The Cleveland Cavaliers are pursuing Michigan State’s Tom Izzo as their next head coach, according to reports.
“If I was anywhere but at Michigan State, I would be interested in Tom, too, because he’s the best coach in college basketball,” Michigan State AD Mark Hollis told The Associated Press. ” Hollis added that there was “not a contract offer on the table.”
Izzo, who makes a reported $3 million annually, has led the Spartans to a 364-146 career record, six Final Four appearances and six Big Ten championships in 15 seasons. Michigan State won the NCAA championship in 2000 and reached the Final Four last season, falling to Butler in the national semifinals.
Next year’s team will have a legitimate shot to return to the Final Four thanks to the return of a strong core, including injured guard Kalin Lucas.
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is a Michigan State alum and is prepared to offer more than $6 million annually, according to The Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
In an email to the A.P., Gilbert said the team’s policy was not to comment on “any rumor about potential new hires, trades, free agent signing, etc.”
Hollis added: “I know Dan and Tom talk and that Dan has reached out to talk to Tom in the past.”
The Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors and Minnesota Timberwolves have all reportedly had previous interest in Izzo.
After losing to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals May 13, the Cavs fired head coach Mike Brown May 24.
On June 4, GM Danny Ferry resigned.
LeBron James officially becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1.
In related news, Carmelo Anthony, who is looking into a three-year extension with the Denver Nuggets, said he doesn’t think LeBron will leave Cleveland.
“I think he’s going to stay,” Anthony told Yahoo! Sports at halftime of Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night in Los Angeles.
OLIVER LEAVING SETON HALL
Seton Hall sources confirmed that 6-10 big man Melvyn Oliver is transferring. Oliver, who played sparingly under Bobby Gonzalez due to weight and conditioning issues, was touted by the former coach as a potential future NBA player.
“We think that Melvyn Oliver has the potential to be the single-most important recruit we’ve signed since coming here,” Gonzalez said in the release announcing Oliver’s signing. “I feel that he has pro potential and with some hard work and conditioning, we believe the sky is the limit for him. Melvyn is a very unique type of player as his skill level is off the charts for a guy his size. I think he is one of the biggest sleepers in the country and now has a chance to come into the BIG EAST Conference and really make some noise.”
FREE THROWS
Brian Fitzpatrick , a 6-7 freshman, is transferring to Bucknell from Penn, per Mount Hermon coach John Carroll…Former Hoop Group guru Steve Ott is leaving to take an assistant coaching position at Siena... Boston College guard Brady Heslip will decide between Baylor, Boise State, Utah State, Oregon and Georgetown.
(Photo courtesy Lansing State Journal)
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bigpapijugg / June 8, 2010
there is no way they want Tom Izzo. Haven’t you heard they are going to get WWW to package Cal and LeBron. Let me guess, if Cleveland doesn’t get Cal he will go to the Clippers or Nets or somewhere.(hahahaha)
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trapjohn / June 8, 2010
All kidding aside, don’t you think Coach Cal would be a better NBA coach than Coach Izzo? From his last few years at Memphis and last year at Kentucky, Coach Cal has shown that he has learned how to manage elite talent, which seems to be the biggest (and hardest) part of being an NBA coach. NBA coaching is not about teaching skills or micro-managing the product on the court, it is about selling the program to the players and the fans alike.
And I know someone will bring up Coach Cal and the Nets from a few years ago, but three things: 1. He did take the Nets to the playoffs one year I believe. 2. From when he got to Memphis to when he left Memphis you could see a definite shift in style from coach to manager. 3. Come on, we are talking about the Nets here.
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bigpapijugg / June 8, 2010
would Cal be a better fit in Cleveland though? no. Calipari doesn’t succeed with mid-level talent and Izzo does. There is a slight chance (whether Cal goes or someone else) that Cleveland will miss out on LeBron and if so Izzo would be the better fit. If LeBron goes back, Cal would probably be better fit because the offense fits LBJ WAY better. What im saying is Cal can coach elite talent and get the most out of them, but if there isn’t elite talent there then Izzo would be the man. Truthfully Izzo and Calipari were both on my wish list of Gillispie successors.
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trapjohn / June 8, 2010
Very good point – although I would argue that any NBA team with mid-level talent has no shot at being successful no matter who the coach. That was one of Coach Cal’s problems the first time around with the Nets, and seems to always be the issue when a college coach goes to the pros (in bball and in football) – the team is looking for a coach who can cover up its lack of elite talent. If LeBron stays at Cleveland it would present a unique opportunity for whoever fills the coaching job.
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TheFinger / June 8, 2010
has an nba inquired on the availability of cal recently? NO! so quit bringing it up, cal isn’t the hot commodity y’all are making him out to be.
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UofA BJ / June 8, 2010
Laugh now, vacate later douchebag.
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UofA BJ / June 8, 2010
No Cal wouldnt be a better coach than Izzo. Ae you brain dead?
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UofA BJ / June 8, 2010
LOL jugg, you are a joke.
There is no cheating a NBA salary cap.
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UofA BJ / June 8, 2010
You UK fans comparing Calipari to Izzo in coaching ability are a joke.
Please remind me what has calipari ever done?
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TheFinger / June 8, 2010
mid-level talent? judging by how many players each has recently delivered to the nba, dead even at 6, neither coach has been blessed with an influx of “elite talent” until this past season. and which coach advanced further – the coach with mid-level talent or elite talent? just goes to show what a joke your opinion of cal is, izzo is just a better coach, period.
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BostonCat / June 8, 2010
i see you have crawled out of the hole you have been hiding in. all the “no way jones leaves the west coast” talk and how vargas was the big man target all along and not jack.
dont worry..no one has forgotten what an uninformed clown you are.
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UofA BJ / June 8, 2010
never said anything other than vargas wanted to go to kentucky all along.
And you kentucky fans didnt want him.Ended up being wrong on TJ , although he committed to UW and was then swindled away.
Haven’t been hiding Ive just been to busy to post lately.
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BostonCat / June 8, 2010
“swindled”…..amazing how little you know
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rbcat / June 8, 2010
You all are so jealous of Kentucky and Cal. It’s embarrassing for the teams you do support. Cal is staying at Ky and we will be winning championships. The fear of the Big Blue Nation is back and it is eating up College Basketball.
We have Pat Forde, little man Pitino and his squeaky clean son doing everything they can do to bring down the empire but it is not going to happen. Championship banners will be raised in the coming years in Rupp.
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UofA BJ / June 8, 2010
LOL, keep dreamin you arent winning shit.
UK will be lucky to make sweet 16 next year.
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fearthephog25 / June 8, 2010
I’d have to say Izzo is the far better coach. Hasn’t the guy been to six of the last twelve final fours? Cal has zero finals fours, but cal and his lack of respect or integrity for the game; makes him a better fit for the league. Truth is, cal can’t compete against the game schemes of Popovich, Brown, Jackson, Rivers, etc. etc. So if is waiting to win a National Title before going to the league, not going to happen. YOUNG TEAMS DO NOT WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS. And with all the violations and contraversy surrounding him, NBA interest will drop greatly in the future. So if uk ever fires cal because of possible sanctions, nobody will ever want him as a coach in NCAA. Take that back, maybe a UTEP or Boise St would. 😛
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BostonCat / June 8, 2010
when the feds get done with their investigation of the million dollar ticket scam/fraud, i’m sure the NCAA will take a return trip to lawerence to look around considering ku just got off probation for violations involving massive academic fraud among several other shady instances.
doesnt sound like an institution that is in control but i’m sure self has nothing to do with all that. lol
and you wonder why no conference wants ku once the big 12 gets blown up.
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trapjohn / June 8, 2010
Rodney Carney, Shawne Williams, Antonio Anderson, CDR, Robert Dozier, Joey Dorsey, Derrick Rose, and Tyreke Evans from Memphis plus the four recruits from UK (not really counting Patterson since he could have gone pro last year). That stretches back to when Coach Cal got to the elite 8 for the first time with Memphis. Dozier got drafted but didn’t play in the NBA and AA went undrafted but has played in the NBA. I agree that Izzo is a better college coach – but my point was that Coach Cal would be a better manager type, which I again contend you need in the NBA.
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trapjohn / June 8, 2010
Actually I’m a Memphis fan who has grown tired of the negativity. In his last four years at Memphis Coach Cal went to two elite eights and a sweet sixteen. He also beat UCONN, USC, Miss. St, Michigan St., Texas, and UCLA in a bunch of games that don’t really count. In another game that doesn’t count he beat Arizona – and I know it happened even if it doesn’t exist because I was the one holding the “Kick their Budingers” and “Razing Arizona” signs at the game.
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trapjohn / June 8, 2010
Ummm – actually this started as a non-heated basketball discussion between a Memphis fan and a Kentucky fan. But, to answer you, it seems that Coach Cal being the highest paid coach in college basketball would at least somewhat count towards his value as a basketball commodity.
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trapjohn / June 8, 2010
Again, as a Memphis fan I would have to agree. I was also in SA for the championship game that wasn’t. (And no I don’t blame coach for the loss, but I do kinda blame him for the players not being ready for the possesion after the shot by Chalmers and for overtime.) But I don’t know about Coach Cal competing against the best coaches in the NBA. The coaches you mentioned above have incredible talent on their teams, and some of the best coaches I’ve seen (Avery Johnson, Mike D’Antoni, Mark Iavaroni as an assistant) are either with bad teams or are out of the league entirely. And as someone who can sell a product, who can be out front doing interviews and promoting his team – I think Coach Cal would fit right in. Would anyone here argue that Mike Brown is a great coach? Yet he had the best record this past season and won Coach of the Year a couple of seasons back.
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fearthephog25 / June 8, 2010
Maybe because KU dominates conference play year in and year out, and that would mean at least two automatic losses for them. 7 straight Big 12 Tiltles. 😛 Kind of like how teams do not want to come play in THE PHOG – 60 Straight wins. LOL Anymore brain busters?
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fearthephog25 / June 8, 2010
Yeah, I would have to say that is pretty stupid to pay a recruiter that much. Especially having never been to a Final Four. Who does that? LOL
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BostonCat / June 8, 2010
you dominate a conference that is garbage. which is why its being picked apart. if it was any good it would be able to stand on its own.
but dont worry…when you are dropped to c-usa or mac status self can kick the lack of institutional control into full gear since nobody will care
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fearthephog25 / June 8, 2010
LMAO!!!! Are you calling the weak, and I mean very weak sec dominant? I give you this though, they are dominant in football. How many games does uk football win a year? Exactly! LOL uk would be lucky to be above .500 in the Big 12. That is a fact, so accept it.
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fearthephog25 / June 8, 2010
Above .500 in basketball is what I meant.
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BostonCat / June 8, 2010
yeah because everyone is so afraid of iowa state, colorado, nebraska, texas tech, ksu, oklahoma, osu, and rick barnes.
half the conference is just a complete dog. these teams are so bad they dont even make the NIT!!!!
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fearthephog25 / June 8, 2010
LOL What an idiotic statement. Better go look at your busted bracket again. What a fool!! LOL Over half the conference makes the big dance every year, how about the sec? HAHA
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rbcat / June 9, 2010
Featherfog25—it’s glad to see you back from vacation. Is Self still on Vacation. Have not heard a lot from him. Or his he searching for a league to join in 2012? Jayhawk nation better be worried. Maybe you all can fix your issues with the relationship with the football team and get some players to play both sports.
Glad to have you back talking about young teams don’t win. Well lets see what you say about the jayhawks in the coming years. Searching for a place to play? None of the “BIG” conferences want poor little Kansas. And by the way—what conference is Memphis in? Maybe that is where Kansas will go?
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fearthephog25 / June 9, 2010
Sup rbcat, sorry bout that man. I didn’t forget about ya, my bad. I been busy past few days, my kids’ mother flew in from Tennessee and I am playing host for a couple weeks.
I have been reading some here and there though. I am not worried about KU, cuz we will always be good. Afterall it is where the whole thing started. And if we have to dominate another conference, then so be it. Nothing in the world like playing in THE PHOG that is for sure. That is why opposing teams always arrive early to take pictures and tour Allen Fieldhouse. But we all know this whole conference thing is about football revenue and nothing more. Afterall how many super conferences do we need? LOL does nothing for basketball. Look at the Big East, they always get all them teams into the big dance when others are more deserving, then they flop and lose half their teams the first weekend of the tourney.
How you been though? I still gotta go back and respond to your last comment and will do that when I get to a pc. Now I’m on my phone laying down. What story wad it on, do you remember? I hope you have been doing good, I am bored with no college hoops. LOL so I been settling for the NBA finals. It lacks the emotion and the passion and love of the game though.
Oh the PAC 10 Is making a huge mistake. No teams will be able to compete. Who wants to see Texas win the rose bowl every single year? LOL the only one that will be able to compete would be UW and still Texas will blow them out. It won’t be USC because they are going to get the modern day death penalty. The whole state of Texas will blow out every PAC 10 team. And in basketball, just look at what the big 12 does to the PAC 10 in the challenge every year. I want some real competition, like a big 12 vs. Big east clash. My phone always automaticall capitalizes PAC 10. LOL I’m too tired to worry about all of that now though. It’s 4:15 am on Westcoast, I better get some sleep.
Good to see you again too. I’ll be in touch. Have a good day.
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BostonCat / June 9, 2010
looks like nebraska is going to the big 10. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5265631 the begging KU did appears not to have worked. missouri who has had 1 foot out the door will go as well. now texas doesnt have to look like the bad guy in this and go to the pac-10 and take the other decent big 12 teams with them.
KU now needs to start the begging. maybe mountain west, mid-american, or missouri valley will let them in. maybe.
on the bright side KU wont have to worry about scalping tickets…no one will pay to see those games!!!!!
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GasCan / June 9, 2010
“I am not worried about KU, cuz we will always be good. Afterall it is where the whole thing started.” Another example of a stupid and uninformed Kansas fan spouting off about how the game was invented by them. The game was invented by a Canadian Doctor in SPRINFIELD, MASSATUCHETS. That same Doctor later coached Kansas to a LOSING record LMFAO!!!
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ChicagoUK / June 9, 2010
Even though I am not a KU fan, it pains me to see how irrelevant they are.. if they do end up in the moutain west or conf-usa, KU becomes a second-tier program.
It also sucks for recruits like Selby who’ll never get on TV. Not fair to them at all.. but no one cares about the students anyway. Poor Selby broke his finger too. Rough first week for him.
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BlueCat32 / June 9, 2010
Could it be that KU will be known as Kwho?
Bill Self is worried…
“I can hardly believe that we’ve won three national championships and our football team won the Orange Bowl in the past two years and basically, we could come away with nothing to show for that, that we would be penalized because we live in an area that’s not as populated as other areas,” Self said.
“This is bad for us. It’s really bad for Kansas and Kansas State both. I don’t get it. Well, OK, I get it. But I don’t like it.”
“To actually change the whole scope of athletics and leave some schools out in the cold that have meant so much for the NCAA and for other institutions, to me, is a pretty tough pill to swallow.”
“It’s driving me nuts,” coach Bill Self said Tuesday.
If big-time college sports suddenly embarks on an eat-or-be-eaten explosion of expansion, the Jayhawks’ great basketball tradition may not hold any more value than the tennis team.(That’s just too funny)
I told you about your bad KARMA… fearthephog25 🙂
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5265439
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fearthephog25 / June 9, 2010
Hey, I would be happy for Kansas to join the sec. It would be nice to beat up on uk in basketball during conference play. The wildcats wouldn’t be afraid of some ELITE competition, would they? LOL 😛 But I am sure they don’t want Kansas winning their weak sec conference every year. Lets get this KU vs, uk battle going!! Everryone wants to see it anyway, and you know it.
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BlueCat32 / June 9, 2010
Not afraid at all,just don’t think KU will end up in the SEC….I don’t know where KU will go,looks like KU better start saying their prayers and hoping they can end up in the weak SEC….
If not in a power conference with the big tv endorsements it will hurt recruiting…
Maybe you can join the Conference USA 🙂
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UofA BJ / June 9, 2010
SEC isnt that good UK fans, did you start watching college bball this year?
Soon Pac 10 will run all of college sports and will continue the title of conference of champions.
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fearthephog25 / June 9, 2010
Conference usa is too easy, we would blow right through that conference easily. I would rather join the big east or sec. Its no worries, if Memphis can survive, then so can KU with all that TRADITION & HISTORY. Certainly the decades of consecutive NCAA Tourney Appearances will continue.
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fearthephog25 / June 9, 2010
Just another hater of a storied program. LOL All basketball greatness branches out of strong roots started in Kansas. It is well documented, that is all that needs to be said.:P
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UofA BJ / June 9, 2010
KU football cant hang in the SEC. Especially now since Reesing,meier and brisco are gone. And it seems that football is what it is all about.
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fearthephog25 / June 9, 2010
A lot of teams in the sec can’t hang with the powerhouse teams. uk, tenn. etc. sec is too good in football. But then if KU ends up in a weak conference like conf. usa, then people will get mad cuz we go undefeated like Memphis did. Good news for the 2,000 win plus club I guess. LOL
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rbcat / June 10, 2010
I heard tonight that the athletic director at KU was interested in joining the MVC- Missouri Valley Conference but Self came running to the his office and said no…
We can’t beat Northern Iowa 🙂 Sounds like that Jayhawk chatter will be very quite in years to come… You gotta love it.
I wonder if Self will jump to the NBA? Lets start that rumor 🙂
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BlueCat32 / June 10, 2010
🙂 Hahaha
NO NBA….
Izzo going to Cavs
Self going to MSU
Billy G. going to KU
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fearthephog25 / June 10, 2010
Start whatever you want, fact is KU can still whup uk right now. LOL Its not like uk is winning anything anytime soon. Did you win anything last season? LMAO. I think not, what a waste huh? I bet you thought you were going to a final four. 😛
Will you hate that we go 40-0 coming out of MVC? LOL Then you will be mad cuz we have more all time wins. And uk gets KU’s scraps not fit for greatness – calimari, not the other way around. LOL Who is billie g? That guy you turned into a chronic alcoholic? LOL Strickland sure followed in the footsteps well.
uk is SKURD for KANSAS to join the sec huh? I can feel you shaking in your boots. haha
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BlueCat32 / June 10, 2010
It’s ok to dream,sometimes they actually come true 🙂
John Wall signed with Reebok for 5 years, 25 million…
X.Henry signed with Depends 3 years and he gets free diapers for life (Pampers and Huggies) 🙂
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BostonCat / June 10, 2010
whatever you need to say to make yourself feel better. kansas is about to become irrelevant. and all the smack talk in the world isnt going to change that. is duke and unc afraid too? no, no one is afraid…the reality is no one wants you. you are basically the fat girl who has hot friends.
and i’m not sure why you would be talking junk about last year. your team was the #1 team in the country and the odds on favorite to win it all and after coasting threw that garbage of a league that is about to get blown up you go and rocked by northern iowa in the 2nd round. so you didnt win anything either last season.
the difference is that uk wasnt really supposed too, ku was. savor the last big 12 title. its onto the mountain west for you and onto to msu for self.
selby needs to not start class and get out while he can.
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ChicagoUK / June 10, 2010
Did KU fans watch Bill Self’s pseudo-press conference yesterday? He was very, very concerned – said recruiting would suffer a bunch. He was upset about how KU basketball was being treated but he did say “our national following is second to Kentucky.. and maybe UNC” – at least he understands his status. See it on theshiver.com
You cannot tell me that there is a positive angle to all of this with KU. Even if they manage to get into a BCS conference, the Jayhawk brand is badly tarnished after this.
It does seem un-American to see KU win a title in BB and a BCS bowl in football in the past 5 years and get passed over for Texas A&M, Colorado, Oklahoma State and others.. everything is about $ I guess
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fearthephog25 / June 10, 2010
Somebody got all butt hurt. ROFFL!!
I don’t ecxpect UNC and Duke to be scared, they have quality coaches that can adjust in tight game situations. And actually fly Final Four and National Championship Banners. 😛 The same thing which cannot be said about calisleazy. LOL cal is always the brides maid and never the bride, and was left dangling at the alter twice. Not once, but TWICE. LOL Must suck to be him.
If the sec is a possibility, then uk is in for a harsh does of reality. Believe me, they don’t want to see KU. Simple fact, can just see it now..when the pussycats walk into Allen Fieldhouse in Chalk & Awe. LMAO!!
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BostonCat / June 10, 2010
and now oklahoma st is gone for the pac-10. its great seeing self go on espn and beg for someone to take them. too bad no one is listening. ku brings nothing to the table. maybe if he didnt put the program on probation and be in the middle of a million dollar ticket scam ku would have a chance. but they are a mess and have no value.
with izzo taking the cavs job (the job all the cal haters had pegged for just to be proven wrong AGAIN) self will be the #1 target by msu and self will take it. why go down with the sinking ship that is the university of kansas.
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BostonCat / June 10, 2010
and now KU has no AD. worthless!!!!
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jhawk4 / June 10, 2010
It has been a very bad week for KU, that is for sure. I find it funny that a kentucky fan would have this kind of attitude about things. Kentucky and Kansas’s athletic situations are very similar in regards to football and basketball. we just happened to have the conference run by idiots and a overly powerful influence by Texas.
Don’t count KU out yet, there are alot of potential scenarios and not all of them spell doom for KU athletics. yes, some of them do, but we are a ways off from that point now. lets wait and let things play out before all this rampant specualtion
When will this week be over!
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