http://grantland.com/the-triangle/titus ... ian-grant/I just wanted to congratulate Tony Bennett on his undefeated season, advancing to the Sweet 16, and getting 8 McDonald’s All-Americans to play together unselfishly. Anyone who can do that is a no-brainer for USBWA coach of the year, right?
—Ryan
If we put coaches on All-American teams like we do with players, Bennett would be a first-team lock this year. But anyone who doesn’t name Calipari coach of the year either isn’t paying attention or has a serious ax to grind. I hate that these awards always go to the coach who exceeded expectations, as if recruiting and developing players isn’t also part of the job. Some coach could pull 12 guys from the campus rec center and go 2-32, and I bet there’d be a handful of people supporting that coach for year-end awards because “that’s two more games than anyone thought he’d win!!!” And if you think my exaggeration here is too ridiculous, then consider that Frank Haith, Mike Brey, Tubby Smith, Al Skinner, and Ben Howland each have more USBWA coach of the year awards than Mike Krzyzewski, Rick Pitino, Jim Calhoun, Lute Olson, Jerry Tarkanian, Denny Crum, Lefty Driesell, and Bob Huggins combined.
When it comes to winning undeserved coach of the year awards, nobody does it better than Tony Bennett.
Another from the same mailbag. Good stuff:
I went to Arizona between 1999 and 2004, and after watching T.J. McConnell take over against Ohio State, I started talking with some friends about the best point guards in school history. Because of when we attended U of A, we had a particular affinity for Jason Gardner and the 2001 team. We all agreed that Mike Bibby is No. 1, with McConnell or Gardner as No. 2. Gardner had a better supporting cast (Richard Jefferson, Luke Walton, Gilbert Arenas, Michael Wright, Loren Woods), and McConnell does more defensively. But depending on how the next couple weeks go, I could see McConnell making a case for No. 1. Thoughts?
—Charles
No matter the order, the top five Arizona point guards have been set in stone for some time — Steve Kerr, Damon Stoudamire, Mike Bibby, Jason Terry, and Jason Gardner. Every one of those guys played in the Final Four. The first four names had strong NBA careers, while Gardner was a four-year starter who was first team all-conference three times. I’m thinking McConnell has to at least get to the Final Four before he can crack that list. He’s already at a disadvantage because he started his career at Duquesne before transferring to Arizona, so his impact on the program might not feel as great as a four-year player like Gardner or a five-year guy like Kerr. But longevity isn’t a dealbreaker for McConnell. Bibby only played two years, and he’s clearly the best all-time. Here’s how I’d rank the top five:
1. Bibby
2. Gardner
3. Stoudamire
4. Kerr
5. Terry
Assuming Arizona loses to Kentucky in the Final Four and McConnell continues playing well and serving as the Wildcats’ clear-cut leader, I’d probably put him at third all-time. Kerr was a great shooter, but he wasn’t the defender or the facilitator that McConnell is. Terry put up stupid numbers in his one year as Arizona’s starting point guard, but the Cats lost in the first round that year. The same goes for Stoudamire’s senior year. But Jason Gardner was the heart and soul of Arizona’s great early 2000s teams, and Bibby has the national title trump card. If McConnell can lead the Cats to a championship, then we can debate whether he deserves the top spot over Bibby. For now, I think he’s sixth on the list and two wins away from jumping up to third.
