SINCE WE LAST SPOKE: 4-3-14
NOT UNHAPPY HE STAYED: Anyone who has listened to
The Tony Basilio Show knows I am not a huge Cuonzo Martin believer. Below you will see the projected lineup for next season that if Jarnell Stokes decides to bolt will not prompt anyone outside the Martin family to thoughts of next season’s Final Four in Indianapolis.
Blogger’s Wisenheimer Insert Alert:It could however bolster the chances that Tennessee moves a step or two closer to hosting more NIT games than Madison Square Garden and fill up the one banner with little room to spare. That aside I am not unhappy that Cuonzo either turned down or wasn’t offered the Marquette job and will remain for his fourth season at Tennessee. Cuonzo Martin the man has always been easy for me to pull for; his product many times has not. With Bruce Pearl off the market and all of his signees off the roster Cuonzo Martin will at last have the opportunity to sink or swim on his own merits. There is no question that the aura of Bruce has been a heavy burden to carry and added an additional layer of pressure that was not of Cuonzo’s making. It has also caused many of us to keep one eye on the rear view mirror instead of looking through the windshield. His flirtation with Marquette will not be received well by many Vol supporters but the late season tournament run provided enough clearing of the air to suggest that he will begin the 2014-15 season in better standing with many than he did in 2013-14. If we’re honest his glancing at another job is no bigger transgression than us glancing at other coaching candidates before the full season’s true picture was developed. Full disclosure I believe that Cuonzo is constructing a perennial NIT program without the necessary pieces to regularly contend for Conference Championships and NCAA Tournament invitations. That however is simply my fear based on recruiting ratings and the limited opportunities thus far provided for current reserves that will play far more prominent roles going forward. My hope on the other hand is that the light comes on for Robert Hubbs, Armani Moore, A.J Davis or one of the newcomers as we saw with Josh Richardson, Cuonzo continues to evolve as a Head Coach and things fall into place as he envisions. Either way he should have the opportunity –and the responsibility- to direct the roster that he is the lead architect of. I hope that Coach Martin proves me wrong and has a long and successful career here after a rocky start. I would have no problem with him being the face and the patriarch of our program for years to come. I hope that we can all put our differences behind us and start anew; the fans, players, Coach Martin and staff alike. That way regardless of the outcome it can’t be said that off-the-court influences, premature fan unrest or Coach’s disillusionment determined who is and isn’t leading the Tennessee Volunteers. Cuonzo and staff will determine their own fate through merit and merit alone.
TOUGHER BREED? After –and during- Cuonzo Martin’s team’s run to the Sweet 16 winning 9 of their last 11 with their only losses to the Final-4 bound Florida Gators and a Michigan team that narrowly missed an invitation the National Media and a newly vocal group of Cuonzo Martin supporters changed the narrative. The attention wasn’t on the successful run itself but more centered on the perceived –or more accurately contrived- level of mistreatment that Coach Martin has received since his arrival in Knoxville. As admitted above I will clearly acknowledge the situation Coach Martin walked into was not ideal. That however –though obviously significant- is the only truly out-of-the-ordinary aspect of Cuonzo’s tenure and to be quite honest if he didn’t realize the atmosphere he was walking into upon accepting the job his evaluation and scouting skills should have been questioned from the start. During the Vols run the heart-tuggers and coach-apologists have implied that Tennessee fans are guilty of every inhumane act imaginable when in reality the level of criticism was typical of any fan base with a passion for their team when the level of success has fallen off drastically from what they have become accustomed to. Message boards and social media would have been full of the same vitriol without the
Bring Back Bruce push -or their much-signed petition- it simply would have lacked the organization that the movement provided. The occasional nut-case that attacked or demeaned Cuonzo because of the color of his skin or sent letters to or disrespected his family members are reprehensible but do not exemplify Tennessee or it’s loyal fans. That sadly has much more to do with Cuonzo’s profession of choice –and the huge monetary reward that comes with it- than the area of the country in which he recently chose to ply his trade. If Cuonzo believes that taking another job will relieve him of critical evaluation of his performance -or lack thereof- then he will begin his next challenge as oblivious as he apparently entered this one. The truth is high dollar head coaches of programs with fan bases that care deeply can’t move frequently or far enough away to avoid negative reaction. There is no such thing as a fan unrest refuge. My suggestion to Cuonzo? Practice that Tougher Breed mantra that you’ve so frequently preached during your Tennessee tenure. The volume may have been turned up due to the Bruce Pearl saga but part of the reason you are so handsomely compensated is the noise comes with the territory.
FUTURE FAITH? Conceding that there can be unforeseen addition or attrition between now and the start of the 2014-15 basketball season below is a look at what we now know to be the roster. At a glance it appears to me that in the event Jarnell Stokes returns a case could be made that a return to the NCAA Tournament is certainly possible if not probable. Without him? I would be hard pressed to believe an NIT -or heaven-forbid one of those other tournament- berths isn’t more likely:
NEXT SEASON’S PROJECTED LINEUP
PG- Darius Thompson; Larry Austin
2G- Josh Richardson
SF- Robert Hubbs
PF- Phillip Cofer; C.J. Turman; A.J Davis
C- Jarnell Stokes
Key Reserves: Armani Moore; Derek Reese
Rest of Roster: Pops Ndiaye
BASEBALL YALL: I love baseball. I understand –I think- why many don’t but with the exception of College Football it is my favorite spectator sport. It is what I played most seriously, which means it is the game I can more closely relate to what the players are experiencing on the field. I love the pace -which naturally becomes more appealing the older I get-, the everyday nature, the strategy, the batter-pitcher battles which exemplifies the individual attributes of the overall team game, the numbers, the historical significance and comparisons, the time of year it’s played and yes even the romanticism engendered by all of the above. Winter is dying, warm weather is imminent and hope springs eternal so let’s PLAY BALL!
Speaking of imminent how about the inaccuracy and ultimate embarrassment that the predictions below will cause six months from now or sooner? Oh what the heck here goes again:
NL EAST: 1-Nationals 2-Braves 3-Marlins 4-Mets 5-Phillies
Losing Medlen and Beachy will be too much for Braves to overcome. Picking Basilio’s Phillies last is too fun –and likely- to pass up
NL CENTRAL: 1-Cardinals 2-Reds 3-Pirates 4-Brewers 5-Cubs
Cards organization is the best in all of MLB and though the 2014 predictions don’t indicate it the Cubs seem to be gaining traction
NL WEST: 1-Dodgers 2-Giants 3-Diamondbacks 4-Rockies 5-Padres
Dodgers unseated the Yankees for the highest payroll in all of MLB we’ll see how wisely they invested
AL EAST: 1-Red Sox (that hurt) 2-Yankees 3-Rays 4-Orioles 5-Blue Jays
Red Sox have seemingly found perfect approach and chemistry. Yanks can contend but they must keep an injury-prone everyday lineup healthy throughout
AL CENTRAL: 1-Tigers 2-Royals 3-Indians 4-White Sox 5-Twins
Tigers are lucky there are no RPIs in MLB.
AL WEST: 1-A’s 2-Rangers 3-Angels 4-Mariners 5-Astros
From Money Ball (A’s) to Funny Ball (Astros)
IN A PERFECT WORLD: Houston would be in the National League, Milwaukee in the American and Day 2 of the season would include at least one afternoon game.