[NU Sports] BB Coaching Change? (fwd)

[NEONRye at aol.com]

While it would be great to have a new venue for 'Cat Hoops, I don't really  
think that is the problem.  I have never been to Cameron Indoor Arena, but  
certainly, it is not state-of-the-art in any way, shape of form--except for (a)  
the undergraduate talent wearing the "Blue Devils" jersey, (b) the fanatic  
undergraduates in the seats, and (c) Coach "K".
 
I have been reluctant to join in this discussion, and have held back all  
season, because I think Bill Carmody is an excellent representative of NU and  
what it stands for.  However, if the goal is not only to have a "clean"  
program, but to qualify for the NCAA Tournament some time in the next  century, then 
we just have to be able to recruit better players.  We are  too slow, too 
small and too un-athletic (i.e., no "leapers").  Thus,  defensively and on the 
boards we are generally pathetic, and occasionally rise  to mediocre.   
 
I think we need to go after somebody like a Kareem Abdul Jabbar, a  
nationally-recognized figure, who also stands for academic excellence and  integrity, 
and an individual who clearly wants to become a Head Coach.  I  think Kareem 
has been mentioned before by others on the List.  Obviously,  as a legend of the 
game and a man of unquestioned principles, he should be  able to recruit 
successfully in the African-American community, which IMHO is a  sine qua non for 
significant progress with our program.   Frankly, I think we have avoided this 
issue out of a sense of political  correctness, but it is inescapable.  All 
you have to do is turn on the tube  or go to a game.  We are a predominantly 
Caucasian team in a sport in which  African-Americans have excelled, for a 
variety of reasons.  And, if  anything, that trend has intensified during the 
Carmody Era, as he has  shown some recruiting prowess in Eastern Europe, but not 
East Chicago or  Gary or St. Louis.     
 
What I am saying is that President Bienen and Mark Murphy need to think  "out 
of the box" here.  We have a virtually-unmatched record of futility in  terms 
of the NCAA Tournament.  I believe that our failure to ever make the  
Tournament is more of an embarassment than our record-setting losing streak on  the 
gridiron in the 1980's.  It's just that we have somehow flown under the  radar 
with it.  And we can't use "academics" as a crutch forever.   When I see 
Vanderbilt beat Florida, I know that the canard of "We can't recruit  basketball 
players because they don't have the grades or the SAT's" is a  lame excuse that 
has outlived its useful life.  
 
I would never say that we should take junior college transfers or players  
who can't cut it in the classroom, but by the same token, other "pseudo-Ivy"  
schools manage to hire coaches and recruit players who generate the "critical  
mass" of talent and instruction which enables them to make the Tournament.   
And I haven't heard anyone say that Vandy or Stanford or Duke have somehow  
depreciated their reputations as top-class institutions of learning by fielding  
competitive (and, in some cases, championship-caliber) hoops teams.  Why  can't 
we?  I am not asking for the "Final Four:" here; in fact, I probably  would 
be happy making the "Play-In Game".:-)  
 
Paul Levinson
 
 
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