Coaches Facing Uphill Battles : Toughest Assignments for 2012

When ESPN and Sports Illustrated start handing out their Coach of the Year awards late in March or April, typically they are handed out to one of two types of coaches: a big name coach leading a powerhouse to an exceptional record or a coach on the rise leading a non-traditional power to new heights. The awards are great recognition for coaches who undoubtedly have done a tremendous job with their respective teams. But more often than not, they aren’t the coaches doing the best job coaching that season. The awards are earned from compiling a couple good years of recruiting together and developing players over time; not for just their successful records that year.

But if you want to really look for the best coaching jobs of the individual season, you need to start looking at the bottom of the barrel. Look at the squads who have almost no returning talent in the power conferences, where legendary coaches are on the opposing bench two to three times a week. Graduation, transfers, and early entrants to the NBA draft can leave coaches with rosters full of question marks. When expectations are at their lowest, that’s when a great coach can really make his mark and show his excellence in his craft. Finishing in with a .500 record might not mean a lot to the national audience, but the basketball junkies will recognize a job very well done.

With that said, let’s look at some coaches who will be trying to prove all those preseason prognosticators wrong.

Steve Donahue, Boston College 

Donahue will have to lead a young BC squad against the heavyweights of the ACC this year.

Here’s all you need to know about the daunting task Steve Donahue is facing this year: his top returning scorer is preferred walk-on Danny Rubin (4.1 PPG), who saw his playing time diminish in the middle of the ACC regular season. With Reggie Jackson’s early departure to the NBA and the graduation of six seniors, Donahue will realize how bare Al Skinner left the cupboard. Along with Rubin, guard Gabe Moton and junior Oregon-transfer Matt Humphrey will be the welcoming seven scholarship freshmen and a few other walk-ons. Although some of the freshmen will certainly be talented, Jeff Bzedlik learned last year how hard it is to compete in the ACC with a young, inexperienced Wake team. If Donahue can get this group to win more than five ACC games and show player development throughout the season, most Eagles fans will be thrilled.

Ed Cooley, Providence

A native of Providence, Cooley will try to resurrect the Friars and make them relevant in the Big East again. Losing first-round pick Marshon Brooks to graduation leaves quite a scoring gap for Ed Cooley’s young team and will be the reason most pundits are down on Providence. Throw in guard Duke Mondy being released from his scholarship and most will expect another bottom half finish for the Friars. But guards Gerald Coleman and Vincent Council have shown flashes of their talent and potential. But the Friars inability to consistently play team defense cost them in Big East play (8-28 Big East record previous two years) and ultimately Keno Davis his job. Cooley will be looking to build an identity that the Friar faithful can rally around and hopefully inject some life into the floundering program.

Draft Debates: Marshon Brooks vs. Alec Burks

Back in April, the shooting guard position was probably considered the thinnest position in the 2011 NBA Draft by a fairly wide margin. However, as the scouting process has continued, both through continued review of game tapes and pre-draft workouts, opinion around the two-guard has become more positive. The headliners of the group are clearly Colorado’s Alec Burks and Providence’s Marshon Brooks (no offense Klay).

Both played in similar situations this past year, playing for traditionally middle-of-the road programs while being the first, second, and possibly third option on the offensive end of the floor. Burks probably had a bit more talent around him and was also helped out by playing in a league that was not the Big East; thus, Colorado won quite a few more games than Providence. Still, Burks certainly was the driving force behind one of the most successful seasons that his former program has had in some time. Brooks did not enjoy the same type of success when it came to wins and losses, but he certainly made a name for himself, leading the Big East in scoring at just under 25 per game. His 52-point performance in a loss to Notre Dame was one of the more impressive efforts in a loss in quite some time.

Mock drafts have these guys all over the place. Burks has widely been rated a little bit better of a prospect, but Brooks has made a charge of late, gaining “sleeper” status by many draft pundits. Giblin and I are going to figure out who we’d rather have on our squad and where the best landing spots for each might be.

Twithitters: NBA Draft Movers

With the NBA Draft on the horizon and our first Mock Draft in the books, we decided to take a closer look at some of the players likely to move up/down draft boards in the coming weeks. So, here is a list of the draftees we are looking to make a big move, whether for the good or bad, heading into draft night in NYC:

Top 3 Draft Movers:

Giblin

Enes Kanter: GMs typically love to draft on potential which is why Kanter is considered a lottery pick. But a top 3 pick? I doubt it actually happens. There are so many other players that have shown flashes of potential this past year where as Kanter was declared ineligible by the NCAA and couldn’t show much. I’m guessing he drops regardless of how his individual workouts go.

Iman Shumpert: The guys been able to show his athletic ability and scouts are beginning to drool. I’ve already said that I’m not that impressed with his lack of overall skill, but I think NBA scouts are going to hope he can develop that overtime and will overlook it for now. Don’t be surprised if he ends up drafted in the teens.

Shumpert might fly up into the middle of the first round.

Jon Leuer: This is purely a hunch. I think Leuer could sneak into the top of the 2nd round. He’s got great size, a solid skill set, and a good motor. I think a GM is going to fall in love with him envisioning a Channing Frye/David Lee type player. If he shoots the ball well in these upcoming workouts, don’t be surprised if he starts rising on some draft boards.

                            

Mayo

 Jordan Hamilton: Hamilton is a top scorer in this draft. He has ideal size and athleticism for an NBA wing. Why is this guy not a surefire lottery pick? For my money, Hamilton is going to be up where he should be by the time the draft rolls around.

Yes, we are talking about you, Kawhi...Sorry to be the bearer of bad news

Kawhi Leonard: Leonard has a lot of upside but he may be out of place being up around the top 5 or 6 picks. He also had a somewhat disappointing combine, which is a bigger deal than you’d think since a lot of what scouts like about him is his athleticism. He could fall a bit.

 JuJuan Johnson: If JaVale McGee and Ed Davis can be drafted in the lottery, why on earth is JuJuan Johnson a fringe first round pick? Johnson has all the measureables, he just lacks bulk. He’s a great shot blocker, can run the floor, and he can score–though his post game is still developing. If he doesn’t rise, some team is going to get a steal in the late first or early second.

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Luke

Marshon Brooks:I’ve written about Brook’s sleeper potential before but the 6-foot-5 swingman from Providence is starting to actually rise up team’s draft boards. He’s been receiving high grades from scouts as of late and even drawing comparisons to Paul George throughout workouts. So, as the most potent scorer in the draft and with some off the charts measurements (including a 7’1″ wingspan) Brooks could be heading for lottery after all.

Marshon could be raising the roof on draft night if he sneaks his way into the lottery

Markieff Morris: The Morris twins have been hot on many radars since they declared back in April. But, while Marcus has been finding his way into the top-10 even in some mocks, Markieff has seen his stock falling as of late. With some questions about his position entering the league and a mediocre-at-best offensive skillset we could see at least one of the two twins headed for a steep fall on draft night.

Nikola Vucevic: After some terrific workouts in Chicago, Vucevic left the windy city looking more and more like a high level center in the NBA. Some teams have been falling hard for the 7-footer from Montenegro and it wouldn’t be all that surprising if he even snuck his way into the lottery come draft night.