ButlerAlumDad

1 hour ago, bullsbball said:

Having a tough first year back in the Monsignor Martin League going 7-18 overall and 2-12 in conference play. He's not the coach but they expect him to raise the level in all their sports.

Park has not been able to take advantage of its International program due to Covid restrictions. Hopefully that will be resolved this year. 

Was hoping 716 native Kevin Kuwik would get a look. Just hired as HC at Army. He had 2 tours of duty at Butler. His fiancee was killed in the plane crash in Clarence and he became the lead spokesperson for the group lobbying successfully for changes in the airline industry. 

31 minutes ago, everlast2504 said:

Explain 

• UNC
• Texas
• Ohio State
• Pitt
• Purdue
• Michigan
• Michigan State
• Maryland
• Clemson
• UF
• Virgina
• UCLA
• Georgia

I could go on. However there are plenty of on par or much much better schools for academics, that also have athletics at a vastly superior level then us. All these schools people also think about that is a really good school. 

 

Butler's applications jumped 50% after the final four runs. Still voted #1 school in Mid-West by Newsweek. One of the smallest schools in a power conference. Matta rebuilding program back to where it was under Stevens and Holtman. 716 native Kevin Kuwick is assistant HC and 716 born Greg Oden on staff. 

42 minutes ago, Jeseph said:

Can we really not offer better than Bucknell and Furman? How the hell did we get Hurley?

Different University President and an AD brought on board to re-build UB Athletics

2 minutes ago, clodney said:

Halcovage feels like another rejection. If that happens publicly again, CSA needs to be fired immediately. How can you bring in so many candidates without properly vetting them as realistic?

There's more to it: Training facilities, locker room, practice gym, exercise room and equipment, arena, etc.

5 hours ago, Blue03 said:

Would it be the dumbest thing ever to hire a high school coach. Someone that took a bad school and made them good?

In that case hire back former UB assistant Rich Jacob PhD who won 2 state championships at Park

14 minutes ago, Kevin said:

I didn't say it was "done" what are you talking about? Lying is disrespectful. 

I don't do this much but I'm not going to be called a liar. 

Things change. I was told money/contract length could play a role in what happened. 

That was also before all Big East teams earned a lot of $ (16 unit share) from playing in the NCAA tournament. Going to a 1 bid league from the Big East might have changed his mind. I know at Butler watching all Horizon teams benefit from the 2 final four runs helped in the decision to go to a multi-bid league. 

9 minutes ago, Tee4three said:

Wasn't Tripathi in the same position then? Or just more people involved in the process then that were interested in athletics vs now 

The Danny White hire was Simpson. Bill served as Emeritus. At one time we had UBAAC (University at Buffalo Athletic Advisory Council). I was a on it. Tripathi disbanded it an relied on the UB Board

1 hour ago, Tee4three said:

Saying the quiet part out loud

You can't tell me the school is an issue when a guy like Bobby hurley was comfortable coming here to win

That was a totally different time with an avid Athletic supporter President (Bill Greiner) heading up UB followed by Simpson with Dr. Greiner playing a role. Tripathi is an academien.

4 minutes ago, everlast2504 said:

Doesn't CJ and Clark have a somewhat successful overseas career? Plus TBT.

Although it could be a massive recruiting boost to have a D1 coach play in it.

Battle is no longer coaching. He is AD somewhere. 

Turner is AD at Park School

On 3/25/2023 at 8:48 PM, MuchMany said:

As much as I'm in love with the idea of McCollum, I'm long-term obsessed with the idea of recruiting the GTA and Montreal. Combine both? Take my donations.

I've said it before, but 10 million people live between the two. 150 current D1 players hail from Canada. It's bizarre that we only had one of them on our roster.

An answer to that might be to urge Jeff Meyer out of retirement. The former Butler assistant HC who helped build that program under Licklitter and Stevens lives in Midland, ON. 
 

In no particular order:

Adam Cohen - Xavier

Mike Berkun - Maritime

David Berkun - Stanford

Turner Battle

Bryan Hodgson - Alabama

Alex Nwora - ECC

Kevin Kuwick - Butler

Carlin Hartman - Florida

Mike MacDonald - Daemen

Bill Belein - NCC

23 hours ago, MuchMany said:

Cohen is my first choice by a mile. He's a coaching prodigy and a super impressive young guy. Got his start hand-writing letters to coaches while still at Williamsville North. Transferred to UB after a short D3 career at Hobart and was a manager for the 2005 MACT heartbreaker. Connected with Josh Pastner at Arizona and has grinded for a decade and a half with stops including Rice, Harvard, Stanford, and now Xavier where he is Sean Miller's associate head coach.

He's regarded as an X's and O's guy and basketball junkie. But he's also credited with recruiting Tyrell Terry, Ziaire Williams, and Harrison Bryant to Stanford, so he's swam with the big fish. He had to recruit to Harvard and Stanford where academic and culture fits are a challenge, and I want UBMBB to head toward a more cerebral brand of play with more 4-year guys.

https://buffalonews.com/sports/college/cohen-s-dedication-to-his-dream-began-early/article_d9be45f0-67d7-5e09-9b7a-1a326e1f1352.html

The short podcast below is a good intro. Mentions he's a massive Bills fan and apologizes to Cinci fans in advance. He seems like the perfect balance of a high ceiling hire who is likely destined to be a high-major coach someday, but one whose local ties leave the possibility of a 5-8 year run here.

 

Besides Adam you have the 2 Berkuns, David & Mike. Alex Nwora who's coached ECC, FIBA, and Olympic teams, Kevin Kuwick now at Butler. 

Lots of local connections to poach... One of the Berkuns, Adam Cohen, Hodgson, Beilein, MacDonald, Nwora, Battle, etc.

I've known coach since his Loyola days. IMO he's a good bench coach and a mediocre game coach. He complimented NO's fiery style. UB lost and has not replaced Bryan's recruiting chops. It's time to plan for the future before all is lost. Bring home one of the 2 Berkuns or Adam Cohen. UB can't compete in the NIL era for top talent in the portal. I'd use a strategy of recruiting kids from PG prep programs that might be 1-2 and done (going to p6 programs). The dreams of leaving the MAC to go to a multi-bid conference is over. Totally change the direction of the program. When was the last time UB produced an Academic All-American? 

Sadly {I think on April 5th UB Women's coaching search begins. St. John Fisher's Melissa Graham Kuberka could be someone to look at.

On 3/17/2022 at 5:41 PM, skrabukes said:

His parents both were athletes at UB as well.

his dad is in UB's Hall of Fame.

19 hours ago, MuchMany said:

Had a pretty brutal year for a poor Rice team. Could hardly get on the floor. I've been the biggest advocate for local recruiting, but I'm not sure he's of the quality we're seeking to get back to the level we all want. Maybe someone knows more about the details of his season?

Coach at Rice didn't play freshman even in mop up time mostly due to Covid super senior returnees. At the end of the year NH elected to have surgery on a nagging injury. At IMG he was the starting PG and exhibited lock down defense.

Former UB recruit and Buffalo News' 2019 Player of the Year; Noah Hutchins (PG) has entered the transfer portal (3+ years of eligibility)

Noah Hutchins (Park/IMG) reclassed to 2020 and is still being recruited and holds a UB offer as well as 16 other offers

Oats lost his opener by 1 to U of Penn

I was criticized often on this board for my opinion on transfer & juco players to build a team. Lack of chemistry and accepting roles. To be fair, this is not a Coach W team and he is hampered this season by lost recruits. I disagree on the play of our "big". Soft hands and poor position on the "d" board,. A former Park player started at the 5 in D1 this week. Joe Jones III (a UB lost recruit) owned the boards for Georgia State in their win. Too much "hero ball" tonight. Lack of maturity including the bench. I believe not all players will buy into Coach W and things will drastically change when he recruits the type of players that fit his style. Give it 2 years. He wasn't fortunate to inherit the teams that Hurley and Oats did.

Brunk wants Law School - - UB has a notable Law School and JW knows the midwest. Butler has 2 bigs Brunk would share minutes with so he announced his transfer.

2 hours ago, promotherobot said:

If JW is the guy, that's fine. My beef is with the delay in hiring him. It's hard to argue he was your guy when you spent a week chasing other candidates. It just looks bad and the uncertainty might have led to a few recruits de-committing.

We'll never know if those recruits were originally thumbs up or down as far as JW. I've seen recruits not fitting a system being implemented released. I fully expect a pace slowed down and more complicated defensive switches. Higher IQ needed.

In one of my early posts on  this topic I wrote that "though I don't believe he may want the position, JW should gain the title HC as IMO he has been the "Power behind the Throne". Personally I've known him since 2004 and my son's Butler days and when my son apprenticed in the NCAA office for the Horizon League my son spoke highly of him in meetings of JW's basketball foresight. Bridget Niland (former AD at Daemen, currently at the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo) happened to work at that NCAA office at the same time. I also stated I have personal knowledge of Coach on the recruiting path as I'm involved heavily in high school hoops and he has been the one to offer at least 2 I'm acquainted with still on UB's radar. Those who read another post where I wrote contradicting Oats' claim that BH put the team together now have learned that Coach JW brought in CJM. Now I have to disagree with those objecting to the hiring of a search firm and the results. Though the optics may not look it, Coach JW most likely checked more boxes on thje search firms forms than anyone else. HC experience, recruiting experience, hiring experience, continuity, maintaining players and recruits, temperament, local area knowledge, MAC area knowledge, etc., etc., etc. I also think the big difference will be developing 4 year players and not 2 year JUCOs.