ESPN's Goodman: McDermott offered by OSU
- Thread starter lou v
- Start date
Coming at it from an NU point of view, assuming McDermott takes the job, I think we are catching an immediate break.
@ Northwestern on Nov. 15 is currently the first game on Creighton's 2017-18 schedule.
Creighton was a 6 seed in the 2017 NCAA Tournament (kenpom rank of 28) and returns its top 3 leaders in scoring and minutes played. Creighton is by far the toughest game on our OOC schedule (at least until the B1G/ACC opponent is announced).
Creighton might wind up being really good next season (which is great for our SOS), but it will be a challenge for them to be clicking on all cylinders on the road on Day 1 with a new coach against a veteran 'Cats team (playing its second game of the season).
Interesting points. I was actually hoping thay he stays at Creighton so that we have a top-flight opponent. Our OOC schedule in my opinion is underwhelming. Even our tournament is meh. I was hoping for a little more . . .
I think Backdoorpass was assuming they would pull it together as the season wears on so the SOS would remain unaffected.
Right. Creighton should be a really good team next season. I am just hoping that they will not be that good on Day 1.
Last edited:
He denied that today. I think Bulls fans started that rumor. They would love to see Fred become a Buckeye.
Thad Matta accomplished quite a bit at Ohio State and until recently they were still considered players in the conference. All this while dealing w/ health issues.
If I were McDermott, I'd be skeptical to make the move after the relatively quick hook on Thad. While OSU has nearly infinite resources, it was Matta (and O'Brien) that brought that program to the top levels of division 1. The Buckeyes aren't a traditional basketball power like Kentucky or UCLA.
Last edited:
I don't think "traditional" means much, to be honest. The kids they are recruiting have short memories. Kentucky and UCLA have both been in the doldrums, too -- UCLA very recently, and it got their coach fired (hooks are usually even quicker at places like that).
And Ohio State may have a better tradition than you think -- they're better than I thought they were, anyway. The Bucks were in the Final Four just five years ago and twice in the last decade under Matta. OSU's 10 total FF appearances is tied with Louisville for sixth all-time. They also rank third with 20 Big Ten titles, behind only Purdue (23) and Indiana (22).
Quick hook? It's the start of summer and the program looks like they'll have to round up bodies from the intramural courts to fill the roster.
Well, with the announcement of Georgia Tech as our B1G/ACC opponent, Creighton remains by far our biggest OOC game... I felt better about our schedule a few hours ago when I still had the unfounded expectation that we would have a Top 25 opponent--not just a Top 100 opponent--from the ACC.
We still have room on the schedule for 3 more games, but I would be surprised if another top flight opponent is added at this point. I just hope that we don't any real SOS killers. And we better hope that our early tournament plays out so that we get Texas Tech rather than Boston College on Nov. 19.
At this point, I agree that our OOC schedule does not seem to offer too much excitement or much of a challenge to prepare a veteran team for the level of play coming in the B1G portion of the schedule.
We are playing at three Power5 schools and have a home game with strong Big East team. I'm sure it is quite comparable to most BIG schools that aren't Michigan State. Just win, baby.
I totally agree. It seems like we've played Georgia Tech fairly often in the past few years. There was a little bit of a story when we still had Jershon Cobb, but other than that, they have not been a quality opponent. I was very surprised that we didn't try to up the level of competition in the OOC, but I guess baby steps. Getting to 20+ wins and making the tournament for a second straight year would still be a massive accomplishment considering our history.
"Quick hook" as in Matta deserved more time as head coach based on everything he accomplished at Ohio State. The health issue likely played a role, but everything I've read about the story lists the decision as a "dismissal" or "firing" so it seems as though Thad ultimately didn't have a choice in the matter.
Last edited:
Perhaps, I wasn't being clear.
I was crediting Matta (and O'Brien; 1999 FF) for his success at a program, regardless of resources, that was not a regular player in the BIG prior to his arrival. Shoot, I remember a game where NU blew out Ohio State in the mid nineties. NU couldn't blow out low majors during that era. Matta's Buckeyes knocked off #1 Illinois in his very first season while serving a post season ban related to Jim OBrien's recruiting improprieties. Quite a difference.
Thad wasn't appreciated in Columbus (read:football is king) and may it take Ohio State a while to find someone as accomplished as him (edit: Hired Holtman. Good upside and considering the timing probably the best they could do. He is not nearly as proven as their top choices though). Gene Smith isn't a particularly great AD either.
Here's a good read on Matta.
https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/06/05/ohio-state-thad-matta-fired
Last edited:
Similar threads
