Time again to talk Bruce Pearl

Following an SEC Championship, Bruce Pearl is now leading Auburn on a deep NCAA Tournament run. Any time Pearl has success, there are plenty of BC fans who wonder "what could have been." I was one of those fans for a long time. While I still love watching Pearl, I know that BC was right to never really pursue him as a BC coach.

Regardless of what people say, the only real window to ever get Pearl was when Donahue was fired. All the other times, either BC had a successful coach in place or Pearl had a job that could pay more than BC. When Donahue's final season was falling apart a strong AD could have locked up Pearl and dealt with the internal politics of getting him hired. Clearly Brad Bates was not that AD. Maybe Gene could have pulled something like that off. Maybe Jarmond. But Bates clearly didn't have the foresight or understand the politics to get BC to sign off on Pearl. That was probably for the best.

Pearl's time at Auburn has been filled with basketball success but plenty of off the court issues. Two different assistants have been arrested for illegal bribes. Pearl didn't talk to or work with former Auburn AD Chris Myers. He also hasn't been afraid of using the media to fight for a raise or get his named mentioned for other openings.

I am for changing the system and suspicious of BC's purity, but had BC hired Pearl we would be dealing with a whole host of problems and embarrassments. I want change and success, but Pearl was never going to do things in an acceptable way for BC.

Hockey season comes to an end

Hockey is usually the high point of any BC sports year. However, this Men's season was one to forget. The team struggled early, had a few runs, but more than anything kept tripping over themselves and coming out flat against beatable opponents. Things finally seemed to come together in the Hockey East Tournament. BC made it to the finals and nearly stole an NCAA Tournament bid, but ultimately came up short losing 3-2 to Northeastern. 

This is the end of the line for this crew. There is still plenty of talent returning. Now we just have to see if this year's problems were a blip or a sign of things to come. 

Hockey East won't punish BC for racial issue

Like many of you, I am just hearing about this racial issue during the BC-Providence game this weekend. Hockey East announced they won't discipline anyone because they don't know who from BC made the remark to Providence's Vimal Sukumaran. There are no official reports on what was said and no one from BC has owned up to the remarks. The game officials did say they heard the remarks but weren't sure who said them.

I don't know what was said, so it is hard for me to react. Anything racial is unacceptable and should result in punishment. I understand why BC would want this to go away. I wish they would help determine who said what so this could be resolved in a productive way. Right now it will just serve as another distraction with recruiting and the media and an unfortunate note on an unfortunate season.

BC keeps wasting everyone's time: Jim Christian returning for 6th year

There will be no official statement. No vote of confidence. No explanation. Maybe there will be a friendly article Wednesday or Thursday, but BC is bringing back Jim Christian for another year. This is the BC way now. We just waste our players', fans' and even coaches' time. Because barring some sort of miracle, we will be having the same discussion a year from now about Jim Christian. His record at BC is 62-100 (18-72 in ACC games) and he is very likely losing Ky Bowman from a team that just went 5-13 in ACC play. Maybe the freshmen really over perform. Maybe he tightens things up schematically. Maybe there are enough shakeups with the ACC middle class to unlock a spot for BC to elevate just a bit. That's a lot of maybes. The odds are the guy who has been a Power 5 coach nine years and only finished above .500 two of those seasons will probably be below .500 again.

In their leaks, BC was sure to slip in that the school is dedicated to building up the resource for basketball. That's not news. They've been actively raising money for basketball for a while now and will make announcements on what the enhancements are once they reach a gift threshold. But I don't believe better facilities is ever going to make a difference with this staff. We've seen enough missteps and poor efforts to know that this isn't just about a basketball practice facility.

Martin Jarmond is out there talking to the people. I am sure he will hear complaints and have established talking points (injuries, taking time to build, etc.) but I think he is going to face a lot of cynical donors and fans. And a year from now we will be talking about a rebuild with someone else that could have started this spring.

Christian rumor dump

If is Friday night and Jim Christian is still the Men's Basketball coach at BC. As I've been saying, the longer this goes on without any news means Christian is staying. I don't know what will happen, but here is a sample of things I've heard. None of this is verified by anyone in the BC Athletic Department. (I try to get official answers from BC whenever I think they will provide one. I know they won't say anything during a coaching change.) Some of these items even contradict each other, but that is how it is when dealing with this sort of chatter.

-- The assistants have been fired
-- BC was preparing a buyout payout for Christian on Wednesday
-- The assistants have thought this was coming for a while and have been looking for new jobs
-- Jarmond really likes/liked Christian and was openly defending him and this season to donors as recently as Christmas time
-- Jarmond looked frustrated on Senior Day as did Father Leahy
-- The basketball alumni do not care for Christian
-- There are fundraising efforts going on for improved basketball facilities
-- If there is a change, BC will look to traditional BC and BC-type names
-- The extension makes Christian safe
-- The extension is not punitive to BC
-- Christian is well liked among some of the bigger basketball donors

I know BC doesn't have to say anything if he is staying but the recruits might need to know and the fans are going to want some sort of explanation.

And now we wait

Frustration and speculation at the end of the football season nearly reached a breaking point. In three weeks we went from Game Day back to seven wins. The media kicked the hot seat talk into overdrive and Addazio people (apologists, agents, and friendly media) talked about his lack of a contract. And no news came from BC for days. When they finally got around to the extension, people joked that it read like a hostage letter. But even with all the talk, there was still a reasonable argument for not firing Addazio (recruiting, winning seasons, etc). There are no justifiable reasons for keeping Jim Christian.

But we don't know if Jarmond will make a move. As I tweeted, the people closer to BC think Christian is safe while the people more removed -- fans, media, agents -- think he is gone. What we have learned from Addazio is that the longer there is no news, the more likely Christian is coming back.

Since Gene left, BC is pretty tight lipped about these things. Don't trust leaks or gossip. I will share what I hear, but even then be skeptical. Also remember the Donahue twist, where he was telling people he was coming back only to be fired the next day. When a head coach is not getting a straight message, than no one is.

I have made it clear that I want to start anew. I hope Jarmond agrees and has a plan to get BC basketball back on track.

What to make of Mike Rhoades?

I think we've all been through enough coaching changes to know how this game works. At times the school floats names to see if the fan base is receptive. BC did that under Gene but doesn't anymore. Other times the media speculates and sometimes agents and people close to a guy float a name. That's how I first heard of Mike Rhoades as a potential Jim Christian replacement.

Rhoades is the current VCU head coach. VCU used to be seen as a great proving ground for coaches. Yet Shaka Smart is on the hot seat in Texas and Will Wade is in the middle of an FBI sting, so the VCU stamp of approval means a bit less. However, Rhoades seems very different from both of those guys. He was a D3 head coach for many years and then turned things around at Rice. Unlike Wade, he's not known for being an ace recruiter. Instead he is considered more of a scheme guy and developer of players. And unlike Smart, it seems he adapts his games and system to his roster and is not so dependent on press, press and more press.

I don't know anything substantial about Rhoades. I do prefer his profile to Christian's, in that he doesn't come to BC with a failed stop on his resume. He's had natural progression and is very experienced and still relatively young. If we are going to take a risk on someone, he seems to have a decent upside.

As to why his name is being floated? Maybe his season has been such a success and surprise, he is trying to leverage it now. Maybe Wade left a mess at VCU too and he is expecting issues. Who knows? But if anything, Rhoades is a reminder that there are plenty of guys out there that BC can and should talk to if we make a change.

The debate on Jim Christian seems to be losing steam

Two weeks ago there were plenty of vocal defenders of Jim Christian. After Saturday's loss to NC State, there are fewer BC folks advocating for him to return. Perhaps it is the current losing streak. Or maybe people are frustrated with the lack of energy and hustle on a Senior Day. Twitter isn't always the best focus group, but the casual fan has shown their lack of interest in Christian's product by not going to games. Yet none of it really matters. There are only two BC folks with any real power on this process. They are Martin Jarmond and Father Leahy.

After the NC State game, i was on twitter saying this is now Jarmond's call. From all I have heard, he has the autonomy to make the final decision. Plenty of others say he doesn't and it is Father Leahy's decision. I guess we will soon find out what they think of Christian and if they also have a plan to return BC Basketball to respectability.

Former BC assistant Preston Murphy caught in ties to bribery scheme and why it matters

Creighton put Preston Murphy -- who worked as an assistant under Skinner and Jim Christian -- on administrative leave while they investigate his ties to the College Basketball-FBI saga. There are no known reports of Murphy breaking any laws or NCAA rules while he worked at BC. But this is still important to BC and BC Basketball.

One thing this FBI investigation has proven is that paying players is rampant in college basketball. I don't know if BC is doing it or has done it, but plenty of P5 schools have been caught red-handed. If BC is not cheating, than we are playing with one hand tied behind our back while the big boys buy the best players. If we are cheating, then this is all that more pathetic, because we are not getting good ROI on any pay for play. But this system is clearly corrupt and clearly broken and the Murphy news should be a reminder to BC that our only move is to lead for NCAA change. While I am for paying players, I believe BC's leadership is not. Either way, BC should take a stand and lead to real reform...whether it be legal payments or true amateurism that is strictly enforced and violators are punished. Until then guys like Murphy will keep getting caught in the middle.

Don't be afraid of mid-major coaches

The last two basketball hires have not been successful. (Depending on your perspective, you could say even worse about them.) Because we're a bit snake bitten, you see some fans wanting to avoid the same mistakes that got us here. Many are hoping BC avoids an up and coming name from a smaller program (mid major) and instead hires a more established, proven coach. While I don't mind spending on a more established name, I don't think BC should avoid mid-major coaches. Outside of Cousy and Chuck Daly, nearly all our successful coaches came from what would now be considered a mid-major program. Take a look:

Al Skinner -- Rhode Island

Jim O'Brien -- St. Bonaventure

Gary Williams -- American

Tom Davis -- Lafeyette

 

The primary challenge Donahue and Christian had in making the jump from mid-major to BC was recruiting and talent. Donahue looked for certain specific traits and guys who were under the radar. In the end, that plan didn't work for him. Christian went after more traditional p5 talent. His problem was not finding enough of it to compete. If we go the mid-major path again, the coach just needs to have a plan for finding talent and maximizing it against some of the best players in the country.

Ironically, what I like about hiring a mid-major guy is that in theory, he has coached enough games to know how to manage and scheme at an elite level. Yet I would say the Xs and Os have been disappointing for both our past coaches (Donahue could never develop a D and Christian screwed up many late game situations). 

In the end, if we don't follow the mid-major path, we limit our pool to big names and assistant. At this point I don't want to rule anyone out.

Would the Big Ten consider Martin Jarmond for Commissioner?

Jim Delany, the Big Ten's Commissioner for the last 30 years, announced he will step down in 2020. In the meantime, a search will start for a new commissioner. While the college football world speculates what Delany's retirement will mean for playoffs or a P5 breakaway, the impact to BC might be more immediate, as I think Martin Jarmond will be considered a candidate to succeed Delany.

While the role of commissioner has changed under Delany, in the end these positions are highly political. A candidate is going to need the support of all the Big Ten members, but Ohio State will have strong influence. With his background with two Big Ten schools and relationships in the league, I could see some pushing for him. Beyond being a candidate that multiple schools could get behind, I think Jarmond would also serve well as the face of the league. If Delany was seen as dictatorial, cold and stubborn, Jarmond would come off as engaging, young and open to new ideas.

His age and the potential for perceived bias towards Ohio State might make Jarmond a non-starter, but I could see how his rising profile coincides with the perfect opening.

Some good recruiting news

Since I have a feeling we will be discussing basketball a lot of the next three weeks, I wanted to ignore the Georgia Tech loss (for now) and focus on the good news -- Addazio's recruiting. He just picked up a verbal from New Jersey LB Korey Smith. Rivals ranks Smith as a 4 star. 247 has him as a 3 star. He has offers from UNC, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse and Vanderbilt. He was injured for much of his last football season, which had some of the bigger schools holding off. If he is healthy this fall, I expect even more big names will swoop in.

As for now Smith seems like another very solid piece. He said on the right things about academics and keeps up our presence in New Jersey. Welcome aboard and congrats to the staff for pulling in another recruit with plenty of good options.

Ryan Anderson weighs in basketball debate

The twitter debate about BC basketball marches on but new perspective joined the dialogue. Former BC star Ryan Anderson started tweeting to the thread with his opinions. The former player, who also played at Arizona, thinks it all starts with financial commitment. He mentioned facilities, travel and budget. BC has addressed some of these issues since Anderson left, but still has more to accomplish. I agree with him and think we should make an investment in basketball that shows our commitment. But I don't think spending money is the only answer. I still think you need the right coach too. Here are Anderson's tweets.

Coaching isn’t and never has been the problem

— Ryan Anderson (@M12terAnderson) March 2, 2019

Keep JC. Hire Dudley in some assistant role. His knowledge of the game is elite and would be huge for the program. Increase facilities to ACC levels. Recruits care about facilities and game atmosphere more than anything...

— Ryan Anderson (@M12terAnderson) March 2, 2019

Can’t compare those guys to this generation. Different era of sports. Recruit from northeast area walks into the BC locker room, attends a game, tours the facilities, and y’all really expect him to commit over Cuse, Nova, etc? Unfortunately kids signing bc of those reasons mainly

— Ryan Anderson (@M12terAnderson) March 2, 2019

Commit to the program. Fund the program. Change the culture from top to bottom. BC is a beautiful school filled with great ppl (reason I came) but realized when coming to AZ how much can be better at BC but it takes money, effort, and fan support BEFORE the team is good

— Ryan Anderson (@M12terAnderson) March 2, 2019

There’s tons of examples I could point to but bottom line is simple yet hard. Make the players choose BC. When the facilities, game atmosphere, traveling, and everything that goes into being a student athlete matches the other acc schools and we don’t win then it’s the coach...

— Ryan Anderson (@M12terAnderson) March 2, 2019

Until then you’re giving the coaches knives to a gun fight in these recruiting battles for players and it ain’t fair.

— Ryan Anderson (@M12terAnderson) March 2, 2019

Just sharing some revenue and endowment numbers

As the debate rages on about BC's commitment to men's basketball (and sports in general), I wanted to refresh people's knowledge of where we stand on two key figures: endowment and sports revenue.

(I am focusing on Catholic colleges, since it is one of our unique selling points and many Catholic schools have proven they can sustain winning, national basketball programs.)

Endowments

• Notre Dame -- $9.45 billion
• Boston College -- $2.31 billion
• Georgetown -- $1.66 billion
• Saint Louis -- $1.14 billion
• Holy Cross -- $1.01 billion
• Fordham -- $779 million
• Loyola-Chicago -- $750 million
• Villanova -- $711 million
• Marquette -- $668 million
• Depaul -- $595 million
• Loyola-Marymount -- $450 million
• Gonzaga -- $275 million
• Seton Hall -- $242 million
• Providence -- $213 million

Conference Revenue annual payouts

• ACC -- $26.9 million
• Big East -- $2.86 million
• West Coast Conference -- $1.8 million