Dakich says Alford to IU "a done deal;" 15 years later, Pierre Pierce continues to haunt Alford
- Thread starter Franisdaman
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There is literally a giant, cast of his shoe at the Indiana high school basketball Hall of Fame, in his hometown of New Castle -- 45 minutes east of Indianapolis.
Not to mention, even if he didn't get a raise at IU (he will), the cost of living difference on his current salary is 152% in Indy. So I'm going to go ahead and say you are probably not right
Thank you for illuminating this. Alford's ties to the state of Indiana flow much, much deeper and are much more entrenched than people think. This is more than just going back to the alma mater. Alford was a high school playing legend in Indiana (which means much more to the people of Indiana than it does to high school basketball fans in Iowa. It just does). Indiana basketball gets 7,000+ people in packed-out gyms for sectional games. Then he not just played at IU, but was one of the all-time school and conference greats, the team also won a national championship.
No, talent like the Balls is not following Steve to IU. But there is a lot of very good talent in-state. Alford would have the full backing of the IU administration and the state's high school coaches. He wouldn't need to get every great player from the state, he just needs to get his fair share of them to be really good. Compare it to Iowa, where if Fran didn't get Wieskamp, there isn't another player just as good or almost as good to get in state. At Indiana, he could fill every class with Indiana high school kids (all Top 100 minimum), year after year after year.
I'm not saying that IU will succeed at the level fans want if Alford goes there. But I would be shocked if he didn't do at least what Crean did, and maybe more. He's at a place where the entire school apparatus will support him, he's in a recruiting-rich area where the kids want to go play for state U, and he's not convincing them to go play in Iowa City, something which no kid in Indiana dreams of doing.
Great success? This year, yes. His first three years at UCLA? 2 fluke Sweet 16 with lower seeds and upsets in the bracket before the next game. The opponents they beat in their two sweet sixteens under Alford: SMU, UAB, Tulsa, and Stephen F. Austin. Last year, even with a loaded roster, he couldn't even make the NIT. He attracted two top flight recruits for this year in Lonzo Ball and Leaf. If he stays at UCLA, he'll get all the Ball kids which is an automatic boost. But Alford is only able to recruit like that because he's at UCLA. He didn't attract anyone similar to Iowa or, especially, New Mexico. I doubt Indiana takes him and, honestly, I doubt Alford leaves UCLA if they get past the Sweet 16. He has so many more recruiting advantages at UCLA than he does at Indiana I think he knows it would be career suicide to leave UCLA after he's getting some classes that can win almost regardless of coaching. Ball would thrive under any coach.
Those first two sweet sixteens did have some fortunate matchups, but they did finish 2nd and 4th in their conference, to go with this year's 3rd. That is a fairly decent level of success.
I guess this is where someone posts "but UCLA recruits itself".
I guess this is where someone posts "but UCLA recruits itself".
I thought for a while this was some new hip phrase I hadn't heard before, until I cottoned on to your meaning.
Folks' hatred of Alford from his time at Iowa clouds their judgement on what he is/is not. He's not a terrible coach. Duh, coaches can recruit better at UCLA than they can at Iowa or New Mexico of Missouri State. Making 3 out of 4 Sweet 16's is being successful, even with all the caveats about favorable matchups.
If he goes to Indiana, highly likely that he wins. How much winning remains to be seen. He handled his time at Iowa poorly in many ways. Doesn't mean he won't win at Indiana.
Alford should have told everyone to keep their mouths shut; what a huge distraction, which is unfair to his UCLA players
I hope Alford ends up with the Hoosiers.
After all these years around the game, he can't coach a "lick" as a game unfolds. What he allowed Fox to do tonight was criminal. He never made one adjustment to defend a player who put up 39 points against his bRUINS.
Permanent Captain of the All-Airport Coaches Hall of Shame.
After all these years around the game, he can't coach a "lick" as a game unfolds. What he allowed Fox to do tonight was criminal. He never made one adjustment to defend a player who put up 39 points against his bRUINS.
Permanent Captain of the All-Airport Coaches Hall of Shame.
I can't remember- did Stevo ever attribute a single bad game, or half, to bad coaching, or was it always the players fault?
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