This May Be Stupid But...

Discussion in 'Keith Hatfield Memorial Vols Hoops' started by LawVol13, Feb 16, 2014.

  1. LawVol13

    LawVol13 Chieftain

    I don't get that. This is the most talented team he's had and probably will have, and they're no better. It certainly not going to be getting better after this year.
     
  2. Tenacious D

    Tenacious D The law is of supreme importance, or no importance

    Shots fired.
     
  3. Tenacious D

    Tenacious D The law is of supreme importance, or no importance

    It's just a blind-assed guess, based primarily on a few passing conversations with others, and who may only be doing the same.

    I don't see Cheek having a sudden road to Damascus type experience where he drops the well-worn facade of being the smartest / most powerful guy in the room, which he would undoubtedly be forced to do in admitting his mistake in hiring Cuonzo to begin with. He certainly isn't likely to do it unless he absolutely had no other possible means to avoid it. And while missing the Tournament should be more than enough to get him fired, there is more than enough there for Cheek to warrant giving him another year (ie he took over a tough spot, he hasn't had time to develop a full class, he's a generally well-liked person who represents the University well, no off-the-court issues, attendance has not really flagged, consistency is king, etc. etc.).

    Simply, he won't want to fire him, and will likely flat refuse to do so, barring egregious and extenuating circumstances or far superior powers (both unforeseen right now) forcing him to do so. And so, he's far more likely than not to get another year, IMHO.

    Admitting that mistake will not only cause some injury to Cheek's facade in the present, but more importantly, in going forward. It would be difficult for him to similarly take the front and center role of hiring Cuonzo's replacement, as he did - and failed - in hiring him to begin with. But, then again, if there is one man who is the perfect mix of arrogance and ineptitude - and who is completely devoid of any sense of personal shame which would seem to require him to recuse himself - it's Cheek.

    And now, consider good ol' Bruce Pearl, and consider his path toward being re-hired at Tennessee.

    1. Cheek would have to admit being wrong in firing Pearl, or at least for the reasons stated in the ESPN article.
    2. Cheek would have to admit bungling the hiring of his replacement.
    3. Cheek would have to admit that his chosen replacement had not only failed, but in only three years, and both miserably and spectacularly.
    4. Cheek would have to admit that the only means of "righting the ship" which he has run aground, was to re-hire Pearl, a man who he claimed was unfit to continue as coach just three years ago.
    5. Cheek would have to admit that he could not hire a better or more suitable replacement, outside of either Cuonzo or Pearl.

    For those who think that Pearl either should or ultimately will be re-hired at Tennessee, you may very well be proven right. But I damned sure wouldn't hold my breath while waiting on it, and I'd caution against betting a plug nickle that it happens, outside of a wholesale regime change on the Hill.

    Quick aside: That so many Tennessee fans seemingly find it entirely believable that Cheek had such a direct and distinctly important hand in firing Pearl / hiring Cuonzo....but don't see (or care?) how the exact same dynamics were very much at play in the hiring / firing of the football coach (like it or not, but an exponentially more important hire than a basketball coach), and all that his involvement likely resulted in, is just beyond my ability to understand. Just my $.02
     
  4. JohnnyQuickkick

    JohnnyQuickkick Calcio correspondent

    I can certainly see him staying on if they sneak into the tournament. But yeah, I can't see how he's not done if not. Although it is hard to predict incompetence sometimes
     
  5. JohnnyQuickkick

    JohnnyQuickkick Calcio correspondent

    As far as Anthony Davis it was pretty clear to me while he was at UK that he had the makings of a nice offensive game.
     
  6. Tenacious D

    Tenacious D The law is of supreme importance, or no importance

    One more thing - I think that Cuonzo will likely buy himself TWO more years if he does make the tourney this season. Next year's excuse will be how much talent he lost from the roster, how inexperienced we are, etc.

    Hide and watch.
     
  7. JohnnyQuickkick

    JohnnyQuickkick Calcio correspondent

    Shut yer hole
     
  8. GahLee

    GahLee Director of Conspiracy Theories, 8th Maxim

    Restocking the cupboard falls directly on him. If in year four you're left with a middling roster, you deserve to be fired. Not only has he not made the NCAA tourney but he's had very poor showings in the NIT. Under a competent and willing AD, the writing would be on the wall at this point, with the fools we have he may be able to parlay a 20 win season in which he misses the tournament into an extension and raise.

    I literally have next to no hope for our basketball program.
     
  9. kidbourbon

    kidbourbon Well-Known Member

    Yes, we're all wrong occasionally*. My recollection for such things is usually bad, but I just remember that phrase ("weak side shot blocker"). You must have used it several times.


    *My football endorsements aren't always wrong, to be fair: http://8thmaxim.com/site/forum/showthread.php?t=10218
     
  10. kidbourbon

    kidbourbon Well-Known Member

    It was pretty clear to me as well. I wouldn't remember the argument otherwise.
     
  11. kidbourbon

    kidbourbon Well-Known Member

    No no. Shots blocked....on the weak side.
     
  12. kidbourbon

    kidbourbon Well-Known Member

    I don't think you know what virtually impossible means. I think we have to win out.
     
  13. kidbourbon

    kidbourbon Well-Known Member

    I started my "14 year old with a wifi connection and a free saturday afternoon" coaching search. It's going pretty well. I think I found some promising candidates.
     
  14. justingroves

    justingroves supermod

    You're doing better than Cheek
     
  15. JohnnyQuickkick

    JohnnyQuickkick Calcio correspondent

    he had a 3 year show cause
     
  16. Tenacious D

    Tenacious D The law is of supreme importance, or no importance

    I hope you're right, but I still think that we win out. Other than Mizzou at home, is it possible to construe an easier end to the season than what's in front of us?

    We'll likely beat Mizzou at home, finishing the season on a 6 game winning streak (albeit against miserable competition) and winning one in the SECT will punch our ticket.

    I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see any way we lose outside of Mizzou, and we should have better than 50/50 odds in that one, IMO.

    And even if he makes the tourney and gets bounced in the first by a 20+ point loss, he's back for a year or even two. God forbid he wins two in the tourney, they'll be extending him with a big bump on the front and back end.
     
  17. JohnnyQuickkick

    JohnnyQuickkick Calcio correspondent

    considering they've barely been able to win 2 in a row, they're going to have to do it before I'll believe they'll win out.
     
  18. Tenacious D

    Tenacious D The law is of supreme importance, or no importance

    And I just realized earlier that our record is 15-10 right now, but only 14-10 against D1 schools that count.

    Win out the rest of the regular season (+6), win one in the SECT (+1) - we finish up at 22-11 (21-11 v. D1), somewhere in the low - mid 40's in RPI, and ta-da, we're an 11-12 seed.

    But as atrocious as 15-10 looks....14-10 looks a helluva lot worse, much more than just a one game difference.
     
  19. Bassmanbruno

    Bassmanbruno Banned

    We will probably lose to UGA.
     
  20. dknash

    dknash Chieftain

    Georgia's C effort probably beats our C effort, even at home. Still, if we lose that game, it's pretty much evidence of Cuonzo losing the team. Which is well within the realm of possibility. At the moment the wheels do seem shaky, I'm thinking an L.

    aTm is on the road and they beat us at home. Revenge factor and potential first game with backs against the wall... I think it's a win. Also they are trash and should never hang with us, but we can all see where that has gotten us.

    Mississippi State is away but they are atrocious. Comfortable win.

    Vandy at home, I think we'll show up. W.

    Auburn seems like a trap game. It's sandwiched between Vandy and Mizzou, which sadly count as big games, and it's on the road, where Auburn has been at least competitive at first glance. They're 3-3 in conference, beating Bama, Georgia, and MSU and losing to Mizzou, Kentucky, and Florida by a combined 17 points. I'm going to say loss.

    Mizzou is epic choke potential. We'll probably pretty obviously need this one and I expect us to press (the approximate synonym for choking, not the defensive system). Might be fun to track turnovers vs. missed 3's and see which hits 20 first. Then again, it might not. Loss.

    3-3 finish. It just seems right.
     

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