LSU basketball and Coach Will Wade thread

Discussion in 'The Tiger's Den' started by stevescookin, Oct 4, 2017.

  1. Brian

    Brian Founding Member

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    Shaka put VCU on the map nationally didn't he? Fans. . They become eternally grateful for those things. The next guy has expectations lifted and they aren't grateful rather expectant and if slighted they don't feel that eternally grateful vibe for prominence but that we're worthy and you left us how dare you vibe.
     
  2. Brian

    Brian Founding Member

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    By rise to prominence I know VCU had made many tournament appearances, but had never made it out of the second round until Shaka and VCU goes to the final four. Not that he somehow founded the basketball program.
     
  3. northernvatiger

    northernvatiger Founding Member

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    I attended VCU for my undergrad degree and LSU for grad school, and I love both schools. VCU fans don't like Wade primarily due to the way he left the program right after this past season's NCAA Tournament appearance. He basically bolted within a couple of days of the Rams loss to St. Mary's in the field of 64. That didn't sit well. Additionally, he had issues with some of the players on the team -- so much so that the guys coming back this year were not sad to see him leave. There were also issues with the school administration.

    VCU is one of the largest state schools in VA, yet doesn't have football. Men's basketball is king on campus. The fan base is passionate, exemplified by what is now 100+ consecutive sellouts for home games. The recent run of NCAA Tournament appearances started with Shaka Smart in 2011, and outside of some success during the 1980's, represents the "golden age" of VCU hoops. Note that VCU didn't exist until 1968 when a school known as Richmond Professional Institute merged with the Medical College of Virginia. Academically, VCU's School of the Arts is one of best in the nation, and there is academic excellence across the board.

    In any case, I wish Wade well at LSU. I think he's a good coach, and he could be just what LSU needs at this point in time. I don't begrudge him for leaving.
     
  4. ehusson80

    ehusson80 Founding Member

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    Why would you begrudge him? You're an LSU fan, right? Good info, btw.
     
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  5. HoopHound

    HoopHound Veteran Member

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    Shaka left in the same manner. The players found out from espn. Fact is it was Anthony Grants team that went to the final 4. We got progressively worse as it became smarts players culmonsting in an embarrassing loss to Steve F Austin. It's mostly funny the hypocracy being exibited.
     
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  6. HoopHound

    HoopHound Veteran Member

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    JD Barnett put us on the BB map, had us a 2 seed.
    But the media loved Shaka. No getting around that.
     
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  7. northernvatiger

    northernvatiger Founding Member

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    Yes, arguably JD Barnett put VCU on the basketball map. He had some good teams in the early to mid-80's. I loved Calvin Duncan and those teams. Unfortunately, Barnett left for Tulsa, and that was followed by many years of mediocrity in Richmond. Mike Pollio, Sonny Smith, and Mack McCarthy didn't exactly set the world on fire at VCU. One could argue that the hiring of Jeff Capel began the turnaround at VCU, which was then followed by Grant, and Smart.
     
  8. Bengal B

    Bengal B Founding Member

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    Was that the same Sonny Smith who was going to be fired from Auburn at the end of a season but then they won the SEC tourney and made a deep run in March Madness so he was rehired?
     
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  9. northernvatiger

    northernvatiger Founding Member

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    True. Not sure I agree with you about hypocrisy, though. It was expected that Smart would leave at some point, especially given the number of major programs that expressed interest in him while at VCU (Marquette. UCLA, NC State, and others). I think it was surprising that he stayed for 6 years at VCU. While Wade likely had aspirations of moving on from VCU at some point, it also was surprising that he would bolt after only 2 years. In any case, I think Mike Rhoades is a better fit at VCU, and could actually be a coach that considers VCU a destination and not a stepping stone to a P5 program.
     
  10. northernvatiger

    northernvatiger Founding Member

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    Yes -- the same Sonny Smith!
     

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