I'm sure some have already seen this, but for now Fox is still in Nevada.
Report: Cal hires former Stanford coach Montgomery to take over program
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — California reportedly has turned to its biggest rival to find its new basketball coach, agreeing in principle Friday with former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery on a contract to replace the fired Ben Braun.
ESPN.com was first to report the news, citing an unidentified source with knowledge of the negotiations. School spokesman John Sudsbury declined to comment and athletic director Sandy Barbour did not immediately return an e-mail seeking comment.
Montgomery, who spent 18 years with the Cardinal, has been out of coaching since August 2006 when he was let go after two seasons in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors. He has announced college games and been an assistant athletic director at Stanford while still collecting money from the final two years of his contract with Golden State.
Braun was fired last week after 12 seasons as coach when the Bears missed the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in five years.
I think Fox has a good thing going at Nevada and looking ahead, I believe Nevada will be the team to beat in the WAC next year with a loaded backcourt even with Mcgee leaving.There are no doubt college jobs that will continue to pursue Fox. I haven't seen anything linking Fox to the Okla. State job, but who knows, Reggie didn't leave until the summer.
I can't fault Mcgee leaving if he's projected in the first or second round, but could you imagine how much better he would be from his sophomore to junior season. While he certainly has the size there were aspects to his game that could be polished during his junior season, while helping his team get back to the NCAA's and perhaps advancing. He also needs to get stronger, which he would either in the NBA or in college, but he could so while playing in college rather than on a NBA bench.
I apologize for the lull on the blog, but I had to take a leave of abscence following the season. Coach Menzies is in San Antonio through the Final Four, so look for a couple of recruiting stories next week as the regular signing period begins on April 16.
16 comments:
Fox staying is bad news for Menzies and NMSU mens hoops. Fox may be the most annoying coach in the WAC, but he sure can recruit AND coach; unlike our own HC.
Anyone see the last MM show of the season? Kyle Doperalski is so far up MM's butt its not even funny. He was complimenting MM's first season by comparing it to RT's first season, strictly in terms of Ws and Ls. Guess he conveniently forgot RT inherited an absolute disaster, left MM with a gem, yet Menso failed to even make the NIT in a season where the WAC's RPI was ranked 20th. MM's first season should be rated mediocre at best by his supporters, yet Doperalski heeps nothing but praise on "his boy". To those of us who realisticly had high expectations, the season was a failure.
-Aggie Glare
Mr Groves
Keep up the great work! Can't wait to hear the stories on what players we are looking to bring in.
Glare- ALL season long you constantly ripped on MM without any perspective or context. I don't know why you continuously rip him, but at this point it seems personal. Menzies did a great job considering all the BS he encountered. You call it a "gem"...but Menzies never had a solid chance of polishing the gem, because of all the crap that was layered upon it. Sorry man, but you come off as a dolt. Menzies gets a solid B in my book. And he'll be a great coach and recruiter that will stomp Fox and his pack into the ground.
I agree w/ Aggie Glare.
Reggie inherited a SIX win team and got the most out of his team
Menso inherited a 25 win team and the most talented team in the WAC and did not have a a winning record till mid-February and NO post season play.
There are rumors that kids are trying to transfer.
With Reggie, we had kids sitting out a year to play for NMSU.
I'm really worried about the direction of the team w/ Marvin Menso at the helm!!
El Hombre
Rumors are rumors lets see where it all falls in the the end. RT is not walking back into the Pan AM center anytime soon so let that past be the past. Also RT had a didn't have all the off court issues that MM had. Clearing house, grades, DUI's, Indecent exposure!!!
What have we don't have a another solid recruiting class that was sitting out this year? Open your eyes people. We had no PG, and some players with bad attitudes. Players that RT recruited. Menzies recruit, McKines, consistently had the best attitude of the freshmen. Like I said, no context or perspective.
El Hombre is the man!
I get really ticked off thinking of what could of been had Reggie stayed another year, instead of having this clown of a coach!
He inherited a lot and did nothing except frustrate the fan base to the point where we could only get 6k fans into the PAC.
Yup, good ol' Las Cruces. Lets blame the coach for EVERYTHING. I can't stand the attitude of the fans. He frustrated them to the point where we only got 6k in the PAC. What a load of BS. Attendance was poor at the beginning of the season, when there was still many unknowns. I get mad at people calling out the fans, but I guess I should get real; the fan base is pathetic, and will look for any reason to drop support and gripe instead.
Wow, sounds like I've offended three MM supporters. Or is that one supporter writing multiple posts. Hmmm, I'd say the later. And I agree MM dealt with more off-court issues than RT. But you also have to look at ALL the facts. In 2007, the WAC's RPI was ranked #9 and WAC teams had an average RPI of 131. In 2008, the ranking dropped to #20 with an average RPI of 192. The WAC was clearly more competitive in 07 than 08, making MM's 08 performance all the more disappointing.
While I agree I've ripped on MM all season, I back up ALL my opinions with facts. Frankly, MM seems like a really nice guy (which may be part of the problem, but that admittedly is speculation on my part), I'm just dissapointed in his first year and am tired of the tunnel-vision excuses. Based on the drop in average attendance, seems like I've got plenty of company. So sorry if I offend some of you (err, that one MM supporter out there), but the facts don't lie. Hopefully next year will be better, and I'll be the first one to give MM credit if warranted. I for one am not holding my breath.
-Aggie Glare
El Hombre,
Theus inherited a six win team “plus” Lou Henson’s 2005 recruiting class. Hmm, let’s see, who would be on that class; Elijah Ingram, Tyrone Nelson, and David Fisher. Both Ingram and Nelson were red-shirting and Fisher was signed when Theus took over. Contrary to most Aggie fan’s belief, Reggie Theus came into a good situation in his first season and got 16 wins.
Before Marvin Menzies could even attempt to coach this team, he had to deal with all the off the court issues left behind by Theus (Tyrone Nelson’s pending trial, Jahmar Young’s in indecent exposure arrest, Chris Cole’s parking ticket, and Jahmar Young’s and Herb Pope’s clearinghouse issues).
Question: Do you really think Theus' team would have won 25 games and made the NCAA tournament without Tyrone Nelson? It was Marvin Menzies that had to take the hit for Tyrone Nelson’s stupidity when the University finally dismissed him from the team (not Theus).
Anybody that knows basketball knows the point guard position in the most important position on the team. Coach Menzies inherited a team with a lot of talent…BUT NO EXPERIENCED POINT GUARD!!! When Theus took over NMSU, he had three…Elijah Ingram, Mikey Mitchell, and Shaun Davis.
I think Marvin Menzies did a “good” job considering all the off-the-court issues. However, I expect an even better job from him now that all the first year growing pains are over.
The best part about comments on blogs, is that everyone's an expert.
If any one truly was an expert, they'd be working as a consultant for a program and not posting here.
Anon 6:34pm - No the best part of the comments is that some d-bag comes in here without adding anything to the conversation, and still is able to remain high on the horse.
Glare- Get over yourself...All you do is post at two blogs. Why don't you go state your opinions over at http://newmexicostate.scout.com ...LOTS of guys there who know plenty about basketball, who have actually seen MM at practice, and will tell you your opinions are not grounded in reality. Honestly, do me that favor, and go post your opinions over there. And spare me the response that you don't care what others have to say. It's obvious you're just one of those typical Las Cruces fan who would rather bitch than cheer.
anon 6:34pm,
Every fan is an expert...that is what it means to CARE about something!
I think there are lots of great comments being made here and lots of truth...
Personally, I would like to see how things turn out in 2-3 years when the majority of the team is his.
I agree with the person who said that there was no way Theus would have a 25 win season with what happened this year.
The biggest deal being Nelson, the second biggest deal being no point guard (also a Theus gaffe...he could have played Peete at that position and had Elijah as a super 6th man...just my EXPERT opinion) and then came pope and young and then came Cole and then came Passos let us not forget and Paris carter...rough year!!!!
So like the man said, let us see what happens!
and 'glare', nice doesn't mean weak...it actually means strong enough to accept diversity...and teams can win that way....
one last thing while I am at it...why don't we record the last 2 minutes of regulation of the national championship game and get our aggies in a room and tie them to a chair and get them to watch the action of those last minutes over and over and over again for about 2 hours...let them digest Memphis' total dissolve because of FREE THROWS...that might do the trick...what do you think, my panel of experts????
Excellent idea on making them watch Memphis' championship bounce off the iron while shooting free throws.
Facts:
*WAC was substantially weaker in 07 than 08. In fact, the WAC was pathetic in 08.
*Based on 07 performances, NMSU had the WAC's strongest cast of returning starters in the WAC with Hawkins, Peete, and Passos.
*NMSU had a highly touted recruiting class, best in the WAC. One publication had them ranked 3rd among mid-majors. This class included a PG with impressive credentials, who rarely played despite PG being our weakest position.
*NMSU had home court advantage in the WAC tourney.
*MM and Hawkins stated JY and Pope being added mid-season had little impact on team chemistry. Anyone who regularly watched the MM show knows this.
*After the regular season, NMSU earned no better than the 3rd seed for the WAC tourney.
*NMSU goes 2-1 in the WAC tourney and fails to qualify for the NCAA or NIT.
*JY and Pope are not cleared to play until mid-season.
*Passos had academic issues and missed several games.
*MM is a first-year HC.
I'd say I do deal in reality, just happen to have a different opinion than the few MM supporters. And I'm right there with all you MM supporters in hoping this year was "growing pains" and MM gets better. Did not know about the non-LCSN Aggie hoops post - thanks for the tip buddy! And one last fact - I have not lived in LC since 1982, so quit posting BS!!
-Aggie Glare
glare,
I am neither pro nor anti MM...I wish to give him the benefit of all doubts and wait...
I agree that the whole Luster thing was very strange.
I also agree that the whole chemistry issue substitution patterns was strange and even maddening at times.
And I also believe they started to get it together.
But somehow Nevada was a monkey on their back and the whole drama of beating Nevada somehow took the starch our of them and they weren't able to energize until they were 18 down from Boise. They did make a good comeback but were a wee short. This is similar to what happened to Utah State the year before. They beat Nevada and then didn't have it for NMSU and yet were only a miraculous Knauber 3 pointer and Gibson under the backboard miracle shot short of beating the aggies...not that much difference there.
Further, I think the whole missing the NIT thing is not so much a reflection of the aggies as the WAC as a whole...no excuses, but Boise ST drawing a 14 seed is not respect nor is Utah State playing Illinois State in the 1st round of the NIT.
In my opinion the critique of last year is just pre-mature....there are way too many mitigating circumstances and unknowns...let us have this conversation in a year's time with more clarity...there is too much glare from all the drama for us to make an accurate judgment if you pardon my pun...
Here is to a great recruiting season for MM and an even greater sophomore year coaching for MM!
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