NCAA Tournament Selection Show (March 12th 6pm CBS)

[Furmanoid]

Do we know what specific chances he’s had to coach at other schools? How likely is it that he will not be with us next year? To what extent does our continuing success depend upon him staying? How committed is Furman to getting a replacement as good or better when he does leave us?

We know about two chances, College of Charleston and S. Carolina. I have a close friend and big supporter of our basketball program that is so consumed with next year that he cannot enjoy this year. I keep telling him to live the moment and enjoy the moment. Next year will take care of itself. He just cannot help himself.

Keeping CBR it is literally in God’s hands as Coach is a man of deep faith. FU has to do its part and do as much as possible for our Coach of the Year. CBR has taken us so far, however, there is more to be done. Hope and pray he accepts the challenge and opportunity to continue to build the Paladin basketball program. I am reminded of the Carpenter’s song that could be our theme, “We’ve Only Just Begun.”

I really doubt he’s going anywhere. He is the big man on campus. He can see the possibility of dominating the SoCon and taking an annual trip to the dance. Certainly if he wins a game this time he’s gonna get a huge bump. He’ll get a big bump anyway just for getting there.

The other play is to roll the dice and go into a bad situation where somebody just got fired. They usually get fired by delusional fan bases who expect the unlikely. If you don’t beat the odds after 2 years, you spend another year or two on the hot seat getting hated. Then you get fired. Sure, you get a buyout, which sounds great to lazy people, but not a driven coach. So compare that to just staying home and getting rich at Furman where everybody loves you and pretty much always will, and you have the luxury of slowly getting better and better in a conference you can’t hardly lose?

[FU Hoopla]

Something to keep in mind, there are 4 former SoCon coaches to occupy big time jobs currently, VA Tech, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Cincinnati. None of those schools are projected to be in the NCAA tourney.

[FU Hoopla]

Just getting the feeling that all the intense pressure that has been on FU all season is now behind our team, and they will come out for the NCAA tourney playing free and having fun, go enjoy your moment fellas

[Furmanoid]

Yes, best play is to create a dynasty at FU and get really famous. Don’t take the job at any old better paying school. Hold out for one of the real blue bloods. That’s the real goal I would think, and the safer path to getting there is winning 25 games year in and year out rather than taking some intermediate step at a VaTech, bombing, and having to start all over again.

[Roundball]

Do we know what specific chances he’s had to coach at other schools? How likely is it that he will not be with us next year? To what extent does our continuing success depend upon him staying? How committed is Furman to getting a replacement as good or better when he does leave us?

We know about two chances, College of Charleston and S. Carolina. I have a close friend and big supporter of our basketball program that is so consumed with next year that he cannot enjoy this year. I keep telling him to live the moment and enjoy the moment. Next year will take care of itself. He just cannot help himself.

Keeping CBR it is literally in God’s hands as Coach is a man of deep faith. FU has to do its part and do as much as possible for our Coach of the Year. CBR has taken us so far, however, there is more to be done. Hope and pray he accepts the challenge and opportunity to continue to build the Paladin basketball program. I am reminded of the Carpenter’s song that could be our theme, “We’ve Only Just Begun.”

I really doubt he’s going anywhere. He is the big man on campus. He can see the possibility of dominating the SoCon and taking an annual trip to the dance. Certainly if he wins a game this time he’s gonna get a huge bump. He’ll get a big bump anyway just for getting there.

The other play is to roll the dice and go into a bad situation where somebody just got fired. They usually get fired by delusional fan bases who expect the unlikely. If you don’t beat the odds after 2 years, you spend another year or two on the hot seat getting hated. Then you get fired. Sure, you get a buyout, which sounds great to lazy people, but not a driven coach. So compare that to just staying home and getting rich at Furman where everybody loves you and pretty much always will, and you have the luxury of slowly getting better and better in a conference you can’t hardly lose?

Plus, the P5 coaches are going to be forced to play the transfer game. That is not in Coach Richey's DNA.

[Roundball]

[Dins&Heels]

Very few coaches in his position would stay put but if you listen to some of the Ask the AD’s etc, he sounds like he has super ambitious goals for FU basketball. Maybe I’m naive though. Certainly think the USC job was his if he wanted it last year. CBR is brilliant in terms of evaluating talent and building a program/culture. So much better and rewarding for the fanbase watching our guys development over 4-5 years versus the transfer reload model.

[FUBeAR]

Very few coaches in his position would stay put but if you listen to some of the Ask the AD’s etc, he sounds like he has super ambitious goals for FU basketball. Maybe I’m naive though. Certainly think the USC job was his if he wanted it last year. CBR is brilliant in terms of evaluating talent and building a program/culture. So much better and rewarding for the fanbase watching our guys development over 4-5 years versus the transfer reload model.

Interesting stat… Let’s call the metric “Starter Continuity & Experience”

* Furman’s 5 Starters in their SoCon Tourney games average 3.6 years of experience in the program (including this year)
* The average number of years in their respective programs (including this year) for the Starters of Furman’s 3 opponents in the SoCon Tourney was 1.8 years

2x greater “Starter Continuity & Experience” matters more during the Survive & Advance season, IFBO.

[FU Hoopla]

[FU Hoopla]

[FUpaladin08]

I’d say CBR isn’t the top choice this year for any legitimate P5s, that probably goes to the CofC guy. I just don’t see him switching to another mid-major for just a pay raise. I would hope a P5 job is the only thing that would pull CBR away from Furman. Can’t blame him due what would be available with the contract, resources, and moving to a multi-bid league. Even if FU could build the best arena and offer the biggest contract the SoCon is stuck as a one bid league for now. As we fans know that is very frustrating, so I can’t imagine how the players and coaches struggle in the SoCon.

Just saw where Mike Buddie, who is clearly familiar with CBR, fired the Army coach. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him reach out, but would imagine Furman is still a far more favorable job.

[FU Hoopla]

[FU Hoopla]

[FU Hoopla]

I’d say CBR isn’t the top choice this year for any legitimate P5s, that probably goes to the CofC guy. I just don’t see him switching to another mid-major for just a pay raise. I would hope a P5 job is the only thing that would pull CBR away from Furman. Can’t blame him due what would be available with the contract, resources, and moving to a multi-bid league. Even if FU could build the best arena and offer the biggest contract the SoCon is stuck as a one bid league for now. As we fans know that is very frustrating, so I can’t imagine how the players and coaches struggle in the SoCon.

Just saw where Mike Buddie, who is clearly familiar with CBR, fired the Army coach. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him reach out, but would imagine Furman is still a far more favorable job.

That's why the vision should be for a bigger prestige conference to be affiliated with, one that we create and can maintain multi-bid status. Furman, Davidson, Belmont, College of Charleston is a great base starting point to build out a new multi-bid basketball conference.


Again as I have said, Villanova is proof that you can have Basketball and Football compete in separate conferences and still have success with both programs.

[The Jackal]

Something to keep in mind, there are 4 former SoCon coaches to occupy big time jobs currently, VA Tech, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Cincinnati. None of those schools are projected to be in the NCAA tourney.

Niko Medved and Colorado State are 14-17 this season as well.