Via multiple reports, Jerry Wainwright will be canned today as DePaul's head basketball coach.
(Ed.Note: Has been canned.)
Speculation is that one or both of Chris Lowery and Lance Irvin, the SIU men's basketball brain trust, will be in line for that position come April.
Well, as I've said before, if they want Lance a lot, take him.
Good riddance.
But seriously, why would they even want him?
Irvin's biggest draw is that he's related to Mac Irvin, coach of the AAU powerhouse Fire.
But what exactly has Lance brought to the table in Carbondale?
Ryan Hare is his best recruit and didn't last two seasons at SIU. Kevin Dillard played for MeanStreets Express so the talk of Irvin opening up this Chicago pipeline is fiction.
And as for his national pull, we have Gene Teague to show thus far.
Of course, as a freshman, it's far too soon to judge Teague's long term value, but he's averaging under three points and three boards per contest.
Not exactly a diamond in the rough just yet. He's just rough, or rusty, whatever you prefer.
Honestly, if DePaul wants any Irvin, shouldn't it be his kinship Mac?
Might as well hire both of them and clean that Fire cupboard out right away.
But it's not like getting good recruits to go to DePaul is a problem anyway.
Mac Koshwal is the best player on the Blue Demons and he rated out as a four-star prospect according to most outlets. Recent former early NBA draftees include Wilson Chandler and Dar Tucker.
So I'm not really sure either is truly a good hire for DePaul because whoever takes that job has their work cut out for them for one key reason.
Allstate Arena is NOT a college stadium. If you've been to a Blue Demons game this decade you can see the half empty stadium without any college vibes or sense of identity.
The stadium is a good 20-30 minute train ride for DePaul students and they really don't support the team for good reason.
Playing in an overloaded conference, the Big East is far too advanced for DePaul, a school that had success as a member of Conference USA.
Without an identity on or off the court, DePaul will continue to struggle no matter how many Irvins they want to add.
And don't think Lowery wants to jump on this, either.
Lowery is interested in winning and that isn't any easier at DePaul than it is at SIU. Sure, SIU is headed for year three of a downward spiral but there is hope on the horizon.
New, state-of-the-art facilities are coming soon and the core of Saluki team are sophomores or younger.
I have a hard time not seeing Justin Bocot, Anthony Booker, Kevin Dillard and newcomer Diamond Taylor not making a Sweet 16 run or deeper when they reach senior status in two years.
As for DePaul? Have fun in the Big East! It's way more competitive in one of the league's best leagues and the Blue Demons' facilities aren't that of an upper-tier college program.
If Lowery is going to ever leave, it will be for a good/great Big Ten or Big 12 program with a chance of winning a national title. And due to SIU's recent slide, I don't see that opportunity popping up for Lowery for another two years.
We'll revisit the coaching rumors in 2012 friends.
If the world doesn't end, of course.
2 comments:
please take lance and lowery. please!!
As an SIU grad and fan, you can have both of them. If Lowery leaves after this season, we could save millions and hire a proven coach who can win with his own players and retain recruits. As for Lance, he's essentially worthless. He is only a recruiter, no coaching skills. His claim to fame are his ties to the Mac Irvin Fire. Do you think any of those players are seriously going to SIU? No way....you can have 'em!
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