Congrats to Phil Cunningham and Kermit Davis

[tcdog70]

Troy and MTSU are Dancing. Marcus Grant is with Phil. I have always thought Kermit should have been here instead of Rick Ray. He just wasn't sexy enough.

[smootness]

Troy and MTSU are Dancing. Marcus Grant is with Phil. I have always thought Kermit should have been here instead of Rick Ray. He just wasn't sexy enough.

I agree, congrats to them.

As to the desire to have him over Ray, I've said it before, but had we hired someone better than Ray, like Davis, they would likely still be around. Instead, we have Ben Howland. I will take Ben Howland all day every day over Kermit Davis. So can we please just be satisfied with where we are now?

[BrunswickDawg]

I agree, congrats to them.

As to the desire to have him over Ray, I've said it before, but had we hired someone better than Ray, like Davis, they would likely still be around. Instead, we have Ben Howland. I will take Ben Howland all day every day over Kermit Davis. So can we please just be satisfied with where we are now?
I don't disagree with that thought, but...

I would have liked to have seen how either Kermit or Phil could have done because they are MSU guys. I think with either of them the low wouldn't have been as bad as it was under Ray. I really would have liked to have seen what either of them could have done if Stans had left for Clemson.

[fishwater99]

Troy and MTSU are Dancing. Marcus Grant is with Phil. I have always thought Kermit should have been here instead of Rick Ray. He just wasn't sexy enough.

Kermit want the job, but wasn't given the time of day by Loafers...

[smootness]

I don't disagree with that thought, but...

I would have liked to have seen how either Kermit or Phil could have done because they are MSU guys. I think with either of them the low wouldn't have been as bad as it was under Ray. I really would have liked to have seen what either of them could have done if Stans had left for Clemson.

I don't think they would have done better than Stans.

[lamont]

I don't think they would have done better than Stans.

But you dont know for sure.

Stands finished 15-17 this year after inheriting a pretty good situation

[MarketingBully]

Kermit want the job, but wasn't given the time of day by Loafers...

Not only that but he was going to bring Butch Pierre as an associate head coach and main recruiter. They both wanted that to happen but Loafers had other ideas.

[smootness]

But you dont know for sure.

Stands finished 15-17 this year after inheriting a pretty good situation

Of course I don't know that for sure. Nothing that never happened is known for sure. But Stans had a good track record here overall, and it's difficult to see Kermit Davis or one of Stans' assistants doing better overall.

Stans is also bringing in stupid talent to WKU. They'll be good soon.

[coastdoglover]

But you dont know for sure.

Stands finished 15-17 this year after inheriting a pretty good situation

I love you coach but he had no point guard and it wasn't so good or the last guy would have still been there. Give him a break, he is gone and has the top player in Louisiana coming to western Kentucky. I am happy for Phil and Kermit. don't think either are better than Howland but Rick Ray was a farce.

[Dawg61]

Rick Ray got us out from under the cloud of never before hiring an AA coach. Everyone glosses that fact over but it's a pretty big deal. We were going to suck no matter what so I am glad we gave an AA coach a chance. Ray cleaned up the program and started a foundation for us for Howland to build with. Ray got us Q Spoon which has now gotten us N Spoon so Ray wasn't a total disaster and he sucked just enough for us to get Howland. Joe Dooley at FGCU also wanted our job and has his team in the NCAA tourney again for the second straight year. He has won 20+ games all 4 years he's been there. He and Kermit would probably of had us playing postseason basketball by now but Howland's ceiling is much higher than them. We have 10 4* players on our roster next year. That would never happen with Dooley or Kermit.

[smootness]

Rick Ray got us out from under the cloud of never before hiring an AA coach. Everyone glosses that fact over but it's a pretty big deal. We were going to suck no matter what so I am glad we gave an AA coach a chance. Ray cleaned up the program and started a foundation for us for Howland to build with. Ray got us Q Spoon which has now gotten us N Spoon so Ray wasn't a total disaster and he sucked just enough for us to get Howland. Joe Dooley at FGCU also wanted our job and has his team in the NCAA tourney again for the second straight year. He has won 20+ games all 4 years he's been there. He and Kermit would probably of had us playing postseason basketball by now but Howland's ceiling is much higher than them. We have 10 4* players on our roster next year. That would never happen with Dooley or Kermit.

61, stop being so reasonable today. It's creeping me out.

[lamont]

Rick Ray got us out from under the cloud of never before hiring an AA coach. Everyone glosses that fact over but it's a pretty big deal. We were going to suck no matter what so I am glad we gave an AA coach a chance. Ray cleaned up the program and started a foundation for us for Howland to build with. Ray got us Q Spoon which has now gotten us N Spoon so Ray wasn't a total disaster and he sucked just enough for us to get Howland. Joe Dooley at FGCU also wanted our job and has his team in the NCAA tourney again for the second straight year. He has won 20+ games all 4 years he's been there. He and Kermit would probably of had us playing postseason basketball by now but Howland's ceiling is much higher than them. We have 10 4* players on our roster next year. That would never happen with Dooley or Kermit.

I agree with most of that. It's ridiculous though how 2 of the guys Strick passed over have been really successful over the same time period. Strick channeled his inner LT

[Dawg61]

I agree with most of that. It's ridiculous though how 2 of the guys Strick passed over have been really successful over the same time period. Strick channeled his inner LT

No I believe a big reason SS hired Ray was so that we'd no longer be an SEC team in a former confederate state that has never hired a black coach in basketball before. He saw an opportunity for us to abolish that fact and be more progressive as the state's University. We were always going to suck right after Stansbury. He killed two birds with one stone by bringing in a hard nosed do it by the book AA coach that would clean up our program.

Basically he used the opportunity to do something that needed to be done at the sacrifice of some extra wins for the next couple of years. Dooley and Kermit woulda gotten us more wins but they aren't nearly as elite as Howland can be and we no longer have the stain of never hiring a black coach before attached to us.

[MarketingBully]

I agree with most of that. It's ridiculous though how 2 of the guys Strick passed over have been really successful over the same time period. Strick channeled his inner LT

Chris Collins wanted our job as well. I remember him and Joe Dooley were names that wanted it.

[MarketingBully]

No I believe a big reason SS hired Ray was so that we'd no longer be an SEC team in a former confederate state that has never hired a black coach in basketball before. He saw an opportunity for us to abolish that fact and be more progressive as the state's University. We were always going to suck right after Stansbury. He killed two birds with one stone by bringing in a hard nosed do it by the book AA coach that would clean up our program.

Basically he used the opportunity to do something that needed to be done at the sacrifice of some extra wins for the next couple of years. Dooley and Kermit woulda gotten us more wins but they aren't nearly as elite as Howland can be and we no longer have the stain of never hiring a black coach before attached to us.

Kenny Payne, Butch Pierre, and Robert Kirby all wanted the job and would have been better options then Rick Ray.

[MarketingBully]

There were about three names that Strick went after hard and then settled for Rick Ray. He struck out with Prohm first (would have been a great hire). He struck out with Drew next. (Would have been a good hire). Then he struck out with the coach at SMU. After that, he settled for Ray even though Dooley, Collins, Davis, and several other coaches were wanting the job. He really really settled for Ray. Collins, Dooley, and Davis all would have said yes right out of the gate.

[msbulldog]

Man I wish we had hired Kirby, he was Stans X's & O's man and was good at it. He was also the teams disciplinarian and after he left was when Stans started losing the team.

Kermit was our point guard and his dad was the coach when I was a freshman, never was to impressed with his play, I'm glad he's doing good.
I stopped at a service station 1 morning when I was on the way to campus and a man asked me if I could give him a ride as he had just dropped his car off for some work. When he got in the car he said I'm Kermit Davis, basketball coach and I'm like major Wow.

[Dawg61]

Kenny Payne, Butch Pierre, and Robert Kirby all wanted the job and would have been better options then Rick Ray.

Yup but a better option than Ray means no Howland so I am fine with how things went down now

[tcdog70]

Kermit and Butch would have been a good 1-2 punch. Butch had just been voted Asst Coach of the year. Next Year is the Magical Year Three for Ben. Hope it works for Us like Pitt and UCLA.

[lamont]

yep- time for Howland to produce next season.

[tcdog70]

yep- time for Howland to produce next season.

I was super fired up when we hired Ben. But the fact that Malik Newman was a bust in His system and the fact that we looked to regress as the season wore on this year kinda leaves Me scratching My Head. I'm just not as warm and fuzzy as I was. I am ready to be back as a top 3 program in the SEC

[Maroons]

But you dont know for sure.

Stands finished 15-17 this year after inheriting a pretty good situation

Good situation? Wrong. He told a family member before the season he didn't think they would be very good this year.

[lamont]

Good situation? Wrong. He told a family member before the season he didn't think they would be very good this year.

yes- good situation. They had had 1 losing in the last 16 years before Stands showed up.

[smootness]

yes- good situation. They had had 1 losing in the last 16 years before Stands showed up.

And it came 5 years ago. They were barely over .500 last year and lost a bunch. Their conference record was actually better this year. And they'll start a pretty big upswing next year.

You can believe it was the right move to fire Stans and still think he will do a good job there. Because he will.

[smootness]

Yup but a better option than Ray means no Howland so I am fine with how things went down now

Bingo

[lamont]

And it came 5 years ago. They were barely over .500 last year and lost a bunch. Their conference record was actually better this year. And they'll start a pretty big upswing next year.

You can believe it was the right move to fire Stans and still think he will do a good job there. Because he will.

I wont be surprised at all if he has some winning seasons there. It's a good basketball school

[chef dixon]

How about Rick Ray improving from 5-24 (2-14) to 15-18 (9-7). Hope he continues to improve.