He'll land a new gig with a lot less pressure, a studio analyst or a courtside analyst/color commenter. IMO, he'd be excellent in either role.
Really sorry to see him leave. I thought he was the best coach in mens basketball. His teams played defense tenaciously but, in contrast to most great defensive teams, combined it with an unselfish flowing offense that always seemed to find the open men through ball movement. Also was impressed by the fact that he avoided the one-and-done approach to build his great teams but constructed his teams to peak with players who improved each year that they stayed in the program.
All speculation but the way he built his teams is going to be harder and harder. Guys are not going to stay around and wait their turn and develop. Not starting... where can I go and start. Although I did read that the Kentucky kid who was the Wooden Award winner is coming back because 1. Boosters put together a 2M NIL package and 2. He doesn't have a position in the NBA, he's old school back to the basket tough rebounder. NBA is put everybody on the 3 point line. So he will make more staying another year than being a 2nd rounderer or maybe even undrafted.
More nails in the coffin of college sports Miami Hurricanes guard Isaiah Wong will enter the transfer portal on Friday if his name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation isn't increased, his NIL agent, Adam Papas of NEXT Sports Agency, told ESPN on Thursday. "If Isaiah and his family don't feel that the NIL number meets their expectations they will be entering the transfer portal tomorrow, while maintaining his eligibility in the NBA draft and going through the draft process," Papas said.
LMAO Is there anyone on the sidelines still thinking education and team are still a part in "amateur" "collegiate" athletics?
What gets me is that the NIL thing was, in my mind at the time, individual notable student athletes getting reimbursed for their fame when used by corporations (Xbox games, ads, etc) using their likeness or names on jerseys sold, etc. Now it seems that consortiums are being put together of donors, alums, etc. putting together financial "NIL" packages for recruits who nobody but diehard analysts have even yet heard of, enticing them to come to their school, and competing with other schools for the best financial packages. It's terrible.
Stu, you can be forgiven for thinking that, because that is exactly how the story was packaged to make it more palatable to the hardcore fan. "Fairness" was the kryptonite that convinced many. However, "fairness" wasn't only used to crack open the flood gates a bit to relieve the pressure; the flood gates were removed with no other control device put into place. I can only guess that was the intent all along. Considering the "pay for play" history of collegiate sports, the pessimists definitely had more chance at being correct than the optimists for this topic.
I always thought his story was pretty amazing. Terrible start in life, "rescued" by Rosey Barnes, soft spoken kid that everyone liked, disciplined enough to tone his body (really had to work at it) and become such a great player, finished his degree...This is so sad. I remember when folks were implying that Roosevelt Barnes adopted him so he could represent him as his agent...yeah, right...that's why you adopt 300 lb. junior high kids who are living under a bridge.
One heck of a life start for him for sure. He much have developed an enormous grit to accomplish what he did as an athlete.