HOOPS: why I honestly feel Majerus is coach of the year in the conference.
Posted By: runnutz
Date: Tuesday, 19 February 2002, at 9:08 a.m.
I realize some will simple say I've got on crimson glasses but look at what he's done.
He lost , IMO our best player, Chris Burgess before the league ever started. He adjusted the style of ball and has the team in first place. Some could possibly make an argument for the coach at Air Force but I would still give it to Majerus. How many other coaches have lost their best player and still had a great season. Wyo was supposed to win the conference and I believe they still have all their players. Spoon ball at UNLV is starting to take off but they wont win the conference regular season.
Anyway just my thoughts. My vote would be Rick for the above mentioned reason. Go ahead and try to make a case for the others.
At the beginning of the year I predicted...
I agree with you completely.
I've been telling everyone since the Alabama game that this would be a season in which Rick would remind everyone as to what a great coach of the game he really is.
It was a perfect situation for him to come back to. He had to break nearly everyone down and teach them the game, Utah style, from scratch. With how much he loves to teach and practice, I expected he would shine this year.
U-Ute
Would Wyo be tied for first without Davis, UNLV without Dalron Johnsen; BYU without Travis Hansen, San Diego State without Holcombe?
I agree. Utah has no business being 19-5 with a good chance of winning this league outright, sans Chris Burgess. Majerus is far and above any coach in this conference, and certainly, ought to be considered for National Coach of the Year. He is the best coach that will ever teach on the Utah bench.
Like I said before, this team is not as talented as last year. Utah has nobody that can explode to the rim at the guard position (e.g. Bradley) and nobody that can bang (absent Burgess) like Altoff did last year. Utah does not have a consistent low post threat. The new additions, while adequate, cannot compensate for the loss of these players.
If ever there was a time that a team other than Utah should have won this conference outright, it should have been the past two years. Utah has been devastated by injuries, absences, transfers, etc. Yet it continues to be the dominate -- and only legitimate force -- in this league. Simply, the MWC is UTAH -- err Rick Majerus. Utah is the only team in this league to all but lock up an automatic NCAA berth in a year in which it lost its best player. Arguably, Wyoming, San Diego State, UNLV and BYU have the talent to be in the position to earn an automatic berth but none of those teams can play consistently over the course of an entire season. Instead, the rest of this league, as typical, must rely on getting hot over a three game stretch to backdoor their way into a tournament they simply don't belong in. They should thank the NCAA daily that it cares more about money than giving an automatic bid to the team that deserves it: the regular season conference champion, be it Wyo or Utah.
What Rick does is simply amazing.
LU
Its a tough call...
I like Scott at Air Force, they are certainly playing better than in the past years. No one is able to overlook the Falcons. If they had won a couple of those close ones, he would be a lock.
Rick has certainly overcome a major obstacle with Burgess out since Texas. I guess I am biased, but I expect that of Rick, so its hard to crown him for doing the expected. The unexpected would be to knock off BYU and Wyo on the road. Then I would be at the front of Majerus parade with palm fronds waving.
Cleveland was looking good at first, but the lack of W's on the road is a glaring weakness.
Spoon may win this next year. Things haven't quite gelled, though they've gotten some road wins.
Wyo is having a good year but it was pretty much as expected.
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