Herb Probably Got this Guy Fired

Poor Ben Braun. There may be one coach in all of college basketball whose personality is less vibrant than Braun’s; but that one coach may the one who ultimately gets the California Head Coach fired.

Braun

Check out this link that discusses Cal’s 41-42 loss this weekend to (previously) 1-14 Arizona State. You read that correctly. 41-42. In a college basketball game. In a major conference, In 2007. With the shot clock. And three point line.

After losing to Arizona State 42-41 Saturday, Cal is the No. 8 seed in the Pac-10 Tournament and will likely need to win three games just to make the NIT. Those mere 41 points, yep, lowest output since 1988. Hell, the football team put up more than that on multiple occasions.

The Bears have lost 10 of 12 and that man pictured? Yeah, Ben Braun’s chair might be getting warm. He has one of the longer tenures in the Pac-10, but he really hasn’t done much at Cal, and while injuries have decimated the Bears this year, to lose to Arizona State at home?! Friggin’ Arizona State?!

In fact, the ‘big’ ASU win moved the Sun Devils out of the cellar of one guy’s power ratings.

If you remember, Herb Sendek’s NC State Wolfpack eliminated the Cal Bears from the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament. For some fun, you can review the entry from last year’s NC State win.

Herb

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General NCS Basketball

128 Responses to Herb Probably Got this Guy Fired

  1. lush 03/06/2007 at 4:44 PM #

    “you make a statement that Herb ran off his players then can’t back it up.”

    why should i have to back this up? what other reason is there? there has been at least 1, usually more than 1, player every single year of herbs tenure that has transfered or left early. im suggesting that this had something to do with herb. id say its a pretty fair suggestion that the HEAD freakin coach had something to do with not being able to keep HIS players at HIS program.

    some of them were highly regarded some not so much, but all of them could see what cedar obviously cannot.

  2. Gene 03/06/2007 at 4:47 PM #

    said he would never come back and play for Herb again

    I have heard from people, who have more contact with the AD than I do, players were not happy with Sendek, after the way the season ended, and some would not return.

    I have no hard cold facts to back this up, other than people saying “I heard so-and-so say he wasn’t coming back”. Take from this what you will.

    After the UNC debacle, Herb lost the team, lost the fanbase and had to go.

    I just don’t understand why (1) we still have to debate his tenure here, since no one is going to change anyone elses opinion of Herb’s 10 years at NCSU and (2) why people wish him ill. I don’t try to wish anyone ill, ever, so it just doesn’t make sense to me.

  3. cedarblockhead 03/06/2007 at 4:48 PM #

    “Nah, the good was sheer Herb Sendek skill.”

    You are finally getting it. If Herb was not as hampered as he was here he would have done even more. Bank on it.

    Herb did not need a point guard. The brilliance of his offense was that everyone was a PG. That was what made it work so well. Anyone that knows anything about basketball could see that.

    You boys are not right
    Herb was very bright

    Your complaining is a sin
    All Herb did was win

  4. Wulfpack 03/06/2007 at 4:51 PM #

    ^I agree that Herb had difficulty keeping players that could not fit into his very rigid, very calculated system. Herb required that players be accountable on the floor. He demanded they run a system. In other words, it took brains to play for Herb. That is precisely why so many coaches dislike playing his teams, b/c they are very difficult to prepare for. Paul Hewitt is a prime example of a coach who on several occasions mentioned that NCSU ran its offense to perfection. That does not mean we scored 90 points a game. Far from it. What it does mean is five guys worked very well with one another on the floor. It means they shared the ball and dictated the pace of play. That is why Herb was successful.

  5. redfred2 03/06/2007 at 4:52 PM #

    I’ve said it before, Andrew Brackman WOULD be playing basketball right now if he had been growing, evolving, and enjoying basketball in the past years. People can argue all they want, but I believe that.

  6. 94MEGrad 03/06/2007 at 4:54 PM #

    ShootingGuard,

    Are you a former NCSU player or just someone with close ties to the players? If you would rather not say, I understand.

  7. lush 03/06/2007 at 4:57 PM #

    gene:

    as much as i cannot stand herb’s basketball philosophy and or “ability” as a coach, i do appreciate the off the court improvements which are obvious.

    that being said, i dont think that we should give him a pass, or let him get away with weak, mediocre performance on the court just b/c he is keeping the program clean. there isnt a rule book that says that you have to have one or the other, it is possible to have both, and hopefully with c-lowe we will find that balance.

  8. redfred2 03/06/2007 at 4:58 PM #

    “Herb required that players be accountable on the floor.”

    Um, accountable yes, but to his standards and the standards of his system. That does not at all mean that he was good for those individuals or that his standards suited any of those kids or their natural talents.

  9. Mr O 03/06/2007 at 4:58 PM #

    Glad I missed this one. 🙂

  10. redfred2 03/06/2007 at 5:07 PM #

    Oh, c’mon now O.

    You know you want to say something.

  11. lush 03/06/2007 at 5:09 PM #

    one last thing, i dont have ill will torwards herb, i could care less what happens at asu, im just glad hes not our coach anymore.

    i agree with another post above, hsss, specifically some tree, is the reason that all of ill will towards herb comes out, fair or not, thats what happens.

  12. redfred2 03/06/2007 at 5:12 PM #

    Can we block off a day or two a week where the name ” ” is unmentionable and severe penalties reign down on those parties quilty of any reference thereof. I really need to get some work done.

  13. cedarblockhead 03/06/2007 at 5:12 PM #

    You just hate him because you are jealous of his success.

  14. packbackr04 03/06/2007 at 5:23 PM #

    IVE said this before, but wll repeat it as it seems to fit here….

    If herb did nothing else. he divided the fan base. like it or not…. it is good that he is gone and we can all stand united once again. lets just drop it. can anyone say JJ Hickson?

  15. packbackr04 03/06/2007 at 5:25 PM #

    its gonna be like watching an AND1 team next year…..

    SPIDAH!!!!!!!! .. HOT SAUCE!!!!!!!!!!!

  16. Gene 03/06/2007 at 5:25 PM #

    that being said, i dont think that we should give him a pass

    When have I or pretty much any other NCSU alum posted anything other than “I’m glad he’s gone”, with regards to Herb’s resignation from as our headcoach. No one was happy with the way last season ended and realized a change had to be made.

    The issue is whether to think Herb had a positive impact on NCSU’s basketball program, no impact or a negative impact on our basketball program.

    I think everyone has their opinion and no one will change it.

  17. packbackr04 03/06/2007 at 5:25 PM #

    finally, athletes instead of robots

  18. cedarblockhead 03/06/2007 at 5:26 PM #

    Everyone has their own opinion but mine is the right one.
    Herb Rulzzz.

  19. GAWolf 03/06/2007 at 5:51 PM #

    The funny thing about Herb is that his “off the court improvements” are mythical. His graduation rates, IIRC, were lower half of the league (partly due to attrition), and in my eyes he had plenty of thug players that embarrassed the team off the court. Some of which were perpetual visitors to the Wake County Courthouse…. wait… ARE perpetual visitors to the Wake County Courthouse.

  20. redfred2 03/06/2007 at 6:00 PM #

    wulfpack

    I’ll grant you the “FIVE CONSECUTIVE NCAA TOURNAMENTS. FIVE.”

    But since the tournament doubled the size of it’s field from 32 to 64 teams in seven years, 1978 to 1985, I do not see that it has any relevancy to the NC State’s past. Maryland didn’t even go in 1974.

    The ACC, a twelve team conference, may have EIGHT TEAMS, EIGHT, in the NCAA tournament field this season. If you think those FIVE big NCAA tournament bids into the fields of 64/65 teams remotely relate to anything before V’s last five years, or Les Robinson’s stiffled stint, please let me know.

  21. gopack968 03/06/2007 at 6:39 PM #

    Shooting Guard – Good response and discussion. Lots to chew on.

    As for the rest… Herb is gone.

  22. Astral Rain 03/06/2007 at 6:40 PM #

    When is 7-9 top of the league? Wasn’t his best ACC record ever 10-6?

  23. dj9686 03/06/2007 at 10:53 PM #

    Cedargrovewolf, I don’t know if this has been addressed but I don’t believe Sid played for Norm. He was recruited by him but Sloan went to Florida before Sid, Whittenberg and Thurl came in.

  24. dj9686 03/06/2007 at 11:01 PM #

    I’ve got to admit, my favorite moment with Herb was when he told Damien and his family to hit the highway. That is when I started liking Herb. They were like 12-15 that year… the year died on a bad charge in Maryland against Thornton … But after that he never missed the NCAA’s again. But… we are much better off with Sidney. I am so excited and was sick of watching those 52-50 games even when we won. They were painful.

  25. Pack Laddie 03/07/2007 at 8:54 AM #

    dj—Sid, Whit and Bailey did play their freshman year for Sloan, prior to him leaving for UF. Season ended with a loss to Iowa in the NCAAs in Greensboro.

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