F*ck You Shaka Smart

bobby heenan · 03-22-12, 07:33 PM

dont blame him...the extra 1.2 or 1.3 aint worth the headache

milwaukee mike · 03-22-12, 07:34 PM

how dare he make a decision not based solely on money!

Chi_archie · 03-22-12, 08:01 PM

way to go shaka, keep your committment to your recruits!

wish he would have stayed at California

RL75 · 03-22-12, 08:05 PM

Can you blame him? Going to a 2nd tier big 10 team? It's not like it's MSU, tOSU or Indiana he'd be going to. He's holding out for the big big jobs - like UConn type jobs. Same for Brad Stevens.

RITZ · 03-22-12, 08:21 PM

Illini job vs VCU job is like Cubs in the major leagues and Iowa Cubs minor league which is a big difference. Obviously Shaka wants another major college job and did not want to get labeled as a job jumper like Bill Self Illini to Kansas.

rm18 · 03-22-12, 08:25 PM

VCU -6 vs. Illinois neutral court next year

BernardMadoff · 03-22-12, 08:56 PM

Smart guy.

jbess · 03-22-12, 09:05 PM

Glad to have him stay here in Richmond. We Richmonders love him! Smart move sir!

Albert Pujols · 03-22-12, 11:36 PM

Why does that make him an asshole? Don't be a douche.

Louisvillekid1 · 03-22-12, 11:41 PM

He's only 32 and will get a better offer in the future...

Brad Stevens' will be Louisville's coach in a few years...

Louisvillekid1 · 03-22-12, 11:42 PM

There should be more Brad Stevens' and Shaka Smart's in this world...

Don't jump to first offer, remember he declined NC State's offer last year and they are still playing and have sick recruiting class coming in next year...

PickWinnerAllDay · 03-22-12, 11:44 PM

Illinois is too tough of a job.

The MVC is substantially better than the CAA and Bruce Weber struggled badly here. Shaka Smart is probably making the right decision... hell, even if he goes to UCLA, the Pac-12 is barely better than the CAA and has access to 5 star recruits b/c of the name...

Hate to say it, but hes making the right decision. Pussy reasons, but right decision.

PickWinnerAllDay · 03-22-12, 11:46 PM

The CAA may even be worse than we thought. 2 of their top 4 teams lost to Mercer the last couple of nights.

Shaka knows he can close his eyes and coach his team into the tournament the next decade at VCU.

Louisvillekid1 · 03-23-12, 12:06 AM

what a smart dude(no pun intended)

now he's on tv, breaking down games...

PickWinnerAllDay · 03-23-12, 12:08 AM

To be honest, I think he is a little bit overrated.

I still wanted him for Illinois, but I think that any elite school like UCLA/Kentucky/Kansas will be disappointed in him. He is kind of building on what Grant established and even though they did make a great run last year, they honestly didn't even belong in the tournament.

He needs to put together a full season and hasn't done it yet before a program like UCLA would come calling I think.

BernardMadoff · 03-23-12, 12:17 AM

I would have turned them down too. They shunned him before I heard them say tonight on tv, now they want him. Haha, "John Doe has the upper hand". Now Shaka has the last laugh.

ChalkyDog · 03-23-12, 02:01 AM

Shaka is sharp. Illinois is a square play.

Gotta give props when they are due. Turning his nose up at 2.5 gives a clear message that he is looking for an elite gig with a huge payday.

It's a bit of a gamble, because VCU could easily turn into the VCU of old, but he knows what he has going forward with his program, and I am positive he knows he wont be fading into obscurity anytime soon.

Well played.

ChalkyDog · 03-23-12, 02:02 AM

Originally posted by PickWinnerAllDay

To be honest, I think he is a little bit overrated.

I still wanted him for Illinois, but I think that any elite school like UCLA/Kentucky/Kansas will be disappointed in him. He is kind of building on what Grant established and even though they did make a great run last year, they honestly didn't even belong in the tournament.

He needs to put together a full season and hasn't done it yet before a program like UCLA would come calling I think.

Again - 27 wins each season Smart has been HC at VCU... Illinois last 27 win season?

SASH · 03-23-12, 02:07 AM

So happy he decided to stay with my VCU fellas

PickWinnerAllDay · 03-23-12, 02:08 AM

Originally posted by ChalkyDog

Again - 27 wins each season Smart has been HC at VCU... Illinois last 27 win season?

27 win season yet they are on the bubble this year if they don't narrowly beat Drexel in the championship game.
27 win season last year yet they were undoubtedly the last team in the field and no one thought their resume deserved an NCAA bid.

The CAA is worse than you think it is. The impression is that it is a decent mid major conference because of the runs of George Mason and VCU but it is nowhere near the level of the MWC, MVC, A-10, or even the WCC.

ChuckyTheGoat · 03-23-12, 04:49 AM

Only way this is a good move is if...he continually dangles this in front of VCU's face. "Hey, I turned down $2.5M to stay here. Add some facilities, get me a girl, a new car, etc..."

19th Hole · 03-23-12, 05:15 AM

Illinois is the Siberia of college hoops.
"Smart" man.

milwaukee mike · 03-23-12, 08:09 AM

even with all the criticisms of the illinois program, it is in much better shape than indiana was when tom crean took over

Boscoe · 03-23-12, 09:11 AM

Strike while the iron is hot.

flyingillini · 03-23-12, 01:55 PM

Thank Christ we didn't get Shaka, he would of been a disaster for us.

yisman · 03-23-12, 02:13 PM

Good decision by Shaka.

PickWinnerAllDay · 03-23-12, 02:15 PM

Originally posted by yisman

Good decision by Shaka.

We have no idea about that yet. If in 3 years, VCU misses the tournament 2 of those 3 years and he falls off as a top hire...

Dirty Sanchez · 03-23-12, 02:21 PM

Originally posted by RonPaul2008

Asshole turned down 2.5 million a year from Illinois. F*cking asshole!

Tells you how bad of a program Illinois is.....no one wants that trainwreck

yisman · 03-23-12, 02:45 PM

Originally posted by PickWinnerAllDay

We have no idea about that yet. If in 3 years, VCU misses the tournament 2 of those 3 years and he falls off as a top hire...

Of course we have an idea. It's the right decision either way to pass up Illinois. I didn't say it's a guarantee he's going to get a higher paying job. He made the right decision right now.

PickWinnerAllDay · 03-23-12, 02:46 PM

Originally posted by yisman

Of course we have an idea. It's the right decision either way to pass up Illinois. I didn't say it's a guarantee he's going to get a higher paying job. He made the right decision right now.

? He was worried he wouldn't be successful at Illinois. So we really don't know if he made the right decision. As of now, hes still small time. He might be small time his whole career.

Inkwell77 · 03-23-12, 02:50 PM

Who is Illinois looking at now? If not Shaka who is the next guy on their list?

Was thinking Craig Robinson would be a good fit as he has Illinois roots and is Obama's brother in law. He isn't that good of a coach though.

PickWinnerAllDay · 03-23-12, 02:54 PM

Originally posted by Inkwell77

Who is Illinois looking at now? If not Shaka who is the next guy on their list?

Was thinking Craig Robinson would be a good fit as he has Illinois roots and is Obama's brother in law. He isn't that good of a coach though.

I've heard a ton of names thrown around... Leonard Hamilton supposedly wanted the job but I think Illinois turned him down due to age. I've heard Lorenzo Romar, Collins from Duke, Ohio's coach, whatever his name is, I've heard Cronin, Mack from Xavier (although that seems unlikely considering our AD came from Cincinnati, heard a little bit about Buzz Williams. We'll see. I think they'll get a good guy, just hope they don't have to take a MAC coach.

Brock Landers · 03-23-12, 02:58 PM

Brad Stevens will be the next coach

PickWinnerAllDay · 03-23-12, 03:01 PM

Originally posted by Brock Landers

Brad Stevens will be the next coach

lol fukk twitter and all of these rumors.

Supposedly Brad Stevens was on a flight to Champaign.... no one goes to Champaign except to visit U of I so if that is true...