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Who says we can't be positive? We may be stuck with a giant turd of a basketball "coach" for now, but as the incompetent reign of Lavin once ended, so too will the reign of Lavin 2.0 one way or another. It's never too early to start keeping an eye on coaches who have distinguished themselves on the court, and it goes without saying that these men are inherently more qualified to be coach here from an ethical standpoint.
- Gregg Marshall
Yes, the man that Chianti Dan couldn't be bothered to wait for because he was too embarrassed to be caught in yet another clusterf&*k of a coaching search. The man that once called UCLA "one of the top six elite jobs in the country". Of course we know Dan went ahead and botched it anyway by hiring someone completely unqualified to run Coach's program, but what has Marshall done since then? Well, not much besides lead the current second ranked and only undefeated team in the country in Wichita State.
People may talk down the fact that he's doing this in the Missouri Valley Conference, but according to KenPom, his offense is just as elite as our offensive mastermind (lol) of a "coach" with what we all know is far less talent and his defense is top 10 in the country (Alfraud checks in at 48. We're in the Top 50!!!). While we're on the subject, a footnote about the MVC. It does actually have something in common with the Pacific 12: One ranked team.
Marshall's Wichita State Shockers will be in action in the Missouri Valley tournament against the winner of tonight's Drake vs. Evansville matchup.
- Tony Bennett
Quick, who's the champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference? Duke, right? Or was it North Carolina? Or maybe the newcomer Syracuse? No, no, and no. Only the fifth ranked and currently-leading-the-ACC-by-three-in-the-loss-column Virginia Cavaliers, led by a familiar face; Tony Bennett. You remember the guy that used to coach up at Washington State and spearheaded bruising affairs with a once defensive minded Ben Howland? Unlike Howland, Bennett appears to have remained true to his roots, posting the third most efficient defense in the country according to KenPom. Bennett may have turned UCLA-WSU battles into blue collar brawls, but we at BN have always respected his coaching acumen, and how could we look down on his style, when all of Howland's best teams used that same blueprint?
Bennett's Virginia team won't play again until Sunday at Maryland in their regular season finale.
This isn't meant to be a comprehensive list. Let us know in the comments if you're watching any other highly qualified candidates to replace the 'Fraud.