Here…we…go!! (7:15pm update)

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We hope that you have noticed the cautious manner with which we have ‘covered’ the current NC State Basketball coaching situation.

Quite frankly, there hasn’t been anything to really ‘cover’ yet, and we are not just going to write a lot of nonesense just for the sake of writing.  We are not going to pass off speculation as “inside information.”  This is in contrast to other websites that may look to exploit the current situation to generate pageviews and premium memberships.

Despite what oblivious media members may say, I am stepping out on a limb and predicting that NC State will have a coach in place before next weekend.

As ‘ushum’ said on our message boards:

things are starting to heat up for real now, this week is going to be a blast…everything before now was just qualifying, this week is the daytona 500..

Ushum is correct.  Everything we know points to the fact that almost all of the quote-unquote “information” out in the public arena up through yesterday has been bullshit — tales told by message board idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.  Likely much of this “information” has been put out (or has been allowed to stay out) for the purpose of misdirection.

SFN has learned that State committed early on to give interviews to certain coaches (2 big-name coaches in particular), and those interviews had not been able to happen as of yesterday.  Until those interviews happened, the process could not begin to unfold.  However, given the way the games have played out this weekend, the process can now begin to develop, and we expect it to develop very quickly. (Understand that when I say “interview,” the contacts may not take the form of traditional sit-down meetings.)

So, now that everything can begin, let’s take a look at what is going on this morning.  These items were posted as Tweets on the Sports Illustrated website this morning

@LakeRosenberg Ben considered DePaul last year. He would absolutely consider Texas.
about 5 hours ago

@goodmanonfox @GottliebShow Here’s a list of folks who would consider Texas: Everybody except K , Roy and Self.
about 5 hours ago

Hmmm.  Why would there be such specific speculation about the Texas job, and why just now?  Expect a lot more of this type of information to be flying around in the next couple days.  Much of it will require a lot more analysis than the “traditional local media” can give — they tend to jump on the hot name de jour and write endlessly about that one guy until the next name pops up, when they switch to writing about him.  The situation is much more complex than that.

Stay tuned to SFN as we try to make sense and explain the information as it develops over the next week (or less).

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***4:00 Update***
Some very recent tweets highlight the new direction and pace of this story — as we expected.  Here is the most notable.

Tim Brando’s Twitter has this:

On the ground at home and hearing some rumblings about a potential knockout hire at NCST.Unlike the last search this one not as public.Smart 30 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone

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***6:00 Update***
From SFN: I just noticed that a lot of people are reading/interpreting our original comments as some kind of a nod to Rick Barnes. Please allow me to be more clear — that is NOT our intent. Our previous comments were designed to explain that the first two weeks of NCAA Tournament play served almost as ‘gating’ items for our search — not to focus on Barnes.

Brando’s tweet refers to a rumor that has been out there for a while about a HOME RUN NAME that has been discretely kept on the down-low. That jives exactly with our point that things get started in earnest NOW.

Ultimately, we expect NC State will either nail one of three BIG NAMES in the next week…or we will end up on “List Two”. The morons that have been reporting that NC State was already on some kind of second list (with names like Shaka Smart and others) just shows how much they know — nada.

***7:15 Update***
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that (supposed) possible N.C. State target Chris Mooney has signed a 10-year extension with Richmond (AJC.com link). Scratch him off the list of potential B-list candidates.

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LINK TO MESSAGE FORUMS where conversation and information flow in various threads.

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181 Responses to Here…we…go!! (7:15pm update)

  1. LRM 03/27/2011 at 4:03 PM #

    ^That was my take as well. Agree.

  2. Thompson44 03/27/2011 at 4:12 PM #

    Say what you want but I want Shaka Smart as the next Coach of the Wolfpack..

  3. packalum44 03/27/2011 at 4:12 PM #

    Smart and VCU headed to Houston. Butler vs. VCU championship anyone?

  4. pnasty21 03/27/2011 at 4:18 PM #

    I just heard it’s Rick Barnes…

  5. Old MacDonald 03/27/2011 at 4:18 PM #

    ^ Butler and VCU play each other in the national semis.

  6. Wufpacker 03/27/2011 at 4:20 PM #

    good thing for Carolina’s sake (assuming they make it past UK)

  7. Thompson44 03/27/2011 at 4:21 PM #

    pnasty21

    Where did you hear that? I would rather have Shaka Smart he just took VCU to the Final Four, where is Barnes and Texas? Also how did the Skeen kid get out of the State of NC?

  8. JeremyH 03/27/2011 at 4:22 PM #

    why then did Tim Brando spell smart with a capital S????!!!

  9. hickoryhound 03/27/2011 at 4:24 PM #

    It would mean a lot to my hometown if Rick Barnes decides to come home to his him state. I am not one to sit around and badmouth other candidates, because I believe that is tawdry. Of course, I believe that these mid majors are big time gambles. Of course, they have more upside, but they also have the ability to leave State as a run of the mill basketball entity, which is where we are now.

    There are no guarantees that Rick Barnes can bring home a National Championship, but I will guarantee that 20 regular season wins would become the norm and that is a great platform to build from. How long has it been since State had 20 regular season wins and being a top 25 team as a baseline? How many others give you that confidence?

    I also think that Rick could use a change of scenery. I can just envision him on State’s sideline. I think there are things that Barnes can do for State and I think there are things that State can do for Barnes. I can just see him in that Red Jacket. In my mind he fits and I hope this does happen.

    Rick Barnes: NC State and Hickory need you to come home

  10. motorhead 03/27/2011 at 4:24 PM #

    Because it was after a period?

  11. newt 03/27/2011 at 4:25 PM #

    If it turns out we have been talking to Barnes, you have to think that David Glenn was intentionally fed misinformation to stop the talk that was beginning to build.

  12. LRM 03/27/2011 at 4:25 PM #

    “Also how did the Skeen kid get out of the State of NC?”

    Because he transferred from Wake Forest after his sophomore year.

  13. tvopack 03/27/2011 at 4:28 PM #

    In other previous threads where people were saying how Smart inherent talents from the previous coach but can you match the coaching? Look at how much talents the other teams have that VCU had beaten. Shaka is amazing!

  14. quypack93 03/27/2011 at 4:31 PM #

    Hickory,

    HHS class of ’88 here:-)). I am an up and coming young coaches type of guy. But, if we can get RB, I will be happy as heck for all the reasons you stated. Just don’t want to go from one name coach after another as if they are on some police line up. Other than RB, Shaka is my guy. His team just play awesome basketball. I expect them to lose today but Self and KU just prove Obama wrong;-)).

  15. Thompson44 03/27/2011 at 4:31 PM #

    Thanks LRM if I would have waited I would have learned that in the post game interview…..I still want Smart as our Coach he is young and energetic just like Valvano was when he arrived.

  16. PackMan97 03/27/2011 at 4:33 PM #

    Just remember…a guy who has a miracle run to the final four could be this years Paul Hewitt….just saying 🙂

  17. pack1910 03/27/2011 at 4:33 PM #

    I asked this on the forum thread as well, but does anyone else think we may be in a position where if RB or one of our other “A-listers” is available, we won’t be able to wait for Smart to finish his season?

  18. TOBtime 03/27/2011 at 4:39 PM #

    Who became available this weekend? Billy the kid and Sean Miller. Both A-list. Both knockout, home run hires.

    We shall see.

  19. leewolf 03/27/2011 at 4:41 PM #

    A lot of folks wrongly assume because it is Texas that they have always been good at basketball. It is just not the case. Barnes has been their most successful coach in the school’s history:

    – 2003 Final Four was one of only three in school history. The other two were in the 1940’s
    – 3 of Texas’s seven Elite Eight appearances. Of the four that were not under Barnes, three were pre-1950
    – 5 of Texas’s 13 Sweet 16 appearances
    – 13 of Texas’s 29 NCAA appearances. In other words, just shy of half of the all of the Big Dance appearances at Texas came under Barnes
    – Texas won a good number of SWC regular season crowns, but that league was hardly as formidable as the Big XII. Barnes has 3 regular season titles.

    The only major knock in my mind is his lack of Big XII tournament championships.

    He has made Texas a Top 20 basketball program. Before that they were pretty mediocre with the occasional flash pretty good season. His age is obviously a factor…but Barnes is nothing short of a great coach.

  20. Radman 03/27/2011 at 4:46 PM #

    Barnes would be a good choice but would be third on my list behind Donovan and Miller. Donovan is a no-brainer first choice if you can get him. Miller is a rising star with a great future ahead of him.

    I would rather go with a rising star mid-major over an average high major coach.

  21. hellfishtat 03/27/2011 at 4:47 PM #

    For the love of God, please don’t make it Rick Barnes. He left the ACC because he couldn’t compete with Dean and K. Do you guys REALLY think he’s going to do any better against Roy and K? I don’t have any numbers, but I’m 48yrs old and I don’t remember him doing any better against Dook and UNC than our previous two coaches.

    Too old. NCSU needs someone NEW.

  22. wallacepark 03/27/2011 at 4:48 PM #

    Shaka Smart can flat out coach. I don’t want to let this guy get away like we let Sean Miller get away 5 years ago.

  23. Wufpacker 03/27/2011 at 4:49 PM #

    ^^ Agreed, but only because of his age.

  24. BJD95 03/27/2011 at 4:49 PM #

    It’s a lead pipe cinch that the national final will be good vs evil. Fun!!

    Anybody who would take Shaka Smart over the coaches actually in play for us this week needs their head examined.

  25. quypack93 03/27/2011 at 4:50 PM #

    Donovan? Would you leave a place that you won back-to-back NC’s at? Hey, while you are at it, add K, Roy, and Self on your list. Remember Donovan said no to Kentucky? May be not.

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