Barking Carnival - The Texas Longhorns Basketball Coaching SearchSince 1883.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47205/barking-carnival-fave.png2015-04-10T14:49:05-05:00http://www.barkingcarnival.com/rss/stream/80914802015-04-10T14:49:05-05:002015-04-10T14:49:05-05:00A Look at Shaka Smart's Assistant Coaches
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<figcaption>Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Taking stock of Horn, Morrell, Cason, Roose, and Lucas.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.barkingcarnival.com/">Texas Longhorns</a> announced their finalized coaching staff yesterday. Here's a quick primer on the assistants that will be working under Shaka Smart next year.</p>
<h4>Darrin Horn, Assistant Coach<br>
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<p><i>Selective Experience</i><br>Assistant Coach, Marquette (1999-2003)<br>Head Coach, Western Kentucky (2003-08)<br>Head Coach, South Carolina (2008-12)</p>
<p>Horn will likely serve as the primary X&O's assistant under Smart. Horn's coaching preferences--an uptempo offense and pressing defense--have been oft cited as aligning with Smart's philosophy. Personally, I'm more excited that Smart hired someone with previous head coaching experience. Always a plus in my book. Horn's foray into major college basketball at South Carolina didn't quite work out for him, though I still have a special dislike for <span>Devan Downey</span> after the Gamecocks knocked off newly minted #1 Kentucky in John Calipari's first year. Horn has credibility as a recruiter and landed a top 25 recruiting class in 2010 (which included current NFLer Bruce Ellington) that didn't quite work out. His return to coaching after a few years in a miked ESPN gig likely indicates a desire to become a head coach again, so I don't expect him to stick around too long.</p>
<h4>Mike Morrell, Assistant Coach<br>
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<p><i>Selective Experience</i><br>Director of Basketball Operations, Clemson (2008-10)<br>Director of Basketball Operations, VCU (2011-13)<br>Assistant Coach, VCU (2013-15)</p>
<p>Morrell is a fast riser in the Shaka Smart coaching tree. Smart has done well in graduating his young, ambitious assistant coaches. Will Wade, currently just 32 years old, took the Chattanooga job in 2013 and is now back as the head man at VCU. Mike Rhoades left VCU to take the Rice job in 2014. Both Rhoades and Wade were on the 2010-11 Final Four team along with <span class="sbn-auto-link">Mike Jones</span>, who left after that season to take the head coaching job at Radford. Morrell worked with Smart when Smart was an assistant at Clemson, and evidently, Smart did and continues to think highly of Morrell. Morrell has chops as a recruiter, and he was credited as the point man for VCU's two top 100 signees this year, Tevin Mack and Kenny Williams. Both have requested a release from their LOI's, though it remains to be seen if Texas will pursue either player.</p>
<h4>David Cason, Assistant Coach<br>
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<p><i>Selective Experience</i><br>Assistant Coach, TCU (2003-05)<br>Assistant Coach, Tulsa (2005-11)<br>Assistant Coach, Vanderbilt (2011-14)<br>Assistant Coach, VCU (2014-15)</p>
<p>Rumor floated that Smart may or may not have offered this position to former Texas assistant Rob Lanier, who ultimately followed Rick Barnes to Knoxville. Nevertheless, the final assistant coaching spot now belongs to Cason, who spent one year with Smart at VCU. Notably, Barnes considered Cason to fill an assistant spot after Rodney Terry left, a spot that ultimately went to Lanier. Of the Longhorns' three assistants, Cason has the most ties to the state of Texas, having heavily recruited the state for TCU and Tulsa as an assistant. His most notable success story was landing <span>Jordan Clarkson</span> from San Antonio Wagner in Tulsa's 2010 class. He also recruited cup of coffee NBAer Ben Uzoh (San Antonio Warren, Tulsa 2005) and future NBA draftee <span>Damian Jones</span> (Baton Rouge Scotlandville, Texas <span class="sbn-auto-link">Titans</span> AAU, Vanderbilt 2013). Because of this history, Cason likely gets first crack at the Lone Star recruiting witch role on staff.</p>
<h4>Daniel Roose, Strength & Conditioning Coach<br>
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<p><i>Selective Experience</i><br>Director of Sports Performance, VCU (2009-15)</p>
<p>Cult favorite strength coach Todd Wright seemingly floated the possibility of staying in Austin under Smart, but ultimately, Smart decided to stick with the devilish strength coach he knew. Roose has been associated with Smart for a great while, and Roose even has a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Roose-Strength-Conditioning-Program/dp/B00FBDS8K0?tag=sbnation-20" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">DVD available for purchase</a> named "The Havoc Strength & Conditioning Program." Running a constant full-court press requires a unique set of conditioning skills, so it is no surprise that Smart chose to stick with Roose.</p>
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<span>Jai Lucas</span>, Director of Operations<br>
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<p><i>Selective Experience</i><br>Special Assistant, Texas (2013-15)</p>
<p>Smart did well to keep Lucas, a native Texan, on staff. Lucas graduated from Bellaire in 2007 and Texas in 2011, playing professionally for a few years before starting his coaching career. Of course, his dad happens to be <span class="sbn-auto-link">John Lucas</span>, considered a basketball Yoda in the state (see <a href="http://www.burntorangenation.com/2013/8/27/4666450/texas-basketball-recruiting-khadeem-lattin-jai-lucas-houston-basketball">this excellent Peter Bean write-up</a> for how the Jai Lucas hire buoyed Barnes). Not to be overlooked, Lucas <i>fils</i> has a world of coaching potential in his own right, and he reportedly campaigned to stay in Austin to work under Smart. A quick glance at the above Morrell paragraph shows the benefits for Lucas, who will get first crack at an assistant coaching role once Horn, Morrell, or Cason leaves for a head coaching gig.</p>
https://www.barkingcarnival.com/2015/4/10/8383325/texas-longhorns-shaka-smart-assistant-coaches-darrin-horn-mike-morrell-david-casonjc252015-04-03T14:28:32-05:002015-04-03T14:28:32-05:00Let's talk about Shaka.
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<figcaption>Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.barkingcarnival.com/">Texas Longhorns</a> hired Shaka Smart to be the head coach of the basketball program this week, which is a sentence I never thought I'd type in anything other than an early-summer fever dream. I'm still processing it this morning, waiting for Scipio to shake (I <i>really</i> wanted to type shake-a) me awake and tell me I need to learn how to spell <strike>Krysto</strike> <strike>Krystka</strike> the Utah Coach K for the next 6 years. Short of a John Denver moment, Texas has its head coach, and it's Shaka Smart. I'm sorry, could you excuse me for a moment?</p>
<p>*calmly walks out of the room*</p>
<p>*closes the door*</p>
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<p>*straightens shirt, looks in mirror*</p>
<p>*calmly walks back into the room*</p>
<p>Sorry, I had to..uh, take a call. Where were we?</p>
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<h3>Who is Shaka Smart?</h3>
<p>Shaka Smart is a nearly 38 year old (his birthday is next week) coach from Virginia Commonwealth University. He was born & raised in Wisconsin & played college basketball at Division III Kenyon College where he was a starting point guard and ultimately the school's career assists leader. After graduating magna cum laude he went straight into coaching, bouncing around a couple of Ohio colleges before moving up to the power conferences as an assistant at Clemson & Florida. Florida is where he likely started creating his 'HAVOC' defense, as it very closely resembles the pressure defense Florida HC Billy Donovan deploys. After 2 years under Donovan, Shaka got the call from VCU to replace outgoing coach Anthony Grant. I won't delve into his VCU tenure much as it's been pretty well-documented in other posts, suffice it to say he did well enough that his name was one of the top two mentioned for nearly every high-profile coaching vacancy for the past 3 years. He's married to Maya Payne, a writer with more college degrees than an Aggie family reunion. She runs a business as a <a target="_blank" href="http://mayasmart.com/">writing coach</a> & you can read a 2012 interview with her where she talks about some of her business endeavors <a target="_blank" href="http://www.richmond.com/entertainment/article_fa76df9d-0816-55a6-b49c-abca2582bf2e.html">here</a>. They have a daughter named Zora that was born in 2011. I'm sorry, could you excuse me for a moment?</p>
<p>*calmly walks out of the room*</p>
<p>*closes the door*</p>
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<p>*straightens shirt, looks in mirror*</p>
<p>*calmly walks back into the room*</p>
<p>Sorry, I had to..uh, snapchat somebody. Where were we?</p>
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<h3>What Kind of Team Will Shaka Have?</h3>
<p>In a word, interesting. I wanted to say 'fun', 'exciting', or perhaps unleash a series of guttural grunts, but 'interesting' is probably more appropriate. If that sounds like a tepid response, it's not; I'm simply leaving the door wide open because we're walking into a situation with a lot bigger potential beta than we're used to from Rick Barnes teams. If Barnes was Coca-Cola stock, Shaka Smart is a solar start-up. This is inherent in teams that utilize pressure defenses, you're taking a calculated gamble that your team can force the other into making a mistake and that you'll create more turnovers than open shots in the end. Pressure defenses distort the game; good pressure defenses distort the game in your favor, bad pressure defenses distort the game in the opponent's favor. But as with any other gamble, you're going to lose sometimes, so the distortion that puts you into the lead can also take you right out of the lead. West Virginia this season was a good example of the distortion effect; they'd be down by 12 and bounce back to take the lead a number of times, but they'd also blow big leads for the same reason. I'm saying this not to make Texas fans concerned, but rather to set expectations. The Shaka Smart teams will gamble more than you're accustomed to seeing at Texas, and sometimes they're going to get burned. If you're the remote-throwing type, you might want to bubble-wrap your valuables. Having said that, the 'HAVOC' defense isn't the most aggressive press you'll ever see. They're not Nolan Richardson's '40 Minutes of Hell', it's more a straight-up defense that presses when the opportunity arises to exploit opponent mistakes. If you want to get a granular break down of the 'Double Fist' (Shaka's name for the trapping press) defense, check out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.burntorangenation.com/2015/4/3/8337897/shaka-smart-texas-longhorns-havoc-defense">Jeff Haley's BON article</a>. You're likely to see Shaka go after athletic wings & guards in his recruiting classes, with his 'bigs' being more like <span>Prince Ibeh</span> and less like Dexter Pittman. Jordan Barnett is probably ecstatic at who Texas hired, because he's pretty much the blueprint for the kind of guy Shaka goes after. His minutes will go through the roof if he can pick up the playbook quickly. JC25 has <a target="_blank" href="http://www.barkingcarnival.com/2015/4/3/8339913/shaka-smart-and-the-2015-16-texas-longhorns-roster">a breakdown of the current roster posted</a>. Personally, I'm pretty excited to see Shaka too. Like, really excited. Could you excuse me for a moment?</p>
<p>*calmly walks out of the room*</p>
<p>*closes the door*</p>
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<p>*straightens shirt, looks in mirror*</p>
<p>*calmly walks back into the room*</p>
<p>Sorry, I had to..uh, strangle a drifter. Where were we?</p>
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<h3>Can You Irresponsibly Extrapolate on Shaka from One Interaction?</h3>
<p>Why yes, yes I can, and I'm so glad you asked! I'm sure I've mentioned this many times over the past year, but I got to watch Shaka in person at <span>Larry Brown's</span> coaching clinic several months ago and I wrote down as many notes as possible. There were a number of things I gleaned from his 60 minute session.</p>
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<li>Shaka says he looks for 3 things in recruits: 1) They need basketball like they need air, 2) They show 'great teamship' (they're not in it for themselves), and 3) They treat the game as a study. Can you see why I think he and <span>Demarcus Holland</span> are going to be BFFs before the weekend is over?</li>
<li>HAVOC has 5 components: 1) A full-court press, 2) A half-court press, 3) Transition offense, 4) An attacking half-court offense, & 5) 3-4 guys flying to the offensive glass.</li>
<li>The pressure defense is divided into 3 roles: The 2 trappers up front, 2 interceptors stalking the passing lanes, and 1 goaltender who is the last line of defense if the trappers & interceptors falter.</li>
<li>There are 3 conditions for sending the trap: 1) The ball handler is not in control(aka the defense is speeding him up), 2) The element of surprise is there (he tells his guards to look for the back of the ball-handler's head, if they can see it then he can't see them) and the trapper is within 3 strides of the ball, & 3) floor position is favorable. In other words, they've managed to move the ball-handler outside of the lane lines and can use the sidelines as another defender.<br> </li>
<li>Shaka calls the guy defending the ball his 'madman'. I'm irrationally excited about that term. Could you excuse me for a moment?</li>
<li>Wait, no, I'm alright. Let's continue.</li>
<li>Shaka has one assistant coach devoted to watch the quality of the traps at all times.</li>
<li>Shaka places a premium on denying the first pass after the ball crosses half-court.</li>
<li>Shaka wants 30+ deflections every game, and at least 3 from the madman position.</li>
<li>Shaka makes his teams take a charge every single practice.</li>
<li>He calls a defender's forearm 'his hammer' and talked at length about defenders 'getting a hammer in the opponent's chest'. CAN THE SEASON PLEASE START ALREADY.</li>
<li>Shaka's calves are the size of grapefruits. Dude doesn't miss leg day. (This was like the 2nd note in my entire notebook.)</li>
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<p>There's more in the notebook - Bill Self was there so I was glued to him too - but you're starting to get a picture of the man who is at the head of the program. He had one of the best lectures of the day and his command of a room full of coaches was impressive. He has a presence that many of the other speakers lacked, and he'll control the room wherever he goes. Larry Brown loves the guy; when he was done with his lecture, Larry & Shaka spent 30 minutes on the far side of the court talking tactics & drawing up plays together. Shaka is a basketball sponge, and this was a hell of a hire. I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that Texas landed him. Could you excuse me for a moment?</p>
https://www.barkingcarnival.com/2015/4/3/8339821/a-primer-on-the-new-texas-basketball-coach-shaka-smartBitterwhiteguy2015-04-03T10:21:11-05:002015-04-03T10:21:11-05:00Shaka Smart and the 2015-16 Roster
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<figcaption>Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>What's in store for Texas next year?</p> <p>Now that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.barkingcarnival.com/">Texas Longhorns</a> have their astute, intelligent, knowledgeable, ingenious, and perspicacious head men's basketball coach on board (Shaka Smart, in case you were wondering), the next question is: what will the roster look like next year? Here's an early look.</p>
<h4>Definitely Gone</h4>
<p><span>Jonathan Holmes</span> - He celebrated senior night and will likely hoop overseas next year.</p>
<p><span>Myles Turner</span> - The precocious freshman has already declared for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft">NBA Draft</a>. I haven't seen any official word that he has hired an agent (and thus permanently closed the door to a collegiate return), but the chances of his return are essentially nil.</p>
<h4>NBA Stock Watch</h4>
<p><span>Isaiah Taylor</span> - Of the remaining players on the roster, Taylor has attracted the most attention from NBA scouts. Texas' sophomore point guard is not NBA-ready and would likely go undrafted, but that hasn't stopped guys before (re: Kabongo, Myck). I expect the opportunity to play in Shaka Smart's system will be attractive enough for him to return.</p>
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<p>Also, I'm told that Texas G Isaiah Taylor will talk with his family this weekend about staying/going to NBA. He was excited about Smart.</p>
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BDavisAAS/status/583997009885036545">April 3, 2015</a>
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<p>Glad <a href="https://twitter.com/coachsmartvcu">@coachsmartvcu</a> is in Austin ! Welcome to your new home ! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Horns?src=hash">#Horns</a></p>
— Isaiah Taylor (@Zay_Ctmd11) <a href="https://twitter.com/Zay_Ctmd11/status/583824862990303232">April 3, 2015</a>
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<h4>Graduate Transfer Possibilities<br>
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<p><span>Demarcus Holland</span>, <span>Javan Felix</span>, <span>Connor Lammert</span>, <span>Cameron Ridley</span>, <span>Prince Ibeh</span> - Texas has five rising seniors on this year's team. I won't pretend to know their academic situations, but all would receive significant interest elsewhere if they can graduate and gain immediate eligibility. Of the five, only Lammert has tweeted about the Smart hire, FWIW.</p>
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<p>Smart choice. Now let's get to work. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hookem?src=hash">#Hookem</a></p>
— Connor Lammert (@ANDtwenty1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANDtwenty1/status/583821659741622272">April 3, 2015</a>
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<p>If they stay, Ridley and Ibeh do not represent the ideal personnel for <a href="http://www.burntorangenation.com/2015/4/3/8337897/shaka-smart-texas-longhorns-havoc-defense">Smart's "havoc" defense</a>, so it will be interesting to see how Smart deploys the two rim-protecting bigs. Conversely, Holland should thrive in Smart's full-court press. Felix should probably have <span>Joey Rodriguez</span> film on loop.</p>
<h4>The Younger Guys</h4>
<p><span>Kendal Yancy</span>, <span>Jordan Barnett</span>, <span>Shaquille Cleare</span> - Yancy certainly seems pleased at Smart's impending arrival. Barnett has potential, and Cleare gains eligibility after sitting out a season as a transfer from Maryland. All three would have to sit a year if they transferred out.</p>
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<p>Ayeeeee we got Shaka!!! Welcome to the Family <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LonghornNation?src=hash">#LonghornNation</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coachsmartvcu">@coachsmartvcu</a></p>
— Yancy™ (@yancy0_ctmd) <a href="https://twitter.com/yancy0_ctmd/status/583836854547423233">April 3, 2015</a>
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<h4>The Signees</h4>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.fanbase.com/kerwin-roach-jr/">Kerwin Roach</a> - The Houston North Shore combo guard reiterated his commitment to Texas following Rick Barnes' departure but was taking a "wait and see" approach with the new hire. Getting Smart seems like a wise choice in keeping Roach's commitment. Roach seems tailor-made for Smart's system.</p>
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<p>Nothing but good news <a href="http://t.co/XHigo7ibL9">pic.twitter.com/XHigo7ibL9</a></p>
— K2 (@SumbdyFixDaNet) <a href="https://twitter.com/SumbdyFixDaNet/status/583822463764574208">April 3, 2015</a>
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<p>Kerwin Roach (<a href="http://t.co/U3gqQJgtrX">http://t.co/U3gqQJgtrX</a>) is sticking with Texas, his father -- Kerwin Roach Sr told Scout. "Perfect fit for my son."</p>
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDaniels/status/584007853729521664">April 3, 2015</a>
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<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.fanbase.com/eric-davis-1/">Eric Davis</a> - As a Michigan native, Davis understandably had concerns about his commitment to Texas sans Barnes. Those concerns appear to have been allayed, but it's a situation worth monitoring. Davis is scheduled to participate in the Jordan Brand Classic on April 17.</p>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texas?src=hash">#Texas</a> signee Kerwin Roach (<a href="https://twitter.com/SumbdyFixDaNet">@SumbdyFixDaNet</a>) tells me he has talked to fellow Signee Eric Davis tonight and both are 100% solid with Texas.</p>
— Andrew King (@AndrewKingHorns) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewKingHorns/status/583831241864019968">April 3, 2015</a>
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<h4>Poaching VCU Signees</h4>
<p>Texas currently has 11 scholarships committed to its 2 signees and 9 returning players, leaving 2 available for the 2015-16 season that Smart can use if he chooses. Prior to departing, Smart had three players committed to VCU that all signed Letters of Intent.</p>
<p>Signees can decommit following a coaching change, but a school has to release them from the LOI in order for them to play immediately. If a school does not grant the release, players have to sit out a year before regaining eligibility. Players released from an LOI cannot sign a second LOI, but instead sign a financial aid agreement with the new school. Yancy went through this process a few years ago after signing an LOI with USC.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fanbase.com/tevin-mack/" target="_blank">Tevin Mack</a>, Kenny Williams, Jordan Murphy - Smart has elevated VCU's recruiting game (as evidenced by the <a href="http://www.barkingcarnival.com/2015/4/2/8337565/daggastats-part-ii-college-basketball">DaggaStats</a>), and VCU has two top 100 prospects in this year's class. Mack is a South Carolina native that chose VCU over UConn, (the other) USC, and Clemson, while Williams is from Virginia and was once a UNC lean. Murphy is the less heralded recruit, but he balled at San Antonio Brennan (alma mater of Texas football player Derrick Roberson) and could strongly consider staying close to home if proffered.</p>
<p>It remains to be seen whether Smart will reach out to his former recruits, or keep away out of respect for his prior program.</p>
<h4>High School Prospects or Graduate Transfers</h4>
<p>Smart and VCU weren't really involved with any of the big names that remain uncommitted, but there is a chance that he could renew existing relationships in search of another body. More likely, if Smart decides he needs immediate help, a myriad of graduate transfers are available. ESPN's Jeff Goodman typically keeps <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/jeff-goodman/post/_/id/4899/top-10-transfers-and-complete-transfer-list">the most comprehensive list ($)</a>. Drexel's <a href="http://www.fanbase.com/damion-lee/" target="_blank">Damion Lee</a> (21.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG as a junior) is the most sought after, but Houston natives <a href="http://www.fanbase.com/anthony-collins-1/" target="_blank">Anthony Collins</a>(USF) and <a href="http://www.fanbase.com/rasheed-sulaimon/" target="_blank">Rasheed Sulaimon</a> (Duke) are intriguing names that might be open to Texas.</p>
https://www.barkingcarnival.com/2015/4/3/8339913/shaka-smart-and-the-2015-16-texas-longhorns-rosterjc252015-04-02T13:21:59-05:002015-04-02T13:21:59-05:00Coaching Innuendo: Fly Like Paper High Like Planes
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<p>Steve Patterson is on a jet plane to Richmond to meet with Smart face-to-face.</p> <p>Shaka Smart is Steve Patterson's pick. We know that much. Patterson is reportedly en route to Richmond, Virginia today to meet with Smart. Patterson's hope is that all contract details get finalized and any concerns get allayed.</p>
<p>Texas-centric sites (HornsDigest, Hookem247) are very optimistic, with Friday (i.e., tomorrow) being bandied about as an official announcement day. Still, this is an "ink is dry" / "show me the press conference" thing. Smart has come <i>thisclose</i> to bolting VCU before, and Twitter is letting you know it.</p>
<p>Let's quickly address the blatant obscenities floating around the Internets. It's not worth it, Shaka. Plus, unfounded rumor has Patterson offering prime Erwin Center advertising real estate to Yellow Rose. Consider that, sir.</p>
<p>Oh, we're not talking about the Richmond <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/4/2/8336001/richmond-strip-club-recruiting-shaka-smart-vcu-texas">cabaret scene</a>? You mean the hatchet job from Oregon Live's John Canzano. I think BWG sufficiently addressed this on Twitter last night.</p>
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<p>John Canzano hates Patterson so much he plagiarizes his own work to go after him again.</p>
— El Diablo Blanco (@Bitterwhiteguy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bitterwhiteguy/status/583480425944748032">April 2, 2015</a>
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<p>John Canzano in 2013: <a href="http://t.co/gzESWeJZ9L">http://t.co/gzESWeJZ9L</a> John Canzano in 2015: <a href="http://t.co/zlod5wAEJm">http://t.co/zlod5wAEJm</a></p>
— El Diablo Blanco (@Bitterwhiteguy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bitterwhiteguy/status/583481464483815425">April 2, 2015</a>
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<p>On the one hand, Canzano is not alone with an anti-Patterson sentiment (see the Chronicle's <a target="_blank" href="http://www.chron.com/sports/longhorns/article/UT-AD-Patterson-may-follow-familiar-path-in-6171642.php">tongue-in-cheek "capitalism over tradition" take</a>). On the other, this clearly screams national clickbait for a local news website. Let's move on.</p>
<p>Will Patterson bring Smart two trays of Franklin BBQ's finest as a token of good faith? Will Smart get jetsetted back to Austin-Bergstrom? Stay tuned.</p>
https://www.barkingcarnival.com/2015/4/2/8336295/texas-longhorns-coaching-innuendo-shakas-fly-like-paper-pattersonsjc252015-04-01T15:15:16-05:002015-04-01T15:15:16-05:00Coaching Innuendo: Steve Hearts Shaka
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<figcaption>Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Shaka Smart is reportedly the top target on Steve Patterson's head coaching big board.</p> <p>VCU's Shaka Smart appears to have Steve Patterson's nod of approval for the <a href="https://www.barkingcarnival.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Texas Longhorns</a> head coaching opening. The smoke has turned into so much fire that even the Worldwide Leader is picking it up. Awful Announcing Cup points for sneaking its internal writer, Jeff Goodman, as a source.</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Texas has zeroed in on VCU basketball coach Shaka Smart in head coaching search. (via <a href="https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN">@GoodmanESPN</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/HornsDigest">@HornsDigest</a>) <a href="http://t.co/kStKArV0cK">pic.twitter.com/kStKArV0cK</a></p>
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/583355914960445440">April 1, 2015</a>
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<p>The additional ado about nothing definitive was from Chip Brown of Scout's HornsDigest, who <a href="http://texas.scout.com/forums/2441-horns-house/13775341-sources-texas-close-to-finalizing-terms-with-smart?s=110">reported earlier today ($)</a> that Texas was "<a href="http://www.burntorangenation.com/2015/4/1/8326589/shaka-smart-deal-texas-longhorns">trying to finalize</a>" a deal with Smart. <a href="https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/582649027335995392">CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein tweeted</a> that Texas was in discussions with Smart yesterday evening, and Rothstein's coworker, Gary Parrish, backed up Brown's report <a href="https://twitter.com/GaryParrishCBS/status/583340587648184320">in a tweet today</a> as well.</p>
<p>The public stance from both sides is neither Smart nor Texas' administration have made contact directly. Pragmatics are quick to point out discreet unmentionables of possible contact via back channels.</p>
<p>Based on the information being trafficked over the internets, it would appear that Smart has risen to the top of Texas' wish list. Will Smart reciprocate the interest and swipe right? Will Steve get 'er done? Stay tuned.</p>
https://www.barkingcarnival.com/2015/4/1/8327235/texas-longhorns-coaching-innuendo-texas-zeroing-in-on-shaka-smartjc252015-03-30T14:24:09-05:002015-03-30T14:24:09-05:00Coaching Innuendo: Marshall, Smart, and so forth
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<figcaption>Erich Schlegel/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>What's the latest?</p> <p>Here's a quick hitter at where things stand with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.barkingcarnival.com/">Texas Longhorns</a> basketball head coaching search.</p>
<p><b>Gregg Marshall: Bama Bound?</b></p>
<p>Yahoo! Sports' Pat Forde was banging the "<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2015/3/28/8306775/gregg-marshall-texas-longhorns-alabama-wichita-state">Marshall ain't interested in Bama</a>" drum over the weekend. It appears Marshall wasn't interested, until he was. The latest is that Marshall is inclined to acquiesce to Alabama AD Bill Battle's request to meet with a suitcase full of hundred thousand dollar bills. Marshall and Battle will reportedly meet in Wichita today, presumably to discuss Kansas weather and FlightAware traffic patterns. And the increasing probability of Marshall possibly coaching Bama.</p>
<p>With regards to Texas, this means one of three things. (1) Steve Patterson is just not that into you, Gregg Marshall. (2) Patterson has leaked a <a href="https://twitter.com/kbohls/status/582296607758131200">$3M threshold</a> for the head coaching salary, and Marshall is establishing a BATNA. (3) Marshall is genuinely intrigued by the Bama job and Pat Forde was grossly misinformed.</p>
<p><b>Shaka Smart: The Apple of Patterson's Eye?</b></p>
<p>College basketball pundits like <a href="https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN/status/581934015072088064">Jeff Goodman</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/kbohls/status/581932575498735617">Kirk "Kurt" Bohls</a> have posited that Marshall and Smart are at the top of Texas' coaching search list. According to <a href="http://wric.com/2015/03/29/shakawatch2015-texas-longhorns-eyeing-shaka-smart/">a Virginian ABC News affiliate</a>, Smart has emerged as the "leading candidate" for Patterson and Texas. If a local news affiliate uses a hashtag in its video lede (#ShakaWatch2015!), you know it must be fact.</p>
<p>Longhorn followers are skeptical that Smart would actually leave VCU for Texas, as Smart's historical sample size indicates unlikeliness to leave for less than a blue blood gig (see: <a href="http://www.anonymouseagle.com/2014/3/25/5545416/marquette-basketball-vcu-virginia-commonwealth-shaka-smart-twitter">Marquette lands Smart! ... or nah</a>). It’s the same old story. Steve finds Shaka, Steve loses Shaka, Shaka finds Steve, Steve forgets Shaka, Shaka remembers Steve, Shaka dies in a tragic blimp accident over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/orange-bowl">Orange Bowl</a> on New Year’s Day.</p>
<p>There also seem to be concerns that Smart's recent <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness">NCAA Tournament</a> track record isn't as stellar as Marshall's, or that Smart's style of play is not conducive to the offensive-friendly, Barnes-antithesis that Texas fans are craving, or that Smart's recruiting track record does not indicate that he can land the top-tier talent that Texas should be bringing to Austin. Seriously.</p>
<p><b>Darkhorse Candidates: NBA Experience Required?<br></b></p>
<p>It would be unsurprising if Steve Patterson, ex-NBA Executive, wanted his next head coach to have ex-NBA something somewhere in his moniker. A few names that have been bandied about:</p>
<p>John Lucas, ex-NBA head coach. Last was a head coach before LeBron James played in the NBA. Outstanding grassroots connections in Texas, particularly Houston. Son Jai was a former player and grad assistant under Barnes. Lucas returning to coaching, particularly in Austin, could go about as well as Boyd Crowder returning to a coal mine.</p>
<p><span>Avery Johnson</span>, ex-NBA head coach. Currently an ESPN NBA analyst. Theoretically outstanding grassroots connections in Texas, particularly Dallas. Son Avery, Jr is currently on scholarship at Texas A&M. No collegiate coaching experience of any kind. Might continually remind you of Kevin Hart, and how much Kevin Hart annoys you despite your teenage son/daughter thinking Kevin Hart is the greatest thing since sliced bread or Dane Cook.</p>
<p>Larry Krystkowiak, ex-NBA head coach. Currently head coach of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blocku.com/">Utah Utes</a>. Not currently bandied about as a candidate but seems to fit the Patterson preferred profile. Totally meets tenet three of this <a href="http://johngasaway.com/2015/03/26/the-four-structural-hazards-of-any-coaching-search/">interesting John Gasaway article</a>. Coach K nickname already taken, would cause extreme pronunciation problems for Kurt Bohls.</p>
https://www.barkingcarnival.com/2015/3/30/8314259/texas-longhorns-mens-basketball-coaching-search-gregg-marshall-shaka-smartjc25