Brockway: Billy D doesn't rule out coaching in NBA

[rserina]

Originally Posted by regurgigator

Unlike the football program, I think it's a legitimate concern that our basketball program could go back to a permanent lower-tier status post-Donovan.

Absolutely no doubt in my mind that it will. Facilities are improved, but alumni interest, regional fanbase, program visibility are much, much worse than befit a coach like Donovan. I don't know about "lower-tier" since we will put enough money into a new hire, but we will look far more like a Bama or Mississippi State program after he leaves. It is just the rub of being a football school in a football state and a football conference.

[jmoliver]

It was actually a great interview and good to hear Gator Sports in South Florida. The interview lasted quite a while and the question about the NBA was not that big a deal.

[Ahab]

Originally Posted by rserina

Absolutely no doubt in my mind that it will. Facilities are improved, but alumni interest, regional fanbase, program visibility are much, much worse than befit a coach like Donovan. I don't know about "lower-tier" since we will put enough money into a new hire, but we will look far more like a Bama or Mississippi State program after he leaves. It is just the rub of being a football school in a football state and a football conference.

I think the UF job will have better candidates interested than the Alabama/Miss St level. Hopefully Foley is still here which would be a big key for coaches. And our roster should still have more talent whenever Billy leaves.

I'm still disappointed that UF fans haven't embraced basketball as much as Billy deserves but it's not a natural draw for north Florida.

[Gator8239]

I think one important aspect of why UF can stay at a high level post Billy is the improved instate talent. Florida used to be a huge football hot bed but produce relatively little basketball talent. While basketball recruiting is much more national, it is always nice to have 5-6 highly rated kids in state every year. In just the last couple years we have gotten Calathes, Parson, Green, Boynton, Wilbekin, Young, and two top 10 players this year. We narrowly missed Austin Rivers and Brandon Knight also. I think it is making a difference.

[channingcrowderhungry]

Billy for AD!

[born2beagator]

I don't think he will leave for the NBA. Remember, he took the orlando job and turned around and came back

[Go2gtr]

Billy's run here has been hall-of-fame type. We have been just plain lucky to have him. It would not have happened otherwise.

I don't even want to think about the program without him, although I know it will happen one day.

Why dwell on it? He's here and we're rolling.

[regurgigator]

Originally Posted by rserina

Absolutely no doubt in my mind that it will. Facilities are improved, but alumni interest, regional fanbase, program visibility are much, much worse than befit a coach like Donovan. I don't know about "lower-tier" since we will put enough money into a new hire, but we will look far more like a Bama or Mississippi State program after he leaves. It is just the rub of being a football school in a football state and a football conference.

Yeah. By "lower" I just meant something lower than where we are now - which in both recruiting and achievement on the court has been in the highest tier possible (top half dozen or so schools in the nation) since Donovan got here.

Even if we don't get "another Donovan" we'll still field some respectable teams. We just probably won't get near as many McDonald AA's and/or national profile recruits. I'd say we could stay in the very respectable level of, say, Tennessee under Pearl - or UF under Kruger.

[Go2gtr]

Ironically, Billy made his mark without Mickey Ds with the 04s (outside of the Mike Miller recruitment out from under Roy Boy). Only Corey was one and he was not wanted by KY,

[gatorbogey]

i know i've probably spent equally between gator hoops and gator football in the last decade. probably have attended more gator basketball games too in that span. when i look around to other gator fans i know - at work etc, they, no doubt, follow football more - except during march madness/ncaa's. i think that's when they turn their attention, full bore, to gator hoops. i wonder if others have the same observations. does the tourney make the regular season a bit less of a focus for the 'casual' gator fan? that's probably a factor.

of course, i'm thinking if, say, bama had donovan - they'd probably fill their arena nightly for games. just guessin'. but i'm betting they'd have a few fools in their group that would want to run off BD, too, for not making the ncaa's a while back .

[Go2gtr]

^
It's not the tourney that makes the regular season less of a focus for casual fans. It's the other way around. People who don't care about basketball and don't appreciate the sport don't go to the games for that reason, simple indifference. The tournament just sweeps them up in the excitement.

True basketball fans would wait two hours in the rain just to watch them practice.

It is pervasive among SEC football fans that only football has relevance. It's not their fault because they have had football drilled into their heads exclusively their whole lives, but it is their loss.

I know for a fact there is room enough inside of you to be passionate about both sports.

[FranceGator]

Originally Posted by Go2gtr

^
It is pervasive among SEC football fans that only football has relevance. It's not their fault because they have had football drilled into their heads exclusively their whole lives, but it is their loss.

I know for a fact there is room enough inside of you to be passionate about both sports.

After Mandy wins a national championship for UF this year, we'll be known as a women's lacrosse school.

Born as a Gator football fan, chose to be a Gator basketball fan, but what I really want more than anything in 2013 is...for UF to shove a stick down the nose of Gary Gait (Syracuse women's coach) on a scorching run through the women's lacrosse season. I'll take victories but I'm hoping for desolation.

If you haven't seen women's lacrosse, try watching a game this spring on Gatorvision.

[PSGator66]

Donovan is the all around best coach UF has ever had in all sports!

[UFco2001]

Originally Posted by Go2gtr

It is pervasive among SEC football fans that only football has relevance. It's not their fault because they have had football drilled into their heads exclusively their whole lives, but it is their loss.

I know for a fact there is room enough inside of you to be passionate about both sports.

Excellent post, totally agree. That's the way it is at almost every SEC school. rseina's exactly right...we've been playing with house money for YEARS with Billy, and I don't like to think about him leaving at all (even though it certainly could happen, and I'd be happy for him) because I've gotten selfish/greedy about UF hoops. It's likely that without Billy we'd become an Oklahoma State-type of basketball program that is often good, often ranked, but often not. And it's very possible at that point that we'd have seen our last Gator basketball team that is capable of truly competing for a national championship. I don't like the thought of having to give that up, as a rooting interest, but it's a quite-real possibility.

All the more reason to acknowledge Billy as the best coach in UF history, and one of the greatest in the history of college sports. As I often ask, when was the last time any OTHER college hoops coach won it all at a "football school" or the last time a college football coach won it all at a "basketball school". Arkansas '94? Well, Billy's done it twice, and competed at the highest level for more years with more different groups of players, AND it's a tougher environment out there now than it was 20 years ago.

[dailydoublecat]

I just hope if Billy gets an inkling of wanting to leave he listens to Pitino. You dont mess with happiness---

Jeff

[CAGator93]

The NBA is a meat grinder, chew you up and spit you out league. I don't understand why anyone would want that over a good college gig where you can be a legend.

I hope Billy stays until he retires and we name the court after him and be able to give him a farewell tour or something along those lines since we weren't able to do that with our other coaching legend.

[MJGator8104]

Originally Posted by dailydoublecat

I just hope if Billy gets an inkling of wanting to leave he listens to Pitino. You dont mess with happiness---

Jeff

He's already proven to not always listen to Pitino or he wouldn't have come to UF in the first place...

[qwghlmgator]

Don't think Billy will trade the irritations of college ball for the show for one big reason: virtually no control over a constantly churning roster. Unless he lands in LA he'll be at the mercy of a GM who is constantily rebuilding the roster. And not because they want to...that's life in the NBA. And it's getting worse as "Money Ball" approach comes to the NBA. There was a great article in last week's SI about Houston GM Daryl Morey and everything he's had to do over the last five years to try and put together a mid-market winner. It's insane.

Money Ballsy:Rockets G. M. Daryl Morey Takes a More Analytic View Than Other NBA Execs - And He'll Risk Everything to Back it Up

I just don't think that's what Billy's about in the end. I think he really loves building the teams and then going out and beating people with them on the floor. No Dwight Howards in Gainesville.

And on a side note, Chandler is exactly the kind of player Morey loves. But that likely makes him exactly the kind of guy he'll ultimately have to move...too much value in trade vs. re-sign.

[Ahab]

How is the money ball approach to the NBA a bad thing? I understand some moves can put pressure on a coach trying to win games but ultimately it should lead to more success.

[GatorRade]

For all those that doubt Billy would consider leaving for the NBA, I think you need to be ready to be surprised, if only for one reason: He already did. I recognize that he came back, but remember, so did Spurrier.

There are a lot of intriguing and novel aspects of coaching in the NBA, and if and whenever Billy feels like it's time to make to that kind of change, I hope he does. I certainly don't want him sticking around here for me.