COY: Skinner v. Thompson

[GPHoya]

Set aside your biases towards Benedict Arnold U and imagine that the shoe were on the other foot. One coach is undefeated with a team picked 5th in the conference and no highly rated recruits to be seen in the program. His team wins a ton of close games. All of his players improve and they all play together.

Turnaround stories are great and clearly both coaches have led teams that have far exceeded expectations. On balance, I like to recognize people who finish at the top, not near the top. I suspect that JT III will not feel that he has accomplished anything important until we win the conference even though it is plain to me that he has already accomplished a great deal. This is the logic that makes Belichick the Coach of the Year and not the guy who blows play-off games to the Jets in San Diego.

If the vote were today and I were obligated to call it straight, Skinner would be my Big East COY and Bruce Weber at Illinois would be my national COY. If BC drops to second place during the regular season and then fails to win the Big East Tournament and the Hoyas make the dance, then I would vote for JT III. Bear in mind, I am not talking about what will happen as I suspect that BC's abandonment will cost Skinner votes, but what should happen as things stand now.

[DanMcQ]

Trying to apply logic to a process that does not use it.

[GPHoya]

That is the kind of high quality response that leaves me dismayed by the Moderator's intellectual slothitude.

You will have to figure out for yourself whether I am kidding which revives that whole slothitude concern.

[Frank Black]

So what you are saying, GP, is that you are a big fan of lying, back-stabbing traitors? Hey, to each his own.

[DanMcQ]

GPHoya said:

That is the kind of high quality response that leaves me dismayed by the Moderator's intellectual slothitude.

You will have to figure out for yourself whether I am kidding which revives that whole slothitude concern.

I knew slothitude would be a valuable word some day. Wonder if it's even in the dictionary?

My aim is to garner one new entry into Webster's annually.

Of course Skinner should be COY. But he won't be if they don't win the league.

Frankly, III has had the more difficult task and has made fools out of those of us, including Pops, who said his cupboard was bare.

[JohnnyJones]

What Skinner has done at BC this year is surely impressive, but what JTIII is doing at GU this year is more than that. It is, quite frankly, hard to believe. Georgetown's turnaround this year is, in my view, more a product of the new head coach than BC's improvement this year is a result of Skinner's efforts. BC has talent. Skinner has surely fostered his players improvement and production and molded a great team, but let's be honest, the HS rating services simply got it wrong on some of these guys. They have talent (e.g., C. Smith).It is a close call, but I would give the edge to JT III at this point. If BC goes undefeated, Skinner will win, but if they don't and we get 10+ conference wins, it should go to JT III.

[lichoya68]

WELL FOLKS LET ME BE BOLD HOW ABOUT WE MEET AND BEAT THE BC TRAITORS IN THE BIG EAST AND SEND THEM PACKING TO THE ACC REMEMBER WE WERE PICKED BY ALMOST ALL TO BE 11TH IN THE BIG EAST... OUR RERUITS HAD NO IMPACT NATIONAL PLAYER OR BIG EAST MAJOR IMPACT PLAYER AND I KNOW ITS EARLY BUT EVEN TV WILL HAVE TO PUT US ON INSTEAD OF ARMY NAVY ON CBS NATIONAL IM PATRIOTIC BUT NOONE REALLY BELIEVES YET BUT KEEP WINNING AND THEYLL HAVE TO AL SKINNER AND ALL.. GO HOYAS BEAT WEST VA.. AND THEN MAYBE JUST MAYBE WE WILL MEET THE BC EAGLES MANO E MANO BIG EAST BE THERE WIN ONE BY ONE AND THIS WILL BE SOMETHING SPECIAL ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Frank Black]

Wow, is that Latin?

[lichoya68]

na just spainglish or something like that go hoyas

[TBird41]

Frank said:

Wow, is that Latin?

It's lic. They're actually offering intensive lic next year at GTown-it fulfills the language requirement and everything.

[GPHoya]

"So what you are saying, GP, is that you are a big fan of lying, back-stabbing traitors? Hey, to each his own." Frank Black

Frank:

You grasped my point precisely and it wasn't even in Greek.

JJ:

Doesn't Skinner get credit for finding and recruiting the players to achieve this level of success in a weak college basketball market at a school where basketball is a minor sport? The program he inherited six years ago was in worse shape and with a much weaker tradition than what III stepped into and Skinner has already won one Big East Tournament. On top of that he is still unsung by everyone but Ted Sarandis.BC's own fans expect him to be in over his head in the ACC next year and have no idea what a gem they have.

That said, I agree that I am more surprised by what III has accomplished with the Hoyas this year than with what BC has done (except for the flukey undefeated part of it-which will not last).

[JohnnyJones]

What I failed to mention in my response was that I find myself unable to set aside my biases.

[DanMcQ]

JohnnyJones said:

What I failed to mention in my response was that I find myself unable to set aside my biases.

Laying aside biases, if you judge this race on which one will have done the most for his team and for the BIG EAST (assuming current form holds of course), then it isn't even close: III wins hands down.

[SirSaxa]

DanMcQ said:

I knew slothitude would be a valuable word some day. Wonder if it's even in the dictionary?

.

If you simply mean it as a noun, sloth is quite adequate.

If you are somehow trying to indicate an slothful attitude, then your word would be about as effective as say, "dunkasaurs" - -which is to say, quite useful.

[NJHoya95]

My understanding is that the BE coaches vote for COY. I wonder whether the remaining coaches will take it out on Skinner because of BC's defection. I bet they would not make it personal because everyone likes and respects Skinner.

Still, lets see how BC does after going to ND this week.

Also, has JT3 established enough friendships with the current BE coaches to get their votes?

[aggypryd]

If Boston College finishes first in the league, then Skinner has to get it...

I'd give national COY to him over the Illini's coach because of the expectations on BC at the beginning of the year...

[GUHoya07]

If you look at it based on preseason expectations and how many spots the respective coaches have moved their teams up the ladder in the standings then JT III deserves it.

I mean, BC was in the top 5 and the top 5 or so are almost always in contention for the league title. However, for a team that was expected to finish 11th to currently be in 3rd and battling for a very high finish is truly incredible.

JT III

[aggypryd]

GUHoya2007 said:

I mean, BC was in the top 5 and the top 5 or so are almost always in contention for the league title. However, for a team that was expected to finish 11th to currently be in 3rd and battling for a very high finish is truly incredible.

JT III

true indeed...

both coaches have pulled off some magic this season...

Hope our boys don't start reading their press-clippings and just keep on workin' and playin' hard...

[lichoya68]

about the comment about bc going to nd WE WANT BC TO WIN FOLKS EVEN THO WE HATE THE TRAITORS JUST LIKE WE WANT THE CUSE TO BEAT UCONN BECAUSE ITS ALL ABOUT THE TOP FIVE THEY WIN AND THEY HELP US KEEP ND AND UCONN BELOW US IN THE STANDINGS CABESH UNDERSTAND LATIN OR ITALIAN OR WHATEVER ie. they keep them the nds and novas and pitts and uconns below us they keep us in the top five for the tourney thats huge DONT PLAY WE NO TEAM HAS EVER WON THE TOURNEY PLAYING WED GOT IT/ need to be in that top five and then miracles can happen go hoyas beat west va if we win the big est tourney and the ncaas then i think jt3 might get coach of the world anything is possible one at a time and root for the cuse and bc ouch it hurts to say but go bc at least vs nd go hoyas