Bama fires Gottfried

Don't let the door hitcha where the good Lord splitcha.

 

I liken it as the Purdue hoops of the SEC. Has its moments, but mostly, it's woodwork.

 

Re: Bama fires Gotfried

Every year, when the experts say that Alabama is a team that could do some things in the SEC, I laugh at that statement, because Gottfried and his Bammers flame out so fast, kerosene gas could not keep them lit.

Alabama Basketball = underachievers (year in and year out)

It's a bad way of saying it, but Bamadog nailed it. That team was always lacking something every time they took the floor every time I watched them.

Rocky Top is struggling, and Florida will be fine despite letting Cocky get them at the end last week. LSU is a pleasant surprise, Jay. The toughest test for Trent Johnson and his kids is playing the SEC schedule. Kentucky goes as Meeks go.

 

I think the SEC will get 3-4 teams in the tournament. Kentucky (No. 50 RPI but playing much better lately) will get in, Tennessee (No. 20 RPI, big non-conference wins, No. 3 strength of schedule) will get in, and Florida (No. 29 RPI) will get in.

LSU and South Carolina still need a few big wins, but I don't either has earned anything yet (and I don't the Gamecocks will, despite their good guard play). LSU has a nice record but has hardly played any good teams. I don't see Miss State getting in, and Vanderbilt is unusually horrible. Ole Miss was a wild card until all those big injuries.

I don't think any SEC team will make it past the Sweet 16, but those top three teams from East could with the right bracket.

 

Gottfried always recruited well (just couldn't coach for shit), and there's really good talent in that state most years.

 

See, that's just it.
There are 10 teams (count 'em) lined up in the Big East that will get all kinds of pub from the big media, and most will get into the tourney.
I'd put money on LSU, SC, Ky., Tenn., Fla, and even Mississippi State being able to give teams like WVa, NDame, Georgetown, and Providence a good beating.
But since it's the Big East, and folks like Seth or Andy sell the "SEC is down" mindset, we could very well have just 4 SEC teams make it.
The tournament has gotten so corporate, with travel costs being figured in with how you are seeded, and pod systems making it easy for the traditional powers to make it at least to the Sweet 16.
Money, money, money.
That's what matters most to the TV networks, who parade around such gladhanders as Digger, Bilas & Co., Raftery, etc.

And College Journalist, Stansbury at MSU does nothing that Calipari, Pearl and countless others do.
Be thankful you can hide behind your internet computer screen and fire insults.
Why don't you write an expose' instead of coming off as such a sophomoric schmuck.
4 SEC West titles in 6 years, baby.
Spread that across your broad-brush canvas.

As for Gottfried, he stepped down.
Good for him.

 

I cover an SEC team, and I know the league pretty well, and I don't see more than four teams getting in this season. Too much youth, and too many decent programs having down years.

 

Hammer, I don't mind hearing your opinion, since it's pretty straight-forward and lacking in insults.

I will defend to the end the notion that several of these SEC teams can play with several from that Big East lineup I mentioned.
LSU played well against No. 13 Xavier.

Georgetown and ND, they've lost like 3 of their last 4.
Any SEC team loses that many in a stretch and they fall off the radar.

 

Tennessee beat Marquette and Georgetown, and Prince didn't play against Marquette, so yeah, it's certainly possible.

I still just don't see it overall with the league this season. I do think the league will bounce back pretty quickly, though. Kentucky is young with good talent coming in, Tennessee has no seniors and a bunch of young talent, Florida is extremely young, LSU finally has a coach to lead all that talent, Bama might get a coach to lead all its talent, State is usually pretty good, and Stallings is a good coach who will get Vandy back.

But it's very possible that no SEC teams get past the Sweet 16 this season.

 

Let's not pin all of Clemson's failure in the ACC on Oliver Purnell, AppGrad.

No other Clemson coach did particularly well in the ACC, either. The only one who had some success, Rick Barnes, took off for Austin because Texas offered more money, doesn't have the academic limitations of Clemson and the fact that Clemson doesn't put much into the basketball program (i.e., it continues to regard itself as a football school).

 

Gottfried also let a lot of good in-state talent (D.J. White, Stanley Robinson to name a few) leave, and the ones that stayed didn't get any better. I'm not sure Alonzo Gee is any better now than he was as a freshman.

And the release says Gottfried "resigned" but it's certain the University had some goods on him and he's doing this as quietly as he can and taking whatever buyout he can get.

 

Granted I don't follow SEC basketball any longer, but the timing of this seems really odd. Middle of the season. 10-12 games to go. What are you hoping to accomplish by canning him now? Get a jump on "the next big thing" come March or April?

Was there an NCAA issue, like Kelvin Sampson at Indiana?

I know the pros fire coaches all the time, but their schedule is much longer. The timing of this strikes me as odd.