAC, Big Sky and also dip into Division 2 West Coast basketball, which is really a good brand.
I hope you enjoy and welcome your comments and feedback. The West Coast often gets left in the dust on college basketball and we are going to do our small part to keep up.
Thank you,
Craw's Corner
We would not call it dirt, like to call it scoops, but this certainly will not be the focal point of the reading material in the least.
We will try each and everyday and more than once a day even to cover the Pac-12, WCC, Big West, Mt. West, WAC, Big Sky and also dip into Division 2 West Coast basketball, which is really a good brand.
I hope you enjoy and welcome your comments and feedback. The West Coast often gets left in the dust on college basketball and we are going to do our small part to keep up.
Thank you,
Craw's Corner
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)