Simmons Speaks

[VUGrad1314]

Lickliter was also a complete dumpster fire at Iowa. Much like Marty he insisted on recruiting his son, who was D2 at best quality.

He was fired after 3 years of his initial 7 year deal. He was 20 games under .500 in 3 years. He did that while taking over a Hawkeye team that had been to 4 NCAA tournaments and 3 NITs in the previous 9 seasons. It was literally the worst 3 year run in Iowa basketball history. He hasn't been in D1 basketball in 8 years. I can't say I'd be real excited about him being involved in the UNI staff in any way, shape and or form.

I get the excitement of something other than Marty, but damn it might be time to reign it back just a tad.

That's true. His Iowa tenure was indefensibly bad. However let's look at what he did at a school much more similar to Evansville (Butler): 4 20 win seasons 3 conference titles 2 Sweet 16s 2 NITs 2 conference coach in the year awards 1 National coach in the year award 70 games over .500. If I'm a P5 school I'd be more concerned about his Iowa tenure be as a mid-major I put more weight in his Butler numbers. Especially since his main job will be recruiting since he's not be head guy. He absolutely has the resume and the chops to recruit at this level. This of course comes with the caveat that he did have a young man on his staff at Butler named Brad Stevens who went on the become a halfway serviceable coach himself.

[VUGrad1314]

The coach a month ago would be the 3rd assistant today. Evansville has added 4-digit STH’ers in a month.

Not at all true about Marty being the third assistant. Come on now. I realize its easy to piss on people no longer around. That's the fan M-O.

Graves was Associate HC for 2 consecutive national title games.
Lickliter took a program that had never made a Sweet 16 to 2 of them.

That’s not fan M-O. That’s facts.

And that’s why Evansville is a different program today than a month ago. Just put the 1k+ new STH’ers in a room and ask if that’s not significant.

Just one small point of order: Butler had made a Sweet 16 back in 1962 just like Creighton made an Elite 8 back in 1941 however neither program had made such a run until Lickliter at Butler (Creighton still hasn't) just shows how tough it is a win tournament games.

[ACECARD]

I completely disagree. Simmons guided a team decimated by injuries to a 17-15 season in a top 8 league. Everyone has injuries but Evansville had a lot more than average. If the injuries were on an average level Evansville would have won 21/22 games and made the NIT. I don't think the program is light years ahead of that.

I guess it's safe to assume if Dan ever leaves, you will be openly campaigning for Marty to get the job?

Excellent observation.

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

I never said that. I said the program isn't light years ahead of where it was last season. Evansville was a decent team last year and a few injuries away from being the second best team in the Valley. I don't think the program is light years ahead of where it was 50 days ago.

[tribecalledquest]

The coach a month ago would be the 3rd assistant today. Evansville has added 4-digit STH’ers in a month.

Not at all true about Marty being the third assistant. Come on now. I realize its easy to piss on people no longer around. That's the fan M-O.

Graves was Associate HC for 2 consecutive national title games.
Lickliter took a program that had never made a Sweet 16 to 2 of them.

That’s not fan M-O. That’s facts.

And that’s why Evansville is a different program today than a month ago. Just put the 1k+ new STH’ers in a room and ask if that’s not significant.

What programs did Lickliter and Graves build on their own? Lickliter moved over a seat at Butler to take over a very successful program when Matta left. Butler made the NCAA's four of the five seasons before Todd took over. With Lickliter they went two of six seasons.

Graves was an assistant, again, at Butler that had a system in place. He got a head job and was a disaster.

I don't doubt that Evansville is a DIFFERENT program now than a month ago. No one is doubting that. But claiming that it is in a lot better place is hope--not fact.

[tribecalledquest]

Lickliter was also a complete dumpster fire at Iowa. Much like Marty he insisted on recruiting his son, who was D2 at best quality.

He was fired after 3 years of his initial 7 year deal. He was 20 games under .500 in 3 years. He did that while taking over a Hawkeye team that had been to 4 NCAA tournaments and 3 NITs in the previous 9 seasons. It was literally the worst 3 year run in Iowa basketball history. He hasn't been in D1 basketball in 8 years. I can't say I'd be real excited about him being involved in the UNI staff in any way, shape and or form.

I get the excitement of something other than Marty, but damn it might be time to reign it back just a tad.

That's true. His Iowa tenure was indefensibly bad. However let's look at what he did at a school much more similar to Evansville (Butler): 4 20 win seasons 3 conference titles 2 Sweet 16s 2 NITs 2 conference coach in the year awards 1 National coach in the year award 70 games over .500. If I'm a P5 school I'd be more concerned about his Iowa tenure be as a mid-major I put more weight in his Butler numbers. Especially since his main job will be recruiting since he's not be head guy. He absolutely has the resume and the chops to recruit at this level. This of course comes with the caveat that he did have a young man on his staff at Butler named Brad Stevens who went on the become a halfway serviceable coach himself.

People really need to make a distinction when looking at the programs guys took over.

Lickliter didn't walk into a rebuild at Butler. He took over for a program that had been to four NCAA's in five seasons. He didn't take over an Evansville equivilant. He should get credit for keeping the Butler train rolling. But let's not act like he "built" something there. It was already built. He just added on. And then others added on after him.

[bonez]

I'm so happy to see it isn't just SIU fans quibbling over coaching staff. On a more serious note, it is nice to see passion from Evansville; it's been pretty poor in recent years and Simmons' dismissal was overdue.

[Fraydog]

I'm so happy to see it isn't just SIU fans quibbling over coaching staff. On a more serious note, it is nice to see passion from Evansville; it's been pretty poor in recent years and Simmons' dismissal was overdue.

I wanted a better coach for you guys because I wanted to see people be passionate over the Evansville program. I think McCarty has done that so far. Now as far as the in game performance, we will have to see. Off the court, it looks to me like he’s doing the right things.

[tribecalledquest]

I'm so happy to see it isn't just SIU fans quibbling over coaching staff. On a more serious note, it is nice to see passion from Evansville; it's been pretty poor in recent years and Simmons' dismissal was overdue.

I wanted a better coach for you guys because I wanted to see people be passionate over the Evansville program. I think McCarty has done that so far. Now as far as the in game performance, we will have to see. Off the court, it looks to me like he’s doing the right things.

Right. I think the hire was interesting but a good risk. I also like that he has a couple former HC's on his staff. But that's where it stops. No one knows if it will work. To make claims that things are better then every with Marty is just a ridiculous thing to say at this point.

[BCPanther]

Lickliter was also a complete dumpster fire at Iowa. Much like Marty he insisted on recruiting his son, who was D2 at best quality.

He was fired after 3 years of his initial 7 year deal. He was 20 games under .500 in 3 years. He did that while taking over a Hawkeye team that had been to 4 NCAA tournaments and 3 NITs in the previous 9 seasons. It was literally the worst 3 year run in Iowa basketball history. He hasn't been in D1 basketball in 8 years. I can't say I'd be real excited about him being involved in the UNI staff in any way, shape and or form.

I get the excitement of something other than Marty, but damn it might be time to reign it back just a tad.

That's true. His Iowa tenure was indefensibly bad. However let's look at what he did at a school much more similar to Evansville (Butler): 4 20 win seasons 3 conference titles 2 Sweet 16s 2 NITs 2 conference coach in the year awards 1 National coach in the year award 70 games over .500. If I'm a P5 school I'd be more concerned about his Iowa tenure be as a mid-major I put more weight in his Butler numbers. Especially since his main job will be recruiting since he's not be head guy. He absolutely has the resume and the chops to recruit at this level. This of course comes with the caveat that he did have a young man on his staff at Butler named Brad Stevens who went on the become a halfway serviceable coach himself.

People really need to make a distinction when looking at the programs guys took over.

Lickliter didn't walk into a rebuild at Butler. He took over for a program that had been to four NCAA's in five seasons. He didn't take over an Evansville equivilant. He should get credit for keeping the Butler train rolling. But let's not act like he "built" something there. It was already built. He just added on. And then others added on after him.

Ray Giacolletti also took Utah to a Sweet 16 after being handed the keys to an already built program. How did that work out in the Valley?